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Gm fam. Risk assets just got smoked…

Over $1T vanished from U.S. equities in 24h, and a jaw-dropping $3.6T was wiped in 90 minutes across markets. Gold (-3.7%), silver (-8.5%), Nasdaq (-1.6%)… everything bled. Military tensions, NATO drills, AI disruption fears, and Fed pressure are weighing heavy.

$BTC ( β–² 4.63% ) slipped back to $66K again. When stocks pump, crypto sleeps. When stocks bleed… we bleed faster.

P/S: We are taking a break for the Lunar New Year and will be back on Feb 22! 🧧 But don't worry, we could never truly leave you behind - we’ll still be active and updating the latest news for you daily on our Telegram channel. See you there, fam! 😁

Here’s what we got for you today:

  • πŸ‘€ Master the mech Arena on MegaETH

  • ⭐ Safe havens just cracked

  • ⭐ Aave Labs: 100% revenue to the DAO

  • πŸ”₯ Burning hot takes for the road

GameFi is heating up again… but this time it doesn’t smell like 2021 ponzinomics.

The "play-to-earn" graveyard is full of boring clicker games, but Ave Forge just touched down on the MegaETH Mainnet (the chain backed by Vitalik that’s pushing 100k TPS) and it’s actually... fun?

Most players will farm. A few will understand the economy. If you’re looking to front-run the MegaETH Airdrop while piloting a giant robot, this is the first project you need on your radar. πŸ‘‡

🩸 GOLD -4%, SILVER -10%: SAFE HAVENS JUST CRACKED. WHAT’S REALLY BREAKING?

If you thought crypto was the only asset class that knows how to rug, take a look at the "boomer rocks" today. The safe havens just stopped being safe. πŸ’”

Gold plummeted 4% (trading near $4,956), and Silver absolutely capitulated, diving 10% to ~$76. This isn't just a correction; it's a liquidation event. When the "flight to safety" assets get sold off this hard, it usually means one thing: Liquidity Crisis.

1/ The debt wall is breaking

The macro data coming out of the US right now is straight-up ugly.

Bankruptcies are vertical: In just the last three weeks, 18 major US companies (with >$50M liabilities) filed for bankruptcy. That is the fastest pace since the pandemic and is dangerously close to 2008 levels.

The consumer is tapped out: US household debt just hit a record $18.8 Trillion. Even worse? Credit card delinquencies spiked to 12.7%, the highest since 2011.

β†’ People and companies are broke. When you are facing a margin call or bankruptcy, you don't hold Gold for the "long term." You sell everything - winners and losers - just to get cash. That is why we are seeing this flush.

2/ BTC caught in the crossfire

Naturally, $BTC ( β–² 4.63% ) is feeling the heat, hovering in the $65k - $66k range.

BTC Chart on Feb 13, 2026. Source: Coinmarketcap

Critics will say, "I thought Bitcoin was a hedge?" It is, but not during a liquidity shock. In the initial phase of a crash, correlations go to 1. Everything dumps together because the market is scrambling for dollars.

🧠 Fed about to fold?

Analysts like Marty Party suggest this is a "hard asset repricing" to collateralize sovereign debt. Maybe.

But the simpler reality? The economy is decaying fast. As "Crypto Twitter" legend Jade Kotonono pointed out, this mirrors the 2008 collapse structure.

β†’ Watch the Fed. Citi economists are already forecasting rate cuts later in 2026 as the labor market softens. Historically, rising bankruptcies are the bat signal for the money printer.

This flush is painful, but it's likely the final shakeout before the Fed is forced to inject liquidity. When that happens, hard assets (Gold, Silver, and yes, Bitcoin) are going to rip.

Did you know some credit cards could actually help you get out of debt faster? Yes, it sounds crazy. But it’s true. You don’t need a side hustle. You need a smarter card.

Some credit cards now offer 0% intro APR for up to 21 months, meaning you can transfer your balance, pay zero interest, and finally cut your debt without stress.

  • Transfer debt in minutes

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Check out a list of cards you can use to do this here.

πŸ‘» AAVE LABS DROPS THE ALPHA: 100% REVENUE TO THE DAO (BUT THE BILL IS STEEP)

Aave Labs just dropped a massive proposal called the β€œAave Will Win Framework,” and it’s basically a "take it or leave it" offer to reshape the entire protocol.

1/ Good news: Value accrual is back

For months, there was drama because Aave Labs stopped sending UI fees to the DAO. Now, they are flipping the script. Labs is proposing to send 100% of revenue from all Aave-branded products directly to the DAO treasury.

What’s included? Everything. The Aave App, the upcoming Aave Card, Aave Pro, and the swap fees (which alone rake in ~$10M/year).

β†’ The goal: A true "token-centric" model. If the product wins, the token holders win. No more shadow revenue streams.

2/ Aave V4 Arrives

Labs wants the DAO to officially ratify Aave V4 as the core engine for the next decade.

  • V4 solves the scalability issue. It allows Aave to spin up new markets without rewriting the core code.

  • A new "Reinvestment Module" will take the cash sitting doing nothing in pools and put it into low-risk yield strategies. This creates a new revenue stream on top of lending fees.

3/ The upgrade costs the DAO $50M

Here is where the governance whales might hesitate. To hand over the keys and the cash flow, Aave Labs needs a "salary" to keep building. They are asking for:

  • $25 Million in stablecoins (paid out over a year).

  • 75,000 $AAVE tokens (vested over 2 years).

  • Specific Grants: Another ~$17.5M to launch the App, Card, and Pro features.

They also want to establish a legal Foundation. Since a DAO is just code and vibes, it can't sue copycats. A Foundation would hold the IP and protect the "Aave" brand legally.

🧠 Bullish, but messy…

Let’s be real, Aave is the king of DeFi lending, but kings need to eat. Bringing 100% of revenue back to the DAO is the ultimate bullish signal for $AAVE ( β–² 8.21% ) holders. It aligns incentives perfectly.

However, the "bundling" tactic is aggressive. Labs is essentially saying: "You want the revenue and V4? You have to pay us $50M and approve the Foundation all at once."

Marc Zeller (Aave Chan Initiative) has already pointed out that this is a massive chunk of the treasury. The community has to decide if paying the devs a premium is worth securing the future of the protocol.

The Verdict: The market likes it ($AAVE ( β–² 8.21% ) is up ~2%), but expect a heated debate in the forums. If this passes, Aave moves from a "protocol" to a fully profitable on-chain business.

AI in HR? It’s happening now.

Deel's free 2026 trends report cuts through all the hype and lays out what HR teams can really expect in 2026. You’ll learn about the shifts happening now, the skill gaps you can't ignore, and resilience strategies that aren't just buzzwords. Plus you’ll get a practical toolkit that helps you implement it all without another costly and time-consuming transformation project.

πŸ”₯ BURNING HOT TAKES FOR THE ROAD

Coinbase just printed a brutal Q4: $667M loss as revenue slid in the crypto slump, sending $COIN ( β–² 16.47% ) to a two-year low. Read more

Top Goldman lawyer resigns over Epstein drama. But sure, tell us again how crypto is the shady one? Read more

$ASTER ( β–² 3.31% ) is launching its privacy-first mainnet in March - a Layer 1 for degens who prefer their onchain history… confidential. Read more

The White House is pushing the CLARITY Act deadline as stablecoin reward rules spark friction between banks and crypto firms. Read more

🀑 SPICY MEME

sad story..

πŸ’Œ SHOUTOUT FROM OUR FIRESTARTER

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⚠ This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Traders should conduct thorough research, understand the risks, and carefully evaluate their decisions before investing in cryptocurrency.

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