Crypto markets stayed highly active in February 2026, with shifts in sentiment, capital rotation into low-cap catalysts, and new volume spikes across both major and trending tokens.
The month saw broad sell-offs in large caps, speculative ramps in narratives like AI and meme coins, and meaningful on-chain activity in select Layer-2 and infrastructure projects.
For Indian traders, it’s crucial to track these trends alongside tax rules. Crypto gains are taxed at a flat 30%, and each trade can attract 1% TDS on the full transaction value before planning allocations or entry points.
February 2026 was a volatile month for crypto markets. Prices moved sharply across both Bitcoin and altcoins, with traders reacting to uncertainty, liquidations, and shifting narratives. Bitcoin tested multi-month lows during the month but also saw quick recoveries, showing how unstable sentiment remained.
Overall, February showed a mix of risk-off behavior in major coins and speculative rotations in smaller, catalyst-driven names.
Price momentum reflects notable price moves relevant to trader interest, not full monthly performance.
| Rank | Coin | Trend Score | Avg 24h Volume (Approx) | Price Momentum | Key Catalyst | Risk |
| 1 | Bitcoin (BTC) | 98/100 | Very High (~$70B+) | Mixed | Macro activity | Medium |
| 2 | Ethereum (ETH) | 95/100 | Very High (~$49B+) | Mixed | L2 & DeFi focus | Medium |
| 3 | Zilliqa (ZIL) | 92/100 | ~$317M | +70% (early month) | Cancun upgrade | High |
| 4 | Hedera (HBAR) | 90/100 | ~$300M | +11% daily | Institutional news | Medium |
| 5 | Berachain (BERA) | 88/100 | ~$235M | +20% mid‑month | Volume surge | High |
| 6 | Succinct (PROVE) | 87/100 | ~$158M | +24% surge | ZK infrastructure | High |
| 7 | XDC Network (XDC) | 85/100 | ~$40M | +22% | Trade/finance use | Medium |
| 8 | SKY | 82/100 | ~$10M | +67% pump | Listings buzz | Very High |
| 9 | Stacks (STX) | 80/100 | ~$41M | +19% | Bitcoin ecosystem | Medium |
| 10 | Meme tokens | 78/100 | Low–Medium | High volatility | Social hype | Very High |
Bitcoin is the first and largest cryptocurrency, often seen as “digital gold” in crypto markets.
BTC stayed the main focus during market volatility, with traders watching macro moves and big liquidation swings.
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Learn more: What is Bitcoin? – Mudrex Learn
Store safely: Hardware wallet basics – Mudrex Learn
Ethereum is the largest smart contract blockchain powering DeFi, NFTs, and tokenized assets.
ETH gained attention due to strong Layer-2 growth and heavy DeFi activity despite market weakness.
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Zilliqa is a Layer-1 blockchain focused on scalability using sharding technology.
ZIL surged early in the month due to hype around upgrade narratives and speculative rotation.
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Hedera is a public network designed for enterprise-grade applications, powered by the Hashgraph consensus.
HBAR gained traction from institutional headlines and increased interest in real-world adoption stories.
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Berachain is an emerging blockchain project linked to DeFi-native liquidity design.
BERA trended mainly due to volume surges and heavy speculation from new listings and community hype.
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Succinct is a crypto infrastructure project focused on zero-knowledge proof systems.
PROVE gained attention from the growing ZK infrastructure narrative across Layer-2 scaling.
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XDC is a blockchain focused on trade finance, payments, and enterprise utility.
XDC trended as investors rotated into utility-focused low-cap projects tied to real-world finance.
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A low‑cap token that saw listing‑driven momentum in February.
Exchange buzz and speculative interest pushed price action.
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Stacks is a blockchain project bringing smart contracts and DeFi closer to Bitcoin.
STX rose with renewed attention on Bitcoin ecosystem expansion and BTC Layer-2 narratives.
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Meme tokens are community-driven cryptocurrencies powered mostly by social hype.
Meme coins stayed trending due to retail speculation, viral Twitter momentum, and pump-style rotations.
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Examples: Fetch.ai (FET), Render (RNDR), Akash Network
Examples: dYdX (DYDX), GMX (GMX)
Examples: Pax Gold (PAXG), Tether Gold (XAUT)
Examples: Arbitrum (ARB), Optimism (OP), Polygon (POL)
Examples: DOGE, PEPE, Solana meme launches
Examples: Chainlink (LINK), Ondo Finance (ONDO), MakerDAO RWA exposure
When coins start trending, DYOR matters more than ever:
NOTE: Crypto gains are taxed at 30%, and 1% TDS applies on each transaction value — factor this into profit expectations before trading.
February 2026 highlighted how quickly crypto sentiment can rotate — from defensive moves into Bitcoin and Ethereum to speculative surges in AI tokens, Layer-2 infrastructure, RWAs, and meme coins. Trending assets often reflect short-term liquidity flows, not long-term fundamentals, which makes disciplined research and risk management critical.
For Indian investors especially, factors like 30% tax on gains and 1% TDS on every trade make strategy and position sizing even more important. Chasing hype without liquidity checks, unlock analysis, and security validation can quickly erode capital.
If you’re looking to track and trade trending cryptocurrencies in a structured way, Mudrex offers a secure, FIU-IND registered platform with 650+ assets, real-time market data, and built-in risk management tools. Whether you’re exploring high-liquidity majors or selective trending tokens, Mudrex helps you trade smarter — not emotionally.
Download the Mudrex app and start your crypto journey with research-backed decisions and disciplined execution.
Bitcoin and Ethereum led searches, with low-cap movers like ZIL and HBAR also popular.
Market cap ranks by size; trending lists reflect short-term volume and social interest.
Meme coins can move fast but carry very high risk and require strict risk management.
CoinGecko’s trending feed and volume leaderboard show daily shifts in interest.
Yes, 1% TDS on transaction value and 30% tax on gains are key considerations.
Beginners should be cautious; focus first on high-liquidity majors and disciplined risk control.
