Bitcoin jumps toward $69K as stocks rebound and oil plunges as much as 30% amid USIran tensions after Trump signals war may end.

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Bhutan moves $12M in Bitcoin as transfers surpass $42M in 2026 while remaining the 7th largest sovereign BTC holder.

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The rapid liquidation highlights the risks of high-leverage trading amid volatile markets, underscoring the need for strategic risk management.

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Sharplink reports a $734M loss for 2025 as it expands its Ethereum treasury strategy and grows holdings to nearly 870K ETH.

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Bitcoin reaches 20 million mined coins, marking over 95% of total supply with the final 1 million BTC to be mined over the next 114 years.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Has a Golden Opportunity With AI Agents, It’s Time to Build

For all of bitcoin’s life, it has been fighting an uphill battle against fiat currencies that mostly do the job of being money. Obviously, fiat has plenty of issues, but when it comes to impacts immediately visible to everyday people in much of the world, bitcoin isn’t 10x better. Some may even conclude that they would prefer a system based on neutral money to government-rigged ones, but entrenched fiat systems work well enough that few want to deal with the hassle of constant conversion. With the rapid growth in agents’ capabilities, a huge gap has opened that bitcoin has a shot at filling. Instead of competing with entrenched interests as you would with fiat, in the agentic payments field, everyone is starting from zero.

In a recent post on Spiral’s Substack, I pointed out that all of the payment standards being developed for AI agents haven’t yet gotten off the ground. Credit cards won’t work in a world where automated tooling is making purchases. The web is filled with captchas and heavy investments in blocking bots, rather than enabling their use for commerce. Even if they offered payment methods that agents could use, few merchants today have websites that agents can reasonably navigate. No matter what payment method agents ultimately use, it will require every merchant to adapt to a new world.

With no one company owning both the agent and merchant sides of the marketplace, this leaves a wide-open opportunity where it’s still anyone’s game. Better yet, with the popularity of open-source agents today, no company owns much of the purchasing side at all! If the bitcoin community plays its cards right, there’s a good shot at a large part of the future of commerce flowing over open rails not controlled by any single company.

There’s still a lot to build, however, and nearly every payments industry player is trying to position itself to take the crown. Visa is working on an “Intelligent Commerce” product, OpenAI and Stripe announced the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), Google announced AP2 and Coinbase announced an extension of it for crypto – x402. The bitcoin community’s lack of central planning makes responding with their own options more chaotic and harder to follow, but that’s also its strength: lots of people trying lots of different approaches to achieve the same goal are more likely to succeed than a single, focused approach that might be wrong.

With Lightning surpassing a billion dollars in monthly transactions and Square enabling Lightning for its in-person merchants, it seems the technology is finally here that will let bitcoin cross the chasm and become everyday money. Some ideological merchants have been accepting bitcoin for years, and as we continue to integrate bitcoin wallets into agents, we’ll create yet more reasons for every merchant that wants to sell things to join in. But for that to work, bitcoiners have to step up and use the tools at their disposal. If people aren’t trying to buy things with bitcoin, merchants won’t care.

Luckily, these days, you don’t need code to build tools that find merchants accepting bitcoin payments. You don’t even have to sell your stack to buy things with bitcoin. Install an agent, give it a wallet, give it some bitcoin, and tell it to go buy your monthly beef tallow subscription. Tell it to email merchants it wants to buy from and ask them to support bitcoin. Point it to the Bitcoin Merchant Community and have it explain to any merchant it comes across that it wants to pay them without Visa taking a cut but wasn’t able to.

Thanks to extensive existing work, bitcoin is already one of the best ways to enable automated online commerce. Instead of merchants having to fill their sites with captchas to prevent bots from using stolen credit cards and dealing with chargebacks, many bitcoin payment processors can provide merchants with local currency within a day. Instead of being exposed to the risk that an operator’s single private key could seize their stablecoins, merchants can choose from many payment processors, whether foreign or domestic. This competition drives down fees and means we’re not building new payment rails on a platform that will inevitably seek higher rents once its dominance is cemented.

These issues aren’t top of mind for most, but we must get the new rails right. Stablecoins look great at first glance, but moving to a world where one company (Coinbase) owns both the platform (Base) and earns all the interest on the currency’s float (USDC) where payments are made is not a recipe for long-term success. Once everyone is locked into using one payment method, switching away as the operator increases fees won’t be practical. It doesn’t matter whether the protocol agents use to communicate with merchants is based on some “open standard.” If the vast majority of agents have funds on only one platform and the vast majority of merchants accept funds on only one platform, switching will be impossible.

While bitcoin has come a long way on its journey to becoming a reserve asset, it is only beginning its path towards everyday money. Bitcoin reaching escape velocity on the first does not imply that the second is guaranteed; in fact, far from it. With so much competition from every payments industry player, not to mention stablecoins, there’s a lot of outreach and work to be done to build payment momentum. Still, we can’t let this opportunity pass us by. If you believe commerce should happen on neutral money rather than corporate gatekeepers, it’s time to get to work.

This is a guest post by Matt Corallo. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.

This post Bitcoin Has a Golden Opportunity With AI Agents, It’s Time to Build first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Matt Corallo.

Bitcoin Magazine

Coinbase Launches Regulated Bitcoin and Crypto Futures Across Europe

Coinbase has rolled out futures contracts to traders in 26 European countries, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands, marking the first time the exchange has offered derivatives directly to users in the region. 

The products are available through Coinbase Advanced, the company’s high-performance trading interface, and are offered by its MiFID-registered European entity, ensuring compliance with EU financial regulations, the company said. 

European traders have historically relied on unregulated offshore platforms for crypto derivatives, navigating regulatory gaps and exposure to operational risks. 

Coinbase’s launch provides a regulated alternative, offering cash-settled futures on bitcoin and crypto-linked equity indices, including the “Mag7 + Crypto Equity Index Futures,” which blend exposure to major technology companies, Coinbase stock, and spot crypto exchange-traded funds.

The platform offers two main types of futures contracts. Perpetual-style contracts carry five-year expiries, use an hourly funding mechanism to align prices with the underlying assets, and settle daily. Dated contracts have monthly or quarterly expirations, are marked to market daily, and settle in cash at expiry if held to maturity. 

Traders can use up to 10x leverage on select contracts, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and certain equity indices, while other products offer leverage in the 4x to 5x range, the company said.

Trading fees start at 0.02% per contract, though they exclude exchange, clearing, and NFA fees.

Eligible users must pass trading experience checks and KYC verification before funding their accounts with euros or USDC to access futures trading. 

Coinbase emphasized that derivatives are complex instruments, noting the potential for rapid losses due to leverage and advising users to consider professional guidance.

Coinbase adds stock trading for U.S. users

The launch forms part of Coinbase’s broader strategy to create an “exchange for everything.” Beyond crypto trading, Coinbase has added stock trading for U.S. users, offering equities such as Apple and Tesla around the clock, introduced prediction markets through a partnership with Kalshi, and outlined a tokenization roadmap aimed at on-chain access to traditional assets.

Coinbase’s European expansion comes amid a broader market decline. The $1.3 trillion crypto market is down roughly 50% from its October 2025 highs, reflecting geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainties in the U.S., conflicts in the Middle East, and market concerns tied to advances in artificial intelligence. 

In other news, Nasdaq said today that it plans to work with Kraken to distribute tokenized versions of publicly traded stocks to investors outside the United States, as part of a broader push to integrate blockchain infrastructure into traditional capital markets.

This post Coinbase Launches Regulated Bitcoin and Crypto Futures Across Europe first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Nasdaq and Crypto-Exchange Kraken Partner to Bring Tokenized Stocks to Global Markets

Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has partnered with Nasdaq to build a gateway connecting traditional stock markets with blockchain networks.

The project will use Payward’s xStocks platform to move tokenized equities between regulated institutional markets and permissionless decentralized finance (DeFi) networks in regions where the service is approved, Kraken said. 

In short, tokenization turns financial assets, like stocks, bonds, or funds, into digital tokens that can operate on blockchain networks.

For equities, tokenization allows shares to maintain their usual rights, including voting and dividends, while also being traded on digital networks or integrated into financial applications built on blockchain.

xStocks has already handled more than $25 billion in transactions since its launch, including $4 billion settled directly on-chain. 

Last week, Kraken became the first crypto-native firm to gain direct access to the Federal Reserve’s core payment system after its banking arm, Kraken Financial, received a master account from the Fed. 

This lets the company settle dollar payments on Fedwire without relying on intermediary banks, putting it on the same rails as traditional banks and credit unions.

Kraken gateway links tokenized and regulated equities

The platform has over 85,000 holders across supported networks. Nasdaq’s equity token framework, expected to go live in the first half of 2027, will preserve issuer control, follow existing regulations, and maintain the rights of shareholders.

The gateway is designed to make it easier to move tokenized shares between regulated markets and open blockchain networks. 

Clients will be able to swap assets from institutional trading systems to decentralized networks while staying compliant with local rules. Payward Services will handle KYC and AML checks, making sure everyone accessing the gateway meets regulatory standards.

Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken, said tokenization changes how equities function at a fundamental level. Traditional shares often stay locked inside brokerage systems, limiting their use to simple buying, selling, or broker-specific margin arrangements. 

Tokenized equities can move between venues and blockchain networks, allowing the same shares to serve as collateral across multiple trading strategies at once. 

This can expand effective exposure across markets while keeping risk under control through a unified margin system.

For international investors, tokenized equities can open access to markets where traditional brokerages are hard to reach. In more developed markets, tokenization can improve capital efficiency, letting equity collateral be used for trading, lending, and hedging within a shared pool of liquidity. 

This partnership comes as tokenized equities expand globally. Platforms like Robinhood, Gemini, and Coinbase already offer tokenized stocks in Europe. 

Nasdaq previously asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to allow tokenized and traditional versions of stocks and ETFs to trade side by side. Both forms would settle through the Depository Trust to stay interchangeable.

Tal Cohen, president of Nasdaq, said tokenization could create an “always-on financial ecosystem” where investors can access markets and issuers can engage with shareholders in new ways. 

This post Nasdaq and Crypto-Exchange Kraken Partner to Bring Tokenized Stocks to Global Markets first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Public Bitcoin Miners are Dumping Bitcoin for AI, a Historic Mistake

There is no doubt about it, this is the age of AI. Corporations are cutting their workforces in half to invest cash flow into hardware, while the stock market remains near all-time highs, mostly thanks to FAANG. OpenClaw, a self-hosted AI agent, has more stars on GitHub than Linux and React, while even Jack Dorsey is taking harsh measures to restructure Block in the face of digital, artificial intelligence. But how much of this AI wave is hype, and how many of the companies that build its infrastructure will actually capture the profits? 

Public Bitcoin miners in the United States have made their choice, a variety of them committing capital to building out AI datacenters, and some even making full rebrands, distancing themselves from the orange coin. While there’s a full range of AI-related pivots and statements made by public Bitcoin miners on the matter, a couple stand out as the most radical. 

Cypher Mining, estimated to be worth around six billion dollars — placing it among the biggest in the country – announced a full rebrand away from Bitcoin and on to the AI hype train. In their most recent investment report titled “Rebrands to Cipher Digital to Reflect Strategic Shift Toward HPC,” the company explained why they “Divested 49% Stake in Alborz, Bear, and Chief Mining Sites”. Bitfarms Ltd, another large public miner valued at over a billion dollars, also made a full pivot to AI. The CEO, Ben Gagnon, went as far as saying “We are no longer a Bitcoin company,” as reported by Coindesk, though they did keep the ‘Bit’ in the name. 

Some of these public companies are expecting more dollar returns from digital intelligence than those they get from Bitcoin, at least in the short to mid term, while other are others might consider it a diversification or an opportunity too large to miss.  

Kent Halliburton — Co-Founder & CEO of Sazminingexplained to Bitcoin Magazine in an exclusive interview that  “The average cost to mine a bitcoin right now is about $87,000. The spot price of bitcoin is about $70,000. So most of the industry is underwater, and the public miners are using that as their excuse to pivot.” Sazmining is a private Bitcoin miner that specializes in frontier energy sources, with operations mostly outside of the United States.  

Halliburtonalso noted that “$87,000 is an industry average — it includes guys running old-gen rigs on grid power in Texas. At our sites in Paraguay and Ethiopia, our clients are producing bitcoin on an energy cost basis of $50,000 to $64,000, on 100% renewable energy. That’s a 10 to 30 percent discount to spot. The profitability is right there.” It just requires a longer investment horizon or cheaper energy, neither of which appears to be actionable for American public miners who have dollar-denominated quarterly reports to target. 

On the topic of cheaper energy, however, Halliburton suggests that public U.S. miners had the chance to be competitive but have failed to take advantage of their resources. He minced no words on the topic, saying that these public companies “had the power contracts, the land, the infrastructure — everything you need to mine bitcoin cheaply — and they’re handing it to Microsoft and Google in exchange for lease checks. They went from securing the Bitcoin network to securing rack space for hyperscalers, and they’re calling it a strategy. Meanwhile, they’ve dumped over 15,000 bitcoin off their balance sheets to fund the transition”.  

Of the biggest public Bitcoin miners, IREN Limited began its pivot to AI cloud services in April 2025, announcing a$9.7 billion, five-year agreement with Microsoft for 200 MW of critical IT load using NVIDIA GB300 GPUs. TeraWulf has executed multiple Google-backed HPC expansions through Fluidstack, securing 10 year agreements for over 200 MW. 

Cipher Digital completed its full rebrand to an HPC landlord with 600 MW of contracted capacity, including a 15-year, 300 MW lease with AWS and a 10-year, 300 MW lease with Fluidstack backed by Google. Hut 8 signed a 15-year, 245 MW lease with Fluidstack, also backed by Google, eyeing future possible extensions and a right of first offer for over 1,000 MW. Core Scientific has expanded its HPC focus to 270 MW through partnerships with CoreWeave, which serves Microsoft and OpenAI workloads.

Riot Platforms is strategically evaluating an AI hosting expansion by partnering with AMD on an operational 10-year, 25 MW lease and assessments for 600 MW of AI/HPC at its Corsicana site, though no hyperscaler agreements have been announced. 

MARA Holdings is diversifying into AI through a joint venture with Starwood Capital’s Starwood Digital Ventures, targeting 1 GW of near-term IT capacity expandable to over 2.5 GW for hyperscale and AI workloads, with Starwood leading financing and tenant sourcing, but without named hyperscaler contracts yet.

CleanSpark is pursuing a pivot to AI by acquiring Texas land and power for AI/HPC, including 447 acres in Brazoria County for 300–600 MW potential and an Austin County site contributing to 890 MW aggregate, funded by Bitcoin sales, with tenant discussions ongoing but no hyperscaler leases disclosed.

So the AI gold rush is here, there’s no doubt about it, many of these public miners apparently see an opportunity to build out the infrastructure of — what is without a doubt— a profound technological trend. But history has not been kind to those who build the infrastructure of a new era, not in the long term anyway. It tends to be a very high-risk, medium-reward kind of bet. How many of the companies that built the railroads — for example — are still around today? Or, without going back that far, can you name any company that built out internet fiber lines in the late 90’s and 2000’s? 

There is a long list of railroad bankruptcies from the late 1800’s, which even led to a financial crisis in what’s called the Panic of 1873, many overleveraged in debt to fund build-outs for which there was not enough demand yet. After the panic, J.P. Morgan led a consolidation of bankrupt railroad companies, resolving debt disputes and bringing their real estate assets under new ownership. It was they who ended up capturing the upside of the railway build-out.

And just around the corner of the century, the dot com bubble of the 2000’s left a graveyard of fiber line infrastructure companies that were also, in the end, bought out by hyper scalers like Google and Meta during the post crash consolidation, for pennies on the dollar. 

While both the railway and fiber line build-outs overall helped scale commerce for the world in incredible ways — demonstrating the overall wisdom of the markets — most individual companies involved did not survive the process, and venture capitalists looking at the AI boom today are aware of this dynamic. 

The Capex vs Revenue AI Gap

Various investor groups are starting to question where the returns on this massive infrastructure spending will come from. In an October 2025 report titled “AI: In a bubble?”, GoldmanSachs took a argued that, while the investments so far could be supported by big tech revenue, the valuations of some of these companies were starting to get “frothy”. 

David Chan at Sequoia has been pointing out the growing gap between AI-driven revenue and capital expenditures (Capex) since 2023, leading to a widely reported number of a $600 billion gap between them. Capex spending commitments in 2026 are north of $700 for the hyper scalers, but where are the returns? 

OpenAI’s $20 billion annual recurring revenue (ARR) is impressive for a new company, but that represents “roughly 3% of the projected 2026 hyperscaler capex total” as reported by FuturumGroup, who noted that “Anthropic’s $9 billion run rate, while showing 9x year-over-year growth, occupies a similar position. The entire cohort of pure-play AI vendors – including Cohere ($150 million ARR), Mistral (~$400 million), Perplexity ($148 million annualized), and others – likely accounts for less than $35 billion in projected combined 2026 revenue.”

Skepticism about where the value of AI will actually be captured has also been aired by VC’s like Chamath Palihapitiya. He was a prominent investor in Groq, a company building custom silicon for the AI age, which was licensed by NVIDIA in a $20 billion deal last year, and was a Facebook insider through the company’s rise to become a hyperscaler. If he has his doubts about the profitability of building the railroads of artificial intelligence, then perhaps there’s something worth giving a very close look at. 

Palihapitiya also argued in a recent All In Podcast that corporations might soon start to realize they are exposing their trade secrets to cloud AI, preferring instead to self-host. Building out in-house GPU farms might seem like a bit of a side quest, but can you really risk your trade secrets with AI providers who train on user data? After all, new versions of models trained on that data will have it in their knowledge base, exposed to the world. And even if corporate agreements not to train on corporate data become the norm, a very high trust relationship would be formed, posing a systemic risk to certain corporations, a risk that the data might get leaked or seen by the wrong insiders inside the cloud AI provider companies. 

There are also questions about whether the market fundamentally wants cloud AI for the same reasons. Would you hire a personal assistant if you knew the data you share with them would end up on the internet? Probably not, but that’s what’s happening with AI. In fact, the U.S. Southern District of New York recently ruled that users do not have client-attorney privilege when getting legal help from AI chatbots, and thus, sensitive discussions with AI could be legally subpoenaed and used against the clients in a court of law, a sign of the risks involved with trusting AI blindly. Some speculate that new kinds of terms and agreements will need to be formed to support this use case. But the legal case points to a fundamental element of the demand for AI: people want humanoid intelligence, digital or otherwise, that they can trust.

AI Loyalty and Trust

Ah, “Trust”, that ubiquitous, almost supernatural word that does so much work to carry the weight of the world. But what is trust? Fundamentally, it is predictability, one person’s confidence that another human, system, or AI will behave in a certain way, in a reliable, predictable, and positive way towards one’s interests. AI, when hosted in the cloud, however, can not give such assurances; the data is fundamentally leaving the user’s machine to be processed by “the cloud,” and what happens up there is beyond us mortals. In fact, “the cloud” has legal risks that might prevent it from being loyal to you as a user in certain scenarios. Hence, perhaps the public’s fascination with OpenClaw.

In recent weeks, a new open source project in the AI world has taken the tech industry by storm. 289,000 stars on GitHub, more than Linux has gotten despite supporting the software infrastructure of the world, more than React, one of the most popular web development languages in the world. And it’s only been live for what, weeks? How could this be? Why do people like it so much?

Well, arguably two reasons. It feels more like a human assistant than a chatbot; it updates itself, remembers what you are interested in, journals, and develops around your preferences. But most important of all, you can host it on your machine. People were buyingMac minis in droves to run OpenClaw, pairing it up with Claude Max API token plans of about $200 a month. Some argue this is a revolution in self-hosting, even though the above setup is still dependent on the cloud. But what’s actually happening here is that OpenClaw appears loyal, it remembers you, it is “in your home” in your PC. It’s not a chat interface whose context window will eventually become too much for it to manage, ending in a small death, replaced by a new chat tab. OpenClaw is not a chatbot; it’s an AI entity of sorts that users create a relationship with. And good relationships are built on trust. 

So what does all of this have to do with public Bitcoin Miners? Well, perhaps self-hosted AI is the future, Chinese AI models are increasingly leaner and can run on machines far from the cutting edge, arguably pressured into innovation by sanctions on specialized AI hardware like high-end Nvidia chips. Open source tools of all kinds that manage and host models locally are regularly launched and improved, and if history is any guide, the mass production of AI hardware will lead to the commoditization of powerful computers that will make it to end users’ homes, and can handle AI.

In fact, Apple, the FAANG that has had the worst AI products deployed to date, may end up becoming one of the biggest winners of the AI race. Why? Because their user hardware is excellent. Recent Macs don’t have a distinction between RAM and VRAM, an issue all other computers dependent on GPUs, such as Nvidia, have. This limits the size and speed of models that can be self-hosted. Instead, all RAM is unified in the latest Mac machines, letting users run powerful models locally that don’t easily run on non-Apple hardware. Self-hosted AI is the future. 

And thus, public Bitcoin miners, in the pursuit of mid-term fiat gains, might have just fallen for a trap. The same trap the giants of the dot-com bubble fell for. The same trap that the titans of the industrial era, who built the railroads, fell for. The infrastructure that runs the future does not necessarily capture the gains.  

This post Public Bitcoin Miners are Dumping Bitcoin for AI, a Historic Mistake first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Teeters Near $69,000 Despite Market Volatility and Oil Price Swings

Bitcoin price traded near $69,000 on Monday, stabilizing after last week’s brief rally and then sell-off into the weekend. The cryptocurrency has remained resilient even as traditional equities and oil markets experience sharp swings.

Bitcoin price remains confined to the $62,500–$72,000 range following February’s sharp decline, with repeated attempts to break above $72,000 failing, according to Bitfinex analysts. 

A high of $74,047 on March 4 marked a brief breakout for the bitcoin price, but momentum could not be sustained, and the move was quickly reversed. The March 6 spike in negative realized profits of around $900 million shows that many investors exited positions at a loss during the failed rally. 

Passive sell orders and late-entry leveraged longs absorbed buying pressure, keeping the price trapped within its established range. 

Since the February low, dip buyers have supported a 20.5% recovery, helping stabilize the market. 

Realized losses have now sharply compressed, suggesting that forced selling has largely subsided, but upside remains capped until $72,000 is decisively cleared, according to Bitfinex. 

Bitcoin price weathers macro turbulence

The surge in volatility comes alongside dramatic movements in energy markets, where West Texas Intermediate crude briefly rose above $110 per barrel before easing back. 

Supply concerns driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have weighed on global equities and safe-haven assets such as gold, while pushing demand toward the U.S. dollar.

Bitcoin’s own volatility measures suggest the crypto market may have already experienced its most stressful phase. The Bitcoin Volmex Implied Volatility Index (BVIV) spiked earlier this year when bitcoin price briefly fell to $60,000, indicating heightened market stress. 

Since then, volatility has eased, suggesting that crypto markets front-ran some of the turbulence now affecting traditional assets. 

Despite macro uncertainty, bitcoin’s price has held above $66,000, recovering from minor pullbacks that followed attempts to break through resistance near $74,000. The market has seen a consolidation phase, with buyers defending levels around $66,000 to $69,000, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping routes have contributed to sharp spikes in oil prices. The Strait of Hormuz closure and recent strikes on regional depots tightened supply, adding upward pressure on crude and fueling concerns about global inflation. Rising energy costs ripple through industries worldwide, potentially increasing borrowing costs and putting pressure on risk-sensitive assets, including bitcoin.

On top of this, underlying financial pressures that could influence Bitcoin’s appeal.

“While chaotic global events are getting most of the attention and are often credited for bitcoin’s price moves, there may be deeper stresses forming beneath the surface,” Timot Lamarre, director of market research at Unchained, wrote to Bitcoin Magazine. “In the private credit market, including unusually high withdrawal requests from large funds, suggests liquidity in parts of the financial system may be tightening. Markets tend to anticipate the policy response to financial stress before it happens, and if investors begin expecting another round of monetary expansion, the incentive to hold bitcoin only grows stronger.”

Global equities have reflected these pressures. Japan’s Nikkei and South Korea’s KOSPI both dropped more than 7% after market openings, while China and Hong Kong’s indices recorded smaller declines.

The strength of the U.S. dollar, coupled with elevated yields, has reinforced its role as a primary defensive asset in the current environment, leaving bitcoin price and other risk assets to navigate a more complex landscape.

Within this context, bitcoin price has maintained relative stability. Its market capitalization has remained above $1.3 trillion, and trading activity shows continued interest across spot and derivatives markets. 

Bitcoin’s mined supply also surpassed 20 million  BTC today — over 95 % of the 21 million cap — leaving just about 1 million coins left to be mined over the next century.

This post Bitcoin Price Teeters Near $69,000 Despite Market Volatility and Oil Price Swings first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Treasury’s mixer language points to a new U.S. line on crypto privacy

A new Treasury report says lawful users may use mixers for financial privacy on public blockchains. The language leaves Treasury’s money-laundering case intact, while opening room for privacy tools that can operate inside regulated U.S. crypto markets.

In a report to Congress this week, the U.S. Treasury said lawful users of digital assets may use mixers to protect financial privacy on public blockchains.

Treasury gave ordinary examples. It said users may want to shield personal wealth, business payments, charitable donations, and consumer spending from full public view.

The same report also kept the department’s enforcement case in place. Treasury said criminals use mixing, bridging, and swapping to break audit trails and highlighted North Korean activity.

It added that bridges have received about $1.6 billion in deposits from mixing services since May 2020, with more than $900 million reaching one bridge that later drew scrutiny over failures tied to DPRK laundering.

Treasury’s wording still marks a significant change in official language. For several years, the department described mixers mainly through the lens of sanctions risk, darknet activity, ransomware payments, and state-backed theft.

The report puts lawful privacy use into the record alongside those risks. That wording points to a narrower policy distinction between illicit concealment and supervised privacy services on public chains.

President Donald Trump made U.S. leadership in digital financial technology a formal goal by executive order at the start of his term.

The July 2025 digital-assets report then told Treasury to revisit its 2023 mixer proposal in a way that still blocks illicit finance while protecting privacy and lowering regulatory burden.

Those steps, however, do not suggest a broad pardon for mixers, but Washington wants more crypto activity, more dollar-linked settlements, and more institutional capital inside domestic channels.

Once that becomes official policy, privacy starts to look less like an edge case and more like missing infrastructure for public-chain finance.

Related Reading

Bybit seeks community help as $400 million in stolen Ethereum vanishes through Wasabi mixer

Despite the rising amount of untraceable assets, Bybit said it is still tracking $960 million from the stolen Ethereum.

Apr 21, 2025 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Treasury’s own numbers show why privacy is back in the policy record

Treasury’s report said successful monthly transactions on public blockchains reached 3.8 billion in early 2025, up 96% year over year.

That scale changes the policy question. A network carrying billions of transactions each month does not serve only traders and protocol users.

It starts to carry payroll-adjacent activity, treasury movements, commercial settlement, donations, and consumer payments. At that point, full public visibility becomes a business risk for many lawful users, not just a compliance benefit for investigators.

Treasury paired that growth figure with a warning, not a retreat. The department also released a new money-laundering risk assessment, which says digital assets are increasingly used alongside social media, encrypted messaging, and AI-enabled fraud.

Another review from the FATF this month also said criminals’ misuse of stablecoins through peer-to-peer transfers and unhosted wallets is a growing concern.

That mix of signals points to a more selective U.S. approach. Treasury’s report said custodial mixers, if they register and comply as money services businesses, can still generate off-chain information useful to regulators and law enforcement.

In practice, that points toward privacy tools that preserve records, screening, and suspicious activity reporting, while keeping pressure on tools that operate outside those controls.

A hedge fund, issuer, or corporate treasury may want confidentiality around counterparties, payment amounts, and wallet relationships.

Treasury is signaling that the government can accept some forms of confidentiality if service providers remain legible to the state. The department is drawing lines around provider type, recordkeeping, and supervision rather than treating every privacy use case as identical.

Related Reading

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Feb 27, 2026 · Gino Matos

The resulting policy picture is more skeptical than the celebratory reading circulating in some circles. Treasury has not changed its view that mixers can serve as laundering infrastructure.

The department has acknowledged that lawful users on transparent blockchains may also want privacy, and that some providers may be able to offer it inside a regulated perimeter.

Institutional capital helps explain why the language changed now

The White House’s crypto agenda helps explain the timing. The January 2025 executive order made digital-asset leadership a U.S. goal.

The March 2025 Bitcoin reserve fact sheet added a sovereign signal around Bitcoin. The July 2025 digital-assets report told agencies to reduce unnecessary drag while keeping anti-money-laundering controls in place.

Treasury’s mixer language fits that sequence.

Institutional flows add the market side. The regulated bitcoin channel is already large.

Market data showed about $1.7 billion moving into spot bitcoin ETFs over a late-February to early-March window, even after sharp outflow days.

That does not prove institutions want mixer access, but it does show that large investors already use U.S.-approved crypto vehicles at scale, and that the policy debate has moved from whether institutions will enter the market to how the surrounding infrastructure will work once they do.

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Privacy has become part of that infrastructure discussion. Coinbase Institutional said in its 2026 market outlook that rising institutional adoption is increasing demand for privacy technologies such as zero-knowledge proofs and fully homomorphic encryption.

Cambridge’s February 2026 analysis pushed the point further, arguing that sanctions pushed away legitimate users faster than criminals and said the mixer market has shifted toward more compliant privacy protocols.

The Cambridge figures are particularly useful because they show how early this shift still is. Institutions moved $1.22 trillion in stablecoin transactions over two years, yet only 0.013% of these transactions touched privacy protocols, according to the same analysis.

That tiny share can support two readings at once. One reading says institutional demand for privacy remains marginal in practice.

The other says a large privacy gap remains between the amount of value institutions already move onchain and the tools they are currently willing or able to use.

Bitcoin sits at the center of that gap. The asset now sits inside ETF wrappers, reserve policy, and large-scale portfolio allocation.

Its base layer also remains highly transparent. If the United States wants tokenized dollars, tokenized deposits, and public-chain settlement to develop under domestic rules, commercial users will keep asking for ways to hide counterparties and payment details without stepping outside compliance systems.

Thus, Treasury’s report suggests Washington has started to accept that demand as a feature of market structure, not just a risk category.

The next phase will decide who gets privacy, and under what conditions

The next policy phase will likely turn on provider design. The White House already asked Treasury to revisit the older mixer policy in a way that protects privacy while reducing the burden.

Treasury has now added lawful privacy use to the official record. The unresolved question is whether agencies will convert that language into a broader framework for regulated public-chain finance or limit it to a narrow set of supervised intermediaries.

What happens from here?

For Bitcoin, the immediate implication is indirect. Treasury has made it easier for policymakers and regulated firms to argue that lawful users on public chains may need confidentiality tools around payments and settlement.

That argument helps institutions, issuers, and market infrastructure providers far more than it helps every open-source privacy project.

The sharper question is who gets to provide that confidentiality. If banks, custodians, and other licensed firms control most of it, the policy shift will support institutional crypto growth while leaving permissionless privacy projects under pressure.

A wider circle of approved providers would point to a broader change in U.S. policy. A narrow circle would still mark a meaningful change, though one aimed at regulated channels first.

Treasury’s March 2026 report, therefore, lands at a useful moment for the market. The White House wants more crypto activity onshore. Institutional money is already moving through regulated bitcoin products.

Public-chain activity has reached 3.8 billion successful monthly transactions. Against that backdrop, Treasury has put lawful financial privacy back into the federal record.

The next round of guidance will show whether that privacy belongs only to supervised intermediaries or whether it becomes part of the normal public-chain market structure in the United States.

The post US Treasury signals regulated crypto privacy may have a future in the US appeared first on CryptoSlate.

America may reject the name “CBDC” while still building the conditions for CBDC-like control through private dollar infrastructure.

Washington has ruled out a retail Federal Reserve digital dollar in legal form. At the same time, the stablecoin regime now taking shape can normalize freeze, block, reject, and temporary hold functions across private dollar tokens and, increasingly, tokenized financial assets.

Back in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring agencies from establishing, issuing, or promoting a U.S. central bank digital currency.

That made the politics plain: Washington wanted to be seen as anti-CBDC.

But the policy stack that followed points in another direction.

In July 2025, the GENIUS Act created a federal framework for permitted stablecoin issuers that requires anti-money-laundering programs, sanctions compliance, suspicious-activity monitoring, and the technical ability to block, freeze, reject, or prevent transfers when a lawful order demands it.

That does not mean America already has a CBDC by stealth. A stablecoin remains a private liability rather than a direct claim on the central bank.

The current system also lacks a single national ledger, a universal state wallet, or evidence of a federal plan to force households onto a Fed-run retail money stack.

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If it isn’t a CBDC, why does it look like one?

But is Washington rejecting the label while building a regulated system of private digital dollars that can deliver some of the same control functions in practice?

The gap between legal identity and user experience is where the main policy question now sits.

That question has been visible in state politics for more than a year.

Several states have enacted anti-CBDC measures, though the evidence supports a narrower formulation than saying states broadly “banned” them.

Florida moved in 2023 to exclude CBDCs from treatment as money under its UCC framework.

Wyoming’s 2025 legislative findings laid out the core civil-liberties case in unusually direct language: a CBDC could centralize financial data, strengthen the link between household spending and the state, and make some purchases easier to restrict.

That language is useful because it sets the benchmark. The live question is whether regulated stablecoins can produce some of the same outcomes without direct Federal Reserve issuance.

The federal government has already started answering part of that question.

A July 30, 2025 White House report said a “unique feature” of stablecoins is that issuers can coordinate with law enforcement to freeze and seize assets.

The same report urged Congress to consider a digital-asset-specific hold law that would give institutions a safe harbor if they temporarily and voluntarily hold assets during short investigations into suspected theft or fraud.

At the same time, the report also backed self-custody and lawful peer-to-peer transfers without a financial intermediary.

The policy design is multi-layered.

It pairs permissionless rhetoric at the edges with explicit control tools at the center of the regulated dollar layer.

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The architecture Washington is actually building

The GENIUS framework hardened that direction from policy recommendation into law.

The statute says permitted stablecoin issuers must have the technical capability, policies, and procedures to block, freeze, and reject specific or impermissible transactions and to comply with lawful orders.

It defines those orders broadly enough to include commands to seize, freeze, burn, or prevent the transfer of payment stablecoins, so long as the order identifies the relevant accounts or coins and is reviewable.

Foreign-issued payment stablecoins offered in the U.S. must also be able to comply.

That makes the current U.S. position internally coherent: no retail CBDC, and a private digital-dollar sector with embedded enforcement hooks.

One case study captures the contradiction better than any abstract argument.

A company co-owned by the president of the United States has its own stablecoin. World Liberty Financial’s website confirms Trump and family affiliates have a major economic interest in the venture, while BitGo serves as the official issuer and custodian of USD1.

The token’s risk disclosures state that BitGo can deny access to certain addresses, freeze USD1 temporarily or permanently if it believes an address is tied to illegal activity or terms violations, report information to law enforcement, comply with legal orders, and block transfers to or from specific on-chain addresses.

The politics say “anti-CBDC.” The operating documents, however, contain powers that CBDC critics often warn about. And that pattern extends beyond a single Trump-linked token.

Circle’s USDC risk factors say Circle can block certain addresses, freeze USDC temporarily or permanently, report to law enforcement, and comply with legal orders.

Tether’s January 2026 USA₮ launch for the U.S. market stressed in its announcement that the token is not legal tender and is not government-issued or government-guaranteed.

That distinction remains important. The operational point, though, is already settled.

Freeze-capable stablecoins exist now.

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The policy debate has moved on to whether those powers remain targeted enforcement tools or become normal features of the dominant digital-dollar stack.

The size numbers help show scale, and their composition adds needed context.

The White House put fiat-backed stablecoins at $238 billion as of July 14, 2025, in its July report. Current market data now show roughly $313 billion. That is a large jump in less than a year.

Yet the usage picture is more restrained than the top-line totals suggest.

A 2026 BCG report estimated that while on-chain stablecoin transfers exceed $62 trillion annually, only about $4.2 trillion reflects real economic activity.

The balance is still tied to trading, treasury management, and other crypto-market plumbing.

The rail is strategically important. It is not yet the default checkout lane for the U.S. consumer economy.

The market is large enough for the design choices to count

That nuance is exactly why the medium-term debate carries so much weight.

Stablecoins are no longer a niche product, and they are still some distance from becoming a universal household payment tool.

Citi’s April 2026 research projects stablecoin issuance could reach $1.9 trillion by 2030 in its base case and $4.0 trillion in its bull case.

It also sees transaction activity approaching $100 trillion in the base case and $200 trillion in the bull case, assuming high velocity.

Those are not trivial extrapolations as they imply that today’s design choices around lawful-order compliance, freezes, and temporary holds could apply to a much larger share of digital-dollar activity by the end of the decade.

The wider frame also reaches beyond payment stablecoins.

In December 2025, DTCC said it had received SEC no-action relief to offer a tokenization service for select DTC-custodied assets in a controlled production environment, with rollout expected in the second half of 2026.

The eligible assets include major U.S. equities, ETFs, and Treasuries.

The accompanying FAQ emphasizes wallet registration, governance, observability, resilience, and compliance-aware token features.

That widens the frame from “Can a stablecoin be frozen?” to “How much of the tokenized financial stack is being built around the same compliance logic?”

Once cash equivalents, collateral, fund interests, and Treasury exposure move onto rails designed for identity-aware access and lawful-order intervention, the boundary between private and public control can get blurry for end users.

The issuer may be private. The custodian may be private. The venue may be private. Yet the conditions attached to movement can still reflect public-policy priorities in fine detail.

That is the functional-convergence argument in its strongest form. It does not depend on saying stablecoins are CBDCs.

Money-like instruments and tokenized assets can increasingly share the same tools for screening, pausing, reversing, or denying transfers.

There is still a serious counterargument, and it should be stated plainly.

The Bank for International Settlements argued in its 2025 annual report that tokenization is transformative while expressing doubt that stablecoins will become the mainstay of the monetary system.

It pointed instead toward tokenized central bank reserves, commercial bank money, and government bonds as more durable building blocks.

Citi made a related point from the market side. Its 2030 report says bank tokens could process $100–$140 trillion in transaction volume by 2030 and may appeal to corporates because privacy on public chains remains a major problem.

Add FedNow’s 2025 payment totals, and the picture looks less like stablecoin monopoly and more like a plural system with multiple rails competing for different use cases.

What the next 3 to 7 years could look like

The base case is regulated private dollars rather than an American retail CBDC.

In that path, the United States keeps the anti-CBDC posture, scales a supervised stablecoin sector under the GENIUS framework, and leaves room for self-custody, peer-to-peer transfers, FedNow, and other forms of tokenized money to coexist.

Freezes remain targeted and legally framed rather than universal.

The system still becomes more comfortable with intervention than many CBDC critics expected from a supposedly private model.

The key shift is cultural as much as legal: blocking, freezing, and short-duration holds start to look less like exceptional measures and more like standard features of regulated digital-dollar infrastructure.

The more optimistic path is easy to describe.

Competition preserves escape valves.

Self-custody protections remain meaningful.

Peer-to-peer transfers stay lawful.

Privacy tools improve.

Institutional flows split among stablecoins, bank tokens, and other permissioned settlement media instead of forcing retail users into one dominant compliant token stack.

In that version, the United States gets more digital dollars without collapsing them into one state-shaped grid.

Bitcoin also keeps a cleaner lane. It remains the large digital asset with no issuer, no freeze key, and no lawful-order switch at the protocol layer, while stablecoins keep serving as the compliant dollar edge of crypto.

The downside case is subtler and probably more realistic than any cinematic “Fed wallet” scenario. The legal authorities stay formally narrow, while the operating culture expands.

The White House report already says issuers can coordinate with law enforcement to freeze and seize assets and recommends a hold law so institutions can temporarily pause funds during short investigations.

On paper, that is about scams, sanctions, fraud, and stolen assets.

In practice, the risk is mission creep: broader wallet screening, more frequent temporary holds, more aggressive readings of suspicious activity, and rising pressure on issuers and exchanges to act first and let users sort it out later.

The result still would not be a CBDC in legal form. It could start to feel like CBDC-style control in daily use.

The cleanest conclusion follows from that setup.

America is not launching a retail CBDC.

It is, however, building a private dollar system in which some of the control functions that critics fear in CBDCs are already present and may become more common as stablecoins grow and tokenization spreads.

The next policy fight is over limits: how broad a lawful order can be, how long a temporary hold can last, what due process exists when a freeze is mistaken, and whether self-custody remains a real alternative as the regulated digital-dollar layer gets larger.

Those questions will decide whether the United States ends up with a genuinely plural digital money system or a private version of the same controls it says it rejects.

The post Are US stablecoins just CBDCs in disguise? Look closely and the differences start to blur appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin spent the weekend mostly within a familiar price channel, then slipped lower before recovering as traders reacted to the developing impact of the Iran war.

However, while real-world macro events now dictate Bitcoin's movements more than fundamentals or adoption levels, where on the chart it stops to test the waters has not changed.

Bitcoin has tested both long-term support and resistance since Friday. But with trading desks now back at their terminals, it has now rebounded into the middle of a price channel we've seen many times before.

This type of activity is exactly why I’ve kept coming back to the same price-channel framework since spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in early 2024.

My channels have consistently helped identify the zones where BTC is most likely to stall, bounce, or break into a new range, giving a clearer read on market structure than raw price action alone.

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Introducing The Akiba Price Channel Indicator

Over the weekend, I built a tool around that framework. Instead of relying solely on chart screenshots, it tracks how Bitcoin interacts with those channels in real time, flagging key bounces and breaks, making the analysis faster, cleaner, and easier to review.

The dataset is built from horizontal price channels that I've tracked for over 2 years. The levels are manual, not machine-generated. They combine psychological round numbers, historical reaction zones, order-book depth, and leveraged futures accumulation. The interaction labels are also narrow by design.

• A “break up” means BTC moved through a boundary without first rejecting it.
• A “break down” means the same in the other direction.
• A “bounce” means the price rejected the line and stayed inside, or returned to, the channel structure.

With this framework, I'm not trying to call direction. The tools show where the market has actually reacted, and when it's likely to do so again.

That record still leans hard toward rejection over escape. Across the full sample, BTC logged 234 interactions, 178 bounces, 30 break downs, and 26 break ups. That puts the bounce share at 76.1%.

The data since March 3 tells a similar story. It shows 54 interactions, with 41 bounces, seven break downs, and six break ups.

The recency heuristic (which is not a predictive model) puts the next interaction at 72.4% for a bounce, 16.4% for a break down, and 11.2% for a break up.

The indicator says support returned, with resistance still overhead

Bitcoin moved back above the $67,995 boundary today after a failed break below $66,894 on Sunday.

The move put BTC back inside the $68,000-$71,500 range after a short trip into the lower $67,900-$61,700 channel. As of press time, Bitcoin is holding $69,000.

The clearest read is that BTC has repaired back into an active range, but it has not yet proved a new expansion leg.

The first fact in that view is simple, the March 8 move below $66,900 did not hold. The second is just as important, price has reclaimed $68,000, but it still sits below $71,500, the ceiling of the current channel. In other words, support returned before a breakout arrived.

That leaves Bitcoin heading into another week of macro releases and cross-market pressure with a working floor, but without a clear upside escape.

The strongest working level in the recent sample is $68,000. It drew 25 interactions, more than any other visible boundary. Twenty of those were bounces. Three were break downs. Two were break ups.

That does not make it permanent support, but it does make it the level that has done the most work.

The latest sequence reinforces that role. BTC first treated $68,000 as resistance after reclaiming $66,894, then moved through it, then bounced from above it. That is the clearest sign in the dataset that the market has rebuilt a floor after last week’s weakness.

The second line to watch is $66,894. That level is the top of the lower $66,900-$61,700 channel, so it acts as the failure line under the current repair. It saw 12 visible interactions, eight of them bounces.

The March 8 break down through that line was key, followed by a March 9 break up that reversed it.

When a downside move loses acceptance that quickly, the market usually treats it as a failed test rather than the start of a durable lower range. That is what the chart shows here. BTC did not stay below $66,900 long enough to build a new base there.

The main ceiling is $71,500. That level posted six visible interactions, five of them bounces and only one clean break up.

Above it sits $72,000, then the $73,500-$73,800 area, which also showed repeated rejection in the recent sample.

So the upside path is clear, but it is layered. BTC has moved from weakness back into a channel that still has a well-defined lid.

That structure also helps separate accepted moves from fragile ones. The March 7 break down through $68,000 was accepted for a time because BTC then spent roughly two days trading beneath that line and pressing into the $66,900 area.

By contrast, the March 8 break below $66,900 looks fragile because it reversed within hours. The March 9 move back above $68,000 now counts as an accepted reclaim, but only in an early sense. One bounce from above is a good start.

Full upside acceptance still requires a move through $71,500.

The broad message from the channel work is restrained. BTC has re-entered a range that has produced more rejections than escapes.

That makes $68,000 the first line that bulls need to defend and $71,500 the first line they still need to take.

Until price changes one of those facts in a durable way, the range remains the best description of the market.

Macro still points to a range, with event risk at the edges

The channel picture would look cleaner in a soft, risk-on macro backdrop. That is not the environment Bitcoin is trading in.

The Federal Reserve held its policy rate at 3.5%-3.75% in its January statement and said inflation remained somewhat elevated. January CPI was 2.4% year over year, while core PCE was still 3.0% year over year in December.

Labor data points the other way. February payrolls fell by 92,000, unemployment rose to 4.4%, and average hourly earnings were up 3.8% from a year earlier. That combination tends to keep markets guessing. Growth is cooling, but inflation is not fully gone.

Rates and commodities have added another layer. The US 10-year yield rose from 3.97% on Feb. 27 to 4.13% on March 5.

In a separate shock, Brent crude briefly rose to $119.50 before settling a little above $101 amid the Iran conflict. That does not determine Bitcoin’s path on its own. But it does show why markets have not shifted into a clean chase for risk.

Higher yields can limit how far risk assets rerate. Higher oil prices can keep inflation fears alive just as labor data softens. The result is a market that can bounce hard from washed-out levels without getting a free pass to trend.

How the broader crypto market is reacting

Crypto-specific positioning has improved enough to support the repair, but not enough to settle the argument. Digital-asset products took in $1 billion in the week of March 2, including $881 million into Bitcoin.

That ended a five-week run of outflows. But the same source said the earlier washout was large, five straight weeks of spot BTC and ETH ETF outflows totaled $4.3 billion. It also said futures open interest fell to about $7.6 billion and leverage dropped to 25% from 33% in October.

That is the kind of reset that can help a market build a floor. It still falls short of proof that fast money is ready to chase the next leg higher.

Options traders still look cautious. Bloomberg said traders continued to favor downside protection even after the recent rebound. That lines up with the channel data better than a breakout call does. The market has rejected lower acceptance below $66,900.

It has not yet embraced higher acceptance above $71,500. In a mixed macro setting, that is often how transitions look, support rebuilds first, conviction comes later, and sometimes it never comes at all.

A late-February update from CoinShares argued that Bitcoin was still in consolidation with a modest downside bias, even as several conditions for a bottom were starting to form. That fits the present setup. The data do not show a market that has broken free of macro drag.

They show one that has flushed leverage, found buyers back inside a known range, and is waiting for the next piece of evidence.

That is also why the latest bounce should be read as a repair inside uncertainty, rather than a settled verdict on the quarter.

Lower yields, calmer energy prices, or softer inflation prints could help BTC press the top of the range. Sticky inflation, firm yields, or another commodity shock could do the opposite.

The channel maps how price is responding to those drivers.

What the next move looks like from here

The least stretched narrative is that Bitcoin is stabilizing inside a reclaimed channel, rather than starting a confirmed trend. The numbers support that. The full sample is still bounce-dominant at 76.1%. The recent sample is bounce-dominant at 75.9%.

The recency heuristic still tilts toward another rejection rather than a clean directional break. And the most recent directional event that stands out is the failure of downside acceptance below $66,900.

That leaves three live paths and one tail risk. The weights below are an analytical overlay on the channel record, not market-implied odds.

The base case remains the cleanest because it asks the market to do what it has done most often in this sample, respect a boundary, move inside the range, and force traders to prove the next break instead of assuming it.

The bull case is simple too, but it needs evidence. BTC would need to hold above $68,000 through the next round of macro data and then turn $71,500 from ceiling into floor. Only then does $72,000 become more than a wick target.

Above that, the failed supply zone around $73,500-$73,750 comes back into view, with $77,000 as the next upper channel boundary on the broader map.

The bear case is not dead just because the March 8 breakdown failed. It only lost the first test. If BTC falls back through $68,000 and then starts spending time below $66,900, the structure changes fast.

The lower $66,900-$61,700 channel would open again, and the conversation would shift from repair to renewed weakness.

A March 5 report cited a Standard Chartered view that still allowed for a near-term slide toward $50,000 before recovery and carried a $100,000 year-end 2026 target. The wide gap between those figures is useful because it shows how uncertain the path remains even when long-run forecasts stay high.

A more constructive case is easier to state than to prove. The market has already done the first part by rejecting a fresh stay below $67,900 and then taking back $68,000. The second part is harder. Bulls need repeated acceptance above $71,500 and then above $72,000, where last week’s move began to stall.

If that happens while flows keep improving and options hedging eases, the upper channel cluster near $73,500-$73,750 becomes a live retest rather than a memory of the last failed push.

For now, the channel offers a disciplined way to read that uncertainty.

BTC has taken back $68,000. It has rejected a fresh stay below $66,900. But it has not yet forced a change in the most important nearby fact, $71,500 still caps the current range. The next evidence is straightforward.

If Bitcoin keeps holding the lower edge and starts closing through the upper one, the upper channels return to the foreground.

If it loses both support lines again, the market will start looking back toward $61,726.

Until one of those things happens, the strongest conclusion is the narrow one, the range is alive, the lower breakdown failed, and the next test is still overhead.

If you'd like access to Akiba's Price Channel Indicator, send me a DM on Twitter

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and analytical purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Market scenarios and probabilities discussed are observational interpretations of price data, not predictions. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.

The post New Bitcoin indicator reveals we just avoided a major drop — but one level could decide the next breakout appeared first on CryptoSlate.

XRP remains under significant pressure as the latest oil shock and broader market unease push investors toward a more defensive stance.

The Ripple-linked digital asset has fallen 26% this year to about $1.34 and is down 54% over the past six months, according to CryptoSlate data. In the latest 24-hour session, XRP slid from about $1.37 to as low as $1.33 before recovering to nearly $1.35 as of press time.

The move was modest by crypto standards. However, the larger signal comes from on-chain and exchange data showing a market still working through a large pool of holders sitting on losses and a trading environment that has lost some of its depth.

Glassnode data show that about 36.8 billion XRP are being held at a loss at current prices. In dollar terms, those unrealized losses amount to about $50.8 billion, or roughly 60% of the circulating supply.

That leaves a wide band of investors who are still underwater and are likely to cut exposure as the price approaches their entry levels.

This dynamic helps explain why XRP has struggled to turn short-lived recoveries into a more durable advance.

When a large share of supply sits below cost basis, rallies can meet a steady stream of sellers seeking to exit closer to breakeven. In that setup, price strength has to do more than attract momentum buyers. It also has to absorb lingering supply from earlier holders.

At the same time, the macro backdrop has added to the pressure.

Rising oil prices and the broader repricing across risk assets have pushed traders to reassess exposure across digital tokens, especially older, more liquid names that often move quickly when sentiment turns.

XRP has been caught in that adjustment, though its internal positioning suggests the market was already vulnerable to renewed selling.

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XRP's cost basis near $1.44 is shaping the market

The clearest line in the market sits around $1.44, where Glassnode places XRP’s realized price. Realized price is widely used as an on-chain proxy for holders' aggregate cost basis.

When spot trades below that level, the average holder is underwater. That condition often changes the behavior of rallies, turning them into opportunities to repair the balance sheet.

For XRP, that cost-basis gap has become central to the market’s structure.

With spot XRP trading around $1.35 and a realized price of around $1.44, the token remains below the level at which the broader holder base begins to move back toward profitability. That places the next meaningful recovery zone directly in an area where selling pressure can build.

Other on-chain indicators support the same picture. Glassnode’s Spent Output Profit Ratio (SOPR) remains below 1, indicating that coins moving on-chain are being spent at a loss on average.

At the same time, XRP's Net Unrealized Profit and Loss (NUPL) is also negative, indicating that the market as a whole remains in aggregate loss territory.

Taken together, those readings point to a market that has yet to move out of its loss regime.

However, these readings do not mean XRP price cannot rally. Instead, it shows that the hurdle for a sustained rally is higher.

This means that XRP needs sufficient new demand to clear a sizable block of supply held by holders who have been waiting for better exit levels. Until that happens, the realized-price band is likely to remain a reference point for both bulls and bears.

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Sell-side aggression is showing up across order flow and derivatives

The institutional picture has also become less supportive of any uptrend for XRP.

Data from SoSoValue shows spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) products recorded their third weekly outflow of the year in the week ending March 6, with about $5 million leaving the funds.

Those products still show about $70 million in net inflows for the year, though the shift in recent weeks suggests some allocators have become more selective amid rising volatility across markets.

For context, CoinShares data shows XRP-focused investment products are the worst-performing this month, with over $30 million in outflows.

The flow picture shows a marginal pullback rather than a collapse. In a market already carrying a large block of underwater supply, even small shifts in demand can have an outsized effect.

XRP can remain under pressure without a broad institutional retreat if fresh buying slows while existing holders use strength to lighten positions.

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Meanwhile, the derivatives market also shows participation has cooled. Total XRP open interest has fallen to about $2.25 billion, the lowest level since January 2025.

Open interest tracks the value of outstanding futures contracts and is often used as a gauge of speculative appetite. A decline of that size suggests traders have been closing positions and reducing directional exposure rather than adding fresh leverage.

The same caution is visible in the digital asset's order flow, where the market is dominated by aggressive sell orders.

CryptoQuant's taker buy-sell ratio sits at around 0.912, indicating that aggressive sell orders are outweighing aggressive buy orders.

In practical terms, the side taking liquidity is dominated by sellers. That leaves buyers providing liquidity through resting limit orders rather than pressing the market higher with market orders.

With XRP trading around $1.34, that imbalance reinforces the view that the market lacks strong, aggressive demand.

Though XRP buyers are still present in the book, they are not driving the price upward with urgency.

That signal fits the broader setup. A market can stabilize for a period while passive buyers absorb incoming supply, but the price usually struggles to build momentum when the more aggressive side of the flow remains dominated by sellers.

The combination of all of the above leaves XRP with less upward momentum.

In stronger phases, rising open interest can reinforce a spot move and add urgency to the tape. In the current setup, a smaller open interest base means the price is relying more heavily on outright spot buying to push through resistance.

However, that is not happening because the market is currently dominated by sellers.

Thin exchange activity raises market’s sensitivity

Exchange data show activity has slowed in ways that could make the next move more abrupt.

CryptoQuant’s 30-day XRP volume z-score on Binance stands at about -1.16, indicating daily trading volume has fallen below its recent average. The latest reading corresponds with a daily volume of roughly 27 million XRP while the token trades near current levels.

Lower volume does not guarantee a larger move. However, it leaves the market with less cushion when orders arrive in size.

CryptoQuant data also show the net number of active wallets depositing and withdrawing XRP across 15 major exchanges has fallen to its lowest level since early 2025, with Binance still accounting for the largest share of activity.

That suggests a market with fewer participants actively repositioning and less urgency from both buyers and sellers.

When wallet activity and trading volume decline together, order books can become thinner, and prices can become more reactive.

Under those conditions, smaller flows can move the market further than they would in a deeper environment. A stable-looking chart can therefore mask a more fragile structure underneath, especially when macro headlines can jolt sentiment across assets.

The post XRP is bleeding with over $50 billion in unrealized losses as 60% of supply goes underwater appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin slid below $70,000 this weekend after a weak US jobs report, and another jump in oil prices revived stagflation concerns and pushed investors out of risk assets.

The largest cryptocurrency fell as low as $65,660, according to CryptoSlate’s data, less than a week after reaching a monthly high near $74,000.

The move put Bitcoin back below a closely watched price level for spot traders and derivatives markets, reinforcing how quickly macro shocks can spill over into crypto when liquidity conditions tighten.

Related Reading

161,000 US jobs just disappeared after a revision as Bitcoin navigates increasingly messy macro data

Nearly 1 million US jobs never existed, according to a massive government revision

Mar 8, 2026 · Andjela Radmilac

Macro shock hits crypto

The February employment report gave BTC traders the first jolt.

Data from the US Bureau of Labor showed that nonfarm payrolls fell 92,000 in February 2026, the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, average hourly earnings climbed 0.4% from the prior month, and wages were up 3.8% from a year earlier.

The combination pointed to a more difficult backdrop for markets, with signs of slower growth arriving without a clean break in wage pressure.

As a result, the market reaction followed a familiar pattern where rates moved, equity futures weakened, and crypto followed.

Essentially, traders did not treat the labor report as a straightforward signal that the Federal Reserve could cut rates quickly.

Instead, the data raised the risk that inflation could remain sticky even as growth slowed, an outcome that tends to unsettle cross-asset markets.

That is a difficult setup for Bitcoin in the short run. When macro data forces investors to rethink growth, inflation, and policy all at once, the first instinct is often to reduce exposure to liquid assets.

Bitcoin remains one of the most liquid risk trades in global markets, and that feature can work against it during periods of stress.

On derivatives-heavy venues, a decline can quickly intensify if lower prices trigger forced unwinds and prompt more selling.

Related Reading

Forget CPI and ETFs — oil prices may now be the biggest signal for Bitcoin

Bitcoin's macro tell right now isn't a CPI print or an ETF headline, it's a barrel of crude forcing yields and the dollar higher.

Mar 7, 2026 · Andjela Radmilac

Oil adds to the policy problem

Meanwhile, oil prices gave investors another reason to stay defensive.

Timothy Misir, head of research at BRN, told CryptoSlate that oil prices surging above $110 a barrel should be factored into the discussion, given that they have doubled in three months as the Middle East conflict escalated.

Data from CryptoQuant ties the oil price move to rising tension around the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that accounts for about 20% of global daily oil exports and nearly 35% of oil transported by sea.

Oil has gained more than 60% since the beginning of the year, a jump that could reinforce inflation concerns and tighten financial conditions.

Crypto trading firm QCP also described the oil move as part of a broader deterioration in market sentiment.

It said tensions in Iran failed to de-escalate over the weekend, sending oil prices above $115 on fears of sustained supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, broader Middle East instability, and a conflict that could last longer than markets had hoped.

QCP said global equity markets turned defensive and added that US Treasuries and gold also came under pressure as crude pushed inflation fears higher and lifted yields, leaving the US dollar as the preferred defensive asset.

For Bitcoin, the oil shock matters because it feeds directly into the rates debate. Higher crude prices can reinforce inflation pressure even as the labor market weakens.

That is the kind of combination that clouds the Fed’s outlook and reduces confidence in near-term rate relief.

In crypto, where sentiment can turn quickly, that uncertainty is often enough to overpower longer-term narratives about scarcity or adoption.

ETF flows and miner selling shape the trade

The break below $70,000 also matters because Bitcoin’s market structure has changed over the past year.

The arrival of spot ETFs expanded access to the asset, but it also made day-to-day price action more sensitive to institutional flows.

In periods of strong demand, that structure can support steady spot buying. In periods of uncertainty, it can amplify weakness if allocators pull back or turn tactical.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs posted two consecutive weeks of inflows for the first time since October 2025 after back-to-back inflows of $787 million for the week ending February 27 and a net inflow of $568 million for the broader March 2 to March 6 period.

This positive performance marked a significant turnaround for the investment vehicles, which had recently experienced five consecutive weeks of outflows totaling more than $3 billion.

However, the current inflows showed that the institutional bid had become less one-way just as price action turned fragile again.

Meanwhile, that shift came alongside fresh evidence that miners remain a source of supply.

Misir pointed out that publicly listed miners have sold more than 15,000 BTC since October.

According to him, Cango sold 4,451 BTC in February, Bitdeer liquidated its entire BTC treasury, and Core Scientific plans to sell about 2,500 BTC in the first quarter as some miners redirect capital toward AI infrastructure and data center expansion.

Those sales do not necessarily determine price on their own, but they matter when broader liquidity is already tight.

Notably, CryptoQuant's data show that the market has thin liquidity and signs of strain in stablecoin flows.

The firm noted that stablecoin netflows to exchanges had remained negative since the beginning of the year.

Binance showed a monthly netflow of around -$2 billion, followed by Bitfinex at roughly -$336 million, though both figures had improved from -$6.7 billion and- $443 million on Feb. 15.

QCP said Bitcoin had shown unusual resilience in that environment, a pattern the crypto market has not seen in some time, even with the VIX above 29. The firm also pointed to options positioning that looked less panicked than during the initial shock.

It said short-dated downside protection was concentrated between $61,000 and $64,000, while a trade involving 500 BTC of the 24APR26 72k straddle suggested expectations for continued volatility.

QCP added that March’s highest open interest sat at the $75,000 and $125,000 call strikes.

What should Bitcoin traders watch next?

The labor data were not without caveats. The largest payroll declines were concentrated in a handful of areas, including health care, where the report flagged strike activity, along with information, and the federal government.

That raised the possibility that part of the weakness reflected temporary distortions rather than a broad collapse in hiring.

Still, investors are unlikely to wait for perfect clarity. Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal, said the US economy has lost jobs since April 2025.

She said total job gains from May 2025 to February 2026 are now -19,000, and that companies are not hiring amid headwinds and uncertainty, with even health care beginning to slow.

For Bitcoin, the next leg now depends on whether the labor shock proves temporary or becomes the start of a broader slowdown.

Much of that debate will turn on the next inflation print and the Fed’s response. US CPI for February 2026, due March 11, will be central to the question of whether inflation is easing fast enough to offset labor-market weakness.

The March 17-18 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting will then shape how investors interpret the jobs report, either as noise or as the start of a more meaningful deterioration.

After that, the next jobs report on April 3 will serve as a confirmation test.

For now, the message from this weekend's sell-off was clear. Bitcoin’s drop below $70,000 reflects broader macro forces: slowing growth, persistent wage pressure, higher oil prices, and a market that still treats Bitcoin as one of the first liquid assets to sell when uncertainty rises.

The post Bitcoin traders focus on $61k as oil surges past $115 and weak jobs data rattle markets appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The global energy market has just experienced its most dramatic single-day reversal in history. After climbing to a multi-year high of $119.48, crude oil prices crashed by 32% to touch the $81 mark on Monday, March 9, 2026. This unprecedented volatility has sent shockwaves through both traditional equities and the digital asset space, marking the largest one-day percentage drop ever recorded.

Here is Why Oil Prices Just Collapsed

The catalyst for this historic crash is a breaking report from CBS News regarding a shift in U.S. foreign policy. President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States is considering "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz. This move is intended to provide open access to vital oil routes that have been largely restricted during the recent escalations in the Middle East.

The Strategic Importance of the Strait

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It serves as the world's most critical oil chokepoint, with approximately 20% of global oil consumption transiting through its waters daily. Previously, the threat of a blockade had driven prices toward the $120 level. The prospect of the U.S. military securing the waterway suggests a forced restoration of global supply, causing traders to liquidate "long" positions immediately.

From Record Highs to a Historic Plunge

The intraday price action reflects a total shift in market sentiment:

• The High: Prices hit $119.48 in early trading as markets priced in a total supply cutoff.
• The News: President Trump told CBS that the U.S. "could do a lot" about the waterway and is "thinking about taking it over" to ensure shipping continues.
• The Crash: Markets immediately removed the "conflict premium," leading to a massive sell-off that saw prices tumble to $81.25 within hours.

Market Impact and Data

In a historic moment for decentralized finance, the $Bitcoin network has officially surpassed the 20,000,000 BTC circulating supply mark. As of March 9, 2026, the world’s most prominent cryptocurrency has entered its final "million" phase. This milestone confirms that 95.23% of all Bitcoin that will ever exist has already been produced, leaving a tiny fraction for the next century of miners and investors to fight over.

How Many Bitcoins Are Left?

If you are looking for the exact number, here is the breakdown:

• Total Supply Cap: 21,000,000 BTC
• Current Supply: 20,000,000 BTC
• Remaining to be Mined: 1,000,000 BTC

While the first 20 million took roughly 17 years to mine (2009–2026), the protocol’s programmed difficulty and halving events mean the final 1 million coins will not be fully exhausted until approximately the year 2140.

Why is the Bitcoin Supply Capped at 21 Million?

The 21 million limit is hard-coded into the Bitcoin protocol by its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. This specific number was chosen to ensure absolute scarcity. Unlike fiat currencies that can be printed infinitely by central banks, Bitcoin acts as a "hard" asset.

The scarcity is enforced through a geometric supply reduction. Every 210,000 blocks (roughly every four years), the amount of new Bitcoin created per block is cut in half. This makes Bitcoin more scarce over time, often leading investors to move their assets to for long-term holding.

How Long Will it Take to Mine the Final 1 Million BTC?

It will take 114 years to mine the remaining 1,000,000 $BTC. This staggering timeline is due to the exponential decay of the block reward:

• Current Era (Post-2024): 3.125 BTC per block.
• Next Era (Post-2028): 1.5625 BTC per block.
• Final Era: By the late 21st century, the reward will be measured in tiny fractions of a satoshi.

This slow release ensures that the network remains secure for over a century while the market slowly absorbs the remaining supply. You can track the current of this scarcity on our live ticker.

What Happens When the Last Bitcoin is Mined?

A common question among new users is: Will miners stop working when there is no more Bitcoin to create? The answer is no. When the subsidy hits zero in 2140, miners will be paid entirely in transaction fees. As the network grows and more people use to trade, the volume of fees is expected to be sufficient to incentivize miners to keep securing the blockchain.

Why Does the 20 Million Milestone Matter for Investors?

Reaching 20 million is a psychological "supply shock" trigger. With institutional adoption rising and the "liquid supply" on exchanges hitting record lows, the fact that only 1 million coins remain to be discovered serves as a massive bullish signal for the "Digital Gold" narrative.

The world’s largest energy exporter, Saudi Aramco, has reportedly begun reducing crude production at two of its major oil fields. According to a recent Reuters report, this strategic shift follows mounting logistical pressures and security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz. As energy markets react to the supply squeeze, the digital asset sector is also feeling the ripples of this macroeconomic shock.

Why is Aramco Cutting Production?

The decision to curb output stems from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which has rendered the Strait of Hormuz—a transit point for 20% of the world's oil—virtually impassable.

1. Storage Constraints: With export routes throttled, Saudi Arabia's domestic storage capacity is reaching its limits.
2. Rerouting Challenges: While Aramco is rerouting shipments to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the East-West Pipeline’s capacity is insufficient to offset the Gulf's closure.
3. Force Majeure: This move follows similar actions by Kuwait and the UAE, signaling a coordinated regional scale-back to manage surplus inventory that cannot be shipped.

Oil Production Impact on the Crypto Market

Historically, energy shocks create a "risk-off" environment in global financial markets. As oil prices surge toward $110 per barrel, investors often flee volatile assets like cryptocurrencies in favor of safe havens like gold.

1. Bitcoin’s Correlation with Energy

As inflation fears rise due to soaring energy costs, $Bitcoin initially faced downward pressure, dipping below the $66,000 mark. High energy prices increase the cost of Bitcoin mining, potentially squeezing profit margins for industrial miners and leading to sell-side pressure to cover operational expenses.

2. The Inflation Hedge Narrative

Conversely, if the oil-induced inflation becomes persistent, the narrative of Bitcoin as "digital gold" could resurface. While the immediate reaction is often a price drop, long-term scarcity may attract capital looking for a hedge against devaluing fiat currencies.

3. Market Volatility

The broader crypto market cap has already seen a 1.8% decline following the news. Traders are advised to monitor crypto exchange comparison metrics to ensure liquidity during these high-volatility periods.

What will happen to Crypto Prices?

The Aramco production cuts mark a significant turning point in the 2026 energy crisis. For the crypto industry, the path forward depends on whether $BTC can decouple from traditional "risk-on" equities or if it will remain tethered to the broader macroeconomic fallout of the Middle East conflict.

The cryptocurrency market is entering a pivotal second week of March 2026, characterized by a tug-of-war between technical bearish patterns and optimistic regulatory milestones. While Bitcoin (BTC) has shown resilience by reclaiming the $67,500 level after a brief weekend dip, the broader market remains cautious. Investors are currently weighing a heavy US macro calendar against transformative legislative developments in Washington that could redefine digital asset classes for the remainder of the year.

Crypto Market Performance: Bitcoin and Major Altcoins

As of March 9, 2026, the $Bitcoin price is attempting to stabilize after a period of consolidation. Despite five months of sideways to downward movement since late 2025, a "higher low" structure on the daily charts suggests a potential base is forming.

Current Price Action

• Bitcoin ($BTC): Trading around $67,600, up 1.5% in the last 24 hours.
• Ethereum ($ETH): Holding steady above $3,400 ahead of a scheduled network upgrade.
• Polkadot ($DOT): Gaining momentum due to its upcoming "Pi Day" tokenomic overhaul on March 14.

The total crypto market capitalization currently fluctuates between $2.2 trillion and $2.4 trillion, reflecting a market that is waiting for a decisive catalyst to break the current range.

The "CLARITY Act" and Regulatory Momentum

One of the most significant fundamental drivers this month is the CLARITY Act of 2026. This landmark US legislation aims to provide a definitive regulatory framework, clearly demarcating the jurisdictions of the SEC and CFTC.

Industry leaders, including Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, have signaled high confidence in the bill's progression. For holders of XRP, Stellar (XLM), and other ISO 20022-compliant assets, the act represents the potential end of "regulation by enforcement." According to reports from Forbes, the passage of such a bill could unlock massive institutional inflows from pension funds and insurance companies that have remained on the sidelines due to legal ambiguity.

Key Crypto Events for Next Week (March 9 – March 15)

The upcoming week is packed with high-impact economic data and network milestones that will likely trigger volatility across crypto exchanges.

1. US CPI Inflation Data (March 11)

On Wednesday, March 11, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February.

• Bullish Scenario: A lower-than-expected inflation reading could signal a "risk-on" environment, potentially pushing BTC toward the $72,000 resistance.
• Bearish Scenario: If inflation remains "sticky" due to rising energy costs, the Fed may maintain a hawkish stance, pressuring Bitcoin back toward the $60,000 support level.

2. Ethereum Network Upgrade (March 10)

A minor but essential Ethereum network upgrade (v1.17.1) is scheduled for March 10. Major platforms like Binance have already announced a temporary suspension of ETH deposits and withdrawals. This move is part of the ongoing "Glamsterdam" scaling roadmap aimed at increasing TPS.

3. Polkadot "Pi Day" Overhaul (March 14)

Polkadot is set to execute a community-approved tokenomic shift this Friday. The upgrade will significantly reduce annual inflation from 10% to approximately 3.1%, introducing a hard cap on the total supply of DOT. This "halving-like" event is being closely watched by traders as a potential supply-side catalyst.

Crypto Future: The $60,000 Line in the Sand

Despite the recent bounce, some technical analysts warn of a "Head and Shoulders" pattern on the 4-hour Bitcoin chart. If Bitcoin fails to maintain its current neckline, a 10% correction toward $59,500 remains a statistical possibility.

However, the "institutional era" is providing a stronger floor than in previous cycles. With Morgan Stanley recently filing for its own Bitcoin Trust and the persistent accumulation by spot ETF providers, the "four-year cycle" theory is being challenged by a more sustained, macro-driven demand.

Summary Table: This Week's Watchlist

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Can BTC Recover After the Drop to $66K?

Bitcoin is currently trading near $66,000 after experiencing a sharp correction from its recent highs. After reaching levels above $120,000 earlier in the cycle, BTC has now lost almost half of its value during the latest market reset.

While some investors fear the bull market may be ending, historical patterns suggest these corrections are often a normal part of the Bitcoin cycle.

The key question now is whether Bitcoin is preparing for a recovery — or if another leg down could still occur.

Bitcoin Is Consolidating After a Major Correction

Bitcoin’s recent drop follows a familiar pattern seen in previous cycles.

In past bull markets, BTC often experiences 40–60% corrections before continuing upward.

Examples include:

• 2017 cycle: BTC dropped from $20K to $10K before continuing the trend.
• 2021 cycle: BTC fell from $64K to $30K before the next rally.
• 2026 cycle: BTC dropped from around $127K to nearly $62K.

This pattern shows that sharp corrections do not necessarily signal the end of a bull market.

Instead, they often represent a cooling-off phase after excessive leverage and speculation.

Key Support Levels for Bitcoin

From a technical perspective, several levels are now important for Bitcoin traders.

Major support zones:

• $62,000 – $64,000 (cycle low area)
• $58,000 – $60,000 (strong historical demand zone)

If Bitcoin remains above these levels, the broader bullish structure could remain intact.

Key Resistance Levels to Watch

For Bitcoin to regain bullish momentum, it would need to reclaim several resistance zones:

• $70,000 psychological resistance
• $75,000 – $80,000 previous consolidation range
• $100,000+ long-term breakout target

A break above $70K could signal renewed bullish momentum across the crypto market.

Macro Events Are Adding Volatility

Bitcoin’s recent volatility is also occurring alongside major global developments.

Markets are currently reacting to:

• Rising oil prices
• Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East
• Increasing uncertainty across global financial markets

During these periods, investors often temporarily reduce exposure to risk assets such as cryptocurrencies.

However, some analysts argue that prolonged macro instability could eventually strengthen Bitcoin’s narrative as a hedge against global uncertainty.

Bitcoin Price Prediction

Based on the current structure, three main scenarios could unfold.

Bullish scenario

• BTC holds above $64K support
• Breakout above $70K
• Possible rally toward $80K–$90K

Neutral scenario

• Bitcoin consolidates between $60K and $70K for several weeks

Bearish scenario

• Breakdown below $60K
• Possible retest of $50K–$55K

For now, Bitcoin appears to be entering a consolidation phase, where the market resets before the next major move.

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TLDR

• Coinbase collaborates with Aon on blockchain-based insurance premium pilot using stablecoins.
• Transactions settle nearly instantaneously across global networks using digital tokens.
• Blockchain technology eliminates multiple intermediaries in payment processing.
• Immutable ledger records enhance audit trails and financial reconciliation.
• Growing corporate interest follows improved regulatory framework for digital assets.

Corporate finance continues embracing innovative payment technologies as leading institutions experiment with distributed ledger solutions. Coinbase Global, Inc. stock closed at $194.71, declining 1.26%, as the cryptocurrency exchange engaged in a blockchain insurance payment trial. Insurance brokerage giant Aon partnered with Paxos to facilitate premium settlements through dollar-backed digital tokens.

Coinbase Global, Inc., COIN

This experiment showcased the potential for stablecoins to accelerate corporate payment workflows while minimizing delays inherent in conventional banking infrastructure. The trial leveraged blockchain technology that creates transparent transaction records and completes fund transfers in minutes rather than multiple business days. This development illustrates how tokenized currency could progressively merge with mainstream financial frameworks and insurance workflows.

Conventional insurance premium processing typically involves multiple banking intermediaries before final settlement, particularly for international transactions among enterprise clients. Distributed ledger payments streamline this workflow by enabling peer-to-peer value transfer without protracted clearing procedures. The experiment offered valuable operational data on modernizing premium payment infrastructure through digital assets.

USD Coin on Ethereum Network Processes Corporate Insurance Payment

The trial employed USD Coin to execute an insurance premium transaction via the Ethereum blockchain. Coinbase facilitated the payment on behalf of an Aon customer while Paxos contributed to the overall testing framework. This transaction examined how distributed ledger technology manages corporate insurance financial obligations.

Stablecoins preserve value through fiat currency backing, providing stable pricing for substantial institutional transactions. Furthermore, blockchain settlement generates permanent payment records, streamlining audit and reconciliation workflows for corporate finance teams. Organizations can therefore determine whether distributed ledger settlement minimizes operational overhead in insurance payment processing.

The trial also mirrored increasing regulatory definition around stablecoins within American financial markets. Enactment of the GENIUS Act established federal supervision requirements for token issuers and reserve disclosure standards. Major corporations now explore stablecoins within compliant regulatory parameters.

PayPal USD on Solana Network Demonstrates Alternative Blockchain Payment Path

An additional premium transaction utilized PayPal USD via the Solana blockchain as part of the identical pilot program. Paxos facilitated this payment while Aon executed the transfer within its insurance distribution infrastructure. This approach enabled performance comparison across different stablecoin ecosystems.

Stablecoin transactions deliver near-real-time settlement versus conventional banking networks that frequently require multiple days for international fund clearing. Distributed ledger systems provide transaction transparency, enabling organizations to monitor payments and verify settlement promptly. Enterprises can evaluate operational performance gains from tokenized payment systems.

Aon administers risk management and insurance solutions spanning over 120 nations while consulting on trillions in worldwide assets. The brokerage firm’s blockchain experiment therefore indicates expanding institutional appetite for distributed ledger payment infrastructure in corporate treasury functions. This pilot generates practical implementation insights that may influence future deployment strategies throughout insurance sectors and major financial organizations.

The post Coinbase (COIN) Stock: Collaborates With Aon and Paxos on Stablecoin Insurance Payment Pilot appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Sharplink reported a full-year net loss of $734 million after a decline in Ethereum prices reduced the value of its holdings.
• The company recorded a $616 million decrease in the value of its Ethereum treasury during the year.
• Sharplink booked a $140 million impairment charge related to tokens representing staked Ethereum.
• The firm generated a $55 million net gain from conversions between Ethereum and staking tokens.
• Quarterly staking revenue increased 50% to $15.3 million dollars from $10.3 million dollars.

Sharplink reported a $734 million full-year loss after a sharp decline in the Ethereum price reduced the value of its holdings. The Miami-based company disclosed that falling token prices drove most of the loss, even as staking revenue increased. Management said the firm maintained its strategy while expanding its Ethereum treasury position.

Sharplink Reports Full-Year Loss After Ethereum Price Drop

Sharplink recorded a $734 million net loss for the year, reversing a $10.1 million profit in 2024. The company attributed the loss to a $616 million decline in the value of its Ethereum holdings. It also booked a $140 million impairment charge tied to tokens representing staked Ethereum.

However, the firm posted a $55 million net gain from conversions between Ethereum and related staking tokens. The company confirmed it currently holds 867,000 Ethereum tokens. CoinGecko data showed Ethereum traded near $2,000 on Monday, valuing those holdings around $1.75 billion.

Sharplink’s holdings rank second among corporate Ethereum treasuries. BitMine Immersion Technologies holds about $9 billion in Ethereum under the oversight of Tom Lee. The company ended the year with $30.4 million in cash and stablecoins.

Shares of Sharplink traded at $7.41 on Monday, according to Yahoo Finance. Over the past six months, the stock declined 55%. During the same period, Ethereum fell 53%.

Ethereum Staking Revenue Climbs as Treasury Strategy Expands

Sharplink increased its staking revenue by 50% quarter over quarter. The company generated $15.3 million from staking, compared with $10.3 million in the previous quarter. It has earned 14,500 Ethereum from staking activities, valued at about $9.4 million.

Sharplink participates in Ethereum’s transaction validation process through staking operations. The company also deploys capital into decentralized finance protocols to pursue higher yields. Management stated that boosting Ethereum per share remains a core objective.

Sharplink currently holds about 4 Ethereum per share. The company has raised approximately $3.2 billion to support its transition toward an Ethereum-focused treasury model. CEO Joseph Chalom described the year as transformative for the firm.

“2025 was a defining year for Sharplink,” Chalom said in a shareholder letter. He stated that short-term market volatility can affect results. He added, “Our strategy is consistent and designed to endure.”

Joe Lubin, CEO of Consensys and Sharplink’s chairman, addressed institutional adoption trends. He said, “The institutional adoption supercycle accelerated in 2025.” Lubin stated that Sharplink aims to bridge traditional public markets with the Ethereum ecosystem.

The post Sharplink Posts $734M Loss Despite Higher Staking Income appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Sonic Labs debuts USSD, a stablecoin backed by U.S. Treasury products for DeFi liquidity.
• The digital asset maintains 1:1 backing through tokenized Treasury holdings from leading institutions.
• Minting occurs via non-custodial smart contracts without additional charges.
• Cross-chain functionality across 10+ blockchains powered by LayerZero technology.
• Native USDC compatibility enhances liquidity flow and DeFi accessibility.

Sonic Labs has introduced USSD, a dollar-pegged digital currency backed by tokenized U.S. Treasury instruments. The new stablecoin is designed to deliver reliable liquidity throughout the Sonic blockchain environment. USSD will facilitate various financial activities including trading, payments, lending operations, and transaction settlement within decentralized finance platforms.

The digital asset maintains complete one-to-one backing through regulated Treasury instruments. These underlying assets originate from prominent financial entities such as BlackRock, WisdomTree, and Superstate. This backing mechanism provides stability and clear transparency for everyone utilizing the Sonic platform.

USSD enables direct minting through decentralized smart contract technology. Compatible assets can be deposited at equal value with zero extra charges. This framework creates accessibility for builders, liquidity contributors, and DeFi ecosystem members.

Treasury Asset Backing Bolsters Sonic’s Decentralized Finance Infrastructure

USSD reserves consist of premium Treasury instruments maintained with regulated custody providers. The architecture resembles the system employed by Frax for its FRAX digital dollar. This methodology guarantees transparent redemption processes and trustworthy asset collateralization.

Tokenized Treasury instruments connect traditional financial systems with blockchain technology. They preserve stable value while ensuring on-chain visibility. The backing allows Sonic to incorporate institutional returns at its foundation.

USSD’s Treasury-based structure facilitates sustainable ecosystem expansion. Income generated from underlying assets may finance platform development and user rewards. The framework enhances Sonic’s capacity to deliver dependable liquidity for decentralized applications.

Multi-Chain Functionality and USDC Compatibility

USSD enables minting across more than ten blockchain ecosystems through LayerZero protocols. Participants can deposit supported tokens on external networks and obtain USSD on Sonic instantly. This feature minimizes complexity and streamlines cross-chain asset transfers.

The stablecoin works harmoniously with Circle’s USDC, enabling effortless conversions between platforms. Participants can exchange USSD for USDC utilizing Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol. This configuration delivers familiar entry and exit pathways for dollar-denominated digital assets.

Incorporation of Frax’s GENIUS infrastructure delivers enterprise-level functionality. It guarantees that minting, conversion, and multi-chain operations remain protected and dependable. USSD therefore becomes a core stable instrument for Sonic’s expanding DeFi landscape.

Sonic’s Platform Expansion and Strategic Integration

USSD represents a critical component in Sonic’s comprehensive integration approach. It facilitates value accumulation to the native S token through stable asset liquidity. This provides applications with a dependable dollar benchmark on the blockchain.

The stablecoin allows Sonic to access institutional returns while supporting platform advancement. Managing liquidity and transaction volumes becomes more efficient with a native, collateralized instrument. This development reinforces the ecosystem while preserving openness and dependability.

Sonic operates as an EVM-compatible Layer 1 network focused on maximum throughput and rapid transaction finality. USSD strengthens its monetary infrastructure by delivering a trustworthy, platform-native dollar instrument. This introduction establishes Sonic as a formidable competitor among high-performance blockchain platforms.

The post Sonic Labs Unveils USSD Stablecoin With BlackRock and WisdomTree Treasury Backing appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit issued a preliminary notice proposing a six-month partial suspension of Bithumb.
• Regulators said Bithumb conducted transactions with unregistered overseas virtual asset businesses.
• Authorities also cited failures in enforcing certain Know Your Customer procedures.
• The proposed suspension would restrict virtual asset transfers for newly registered users only.
• Existing users would still deposit and withdraw funds and continue trading on the platform.

South Korean regulators have moved against Bithumb over alleged anti-money laundering failures. The Financial Intelligence Unit issued a preliminary notice that proposes a six-month partial business suspension. However, the measure would limit only certain services for newly registered users if authorities confirm it.

Bithumb Receives Preliminary Sanction Notice From FIU

The Financial Services Commission’s Financial Intelligence Unit sent the notice under the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information. The FIU oversees anti-money laundering compliance for cryptocurrency firms operating in South Korea. Regulators said Bithumb continued transactions with overseas virtual asset businesses that lacked local registration.

Authorities also said the exchange failed to enforce certain Know Your Customer procedures. As a result, the FIU proposed a six-month partial suspension and disciplinary action against the chief executive. However, officials stated that the decision remains subject to review before final confirmation.

The proposed restriction would apply only to virtual asset transfers by newly registered users. Therefore, existing customers would still deposit and withdraw Korean won and cryptocurrencies and continue trading. Local media reported that the FIU plans to hold a sanctions deliberation committee later this month.

Officials will determine the final penalty during that review session. The FIU may adjust the scope or duration of the sanction after discussions. Until then, Bithumb continues normal operations for current users.

Regulators Tighten Oversight After Prior Enforcement Actions

South Korean authorities have increased oversight of digital asset platforms over the past year. The FIU previously imposed a three-month partial suspension on Dunamu, which operates Upbit. Regulators also fined Dunamu 35.2 billion won, or about $23.65 million, for compliance failures.

In a separate case, regulators fined Korbit 2.73 billion won and issued an institutional warning. Officials cited similar shortcomings in anti-money laundering controls. These enforcement actions reflect a pattern of stricter supervision of registered exchanges.

Founded in 2014, Bithumb ranks among South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. CoinGecko data places it second in domestic trading volume behind Upbit. Along with Coinone and Korbit, it accounts for most trading activity among locally registered exchanges.

The latest action follows an operational error reported last month. Bithumb mistakenly distributed billions of dollars worth of bitcoin to users during that incident. After that event, the country’s financial watchdog increased its oversight of cryptocurrency market operations.

The post South Korea Proposes 6-Month Partial Ban on Bithumb appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Blockchain.com expanded into Ghana after recording a 700 percent rise in brokerage trading volume in Nigeria.
• The company reported that Bitcoin, Tether, and Tron ranked as the most traded assets in Nigeria.
• Blockchain.com said active users in Ghana increased by 140 percent over the past year.
• The company confirmed it is working with Ghanaian regulators to support a local regulatory framework.
• Blockchain.com plans to integrate mobile money services as it builds operations in Ghana.

Blockchain.com has expanded into Ghana after reporting a 700% surge in brokerage transaction volume in Nigeria. The company plans to launch its trading platform for Ghanaian users while building local infrastructure. It confirmed ongoing talks with regulators as it targets wider growth across Africa.

Blockchain.com Reports 700% Trading Surge in Nigeria

Blockchain.com launched retail brokerage operations in Nigeria last year and tracked rapid growth. The company recorded a 700% increase in brokerage transaction volume during the period. It said users actively traded major digital assets across its platform.

Bitcoin BTC $68,517 led trading activity on the platform in Nigeria. Tether USDT $1 and Tron TRX $0.29 followed as the most traded assets. The company attributed the growth to rising demand from retail users.

Chainalysis data ranked Nigeria among the top countries for grassroots crypto adoption. The data linked activity to remittances, currency volatility, and mobile usage. Nigeria received over $92 billion in onchain crypto value between July 2024 and June 2025.

Sub-Saharan Africa received more than $205 billion in onchain crypto value during the same period. Chainalysis reported a 52% year-over-year increase across the region. The report placed the region as the third-fastest-growing crypto market globally.

Ghana Market Entry and Rising Bitcoin Activity

Blockchain.com confirmed it will offer Ghanaian users access to its trading services. The company reported a 140% increase in active users in Ghana over the past year. It also recorded an 80% rise in transaction volumes ahead of launch.

A spokesperson said, “We are actively collaborating with Ghanaian officials and regulators to help build a regulatory framework.” The company has established local compliance representation in Ghana. It said it will focus on regulatory engagement as operations expand.

The spokesperson said mobile money integration remains a key priority in Ghana. “Given how widely used mobile money is in Ghana, integration with the mobile money ecosystem is a key focus,” the spokesperson said. The company is building local teams to manage partnerships and compliance.

South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana rank among the next largest crypto markets in Africa. Analysts linked demand to cross-border payments and currency volatility. Stablecoins have gained traction for remittances and faster settlements.

Vera Songwe spoke at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January. She said traditional transfers cost about $6 per $100 sent. She added that stablecoins reduce fees and settle transactions within minutes.

Africa Bitcoin Corporation executive chairman Stafford Masie addressed crypto adoption trends. He said on the Coin Stories podcast that some communities use Bitcoin for daily payments. Merchants in certain areas accept satoshis instead of fiat currencies.

Borderless.xyz reported that Africa recorded the highest median stablecoin-to-fiat conversion spreads in February. The payments infrastructure company published the data earlier this month. Blockchain.com operates in more than 70 jurisdictions worldwide.

The post Blockchain.com Enters Ghana After Nigeria Trading Surge appeared first on Blockonomi.

Bitcoin reserves held on centralized exchanges have fallen back to levels last seen in 2019. Data shared by crypto market analyst Dark Fost shows that exchange reserves have been steadily declining since 2022.

This trend has accelerated following the collapse of the FTX exchange.

Bitcoin Supply Migration

In November 2022 alone, more than 325,000 BTC were withdrawn from exchange reserves as investors moved their assets off centralized platforms. As a result of this continued outflow, total BTC reserves on exchanges accessible to retail investors have now dropped to roughly 2.7 million BTC.

Among these platforms, Binance alone accounts for approximately 20% of the remaining reserves. When platforms primarily used by professional investors are included in the analysis, Coinbase Advanced ranks first, holding close to 800,000 BTC. However, this figure is still about 200,000 BTC lower than the level recorded in July 2025.

Dark Fost stated that while the FTX collapse played a major role in encouraging investors to hold assets in private wallets, two additional developments have also contributed to the reduction in exchange balances. The first is the launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in January 2024. At the time of their introduction, exchange reserves were still above 3.2 million BTC. Since then, ETFs have accumulated around 1.3 million BTC, which represents roughly 6.7% of Bitcoin’s total supply and effectively removes that amount from exchange liquidity.

The second factor is the growth of digital asset treasury companies (DATs) that hold Bitcoin as a reserve asset. Collectively, these firms now control about 1.1 million BTC, or nearly 5% of the total supply. Both ETF holdings and corporate treasuries represent a growing share of Bitcoin supply held in structured financial vehicles.

“Over the long term, this transformation could play an important role in market liquidity and price formation, even if these structural effects always take time to fully materialize.”

Geopolitical Tensions Halt Breakout

Against this backdrop of changing supply patterns, Bitcoin entered the second week of March under pressure as markets remained focused on escalating tensions in the Middle East. The cryptocurrency recently failed a breakout attempt above $70,000 as the ongoing US-Iran conflict contributed to broader market uncertainty. Despite the pullback, crypto trader and analyst Michaël van de Poppe said BTC’s current price action does not represent a worst-case scenario.

In his latest post on X, the trader noted that Bitcoin continues to trade within a range but described the performance as relatively strong given the current market conditions. According to him, oil prices surged about 15% on Monday to their highest levels since 2022, while gold and commodities declined, and the Nasdaq fell significantly. Van de Poppe added that if the US stock market opens higher and oil prices begin to correct, Bitcoin could regain momentum toward $70,000.

The post ETFs and Corporate Treasuries Pull Millions of BTC Away From Exchanges appeared first on CryptoPotato.

After a day of more fluctuations prompted by the quickly developing situation in the Middle East, bitcoin’s price aimed at $70,000 minutes ago as Trump addressed the war and the Strait of Hormuz.

His words sent shockwaves through other financial fields as well, especially with oil, as the CFDs on WTI Crude Oil plunged to under $90 per barrel after skyrocketing to $120 earlier today.

BREAKING: President Trump says “I think the war is very complete, pretty much.”

Oil prices officially turn negative on the day, erasing a gain of +30%, in one of the largest daily reversals ever recorded. pic.twitter.com/c01Ni9RZIS

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) March 9, 2026

The POTUS’s indication that the war is pretty much completed comes in a rather intriguing time, as Iran just chose a new Supreme Leader – Mojtaba Khamenei, who is the son of the former. Trump repeatedly outlined that he is not happy with the choice, calling it a big mistake.

At the same time, reports continue to emerge that several countries in the region, including the UAE and Turkey, keep intercepting more drones and missiles from Iran.

While also addressing the situation in the Middle East, President Trump reportedly added that the US is mulling taking over the Strait of Hormuz, which has been essentially closed for days, thus reducing the amount of transported goods, mostly oil.

As mentioned above, oil prices dumped again following Trump’s latest remarks after reaching a multi-year peak this morning. Gold and the S&P 500 went on a run, with the former tapping $5,140/oz, while the latter climbed above 6,800.

Bitcoin quickly jumped from $68,000 to $69,600 (on Bitstamp) but was stopped there and now trades around $69,000 again. Ethereum has jumped past $2,000, while SOL is above $85.

The post Bitcoin Eyes $70K, Oil Prices Dump as Trump Claims the War Is Almost Over appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s short-term holders have continued to realize losses, as on-chain data found sustained selling pressure across most of the past week.

According to the latest analysis by Axel Adler Jr., the Short-Term Holder Spent Output Profit Ratio (STH SOPR), a metric that measures whether coins held for less than 155 days are being sold at a profit or loss, remained below the neutral level of 1.0 for seven of the last eight days between March 2 and March 9.

A reading below 1.0 indicates that the cohort is selling at prices lower than their acquisition cost.

Bitcoin’s Weak Hands Are Selling

As of March 9, the intraday average STH SOPR stood at 0.987, and only six out of 35 observed blocks, or about 17%, closed above the 1.0 threshold. The 7-day moving average for the metric remained near 0.992, which further supports the view that loss realization among short-term holders has persisted for several consecutive days rather than appearing as a single isolated event.

During the same period, the metric crossed above 1.0 only once, on March 4, when the price of Bitcoin briefly reached $74,000 before returning to loss-selling territory. The lowest weekly reading occurred on March 6 at 0.979, while March 8 registered 0.991. Both of these instances confirm that most transactions from this cohort were executed below cost basis.

Adler explained that the first clear signal of a change in market conditions would be STH SOPR closing above 1.0 for several consecutive days alongside rising prices.

Capitulation

In addition to the profitability metric, Adler examined changes in terms of the overall supply held by short-term investors. Over the past two weeks, the total volume of coins within the short-term holder cohort declined from approximately 6.06 million BTC to about 5.92 million BTC. This essentially indicated that roughly 140,000 BTC left the cohort.

Such a reduction reflects either capitulation through realized losses or the natural aging of coins into long-term holder status after surpassing the 155-day holding threshold. At the same time, the cohort’s realized price remained around $89,028, while the market price traded near $67,000 during the period analyzed.

The difference represents an unrealized loss of roughly 24% for the average short-term holder. Adler observed that this gap between the realized price and the current market value creates a structural supply overhang in the market. As prices recover, some short-term investors who purchased at higher levels may use rallies as opportunities to exit positions without losses, and would potentially add supply and reduce the strength of upward moves.

The combination of the two indicators points to an ongoing “cohort cleansing,” in which the more price-sensitive segment of the market is gradually exiting through selling pressure rather than through a recovery in profitability.

The post 140,000 BTC Exit Short-Term Holders as Capitulation Pressure Builds in Bitcoin appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The world’s largest crypto exchange will support an upgrade later this week, during which token deposits and withdrawals on the Ethereum network will be halted.

Additionally, it will expand the list of trading options on Binance Spot, as the effort is once again centered on the stablecoin U (United Stables).

The Upcoming Developments

Binance disclosed that the Ethereum network upgrade is scheduled for March 10 and is expected to take roughly an hour to complete. Once the process is finalized and the system is confirmed to be functioning normally, deposits and withdrawals will be resumed.

The company assured that trading assets on the aforementioned ecosystem will not be affected and promised to handle all user-related technical requirements. It also said there will be no further announcements on the above.

This is a standard procedure that Binance has carried out seamlessly many times before. Beyond briefly pausing Ethereum-related operations during upgrades, the exchange has implemented similar measures to support improvements across different ecosystems, including Cardano, BNB Smart Chain, and others.

Binance also shared another update with its community today (March 9). It confirmed that new trading pairs – BCH/U, NEAR/U, TRX/U, and NEAR/USD1 – will go live on March 10, with Trading Bots support launching on the same day.

The listing effort once again focuses on U (United Stables) – a stablecoin launched last year and pegged to the greenback. Last week, the firm opened trading for AVAX/U, LINK/U, LTC/U, PAXG/U, and ZEC/U. Prior to that, it added ADA/U, DOGE/U, and PEPE/U to its Cross Margin section, while XRP/U, SUI/U, ASTER/U, and PAXG/U were listed on its Spot market.

The Delisted Ones

The exchange has a strict policy of scrapping certain pairs that no longer meet its standards.

On March 5, it said goodbye to the cross margin pairs CHZ/BTC, CAKE/BTC, ENA/BTC, UNI/ETH, CRV/BTC, INJ/BTC, XTZ/BTC, and the isolated margin ones FET/BTC, OP/BTC, PAXG/BTC, CHZ/BTC, CAKE/BTC, ENA/BTC, CRV/BTC, INJ/BTC, XTZ/BTC. A day later, it removed the spot trading pairs CHZ/BNB, ENA/BRL, NEIRO/JPY, and RLC/BTC.

When delisting is focused on a particular cryptocurrency rather than on trading pairs, it usually has a negative price impact. Such was the case in late 2025 when Binance terminated all services with Flamingo (FLM), Kadena (KDA), and Perpetual Protocol (PERP). The involved digital assets crashed by double digits shortly after the announcement.

The post Binance Will Temporarily Suspend Withdrawals and Deposits on the Ethereum Network: Details appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The Bitcoin network has reached a massive milestone: the 20 millionth BTC has been officially mined. With its total supply permanently capped at 21 million, this moment marks a monumental step toward its permanent scarcity.

Moreover, the event highlights one of the network’s defining features: its transparency and predictability. Unlike traditional fiat currencies, which can be pretty much printed at will and indefinitely, BTC follows a very strict issuance schedule, hardcoded into its protocol. With Bitcoin, code is law, and this code cannot be changed (at least not without massive market turbulence and seismic shifts in the entire industry), and can be publicly verified by anyone interested.

Digital Scarcity, but at a New Level

Data from BiTBO shows that 95.2% of Bitcoin’s total supply, representing exactly 20,000,018.75 BTC, has been mined at the time of this writing.

The remaining one million coins will be increasingly difficult to mine because of how the network is structured to function. Halvings take place roughly every four years, which slashes the rewards miners receive for adding new blocks to the network by 50%. In essence, this reduces the fresh supply by half, hence the name. In other words, the more time passes, the harder it will become to mine BTC. In fact, some estimates predict that the last BTC will be mined in 2140.

All of this highlights one of Bitcoin’s core concepts – digital scarcity. That’s why many investors have been comparing it to gold – because of its limited and ever-decreasing supply.

But one thing that many tend to forget is that millions of BTC are believed to be permanently lost due to forgotten phrases, lost wallets, and more. this makes the situation even more constrained, putting the effective circulating supply significantly lower than 21,000,000.

What the Final Million Means

The last Bitcoin halving occurred in 2024, reducing the block reward from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC. The next one should take place in two years, effectively making BTC even scarcer.

To put matters in perspective, only about 450 BTC (roughly) is mined daily, meaning that by 2030, only a tiny fraction of the remaining BTC will be in circulation.

This also means that miners, who secure the network and validate blocks, will be relying increasingly on the fees as the block reward continues to decline.

The post Only 1M Bitcoin Left: The 20 Millionth BTC Has Been Mined appeared first on CryptoPotato.