Bitcoin Drops With Ether, Solana as Decred, AI Tokens Gain

What to Know

$67,000 -- Bitcoin slipped roughly 2% in 24 hours and is struggling to hold gains after a midweek bounce to $70,000
16% -- Decred surged to $34.58, its highest price since November, making it the top-performing top-100 token over four weeks
$60,000 -- Deribit reported that ETF holders and corporate treasuries are buying put options at the $60,000 strike as a hedge
6% -- Internet Computer climbed after the DFINITY Foundation proposed burning 20% of cloud engine revenue to create deflationary pressure

Bitcoin falls alongside ether, solana, and XRP on February 27, with the largest cryptocurrency slipping to roughly $67,000 after a failed push above $70,000 midweek. Decred and AI-linked tokens bucked the broader downturn, posting sharp gains fueled by governance upgrades and bullish sentiment from Nvidia's latest quarterly earnings report.

Decred Leads Top-100 Tokens After Treasury Overhaul

Decred surged 16% in the past 24 hours to reach $34.58, its highest level since November, according to CoinDesk data. The token is the best-performing top-100 cryptocurrency over four weeks, having rallied more than 80% since a February 8 overhaul of its treasury governance rules. Built for autonomy and decentralized decision-making, Decred has drawn fresh capital even as Bitcoin dipped 2% to around $67,000 and ether, XRP, solana, and the CoinDesk 20 Index posted similar losses.

Why Are Institutions Buying Bitcoin Put Options?

Institutional hedging is intensifying rather than easing, according to derivatives exchange Deribit. ETF holders and corporate treasuries are snapping up put options at the $60,000 strike with maturities spanning six to twelve months, suggesting meaningful downside risk remains on the table for Bitcoin.

Analysts described institutional flows as improving but not yet decisive, urging caution. Vikram Subburaj, CEO of crypto exchange Giottus, told reporters that long-term investors should pursue staggered accumulation near support zones instead of deploying lump sums at resistance. Wednesday's bounce to $70,000 failed to generate sustained follow-through buying.

Long-term investors may consider staggered accumulation near support zones rather than deploying lump sums at resistance.
— Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus

DFINITY Proposal Adds Deflationary Pressure to ICP

The DFINITY Foundation proposed burning 20% of Internet Computer cloud engine revenue, creating a deflationary mechanism tied to network usage for the ICP token. The remaining 80% would flow to node operators, replacing fixed emissions with performance-based incentives. ICP climbed roughly 6% in 24 hours, moving from about $2.41 to $2.56 before pulling back from a $2.70 intraday high.

The proposal aims to make ICP's token supply more responsive to actual demand rather than relying on scheduled inflation. ICP's price action also appeared to benefit from broader optimism generated by Nvidia's earnings.

What Does Nvidia's Earnings Mean for AI Tokens?

Nvidia's strong results and CEO Jensen Huang's comments that AI capabilities keep improving boosted sentiment across AI-linked digital assets. ICP, marketed as a decentralized alternative to traditional cloud infrastructure, rallied alongside render and Bittensor as investors rotated into tokens with artificial intelligence ties, contrasting the weakness in Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies.

The sector rotation highlights how narrative-driven catalysts continue to move crypto markets even during periods of broad risk-off sentiment.