STRK price outlook as Starknet prepares to launch strkBTC, a shielded Bitcoin for private transactions

  • strkBTC will enable private Bitcoin transactions on Starknet’s DeFi network.
  • STRK is down nearly 70% in 90 days, closely tracking Bitcoin’s movements.
  • The key STRK price levels to watch are the support at $0.04 and the resistance at $0.045.

Starknet is gearing up for a major move in the decentralised finance (DeFi) space with the upcoming launch of strkBTC, a Bitcoin-based asset designed to bring privacy and confidentiality to transactions on its Layer-2 network.

According to a press release by Starknet, the new asset will allow users to transact Bitcoin within DeFi without exposing balances or counterparties.

It is built with shielded transfers in mind, giving users the flexibility to maintain privacy while interacting with the DeFi ecosystem.

strkBTC will be issued deterministically from verifiable Bitcoin deposits, meaning that the minting process does not rely on discretionary control.

This ensures that the token’s supply mirrors actual Bitcoin deposits on the network, creating a transparent and verifiable foundation for its use.

Users can choose between public and shielded modes, enabling confidential transactions while still preserving regulatory compliance.

This is achieved through selective disclosure mechanisms, which allow necessary audits without exposing the broader network activity.

The launch of strkBTC is part of Starknet’s strategy to increase Bitcoin adoption in DeFi while addressing concerns that have historically held back institutional participation.

By combining privacy, composability, and auditability, Starknet aims to attract both retail and institutional users to its ecosystem.

Starknet (STRK) market reaction

Starknet’s native token, STRK, has been under significant pressure in recent months.

The token has dropped roughly 70% over the past 90 days, reflecting a broader trend in cryptocurrency markets.

Its current price sits near $0.042, with a 24-hour decline of over 8%.

However, market activity remains moderate, with a 24-hour trading volume of around $52 million and a total value locked (TVL) on the network of roughly $446 million.

The upcoming strkBTC launch may provide a catalyst for renewed interest.

The introduction of a privacy-focused Bitcoin asset could enhance the utility of the Starknet network and increase demand for STRK as a governance and utility token.

In addition, STRK’s performance is closely tied to Bitcoin’s price movements, and the stabilisation of BTC above $66,000 could help STRK consolidate in the range of $0.04 to $0.045.

On the other hand, a sustained move below $0.04 may see the STRK token test the $0.035 support zone.

Investors should also keep an eye on broader market sentiment indicators, such as the Fear & Greed Index.

Historically, movements out of extreme fear have preceded market rebounds, suggesting that even in a downtrend, relief rallies are possible.

STRK price forecast

Starknet (STRK) remains in a cautious position, with short-term consolidation possible, although long-term direction is dependent on broader crypto market recovery and the success of strkBTC’s adoption within Starknet’s DeFi ecosystem.

The launch of strkBTC adds an important layer of fundamental support for STRK, as the token’s utility within the network is set to increase.

For short-term traders, the key levels to watch include the immediate support at $0.04 and the resistance at $0.045.

A break above $0.045 could signal the start of a more sustained recovery, especially if Bitcoin shows strength simultaneously.

Conversely, a drop below $0.04 would likely signal further downside toward $0.035, continuing the current bearish trend.

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KCS token price outlook as KuCoin taps Zypto for everyday crypto payments

  • KuCoin’s Zypto integration expands KCS use cases into everyday crypto payments.
  • KCS token price remains weak as volume stays low despite a positive adoption narrative.
  • Key levels to watch are $8.52 support and $8.66 for short-term trend reversal.

KuCoin crypto exchange has taken another step toward expanding real-world crypto usage by integrating its payment service with Zypto, a move that places everyday spending back at the centre of the digital asset conversation.

The partnership links KuCoin Pay with Zypto’s payment infrastructure, allowing users to spend cryptocurrencies directly without routing funds through traditional banking rails.

KuCoin’s partnership with Zypto

This development is designed to close the gap between holding crypto and actually using it, which has long been one of the industry’s biggest adoption challenges.

Through the Zypto ecosystem, users can now make practical payments such as buying gift cards, paying utility bills, topping up mobile airtime, or funding crypto-linked cards.

The integration supports dozens of digital assets, including KuCoin’s native token, KuCoin Token (KCS), positioning KCS closer to daily transactional use rather than pure exchange utility.

For KuCoin, the move strengthens its broader strategy of building payment rails that sit alongside trading, staking, and yield products.

For users, it reduces friction by allowing them to spend crypto balances directly instead of converting to fiat first.

This shift matters because tokens that gain real-world utility often benefit from stronger long-term narratives, even if the short-term price reaction is muted.

KuCoin Token price reaction

Despite the positive headline, KuCoin Token (KCS) price action has remained cautious, reflecting a broader market reality where fundamentals and price do not always align immediately.

At the time of writing, the KCS token is trading around $8.61, placing it well below its historical peak but comfortably above long-term cycle lows.

The token’s market capitalisation sits near $1.14 billion, which keeps it within the mid-cap range where sentiment can change quickly on relatively modest capital flows.

Short-term performance has been mixed, with KCS down roughly 2.2% over the past 24 hours while still showing gains on a weekly and biweekly basis.

Longer timeframes tell a more defensive story, as the token remains significantly lower on a one-year view, reflecting sustained pressure across exchange tokens.

Volume trends offer additional context, as 24-hour trading activity rose by more than 20% but remains low in absolute terms.

This suggests that recent price movement is not being driven by aggressive accumulation or distribution.

Instead, the decline appears more like a slow, liquidity-driven drift rather than a reaction to negative news.

Broader market conditions support this view, as Bitcoin has been slightly positive while the total crypto market has remained largely flat.

There is no clear evidence of derivatives-driven selling, sector rotation, or defensive flows targeting KCS cryptocurrency specifically.

This points to an isolated weakness rather than a systemic issue tied to KuCoin or its token.

From a technical perspective, KCS is currently trading below its short-term moving averages, which keeps near-term momentum tilted to the downside.

The failure to hold the 7-day and 30-day simple moving averages has reinforced a cautious bias among short-term traders.

KCS token price analysis
KuCoin Token price chart | Source: TradingView

Until these levels are reclaimed, upside attempts may continue to face selling pressure.

That said, the absence of panic selling suggests that downside risk may remain measured unless broader market sentiment deteriorates.

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Bitcoin price outlook: analyst warns it’s ‘premature’ to say bear market is over

  • Bitcoin price trades around $67,500.
  • The asset rose to near $70,000 but is facing key resistance.
  • Analyst Rekt Capital warns that it’s “premature” to say the current bear market is over.

Bitcoin price is hovering around $67,500 after retreating from highs near $70,000.

The spike to intraday highs on Wednesday saw chatter across ‘Crypto Twitter’ shift to the potential for BTC to have bottomed out and prospects of a sharp uptick.

While bullish sentiment continues to permeate the crypto market, one analyst is cautioning against “premature” calls of the bear market being over.

This even as US spot Bitcoin ETFs take fresh inflows to cut year-to-date outflows to under $2 billion.

Bitcoin retreats from $70k as analyst warns of further declines

Macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds have meant Bitcoin has found it hard to break higher since recovering from lows near $60,000 reached in early February.

However, the bellwether crypto asset surged toward $70,000 ahead of Nvidia’s earnings report on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

Like gains across equities, Bitcoin’s uptick benefited from anticipation around Nvidia’s earnings report.

But despite strong AI-driven results, stock futures stalled, and BTC pulled back, trading to around $67,500 as of writing.

Nvidia shares also fell, down more than 5% at open on Thursday. Reaction to the chip giant’s earnings beat impacted BTC.

Despite this pullback, many traders are upbeat after US spot Bitcoin ETFs snapped a recent losing streak, with over $750 million in net inflows over two days. The flip has the market trending with mixed signals.

However, according to crypto analyst Rekt Capital, it’s premature to say the bear market is over.

“The shortest Bitcoin Bear Market lasted 365 days. Bitcoin is currently ~140 days into its current Bear Market,” he posted on X, adding:

“Any talk of the Bear Market being over already is probably premature.”

Spot ETF inflows, on-chain metrics and macro shifts could be key factors in this cycle. But Rekt believes the technical picture says a lot.

In this case, the analyst points to historical cycle bottoms and BTC’s slide below the 200-week exponential moving average.

Even with recent inflows reversing recent outflows to a degree, institutional demand is low, and that could limit any upside.

BTC price analysis

Technically, Bitcoin’s retreat from $70,000 exposes support at $68,000-$68,500.

With a breakdown to $67,500, bulls risk an acceleration toward $60,000.

Rekt shares this outlook by noting that bulls remain vulnerable as long as price fluctuates below the 200-week EMA.

The moving average has acted as resistance in previous bear markets, including in 2018.

“Ultimately, as long as Bitcoin remains below the 200-week EMA, history suggests price will favour additional downside,” the analyst noted.

Earlier this month, analysts at Standard Chartered cut their target for BTC in 2026 to $100,000 and forecast a potential retest of $50,000 before a fresh rally higher.

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Dogecoin recovery stalls as DOGE retreats below $0.10

  • Dogecoin price hovers near $0.10 amid fresh rejection above this level.
  • Open interest has dropped below $1 billion.
  • DOGE could drop to $0.08 if weakness intensifies.

Dogecoin’s latest price rally has hit a snag, with the meme coin slipping back under the key $0.10 threshold amid fading momentum in the meme coin sector.

On Thursday, February 26, 2026, DOGE hovered around $0.1004, clinging to modest daily gains after a volatile week that saw it dip as low as $0.0914 the previous day.

This retreat highlights persistent challenges for the meme-themed cryptocurrencies, once buoyed by celebrity endorsements but now grappling with broader market headwinds and technical barriers.

DOGE price retested highs above $0.10

Dogecoin briefly surged past $0.10 on Wednesday, fueled by a sharp rebound for Bitcoin and top altcoins.

Traders eyed momentum above the psychological level as a potential springboard for renewed interest, especially after DOGE touched $0.11 on February 25 before retreating.

However, the uptick proved short-lived, with selling pressure mounting as the token failed to sustain gains, retreating amid thinner trading volumes and scepticism over long-term catalysts.

A unique angle here is the role of retail investor fatigue.

On-chain metrics show smaller holders distributing positions after the spike, wary of the slide seen following Dogecoin price rallying to its peak in 2025.

CoinGlass data shows that open interest in Dogecoin futures has dropped to under $1 billion.

The dip has been progressive since the peak of over $5 billion in September 2025.

This shift highlights how community-driven hype, Dogecoin’s hallmark, is waning as macro factors overshadow viral buzz.

Dogecoin price analysis

Dogecoin is trading near $0.098 as of writing on Thursday, preserving about 4% of the advance from the prior session.

The slight dip from intraday highs aligns with the rejection at the upper boundary of a falling channel.

Dogecoin has also traded lower amid falling 50-day and 100-day SMAs.

Bulls, therefore, face the $0.10 and the SMA barriers as immediate resistance levels.

Dogecoin Price Chart
DOGE price chart by TradingView

The daily MACD has climbed following a signal line rebound earlier in the week, pointing to budding bullish energy.

Buyers are also unwavering as RSI lingers near the 50 mark, hinting at neutral sentiment.

This means fresh gains could follow if buyers retake control.

Yet, a close below $0.10 could revive selling, targeting the February lows of $0.08 and exposing deeper corrections.

From a distinctive perspective, Dogecoin’s stall mirrors a “meme exhaustion pattern” seen in past cycles.

After quick pops, prices have often quickly pared gains.

With year-to-date declines persisting and Bitcoin’s surge also stalling, DOGE bulls need a decisive breakout to shift momentum.

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XLM bounces from $0.15 lows, but bears remain in control

  • Stellar price rose to near $0.17 on Thursday, February 26.
  • XLM bounced higher as cryptocurrencies recorded gains across the board.
  • Bulls could target $0.40 if sentiment holds, but bears remain largely in control.

Stellar (XLM) price rose to near $0.17 early Thursday as a broad market bounce lifted cryptocurrencies.

The altcoin’s price mirrored the movement of major alts and Bitcoin, jumping from lows of $0.15 as sentiment drove buy-side pressure.

Bitcoin’s surge to near $70k came ahead of Nvidia earnings.

BTC is holding above $68k, and this could mean a short-term retest of highs above the psychological level.

However, bulls are at risk of giving up all the intraday gains if bearish sentiment continues to dictate momentum, with analysts pointing to the latest uptick as a potential relief bounce that may yet fade quickly.

XLM price today

XLM price hovers at $0.1647 as of writing, up nearly 8% in the past 24 hours.

The gains put Stellar up about 3% in the past week, and extended the altcoin’s recovery from oversold levels near $0.15.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the price jump has come amid a spike in daily trading volume.

The spot volume stood at $155 million, up 50% as XLM tested intraday highs around $0.169.

Stellar price technical analysis

Despite notable gains, XLM remains pinned below the 50-day and 100-day SMAs.

The moving averages are clustered near $0.18-$0.21, signalling continued downside pressure.

A descending resistance trendline also caps upside, and bulls need a clean break to sustain the advantage.

In terms of technical indicators, the daily RSI has inched up from oversold territory but stays neutral.

Meanwhile, the MACD shows bullish divergence, but a shrinking histogram suggests limited breakout potential without a notable volume surge.

XLM Price Chart
XLM price chart by TradingView

For bulls, near-term recovery hinges on holding $0.16 support.

A push above $0.17 and a retest of highs above the key moving averages will buoy buyers.

Key targets lie in the $0.25-$0.41 area.

Helping Stellar’s bullish outlook is its traction in the payments and tokenization markets.

The blockchain network ranks among the top chains for distributed and represented real-world assets, alongside XRP Ledger and others.

Gains for XRP have often coincided with an uptick for XLM.

On the downside, bears may rely on a bearish tilt supported by negative trends in the derivatives market.

XLM’s futures open interest remains low compared to metrics seen during last year’s peak. Funding rates also reinforce this outlook.

As such, downside risks loom large, and a breakdown below $0.15 could be bad news for XLM bulls.

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