Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Slides Below $77,000 as ETF Exodus Tops $1 Billion

Bitcoin price’s recovery narrative is under pressure. The world’s largest cryptocurrency has shed nearly $5,000 from its recent high of $82,000, dropping to around $76,900 as of this morning — a four-day losing streak driven by a powerful convergence of macro headwinds, accelerating institutional outflows, and on-chain metrics that reveal a recovery without the capital conviction of prior bull cycles.

Bitcoin price opened Monday at roughly $77,500 before slipping further throughout the session. The total crypto market cap has shed over $100 billion in valuation since last Friday, falling to approximately $2.65 trillion.

Liquidations have been severe. Total crypto liquidations reached near $657 million in a single 24-hour window on Monday, with $584 million — roughly 89% — coming from long positions, according to Glassnode data and Bitcoin Magazine Pro data. 

On top of this, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs logged $648.6 million in net outflows on Monday alone — their largest single-day net negative since January 29. BlackRock’s IBIT led the exodus with $448.3 million in outflows, followed by Ark & 21Shares’ ARKB at $109.6 million and Fidelity’s FBTC at $63.4 million. 

Combined with last week’s total net outflows of $1 billion — which snapped a six-week positive streak — cumulative outflows since May 16 now sit just under $1 billion.

Last Thursday, the bitcoin price was fighting near $82,000, since then it’s dropped over 5% to current levels.

Bitcoin price analysis 

Overall, Bitcoin price’s recent rebound has been met with caution from analysts who say the rally still lacks the kind of capital support seen in stronger phases of the last bull cycle.

As market sentiment transitions from acute fear toward persistent uncertainty, the validity of the current recovery hinges on objective measures of net capital inflows. The Realised Cap 30-Day Net Position Change, which quantifies the monthly fluctuation in on-chain capital, serves as the primary barometer for this structural support. 

In the wake of the recent ascent to $82,000, this metric reached a positive $2.8 billion per month, providing a basis for recent constructive momentum. 

“The current $2.8 billion reading remains significantly shy of this historical benchmark, representing a substantial shortfall in aggressive capital commitment. This data-driven discrepancy suggests the recovery lacks the institutional velocity required to withstand a “higher-for-longer” macroeconomic regime, leaving the market vulnerable to exogenous shocks and interest rate volatility.” Bitfinex analysts wrote to Bitcoin Magazine. 

From a macro perspective, tensions between Iran and the United States remain high, with Tehran warning it will respond decisively to any attack while Donald Trump says planned military action has been delayed amid ongoing negotiations encouraged by Gulf states. 

Meanwhile, the conflict is still fueling regional instability — from Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks in Lebanon to a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza — and raising global concerns about a potential food crisis if Iran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

This post Bitcoin Price Slides Below $77,000 as ETF Exodus Tops $1 Billion first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Btrust Appoints New Board of Directors to Steer Next Phase of Bitcoin Development

Btrust, the non-profit organization dedicated to decentralizing Bitcoin open-source development, has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors, marking the completion of a landmark governance transition and the launch of the organization’s next strategic chapter.

Following a global, open call and a rigorous, multi-stage selection process, Janet Maingi, Bruno Garcia, and Laurence Aderemi have assumed full governance responsibilities, the organization told Bitcoin Magazine.

The selection was guided by Btrust’s Genesis Principles, which prioritize transparency, fairness, and mission alignment — values that have anchored the organization since its founding.

The transition fulfills the original mandate set in 2021, when Btrust was established with a 500 BTC endowment from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and rapper Jay-Z — a donation valued at approximately $24.5 million at the time of announcement. The gift was intended to fund Bitcoin development across Africa and India, with Dorsey and Jay-Z deliberately stepping back from governance to allow an independent board full decision-making authority.

The inaugural board — composed of Obi Nwosu, Ojoma Ochai, Carla Kirk-Cohen, and Abubakar Nur Khalil — was tasked with building the organization’s operational and financial foundation before enabling a structured handover to a successor board. 

Btrust’s long-term mission of bitcoin development

Over a multi-week transition period that concluded April 30, 2026, the incoming and outgoing boards collaborated closely to ensure continuity across governance, financial oversight, and operations. The handover included budget reviews, documentation consolidation, and the initiation of an independent audit designed to reinforce accountability.

“Today marks an important milestone for Btrust,” said CEO Abubakar Nur Khalil, who was formally named to the top executive role in late 2025 after serving in an interim capacity. “We are confident the new board will strengthen our impact and safeguard our long-term mission.”

The new board brings deep and complementary expertise spanning Bitcoin infrastructure, energy systems, and open-source software development. Their appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the organization, which has steadily expanded its footprint across the Global South. 

In 2023, Btrust acquired Qala, a Bitcoin and Lightning Network developer training firm, rebranding it as the Btrust Builders Programme to accelerate the pipeline of open-source contributors from Africa. More recently, Btrust has signaled expansion into Latin America as part of its broader global strategy.

With the governance transition now complete, Btrust moves forward with renewed institutional clarity. The organization’s core mission — ensuring the Bitcoin ecosystem remains open, inclusive, and resilient by diversifying who builds it — remains unchanged. The new board is expected to guide grantmaking strategy, strengthen oversight of the Builders Programme, and deepen Btrust’s presence in underrepresented developer communities worldwide.

This post Btrust Appoints New Board of Directors to Steer Next Phase of Bitcoin Development first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

TD Cowen Raises Strategy (MSTR) Price Target to $400 on Bitcoin Accumulation and Balance Sheet Shift

TD Cowen has raised its price target on Strategy (MSTR) to $400, pointing to strong bitcoin accumulation and a shift in financing strategy as key drivers of potential upside. With shares trading near $166, the new target implies a gain of more than 140%.

The brokerage maintained its buy rating, citing faster-than-expected bitcoin purchases and a change in capital structure that supports growth in bitcoin per share. Strategy, led by executive chairman Michael Saylor, now holds 843,738 BTC, valued near $64 billion. That position represents more than 4% of the total bitcoin supply cap.

Analysts noted that the company has exceeded prior forecasts for bitcoin purchases during the current quarter. Between May 11 and May 17, Strategy acquired 24,869 BTC for about $2.01 billion. TD Cowen now expects the firm to purchase close to 100,000 BTC in the second quarter of this year alone.

A central metric for the firm’s thesis is bitcoin per 1,000 fully diluted shares, which has risen to 2.21 from 1.95 at the end of 2025. This increase suggests that bitcoin accumulation has outpaced dilution from share issuance, a key concern among investors tracking Strategy’s aggressive capital strategy.

Strategy’s preferred equity 

The firm’s recent use of preferred equity has played a major role in that dynamic. In the second quarter, Strategy raised about $1.95 billion through preferred share issuance, with most proceeds directed toward bitcoin purchases. TD Cowen views this approach as less dilutive than common stock issuance and more favorable for existing shareholders.

At the same time, Strategy has taken steps to improve its credit profile. The company repurchased about $1.5 billion in convertible notes at a discount, a move that reduces future refinancing risk and limits potential share dilution. Analysts described the transaction as a positive signal for both equity holders and creditors.

TD Cowen’s valuation framework applies a multiple to projected bitcoin gains and incorporates expected holdings, debt, and preferred equity obligations. The firm projects bitcoin-related gains of more than $15 billion in 2026, supporting the higher price target.

Despite the bullish outlook, Strategy’s stock remains volatile and tied to bitcoin price movements. Shares have fallen about 60% over the past year and sit well below their 52-week high above $450. Recent declines in bitcoin have also weighed on the stock, reinforcing its role as a leveraged proxy for the digital asset.

This post TD Cowen Raises Strategy (MSTR) Price Target to $400 on Bitcoin Accumulation and Balance Sheet Shift first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin-Backed Loans Could Hit $1 Trillion, Ledn Says — But Most Crypto Holders Still Haven’t Borrowed

A new report from Bitcoin lending platform Ledn is putting a big number on a market that barely exists yet: $1 trillion. The company released research showing that the consumer Bitcoin-backed loan market — currently worth around $3 billion — could grow 300 times larger within the next decade. 

To put that in context, Galaxy Research pegged the entire crypto lending market, across every type of platform and product, at a $73.6 billion all-time high in Q3 2025. Ledn is betting the consumer Bitcoin slice alone will dwarf that figure.

The research was conducted by Protocol Theory, a consumer insights firm, and surveyed 1,244 cryptocurrency holders across the United States and Australia in February 2026. The headline finding: 88% of crypto holders said they would consider borrowing against their digital assets, but only 14% currently do. 

That leaves a 74-percentage-point gap between people who are open to the idea and people who have actually done it. So what’s stopping them?

The top barriers were not about understanding the product. Non-borrowers pointed to three confidence-related concerns: worries about crypto price swings, the risk of getting liquidated if prices fall, and uncertainty about regulation. When asked what they look for in a lending platform, respondents ranked risk management practices, platform reputation, and clear terms ahead of interest rates or features. Trust, in other words, is the product.

“The demand side of the equation is solved,” said Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn. “What’s still catching up is the trust infrastructure that gives borrowers the confidence to act.”

Ledn’s $200 million bitcoin-collateralized bond rated by S&P

That infrastructure is starting to take shape. In February 2026, Ledn closed what it calls the first-ever investment-grade Bitcoin-collateralized asset-backed security — a $200 million bond deal with its senior tranche rated BBB- by S&P Global. 

Galaxy Research described it as crypto credit moving “away from a niche product toward broader institutional acceptance.” Since issuance, those bonds have traded roughly 5% tighter on interest, a signal that institutional buyers are pricing the underlying credit well.

Among the 14% who already borrow against their crypto, the behavior mirrors how wealthy people use mortgages or securities-backed loans — accessing cash without selling a long-term asset. The research found 72% of crypto holders agree that Bitcoin-backed loans give them a way to access funds without selling their holdings.

Regional differences emerged too. Australian respondents were more likely than Americans to borrow as part of a financial plan and to shop around between lenders, reflecting a more fragmented market in Australia where no single platform has locked up the category.

Ledn’s co-founders first made the $1 trillion forecast publicly at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas in April. The company has serviced more than $10 billion in loans since launching in 2018 and operates in more than 100 countries.

This post Bitcoin-Backed Loans Could Hit $1 Trillion, Ledn Says — But Most Crypto Holders Still Haven’t Borrowed first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Canaan (CAN) Wins Contract to Supply Crypto Mining Heat to Nordic District Heating Network

Canaan Inc. (NASDAQ: CAN), the Bitcoin mining equipment manufacturer, has secured a contract to provide heat-recovery computing infrastructure to a district heating network in the Nordic region, the company announced today.

The deal centers on Canaan’s Avalon A1566HA hydro-cooled mining units, which capture thermal output from Bitcoin mining operations and redirect it as hot water into residential heating systems. The units generate water at approximately 80 degrees Celsius — a temperature range compatible with existing district heating infrastructure.

The project is structured in two phases. A first phase of 228 A1566HA units, totaling 2 MW of heating capacity, is operational and has been delivering hot water to local residents. 

In March 2026, the unnamed Nordic heating provider placed a follow-on order for an additional 692 units, expanding total capacity to 8 MW. At full deployment, the system is expected to serve approximately 2,800 homes.

Canaan’s architecture gives the system a technical edge over traditional boilers, according to the company. Because the heating nodes run many parallel A1566HA units that support dynamic overclocking and underclocking, operators can adjust output in real time to match shifting heating demand. The parallel design also reduces single-point failure risk and simplifies maintenance compared to centralized boiler systems.

The selection came through a competitive evaluation process in which the Customer assessed multiple solutions before choosing Canaan’s equipment for the second and larger phase of the project. The Nordic region is a global benchmark for district heating technology, and governments there have built policy frameworks that incentivize efficient heat distribution across urban networks.

Bitcoin and energy-integrated compute

CEO Nangeng Zhang said he took a direct role in the platform’s development, including the physical design of the unit’s form factor. 

“Heat reuse is no longer an ancillary byproduct of compute. It is central to building a more efficient, sustainable energy future, and a core part of how we think about system design at Canaan,” Zhang said.

For Canaan, the contract represents a strategic push beyond its core Bitcoin mining equipment business into what the company calls “energy-integrated compute infrastructure.” The hash-to-heat concept has circulated in the mining industry for years, but the challenge of generating high-grade heat at commercial scale has limited widespread adoption. Canaan positions the Nordic deployment as evidence that the barrier has been crossed.

Canaan’s stock was down nearly 15% today, trading near $0.40.

This post Canaan (CAN) Wins Contract to Supply Crypto Mining Heat to Nordic District Heating Network first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

The Bitcoin price dropping below $78,000 has shifted market attention to whether buyers can defend the $76,000 area or whether the pullback opens the way for a deeper move toward $70,000.

Crypto market maker Wintermute said the latest decline followed another rejection near $82,000, where Bitcoin has struggled to reclaim its 200-day moving average.

The move has turned what looked like a routine consolidation after a rally from $60,000 into a broader test of market depth, institutional demand, and short-term holder conviction.

That makes the $76,000 area the immediate Bitcoin support level to watch.

Inflation and yields weaken the case for risk assets

BTC's sudden shift in market behavior stems directly from a deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop that has forced a sweeping repricing across all risk-sensitive asset classes.

CryptoSlate previously reported that April’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) print came in hotter than anticipated, showing headline inflation at 3.8% year-over-year against a 3.7% consensus estimate.

This acceleration, coupled with the fact that vital global shipping straits remain closed, suggests that the energy shock has evolved from a transitory supply-chain bottleneck into a persistent core economic headwind.

The immediate fallout is visible in the real economy, where US real wages have turned negative for the first time in three years, undercutting consumer purchasing power.

At the same time, the US fixed-income markets reacted with extreme volatility to the inflation data, directly undercutting the investment thesis for non-yielding digital assets.

CryptoSlate previously reported that the 10-year US Treasury yield surged to 4.58%, its highest level since September 2025.

This move forced an aggressive recalibration of expectations for Federal Reserve policy. Federal funds futures have entirely erased the previously anticipated rate cuts for 2026, and the market now prices in a 44% probability of an interest rate hike by December, up from 22.5% just a week ago.

Wintermute stated that the conversation across trading desks has shifted from “when do they cut” to “do they hike” over the past five trading days.

Meanwhile, this rapidly shifting environment coincided with the narrow Senate confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve Chair.

Wintermute noted that Warsh brings a historically hawkish reputation to the central bank ahead of the crucial June 16-17 FOMC meeting, where a fresh dot plot and updated Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) will be released.

With yields spiking, the Empire State Manufacturing index surging to 19.6 against a 7.0 expectation, and prices paid accelerating, higher inflation and rising yields reduce the appeal of duration-sensitive assets.

Bitcoin loses the support that carried the rally

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s push toward $82,000 stalled at the level traders needed it to reclaim to confirm a stronger recovery.

Wintermute said the asset failed near $82,200, roughly where its 200-day moving average sits. Bitcoin has been rejected around that moving average five times this month, making it a clear technical ceiling for spot buyers.

Those repeated failures showed that the rally had not yet developed the depth needed to move beyond a momentum trade. Instead, the market remained heavily dependent on derivatives positioning and short-covering.

CryptoQuant data reinforced that view, showing that Bitcoin’s April advance was accompanied by a sharp buildup in leverage. The analytics platform said:

“Bitcoin’s rally toward $80,000 triggered the fastest growth in BTC perpetual futures open interest so far in 2026.”

That buildup helped lift prices as sentiment improved, but it also left the market exposed once conditions turned.

At the same time, Bitcoin ETF outflows weakened institutional demand as the products ended a six-week run of inflows. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1 billion in net outflows last week, their worst weekly performance since January.

Glassnode said institutions used the earlier move above $80,000 to take profit, with the seven-day simple moving average of net ETF flows falling to -$88 million per day, the lowest reading since mid-February.

That left leveraged traders carrying more of the market’s upside momentum as the spot bid faded. Once macro pressure arrived, Bitcoin could not hold the level that would have signaled stronger underlying demand.

The reversal quickly moved through derivatives markets. Wintermute noted that BTC's weekend slide toward $76,800 triggered $657 million in liquidations across major exchanges, with long positions accounting for about $584 million of the forced selling.

Ultimately, this sequence showed why the rejection near $82,000 was important. Bitcoin did not simply fail at resistance; it lost the support of the same leverage-driven structure that had carried the rally higher.

Long-term holders keep the bearish case from taking over

Despite the negative headline price action and institutional outflows, underlying on-chain metrics offer a strong counter-argument to the immediate bearish thesis.

In a note shared with CryptoSlate, crypto exchange CEX.io noted that BTC supply from committed holders remains limited, keeping the network's structural framework intact while short-term holders and ETF investors currently set the price at the margin.

According to the firm, dedicated long-term Bitcoin holders added approximately 80,000 BTC to their wallets over the past seven days, extending a multi-month accumulation pattern.

This cohort has maintained its buying program even as a growing portion of its recent acquisitions falls into an unrealized loss position, signaling deep structural conviction rather than near-term speculation.

CEX.io noted that the lack of capitulation among the core network participants is reflected in the market's sell-side risk ratio, which has plummeted to its lowest level since October 2023.

This low sell-side risk ratio indicates that long-term holders feel very little urgency to realize profits or cut losses at current valuations, keeping exchange reserves stuck at multi-year lows.

However, historically, similarly low sell-side risk ratios have often preceded sharp price moves in either direction in the short term.

However, because the Bitcoin Days Destroyed (BCDD) metric points to an increase in inactivity among long-term holders while short-term holders currently dominate Bitcoin selling, this dynamic could temporarily support bearish momentum.

The thinned-out liquidity environment allows marginal short-term sellers to exert an outsized influence on spot prices before the broader long-term trend can resume.

What's next for Bitcoin?

Against this market backdrop, Bitcoin is now sitting near the level that may determine whether the pullback remains contained.

The top digital asset is currently trading below $78,000, an area tied to the short-term holder cost basis and the market’s true mean price. When Bitcoin trades below that zone, more recent buyers move into a loss, raising the risk that some of them sell into weakness.

CEX.io noted that the next level to watch is $76,250, which aligns with the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement of Bitcoin’s all-time high. If buyers defend that area and Bitcoin reclaims $78,000, the market could rebuild enough confidence to retest $80,000.

The exchange stated that a sustained move above that level would ease pressure on short-term holders and could reopen a path toward $85,750.

That leaves the Bitcoin price outlook dependent on whether buyers can reclaim $78,000 or lose the $76,000 support zone.

If $76,000 fails, the setup becomes more fragile. A break below $75,000, combined with continued ETF outflows and an uncertain macro environment, would increase the $70,000 Bitcoin risk case.

The post Bitcoin price risks slide toward $70,000 as $76,000 support weakens appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Ethereum price pullback toward $2,100 has turned a short-term price correction into a broader test of the market’s conviction in one of crypto’s largest assets.

Data from CryptoSlate show that ETH has fallen nearly 10% over the past week, wiping out its May gains and bringing traders’ focus back to the $2,000 level.

This price performance came as selling pressure spread across spot markets, derivatives, and regulated investment products.

The weakness has left Ethereum price caught between two competing forces. In the near term, rising oil prices, exchange inflows, aggressive futures selling, and ETF redemptions have weighed on the token.

Over a longer horizon, supporters, including BitMine Chairman Tom Lee, say Ethereum’s role in tokenization and agentic artificial intelligence remains intact, creating a sharper divide between the current price action and the asset’s structural investment case.

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How oil pressure is weighing on the Ethereum price

Lee has placed the first part of Ethereum’s price decline outside crypto itself, arguing that oil has become the largest macro headwind for ETH.

The BitMine chairman said rising crude prices represent the biggest source of pressure on Ethereum, pointing to what he described as a record inverse correlation between ETH and oil.

For traders, the Ethereum oil correlation matters because crude is acting as a proxy for inflation, liquidity stress, and broader risk appetite.

In that setup, crude’s rally has coincided with Ethereum’s slide, making energy markets an important part of the current crypto selloff.

Oilprice.com data show crude has advanced more than 54% since the US-Iran war began on Feb. 28, pushing prices above $100 and to their highest level in years.

The move has added another layer of pressure to markets already sensitive to inflation, interest rates, and liquidity expectations.

Higher oil prices can act as a tax on consumers and businesses by raising transport, production, and energy costs. They can also complicate the outlook for central banks by keeping inflation risks elevated.

For crypto assets, which often trade as high-liquidity, high-beta expressions of risk appetite, that backdrop can reduce demand quickly when traders begin to cut exposure.

Ethereum price has been particularly exposed to that shift because the token entered May in recovery mode. A move toward $2,400 had started to rebuild confidence, but the rise in crude prices coincided with renewed weakness across digital assets.

However, as oil climbed over the past weeks, ETH steadily lost momentum and moved back toward the lower end of its recent range.

Still, Lee has described the oil-linked pressure as “short-term tactical noise,” suggesting the drag could ease if crude prices stall or reverse.

That view keeps the focus on oil as the immediate macro trigger, while leaving room for Ethereum’s longer-term thesis to reassert itself once the market moves beyond the current inflation and liquidity concerns.

Binance flows and futures selling show pressure moving into the market structure

While the macro backdrop set the tone for Ethereum’s decline, on-chain and derivatives data show how the pressure moved through the market.

CryptoQuant data show Binance recorded sustained positive ETH netflows during the first half of May, meaning more ETH was deposited onto the exchange than withdrawn.

That shift is important because exchange inflows increase the amount of liquid available for trading, even when the deposits are not sold immediately.

The move was large enough to change the market’s short-term balance. More than 225,000 ETH moved into Binance in a single day, pushing the seven-day moving average of exchange netflows to its highest level since late 2022.

The timing amplified the signal because ETH was already losing strength after trading near the $2,400 region.

Large transfers to exchanges can reflect several motives. Some holders may be preparing to sell, others may be positioning for hedges, and some may be moving collateral for derivatives trades.

In a declining market, however, a surge in deposits tends to increase concern that more supply could enter order books as buyers become more cautious.

That helped explain why the Ethereum price pullback accelerated as ETH approached $2,100. The token was no longer dealing only with macro pressure from oil and rates. It was also absorbing fresh exchange supply from large holders, forcing the market to find a new level at which buyers could absorb the additional liquidity.

The pressure then moved into futures markets. CryptoQuant data show Binance taker sell volume climbed above $1.1 billion within a single hour over the weekend as ETH moved near $2,100.

Taker sell volume tracks aggressive market selling, where traders hit existing bids rather than placing passive orders. A spike in that metric during a decline often points to forced de-risking, stop-loss execution, or short-term traders leaning into downside momentum.

Ethereum ETF outflows add another price drag as institutional demand weakens

Ethereum’s decline became harder to dismiss as a short-term exchange-led move once regulated investment products started showing persistent outflows.

SoSoValue data show US-based spot Ethereum ETFs recorded six consecutive trading days of net outflows, shedding more than $340 million.

The redemptions came during the same period that ETH weakened, suggesting ETF demand was not strong enough to absorb pressure from spot sellers and derivatives traders.

Meanwhile, the retreat also appeared in global flows. CoinShares data show Ethereum investment products posted $249 million in weekly outflows for the period ending May 15, the largest single-week withdrawal since Jan. 30.

Those withdrawals broaden the weakness beyond Binance and leveraged futures traders.

ETF flows are closely watched because they provide a cleaner read on regulated investor appetite. When ETFs attract capital, they can support the market by absorbing supply and reinforcing confidence. When they lose capital during a price decline, they can become more dependent on spot buyers and short-term traders to stabilize the price.

That is the challenge now facing Ethereum price, as the token is facing pressure from multiple channels at once. Oil has weighed on macro sentiment. Binance inflows have increased the available exchange supply. Futures sellers have pressed the move lower. ETF redemptions have removed a potential source of institutional support.

The overlap helps explain why ETH struggled to defend its May gains. Each source of pressure fed into the next, turning what began as a macro-sensitive pullback into a broader test of liquidity, positioning, and demand.

For a recovery to look more durable, those signals need to improve together. Exchange inflows would need to remain contained, aggressive futures selling would need to fade, and ETF outflows would need to slow or reverse.

Without that shift, Ethereum’s longer-term story may remain intact while the near-term market continues to trade defensively.

Ethereum tokenization and AI frame ETH’s path to price recovery

Lee has argued that Ethereum’s current weakness should be separated from the longer-term forces that could support the network through 2026.

While oil, exchange inflows, futures selling, and ETF redemptions have shaped the near-term decline, Lee said the larger drivers for ETH remain tokenization and agentic AI.

Those themes have become central to the investment case for Ethereum because both depend on programmable financial rails, deep liquidity, and settlement infrastructure that can support activity beyond speculative trading.

Tokenization is the more developed part of that argument. Financial institutions are increasingly using blockchain networks to represent assets such as Treasuries, funds, credit products, and other securities on-chain. Ethereum has remained one of the main venues for that shift because of its developer base, liquidity, security record, and established smart contract infrastructure.

Token Terminal data show the on-chain market value of real-world assets has surpassed $38 billion, with Ethereum accounting for about 67% of tokenized RWAs.

Grayscale has also described tokenization as a large potential investment opportunity, noting that tokenized assets still represent only a small share of global equity and bond markets despite rapid growth over the past year.

That gives Ethereum a structural argument that extends beyond the current selloff. If more traditional assets move onto public ledgers, the networks that provide settlement, liquidity, and smart contract execution could capture a larger share of financial activity.

Ethereum supporters argue that the chain is already positioned for that role because it has the deepest DeFi ecosystem and one of the most mature bases of tokenized asset infrastructure.

Lee’s second driver, agentic AI, adds a newer layer to the same thesis. Autonomous software systems that can transact, borrow, lend, verify data, or settle payments will need digital rails designed for machine-driven activity.

Ethereum’s supporters claim the blockchain network is suited to that role because agents can interact directly with code, liquidity pools, stablecoins, and on-chain credit markets.

Those long-term drivers are the basis for BitMine’s view that the recent decline has created an opportunity rather than weakened the broader thesis.

The firm said it sees ETH’s pullback below $2,200 as an attractive level to accumulate the asset, citing continued tokenization and agentic AI developments as reasons to look beyond the current market stress.

BitMine owns more than 5.2 million ETH, making it the largest public company holder of the digital asset. That position gives the firm direct exposure to whether Ethereum’s structural demand story can outlast the current pressure from oil, exchange supply, derivatives selling, and ETF outflows.

However, ETH's price recovery case still requires confirmation from the market. ETH needs exchange inflows to cool, futures selling to fade, and ETF redemptions to slow before investors can more confidently treat the latest decline as a reset. A reversal in oil would also support Lee’s view that the largest macro drag on ETH is temporary.

The post Ethereum price pullback to $2,100 pits oil pressure against AI, tokenization bets appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Throughout 2026, MSTR stock and Strategy’s preferred securities are trading as more than a simple Bitcoin proxy.

Bitcoin is down about 12.5% year to date, while Strategy stock, trading as MSTR, is up about 6.8%

Strategy's preferred securities have also held up better than BTC in price. STRC is nearly flat, while STRD, STRF, and STRK have all shown smaller price declines than spot Bitcoin. Those preferred figures are price moves and exclude dividends.

The split shows investors valuing two separate parts of Strategy's model: the common stock's exposure to Bitcoin plus capital-markets execution, and the preferreds' claim on dividend confidence, collateral coverage, and the durability of the funding channel.

Within Strategy's investment complex, MSTR has delivered the strongest realized price move so far. STRC is the better risk-adjusted asset for the rest of 2026 because it is the live test of whether preferred buyers will keep financing Strategy's Bitcoin purchases without demanding deeper price concessions.

How the tickers fit together: MSTR is the common stock, the high-beta expression of Strategy's BTC balance sheet, and its ability to keep raising capital at a premium. STRC is a par-anchored preferred stock that has become the most important 2026 funding gauge. STRF and STRD appear more credit- and yield-sensitive, while STRK carries more equity-linked sensitivity. Note: The legacy MicroStrategy stock search term still points investors toward the same Strategy equity trade.

That structure explains why the group can move in different directions. MSTR reacts to Bitcoin, the company's net asset value premium, and the market's confidence in future issuance. The preferreds react more directly to whether investors trust the dividend stream, the collateral cushion, and Strategy's ability to keep the funding channel open.

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MSTR is pricing more than Bitcoin exposure

MSTR's strength is striking because, in a simple model, its common stock should be highly exposed to Bitcoin. Strategy's balance sheet is dominated by BTC, and its equity is the highest-beta part of the stack.

If the market were treating MSTR purely as a BTC wrapper, a double-digit Bitcoin decline would normally pressure the common stock.

MSTR's gain suggests investors are pricing a second layer: Strategy's execution premium.

The company is holding BTC and using public equity and preferred stock markets to turn investor demand for yield, convertibility, or leveraged Bitcoin exposure into fresh purchasing power.

That distinction is central to the vehicle choice. MSTR gives investors the highest-beta expression of Strategy's BTC balance sheet and the strongest upside to a durable premium.

It also carries the clearest downside if that premium fades, because the common equity is where expectations for repeated issuance, accretive purchases, and market confidence meet.

Strategy's Bitcoin count keeps rising. The company's purchase table shows holdings of 843,738 BTC as of May 18, up from 672,500 BTC on Dec. 31, 2025.

That is an increase of 171,238 BTC year-to-date. The same table shows an aggregate acquisition cost of $63.87 billion and an average cost of $75,700 per BTC.

That scale helps explain why MSTR can trade differently from Bitcoin itself.

The stock is exposed to BTC price, but it also reflects whether markets believe Strategy can keep issuing capital above the value of its Bitcoin holdings, buy more BTC during weak periods, and preserve a premium to its BTC net asset value.

The risk is that the same mechanism can become less efficient.

If the equity premium compresses, common issuance becomes less attractive. If preferred buyers demand a wider discount or a higher yield, the capital machine still operates with greater friction.

MSTR's outperformance is the strongest evidence for Strategy's access to public markets. For spot BTC, support is indirect and depends on incremental buying enabled by the funding channel.

STRC is the more direct funding gauge

The preferreds are sending a quieter message than MSTR. They have outperformed Bitcoin by price year to date, yet they have not captured the common stock's upside.

That is defensive behavior in the year-to-date comparison, with each preferred still tied to dividend confidence, collateral coverage, and funding durability.

STRC is the key instrument because it is close to par, has become a major funding channel, and sits at the center of Strategy's 2026 issuance.

Strategy said it raised $11.68 billion through capital markets activity year to date as of May 3, including $5.58 billion from STRC.

That makes STRC more than another ticker in the stack. It is a market referendum on whether investors still want to fund Strategy's Bitcoin strategy through preferred stock. That makes the Strategy Bitcoin trade a funding question as much as a balance-sheet question.

The May 18 filing made that point clearer. Strategy reported that it acquired 24,869 BTC over May 11-17 for about $2.01 billion at an average price of $80,985 per BTC.

For the latest disclosed purchase period, Strategy raised roughly $1.95 billion of net proceeds from STRC, compared with $83.7 million from MSTR common stock.

That mix means the latest disclosed purchase was funded primarily through the preferred channel.

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May 14, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

For Bitcoin holders, that creates incremental demand. For Strategy holders, it also creates a liability and confidence test.

Preferred capital has a cost, and Strategy said cumulative dividends declared and paid on all preferred stock reached $692.5 million as of May 3.

That makes the preferred comparison a price-return snapshot, rather than a complete total-return ranking. Preferred dividends would need to be included before comparing their full investor return with MSTR or spot BTC.

Those distributions are also the carrying cost Strategy must keep servicing as the funding stack grows.

STRF and STRD appear more tied to credit and yield confidence. STRK, which has fallen more than the other preferreds year to date, has greater equity-linked sensitivity.

STRC's near-flat price is important because it is the instrument closest to the current funding question: can Strategy keep selling a par-anchored preferred at terms that make new Bitcoin purchases look accretive?

The newest Bitcoin has little cushion

The funding question is tied to Strategy's purchase prices. The full Bitcoin stack sits near its aggregate cost basis, while the newest disclosed purchase was made above the current BTC price context used here.

Strategy's full Bitcoin stack, at an average cost near $75,700, is close to the current Bitcoin market context.

CryptoSlate's Bitcoin price page showed BTC near $76,700, while the broader crypto market was around $2.56 trillion with BTC dominance near 60.1%.

That leaves the aggregate position with a modest cushion. The newest capital has less room.

The May 11-17 purchase price of $80,985 is above the current BTC price context, around $76,700. If Bitcoin stalls below that purchase price, the newest tranche can look stretched even while the full stack remains near its aggregate cost basis.

This is the core tension behind the capital-stack outperformance.

Strategy is still accumulating BTC at scale during a drawdown, which can support the bullish case around institutional-style demand for Bitcoin.

The same facts raise the funding test. If BTC fails to rebound, preferred investors must remain confident in collateral coverage, dividend durability, and the company's ability to convert market trust in refinancing into Bitcoin purchases.

Prior CryptoSlate coverage has already framed STRC as part of Strategy's preferred-stock funding loop and questioned whether large Strategy purchases continue to serve as straightforward bullish catalysts for BTC.

Note: The MicroStrategy Bitcoin frame still describes the same core issue: equity and preferred markets are financing incremental BTC accumulation.

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Apr 21, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

The 2026 divergence extends that point. Public markets are separating the equity option, the preferred funding channel, and the underlying asset.

For realized performance, the answer is MSTR. It is the clear winner year to date, rising while Bitcoin fell and while the preferreds mostly defended rather than rallied.

For the rest of 2026, the more useful signal is STRC.

If STRC can hold near par and continue absorbing issuance, Strategy's funding window remains open. That keeps the company positioned to buy Bitcoin into weakness and sustain the premium narrative embedded in MSTR.

If STRC trades persistently below par or requires more expensive terms, the machine becomes less efficient, even if Strategy can still raise capital.

That makes the divergence mainly bullish for Strategy's capital-markets machine. It is selectively bullish for Strategy because MSTR is still receiving credit for issuance capacity and execution.

For Bitcoin, the support is indirect: it depends on the funding channel staying open and on the new purchases eventually looking accretive.

The next test is whether STRC remains a repeatable funding channel while BTC is below the newest purchase price.

A move back above $80,985 would make the May 11-17 tranche look cleaner. Continued trading near the aggregate cost basis would keep the debate alive.

A deeper BTC decline, paired with sustained below-par preferred pricing, would turn the capital-stack split from a sign of resilience into a stress test of Strategy's 2026 model.

The post MSTR stock is beating Bitcoin, but another Strategy asset matters more now appeared first on CryptoSlate.

SBI Group has told investors that its asset management arm plans to launch ETFs focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as investment trusts that hold baskets of multiple crypto assets, once Japan reforms its rules on crypto funds and taxation.

SBI has already built the architecture through a joint venture with Franklin Templeton, established product categories, and set an AUM target of $31.5 billion within three years of launch.

SBI Global Asset Management Group's AUM exceeded $75.5 billion at the end of March 2026, with the company holding a 51% stake in the Franklin Templeton venture and managing a broader securities business with AUM exceeding $415 billion.

The crypto ETF products would plug into that distribution network upon arrival, the kind that already routes millions of Japanese households into equities, bonds, and mutual funds.

The FSA reportedly aims to enable crypto ETF trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2028, and separate taxation could apply as early as 2027 if related legislation passes.

Why Bitcoin ETF Japan demand matters

Bank of Japan data show that Japanese households held $14.8 trillion in financial assets at the end of 2025, of which 48.5% was held in cash and deposits.

The government has spent years pushing households toward investment, and Japan's tax-favored investment wrapper, NISA accounts, reached 28.26 million accounts and $447 billion in purchases by the end of 2025.

Reaching SBI's $31.5 billion target would require an allocation rate of just 0.21% of total household financial assets.

Japanese crypto accounts have already reached approximately 14 million, nearly half the number of NISA accounts, with customer assets exceeding $31.5 billion.

Chainalysis recorded Japan's on-chain value received up 120% in the 12 months to June 2025, the strongest growth among top APAC markets. A fund wrapper would route that existing demand through the brokerage and securities platforms where Japan's broader household savings already sit.

Hong Kong launched Asia's first spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in April 2024, establishing the regional precedent.

Japan would enter with a distinct structural advantage with a far larger domestic savings pool, an entrenched retail brokerage culture, and major financial institutions that already manage everyday investment behavior for millions of households.

The US spot Bitcoin ETF approval in January 2024 gave Bitcoin access to Wall Street balance sheets, registered investment advisers, and institutional custody.

Japan's version would give Bitcoin access to yen-denominated brokerage accounts, fund supermarkets, conservative household portfolios, and a tax-favored savings infrastructure that already routes millions of ordinary investors into equity and bond funds.

US ETF flows made US trading hours the dominant regulated demand window, and Japanese ETFs would add a yen-denominated, Asia-hours flow channel as a second regulated layer with its own institutional buyers, custody providers, and brokerage incentives.

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What has to happen first

Proposed reforms could bring Japan’s crypto gains from the current 55% ceiling to 20%, matching the rate applied to stock trading.

SBI's May 2026 deck says that separate taxation could be implemented as early as 2027 if legislation passes. A regulated ETF with a 20% tax ceiling becomes a portfolio product.

Beyond taxation, the products require regulatory approval for ETF and investment-trust structures, custody frameworks, benchmark construction, market-maker depth, and a decision from regulators about whether crypto funds can qualify for NISA-style tax-favored accounts.

That last question could determine whether crypto exposure reaches the same households currently buying domestic and foreign equity index funds through their NISA allocations.

Open savings rail or regulatory delay?

In the bullish case, crypto funds receive 20% tax treatment and gain eligibility for mainstream long-term brokerage accounts by 2027, and SBI and Rakuten launch products across their combined distribution networks.

The $31.5 billion target falls within the three-year window, drawing from 14 million existing crypto account holders and from brokerage investors who would never open a crypto exchange account.

Japan joins Hong Kong as a regulated source of Asia-hours ETF flows, and Bitcoin's demand base broadens into a second major currency and time zone.

Chainalysis' 120% on-chain growth figure points to domestic appetite already building, and the ETF wrapper routes it through securities infrastructure and into mainstream portfolio allocations.

For the bearish case, ETF and investment-trust rules slip past 2028, and tax reform delivers a framework that excludes crypto funds from NISA accounts.

Products launch with a high-risk classification, keeping them off mainstream brokerage platforms and out of tax-favored accounts, and SBI reaches $3.1 billion to $12.6 billion, mostly from existing crypto-native users migrating to a regulated wrapper.

Asia's regulated crypto narrative stays centered on Hong Kong and offshore trading venues, and the Franklin Templeton JV produces a credible product that reaches only a narrow, already crypto-native audience.

SBI has built the product architecture to address a regulatory opening that Japan's regulatory calendar has set in motion.

The people who could move meaningful capital into Bitcoin exposure in Japan may be the same people who hold $7.2 trillion in cash deposits and already use NISA accounts to buy index funds.

An ETF wrapper, favorable tax treatment, and brokerage distribution would give those investors a familiar path, which is what SBI is building now.

The post Japan Bitcoin ETF plan ready to open route into household savings appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The SEC is expected to release an innovation exemption for tokenized stocks as soon as this week.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Hester Peirce had already sketched the plan in February, describing a temporary, limited framework with volume caps, white-listed buyers and sellers, automated market makers, and temporary relief while the SEC develops longer-term rules.

Atkins confirmed in April that the agency was “on the cusp” of releasing a cabined framework for compliant on-chain trading of tokenized securities.

Bloomberg Law reported the move on May 18, which represents the clearest crypto-adjacent securities policy signal in years, with implications that run well beyond token prices.

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What the exemption actually is

SEC staff defined tokenized securities in January 2026 as traditional securities represented as crypto assets, with crypto networks maintaining ownership records, in whole or in part.

The legal status of the asset follows it regardless of its form, so federal securities laws apply whether a share resides on a blockchain or in a DTC account.

The innovation exemption would allow qualifying firms to test tokenized securities trading on novel venues, including AMMs and, potentially, public permissionless blockchains, within defined parameters.

Atkins explicitly discussed embedding compliance checks directly into smart contract code, including resale restrictions and issuer-holder communications.

A tokenized security can include its own eligibility rules, transfer restrictions, and compliance logic, delivered automatically at the point of transfer.

US equities already moved from T+2 to T+1 settlement in 2024, and the SEC framed that move as making market plumbing more resilient by reducing time, credit exposure, and liquidity risk.

Tokenization extends this logic further with longer trading windows, near-instant settlement, fractional access, and programmable post-trade processing.

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Nasdaq received SEC approval in March 2026 to allow certain DTC-eligible securities to trade in tokenized form on the same order book as traditional shares, with T+1 settlement preserved.

NYSE-parent ICE is separately developing a tokenized securities platform targeting 24/7 operations, instant settlement, dollar-sized orders, and stablecoin-based funding, pending regulatory approval.

Incumbent exchanges are building their own versions of the next pipe before crypto platforms can claim the market.

Coinbase sought SEC approval in 2025 to offer tokenized equities, a move that would reportedly put it in direct competition with retail brokerages.

Kraken's xStocks platform already offers 100 fully backed tokenized US stocks and ETFs outside the US market, and Robinhood has launched EU stock tokens while building a layer-2 blockchain for real-world asset tokenization.

The SEC exemption would determine whether those crypto-native models can compete for US investors under a regulated framework.

The window

DefiLlama data puts the on-chain RWA market at close to $30 billion, which represents just 0.02% of global equity value, against SIFMA's 2024 global equity market capitalization of $126.7 trillion.

The stock-token segment is still early, and the exemption could determine if tokenized stocks expand into a regulated extension of US equities or stay a crypto side market.

SEC staff distinguishes issuer-sponsored tokenized securities, in which the token represents a direct claim on the underlying share, from third-party products, including custodial receipts, linked securities, and synthetic derivatives.

Robinhood's EU stock tokens explicitly carry that distinction in their disclosures: they are derivatives that expose investors to counterparty and insolvency risks tied to Robinhood's financial position.

A tokenized stock can look identical in an app and carry entirely different legal rights depending on its structure.

Crypto rails enter the securities stack, or incumbents control the upgrade?

If pilots succeed and the exemption expands, issuer-sponsored tokenized shares and custodial tokenized securities will have clearer regulatory pathways, and crypto-native platforms will compete for tokenized equity flows alongside Nasdaq's DTC-compatible model and ICE's parallel digital venue.

Stablecoin settlement becomes a standard post-trade mechanism for liquid securities, and smart contract networks that carry tokenized equities become a durable infrastructure.

The winners extend beyond the firms that launch products. Stablecoin issuers gain a settlement use case inside regulated securities markets, and high-throughput programmable chains gain sustained demand from securities settlement activity.

Wallet providers and tokenization agents enter a market previously controlled by broker-dealers, and the crypto-native trading stack gains a securities-grade use case, legitimizing it across jurisdictions.

However, if the SEC allows tokenization primarily through Nasdaq's DTC-compatible model and ICE's regulated venue. The innovation exemption for crypto-native and AMM-based trading stays narrow, heavily volume-capped, or restricted to institutional participants.

Tokenization modernizes settlement mechanics, and the competitive opening for crypto-native platforms stays narrow.

Broad exemptions for tokenized trading could undermine investor protection and market stability if tokenized securities trade outside the long-standing protections of the securities markets.

Peirce warned that third-party tokenized stocks can expose holders to counterparty and insolvency risks tied to the tokenizing intermediary's own financial position.

Those risks provide regulators with a durable justification for keeping crypto-native venues at the margins while incumbents absorb the technological upgrade.

The competitive map

Three models are now competing for the next securities pipe.

Nasdaq's DTC-compatible approach keeps tokenized and traditional shares on the same order book, with incumbents controlling settlement. ICE's parallel digital venue targets 24/7 operations and stablecoin funding. The crypto-native model tests whether securities can trade on-chain through crypto infrastructure under SEC conditions.

The SEC exemption determines which of these models can legally compete, and the scope of that determination sets the boundary of the opening.

Atkins framed the exemption as letting the market discover whether crypto infrastructure can carry stocks more efficiently than the current venue-clearing-custody sequence.

That test, run under regulatory supervision with white-listed participants and volume limits, is the policy event Bloomberg reported.

The SEC is letting crypto rails compete for the business of carrying stocks, and the exemption will measure if they can win.

The post SEC tokenized stock exemption to let equities move onto crypto rails appeared first on CryptoSlate.

As of May 19, 2026, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is hovering at $2,116.7, leaving many retail and institutional investors asking a blunt question: Is Ethereum a bad investment?

To understand why sentiment has flipped so aggressively to the bearish side, one only needs to look at the historical comparisons circulating through the trading community. A popular visual contrast highlights Ethereum’s valuation exactly five years ago versus today.

At first glance, a 50% decline over a five-year horizon paints a grim picture for an asset often touted as "ultrasound money." However, evaluating whether an asset is a poor investment requires digging beneath the surface of raw price data into technical indicators, macroeconomic pressures, and on-chain health.

Is ETH Coin a Bad Investment?

Whether $Ethereum is a bad investment depends entirely on your trading time horizon and risk tolerance.

For short-term swing traders, ETH is currently exhibiting a highly volatile, bearish structure that carries significant downside risk toward the $2,000 support level. For long-term investors, however, historical data and on-chain fundamentals suggest this deep correction represents a classic cyclical re-accumulation phase rather than a permanent structural failure.

Ethereum Price Analysis over the Years

Looking at the multi-year ETHUSD chart, the asset has established a wide, macro-scale trading range. Following its peak near $4,946 earlier in the cycle, Ethereum has retraced roughly 57%, landing it back into the critical liquidity pocket between $2,000 and $2,300.

Key Support and Resistance Levels

• Immediate Support ($2,088): This represents the critical 0.5 Fibonacci retracement level. Daily and weekly candle closes must defend this area to prevent a deeper capitulation event.
• Psychological Floor ($2,000): If $2,088 fails to hold, the active impulse wave is highly likely to flush out leveraged long positions down to the flat $2,000 support mark.
• Primary Upside Target ($2,462 - $2,561): A successful defense of the current floor exposes a path to the 0.618 Fibonacci level, which acts as the initial validation gate for a structural trend reversal.

A significant silver lining on daily timeframes is the Gaussian Channel, which has recently flipped from purple (bearish) to green (bullish). Statistically, when ETH sits at the lower boundary of a green Gaussian Channel—similar to the market structure observed in mid-2025—it has historically served as a Launchpad for multi-month rallies.

Macroeconomic Headwinds: Why is Crypto Crashing?

The current downward trajectory of the broader crypto market is not happening in a vacuum. Ethereum’s price drop is heavily correlated with shifting global macroeconomic factors and sudden geopolitical escalations.

1. The Crude Oil Price Shock

The single biggest short-term headwind for Ethereum right now is the price of oil. Since late February, crude oil has surged over 66%, climbing from $65 to over $110 per barrel (Brent crude).

This massive energy spike triggers immediate inflation anxieties across traditional financial systems. When inflation threats loom, central banks—including the Federal Reserve—are forced to keep interest rates elevated for longer. This directly drains liquidity out of high-beta risk assets like technology stocks and cryptocurrencies. The inverse correlation between ETH and crude oil recently hit an all-time high of -0.40, showcasing exactly how macro factors are suppressing token valuations.

2. Geopolitical Tensions & Liquidations

Recent political friction in the Middle East has triggered widespread risk-off behavior. Warnings regarding stalled ceasefire talks led to over $580 million in overnight liquidations across the crypto market, forcing leveraged traders to sell off assets rapidly and driving the spot price of Ethereum straight through its $2,200 support floor.

Divergent On-Chain Data: Price vs. Ecosystem Health

While the spot price looks weak, Ethereum's underlying network fundamentals tell a completely different story. There is a glaring divergence between negative price action and positive ecosystem growth:

• Record Staking Participation: Despite ETH declining significantly year-to-date, the total supply of Ethereum locked in staking contracts has actually increased from 29% to 31%. Long-term holders are opting to earn yield rather than dump their tokens into the market.
• Supply Scarcity: This steady influx of staked capital actively removes millions of ETH from liquid circulation on cryptocurrency exchanges, lowering the structural sell pressure.
• Institutional Tokenization: Major financial institutions continue to deploy tokenized funds on the Ethereum mainnet. Financial analysts like Fundstrat's Tom Lee maintain that tokenization and the rise of decentralized, agentic AI applications will serve as the core structural drivers for Ethereum throughout the remainder of 2026.

Before executing a long-term strategy, investors should review their execution venue via an exchange comparison and ensure assets are secured using offline infrastructure, which you can verify in our comprehensive hardware wallets review.

Ethereum Price Prediction: What Lies Ahead?

The Bearish Case

If crude oil remains above $110 and institutional capital continues to flow out of spot ETH ETFs, the asset will likely lose the $2,088 Fibonacci support line. This will drag the price down to the psychological floor of $2,000, where a broader market panic could temporarily wick the price down to $1,850 to sweep liquidity.

The Bullish Case

If Ethereum successfully prints a daily close above the current $2,116 node and the broader markets stabilize from geopolitical shocks, a relief rally to $2,462 is expected via Elliott Wave analysis. In the longer term, assuming the green Gaussian Channel structure mirrors past cycles, the current $2,100 level could be remembered as a generational macro bottom before an eventual push toward five-digit valuations.

Verdict: Is Ethereum a Bad Investment?

Ethereum is not a bad investment, but it is currently a painful one.

The asset is caught in a macro-driven liquidity squeeze. However, given its structural deflationary mechanics, expanding institutional tokenization use cases, and a rising staking ratio that locks up supply, the token retains some of the strongest risk-adjusted upside potential in the digital asset sector. Investors looking to enter the market should avoid over-leveraged positions and focus on dollar-cost averaging (DCA) around key structural support zones.

Track real-time valuations and historic performance curves directly on our ETH-USD Ticker Page.

Crypto Market Reversal Begins After Heavy Market Pressure

The crypto market is showing early signs of recovery after a sharp risk-off move triggered by geopolitical tension, stock market volatility, and renewed uncertainty around global liquidity. Bitcoin is currently trading near $77,000, with only a slight daily gain, while several altcoins are already turning green.

This creates an important question for traders: is this a real crypto market reversal, or just a temporary relief bounce after the latest sell-off?

The shift comes after President Donald Trump signalled that a potential Iran deal may still be possible, easing some immediate market fears. Reuters reported that Gulf and European markets moved higher after Trump’s comments calmed investor nerves, while oil prices also eased from recent highs.

Why Bitcoin Is Staying Flat Around $77K

Bitcoin remains the key market indicator, but its movement is still limited. According to the latest market data, BTC is trading around $77,000, up only slightly over the past 24 hours. This shows that traders are not fully convinced that the correction is over.

There are a few reasons why Bitcoin is not moving aggressively yet.

First, BTC was hit by macro fear after the market reacted to the geopolitical situation. Second, institutional flows remain a concern after reports of major Bitcoin ETF outflows. Third, Bitcoin is still facing technical pressure, with traders watching whether it can reclaim stronger resistance zones above the current range.

In simple terms, Bitcoin is stabilising, but it has not yet confirmed a strong bullish breakout.

Why Altcoins Are Turning Green Faster Than Bitcoin

While Bitcoin is moving sideways, some altcoins are showing stronger momentum. In the latest market performance, coins like Hyperliquid ($HYPE), Zcash ($ZEC), Bitcoin Cash ($BCH), and Chainlink ($LINK) are outperforming the broader market.

This usually happens when traders start looking for higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities after a market correction. Once Bitcoin stops falling, liquidity can rotate into altcoins that already have strong narratives or technical momentum.

For example, $HYPE is gaining attention due to its role in decentralized derivatives trading. $ZEC is benefiting from renewed interest in privacy-related crypto assets. $BCH is showing strength as one of the older Bitcoin-related coins, while $LINK remains tied to the broader real-world asset and oracle narrative.

This does not mean the full altcoin season has started, but it does show that selective altcoins are reacting faster than Bitcoin.

Crypto Market Reversal or Relief Bounce?

The current crypto market reversal still needs confirmation. Bitcoin holding above the $77K zone is positive, but the market remains fragile. A stronger recovery would likely require BTC to move back above key resistance levels, ETF flows to stabilise, and macro fears to ease further.

For now, the market appears to be in a cautious recovery phase. Altcoins are bouncing, but Bitcoin is not yet leading the move with strong conviction.

This is important because a real crypto market reversal usually needs Bitcoin strength first. If BTC stays flat while altcoins pump too quickly, the move could become unstable. However, if Bitcoin holds its range and gradually moves higher, altcoins could continue to outperform in the short term.

What Traders Should Watch Next

The next major signals are Bitcoin’s ability to hold the $77K area, whether ETH can recover above stronger support levels, and whether high-momentum altcoins can keep their gains.

Traders should also watch macro headlines closely. The latest market reaction shows that crypto is still highly sensitive to geopolitical developments, oil prices, stock market moves, and institutional flows.

If tensions continue to ease, Bitcoin may stabilise further and give altcoins more room to recover. But if new risk-off headlines appear, the crypto market could quickly return to selling pressure.

Conclusion: Altcoins Are Recovering, But Bitcoin Must Confirm the Move

The crypto market is showing signs of recovery, but the move is not fully confirmed yet. Bitcoin remains flat near $77K, while selected altcoins are already turning green and attracting fresh attention.

This makes the current setup interesting but risky. The altcoin rebound suggests that traders are slowly returning to risk assets, but Bitcoin still needs to prove that the market has moved beyond a simple relief bounce.

For now, the crypto market reversal is developing, but confirmation depends on whether Bitcoin can break out of its current range and bring stronger momentum back to the market.

$BTC, $ETH, $HYPE, $ZEC, $BCH, $LINK, $SOL, $XRP

The global financial ecosystem has been hit by sudden and intense volatility, triggering a sharp crypto crash and a massive sell-off in traditional equities. High-stakes geopolitical friction has once again proven to be the primary catalyst for market panic, forcing investors to rapidly liquidate risk assets.

Why Are Cryptos Crashing Today?

The sudden market downturn was directly triggered by news that the United States administration has officially rejected Iran's latest 14-point peace proposal. This rejection comes right before a highly anticipated, high-level White House Situation Room meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

As a result, a massive wave of capitulation hit both digital assets and legacy markets simultaneously:

• All cryptos crash: The broader digital asset market experienced a sharp flash crash, erasing billions in market capitalization within minutes.
• $403,000,000,000 wiped out: Wall Street felt an immediate impact, with over $403 billion bleeding out of US stocks in a single hour following the geopolitical escalation.

USA Iran war: When will it end?

The fragile truce brokered over the past weeks is facing its toughest test. Tensions flared over the weekend when President Trump warned via social media that "the clock is ticking" for Tehran to agree to terms, hinting at potential strikes on infrastructure if negotiations completely stall.

While Iran conveyed an amended set of terms via Pakistani mediators to avoid further conflict, the US administration's swift rejection and subsequent hardening stance have signaled to investors that a diplomatic resolution is slipping out of reach. The upcoming Situation Room meeting on Tuesday is now viewed by macro analysts as a critical turning point that could either spark a renewed military confrontation or push inflation expectations higher via energy shocks in the Strait of Hormuz.

Crypto Crash & Equity Crash

When geopolitical threats spike, the correlation between cryptocurrencies and high-beta US equities typically tightens. The sudden deletion of $403 billion from US stock indices created a liquidity vacuum that spilled directly into crypto order books.

[US Rejects Peace Proposal] ➔ [Situation Room Meeting Fears] ➔ [Institutional Derisking] ➔ [$403B Stock Sell-off & Crypto Flash Crash]

Bitcoin, which recently eyed local highs on early peace deal rumors, fell sharply alongside major altcoins. Traders looking to track real-time spot price movements during this high-volatility window can monitor the live Bitcoin price tracker.

Recognized for its ultra-fast throughput and high-efficiency architecture, Solana (SOL) has weathered a volatile macroeconomic climate to secure its place as a cornerstone institutional asset.

As market participants realign their portfolios for the remainder of the year, a central question emerges: is Solana a good buy in 2026, or do competing layer-1 networks and legacy blue-chip cryptos offer a more compelling risk-to-reward ratio?

Is SOL a Strategic Buy above $80?

For investors seeking a direct answer: Yes, Solana presents a highly favorable structural setup at its current valuation of $84. Moving within a well-defined consolidation channel between $75 and $98 throughout the first half of the year, the asset is building significant technical momentum.

With a short-term target firmly set at $100, entering a position at the current $84 mark offers an immediate prospective upside of 19.05%. When weighed against the macro development of the Solana ecosystem—including massive institutional adoption and upcoming network overhauls—the current range serves as a historical accumulation zone before a potential macro trend reversal.

Why is Solana a Good Project

To evaluate if Solana is a sustainable long-term asset, one must look at what it fundamentally brings to the blockchain ecosystem. Solana is a high-performance, open-source Layer-1 blockchain utilizing a unique hybrid consensus mechanism.

Unlike older Proof-of-Work systems or standard Proof-of-Stake protocols, Solana optimizes transaction ordering to achieve unparalleled performance parameters.

• Throughput & Speed: Capable of processing tens of thousands of transactions per second (TPS).
• Cost Efficiency: Transaction fees remain fractions of a cent, making it the premier network for high-frequency trading, consumer decentralized applications (dApps), and global micropayments.
• Institutional Inflows: Spot Solana ETFs in the United States have officially surpassed $1 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM), signaling that major financial entities are actively treating SOL as a digital commodity.

Comparative ROI Analysis: Solana vs. BTC, ETH, and XRP

To truly contextualize whether Solana is the best allocation of capital right now, we must analyze its percentage returns against other major market caps based on their respective medium-term targets.

The table below illustrates the projected growth profiles across the industry's leading assets:

Solana ($84 -> $100)

A move from $84 to the key psychological resistance of $100 yields a neat 19.05% return. While this short-term percentage is technically lower than the macro projections of its peers, the target represents a foundational structural breakout. Securing a daily close above $100 opens the technical floodgates toward Fibonacci extensions at $117 and $262, meaning the $100 target is merely the starting line for exponential expansion. Take a look at the live asset pricing through the CryptoTicker Token Ticker to see how these macro pairs shift daily.

Bitcoin ($76k -> $100k)

With Bitcoin trading firmly at $76,000, a march to the elusive six-figure mark of $100,000 offers a 31.58% return. Bitcoin remains the safest asset in the Web3 ecosystem, but it demands significantly heavier capital inflows to move its multi-trillion-dollar market cap compared to Solana's leaner architecture.

Ethereum ($2.1k -> $3.0k)

Ethereum is currently priced at $2,100 with a medium-term target of $3,000, presenting a 42.86% potential upside. While ETH captures massive institutional liquidity, its scaling reliance on Layer-2 solutions fragments liquidity—an issue Solana bypasses entirely via its monolithic, single-state machine design.

Ripple ($1.38 -> $2.00)

XRP sits at $1.38 with eyes on a move to $2.00, yielding a 44.93% return. Though highly lucrative on paper, XRP is highly dependent on localized regulatory resolutions and cross-border bank integrations, carrying a different risk profile compared to Solana's vibrant on-chain ecosystem. If you are comparing platforms to build your positions, look through our updated Crypto Exchange Comparison guide.

Solana Price Analysis The Alpenglow Upgrade & ETF Inflows

Solana's performance in the latter half of 2026 is structurally underpinned by two massive fundamental catalysts that distinguish it from the rest of the altcoin market.

1. The Alpenglow Consensus Upgrade

Spearheaded by co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, the Alpenglow upgrade stands as the most critical architectural overhaul in Solana’s history. Slated for full mainnet deployment, Alpenglow transitions the network's core structure to introduce components known as Votor and Rotor.

The primary goal? Slashing block finality from roughly 12.8 seconds down to a blistering 150 milliseconds. This sub-second finality fundamentally changes the landscape for high-frequency trading desks and institutional settlement engines. Furthermore, Alpenglow implements structural penalties for validators attempting to delay blocks for Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) extraction, guaranteeing a fairer and more predictable execution layer for everyday retail users.

2. Deep Institutional Liquidity

According to reports tracking capital flows, spot Solana ETFs have captured robust market share, boasting structural resilience even through the liquidations of early Q1. Major remittance firms, including Western Union via its USDPT stablecoin integration, have turned to Solana for real-world settlement layers. This structural transition from a purely speculative retail platform to a corporate utility ledger creates a sustainable floor for the token's valuation.

Is Solana Coin Risky?

No analytical framework is complete without inspecting the downward pressures. While the bull case for SOL is heavily supported, technical analysts warn of a split outlook if macroeconomic factors deteriorate.

If Solana fails to break through the persistent $98 to $100 wall, it risks a short-term breakdown back to its lower support channels. A definitive breach below the $81.30 support pivot could see SOL retest its primary accumulation floor between $50 and $70. Investors managing large-scale spot positions must balance this short-term downside risk against the overarching long-term fundamental upgrades. To secure your assets safely through these multi-month cycles, explore our comprehensive review on the safest storage devices in the Hardware Wallets Comparison.

Is Solana a Good Buy in 2026?

Is Solana a good buy in 2026? When looking past immediate price action, the combination of an $84 entry point, an impending structural breakout above $100, and the game-changing Alpenglow consensus upgrade positions SOL as one of the most asymmetric risk-to-reward opportunities in the current market.

While legacy assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum offer alternative growth paths, Solana delivers an optimal blend of institutional backing, real-world cross-border utility, and disruptive technical scaling that makes it a premier addition to any forward-thinking digital asset portfolio.

Key Takeaways

• Bitget is a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2018, serving over 20 million users across 100 countries, and is recognized as one of the top exchanges for derivatives trading volume.
• Bitget is known for futures trading, bitget copy trading, low fees, a US$300 million protection fund, and monthly proof of reserves reports showing a 163% reserve ratio.
• Bitget offers spot trading, futures, margin trading, copy trading, trading bots, staking, savings, fiat deposits, P2P, and more than 800 cryptocurrencies.
• Bitget is strictly unavailable to residents of the United States, Canada, and Singapore due to regulatory restrictions, and some products are limited in certain regions.

Is Bitget Good For Crypto Trading In 2026?

Bitget is a strong trading platform for users who want more than a simple “buy Bitcoin” app. It is best for active traders, experienced traders, futures users, and anyone interested in social trading or the copy trading feature.

Pros

• Competitive trading fees: 0.1% spot, 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker futures base rates.
• Strong derivatives tools, including leverage up to 125x on major pairs.
• Monthly proof of reserves and a large protection fund.
• User friendly interface on both the web platform and bitget app.
• Large copy trading ecosystem with elite traders and public trade details.

Cons

• Not available in the US, Canada, Singapore, and some sanctioned regions.
• Futures and margin products are risky for first timers.
• Customer support is 24/7 and multilingual, though reports indicate some slower response times.

What Is Bitget? Background And Global Presence

Bitget exchange is a prominent centralized cryptocurrency exchange known as a “Universal Exchange” or UEX. It launched in 2018, is registered in Seychelles, and has built its track record around crypto trading, derivatives, and copy trading.

Key milestones include early derivatives growth, the launch of bitget copy trading around 2020–2021, the Protection Fund in August 2022, and ongoing Proof of Reserve updates from late 2022 onward. Bitget also became visible through sports and esports partnerships, including Lionel Messi, Juventus, and PGL.

Bitget operates across Europe, Latin America, parts of Asia, and Africa, but access is not universal. It has regional entities and registrations in markets such as Lithuania, Poland, and Italy, while adapting to MiCA, FCA, and other 2025–2026 rules. Still, users should check Bitget’s official terms before registering, because futures trading, margin trading, and promotions may be restricted by country.

In 2026, Bitget stands as a trading-first platform rather than a purely retail payments app.

Key Features Of Bitget Exchange

Bitget offers a wide range of trading options for different trading strategies and preferences. The platform supports trading in over 800 cryptocurrencies, providing ample opportunities for traders to diversify portfolios with digital assets.

Spot Trading

Spot trading means buying or selling coins on the spot market with immediate settlement. Bitget offers major pairs like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, SOL/USDT, and many altcoins, with TradingView charts, order books, recent trades, and an order panel in one view.

For spot trading, Bitget charges a standard trading fee of 0.1% for both makers and takers. A $1,000 BTC/USDT market buy costs about $1 before discounts. Using Bitget’s native token BGB can yield trading fee discounts of up to 80%, depending on VIP level and promotion rules.

Fiat-to-crypto buying may use instant purchase, P2P, card payments, bank transfers, or third-party partners rather than one fully integrated method everywhere.

Futures Trading

Futures trading is one of Bitget’s main features. Users can trade USDT‑margined, coin‑margined, USDC‑margined, perpetual, and selected dated contracts. Bitget’s futures trading allows for leverage options up to 125x, enabling traders to amplify their positions and potential returns, but also increasing risk.

Futures trading fees are 0.02% for makers and 0.06% for takers. Funding fees on perpetuals are paid between longs and shorts, usually every 8 hours. This matters: even if taker fees look small, funding can reduce profit on longer positions.

Beginners should use isolated margin, low leverage, and stop-loss orders. High leverage can liquidate an account quickly.

Copy Trading And Social Trading

Copy trading allows users to follow and replicate the trades of successful traders, providing a way for less experienced individuals to engage in trading without needing extensive knowledge.

Bitget’s copy trading feature is designed to be user-friendly, allowing followers to set parameters for their investments and manage their risk exposure effectively. Users can review ROI, PnL, max drawdown, win rate, number of followers, and trading style before copying.

The platform has become a leader in copy trading, boasting over 110,000 elite traders and more than 520,000 followers, indicating its popularity and effectiveness in the market. Newer 2026 estimates are even higher, but the core point is clear: bitget copy trading is one of the exchange’s strongest products.

There are several routes: spot copy trading, futures copy trading, and bot copy trading. Trading bots can help automate grid or trend strategies, but they do not remove market risk.

Bitget Wallet

Bitget Wallet, formerly BitKeep, is a separate affiliated non-custodial wallet for DeFi, NFTs, bridges, and swaps. The exchange account is custodial; Bitget Wallet gives users control of private keys.

Use the exchange for active trading on bitget. Use the wallet if you want self-custody, DeFi access, or to move funds away from a centralized platform.

BGB Token And VIP Program

BGB is Bitget’s utility token. It can help users pay fees, access Launchpad or Launchpool campaigns, qualify for VIP tiers, and reduce trading fees. Bitget began with a 2 billion token supply, later adjusted through large burns and updated tokenomics.

BGB is useful for active users, but it is not a guaranteed investment. Its price can move sharply, and holding it adds market risk.

Passive Income: Staking, Savings, Launchpad, And More

Bitget offers flexible savings, fixed savings, staking, Launchpad, Launchpool, and promotional Earn products. APYs vary by asset, region, and campaign.

Treat these as financial products, not risk-free money. Lockups, issuer risk, smart contract risk, token volatility, and regional restrictions can all affect outcomes.

Is Bitget Safe? Security, Proof Of Reserves, And Protection Fund

“Is bitget safe?” is one of the main questions in any bitget review. The answer depends on several layers: solvency, custody, account security, regulation, and user behavior.

Exchange-Level Security And Cold Storage

The platform utilizes cold storage for user funds, which involves storing digital assets offline in multi-signature wallets to enhance security. More than 95% of customer deposits are kept in multi-signature offline cold storage vaults.

Bitget also uses encryption, internal access controls, monitoring, and separation of duties. Bitget has implemented a Bug Bounty Program that incentivizes researchers to find vulnerabilities in its network, enhancing overall security measures.

No exchange can promise zero risk. Do not keep more money on any exchange than you need for planned trading.

Proof Of Reserves

Bitget reports a reserve ratio of 163%, verified monthly through Proof of Reserve reports, which serves as a transparency signal regarding its financial integrity. The platform maintains a reserve ratio of 163%, verified monthly through Proof of Reserve reports, demonstrating a commitment to transparency and financial integrity.

The system uses on-chain snapshots and Merkle tree data so users can verify their own account is included. You can review Bitget’s official Proof of Reserves reports and use the self-check tool from the account area.

A reserve ratio above 100% is positive, but proof of reserves is not the same as a full financial audit.

Bitget Protection Fund

Bitget maintains a Protection Fund valued at $300 million, which is designed to safeguard user investments in the event of security breaches or platform failures. Bitget has a US$300 million Protection Fund to safeguard user investments, which is one of the largest self-insured funds in the cryptocurrency industry.

Bitget maintains and publishes fund information, and the company has reported values above that baseline in several updates. The fund is not government deposit insurance and does not cover normal trading losses.

Account-Level Security Tools

Bitget employs a withdrawal whitelisting method, requiring users to add specific wallets to a whitelist, which significantly reduces the risk of fraud. In plain English, only pre approved addresses can receive withdrawals once the setting is active.

Users should enable two factor authentication, anti-phishing codes, device management, and withdrawal whitelist before they deposit funds. Complete Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks are mandatory on Bitget, so keep documents current to avoid delays.

Bitget Fees: Trading, Funding, And Hidden Costs

Bitget fees are generally competitive compared with most exchanges, but users should understand the full cost: trading fees, funding, spreads, and withdrawal fees.

Bitget does not charge any account fees, inactivity fees, or deposit fees, making it a cost-effective platform for traders. Crypto deposits are usually free from Bitget’s side, though blockchain network costs still apply.

Spot Trading Fees

Base spot trading fees are 0.1% maker and 0.1% taker fees. A $1,000 spot purchase costs about $1. Paying with BGB can reduce the fee, and VIP levels can lower it further.

Occasional zero fees campaigns may apply to selected pairs, but do not assume they are permanent.

Futures Trading Fees And Funding

Base futures fees are 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker. A $1,000 futures market entry and exit at taker rates could cost about $1.20 before funding.

Funding fees change with market conditions. Scalpers and leveraged traders should monitor both fees and funding before entering trades.

Deposits, Withdrawals, And Fiat Costs

Withdrawal fees on Bitget vary by asset and blockchain; for example, the fee for withdrawing Bitcoin (BTC) is 0.00008, while for USDT (TRC-20) it is 1.

Fiat deposits may include card purchases, bank account transfers, SEPA, local rails, P2P, or processors like Banxa. Bank transfers can be cheaper but slower. Always compare total cost, including spreads.

Where Bitget Operates, Regulation, And Who Can Use It

Bitget is global, but not universal. It serves many users in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but some products are blocked in certain regions.

Bitget is strictly unavailable to residents of the United States, Canada, and Singapore due to regulatory restrictions. It is also unavailable in some sanctioned jurisdictions. UK and some EU users may see limits on derivatives, copy trading, or financial promotions.

If a dispute arises, local rules determine whether complaints, arbitration, or legal action are available. Never use a VPN to bypass eligibility rules.

Getting Started With Bitget Using Our Referral Link Web Step‑By‑Step

This walkthrough shows how to start on the web platform using this link.

Step 1: Create Your Account With Our Bitget Referral Link

Open your browser and visit Bitget. 

Sign up with email or phone, create a strong password, enter the verification code, and complete captcha checks. Using the link may qualify users for rewards or discounts depending on the active campaign.

Before depositing, go to Account & Security and enable two factor authentication.

Step 2: Complete KYC Identity Verification

To complete identity verification, go to Profile → Identity Verification. Choose personal verification and submit your legal name, date of birth, country, address, government ID, and selfie or liveness check.

Enhanced identity verification may request proof of address or source of funds. Processing can take minutes or longer during busy periods.

Step 3: Fund Your Bitget Account Crypto And Fiat Deposits

To deposit funds with crypto, go to Assets → Deposit, choose USDT, BTC, or ETH, pick the exact network, copy the address, and send from another wallet or exchange. Network choice matters; ERC‑20 and TRC‑20 are not interchangeable.

For fiat deposits, use Buy Crypto or Deposit Fiat, choose currency and method, then follow card, bank, or partner instructions. P2P trading lets users buy from verified merchants using local payment methods.

Step 4: Place Your First Trade Spot Or Futures

For a first spot trade, go to Trade → Spot, choose BTC/USDT, select Market, enter how much USDT to spend, and click Buy BTC. Check Orders to confirm execution.

For futures, transfer funds from Spot to Futures, choose a USDT‑M pair, set low leverage such as 2–3x, enter size, and review liquidation price before placing the order. Add stop-loss and take-profit levels immediately.

Bitget Customer Support And User Experience

Bitget provides 24/7 multilingual customer support, though reports indicate some slower response times. Support is available through live chat, tickets, and a large Help Center.

The platform offers dense charts, order books, margin controls, and powerful tools. That is great for active traders, but first timers may need time to learn. Bitget Academy can help users understand order types, risk, and cryptocurrency trading basics.

Customer satisfaction is mixed: many users praise low fees and fast execution, while others mention locked account reviews or slow responses. Keep transaction IDs, screenshots, and chat records.

Overall Verdict: Should You Trade On Bitget In 2026?

Bitget makes sense if you want a full crypto exchange with spot, futures, social trading, bots, Earn products, and competitive trading fees. The platform offers more depth than beginner-only apps, and Bitget provides tokenized stock futures to trade synthetic versions of major U.S. equities.

Bitget offers strong tools, but it is not perfect. The main risks are regulation, leverage, copy trader losses, customer support delays, and custodial exchange risk.

If you want to trade crypto actively, start small, protect your account, and use this link to get started.

FAQ

Can I Use Bitget In My Country?

Bitget is available in many countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but not in the United States, Canada, Singapore, and certain sanctioned jurisdictions. Even where access exists, futures trading, copy trading, or fiat deposits may be limited.

How Are Taxes Handled When Trading On Bitget?

Bitget does not pay taxes for users. Export trade history, funding records, staking rewards, and transaction data, then share them with tax software or a local accountant.

What Happens If A Trader I Copy Starts Losing Money?

Your account can lose money if the trader you copy loses money. Set maximum allocation, stop-loss limits, and review drawdown rather than chasing the highest short-term ROI.

Can I Move Coins Between Bitget And My Own Wallet Safely?

Yes. You can withdraw to Bitget Wallet or another self-custody wallet, subject to withdrawal fees and checks. Always test with a small transaction and confirm the network and address.

How Does Profit Sharing Work For Bitget Copy Trading?

Followers usually keep most profits but pay a performance share to the lead trader. The exact percentage is shown in copy settings, and normal trading fees, taker fees, and funding still apply.

After weathering years of industry skepticism and navigating a shifting regulatory landscape, Prometheum executed its first crypto trades.

Minnesota's ban has made it a felony to create or operate a prediction market in the state. The CFTC and DOJ say it violates federal law.

Viral Japanese macaque monkey Punch received unwelcome visitors this week, as trespassers attempted to promote a Solana meme coin.

Bernstein remains bullish on Bitcoin mining firms like IREN, Riot, and CleanSpark, who are all riding the wave of AI compute demand.

Google's new multimodal AI model powers updates to Flow and Flow Music, including conversational video editing and AI-generated media tools.

The surge of volatility on the market didn't lead to a proper recovery, but instead increasing pressure on some of the assets.

Ripple and the XRP Ledger Foundation have joined forces with cryptography firm Project Eleven to future-proof the XRP Ledger (XRPL) against looming quantum computing threats. Moving beyond theoretical research,.

Ripple, the company associated with the XRP cryptocurrency, has secured the 16th spot on the prestigious 2026 CNBC Disruptor 50.

Strive Asset Management has cemented its position as a top-ten public Bitcoin treasury holder after acquiring an additional 382 BTC for approximately $30.3 million.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan suggests Wall Street is fundamentally mispricing Hyperliquid, targeting a $600 trillion global asset market rather than just a crypto sandbox.

The Polkadot price prediction is getting attention again as DOT trades near $1.25, which is 97% below its all-time high of $55 and close to the lowest price the token has ever hit.

Polkadot launched Bulletin Chain earlier this month, a new storage system that replaces the central servers most Web3 apps still use.

But even with that upgrade, a 300% move from here only turns $1,000 into $4,000, while a single listing event from a presale entry can deliver that kind of return in one day.

Polkadot Launches Bulletin Chain as DOT Trades Near All-Time Low

Polkadot announced Bulletin Chain on May 4 as a storage layer for Web3 apps that still run on central servers, according to CoinDesk. Developer activity has not turned into real user growth, with total DeFi value locked still below $300 million.

A bridge exploit in April showed a weak spot per Crypto.com. The DOT outlook for 2026 still depends on whether real users follow the builders who are already there.

Where the Biggest Returns Are Being Built Before Exchange Listing

Pepeto Collects $10.08 Million as a Working Protocol Delivers Before Listing Day

The gap between builders and real users on big chains is exactly why presale money keeps going to Pepeto, a project made by a PEPE cofounder that has pulled in more than $10.08 million because the tools work today and not on some future date.

The bridge moves tokens between blockchains so holders save on gas fees, the swap runs trades through the Pepeto official website so money never sits with a third party, and the AI scanner checks contracts before traders go near them, so every tool feeds demand back into one place from the very first trade.

Staking at 172% APY grows the value of every token bought at $0.0000001871 before any exchange opens, and because SolidProof ran the full audit and all 420 trillion tokens are locked at launch with nothing new added after, the free float keeps dropping with each holder who stakes.

A Binance listing is expected when presale funding fills up, and that is the moment where a fixed supply meets exchange volume for the first time.

The Pepeto site shows the product running right now, and that proof is why Pepeto keeps pulling in wallets faster every week while large caps like DOT sit 97% below their highs waiting for a recovery that could take years.

Polkadot Price Prediction Targets Through 2026 and 2027

Polkadot trades at $1.25 with a market cap around $2.12 billion according to CoinMarketCap, ranked 43rd. Analysts see a possible 2026 high of $5.29 according to PricePrediction, while Changelly sees $1.89 by December.

The 2027 range goes from $1.01 to $2.35. A $1,000 buy at $1.25 growing to $5.29 returns about $3,266, strong for a large cap but still a fraction of what a presale entry before listing day can bring in one session.

Conclusion

The entry in Pepeto today at $0.0000001871 will not be here next week, because every person who made real money in crypto made one choice that set them apart from everyone else, and that choice was to act before the listing instead of planning to come back later.

The Polkadot price prediction may show DOT climbing from $1.25 toward $5 over many months, and that would be a good gain, but the wallets that changed lives in every cycle found presale entries where one listing event turned years of waiting into one price move.

The presale already passed $10.08 million, the staking pool at 172% APY grows every day, and a PEPE cofounder running the project with a Binance listing on the way is what makes this different from everything else in the market.

The presale ends when the listing opens, and every day of waiting is one day less to get in at this price. Missing this by one day could be the gap between collecting the listing gain and reading about the wallets that did.

Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

What is the Polkadot price prediction for 2026?

The Polkadot price prediction for 2026 shows DOT could reach $5.29 at the top, while Changelly sees $1.89 by December. DOT trades at $1.25, down 97% from its $55 high.

What is the best presale to buy alongside the Polkadot price prediction?

The best presale to buy is Pepeto because it can deliver from one listing event what DOT at $1.25 would take years to match, with $10.08 million raised and a Binance listing on the way.

The post Polkadot Price Prediction 2026 Shows 300% Potential While One Presale Could Deliver That Return Before Lunch appeared first on Blockonomi.

ADA whale wallets now hold 25.09 billion tokens, 67% of the total supply and the highest share since 2020, yet Cardano still trades 92% below its all-time high.

The Cardano price prediction has turned into a waiting game where the biggest holders keep buying a token that has not paid them back in years, and Pepeto offers very different math with more than $10 million raised and a Binance listing that has not reset the price yet.

ADA Whales Hit Record Levels as SuperTrend Flips to Buy

Wallets holding at least one million ADA now control 25.09 billion tokens according to CoinDesk, the highest whale share since 2020. The buying has been running since December 2023, even as ADA lost 71% of its value over nine months, which means the biggest holders kept adding while everyone else sold.

On May 14 the SuperTrend flipped to a buy signal for the first time since September 2025 according to Coinpedia.

The Cardano price prediction now has a fresh chart signal, but ADA at $0.25 still needs a full market rally to move in any real way.

Pepeto and ADA: Whale Buying Meets Presale Opportunity

Pepeto

While ADA whales keep buying through a crash with no clear end, Pepeto is building a trading platform at a price so low that the listing alone could give profits Cardano cannot match in years, and the person who created the original Pepe coin leads the team alongside a former Binance expert who knows exchange systems from the inside.

The bridge moves tokens between Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana with zero fees while the risk scorer checks every token contract before money goes in, so traders entering this presale get both free cross chain access and safety tools that protect their capital before they trade.

SolidProof checked every contract before the first dollar came in, and that safe base is one reason more than $10 million has flowed in at $0.0000001871 during a time when most tokens lost value. Staking at 172% APY grows holdings every day while the Binance listing gets closer, and analysts say 100x to 300x profit could come from the listing alone because the moment trading starts the presale price is gone and a new higher price takes its place.

The Cardano price prediction debate is about whether ADA can get back to $1 from $0.25, a 4x that takes years, but Pepeto with the same 420 trillion supply that took the original Pepe coin to $11 billion now has a working platform behind it. The wallets that bought today hold the price that late buyers will wish they had for the rest of this cycle, and every day that passes without buying is one day closer to that price being gone forever.

ADA Forecast: Whale Buying Meets Price Resistance at $0.25

The Cardano price prediction for 2026 stays careful as ADA trades near $0.25 according to CoinMarketCap. Cryptopolitan sees a peak of $1.33, while Changelly puts ADA between $0.27 and $0.37 through December.

CoinCodex stays negative, saying ADA may not get back above $1.24. ADA sits 92% below its $3.10 all-time high from September 2021 and fell from $0.44 in January even with whales buying. Even reaching $1.33 is a 5.3x from $0.25, a gain that needs a full bull run.

The Cardano price prediction math shows waiting that pays off over years, while a presale before a Binance listing could give that kind of return in weeks.

Conclusion

Every Cardano price prediction and large coin recovery story comes down to the same thing: time. ADA needs months or years before the profit shows up, and even the best forecast puts the top at $1.33, a 5.3x that needs a full market recovery to happen. Pepeto sits in a completely different spot as a working platform presale with a Binance listing ahead and no price ceiling set.

The cofounder proved the math once when the original Pepe coin hit $11 billion with zero products and 420 trillion supply, and reaching that level from the Pepeto presale is 150x, this time with a working exchange, a SolidProof audit, and 172% APY staking growing positions every day.

The entry at $0.0000001871 does not exist once the listing gives every token a new price, and $10 million from wallets that already made their choice sits in the presale right now. The Pepeto official website shows the numbers for anyone ready to move before the listing closes this window for good.

Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

What is the Cardano price prediction for 2026?

The Cardano price prediction targets $0.27 to $1.33, but ADA at $0.25 sits 92% below its $3.10 peak and needs a full bull cycle before real profits show up.

Is Pepeto a better buy than Cardano right now?

Pepeto is the stronger early entry because it raised $10 million at $0.0000001871 with a Binance listing ahead and 150x profit potential the Cardano timeline cannot offer.

The post Cardano Price Prediction Stuck 92% Below Peak as Whales Stack Record Holdings, While Pepeto Crosses $10 Million With 150x Profit Math appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• The SEC is preparing a framework to allow tokenized stocks to trade on crypto platforms under lighter regulatory requirements.
• The proposal would let third parties issue tokens that track stock prices without approval from the underlying companies.
• Token holders would not receive shareholder rights such as voting power or dividend payments.
• Tokenized stocks would trade continuously on blockchain networks without traditional market-hour restrictions.
• Market data shows the tokenized equities sector has reached about $1.4 billion in total value.

U.S. regulators are preparing a new framework that could allow blockchain-based stock trading on crypto platforms. The plan focuses on tokenized securities and aims to ease compliance requirements for certain providers. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may release the proposal within days.

SEC Outlines Structure for Tokenized Stocks Framework

The SEC is developing an “innovation exemption” to support tokenized securities trading under lighter rules. The proposal would allow platforms to offer digital stock representations without full registration compliance. Sources familiar with the matter said the agency could introduce the framework as early as next week.

The structure allows third parties to issue tokens that track publicly traded shares without company approval. These tokens would reflect stock prices but would not represent direct ownership in the underlying firms. As a result, holders would not receive voting rights, dividends, or participation in corporate decisions.

The tokens would operate on blockchain networks and trade continuously across global crypto platforms. This system would remove traditional trading hour limits and reduce settlement delays. However, the SEC has not issued an official comment on the reported framework.

Market Activity Grows as Institutions Advance Tokenized Stocks

Market data shows that tokenized equities continue to expand in scale and activity across platforms. Data from RWA.xyz indicates the sector holds about $1.4 billion across more than 2,200 assets. The total value increased by about 30% over the past 30 days, while monthly transfer volume reached $3.24 billion.

The number of token holders also rose by 25% within a month to about 265,000 users. These figures reflect rising participation in blockchain-based financial products. Meanwhile, trading platforms continue to develop infrastructure to support this growth.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation plans to begin limited tokenized asset trades in July. It also aims to expand the program into broader production use by October. The DTCC processes most U.S. securities transactions, and its entry supports operational development in this space.

Exchanges and Regulators Align on Digital Trading Systems

Nasdaq secured SEC approval in March for a rule change supporting tokenized share trading. The framework ensures that investors retain traditional ownership rights through regulated structures. The New York Stock Exchange also received approval in April to build a platform for continuous onchain settlement.

Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the NYSE, partnered with crypto exchange OKX to support this effort. The collaboration focuses on integrating blockchain systems with established trading infrastructure. These developments show coordinated steps between exchanges and regulators.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins has emphasized the need for updated regulatory approaches to digital markets. He stated that existing rules were designed for systems with fixed hours and human intermediaries. He said regulators should “write rules instead of enforcing outdated frameworks” to guide emerging technologies. The Senate Banking Committee recently advanced legislation related to crypto market structure. Lawmakers continue to work on clearer guidelines for digital asset regulation.

The post SEC Prepares Framework for Tokenized Stocks on Crypto Platforms appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Google introduced a redesigned Search experience powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash at I O 2026.
• The new interface supports longer and more conversational user queries instead of short keywords.
• Google added an AI-powered autocomplete that suggests refined and follow-up questions in real time.
• AI Overviews now appear more consistently and provide summarized answers at the top of results.
• Users can move between AI summaries and chatbot-style interactions without leaving the search page.

Google introduced a redesigned Search platform powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash at I/O 2026. The update blends traditional search with AI-generated responses and conversational features. The company confirmed that the rollout aims to shift user behavior toward natural language queries.

Google presented the updated interface as part of its broader Gemini strategy across products and Android systems. The company emphasized faster responses and improved context handling through the new model. Robby Stein said users will “reliably” see AI Overviews for conversational queries.

Google Expands Conversational Search and AI Summaries

Google redesigned the search box to support longer and more detailed user queries. The interface now encourages full questions instead of short keyword searches. As a result, users can ask complex queries like protocol explanations and receive structured answers.

The company also introduced AI-powered autocomplete that suggests refined questions in real time. This system builds on user intent and offers follow-up prompts during typing. Google stated that this feature helps guide users toward more complete and relevant searches.

AI Overviews remain central to the new experience and appear at the top of results pages. These summaries compile information from multiple sources into a single response. Stein explained that the system connects directly to AI Mode for extended conversations.

Users can now transition between summaries and chatbot interactions without leaving the search page. This integration allows continuous dialogue powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash. Google positioned the model as faster and more efficient than earlier versions.

Gemini Model Powers Deeper Integration Across Devices

Google confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Flash supports both cloud and on-device processing. Some AI tasks will now run locally on Android devices. This approach reduces latency and improves performance for certain features.

The company linked this update to its broader Gemini Intelligence initiative. It aims to embed AI capabilities across mobile ecosystems and services. Google also highlighted ongoing work on open models for developers.

The search redesign aligns with Google’s focus on unified AI experiences across platforms. The company plans to expand these capabilities in future updates. Current deployments began following the I/O announcement.

Google did not disclose exact rollout timelines for all regions. However, it confirmed gradual availability across devices and markets. The company continues to test features through limited releases.

Changes in Search Structure Affect Information Visibility

Google confirmed that AI Overviews synthesize content from multiple indexed sources. The system selects key data points and presents a summarized response. This process reduces reliance on traditional link-based navigation.

The company acknowledged that users may interact less with individual websites. AI-generated answers often provide direct responses without requiring clicks. Google did not provide specific metrics on traffic changes.

Platforms that provide structured data may still contribute to AI summaries. However, their visibility depends on how Gemini selects information. Google continues refining its ranking and synthesis systems.

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TLDR

• BlackRock transferred 5,847 Bitcoin worth about $450 million to Coinbase Prime through 20 separate transactions.
• The transfer occurred as Bitcoin prices fluctuated near $77,000 after a recent dip earlier in the week.
• Coinbase Prime serves as the custody and trading platform for BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF.
• The movement likely reflects ETF operations such as redemptions, rebalancing, or internal fund management.
• IBIT has grown to nearly $63 billion in assets since its launch in January 2024.

BlackRock transferred 5,847 Bitcoin worth about $450 million to Coinbase Prime on Tuesday through multiple transactions. The movement occurred as Bitcoin prices fluctuated near $77,000 after a recent dip. Market data shows institutional activity continues alongside shifting price trends.

BlackRock Shifts Bitcoin to Coinbase Prime Accounts

BlackRock executed 20 separate transactions to move 5,847 Bitcoin into Coinbase Prime custody accounts. The transfers drew attention from traders tracking institutional wallet activity.

Coinbase Prime serves as the custody and trading platform for BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, known as IBIT. The platform handles asset storage and transaction processing for institutional clients.

The asset manager uses Coinbase Prime to manage Bitcoin, backing its exchange-traded fund holdings. Therefore, such transfers often relate to fund operations rather than direct market sales.

Market participants observed the timing as Bitcoin hovered near $77,000 after dropping to $76,000 earlier. Price data from CoinGecko confirmed the short-term fluctuation.

Analysts stated that transfers to Coinbase Prime may signal ETF redemptions or internal portfolio adjustments. Others added that operational needs also drive these transactions.

One market analyst said, “Movements like these often reflect fund mechanics rather than immediate selling pressure.” The statement reflects common interpretations of institutional transfers.

IBIT launched in January 2024 after regulatory approval for spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States. The fund has since grown to nearly $63 billion in assets.

Bitcoin Whale Wallets Rise as Accumulation Continues

Data from Santiment shows wallets holding at least 100 Bitcoin increased to 20,229 over the past year. The figure rose from 18,191 wallets recorded during the same period.

These wallets typically belong to institutional investors, large holders, and high-net-worth individuals. Each wallet holds Bitcoin valued at roughly $7.7 million based on current prices.

The steady rise occurred despite price volatility across the past year. Bitcoin experienced several swings, yet large wallet counts continued to grow.

Santiment reported that the increase represents an 11% rise in whale wallet numbers. The data highlights continued accumulation by larger holders.

Smaller traders showed mixed sentiment during recent market movements. However, large holders maintained consistent accumulation patterns.

A market observer said, “Large wallets tend to expand holdings during uncertain periods.” The comment reflects ongoing accumulation trends.

Bitcoin’s price remained close to $77,000 at the time of reporting. Market data showed recovery following the brief dip earlier in the week.

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The leading US-based cryptocurrency exchange warned its users that they may experience certain disruptions this weekend.

The company has recently drawn significant attention after cutting staff and introducing a series of platform adjustments and other developments.

Attention This Saturday

Coinbase has scheduled a system upgrade for Saturday (May 23), which is estimated to last approximately half an hour. The team explained that during this time, trading will not be impacted, while order status updates across all markets may be delayed. The company promised to provide updates as the maintenance progresses.

These types of upgrades are fairly standard and typically not a cause for alarm. In October last year, for instance, Coinbase went temporarily offline due to a similar reason, and there were no reports of major complications.

Another disruption was witnessed earlier this month. Certain Coinbase users found themselves unable to complete transactions, while others experienced degraded service speeds due to an AWS overheating issue. The exchange swiftly diagnosed the problem and began working to “re-enable” trading across its markets.

Some users noted on social media that the outage happened shortly after Coinvase disclosed it was cutting its global workforce by 14%. CEO Brian Armstrong cited ongoing market volatility and the rapid pace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the main reasons for the decision.

Further Developments

Apart from the aforementioned news, Coinbase made the headlines after becoming the official treasury deployer of USDC under Hyperliquid’s Aligned Quote Asset (AQA) framework.

Under this role, the exchange will handle USDC liquidity directly for the protocol, helping strengthen its on-chain financial operations. The collaboration also positions Coinbase as a key contributor to the growing decentralized derivatives ecosystem.

For its part, Hyperliquid revealed that both Coinbase and Circle have agreed to stake HYPE tokens to support the activation of AQAv2 (the next upgrade to the Aligned Quote Asset (AQA) on the decentralized exchange).

Coinbase has also carried out some delisting efforts. Last week, it scrapped six non-USD trading pairs, including ICP/USDT and ICP/GBP. This was followed by a 10% price decline for Internet Computer to just under $3. The asset failed to rebound and extended its losses over the next few days, currently hovering near $2.50.

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Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has responded to increasing concerns that AI-based bug hunting will overwhelm developers and create non-stop exploitation opportunities on blockchains.

According to him, in the near future, the use of this technology might actually make crypto systems more secure. He says that AI-assisted formal verification may become one of the strongest defenses against security failures in crypto and internet infrastructure.

AI Could Strengthen Security Instead of Breaking It

Formal verification is the practice of writing mathematical proofs about software that a computer can automatically verify instead of people reviewing them. This concept has been available for decades; however, it has never caught on because generating such proofs manually was rather tedious for software developers, so many of them never bothered.

Now, Buterin is saying that AI has changed this equation, and instead of developers writing the proofs themselves, they can ask an AI to write both the code and accompanying proofs. They then simply check that the final statement proved is actually the thing they wanted to prove.

The developer described a scenario where AI models become powerful enough to automate finding bugs in existing code and then asked what that would mean for systems where a single flaw can cost users everything.

His answer was that formal verification, done end-to-end, lets you mathematically prove that a piece of code behaves exactly as intended, so that a sufficiently powerful AI looking for flaws would be looking at code that has already been proven not to have them.

He also called out specific Ethereum infrastructure projects where this approach is already being attempted. One of them is Arklib, which is working toward a fully formally verified STARK implementation. Another is evm-asm, which is building an EVM written in low-level RISC-V assembly and verifying its correctness against a human-readable reference implementation.

On the question of which AI models are actually useful for this, Buterin said he found Claude and Deepseek 4 Pro both sufficient for writing Lean proofs.

He also flagged Leanstral, a smaller open-weights model fine-tuned specifically for Lean, as capable of running locally and outperforming much larger general-purpose models on formal verification benchmarks.

But There Are Limitations

Despite his enthusiasm for formal verification, Buterin also devoted a substantial part of his essay to explaining the ways it has failed in practice.

This includes bugs in verified compilers; libraries where only part of the code was proven, and the unproven parts turned out to be the problem; and specifications that were technically proven but simply did not capture what the developer actually wanted to guarantee.

However, his broader framing is that formal verification is not a replacement for all security practices but one powerful tool in a longer-running trend toward fewer bugs per line of code.

The background is relevant here, considering that on the day Buterin’s post appeared, the crypto sector was reeling from a third major exploit in just four days after a hacker made off with more than $76 million worth of crypto from the cross-chain bridge of the Echo Protocol.

Days earlier, reports emerged regarding a hack on THORChain, which cost the platform more than $10 million.

Another attack happened after that one, targeting the Verus-Ethereum Bridge, whereby a hacker took advantage of the lack of a validation check to steal $11.58 million. That is the kind of specific, localized flaw that a formal proof check may have caught.

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The United States and the broader global economy are facing an increasingly fragile macroeconomic backdrop. U.S. inflation has risen to 3.8% year-over-year, per April consumer price index (CPI) data, and real wages have turned negative with long-term Treasury yields climbing to multi-year highs.

Amid a hostile macro environment, bitcoin (BTC) has pulled back and erased the gains from its early-month rally. This correction is further driven by weakening institutional demand and outflows from spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Weakening Institutional Demand

According to this week’s Bitfinex Alpha report, the U.S. macro backdrop has shifted toward a “higher-for-longer inflation environment.” Market expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts have been removed, with rate hikes becoming a more likely scenario as the year progresses.

With the possibility of renewed tightening rising, bitcoin is losing momentum and becoming more vulnerable to exogenous shocks and to a high-for-longer interest rate regime. Unfortunately, this development comes at a time of deteriorating liquidity conditions – the worst since February.

Analysts said the two primary engines of marginal demand, which are spot ETFs and yield-bearing products like Strategy’s STRC, are currently under duress. ETFs ended their six-week inflow streak last week, recording almost $1 billion in net outflows. On-chain capital flows currently sit at $2.8 billion, far below the $10 billion historically associated with durable bull phases.

“As market sentiment transitions from acute fear toward persistent uncertainty, analysts say the validity of the current recovery now hinges almost entirely on whether fresh net capital continues entering the market,” analysts explained.

Market Vulnerable to Further Downside

As Bitfinex warned two weeks ago, the Bitcoin market is not positioned for sustained upside. Despite the rally toward $82,000, institutional conviction has remained insufficient to absorb macro shocks and rate volatility, leaving the market vulnerable to further correction. Bitcoin is already trading at a two-week low, reflecting a significant structural problem that could worsen due to hostile macro conditions.

At the time of writing, BTC was trading around $76,700, roughly 6.5% below its weekly opening of $82,160. While the asset is testing levels near the monthly open, analysts expect the price to fluctuate between $72,000 and $80,000. Net capital flows, as measured by the Realized Cap 30-Day Net Position Change, will determine whether the broader recovery structure remains intact in the coming weeks.

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The crypto market experienced another correction in recent days, with only a handful of leading digital assets managing to escape the broader sell-off.

Solana (SOL) was not among the few exceptions, with its price tumbling by double digits over the past week. Moreover, some analysts think it could fall further in the short term.

What’s Next?

Earlier this month, the renowned analyst Ali Martinez observed SOL’s performance and estimated that its price has been moving within a well-defined channel since February. He identified $98 as the upper boundary of that structure, while $78 was described as the lower one. Later on, he predicted a possible pump if SOL makes a successful breakout above the ceiling and set $88 as “the pivot point.”

However, the asset’s valuation could not surpass the desired mark and currently trades at around $84.50, representing a substantial 12% weekly decline. In one of his recent X posts, Martinez noted that SOL failed to reach its bullish target, suggesting it could now head south toward the channel bottom near $78.

Another popular market observer who made a pessimistic forecast is Ted. He claimed that SOL’s RSI uptrend has been lost, meaning that the price needs to hold above the $82-$84 level.

“A daily close below won’t be good for Solana,” he added.

Adding to the bearish momentum, recent filings revealed that Goldman Sachs fully exited its SOL ETF exposure during Q1 2026. Such a move from a financial giant often signals caution and can weigh on market confidence.

On the other hand, inflows into spot SOL ETFs have continued to surpass outflows in recent days, suggesting growing institutional interest. Notably, the last red day was April 30.

‘Zoom Out’

Of course, some analysts remain unfazed by the latest pullback and expect SOL’s price to head north in the near future. X user Trader Koala said people should “zoom out,” setting $135 as “the eventual destination.”

SatoshiOwl is also among the optimists. They claimed that many expect “more panic on alts, more fear everywhere.” However, the analyst believes this could be the perfect moment for the market to pivot, with “a monster reversal candle out of nowhere.”

“I’m long on SOL here,” they concluded.

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Bitcoin (BTC) has experienced a sharp pullback this week, briefly touching $76,000. Despite growing concern about a deeper price decline, whales and institutions are still accumulating the world’s largest crypto asset.

The number of Bitcoin wallets holding at least 100 BTC has risen to 20,229, according to new data shared by Santiment. This represents an 11.2% increase compared to the 18,191 wallets recorded at the same time last year.

Long-Term Bitcoin Confidence

Wallets holding this amount of Bitcoin currently contain roughly $7.7 million or more in BTC and are often linked to major investors, institutions, whales, and wealthy long-term holders.

Santiment explained that the steady rise in these large wallets continued throughout a year that witnessed strong market volatility and changing investor sentiment. The increase came during periods when many retail traders showed caution, fear, or frustration toward the market.

Historically, growing numbers of large Bitcoin wallets have been interpreted as a sign that influential investors remain confident in BTC’s long-term outlook, supply scarcity, and market position despite short-term uncertainty and price fluctuations.

Zooming in, as a result of the growing stress across the Bitcoin market, many experts believe that a quick V-shaped recovery may not materialize. CryptoQuant’s SOAB ratio surged above normal levels, which indicated large-scale capitulation from older holders. At the same time, short-term investors are also showing signs of panic selling.

The market is also witnessing a rise in fear and negative sentiment among retail traders on social media, according to a separate post by Santiment. Bearish comments about Bitcoin have now outnumbered bullish ones for the first time since April 21. Smaller traders appear to be reacting strongly to the recent weakness, and many expect the market to fall further from current levels.

Despite this bearish mood, the firm said crypto markets tend to move against the majority view, meaning the spike in bearish sentiment could actually improve the chances of a near-term rebound.

Regulatory Tailwind

Nexo research analyst Dessislava Ianeva believes the CLARITY Act’s progress through the Senate could become a major catalyst for Bitcoin’s next bull run. The bill recently advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee, increasing expectations for crypto regulation in the United States.

Ianeva stated that Bitcoin briefly climbed above $82,000 following the approval, while prediction market odds of the bill becoming law in 2026 also increased. She compared the development to the earlier GENIUS Act rally and said a future Senate floor vote on the CLARITY Act could potentially push the crypto asset toward a new all-time high.

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