Cryptocurrency News, Friday, February 13, 2026 - Main Topic of the Day: Counterparty and Operational Risk Amid BlockFills Withdrawal Pause

Current Cryptocurrency News for Friday, February 13, 2026: Bitcoin and Ethereum in the Spotlight, Rising Infrastructure Risks, and the Impact of Regulation and Institutional Investors on the Global Crypto Market. Liquidity and Volatility Analysis, Top 10 Cryptocurrencies.

Recent weeks have been characterized by deleveraging: participants have cut leverage in derivatives, tightened limits, and returned to liquidity control. On the macro scale, the cryptocurrency market is sensitive to expectations regarding financial conditions, meaning that shifting sentiments in global markets swiftly reflect on digital assets. The outcome has been increased intraday amplitude and the spreading volatility from Bitcoin to altcoins. For long-term investors, this cryptocurrency news is crucial primarily as an indicator of the quality of settlements, market depth, and the availability of liquidity during stress periods.

• Liquidity. Thin order books raise the likelihood of sharp impulses, especially outside of the American session.
• Leverage. As volatility accelerates, forced liquidations intensify movements and degrade price quality.
• Segmentation. The most liquid instruments concentrate around Bitcoin and Ethereum; some altcoins are "falling" deeper.

Today's Main Topic

Infrastructure risk is once again "re-evaluated upwards". BlockFills announced a temporary pause on deposits and withdrawals, citing market and financial conditions as the reason. However, it has stated that positions in spot and derivatives can still be opened and closed. At the time of this report, the timeline for the normalization of transfers remains unclear.

Simultaneously, a case involving erroneous asset allocation at one of the Asian exchanges has demonstrated that an "error in accounting" can quickly become a stress event for trust: even if the blockchain level is intact, the internal settlement and risk-checking framework becomes a critical point. The takeaway for investors is straightforward: the risk shifts from charts to the operational plane, and the value of a "reliable counterpart" increases.

1. Reliability premium is increasing: the market distinguishes not only between tokens but also between the quality of exchanges, custodians, and stablecoins.
2. Chain reaction risk is intensifying: withdrawal limits increase the likelihood of forced sales to meet margin calls.
3. Communication becomes an asset: transparency regarding operation statuses and clear rules reduce the likelihood of panic.

Regulatory News

Cryptocurrency regulation is moving from general frameworks to verifiable procedures. In the U.S., discussions are focusing on clearer market structures for tokens and coordination among agencies, including work on taxonomy and conditions that will allow certain operations to occur "on-chain" while meeting obligations. In the EU, the implementation of MiCA strengthens requirements for personnel competencies and the internal policies of crypto service providers — raising the threshold for market entry but reducing the risk of mis-selling and increasing the comparability of standards across the region.

In Asia, supervisory discussions are increasingly centering on the robustness of exchange infrastructure and internal controls, particularly following high-profile operational incidents. For the global market, this means that cryptocurrency regulation will increasingly assess not "promises," but control procedures, event logs, and the quality of responses to emergencies.

• U.S.: Movement towards a clearer framework for the digital asset market and compatible token taxonomy.
• EU:Standardization of competency and compliance requirements within the framework of MiCA.
• Asia:Increased focus on systemic risks for exchanges and the quality of internal controls.

Institutional Investments

In the institutional segment, a regime shift is noticeable: after several weeks of significant outflows from digital asset investment products, the pace of capital withdrawal has slowed. This is not indicative of a trend reversal; rather, it reflects a transition from panic-driven reductions to more selective rebalancing. In such a phase, block purchases are rarer, but demand for hedging and instruments with clearer legal frameworks is growing. For cryptocurrency investments, this signifies an increased premium for infrastructure transparency.

Typical reactions from major players include:

1. Reduction of net leverage and transfer of part of the risk to options and structured hedges.
2. Tightening limits on counterparties, margin, and collateral conditions.
3. Concentration of volumes in the most liquid pairs around Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Technological Updates

The technology layer of blockchain is crucial as a foundation of trust: when markets are nervous, the resilience of node software and predictability of network operations become competitive advantages. This week, the Bitcoin Core 29.3 update was released with a set of fixes and stability improvements—markets value such "routine" releases during stress periods.

In the Ethereum ecosystem, focus remains on scaling and reducing friction for L2 solutions: security of integrations and unified data standards are key. For some altcoins, the technological criterion is increasingly expressed in "operational maturity": the resilience of validator software and the network's ability to withstand demand spikes, when both load and fees are increasing simultaneously.

• Bitcoin: The stability of client software as a trust element for the network.
• Ethereum: The quality of scaling and security of ecosystem linkages.
• Altcoins: Emphasis on fault tolerance and operational maturity.

Analytics and Forecasts

The baseline scenario for the coming weeks depends on three factors: (1) the speed of liquidity normalization among intermediaries, (2) dynamics of forced liquidations in derivatives, and (3) how quickly regulators turn statements into enforceable rules. After waves of liquidations, the market typically goes through two phases: first, a "cleansing" of leverage, followed by selective purchases of higher-quality assets. This supports heavyweights and increases the divergence in dynamics within altcoins, particularly between infrastructure blockchain projects and speculative coins.

Three working scenarios for portfolio management include:

• Stabilization: Amplitude decreases, infrastructure normalizes.
• Repeat stress: New limits on intermediaries and pressure on credit products.
• Selective growth: Demand shifts towards projects with sustainable blockchain usage and clear risks, as well as the most liquid underlying assets.

Risks and Recommendations

The main risk this Friday is the combination of market volatility with infrastructural limitations. This is an environment where the "right asset" may not compensate for the "inappropriate platform." Therefore, recommendations for cryptocurrency investments today primarily concern risk contours and operational discipline. If cryptocurrency investments represent a significant portion of the portfolio, scenario planning for unforeseen delays and withdrawal limitations becomes a priority.

1. Diversify infrastructure: Separate storage, trading, and lending across different providers.
2. Reduce leverage: During stress phases, the likelihood of margin surprises and liquidations increases.
3. Check withdrawal modes: Limits, timelines, compliance checks, and "plans B" in case of delays.
4. Evaluate stablecoin risk: Reserves, legal structure, and transparency of reporting.

• Signals of deterioration: Increase in reports of withdrawal freezes, settlement failures, and widening spreads.
• Signals of improvement: Restoration of intermediary operations and return of market depth.

Top 10 Most Popular Cryptocurrencies

Below is a reference for the largest and most liquid assets in the cryptocurrency market (excluding prices). This list serves as a navigation tool for investors globally: it helps in correlating the roles of assets—from base networks to stablecoins and "cultural" coins—and facilitates a quicker understanding of how cryptocurrency news can affect market segments differently.