ARB at the bottom: when panic becomes an opportunity

Today, as the entire market is engulfed in a panic sell-off, I see the opposite — an unprecedented divergence between the asset’s price and its actual utility. Arbitrum reached $0.13 in early February, marking one of the lowest points in Layer 2 solutions’ history. However, what’s happening at the market bottom requires deeper analysis than simply following the panic.

According to the latest data, ARB is trading at around $0.11, close to its all-time low of $0.10. It is precisely at such moments, when an asset is at its bottom, that the most significant value transfers occur between uninformed traders and patient investors.

The Main Paradox: Network Grows While Token Is at the Bottom

While the price is falling, Arbitrum’s fundamentals tell a completely different story. Recent reports indicate that major financial institutions are expanding their integration with the network. It is reported that banks are already processing cross-border payments in stablecoins via Arbitrum, with a monthly volume exceeding $2 billion. This fact is especially notable amid the panic-driven price decline.

Analysts note that such a gap between institutional adoption and asset price historically occurs at the cycle’s bottom. When the real economy sector is already implementing the technology, but the price remains depressed, it often signals market mispricing.

Whales: Why Major Players Are Buying at the Bottom

Chain analysis shows that while retail investors panic and close positions at a loss, large holders act differently. The number of addresses holding more than 1 million ARB tokens has increased by 12% over the past two weeks. This is no coincidence — major players are methodically accumulating the asset at the bottom, understanding that current prices do not reflect the network’s future value.

At the same time, the top 10 addresses hold 62.89% of the total supply, indicating a high degree of control by large holders. For investors, this means that the price trajectory will largely be influenced by these players, who are clearly taking positions rather than selling them off.

Stylus: Technological Catalyst for Breaking Out of the Bottom

In February 2026, Arbitrum plans to launch the Stylus upgrade, which is a pivotal moment for the ecosystem. This upgrade will enable developers to use high-level programming languages like C++ and Rust, significantly lowering the barrier to creating decentralized applications.

This expansion of development capabilities virtually guarantees a surge of new projects on Arbitrum. Every new contract deployed on the network will require gas to pay for operations, creating a constant demand for the ARB token. Additionally, the growth in applications will stimulate demand for protocol governance via the token.

Historically, such technological breakthroughs have coincided with assets emerging from the bottom after periods of panic selling.

Bottom Strategy: How to Enter and Exit Correctly

I cannot predict whether the price will drop to $0.12 or rise to $0.14 tomorrow. But I know that any move below $0.15 presents a rare opportunity for long-term positioning.

Recommended Entry Strategy:

• First position via grid: from $0.130 to $0.138
• Consider adding to the position if the price further drops to $0.11–$0.12

Target Levels:

• Level 1: $0.25 (recovery to average levels, likely within 4–6 weeks)
• Level 2: $0.45+ (when the market fully recognizes the scale of banking integration and the impact of Stylus)

Key risk: the price could reach $0.10 (the current all-time low), which would create an additional accumulation zone or confirm the bottom.

Conclusion: This Is the Moment of Decision

History shows that states are not created at euphoric peaks but at despairing bottoms. Arbitrum is at the bottom, but fundamentals point to an upward trend. The question isn’t whether the price will rise but whether you will be part of this recovery or stay on the sidelines.

Act consciously, manage your risks, and remember that the market bottom creates historic opportunities.