Markets in Review | February 24, 2026
🪙 Crypto Markets: Fear Takes Hold
Bitcoin (BTC): $63,232 (-3.95%)Ethereum (ETH): $1,825 (-3.09%)Crypto markets extended their losing streak Tuesday as Bitcoin briefly dipped below $64,000 overnight, marking one of its worst starts to a year in a decade. The broader crypto fear index has entered “extreme fear” territory, with short-term Bitcoin whales currently holding approximately $26 billion in unrealized losses—one of the highest levels seen this year.Despite the bearish sentiment, analyst Timothy Peterson noted that Bitcoin has an 88% probability of reaching $122,000 by late 2026, based on historical monthly performance patterns. The metric measures frequency of positive months rather than magnitude, suggesting that even sideways movement could support the bullish thesis over time.Movers: Zcash (ZEC) led decliners at -5.75%, while Hyperliquid (HYPE) dropped -5.58%. On the positive side, XPL saw a modest +0.75% gain in a sea of red.
📊 Stock Markets: Tariff Turbulence
S&P 500: 6,837.75 (-1.04%)Dow Jones: -800 pointsU.S. equity markets faced sharp selling pressure Monday as investors grappled with renewed tariff uncertainty. President Trump’s announcement of new global tariffs following a Supreme Court ruling against reciprocal duties sent shockwaves through markets.The tech sector wasn’t spared, with IBM shares plunging 13% after Anthropic unveiled new programming capabilities for its Claude Code AI tool—raising concerns about disruption to traditional software consulting models.What to Watch: Markets are bracing for key earnings from Nvidia (NVDA) later this week, with elevated expectations priced in. Consumer confidence data and Home Depot earnings are also on the docket for Tuesday.
💡 Key Takeaways
- Crypto sentiment is near historic lows—often a contrarian signal for patient investors
- Tariff policy remains the dominant macro narrative for equities
- AI disruption fears are creating opportunities in oversold tech names
- Nvidia earnings could set the tone for the broader AI trade
Markets are closed for U.S. equities. Asian markets showing early signs of stabilization.