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FX & Crypto Insights – Institutional thought leadership

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17 February 2026
Bitcoin consolidates, ETH edges ahead
 
 
LMAX Digital performance
 
 

LMAX Digital volumes were thinner to start the week on account of the US holiday trade. Total notional volume for Monday came in at $245 million, 34% below 30-day average volume.

Bitcoin volume printed $114 million, 43% below 30-day average volume. Ether volume came in at $52 million, 38% below 30-day average volume.

Looking at average position size over the past 30 days, we’re seeing average bitcoin position size at $7,245 and average position size for ether at $2,767.

Volatility has cooled down after peaking earlier this month. We’re looking at average daily ranges in bitcoin and ether of $3,644 and $151 respectively.

 
Latest industry news
 
 

Bitcoin has traded in a relatively contained range over the past 24 hours, consolidating after last week’s volatile corrective phase.

The market has struggled to establish sustained upside momentum, with rallies encountering selling interest into resistance zones as short-term participants continue to reduce exposure.

At the same time, downside pressure has been limited, suggesting the presence of longer-term buyers accumulating on dips and reinforcing the broader medium-term constructive bias.

Overall, price action reflects a transitional phase, with markets seeking clearer macro and flow-driven catalysts.

ETH has broadly tracked bitcoin but shows slightly firmer relative performance, supported by continued structural demand tied to staking, ecosystem growth, and institutional positioning.

Of note, there has been increased market attention on reports of capital rotation into ETH from traditionally bitcoin-centric institutional allocators, including Harvard’s endowment-linked positioning via external managers.

However, like bitcoin, ETH remains constrained by the same macro and liquidity considerations, with investors reluctant to add aggressively to risk until there is greater clarity on the outlook for global financial conditions.

From a crypto-native perspective, derivatives positioning has normalized following the recent flush, with funding rates and leverage metrics returning to more neutral levels.

This suggests that much of the excess speculative froth has been cleared in the near term, reducing the risk of disorderly long liquidations but also removing a key driver of momentum.

ETF flow dynamics remain an important marginal influence, with mixed inflow signals contributing to the current consolidation rather than providing a decisive directional impulse.

Macro drivers continue to dominate the narrative, with crypto trading largely in line with broader risk sentiment.

US Treasury yield stability and consolidation in the US dollar have helped prevent deeper downside, while equity markets holding near highs have reinforced a relatively supportive backdrop.

At the same time, uncertainty around the timing and magnitude of Federal Reserve easing continues to limit risk appetite, with crypto remaining highly sensitive to shifts in rate expectations and liquidity conditions.

Looking ahead, global political and macro developments remain critical directional catalysts. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, evolving expectations around US monetary policy, and broader cross-asset positioning will likely dictate near-term crypto performance.

For now, the market appears to be in a consolidation and recalibration phase, with bitcoin continuing to act as the primary barometer of institutional risk appetite and ETH benefiting from selective relative strength within a still cautious overall environment.

 
 
LMAX Digital metrics
Price performance
last 30 days avg. vs USD (%)
Total volumes
last 30 days ($bn)
BTCUSD volumes
last 30 days ($bn)
BTCUSD avg. trade size
last 30 days ($k)
ETHUSD avg. trade size
last 30 days ($k)
Average daily range
BTCUSD
$3,644
ETHUSD
$151
Tweets Social media

@Cointelegraph
Tokenized real-world assets rose 13.5% over the past 30 days despite the broader crypto market losing about $1 trillion in value.

@BitcoinMagazine
$3.8 billion Pantera Capital CEO said “I think there will be a global arms race for Bitcoin within the next 2-3 years.”

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