U.S. February S&P Global Services and Manufacturing PMI preliminary figures both below expectations

Preview: U.S. initial unemployment claims data for last week to be released tonight, expected at 215,000.

BlockBeats News, on February 26, the initial jobless claims for the week ending February 21 in the United States will be announced tonight at 21:30. The previous value was 206,000, with an expected 215,000.

Buffett Indicator skyrocketing, Bitcoin is standing at a macro crossroads

Article by: Gino Matos Translated by: Saoirse, Foresight News Bitcoin is entering a phase where macro trends are more important than narratives. The stock market is near all-time highs, real yields remain elevated, and the credit market is expanding into increasingly opaque corners of the financial system. While these conditions do not guarantee an imminent crisis, they collectively set the stage for high volatility in risk assets. For Bitcoin, the key question is: will stress manifest within the high-valuation financial system, and how quickly can policymakers act to contain it? Macro strategist Michael Pento describes the current landscape as a "triple bubble": stock valuations approaching historic extremes, real estate being squeezed by nearly 6% mortgage rates, and private credit management regulations...

Stripe founder warns "Blockchain is too slow": AI agents will take over all transactions, requiring scalability to at least 1 billion TPS per second

Stripe founder predicts AI agents will become the main force in online transactions, and blockchain needs to support 1 billion transactions per second, but currently the fastest is 3,000 TPS, a huge gap. Stripe is building a new chain called "Tempo" to enhance blockchain payment capabilities to meet future demand, posing a challenge to existing public chains.

Stripe Warning: AI Agents Will Drive Blockchain Demand to 1 Billion TPS per Second

Stripe's CEO and co-founder stated in the annual open letter that as AI agents become the primary online transaction executors, blockchain needs to handle up to 1 billion transactions per second. The current blockchain throughput falls significantly short of this demand, and it is noted that the five levels of AI agent capabilities will gradually evolve, significantly increasing transaction requirements.

IMF Projects US Inflation to Hit 2% Target by Early 2027, Delaying Fed Rate Cuts Amid Fiscal Risks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its first Article IV review of the Trump administration on February 25, 2026, projecting that U.S. inflation will not return to the Federal Reserve's 2% target until early 2027, delaying meaningful interest rate relief.

Bitunix News: Iran Accelerates Oil Exports, Middle East Risks Rise, Boosting Safe-Haven Sentiment

Iran accelerates crude oil exports, approaching 19.1 million barrels from February 15 to 20, to mitigate the risk of U.S. military actions. The U.S. takes a tough stance on Iran's nuclear issue, and markets are concerned about escalating conflicts, with gold expected to rise by 15%. Risks to oil supply are driving energy price fluctuations, impacting the crypto market, with BTC facing pressure or potential gains. The core risk lies in the geopolitical situation.