The exploit undermines trust in decentralized finance, highlighting vulnerabilities in smart contracts and the need for robust security measures.

The post Resolv’s USR stablecoin depegs after $80M exploit hits supply appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Musk's Terafab could revolutionize AI compute, enabling unprecedented space infrastructure and advancing human expansion beyond Earth.

The post Elon Musk unveils Terafab in bid to unlock massive AI compute in space appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

OpenAI's workforce expansion may intensify industry competition, but it risks financial strain if enterprise adoption lags behind expectations.

The post OpenAI targets 8,000 staff as AI competition heats up appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Worldcoin's OTC sales and upcoming token unlock could significantly impact market dynamics and investor confidence in crypto projects.

The post Worldcoin reportedly sells 117 million WLD through OTC deals appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Grayscale files S-1 for spot HYPE ETF that would hold Hyperliquids native token and seek to list on Nasdaq under ticker GHYP.

The post Grayscale eyes Hyperliquid with new HYPE ETF filing appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

White House Reaches Tentative Crypto Regulatory Agreement: Report

Key senators and the White House have reached a tentative agreement on cryptocurrency legislation aimed at resolving a dispute between banks and digital asset firms over stablecoin yields, according to Politico reporting.

The move could clear the way for a landmark crypto regulatory bill stalled in the Senate Banking Committee since January.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) said Friday they have an “agreement in principle” on language intended to balance innovation with financial stability. The legislation seeks to prevent stablecoin rewards programs from triggering widespread deposit withdrawals from traditional banks, a concern raised by Wall Street groups.

“The agreement allows us to protect innovation while giving us the opportunity to prevent widespread deposit flight,” Alsobrooks said. Tillis described the deal as a positive step but noted the need to consult with industry stakeholders before finalizing details.

While specifics of the agreement remain unclear, early indications suggest it could bar yield payments on passive stablecoin balances. The tentative deal signals progress toward an April vote on the crypto market-structure bill, potentially unlocking the first major federal regulatory framework for digital assets.

Crypto legislation background 

The fight over a U.S. crypto market‑structure bill stems from a broader effort to build on 2025’s landmark stablecoin legislation, the GENIUS Act, which established a federal framework for stablecoins — requiring full backing, transparency and reserve disclosures for digital dollars. 

That law was widely seen in the crypto industry as a breakthrough for regulatory clarity while attempting to align digital assets with traditional financial standards.

After the GENIUS Act’s passage, the Senate turned its attention to more expansive digital asset oversight through what’s often referred to as the CLARITY Act or the crypto market‑structure bill. 

This legislation aims to define how U.S. regulators would police and oversee trading platforms, tokens, custody services and other infrastructure — essentially the backbone of a regulated digital asset ecosystem.

However, negotiations bogged down over one central issue: whether regulated exchanges should be allowed to offer yield‑bearing rewards on stablecoin holdings. 

Banks and major financial institutions argue that these rewards resemble unregulated deposit‑like products that could siphon funds away from FDIC‑insured accounts, potentially threatening lending and financial stability. 

Crypto firms — including major issuers like Circle and Coinbase — counter that such incentives are crucial for competitive markets and for user adoption of digital money.

The current tentative deal being negotiated between senators and the White House seeks a middle ground — potentially allowing activity‑based rewards while restricting passive yield — in hopes of unlocking Senate committee action by April. Whether that compromise holds both bank and crypto support will be decisive for the future of U.S. digital asset regulation. 

This post White House Reaches Tentative Crypto Regulatory Agreement: Report first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Phong Le Calls Morgan Stanley’s BTC ETF a “Monster Bitcoin” Bet With $160 Billion Potential

Phong Le, President and CEO of Strategy, the world’s first and largest Bitcoin treasury firm, said Morgan Stanley’s proposed bitcoin ETF could unlock as much as $160 billion in demand under a modest portfolio allocation scenario.

“Morgan Stanley Wealth Management oversees about $8 trillion in AUM and recommends 0–4% bitcoin allocation,” Le wrote on X. “A 2% allocation would represent $160 billion, about three times the size of IBIT. MSBT: Monster Bitcoin.”

In other words, Le is saying that even a modest 2% bitcoin allocation across Morgan Stanley’s $8 trillion wealth platform could drive about $160 billion into bitcoin, far exceeding the size of existing ETFs like BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust.

The comment landed as Morgan Stanley advanced plans for its own spot BTC ETF, revealing new details in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund would trade under the ticker MSBT, a symbol that Le cast as shorthand for the potential scale of institutional demand.

Morgan Stanley’s amended S-1 outlines a structure familiar to the growing class of spot BTC ETFs. The trust is set to list on NYSE Arca with a 10,000-share creation unit and an initial seed basket of 50,000 shares, expected to raise about $1 million. The bank also disclosed it purchased two shares earlier this month for audit purposes.

Key service providers mirror those used across the ETF ecosystem. BNY Mellon will act as cash custodian, administrator, and transfer agent, while Coinbase is set to serve as prime broker and custodian for the fund’s bitcoin. 

The product would hold BTC directly, aligning with the structure that has defined the current wave of the U.S.-listed spot ETFs.

Capital managers are migrating to bitcoin 

Le’s framing points to a larger question that sits beyond the mechanics of the filing: how much capital wealth managers may allocate if BTC becomes a standard portfolio component. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, with trillions in client assets, has signaled that bitcoin exposure can range from zero to four percent depending on client profile. 

Even a midpoint allocation, as Le noted, would imply flows that exceed the size of existing flagship products such as iShares Bitcoin Trust.

So far, adoption has moved in stages. Since spot BTC ETFs launched in 2024, the category has attracted more than $50 billion in inflows, driven in large part by self-directed investors. Within advisory channels, uptake remains uneven, shaped by internal policies, risk models, and client demand.

Morgan Stanley has already taken steps in that direction, allowing brokerage clients to access spot BTC ETFs and widening availability over time. The MSBT filing suggests a shift from distribution toward ownership of the product itself, a move that could deepen the bank’s role in the market if approval is granted.

The SEC has not provided a timeline for a decision, and approval is not assured. Still, the application marks a notable development: a major U.S. bank seeking to issue its own spot bitcoin ETF in a market it once approached with caution.

This post Phong Le Calls Morgan Stanley’s BTC ETF a “Monster Bitcoin” Bet With $160 Billion Potential first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Holds $70,000 as War-Driven Inflation Fears Meet Defensive Market Positioning

Bitcoin price held near the $70,000 level today as geopolitical risks tied to the conflict involving Iran shifted and macro expectations weighed on broader risk markets, while derivatives data and on-chain metrics pointed to a market in consolidation rather than capitulation.

The bitcoin price hovered around $70,500 in early Friday trading, following a pullback from a recent high near $76,000. 

The move came as energy markets surged and inflation concerns returned to the forefront, limiting upside across risk assets. Despite the pressure, Bitcoin price has shown relative stability compared with commodities and equities during the same period.

Research from VanEck frames the current environment as a post-stress reset. The firm’s mid-March ChainCheck report notes that Bitcoin price’s 30-day average price declined 19%, yet spot prices stabilized as realized volatility fell from 80 to near 50. 

At the same time, futures funding rates dropped from 4.1% to 2.7%, signaling reduced leverage and lower speculative intensity.

Options markets reflect a defensive posture. VanEck data shows the put-to-call open interest ratio averaged 0.77, the highest level since mid-2021, placing current positioning in the 91st percentile of observations since 2019. 

Demand for downside protection remains elevated, with put premiums reaching record levels relative to spot trading volume. Investors continue to allocate capital toward hedging, even as volatility declines.

Future positive returns for Bitcoin price?

This pattern has historical significance. According to VanEck, similar levels of options skew have preceded positive forward returns. Periods with comparable readings have produced average gains of more than 13% over the following 90 days and more than 100% over a one-year horizon. 

The data suggests that extreme caution in derivatives markets has often coincided with late-stage drawdowns rather than the start of new declines.

Onchain activity presents a quieter picture. Transfer volume fell 31% over the past month, while daily fees dropped 27%. Active addresses declined modestly, indicating limited participation at the network level. 

This trend led to the growing role of offchain venues, including exchange-traded products and derivatives platforms, which now account for a larger share of trading activity.

Long-term holders appear to be reducing distribution. Transfer volume declined across all age cohorts, signaling that older coins remain largely inactive. This shift points to reduced selling pressure from experienced market participants, a factor often associated with price stabilization phases.

Miner behavior adds another layer. Revenues declined 11% in the past month, reflecting tighter economics. Yet selling pressure from miners has not surged. Onchain flows to exchanges rose only 1%, while aggregate miner balances declined at a gradual pace. Over the past year, miners have sold most newly issued supply but have not accelerated liquidation of existing reserves.

Institutional flows, however, have softened. 

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded net outflows in recent sessions, reversing a prior streak of inflows. The shift aligns with broader risk aversion as investors respond to macro uncertainty and rising energy costs.

Yesterday, Morgan Stanley confirmed that its proposed spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund will trade under the ticker MSBT on NYSE Arca, according to an updated filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

At the time of writing, the bitcoin price is $70,371.

This post Bitcoin Price Holds $70,000 as War-Driven Inflation Fears Meet Defensive Market Positioning first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

North Carolina Lawmakers Propose State Bitcoin Reserve

North Carolina lawmakers introduced legislation on Wednesday to create a state-controlled Bitcoin reserve. 

Senate Bill 327, titled the North Carolina Bitcoin Reserve and Investment Act, would allow the Office of the State Treasurer to allocate up to 10% of public funds into BTC as part of the state’s long-term financial strategy.

The bill, sponsored by Senators Johnson and Overcash, passed its first Senate reading and was referred to the Rules and Operations Committee. Its stated goals include establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, promoting BTC as a financial innovation, and positioning North Carolina as a leader in state-level crypto adoption.

Under the proposal, the Treasurer would manage the reserve using cold storage wallets with multi-signature authentication. 

A new department within the Treasurer’s office would take custody of the assets, ensuring state control. The bill also calls for a Bitcoin Economic Advisory Board composed of industry experts to provide guidance and monthly audits to verify reserve balances, security, and performance.

Bitcoin acquisitions would be conducted through regulated U.S.-based exchanges, with bulk purchases timed to take advantage of market conditions. The bill also directs the Treasurer to explore BTC mining operations as a potential method to increase state holdings.

Use of the reserve would be restricted to severe financial crises, approved investment strategies, funding for critical infrastructure and economic development projects, and support for Bitcoin-related research, education, and business incentives.

Any liquidation of BTC would require approval from at least two-thirds of both chambers of the General Assembly. The bill allows the reserve to back bonds as an alternative financing tool for public projects.

The Treasurer would submit quarterly reports to the General Assembly detailing the reserve’s status, value, and performance.

Reports would also be publicly available on the Treasurer’s website, according to the bill’s text. The bill includes provisions to comply with federal and state laws regarding cryptocurrency holdings and taxation and encourages advocacy for federal regulations favorable to Bitcoin.

U.S. states want Bitcoin

Several U.S. states are exploring or have implemented BTC reserves as part of state treasury strategies. 

Texas, New Hampshire, and Arizona have enacted laws allowing portions of state funds to be allocated to Bitcoin, while Maryland, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, South Dakota, Illinois, Tennessee and Missouri have introduced legislation proposing similar reserves. 

Other states, including Oklahoma, Utah, and Pennsylvania, have considered bills that remain in committee, while proposals in Wyoming, Montana, and Florida have stalled or been rejected. These efforts reflect a growing trend to use BTC as a potential store-of-value hedge and diversify state financial assets.

This post North Carolina Lawmakers Propose State Bitcoin Reserve first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Adam Back Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker

Adam Back has been officially confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026, returning to the conference as one of the few people in the world whose contributions to Bitcoin predate Bitcoin itself. As Co-Founder and CEO of Blockstream and CEO of Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company (BSTR), Back comes to Las Vegas operating at the intersection of Bitcoin infrastructure and capital markets like never before.

In 1997, Back invented Hashcash — a proof-of-work system originally built to combat email spam that became the direct technical foundation for Bitcoin’s mining process. Satoshi Nakamoto cited Back by name in the Bitcoin white paper, writing that the network would need “a proof-of-work system similar to Adam Back’s Hashcash.” Before the genesis block was ever mined, Satoshi emailed Back directly.

Blockstream, which Back co-founded in 2014, develops Bitcoin infrastructure across three areas: consumer self-custody tools including the open-source Jade hardware wallet, enterprise settlement and asset issuance on the Liquid Network, and institutional products through Blockstream Asset Management — with with Liquid Network closing 2025 with close to $5 billion in TVL. At Bitcoin 2025, Back framed the company’s direction: “We’re laser-focused on Bitcoin. At Blockstream, we are here to provide the infrastructure to enable that.”

On the capital markets side, Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company has entered into a definitive agreement to go public through a merger with Cantor Equity Partners I (CEPO), structured with 30,021 BTC on its balance sheet and up to $1.5 billion in PIPE financing — the largest ever announced alongside a Bitcoin treasury SPAC merger. As of March 2026, BSTR is awaiting completion of the de-SPAC process, with shareholder approval targeted as early as April, after which the combined company is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker “BSTR.”

From inventing the proof-of-work system that makes Bitcoin possible, to building the infrastructure layer on top of it, to now bringing over 30,000 BTC to public markets — Back’s is unlike anyone else on the Bitcoin 2026 stage. His appearance at The Venetian this April will be one of the most technically credible perspectives at the conference on where Bitcoin’s protocol, infrastructure, and capital markets are all heading at once.

Bitcoin 2026 Returns to Las Vegas Bigger Than Ever

Bitcoin 2026 will take place April 27–29 at The Venetian, Las Vegas, and is expected to be the biggest Bitcoin event of the year.

Focused on the future of money, Bitcoin 2026 will bring together Bitcoin builders, investors, miners, policymakers, technologists, and newcomers from around the world. The event will feature a wide range of pass types, including general admission passes designed specifically for those new to Bitcoin, alongside premium passes for professionals, enterprises, and institutions.

With multiple stages, immersive experiences, technical workshops, and headline keynotes, Bitcoin 2026 is designed to serve both first-time attendees and long-time Bitcoiners shaping the next era of global adoption.

Past Bitcoin Conferences in the U.S.

Bitcoin’s flagship conference has scaled dramatically over the past five years:

• 2021 – Miami: 11,000 attendees
• 2022 – Miami: 26,000 attendees
• 2023 – Miami: 15,000 attendees
• 2024 – Nashville: 22,000 attendees
• 2025 – Las Vegas: 35,000 attendees

Get Your Bitcoin 2026 Pass

Bitcoin Magazine readers can save 10% on Bitcoin 2026 tickets using code ‘ARTICLE10‘ at checkout.

Stay at The official hotel of Bitcoin 2026, The Venetian, and get a guaranteed low rate plus 15% off your pass. Hotel Prices increase soon, be in the middle of where the fun is all happening, and where the networking never ends.

And don’t forget:

Volunteer at Bitcoin 2026 and get Pro Pass access plus exclusive perks.

All students ages 13+ can apply for a Student Pass and get free general admission access to Bitcoin 2026.

Location: The Venetian, Las Vegas
Dates: April 27–29, 2026

For more information and exclusive offers, visit the Bitcoin Conference on X here.

Why Attend Bitcoin 2026?

Bitcoin 2026 is the definitive gathering for anyone serious about the future of money. With 500+ speakers, multiple world-class stages, and programming spanning Bitcoin fundamentals, open-source development, enterprise adoption, mining, energy, AI, policy, and culture, the conference brings every corner of the Bitcoin ecosystem together under one roof.

From headline keynotes on the Nakamoto Stage to deep technical sessions for builders, institutional strategy discussions for enterprises, and beginner-friendly Bitcoin 101 education, Bitcoin 2026 is designed for everyone—from first-time attendees to the leaders shaping Bitcoin’s global adoption.

Whether you’re looking to learn, build, invest, network, or influence, Bitcoin 2026 is where Bitcoin’s next chapter is written.

Bitcoin 2026 Pass Types: Something for Everyone

Bitcoin 2026 offers a range of pass options designed to meet the needs of newcomers, professionals, enterprises, and high-net-worth Bitcoiners alike.

Bitcoin 2026 General Admission Pass

Ideal for newcomers and those looking to experience the heart of the conference.

• Limited access on Days 2 & 3
• Entry to Main Stage
• Access to Genesis Stage
• Full access to the Expo Hall

Bitcoin 2026 Pro Pass

Designed for professionals, operators, and serious Bitcoin participants.

Includes all General Admission features, plus:

• Full 3-day access, including Pro Day
• Entry to the Pro Pass Reception
• Access to Enterprise Hall, Enterprise Stage, and Networking Lounge
• Conference App networking features
• Access to the Bitcoin For Corporations Symposium
• Entry to Compute Village and Energy Stage
• Complimentary lunch, coffee, tea, and snacks
• Dedicated registration and check-in
• Reserved seating at Main Stage
• Huge savings when you bundle your hotel and Pro Pass

Bitcoin 2026 Whale Pass

The all-inclusive, premium Bitcoin 2026 experience.

Includes all Pro Pass features, plus:

• Reserved seating at Main Stage
• All-inclusive gourmet food and beverages
• Entry to Whale Night and Whale Reception
• Access to all official after-parties
• Networking app access to connect with other Whales
• Premium access to The Deep — an exclusive networking lounge with intimate speaker sessions
• Complimentary stay at The Venetian when you bundle your whale pass and hotel (use promo code ‘WHALEHOTEL’ here)

This is the most immersive way to experience Bitcoin 2026.

Bitcoin 2026 After Hours Pass

Your ticket to the night.

Most deals are done with a drink in your hand. Get exclusive access to 3 official Bitcoin 2026 after-parties across Las Vegas — each with a 2-hour open bar — where the real conversations happen and the best connections are made.

• Access to 3 official Bitcoin 2026 after-parties
• 2-hour open bar at each event
• Evening events across Las Vegas, April 27–29
• Network with Bitcoiners, builders, and industry leaders after hours

More headline speaker announcements are coming soon.

Don’t miss Bitcoin 2026.

This post Adam Back Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

A crypto hack never ends when the wallet is drained. The theft lands first, fast and visible, and then a slower collapse starts to work through the rest of the project.

The token keeps sliding, the treasury shrinks with it, hiring plans get cut back, product deadlines move, partners pull away, and the company that was supposed to recover spends months fighting for credibility instead of building.

That's the picture Immunefi's new “State of Onchain Security 2026” report paints. Its argument is simple enough for any market, crypto or otherwise: the initial loss is only one part of the damage.

The much bigger problem comes from what the exploit does to a project's future. Immunefi says the average direct theft in its sample came to about $25 million, while hacked tokens saw a median six-month decline of 61%. In that window, 84% failed to recover to their hack-day price, and teams lost at least three months of progress to recovery work.

But those numbers come with caveats. Token prices fall for many reasons, and hacked projects are often fragile before an exploit hits. Some are illiquid, overvalued, or already losing momentum.

Immunefi acknowledged that it can't always fully separate hack damage from broader market weakness or project-specific troubles. Even so, the pattern it lays out deserves attention because it shows that hacks don't behave like isolated thefts anymore, and they now look like long-tail corporate crises.

That's what gives weight to the report: it shows how often the post-hack period keeps inflicting damage well after the headline fades.

The median hack might have gotten smaller, but the worst ones got more dangerous

Immunefi counted 191 hacks across 2024 and 2025, totaling $4.67 billion and bringing its five-year total to 425 hacks and $11.9 billion in losses.

The yearly count barely moved, with 94 known hacks in 2024 and 97 in 2025, almost identical to 2023. That tells us that the market didn't do a very good job of becoming safer. Hacks are now just part of everyday life in crypto, while the giant ones go on to define the year.

The main contradiction laid out in the report is in the averages.

The median theft in 2024-2025 was $2.2 million, down from $4.5 million in 2021-2023. On the surface, that might look like progress. However, the average theft still came to roughly $24.5 million, more than 11 times the median. In the earlier period, that gap was 6.8 times. The top five hacks accounted for 62% of all funds stolen, and the top 10 made up 73%.

This is a very dangerous kind of distribution. It makes the market look and feel safe and stable until one giant event rips through it. So, the typical exploit might be smaller than it used to be, but the danger sits in the tail. That's where a handful of huge failures absorb most of the damage and crash the market in a day.

Just look at Bybit. The exchange's $1.5 billion exploit became the defining hack of 2025 and, in Immunefi's accounting, represented 44% of all funds stolen that year.

It's easy to treat that kind of event as a spectacle. But it reveals a much deeper concentration problem. One failure at one major venue can distort the industry's annual loss profile and expose how much risk still sits in just a couple of critical chokepoints.

The longer decline is where projects start to break

While the report's data on theft is certainly interesting, the most eye-opening part is its price damage section.

In Immunefi's sample of 82 hacked tokens, the initial shock was essentially the same. The median two-day decline was about 10%, roughly in line with the earlier cycle. But the biggest effect was felt later, as the median six-month decline worsened to 61%, up from 53% in the 2021-2023 study.

At the six-month mark, 56.5% of hacked tokens were down more than half, and 14.5% were down more than 90%. Only about 16% traded above their hack-day price six months later.

To understand the full effect of a hack, we need to stop treating token prices as an isolated market feature. For most crypto companies, the token acts as a treasury, financing base, and often a public scorecard. A prolonged drawdown cuts directly into a company's runway, recruiting power, dealmaking leverage, and internal morale.

The report noted that hacked projects often lose security leadership within weeks and spend at least three months in recovery mode. Even if those timelines vary by project, the consequences are plain to see. A company with a damaged token and a damaged brand has fewer ways to buy time.

Plenty of markets can absorb a theft, or a bad quarter, or even a reputational hit. But crypto often compresses all three into the same event. The exploit drains funds, the token reprices the business in public, and counterparties react before the internal cleanup is finished. That's a hard environment in which to recover, especially for teams that were never overcapitalized in the first place.

Dependency risk makes it even worse. Immunefi argues that a more interconnected DeFi stack has created longer chains of vulnerability across bridges, stablecoins, liquid staking, restaking, and lending markets.

That point should be handled carefully, especially when the report uses case studies that deserve outside verification. Still, the broader direction is hard to dismiss. Crypto systems are more layered than they were a few years ago, and that means a hack can travel much farther than the protocol where it started.

Centralized venues still sit near the center of the blast zone.

The report says only 20 of the 191 hacks in 2024-2025 involved centralized exchanges, yet those incidents accounted for $2.55 billion, or 54.6% of all stolen funds.

That pushes the issue beyond just smart-contract bugs and back toward custody, key management, and infrastructure concentration. For a market that often sells decentralization as a cure for fragility, some of the largest losses still emerge from places where trust is concentrated.

But it doesn't mean every hacked project is doomed. The industry has now entered a phase where survival doesn't depend on whether a team can endure a hack, but whether it can endure the six months that come next.

The theft starts the crisis, but the slower damage decides whether the project still has a future once the market moves on.

The post Why crypto hacks don’t end and continue even when the money is gone appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Pentagon has sent the White House a request for $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war, a figure that would equal nearly 3 million Bitcoin at current market prices.

At Bitcoin’s current price of about $68,600, the request converts to 2,915,451 BTC.

That framing does not mean the government is financing the war with crypto or treating Bitcoin as a payment rail for military spending. Instead, it offers a way to translate a large federal war bill into a unit investors can compare against some of the world’s most closely watched stores of value.

Seen that way, the request moves beyond standard Washington budget language and into a scale that is easier to grasp in market terms. It also arrives before any formal submission to Congress, where the proposal is already facing resistance from lawmakers in both parties.

What nearly 3 million Bitcoin looks like

The clearest way to understand the size of the request is to compare it with the largest Bitcoin holdings already in existence.

Start with the US government’s own position. Data from BitcoinTreasuries show that US government-related entities hold 328,372 BTC. At current prices, a $200 billion war request would equal roughly 2.82 million BTC, or about 8.6 times that amount.

The same imbalance appears when the comparison shifts to the market’s largest corporate and institutional holders.

Strategy, the biggest public corporate Bitcoin holder, is listed with 761,068 BTC. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest Bitcoin fund, held about 785,629 BTC based on its March 19 share count and basket data. Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous founder of the blockchain network, is widely estimated to hold about 1.096 million BTC.

On that basis, the war request would equal about 3.7 times Strategy’s stash, 3.6 times IBIT’s holdings, and 2.6 times Satoshi’s estimated cache.

Meanwhile, the scale remains striking even when measured against broader pools of institutional ownership.

The 10 US spot Bitcoin ETFs, including IBIT, hold about 1.52 million BTC combined, meaning the request would still equal about 1.86 times that total. BitcoinTreasuries also lists the top 100 public Bitcoin treasury companies with a combined 1,176,615 BTC, which means the request would be about 2.4 times larger than the entire group.

The comparison does not stop there. Even Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, holds far less than the Bitcoin equivalent implied by the request.

In its March proof-of-reserves update, Binance said it held more than 639,000 BTC in wallets backing user balances. That puts the $200 billion figure at about 4.4 times Binance’s Bitcoin pile.

The number looks even larger when set against Bitcoin’s remaining issuance.

Blockchain.com shows 20,003,043 BTC already in circulation, leaving 996,957 BTC still to be mined before the network reaches its 21 million cap. At current prices, the war request would equal about 2.83 times all of the Bitcoin left to be mined.

Why the math looks easier in dollars than in Bitcoin

That gap points to the deeper distinction between a fiat system and a scarce digital asset.

War requests of this size can be made in dollars because the US government operates within a monetary system built around debt issuance and expanding supply.

Washington can authorize spending and finance it through Treasury borrowing, without first accumulating a fixed pool of scarce units. Treasury data show total federal debt has already climbed past $39 trillion, illustrating how spending on this scale is absorbed through deficits and bond issuance.

Bitcoin does not work that way. Its maximum supply is fixed in code at 21 million, and new coins enter circulation only through mining, a process that requires time, energy, hardware, and block-by-block issuance.

That makes Bitcoin far harder to gather at scale than fiat liabilities created through sovereign borrowing.

In practical terms, the US government can ask for another $200 billion because the dollar system allows it to keep extending its balance sheet through debt. It cannot do the equivalent in Bitcoin, because no authority can decree millions of new BTC into existence.

That difference is central to the argument many Bitcoin advocates have been making for years. In their view, Bitcoin is not only a store of value but also a monetary benchmark that exposes the scale of government spending in a way fiat often obscures.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong captured it perfectly on X, saying:

”Bitcoin is a check and balance on inflation. When spending gets too far out of hand, capital moves to Bitcoin.”

That argument has already begun to shape policy language in Washington.

In March 2025, the Trump administration issued an order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The White House described Bitcoin as a reserve asset that should not be sold, while directing officials to study budget-neutral ways to acquire more.

For Bitcoin supporters, the broader point is straightforward: in a world where war costs, deficits, and debt continue to expand in fiat terms, a scarce asset with a fixed supply becomes more relevant as a reference point.

So, a $200 billion war request may be another line item in Washington. However, in Bitcoin terms, it looks like a claim on an amount of value that exceeds the holdings of governments, ETFs, exchanges, treasury firms, and even the supply still left to be mined.

The post White House faces Iran war bill that is worth nearly 3 million Bitcoin appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Crypto opened the doors to retail now Wall Street is feasting on it

Retail investors were sold a story about market access that was impossible to argue with: trading would be cheaper, information would be easier to find, public blockchains would pull back the curtain, and the old hierarchy that once defined finance would lose some of its grip.

What that story left out, and what has become harder to ignore across both stocks and crypto, is that broader access didn't do much to stop the system from organizing itself around retail behavior. It's been studying, routing, pricing, and turning it into a source of value for someone else.

That's a new kind of problem brought about by the democratization of the crypto market. Markets are now open, and retail investors are more informed and knowledgeable than ever before.

But access and visibility were never the same thing as power. The real power lies with institutions, venues, market makers, token issuers, and insiders, all of whom have better tools, better timing, and better ways of converting public information into actual advantage.

Arkham's recent case for the positive role of retail in crypto captures one side of that story. Public ledgers expose more of the market than tradfi ever did, and that alone changed the balance of information in ways that would've been hard to imagine a decade ago.

Anyone can now track wallet movements, model token supplies, follow treasury activity, and users who would have been completely blind up until a decade ago can now see quite a bit of the market that's in front of them.

Related Reading

Bitcoin price falls below $70k, foreshadowing US market open after threat to “obliterate” all Iranian power plants

Bitcoin’s sharp drop tracks geopolitical escalation, with risk assets repricing as traders assess conflict spillover scenarios.

Mar 22, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

But visibility doesn't erase hierarchy. A public board is still a board, and the people with the fastest models, the best data, the strongest execution, and the closest read on incentives still get to trade first and with more precision.

That problem has already started surfacing across the crypto market, although in different forms. CryptoSlate's reporting on Bitcoin's ETF-driven market structure shift showed how demand increasingly travels through institutional channels that most retail investors don't control.

Another report on how stablecoins function as crypto's M2 made a similar point from another angle: the market can be open to everyone and still be shaped by capital pools, liquidity rails, and settlement systems that ordinary traders might never see.

Where the house lives now: inside the market's hidden machinery

The best place to see this in stocks is in the market's hidden machinery.

Retail order flow is valuable enough that exchanges and market centers compete for it, design incentives around it, and describe it in regulatory filings in terms far more revealing than the average investor would ever encounter on a brokerage screen.

Recent SEC filings from 24X and NYSE Arca describe rebates and tiered incentives meant to attract more retail activity and encourage firms to direct that order flow to their venues.

Related Reading

Crypto finally got SEC clarity. Why didn’t the market care?

Even after the SEC and CFTC delivered a more crypto-friendly framework, investors kept focusing on the one thing these agencies can't provide: lasting legal certainty.

Mar 21, 2026 · Andjela Radmilac

A market doesn't build formal reward structures around something unless it can be monetized.

Seen from that angle, democratized trading starts to lose some of its innocence.

Retail is now being treated as a commercially desirable input, a stream of orders with characteristics valuable enough for exchanges and intermediaries to compete over, package, and profit from. The interface may speak in the language of convenience and empowerment, but the structure underneath speaks in the language of routing economics, credits, execution quality, internalization, and rebates.

All of that sounds technical until you realize it determines where retail orders go, who gets first access to them, and who earns from the process.

That same pattern becomes even harder to ignore in crypto, partly because the industry spent years describing itself as the antidote to exactly this kind of extraction. The promise was that if finance were rebuilt in public, if ledgers were transparent and intermediaries thinner, some of the old asymmetries would weaken.

While this might have been true in the early days of crypto, it's certainly no longer the case. The house just adapted to a different kind of environment. The edge it had no longer depends on private information, but on speed, interpretation, tooling, sequencing, and the ability to act on public information faster and with more confidence than everyone else.

The SEC's January 2025 DERA working paper on crypto payment for order flow found that crypto payment for order flow lacked transparency and generated fees roughly 4.5x to 45x higher than those found in equities and options. The setting it studied produced an estimated $4.8 million in added daily trading costs.

Even without treating the paper as the final word on every corner of the crypto market, the message is clear: a market can look frictionless from the front end while still charging a hidden premium through the architecture underneath it. And those costs tend to fall on the people least equipped to see where the extraction is happening.

CryptoSlate's report on how crypto derivatives liquidations drove Bitcoin's 2025 crash showed how quickly visible participation can be overrun by leverage and forced positioning. A later report argued that on-chain scarcity is transparent, but price discovery isn't.

Related Reading

Why Bitcoin was made for the stagflation economic conditions set to dominate 2026

Stagflation: The word of the year for 2026 and why Bitcoiners need to know what it means

Mar 22, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

Retail can see more of the game and still be the product

That's why transparency, while valuable, should never be confused with symmetry.

A blockchain can make a treasury wallet visible, make token movements legible, and let anyone monitor issuance, unlock schedules, staking behavior, and governance activity. But none of that means all participants are equally positioned to understand what those things mean in real time.

Public information still has to be gathered, cleaned, interpreted, ranked, and acted on. By the time a retail trader notices that a large holder has started moving funds, or that a token with a swollen fully diluted valuation is heading toward another supply release, the people with better systems have already modeled the pressure, adjusted positioning, and prepared to trade the reaction.

A project can boast about unparalleled transparency, while still creating a structure in which those closest to the project have insider knowledge and those farthest from it absorb the consequences later.

This isn't a claim that retail can never win, or that ordinary investors are uniquely naive, or that markets were somehow fairer in the past. The point is much more nuanced and more disturbing because it sits inside the design of the thing itself.

Retail participation has become easier, more visible, and more culturally central across financial markets. At the same time, it became highly monetizable for the institutions, venues, issuers, and counterparties operating around it. The user is invited in as an owner, thinks like a participant, but tends to get processed like a product.

That's why the old promise of democratized markets now feels incomplete.
The system opened, and the data became more visible. A lot of the old walls guarding the market were toppled, but none of that prevented its deep, inherent structure from rewarding those who can exploit retail flow.

The house always wins. That's why it didn't disappear, just became more abstract, technical, and much harder to recognize because it learned how to present itself as infrastructure.

So the lingering question isn't whether retail investors were allowed into the market, because they plainly were, and it isn't whether modern finance is more open than it was, because it plainly is.

The harder question, and the one that stays with you longer, is whether all that openness altered the balance of power in any fundamental sense, or whether it simply made the language friendlier and the extraction of value more elegant.

The post Retail was promised fair markets. So why does the house keep winning? appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin drops after Trump’s Truth Social threat turns ceasefire language into renewed escalation

Overnight, Bitcoin dramatically fell 2.8% after President Donald Trump issued a Truth Social post threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened within 48 hours.

The drop ran from roughly $70,400 to $68,200 before a partial rebound toward $69,500. By press time, Bitcoin had softened again to around $68,700. The sequence points to a discrete trigger. It was a fast repricing tied to a live geopolitical development that widened the escalation path just as markets had begun to price a less aggressive trajectory.

The immediate question is whether the move was a temporary air pocket or a more meaningful change in market structure. That distinction carries weight because Bitcoin had not been trading like a market in collapse.

Over the prior two weeks, it had shown a pattern of smaller drawdowns on larger war-related developments, and by last week Bitcoin was outperforming most major assets after initially selling off when the conflict began. Barron’s also noted that crypto had started to attract flows as a hedge against Iran-related geopolitical risk.

That is why Trump’s post stands out. It hit a market that had already built a recovery case around the idea that the first panic had been absorbed.

The useful question is whether the post interrupted a still-valid recovery structure, or reminded the market that the recovery had not yet earned acceptance above the range that counted.

The post also carries extra force because of the sequence around it. Less than 24 hours earlier, Trump had been discussing the possibility of winding the war down. That did not amount to a ceasefire, and markets had little reason to treat it as one.

It still narrowed the perceived path of near-term escalation. The overnight shift back to a 48-hour ultimatum and a threat aimed at Iranian power infrastructure reversed that signal abruptly.

The administration had floated de-escalation while moving toward harder rhetoric and broader threats. Markets do not need a formal policy change to react to that kind of reversal.

The broader oil and rates backdrop remains relevant, though it sits in the background here. Weeks of reporting have already covered Hormuz, crude, inflation sensitivity, and the knock-on effects for broader risk assets. What changed overnight was the trigger.

The post introduced a more extreme rhetorical posture, pointed toward civilian energy infrastructure, and undercut the prior day’s softer tone. In market terms, that was new information. It changed the distribution of possible next moves, and Bitcoin repriced that distribution immediately.

Bitcoin is especially useful in moments like this because it trades continuously and reacts before other major markets can fully reset. During the opening phase of the Iran war, Bitcoin sold off first because it was the only large liquid market open when the conflict widened.

That leaves it functioning less as a settled safe-haven verdict and more as a fast transmission line. The asset often prices the shock first, then spends the next sessions showing whether the first reaction was exhaustion, overreaction, or the start of a deeper repricing.

So what does the structure show now? Bitcoin had been consolidating in a broad $62,800 to $72,600 range, with repeated failures above $70,000 and negative return skew prevailing until a decisive hold above that level is established.

Glassnode places the broader market between a Realized Price around $54,400 and a True Market Mean near $78,400. Put simply, Bitcoin had repaired a meaningful portion of the panic damage, while still falling short of a clean breakout. That limit still shapes the reading of the latest move.

That leaves the post-trigger drop easier to interpret. A fall from $70,400 to $68,200 carries significance because it pushed Bitcoin back below a level that still needed acceptance. In that sense, the market did not lose a confirmed breakout. It lost a test of one. The distinction is substantive.

A failed breakout carries broader structural consequences. A failed test is still a warning, though it sits one rung lower on the ladder. The data suggests this move belongs in the second category unless follow-through selling starts to damage the lower part of the range.

The second layer is market composition. Bitcoin dominance is holding near 58% while institutional positioning stayed concentrated in large caps. It also found that options open interest had overtaken perpetual futures, with traders leaning more heavily on protective structures after prior deleveraging.

That helps explain why the move was violent without yet turning disorderly. A more hedged market can still sell hard on geopolitical shock. What changes is the shape of the follow-through. The reaction becomes more surgical and less indiscriminate.

At the same time, there is little reason for complacency. The bear case is simpler than the bull case here.

If Trump’s post proves to be the first step in a new escalation sequence rather than a one-off threat, Bitcoin does not need a grand macro theory to trade lower. It only needs the market to decide that the conflict path has become harder to handicap.

That would keep the asset in its familiar role as a liquid shock absorber, pricing geopolitical uncertainty before traditional markets have fully reopened or rebalanced.

The base case is more restrained. It assumes the market has already repriced the post itself, while stopping short of confirming a larger structural breakdown. Under that framework, the important threshold is not the intraday low alone.

Whether Bitcoin can re-establish acceptance near $70,000 after being pushed away from it by the Truth Social escalation is critical. If it can, the move begins to look like a violent but temporary rejection driven by weekend geopolitical flow.

If it cannot, attention shifts back toward the lower half of Glassnode’s war range and the unresolved question of whether the recovery ever had real sponsorship behind it.

An escape hatch to the upside needs two conditions. First, the rhetoric has to cool, or at least stop worsening. Second, Bitcoin has to convert recovery into acceptance rather than another brief visit to the upper band. That is where the earlier resilience narrative comes back into focus.

Prior to this post, the market had begun treating Bitcoin less as a pure speculative beta trade and more as an asset capable of stabilizing after the first geopolitical hit. That reading has been dented by the latest move. It has not been erased by it.

The broader lesson is straightforward. Trump’s Truth Social post was the active market trigger. It took a market that had started to normalize the conflict and forced it to price a fresh escalation path, immediately and in size.

That is why the 2.8% drop deserves close attention. The move does not prove Bitcoin is weak. It also does not settle the debate around any safe-haven role.

It shows that abrupt rhetorical reversals from the White House can still knock Bitcoin out of a fragile recovery posture in minutes.

Bitcoin has not broken structurally, while still falling short of the standard needed to ignore this kind of geopolitical shock. The post exposed that limit clearly. The market had repaired damage. It had not secured acceptance.

That leaves one test ahead of the others, whether Bitcoin can reclaim the upper part of its range after a very public escalation shock, or whether this latest development will be remembered as the event that turned a recovery attempt back into a live credibility test.

The post Bitcoin price falls below $70k, foreshadowing US market open after threat to “obliterate” all Iranian power plants appeared first on CryptoSlate.

One economic word could well define 2026: stagflation.

It is an ugly word that describes a regime where prices keep rising while growth loses force, labor weakens, and policymakers run short of easy options.

That combination changes the texture of daily life fast.

Households feel it in food, fuel, insurance, rent, transport, utilities, subscriptions, and credit. Businesses feel it in margins, demand, inventories, and financing costs. Markets feel it in rate uncertainty and slower earnings growth.

In a stagflation environment, we could expect Bitcoin to initially trade choppy with risk assets, then potentially outperform as markets price policy constraint, falling real yields, and stronger demand for scarce, non-sovereign stores of value.

That is why the term deserves attention today, rather than later in the year when it could become common shorthand. Just like ‘social distancing' and ‘Zoom' in 2020, and the ‘short squeeze' in 2021, understanding stagflation before it becomes cool may turn out to be the big-brain play of 2026.

The case for learning the word now is simple. A lot of people already live with the conditions that make the idea intuitive.

Since 2020, the price level has reset higher across much of the developed world. Wages have risen too, though often with less force than the lived increase in household costs.

Official inflation measures have cooled from their peaks, yet affordability has stayed under pressure. The gap between statistical relief and lived relief has remained wide.

That gap is where stagflation will start to make sense to the public.

Related Reading

Fed rate cut chance hits zero, threatening stagflation where Bitcoin thrives as a hedge against long term inflation

After the Fed held rates steady this week, markets abruptly swung from expecting cuts to entertaining hikes later in 2026, a shift that could weigh on Bitcoin and other risk trades.

Mar 21, 2026 · Gino Matos

What stagflation actually means

At the macro level, stagflation is a combination of three conditions:

Elevated inflation, weak growth, and a labor market that is losing strength.

The full version usually includes a fourth condition as well, policy constraint. Central banks cannot ease aggressively because inflation is still too high. Governments face fiscal limits, political constraints, or both. The normal playbook becomes harder to use.

That is the formal definition.

For ordinary people, the lived definition is clearer:

Everything costs more, but life does not feel richer.

That really captures the consumer side of the regime.

Pay may rise on paper. Spending may keep moving. The economy may still produce respectable aggregate numbers. Yet households still feel pinned, because the real experience is a steady squeeze on purchasing power.

A healthy inflation cycle usually comes with stronger demand, firmer wage growth, better hiring, more investment, and a general sense of expansion. People pay more, though they can often absorb more as well.

Stagflation brings a harsher mix. Prices rise, while growth support fades. Consumers pay more, while employers become more selective. Companies defend margins, while households cut discretionary spending. Policymakers talk about resilience, while the average family sees a monthly budget that offers less room than it used to.

That is why the word could land so hard once it enters mainstream use. It captures a regime that feels unfair, persistent, and resistant to clean fixes.

I save in Bitcoin, why should I care about stagflation?

In a stagflationary setup, where inflation stays sticky while real growth and labor momentum deteriorate, Bitcoin can help less as a clean “inflation hedge” and more as a policy-credibility and debasement hedge plus a liquidity-regime trade.

If investors conclude the central bank is constrained (can’t ease much without risking inflation, can’t tighten much without worsening growth), confidence in long-duration fiat purchasing power can weaken at the margin, and scarce, non-sovereign assets tend to look more attractive, especially if real yields fall or the market starts pricing renewed easing/financial repression.

Bitcoin also offers portability and censorship resistance, which can matter if stagflation spills into tighter capital controls or banking stress in parts of the world.

There is, however, a caveat: in the early phase of a stagflation shock, especially if energy spikes and risk assets de-rate, Bitcoin can trade like a high-beta liquidity asset and sell off with equities before any “store-of-value” narrative reasserts itself.

Related Reading

Why rising mortgage rates and gas prices are suddenly impacting Bitcoin holders directly

Consumer sentiment is tanking and its not helping Bitcoin as it struggles to hold $70,000.

Mar 20, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

The US is approaching a stagflation confirmation test

Right now, prices remain elevated. Growth has slowed. Payroll revisions have exposed a weaker labor market than the real-time prints implied. The next question is whether a fresh cost shock reaches consumers before disinflation completes its work.

The US has not completed a textbook stagflation confirmation.

It is, however, moving closer to that threshold than the cleaner market narrative suggests. The distinction is important for regime analysis.

Inflation remains above target. Growth has decelerated sharply from the pace seen in late 2025. Payrolls have softened and then been revised lower.

At the same time, the next cost shock is forming in energy and tariffs before it fully appears in backward-looking inflation data.

The useful question is not whether households have felt squeezed since 2020. They plainly have.  The CPI index stood at 258.678 in February 2020 and 326.785 in February 2026. That is a cumulative rise of roughly 26%.

For consumers, that is the part of the picture that should carry the most weight. Inflation slowing from the 2022 peak never meant prices returned to prior levels.

It meant the rate of increase moderated. In that sense, the public's view that life has become structurally more expensive rests on the price level itself.

What “confirmation” actually requires

Stagflation is a macro condition with a wider scope than a consumer complaint. Companies raising costs and passing them through is one channel within that condition.

The fuller structure is more demanding. Prices stay firm or re-accelerate. Real activity weakens.

Labor softens enough to make the slowdown visible beyond anecdotes. Policy then becomes constrained because the central bank has limited room to ease into sticky inflation.

That leaves a three-layer test: inflation persistence, growth deterioration, and policy constraint.

The US has clearly met the first layer, is moving through the second, and is approaching the third.

Start with inflation persistence. February CPI rose 0.3% month over month and 2.4% year over year, while core CPI rose 0.2% on the month and 2.5% on the year.

Those readings do not show a fresh break higher in the official consumer data. They also leave little basis for an all-clear.

January PCE rose 2.8% year over year, while core PCE ran at 3.1%.

Producer prices are firmer still. February final-demand PPI rose 0.7% on the month and 3.4% on the year, the largest 12-month increase since February 2025.

Put simply, the consumer-facing print is cooler than the pipeline. That setup can change quickly if a new cost shock becomes persistent.

The growth layer already shows visible deceleration. BEA’s second estimate showed real GDP growth at 0.7% annualized in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 4.4% in the third quarter.

Atlanta Fed GDPNow nowcasts first-quarter 2026 growth at 2.3%.

That pace still sits above recession territory. It also leaves the economy with much less margin for error than a few months ago.

An economy growing at 0.7% in one quarter and roughly 2% in the next can still avoid contraction. It is far more exposed to an inflation shock than an economy growing at 3–4%.

The labor layer is where the argument that we're “very close to confirmation” gains force.

February payrolls fell by 92,000, and unemployment held at 4.4%. On a standalone basis, that reads as soft rather than decisive. The revisions carry more weight.

BLS benchmarked the payroll series lower, revising 2025 job growth from +584,000 to +181,000. That revision shows a labor market that was materially weaker than the real-time prints suggested.

A labor market slowing from visible strength produces one interpretation. A labor market that was overestimated on the way down produces another.

Policy constraint and the next cost shock

That still leaves room before a final verdict.

In his March 18 press conference, Powell said unemployment has changed little in recent months, job gains have remained low, and other indicators such as openings, layoffs, hiring, and nominal wage growth generally show little change.

The Fed’s own median projections still place 2026 real GDP growth at 2.4%, unemployment at 4.4%, and both headline and core PCE inflation at 2.7% by year-end.

Those figures describe a central bank that still sees moderate expansion ahead, alongside inflation that remains above target and a labor market that has lost momentum.

When we come to policy constraints, the current setup becomes more uncomfortable than the surface inflation data alone would imply.

The Fed left the policy rate at 3.5–3.75% in March. Powell said the implications of developments in the Middle East for the US economy remain uncertain.

The median projected federal funds rate for end-2026 remains 3.4%, which still points toward eventual easing.

That projection now sits beside higher inflation forecasts than the Fed published in December and growth risks that lean lower. The policy path still points down, while the room to move down cleanly has narrowed. That is how a policy bind starts to form.

To make things worse, the economy now has to deal with greater uncertainty around a major factor of inflation: energy. The Strait of Hormuz closing due to the Iran war means the oil channel is the clearest near-term threat to that balance.

EIA data already shows how fast the transmission can start. US regular gasoline rose from $3.015 a gallon on March 2 to $3.720 on March 16. On-highway diesel jumped from $3.897 to $5.071 over the same span.

Those are large moves over a short window.

If sustained, they can alter inflation psychology, freight costs, and near-term household expectations even before they dominate the full CPI basket.

Tariffs sit in the same category.

The Supreme Court ruled in February that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.

That ruling briefly suggested a legal break in the inflationary trade impulse. The White House then moved under Section 122 to impose a temporary 10% ad valorem import surcharge for up to 150 days.

USTR has since opened new Section 301 investigations. The market loses precision when it treats the court ruling as the end of the tariff issue. The better frame is a legal transmission.

One channel closed. Others remain open. For prices and business planning, the uncertainty still leans in the same direction.

Where the line sits right now

There is still an important caveat. Inflation expectations have yet to show a full regime break.

The New York Fed’s February Survey of Consumer Expectations showed one-year inflation expectations at 3%, with three-year and five-year expectations also at 3%. That leaves a signal worth respecting.

Households still remain uncomfortable, while the longer end of expectations has yet to show a clear break higher. That is one reason we can't call stagflation. The framework is historical first and causal second.

It can describe a setup that resembles the entry phase of a stagflation regime without claiming the final state has already arrived.

The distinction between lived experience and macro confirmation sits at the center of the debate. For households, the past six years have carried a stagflationary feel. Prices climbed sharply. Affordability deteriorated.

Many services that define daily life, groceries, insurance, housing-linked costs, subscriptions, and transport, moved higher and then stayed there.

Wage gains helped in nominal terms, though they often failed to repair the full affordability hit created by the price-level jump. Consumers do not live inside month-over-month base effects. They live inside the cumulative level.

That consumer reading should have analytical value because price-level damage changes behavior long before the formal macro label changes.

Households cut discretionary spending. Small businesses adjust inventory and hiring plans. Firms test pricing power more aggressively.

Political tolerance for further cost increases falls. Central banks face a narrower path because inflation fatigue weakens confidence in repeated assurances that the next quarter will look better.

In that sense, lived experience can lead formal diagnosis.

The macro diagnosis still needs a threshold. Weak growth and weaker labor have to sit beside sticky or rising inflation in the same window.

The US is moving closer to that configuration. The labor revisions show the slowdown is more advanced than the real-time prints implied.

The inflation data show disinflation has progressed, while the last mile remains incomplete.

Oil and tariffs show the next inflation impulse may already be entering the system. That combination narrows the distance to confirmation.

I feel that the most defensible take is pretty straightforward.

The lived experience since 2020 has been stagflationary in the way ordinary people use the term: prices rose far faster than comfort, affordability did not recover, and lower inflation never repaired the level damage.

The macro label still requires one more layer. Labor deterioration and growth weakness have to sit beside sticky or rising inflation at the same time.

The US is now very close to that test. If the next round of data shows labor weakening further while core inflation stops improving, the debate shifts from stagflation risk to stagflation confirmation.

Bitcoin thrives during long-term persistent inflation

Over the long run, the case for Bitcoin as an inflation hedge is less about matching CPI prints quarter to quarter and more about protecting against persistent monetary dilution and negative real returns in traditional cash and sovereign bonds.

Because Bitcoin’s supply schedule is credibly capped and not subject to discretionary issuance, it can function as a “hard money” alternative when investors expect multi-year deficits, debt monetization risk, or policy that keeps real rates structurally low to manage debt burdens.

In that framework, the hedge is about preserving purchasing power across cycles, especially in a world where fiat purchasing power erodes steadily, even if the path is volatile and punctuated by drawdowns.

The trade-off is that Bitcoin’s long-term inflation-hedge appeal is probabilistic rather than mechanical: it may outperform over multi-year horizons when debasement fears rise and real yields compress, but it can still underperform for long stretches if liquidity tightens, real yields rise, or risk appetite collapses.

In the current ETF era of Bitcoin, we may be about to find out how Bitcoin performs amid persistent inflation, tight liquidity, and high institutional exposure.

The post Why Bitcoin was made for the stagflation economic conditions set to dominate 2026 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The XRP price is showing notable resilience despite ongoing volatility across the crypto market. While many altcoins struggle to maintain support levels, XRP is holding steady, suggesting that underlying demand remains strong.

As macro uncertainty continues to impact markets, traders are now asking:
👉 Is XRP preparing for its next breakout?

XRP price stabilizes near key levels

Currently, the XRP price is trading around the $1.38–$1.42 range, holding above an important short-term support zone.

This level has acted as a strong base in recent sessions, preventing further downside despite broader market pressure driven by macro news and geopolitical tensions.

Holding this zone is critical. If XRP maintains this support, it could build momentum for the next move higher.

Why XRP price is showing strength

Unlike many altcoins, XRP benefits from a unique narrative:

• Ongoing institutional interest
• Strong positioning in cross-border payments
• Continued relevance in regulatory discussions

This combination helps XRP remain relatively stable even when market sentiment shifts.

Additionally, XRP often reacts later than Bitcoin, meaning delayed but stronger moves can follow periods of consolidation.

Key levels to watch next

For the XRP price, traders should closely monitor:

• Support: $1.35 – $1.38
• Resistance: $1.45 – $1.50

👉 A break above $1.50 could trigger a stronger bullish move
👉 A drop below $1.35 may lead to a deeper correction

Right now, XRP is sitting at a decision point.

Conclusion — XRP price at a turning point

The XRP price is currently consolidating at a key level, showing resilience while the broader market remains uncertain.

This type of price action often precedes a larger move.

Whether XRP breaks upward or revisits lower levels will largely depend on overall market sentiment — but one thing is clear:

👉 XRP is not weak — it is waiting.

Stablecoins are rapidly moving from niche crypto tools to a central pillar of the global financial system. While much of the market focuses on Bitcoin volatility and geopolitical tensions, a quieter but far more structural shift is taking place.

From regulatory breakthroughs in the United States to global expansion by major payment companies, stablecoins are positioning themselves as the digital version of the dollar — faster, borderless, and increasingly integrated into everyday finance.

This raises a critical question: are stablecoins quietly becoming the new global dollar?

PayPal and Big Tech Are Accelerating Stablecoin Adoption

One of the clearest signals of this shift comes from PayPal, which has expanded its stablecoin services to over 70 countries. This move significantly lowers the barrier for millions of users to access digital dollars without relying on traditional banking systems.

Unlike earlier crypto adoption cycles driven by speculation, this wave is infrastructure-driven. Payment giants are embedding stablecoins directly into financial ecosystems, allowing users to send, receive, and store value globally in seconds.

This is not just innovation — it is a transformation of how money moves.

US Regulation Is Turning Bullish for Stablecoins

At the same time, regulatory clarity is beginning to emerge in the United States. Coordination between agencies like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is reducing uncertainty that has long slowed crypto adoption.

More importantly, recent discussions between lawmakers and the White House around stablecoin frameworks signal a shift toward integration rather than restriction.

This is a major turning point.

Instead of treating stablecoins as a threat, regulators are increasingly viewing them as an extension of the dollar’s global dominance — but in digital form.

Stablecoins Are Solving Real Global Problems

Stablecoins are gaining traction because they address real-world inefficiencies in traditional finance:

• Cross-border payments remain slow and expensive
• Banking access is limited in many regions
• Currency instability drives demand for dollar-based assets

Stablecoins offer:

• Instant transactions
• Lower fees
• Access to dollar liquidity anywhere in the world

In regions facing inflation or capital controls, stablecoins are already functioning as a practical alternative to local currencies.

A New Financial System Is Emerging

What makes this shift particularly important is its timing.

As geopolitical tensions rise and global trade faces increasing friction, the demand for neutral, digital, and liquid financial tools is growing.

Stablecoins are uniquely positioned at the center of this transformation:

• Backed by fiat currencies
• Integrated into crypto ecosystems
• Increasingly adopted by institutions

This creates a hybrid financial system where traditional and digital finance converge.

Risks and Challenges Still Remain

Despite their rapid growth, stablecoins are not without risks:

• Regulatory fragmentation across countries
• Dependence on underlying reserves
• Centralization concerns
• Potential competition from central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)

However, these challenges are being actively addressed as the market matures and institutions become more involved.

Conclusion — The Rise of the Digital Dollar

Stablecoins are no longer just a crypto niche — they are becoming a core layer of global finance.

With major companies expanding access, regulators moving toward clarity, and real-world demand increasing, stablecoins are quietly evolving into the digital equivalent of the dollar.

This transformation may not be as visible as Bitcoin price swings, but its long-term impact could be far greater.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Current Market State

The digital asset market is currently at a critical crossroads as we move through March 2026. After hitting local highs, the $Bitcoin price has retraced to stabilize around the $68,500 – $69,500 zone. While some retail investors view this sideways movement as a sign of weakness, professional traders recognize it as a high-probability "coiling" phase. This period of consolidation often precedes a massive directional breakout, offering a unique window for those looking to trade Bitcoin with a structured approach.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Is $75,000 Next?

Current data suggests that the Bitcoin price prediction for the remainder of Q1 2026 hinges on the $70,000 psychological level. As of March 22, 2026, BTC is trading at approximately $68,625, showing a slight cooling off from the recent rally. For traders, this "easy period" refers to the clear technical boundaries currently in play on the BTC-USD chart, which allow for well-defined risk management and high-reward entries before the next volatility spike.

Defining the Bitcoin Price Action and Volatility

To capitalize on this movement, it is essential to understand the BTC/USD price action. Price action refers to the movement of a security's price plotted over time. In the current context, we are observing a "Bull Flag" on the daily chart. Trading this successfully involves identifying support (where buying pressure starts) and resistance (where selling pressure begins).

Technical Breakdown: Key Levels for the Bitcoin Price

Looking at the current market structure, we can see a distinct pattern emerging. After the "flash crash" of late 2025, the market spent months finding a floor.

The Technical Setup

• Support Zone: $65,000 - $68,000. This area has been defended vigorously by institutional "whales."
• Resistance Zone: $72,000 - $76,000. This is the ceiling that must be cracked for a move toward $100k.
• Correlation Factors: BTC currently shows an increasing correlation with the S&P 500. According to data from Bloomberg, this often precedes a period of heightened volatility in the Bitcoin price.

Pro Strategy to Trade Bitcoin During Consolidation

During this period, the most effective way to make money is not by guessing the direction, but by reacting to the levels. Here is a professional strategy to trade Bitcoin right now:

• The Range Play: Buy near the $67,500 support with a tight stop-loss at $66,000. Target the upper resistance at $72,000.
• The Breakout Entry: Set a "Buy Stop" order at $72,500. If the Bitcoin price breaks this level with high volume, it confirms a bullish reversal.
• The Hedge: Use hardware wallets for long-term holdings while keeping only trading capital on top-tier exchanges.

Fundamental Catalysts Driving the Bitcoin Price

While the charts look technical, fundamentals are driving the sentiment. The Federal Reserve’s stance in 2026 has kept "risk-on" assets under pressure. However, the increasing adoption of BTC as a reserve asset provides a long-term regulatory tailwind. This "flight to quality" is why the Bitcoin price is outperforming the broader market.

Bitcoin Price Metrics

• Summary for Traders: The current Bitcoin price prediction suggests we are in a "calm before the storm" phase. By utilizing a disciplined strategy to trade Bitcoin and keeping a close eye on the $70,000 pivot point, traders can position themselves for the next leg of the bull cycle.

The cryptocurrency market experienced a significant "risk-off" event over the past few days, triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Following statements from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting an extension of military operations and potential strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure, investors have fled volatile assets. This shift has led to a noticeable correction across major digital assets, as seen in the latest market data.

Crypto Crash Reason: Trump and Wars

When global stability is threatened, speculative markets like cryptocurrencies often react with high volatility. The recent announcement that the U.S. might target Iranian oil facilities—specifically strategic hubs like Kharg Island—sent oil prices toward $120 per barrel, creating fears of a global inflationary shock.

Historically, while Bitcoin has been labeled "digital gold," it often trades in correlation with high-growth tech stocks during the initial phase of a geopolitical crisis. The current crash reflects a liquidity squeeze as traders move to safer havens like the U.S. Dollar and physical gold.

Crypto Price Analysis: Top 10 Performance

Based on recent exchange data, the market is overwhelmingly "in the red," with YTD (Year-to-Date) performances showing significant double-digit losses for the first time this quarter.

Bitcoin (BTC) Performance

The Bitcoin price has struggled to maintain the $70,000 psychological support level. Dropping 3.25% in 24 hours, $BTC is now down over 21% YTD. This suggests that even institutional inflows through ETFs are currently being outweighed by macro-driven sell pressure.

Ethereum and Altcoins

Ethereum ($ETH) has taken a harder hit than Bitcoin, sliding 4.07% today and sitting at a staggering -30.29% YTD. Other major players like Solana ($SOL) and $BNB follow a similar pattern, losing roughly 3-5% of their value as the market anticipates further military escalation.

Impact of Energy Prices on the Industry

The threat to hitting Iranian oil targets doesn't just affect investor sentiment; it has a direct impact on the crypto mining industry. Rising energy costs can make mining less profitable, potentially leading to a lower "hashprice" and increased selling pressure from miners who need to cover operational costs. According to reports from Bloomberg, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains the biggest tail risk for global energy markets in 2026.

Why Bitcoin Is Ignoring the Iran War

Global markets are once again facing rising geopolitical tension. News surrounding Iran, the United States, and the Strait of Hormuz has triggered uncertainty across traditional financial markets.

Yet despite these developments, the cryptocurrency market is showing unexpected stability.

Bitcoin continues to hold key levels near the $70,000 range, avoiding the sharp panic selling typically seen during geopolitical crises.

This unusual behavior is raising a key question:
👉 Why is Bitcoin ignoring the Iran war?

War Headlines No Longer Move Crypto

When the first signs of escalation appeared, Bitcoin reacted as expected.

• Prices moved higher as investors looked for alternative assets
• Volatility increased across crypto markets
• Risk sentiment shifted rapidly

However, as the situation evolved, the market response began to fade.

Despite ongoing headlines:

• Military developments
• Oil supply concerns
• Regional instability

Bitcoin is no longer reacting strongly.

👉 This suggests that the market may have already priced in the conflict.

The Real Drivers Now: Macro Over Geopolitics

While geopolitical tensions dominate headlines, crypto markets are increasingly driven by macroeconomic factors.

Key drivers include:

• Central bank policy
• Interest rate expectations
• Inflation data
• Institutional flows

The focus has shifted away from short-term news toward long-term liquidity conditions.

👉 In other words:
The war may be loud — but macro is louder.

Oil Is Moving — But Bitcoin Isn’t

One of the clearest signals of this disconnect is oil.

Geopolitical tensions have pushed energy markets into volatility, with oil reacting strongly to developments in the Middle East.

But Bitcoin has not followed the same pattern.

This divergence is important:

• Oil reflects immediate geopolitical risk
• Bitcoin reflects broader financial expectations

👉 This suggests Bitcoin is no longer trading as a pure crisis hedge — but as a macro-driven asset.

Market in Transition: Accumulation Phase?

Current price action points toward a market in transition rather than panic.

We are seeing:

• Sideways consolidation
• Reduced volatility compared to initial headlines
• Continued institutional interest

This type of environment is often associated with accumulation phases, where:

• Retail investors hesitate
• Smart money quietly builds positions
• The next trend forms in the background

What Happens Next? Breakout or Fakeout

With Bitcoin holding steady despite geopolitical pressure, the market may be preparing for its next major move.

Two scenarios are emerging:

Bullish scenario:

• Liquidity improves
• Interest rate expectations ease
• Bitcoin breaks higher

Bearish scenario:

• Macro conditions tighten
• Liquidity remains restricted
• Another correction occurs

👉 In both cases, volatility is likely to increase before a clear direction emerges.

Conclusion: A New Market Behavior

Bitcoin’s reaction to the Iran conflict signals a shift in how the market operates.

In previous cycles, geopolitical crises triggered immediate and strong reactions. Today, the response is more measured.

This suggests:

• The market is maturing
• Macro factors are gaining dominance
• Bitcoin is evolving beyond simple narratives

The Iran war may still impact global markets — but for crypto, the bigger story is what happens in the global liquidity cycle.

One of India's largest crypto exchanges said the move is based on a coordinated fraud using fake CoinDCX identities.

Lawmakers are expected to weigh steps toward on-chain securities, even as the bigger legal and investor risks remain unresolved.

Earlier deleveraging and continued institutional participation have helped keep Bitcoin more stable than other risk assets during the recent macro-driven selloff.

The Los Angeles Superior Court is pilot testing whether Learned Hand’s curated AI can help manage rising workloads.

Publicly traded firms are now stacking Ethereum, pulling in billions of dollars of ETH. These are the largest holders.

The Bitcoin network is witnessing an unprecedented collapse in hashrate as major mining operations pivot their infrastructure toward the high-margin world of artificial intelligence.

Price of the XRP token is currently testing a make-or-break horizontal support level just below $1.38.

The current state of the market is somewhat questionable; no fresh inflows, but bears are not yet active.

This week's top stories: XRP-based institutional giant to hit $1 billion; SEC declares SHIB not a security; BTC reacts to Fed.

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has issued a stark warning to the traditional banking sector, arguing that legacy financial institutions are highly vulnerable to being overthrown by cryptocurrency and fintech innovators.

Key Takeaways

• DOGE consolidates around $0.094 within a descending triangle pattern established since the 2021 all-time high
• Critical resistance level at $0.10 could unlock price objectives between $0.20 and $0.30
• Elliott Wave framework indicates DOGE may be finishing its final corrective phase around $0.093–$0.094
• Technical analyst Javon Marks spots hidden bullish divergence with potential upside to $0.44
• Blockchain metrics reveal 60,000–110,000 daily active addresses, indicating consistent network engagement

Dogecoin (DOGE) currently hovers around $0.094 as of March 21–22, 2026, confined within a prolonged technical consolidation structure that market participants are monitoring with keen interest.

Following its peak at $0.73 in May 2021, DOGE has experienced approximately 73% depreciation and transitioned into a lengthy consolidation period. The weekly timeframe reveals a formation of descending peaks creating a triangle configuration, with price support maintained within the $0.055 to $0.08 corridor.

Chart analyst CryptoPatel drew attention to this formation, observing that DOGE is positioned close to the upper limit of this extended compression area. This pattern indicates diminishing volatility as downward momentum weakens.

Analyst Crypto Lens identifies a 5-year demand region surrounding $0.07867. Historical breakouts from comparable formations delivered returns of +173%, +180%, and +421%, although historical performance doesn’t ensure future replication.

Elliott Wave Analysis and Momentum Divergence

Certain market observers interpret the current structure using Elliott Wave methodology. According to this framework, DOGE appears to be finalizing the fifth and concluding segment of a corrective downtrend, with Fibonacci projections clustering between $0.093 and $0.094.

Should this wave sequence conclude near present price levels, buying interest may emerge to challenge resistance around $0.098–$0.10.

Independently, analyst Javon Marks has detected a hidden bullish divergence developing within the $0.093–$0.095 territory. While price establishes higher lows above $0.09, momentum indicators are recording lower lows — a technical condition frequently linked to diminishing bearish momentum.

Marks proposes that if this divergence materializes as expected, DOGE might surge beyond 350%, reaching price levels exceeding $0.44 from approximately $0.093.

Critical Price Zones Under Observation

TradingView technical summaries continue displaying a “Sell” orientation across moving average metrics. Momentum oscillators such as RSI and Stochastic maintain predominantly neutral readings.

Market participants are focusing on these crucial levels:

• Resistance zones: $0.095 and $0.098
• Major psychological barrier: $0.10
• Support foundations: $0.092 and $0.088–$0.090

A weekly candle closing beyond the descending trendline, accompanied by volume surge, would constitute the most definitive bullish confirmation. Chart-based projection techniques indicate a breakthrough above $0.10 might establish objectives within the $0.20–$0.30 spectrum.

Blockchain analytics from Glassnode and IntoTheBlock document daily active addresses fluctuating between 60,000 and 110,000, with daily transaction counts spanning 80,000 to 200,000.

As of March 22, 2026, DOGE registered at $0.09191, reflecting a 2.81% decline across the preceding 24-hour period. The $0.09 support threshold remains the critical structural foundation under trader observation.

The post Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Poised for 350% Breakout, Technical Patterns Suggest appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Recent agreement on stablecoin rewards breathes new life into Senate crypto legislation
• Galaxy Digital analyst Alex Thorn cautions that stablecoin provisions aren’t the only challenge
• Critical matters including DeFi oversight, SEC authority limits, and developer safeguards await resolution
• Senate Banking Committee must advance the legislation by April’s end to maintain viability
• Senator Lummis projects committee markup following Easter break, targeting 2026 passage

A preliminary compromise between administration representatives and Senate lawmakers regarding stablecoin rewards has breathed fresh momentum into the CLARITY Act, sweeping cryptocurrency legislation currently navigating the U.S. Senate.

The March 2026 arrangement between Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks alongside White House negotiators seeks to settle a contentious dispute involving the cryptocurrency sector and conventional banking institutions concerning stablecoin reward programs provided by digital asset exchanges.

Traditional banking entities expressed concerns that such reward structures might redirect customer deposits from established financial institutions toward cryptocurrency trading platforms. The negotiated compromise attempts to mitigate these apprehensions through revised legislative language.

Patrick Witt, serving as President Trump’s cryptocurrency policy advisor, characterized the breakthrough as a “major milestone” while acknowledging that additional efforts are necessary to finalize stablecoin reward provisions and tackle remaining concerns.

Yet optimism faces tempered reality from Galaxy Digital’s research director Alex Thorn, who sounded a note of caution. He emphasized that while stablecoin rewards dominate current discussions, this issue probably won’t be the final stumbling block facing the legislation.

Thorn identified numerous outstanding matters demanding attention, encompassing decentralized finance frameworks, safeguards for software developers, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s jurisdiction boundaries, and ethical considerations.

Sharing his analysis on X, Thorn urged industry stakeholders to maintain realistic expectations despite viewing the stablecoin compromise as “encouraging” progress.

Time Constraints Mounting

According to Thorn’s assessment, the cryptocurrency bill must successfully navigate the Senate Banking Committee before April concludes. Missing this critical deadline would substantially diminish prospects for any 2026 enactment.

Kristin Smith, leading the Solana Institute, reinforced this timeline concern. She emphasized the legislation requires passage before August to prevent a fall voting scenario, when securing senator engagement becomes increasingly difficult.

Smith noted that senators maintain reduced Washington presence beginning in September, with October entirely dominated by midterm campaign activities. Even December provides no guaranteed opportunity for final consideration.

The Senate additionally dedicates September sessions to appropriations legislation, leaving minimal bandwidth for advancing the CLARITY Act during the year’s latter months.

Current Legislative Status

Senate Banking Committee member Cynthia Lummis recently indicated that committee markup sessions could commence following the Easter congressional recess.

She has articulated ambitions to secure passage before 2026 concludes. Through an X platform statement, Lummis declared that enacting the CLARITY Act represents the pathway for America to achieve “crypto capital of the world” status, echoing President Trump’s declared objective.

The CLARITY Act aspires to establish comprehensive regulatory infrastructure governing cryptocurrency operations throughout the United States.

Legislative observers monitoring the bill’s trajectory maintain that Senate passage by early May represents the realistic threshold for achieving enactment during the current calendar year.

The post Crypto Legislation Progress Slows Despite Stablecoin Agreement, Industry Analysts Say appeared first on Blockonomi.

Quick Overview

• Solana currently trades between $86 and $87, reflecting a roughly 7% decline across the last seven days
• On March 17, 2026, the SEC and CFTC jointly unveiled a comprehensive crypto token classification system
• Rising US-Iran geopolitical friction has dampened investor appetite for higher-risk digital assets
• Investment flows into Solana ETF products totaled between $21 million and $26 million last week, extending a six-week streak of positive inflows
• Critical support is positioned around $85; bulls need to reclaim $90 before challenging the $100 threshold

Solana (SOL) is currently changing hands near the $86–$87 range at press time, wrapping up a challenging trading week that saw the digital asset lose approximately 7% in value. This pullback aligns with broader cryptocurrency market weakness, as the aggregate market cap has retreated to roughly $2.36 trillion.

Bitcoin dropped beneath the $67,360 threshold over the weekend, sparking a cascade of liquidations throughout digital asset markets. Solana has experienced similar downward pressure during this period.

Growing geopolitical uncertainty continues to dampen market confidence. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, TO PUT IT MILDLY!!!” — signaling heightened tensions with Iran.

Iranian officials warned they would target energy and water systems across Gulf states should Trump execute his stated plan to strike Iran’s electrical grid within a 48-hour window. These escalating threats have prompted investors to retreat from higher-risk asset classes.

Clearer Regulatory Framework Emerges

The SEC and CFTC released a collaborative interpretation document on March 17, 2026, establishing how existing securities regulations apply to cryptocurrency tokens. The framework introduces five distinct classifications: digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, stablecoins, and digital securities.

Regulatory authorities emphasized that digital commodities, collectibles, and tools do not inherently qualify as securities under federal law. That said, they cautioned that specific promotional activities or organizational frameworks could alter this designation.

Solana received explicit mention in the guidance alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin, and Cardano as reference examples. This interpretation represents a component of the broader SEC-CFTC coordination initiative designed to establish more transparent cryptocurrency regulation across the United States.

Market analyst Ali Charts shared data on X (previously known as Twitter) on March 22, stating: “11.80 million Solana $SOL have been withdrawn from crypto exchanges over the last 96 hours.” Withdrawals at this magnitude typically suggest investors are transferring holdings into cold storage wallets rather than positioning for immediate sales.

Strong Institutional Appetite Persists

Despite recent price weakness, professional investor interest in Solana remains robust. Exchange-traded products focused on SOL attracted approximately $21 million to $26 million in net capital last week, representing the sixth straight week of positive flows based on SoSoValue tracking data.

Aggregate net capital flowing into Solana-linked investment vehicles has now reached $989.78 million since product launches began. Additionally, the total value locked within real-world asset protocols built on Solana climbed to an all-time high of $465 million this quarter.

Nonetheless, futures open interest on Binance has experienced steady contraction since mid-January, falling to $871.40 million as of Monday. Funding rates shifted into negative territory during the weekend session, registering -0.0011% on Monday—indicating that short sellers currently outnumber long position holders.

From a technical standpoint, SOL continues trading beneath the $90 resistance threshold. The Relative Strength Index hovers between 38 and 46 across various timeframes, reflecting subdued buying momentum. The MACD indicator persists in bearish territory.

The primary support level sits at $85. Should this floor fail, the next downside objective emerges at $80. Conversely, a sustained breakout above $90 would establish the foundation for an advance toward the $100 psychological level.

The post Solana (SOL) Price Analysis: Can Institutional Buying Push SOL Back to $100? appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Fidelity Investments submitted formal correspondence to the SEC requesting comprehensive regulatory framework for digital asset operations by broker-dealers
• The correspondence emphasized alternative trading system (ATS) requirements for handling blockchain-based securities
• Fidelity advocates for regulatory standards enabling ATS platforms to facilitate trading of externally issued tokenized securities
• The asset manager proposed modernized reporting frameworks accommodating decentralized platform architecture
• Federal banking authorities clarified that tokenized securities maintain identical capital treatment as their traditional counterparts

Fidelity Investments has submitted a formal appeal to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission requesting enhanced regulatory clarity surrounding digital assets and blockchain-based securities. The correspondence reached the SEC’s Crypto Task Force on Friday.

The communication arrived as a direct response to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce’s December inquiry. Peirce had solicited industry feedback regarding appropriate frameworks for national securities exchanges and alternative trading platforms managing cryptocurrency operations.

Fidelity expressed general approval of the SEC’s initiative to modernize regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies. However, the firm emphasized that significant gaps in guidance persist across multiple critical areas.

The asset management giant presented four primary policy recommendations. First among these was the continued development of regulatory standards governing broker-dealer engagement with digital assets.

Fidelity acknowledged recent SEC guidance affirming that broker-dealers possess authority to maintain custody of both crypto securities and non-security digital instruments. While recognizing this progress, the firm stressed that substantial ambiguity remains regarding trading operations and custodial protocols.

Regulatory Framework Needed for Tokenized Securities

A substantial section of Fidelity’s letter addressed tokenized securities specifically. These instruments represent traditional financial products—including equities, fixed income, real estate holdings, and private credit—that are either issued on or tracked through blockchain infrastructure.

Fidelity advocated for definitive regulatory parameters allowing ATS platforms to facilitate transactions in tokenized securities originated by third-party entities. The firm emphasized that broker-dealers require certainty in asset classification processes without assuming disproportionate legal exposure.

Additionally, the investment firm requested SEC confirmation that tokenized representations of conventional securities should maintain regulatory parity with their underlying assets. Such clarification could substantially minimize market friction between blockchain-based and traditional trading environments.

Roberto Braceras, serving as Fidelity’s general counsel, emphasized that the SEC should evaluate operational frameworks allowing centralized and decentralized trading infrastructure to coexist effectively.

Decentralized finance platforms inherently lack the centralized governance structures necessary to satisfy traditional exchange reporting obligations. Fidelity contended that existing regulatory requirements impose disproportionate compliance burdens on these alternative systems.

Blockchain Integration and Federal Banking Guidance

Fidelity additionally petitioned the SEC to authorize broker-dealers to implement blockchain infrastructure for regulatory recordkeeping purposes. The firm requested confirmation that utilizing on-chain settlement mechanisms would not subject broker-dealers to clearing agency regulatory obligations.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has demonstrated openness toward continuous capital market operations and has permitted financial institutions to pilot tokenized trading initiatives.

In a separate but related development, three federal banking regulators issued a coordinated statement in March. The Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency jointly declared that tokenized securities remain subject to capital requirements identical to the assets they represent.

The regulatory agencies clarified that the technological infrastructure employed for security issuance or trading does not modify capital treatment classifications.

Commissioner Peirce has actively encouraged organizations pursuing tokenization strategies to maintain direct dialogue with regulatory bodies, representing a notable departure from previous enforcement-focused regulatory approaches.

The post Fidelity Calls on SEC to Establish Comprehensive Crypto Asset Regulations appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Insiders filed 3,352 sell transactions worth $21.4B in March, dwarfing $2.3B in buy-side activity recorded.
• The $19.1B net sell pressure logged in 20 days matches insider exit intensity last seen during 2021 markets.
• Capital rotating out of public equities is moving into luxury assets, private holdings, and hard tangible markets.
• The S&P 500 fell 5% across 15 trading days, tracking historical geopolitical sell-off patterns dating back to 1939.

Insiders are dumping stocks at levels not seen since 2021, and the numbers behind this trend are hard to dismiss. In the first 20 days of March alone, SEC filings recorded 4,372 total insider transactions across public markets.

Executives, founders, and company insiders collectively offloaded $21.4 billion worth of shares during this stretch. Against a buy volume of just $2.3 billion, the net sell pressure reached $19.1 billion. That gap between buying and selling is what is turning heads across financial circles right now.

The Scale Of March’s Insider Exits Is Drawing Serious Attention

Analyst Joao Wedson was among the first to flag the sheer volume of these transactions publicly. Across 3,352 sell transactions, insiders moved out of positions at a pace that closely mirrors 2021 activity.

That earlier period preceded a notable stretch of market instability, making the current comparison relevant. The buy side, by contrast, recorded only 1,020 transactions totaling $2.3 billion over the same window.

What makes this stretch stand out is not just the volume but the concentration of exits. Founders and executives rarely reduce equity exposure at this scale without a reason driving the decision.

Those closest to company operations tend to act on information well before broader markets react. This is precisely why SEC insider filing data carries weight among experienced market watchers.

The S&P 500’s weak March performance lines up directly with this wave of insider activity. As sell pressure mounted across thousands of transactions, broader index performance reflected the strain.

Public market participants began absorbing the signal embedded in those filings over time. The result has been a softening in sentiment that stretched across much of the month.

Wedson also pointed to where this capital tends to go once it leaves public equities. Liquidity does not vanish during these episodes — it simply moves into harder, less liquid asset classes.

Luxury markets, private holdings, and tangible assets like yachts and high-end watches tend to absorb redirected wealth. This rotation pattern has surfaced repeatedly across past market cycles.

Geopolitical Pressure Compounds An Already Stressed Market Environment

While insider selling dominated the domestic narrative, external forces added further weight to equities. The Kobeissi Letter noted the S&P 500 has shed 5% since the Iran War began, now 15 trading days into the decline.

That sell-off has tracked almost exactly in line with the historical average across more than 30 geopolitical shocks since 1939.

Both pressures are now running simultaneously, making March one of the more complex months in recent memory.

Historical data offers some context for what typically follows a geopolitical-driven sell-off of this kind. Markets have tended to find a floor near the 15-trading-day mark in previous comparable events.

The current trajectory mirrors both the average and median path from those prior episodes quite closely. That alignment is prompting some observers to watch for signs of a near-term stabilization.

Past recoveries following similar geopolitical bottoms averaged roughly 40 trading days in duration. Stocks generally climbed back to pre-event levels within that recovery window, per Kobeissi’s historical breakdown.

If that playbook repeats, a directional shift could emerge in the weeks ahead for public equities. However, the 2021-level insider selling introduces a variable the geopolitical template alone does not account for.

The combination of record insider exits and geopolitical-driven declines creates a layered picture for markets. Each factor carries its own historical precedent, but their overlap in the same month is less common.

Investors tracking both SEC filings and geopolitical timelines are weighing how these two forces interact. The next few trading weeks will likely determine whether historical patterns hold or break under the combined pressure.

The post Insiders Are Dumping Stocks At Levels Not Seen Since 2021 As S&P 500 Bleeds appeared first on Blockonomi.

Pi Network’s price performance over the past 10 or so days has been quite disappointing but also roughly in line with the rest of the market.

After soaring to a high that we hadn’t seen since November last year, close to $0.30, PI’s price has been in a freefall and currently trades at $0.19. That said, the cryptocurrency is up by almost 10% over the past 30 days, but has lost more than 81% over the past year and 12% over the past two weeks alone, according to CoinGecko.

As mentioned above, PI’s price action in the past days isn’t isolated and mirrors the broader crypto market. Bitcoin’s price tumbled below $70K today and is down more than 10% since last week, causing a lot of altcoins to lose value as well.

SIREN Overtaking Pi Network in Total Market Cap

And while the above has been happening, one viral altcoin is completely defying the market trend and exploding in value. SIREN is up by more than 95% in the past 24 hours, surpassing Pi Network. Its market capitalization soared to over $2 billion, compared with PI’s $1.88 billion.

More impressively, the cryptocurrency is up a whopping 545% in the last two weeks and 101% today. This brings its total monthly gains to a whopping 1200%, begging the question: What bear market?

As CryptoPotato reported yesterday (following yet another massive surge), SIREN is an “AI-powered cryptocurrency project operating on the BNB Chain that combines decentralized finance (DeFi) and artificial intelligence for automated trading, risk management, and intelligent order matching.”

These moves come on significant activity as well, with the 24-hour trading volume hitting $150 million. Interestingly enough, almost $50 million of that is taking place on the decentralized exchange PancakeSwap.

The post Altcoin Shock: Pi Network (PI) Surpassed by This Viral Crypto appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Escalating conflict in the Middle East is weighing on global financial markets. Bitcoin is also facing renewed concerns of a potential historic downturn, and market participants appear to be bracing for a deeper correction across risk assets.

The latest warning comes as the asset continues to show signs of weakness after having declined over the weekend and slipping below $68,000 on Monday.

Risks of Historic Crash

Popular analyst Doctor Profit predicted that Bitcoin could suffer a crash worse than that of the March 12-13, 2020 ‘Black Thursday,’ when the crypto asset plunged by more than 50% in a single day from around $8,000 to nearly $3,750 amid a broader global market sell-off triggered by COVID-19 panic.

Ongoing price action also reflects similar pressure, as Bitcoin trades more than 46% below its all-time high recorded last year.

“Prepare for a historic CRASH. Much worse than COVID crash. Stocks, BTC, all of assets. You have been warned”

The forecast comes a few hours after his Sunday report, wherein Doctor Profit reiterated his previous stance that BTC’s price action remains stuck in a broader bearish trajectory.

Deeper Trouble Ahead

He explained that the asset has been consolidating between the range of $57,000 and $87,000 after its earlier decline from the $115,000-$125,000 region to $60,000. Within this structure, the recent move to $76,000 followed by a sharp drop below $68,000 was identified as a bullish trap ahead of further downside. The analyst flagged the $79,000-$84,000 zone as a major resistance and liquidity area where additional short positions could be deployed.

Currently, Bitcoin lacks clear directional strength in the near term, which has contributed to ongoing sideways movement, but the broader structure continues to point toward another leg lower, which could see a move back toward the $57,000-$60,000 range. Short-term upward movements are seen as liquidity-driven attempts to push prices higher before continuation to the downside.

While he did not rule out temporary upward price movements, these are treated as opportunities to increase bearish exposure rather than signs of trend reversal.

Doctor Profit said that macro conditions such as delayed expectations for interest rate cuts, rising inflation indicators, and increasing liquidity stress are crucial factors driving the risk-off environment.

The post Worse Than COVID? Why One Analyst Believes Bitcoin Is on the Verge of a Historic Crash appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Crypto markets are back in the red this Monday morning in Asia as fear, uncertainty, and doubt return to the space.

Additionally, US stock market futures have fallen at the open as markets react to President Trump’s “48-hour deadline” for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

The week ahead includes key inflation and labor market data releases, and there is now discussion of potential interest rate increases amid the threat of higher inflation stemming from the oil crisis and fuel shortages.

WTI crude had fallen back below $100 at the time of writing, but Brent crude was still around $112 per barrel.

Economic Events March 23 to 27

The purchasing managers’ survey (PMI) for March is out on Wednesday, providing a key gauge of how the ongoing war has impacted sentiment and business activity.

“This is significant because it’s one of the first economic indicators we’ll get that cover the period since the conflict began,” Deutsche Bank economists said in a note, according to the WSJ.

Thursday will see the initial jobless claims report, a key indicator of labor market health and one of the Federal Reserve’s two primary mandates for policy decisions.

“Hence why we still feel the Fed is more likely to cut than hike rates,” ING economist James Knightley wrote in a note.

Friday brings the March MI Consumer Sentiment and Inflation Expectations reports, which shed more light on general economic conditions.

Key Events This Week:

1. Markets React to Trump’s “48 Hour Warning” to Iran – Today 6 PM ET

2. March S&P Global Services PMI data – Tuesday

3. US Crude Oil Inventory data – Wednesday

4. Initial Jobless Claims data – Thursday

5. March MI Consumer Sentiment data – Friday

6.…

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) March 22, 2026

Consumers are likely to be hit the hardest by rising oil prices, Ryan Sweet, chief global economist at Oxford Economics, told CBS News over the weekend.

“To kind of put it into context, every penny increase in gasoline prices reduces consumer spending by one and a half billion dollars over the course of a year,” he said.

Inflationary pressures and tightening wallets are generally bearish for high-risk assets such as crypto.

Crypto Markets Retreat

This can be seen in the ongoing bear market, with most digital assets wiping out gains from last week’s rally over the weekend.

Total capitalization is down 1.3% on the day to $2.42 trillion at the time of writing during Monday morning trading in Asia.

Bitcoin fell back below $68,000 on Sunday but had recovered to just above it by Monday morning. However, increasing economic pressure is likely to send it further downwards.

Ether prices are equally weak, with the asset falling to $2,033 before a minor recovery. ETH is unlikely to remain above $2,000 this week.

The altcoins are all in the red again, with larger losses for XRP, Cardano, Hyperliquid, and Stellar.

The post 4 Things That May Move Bitcoin and Crypto Markets This Week appeared first on CryptoPotato.

According to a survey of 351 institutional investors published by EY-Parthenon and Coinbase on March 18, three out of four institutional investors believe that crypto prices will go up over the next 12 months.

The findings suggest that recent price drops have done more to tighten how large investors engage with crypto than to shake their confidence in it.

What the Numbers Say

Per the report, 73% of investors plan to put more money into cryptocurrencies in 2026, and 74% think prices will go up within a year. At the same time, almost half (49%) said that they would be putting more emphasis on managing risk, liquidity, and position size, given the volatility in the market.

Furthermore, the study found that the default entry point is now regulated products, with 66% of respondents already having spot crypto ETFs or exchange-traded products (ETPs), and 81% saying they would rather access crypto through a registered vehicle.

According to the survey, stablecoins have moved well beyond theory, with 86% of investors already using or looking into them for cash management and money movement. Companies are also putting in place formal rules for counterparty risk and reserve transparency so that stablecoin workflows can fit into their existing controls.

This aligns with recent developments such as Mastercard’s $1.8 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK, announced on March 17, which focuses on cross-border payments and business transactions.

Tokenization is also going in the same direction. Per the report, in the past year, the number of asset managers who want to tokenize their own assets went from 40% to 64%. Additionally, 63% of investors said they are willing to put money into tokenized assets, while 61% believe that tokenization will have a big impact on trading, clearing, and settlement in the next three to five years.

Recently, Kraken announced a partnership with Nasdaq to develop tokenized equities through its xStocks product, which has already handled transaction volumes of over $25 billion.

Regulation Is the Biggest Driver

One interesting thing learned from the survey is that regulations cut both ways. 65% of institutions that plan to buy more crypto in 2026 said that clearer regulations were the main reason for doing so. However, another 66% also said that uncertainty about regulations was their biggest worry when investing.

When asked which areas most need clearer rules, 78% pointed to market structure, followed by digital asset firm licensing (56%) and tax treatment (54%).

Luckily, there has been some progress in the area, including the signing into law of the GENIUS Act last year to set up the first federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S. In addition, the SEC recently issued guidance on tokenized securities and also restarted Project Crypto in collaboration with the CFTC to make sure that both agencies approach digital assets in the same way.

The post The Institutional Pivot: Why 74% of Large Investors Are Bullish on Crypto Right Now appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), one of the most prominent figures in the crypto industry, has shared his beliefs on the growth trajectory of the budding sector.

As the founder and former CEO of Binance, CZ has witnessed the industry’s growth over the past decade. The billionaire believes more development, including broader institutional adoption and mainstream recognition, awaits the industry in the future.

Addressing the Negative Narrative

The Binance founder shared his opinions during an interview with The Digital Chamber (TDC). TDC is an American blockchain advocacy group that hosted the just-concluded DC Blockchain Summit. CZ discussed with TDC founder and board chair Perianne Boring during the remote interview.

The interview mainly touched on media narratives about the crypto industry, with CZ insisting that the media is fragmented. According to the billionaire, traditional media outlets portray the broader industry in a one-sided, inaccurate manner. The negative narrative has become more complex, with different stakeholders pursuing distinct media angles.

Extending the media narratives to his reputation and that of Binance, CZ claimed that much of what is said about him and the exchange is not true. This is evident in U.S. courts dismissing related cases for lack of evidence. He admitted that crypto-native media outlets generally understand him, a development he attributed to his constant communication on X. So, it is safe to say that his lack of engagement with traditional media is one of the reasons for the misunderstandings and misrepresentations.

Can the U.S. Become a Global Crypto Hub?

In an attempt to address the narrative about him, CZ will be releasing a memoir in the coming months. He began writing the book while in prison in 2024, after pleading guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws. He believes the media narrative for the broader sector will change with time as crypto continues to gain adoption.

Furthermore, CZ noted that the current U.S. administration is also facing backlash for supporting crypto. He insisted that there is a partisan element to the repeated efforts to wage a war on crypto. Regardless of these criticisms, the U.S. has a chance to become the global crypto capital; however, this can happen under a few conditions.

The U.S. needs competition and infrastructure, which will, in turn, attract deep liquidity, matching international markets. CZ revealed that U.S. consumers still don’t have access to the best crypto services and pricing globally. With a policy framework taking shape for the better, the U.S. can only expand its global crypto presence when competition is sufficient.

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