Monzo's strategic pivot to Europe highlights the challenges of US market entry and underscores the importance of focusing on profitable regions.

The post Digital bank Monzo ends US venture to double down on Europe appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitget Wallet adds XRP Ledger integration, enabling XRP transfers, RLUSD transactions, and cross-chain swaps for 90M users.

The post Bitget Wallet plugs XRP Ledger into its payment stack for 90 million users appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

USA expansion to Celo signifies the first move beyond Ethereum, leveraging regulated digital dollars on a high-volume network.

The post Tether backed USA₮ expands to Celo in first move beyond Ethereum appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Base outlines its 2026 roadmap focused on global markets, stablecoins, and builders as it expands its onchain economy strategy.

The post Base outlines 2026 roadmap focused on global markets, stablecoins, and builders appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

World launches MiniKit 2.0 with faster transactions, gas sponsorship, and stablecoin support to streamline app development on World Chain.

The post World launches MiniKit 2.0 to unify app development across web and World App appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

New Hampshire’s Bitcoin-Backed Municipal Bond Moves Closer With Moody’s Rating

A first-of-its-kind municipal bond backed by bitcoin is moving closer to issuance after receiving a sub-investment-grade rating from Moody’s Investors Service, marking a major step in the convergence of digital assets and traditional public finance.

The proposed $100 million issuance, structured by the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA), earned a Ba2 rating — two notches below investment grade, according to Bloomberg reporting.

If completed, the deal would represent the first municipal bond backed by bitcoin collateral, opening a potential new pathway for institutional capital to access the asset class through regulated fixed-income markets.

Under the proposed structure, bond payments will be funded through proceeds generated from bitcoin collateral posted by borrower CleanSpark. Investors will also have upside exposure, with additional payments tied to bitcoin price appreciation.

At the same time, downside protections are built into the deal. If bitcoin’s price falls below a predefined threshold, the trust can be liquidated to repay bondholders in full.

Critically, the bonds carry no backing from taxpayers.

“No public funds of the State of New Hampshire or any political subdivision thereof may be used to pay amounts under the rated bonds,” Moody’s noted in its report, emphasizing that the issuer has no taxing authority to cover any shortfall.

Key players behind the bitcoin deal

Digital asset firm Wave Digital Assets will oversee transaction administration, while BitGo will serve as custodian for the bitcoin collateral, securing it in regulated cold storage.

The structure was initially approved by the BFA board back in November, 2025, positioning New Hampshire as a potential leader in integrating bitcoin into public finance markets.

Governor Kelly Ayotte backed the initiative at the time, framing it as a way to attract investment without exposing taxpayers to risk.

“This is an innovative way to bring more investment opportunities to our state and position us as a leader in digital finance,” Ayotte said.

Volatility remains a key risk

The Ba2 rating underscores the core tension at the heart of the product: combining one of the most volatile asset classes with one of the traditionally safest.

Bitcoin has fallen nearly 50% from its October 2025 peak near $126,000, highlighting the risks tied to collateral value fluctuations. Over the same period, high-yield municipal bond indices posted modest positive returns, illustrating the contrast between the two asset classes.

Still, proponents argue the structure’s collateralization model — and liquidation safeguards — could make bitcoin viable within conservative capital markets.

The deal is part of a broader effort by Wave and its partners to create a bridge between digital assets and traditional debt markets, allowing bitcoin to function as institutional-grade collateral.

If successful, the issuance could establish a template for future crypto-backed municipal or corporate debt offerings, effectively creating a new hybrid asset class.

“This isn’t just one transaction—it’s the opening of a new debt market,” Wave co-founder Les Borsai said when the structure was first unveiled.

For now, the bond has no confirmed pricing date. But with a rating in place, the experiment to merge bitcoin with municipal finance is entering a more concrete phase, one that could test whether traditional investors are ready to underwrite crypto risk in exchange for yield and upside exposure.

This post New Hampshire’s Bitcoin-Backed Municipal Bond Moves Closer With Moody’s Rating first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Afroman Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker

Afroman has been officially confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026. Born Joseph Foreman, the Grammy-nominated rapper best known for his 2001 hit “Because I Got High” arrives in Las Vegas this April not just as an artist, but as someone who spent three years in court defending his right to say what happened to him.

In August 2022, law enforcement officers from the Adams County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office raided his home on suspicion of drug trafficking and kidnapping. Nothing illegal was found, and no charges were filed. Afroman did what artists do and he made music about it. Using his own home surveillance footage, he released a series of videos documenting the raid, the most viral of which, “Lemon Pound Cake,” was named after a moment in the footage in which an officer appeared to do a double take at a cake sitting on his kitchen island. Seven of the officers sued him in 2023 for defamation and invasion of privacy, collectively seeking nearly $4 million in damages.

On March 18, 2026, just a month before Bitcoin 2026, a jury ruled in Afroman’s favor on every count after a three-day trial in Adams County Common Pleas Court. Throughout the proceedings, Afroman defended his work on First Amendment grounds, arguing he had the right to use the footage to cover damages from the raid, including a broken gate and front door. Walking out of the courthouse, he told reporters: “I didn’t win, America won. America still has freedom of speech. It’s still for the people, by the people.”

His presence at Bitcoin 2026 extends beyond the stage. The American flag suit he wore throughout his legal battle will be on display in the Bitcoin Conference Art Gallery as part of Relics of a Revolution, an exhibition exploring protest art and asymmetric responses to institutional power throughout Bitcoin’s short history, with the suit up for auction through Scarce.city. For the first time ever, attendees will be able to see Afroman take the Bitcoin Conference stage in person — catch him live at Bitcoin 2026, April 27–29 at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

Bitcoin 2026 is Returning to Las Vegas

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. 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 Afroman Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

Bitcoin Magazine

Satoshi’s 2010 Quantum Response Is Getting a 2026 Stress Test as Google Warns Timeline May Be Closer Than Expected

In 2010, long before quantum computing became a mainstream concern in crypto circles, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was already sketching out how the network might respond if its underlying cryptography were ever compromised.

The premise was simple but consequential: Bitcoin’s security assumptions are not permanent. They can be replaced.

In early Bitcointalk discussions, Satoshi outlined a scenario in which the system’s cryptographic primitives — whether hashing or digital signatures—  could eventually weaken. If that happened gradually, the network could coordinate a transition: a protocol upgrade would introduce stronger algorithms, and users would migrate their holdings by re-signing coins into new address formats. 

Even in the case of widespread signature failure, Satoshi suggested the system could still recover if there was time to agree on a transition path.

At the time, it was an abstract exercise in future-proofing. Now, it is becoming a live design question.

Google’s quantum update shifts timeline

New research from Google’s Quantum AI division has reignited debate over how soon quantum machines could threaten modern cryptography, including the elliptic curve signatures securing Bitcoin.

In updated estimates published this week, researchers say the computational requirements for breaking elliptic curve cryptography may be significantly lower than previously believed — potentially requiring fewer than 500,000 physical qubits under optimized conditions. That marks a roughly 20-fold reduction compared to earlier projections.

More importantly, the research suggests that once sufficiently advanced systems exist, they may be capable of executing attacks within Bitcoin’s operational time frame (roughly ten minutes per block) enabling so-called “on-spend” attacks that target transactions while they are still unconfirmed in the mempool.

While no such cryptographically relevant quantum computer exists today, the updated models have compressed the perceived distance between current hardware and theoretical breakpoints. 

Some industry participants now describe the shift as moving risk from the mid-2030s into the late 2020s window.

Google has also publicly targeted 2029 as a milestone for broader post-quantum cryptography migration across systems

A stress test of Bitcoin’s upgrade philosophy

The renewed attention to quantum risk has placed Bitcoin’s original design philosophy under a new lens. Unlike centralized financial systems, Bitcoin cannot be upgraded unilaterally. Any migration to quantum-resistant cryptography would require voluntary coordination across miners, developers, exchanges, wallet providers, and users.

That dynamic makes Bitcoin structurally slower to adapt, but also more resilient against unilateral changes.

Satoshi’s early framing anticipated this tension. The proposed solution was not prevention, but migration: if cryptography weakens, users would re-sign coins into a new scheme, effectively moving value forward into a stronger security system. 

The blockchain itself would persist, but ownership proofs would evolve. What was less clear in 2010 to Satoshi was the scale and coordination challenge such a migration would require in a global, trillion-dollar network.

Recent analysis tied to Google’s findings highlights a more nuanced threat model than earlier “break Bitcoin” narratives. The concern is not only long-term key recovery, but short-window exploitation, where a sufficiently fast quantum system could derive private keys from exposed public keys during transaction broadcast and confirmation.

This introduces a distinction between dormant and active funds. According to estimates cited in the research, a substantial portion of Bitcoin supply may already have exposed public keys on-chain, increasing theoretical vulnerability once quantum capability reaches a threshold.

Industry response

The response across the digital asset industry has been divided but serious.

Some researchers argue the timeline remains comfortably distant, emphasizing that quantum systems capable of breaking modern cryptography still require breakthroughs in both hardware scale and error correction. 

Others, including contributors to Google’s research ecosystem, suggest the slope of progress has steepened enough to warrant immediate preparation.

Galaxy Digital’s head of research, Alex Thorn, noted that while the probability of near-term compromise remains low, the direction of progress is difficult to ignore, and that work on post-quantum migration should be treated as precautionary infrastructure planning rather than reactive crisis response.

“Google Quantum AI’s new paper describes much more efficient circuits that significantly reduce the requirements for a quantum computer to be capable of breaking classical cryptography, such as those that secure blockchains like Bitcoin,” Thorn wrote to Bitcoin Magazine. 

“No such computer exists today. And Google’s researcher Craig Gidney gives 10% odds that a quantum machine capable of breaking cryptography will be built by 2030,” Thorn added.

Others find this threat feasible, but far away.

“Quantum computing represents a genuine engineering challenge for the cryptocurrency industry, but it is far from an existential threat in the current form,” Bitfinex analysts shared with Bitcoin Magazine.

Satoshi’s assumption meets real-world constraints

The key tension in 2026 is that Satoshi’s migration model assumes time: time to detect a weakening primitive, time to agree on a replacement, and time for users to move funds safely.

Google’s updated analysis compresses that assumption.

If quantum capability develops gradually, Satoshi said that Bitcoin could theoretically transition as originally envisioned. But if capability crosses a threshold rapidly, especially with advances in “on-spend” attack feasibility, the window for orderly migration could narrow significantly.

That is the scenario now driving discussion across protocol developers: not whether Satoshi’s Bitcoin can survive quantum computing in principle, but whether its coordination mechanisms can respond quickly enough in practice.

This post Satoshi’s 2010 Quantum Response Is Getting a 2026 Stress Test as Google Warns Timeline May Be Closer Than Expected first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Faces Rising Sell Pressure as ETF Demand Absorbs Distribution

Bitcoin sell pressure is rising as the bitcoin price drifts toward a sixth straight monthly loss, yet underlying flows show a split market where short-term holders exit while institutions absorb supply.

Bitcoin price traded below $65,000 late Tuesday after falling from above $74,000 earlier in March. The move has come alongside a rise in exchange inflows, with about 22,000 BTC sent to trading venues during one session, signaling distribution from recent buyers. 

Despite that pressure, price has held above the $60,000 range and remains above long-term support levels.

The key question is where the coins are going.

On-chain data points to a steady transfer of supply from short-term holders to larger entities. Over the past month, roughly 63,000 BTC has been accumulated through spot exchange-traded funds and similar vehicles, offsetting a portion of the selling. That flow suggests demand from institutions has returned after several months of reduced exposure.

ETF data shows inflows have begun to stabilize after a period of sustained outflows. 

U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded about $1.2 billion in net inflows in March, marking a shift in positioning. The renewed demand has not been strong enough to lift price, but it has helped absorb coins sent to market during periods of weakness.

Short-term holders, defined as wallets holding Bitcoin for less than 155 days, tend to react to drawdowns and volatility. Their selling often peaks during consolidation phases, adding supply at local lows. That pattern has emerged again as Bitcoin price struggles to reclaim momentum following a failed push above $76,000 earlier in the month.

At the same time, the supply available from these holders is finite. As coins move into longer-term storage or institutional vehicles, liquid supply tightens. If demand remains steady, that dynamic can create a base for future price stability.

Bitcoin price’s six straight months of losses 

Still, macro conditions continue to shape the broader trend. Bitcoin is on track to match a rare six-month losing streak, last seen in 2018-2019. A monthly close below $67,300 would confirm the sequence, reflecting persistent pressure across risk assets.

Unlike past cycles, Bitcoin price has not yet broken below its 200-week moving average or realized price, levels that have marked prior bear market lows. That has left the market in a middle ground, with neither capitulation nor clear recovery, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.

Nicolai Sondergaard, research analyst at Nansen, said positioning reflects uncertainty tied to macro drivers.

“Bitcoin still looks range-bound here, not outright weak but not in a clean risk-on regime either. Spot holding around $67,685 alongside exchange outflows suggests there is still underlying accumulation, but options positioning into end-of-week expiry reflects uncertainty more than conviction, with skew and IV being shaped primarily by macro inputs, dollar strength, and rate repricing rather than crypto-native demand,” Nicolai wrote to Bitcoin Magazine. 

Macro signals have taken priority over crypto-specific catalysts. Oil prices above $100, shifting expectations for rate cuts, and geopolitical tensions have driven capital allocation decisions. Bitcoin price has remained correlated with equities and other risk assets, limiting the impact of internal flows.

Bitfinex analysts pointed to a change in institutional behavior as a key development.

“Institutional flows have undergone a clear regime shift. After a strong accumulation phase in early March, ETF flows have turned decisively negative, culminating in some of the largest single-day outflows from IBIT. This reversal signals active de-risking by institutional participants rather than passive rotation, removing a key pillar of support for price,” they shared with Bitcoin Magazine.

They added that broader liquidity conditions continue to dominate.

“Bitcoin has remained correlated with broader risk assets and has participated in ongoing institutional de-risking. This behaviour reflects the dominance of liquidity conditions in the current regime, where rising yields and tighter financial conditions are driving capital allocation decisions.”

For now, the market reflects a balance between distribution and absorption. 

Short-term holders continue to sell into weakness, while institutions step in during dips. The outcome of that standoff will depend less on crypto-specific demand and more on whether macro conditions ease enough to support renewed risk appetite.

At the time of writing, the bitcoin price is less than $67,000.

This post Bitcoin Price Faces Rising Sell Pressure as ETF Demand Absorbs Distribution first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitfarms (BITF) Started Selling All of Its Bitcoin, Pivoting Fully to AI Infrastructure

Bitfarms is moving toward a future with no bitcoin on its balance sheet, marking one of the clearest breaks yet between legacy mining firms and the emerging AI infrastructure trade.

The Nasdaq-listed company confirmed it has begun selling its bitcoin holdings and plans to continue doing so over time, with CEO Ben Gagnon stating on the firm’s fourth-quarter earnings call, “In time, we will have no bitcoin.” 

The approach signals a phased exit rather than a single liquidation, with management indicating it will sell into market strength while extracting remaining cash flow from mining operations.

Bitfarms held 1,827 BTC as of its latest disclosure, according to BitcoinTreasuries.net. The company generated $28.2 million in realized gains from bitcoin sales in 2025, underscoring that the transition is already underway. While it continues to mine in the near term, the stated goal is to wind down that business line and redeploy capital elsewhere.

That destination is artificial intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure. Bitfarms is building out a 2.2 gigawatt development pipeline across North America, spanning sites in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Québec. The company expects this infrastructure to support AI-driven workloads, with revenue contributions targeted to begin in 2027.

Bitcoin mining isn’t cutting it anymore for Bitfarms

The shift reflects a broader recalibration across the mining sector. Faced with tighter margins, rising competition, and the long-term impact of bitcoin halving cycles, many miners are exploring alternative uses for their energy assets.

Data centers designed for AI and cloud workloads offer a path to steadier demand and contracted revenue, in contrast to the volatility tied to bitcoin prices.

Bitfarms’ transformation also includes a corporate overhaul. 

Shareholders have approved a redomiciliation from Canada to the United States alongside a rebrand to Keel Infrastructure. The transition is expected to close around April 1, with shares set to trade under the ticker KEEL shortly after. 

The new identity is meant to reflect a business centered on energy and compute infrastructure rather than digital asset production.

Management framed the pivot as the culmination of investments made over the past year. “Everything we built in 2025 — the sites, the team, the balance sheet — was in service of one thesis,” Gagnon said, pointing to rising demand for AI infrastructure. The company has positioned its portfolio in regions with grid access and power availability, which it sees as key constraints in the current data center market.

As of late March, Bitfarms reported total liquidity of about $520 million, including both cash and bitcoin holdings. The gradual sale of its remaining BTC is expected to support ongoing development while simplifying the balance sheet. The company also repaid $100 million in debt tied to a prior financing facility, a move aimed at improving flexibility as it enters a capital-intensive buildout phase.

Financial results highlight the pressures behind the shift. Bitfarms reported $229 million in revenue for 2025, up 72% year over year, but posted a net loss of $284 million. A significant portion of that loss stemmed from changes in the fair value of digital assets and impairment charges, reinforcing the volatility inherent in holding bitcoin on the balance sheet.

Bitfarms has made clear it does not plan to compete directly in cloud services. Instead, it aims to supply powered land and data center capacity, enabling customers to deploy compute resources. 

The model aligns with a growing class of firms that focus on the physical layer of the AI stack, where access to electricity and permitting has become a bottleneck. Bitcoin miners fit well into that stack because of their existing infrastructure.

Bitfarm’s stock was up over 5% at times today. BITF is currently priced at $1.89 a share.

This post Bitfarms (BITF) Started Selling All of Its Bitcoin, Pivoting Fully to AI Infrastructure first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin price started April back above $68,000 after a late-March relief rally tied to hopes that the Iran war could move toward de-escalation.

According to CryptoSlate's data, the flagship digital asset gained more than 3% in the last 24 hours to reach as high as $69,170 before retreating to about $68,456 as of press time, as investors weighed whether the bounce marked the start of a more durable recovery or only a temporary release from a bruising first quarter.

The rebound followed a rapid shift in broader market sentiment. Reuters reported that oil prices swung sharply after media reports said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was prepared to end the war if Tehran received guarantees, while US President Donald Trump said Washington could wind down the conflict within weeks.

Market observers noted that the relief over that possibility helped lift risk assets, including crypto, even as traders continued to price in elevated energy costs and persistent geopolitical uncertainty.

Let's look at the factors that could significantly influence Bitcoin's price performance in this new month.

Related Reading

Bitcoin, stocks rally because of chatter that Iran is ready to ‘end the war' as Dollar Index sinks below 100

Bitcoin's bounce back above $68,000 hinges on hopes for Middle East peace amid fluctuating oil prices.

Mar 31, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Oil, inflation, and the Fed now sit in the middle of the April trade

The mixed signals from the Middle East indicate that the macro backdrop will continue to do much of the work this month.

Binance Research noted that the US-Iran ceasefire signals could extend the recent crypto recovery, with digital assets like Ethereum likely to outperform if risk appetite improves further.

However, the firm also warned that caution remains necessary because Iranian officials have described the contacts as message exchanges rather than formal negotiations. According to the firm, Israeli war aims remain harder than Washington’s, and threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against major US companies remain a live tail risk.

This view is very important to note, considering the Iran war has driven the steepest increase in oil-price forecasts, with analysts now expecting Brent to average $82.85 a barrel in 2026, up from $63.85 in February.

Notably, Brent and US crude have both gained about 60% since the conflict began, a move that has fed directly into inflation worries and rate repricing across global markets.

That dynamic gives April a heavier macro calendar than usual for Bitcoin traders. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calendar shows the March employment report on April 3, while the Federal Reserve’s April calendar lists minutes from the March 17-18 FOMC meeting on April 8, the Beige Book on April 15, and the next Fed meeting on April 28-29.

Any sign that higher energy costs are feeding through into inflation expectations, or that the Fed is becoming less willing to ease, would complicate the case for crypto's rebound.

Bitcoin enters April with hope and downward protection

Against that backdrop, crypto traders are entering the new month with hope that Bitcoin's historic performance in April will provide a breather.

Related Reading

Bitcoin sets $88k ceiling for 2026: After a start this bad BTC has never finished a year positive

Bitcoin’s worst opening stretches historically sets a $88k ceiling for this year, with no precedent for recovery into a full-year gain.

Mar 27, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

Data from CoinGlass show that April has often been one of Bitcoin’s better months, with an average return of 33.4% and a median gain of 7.57%.

However, BIT, formerly Matrixport, noted that these patterns have become less reliable in recent years, especially when the asset enters the month with weak momentum.

According to the firm, BTC's Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 47% puts the digital asset closer to last year’s starting point than to the overheated conditions that preceded sharper corrections in earlier cycles.

In practical terms, the firm expects volatility to rise from March’s range-bound trading as investors test whether the latest selloff is stabilizing or widening into a broader reversal.

Crypto traders' positioning in the options market reinforces that view. CME Group said March bitcoin options open interest showed about $660 million in calls against $240 million in puts, a nearly three-to-one ratio that pointed to demand for a recovery into the end of the first quarter.

However, longer-term positioning is more defensive, with the June expiry having more put open interest than calls.

That view aligns with how Bitcoin has traded through the first quarter. The market has shown enough buying interest to reclaim major round numbers after sharp dips, but not enough follow-through to quickly restore confidence.

ETF and institutional flows have softened

This lack of conviction is showing up in the institutional demand for the flagship digital asset.

CoinShares said digital-asset investment products recorded their first outflows in five weeks in the week through March 30, with $414 million leaving the sector. Bitcoin products accounted for $194 million of that total, though they still held a positive year-to-date net inflow position of $964 million.

CoinShares linked the reversal to a more prolonged Iran conflict, higher inflation risk, and a shift in market expectations toward the possibility of rate hikes rather than cuts by June.

Glassnode’s data point in the same direction. The analytics firm said the seven-day moving average of US spot ETF net flows turned negative early last week, with daily net outflows ranging from 200 to 500 Bitcoin.

The figures are small compared with the largest inflow weeks seen since spot ETFs launched, but they suggest that institutional demand is no longer acting as a clean stabilizer at current prices.

At the same time, corporate treasury buying has also slowed significantly outside Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, leaving Bitcoin without the same breadth of institutional support that helped sustain earlier rebounds.

With ETF flows softening and treasury demand narrowing, the market enters April with less of a cushion against another bout of macro stress.

How will Bitcoin price perform in April?

Taken together, those factors leave Bitcoin entering April with support in place, but without a clear all-clear signal.

Rachael Lucas, an analyst at BTC Markets, said $66,000 remains the level to watch this month. According to her, a hold there would support a consolidation argument after a volatile quarter, while a break lower would expose Bitcoin to another leg down.

Meanwhile, crypto market maker Wintermute said credible diplomatic progress and oil pulling back toward $100 would leave the short side vulnerable to a squeeze toward $70,000 to $74,000, after which resistance near $74,000 could come into focus if de-escalation holds.

However, a fresh escalation, combined with oil pushing toward $120, would reopen a path toward the low $60,000s, with the high-to-mid $50,000s also back on the table if cycle analogs hold.

Recent CryptoSlate research would suggest that April seasonality offers a weak tailwind but not a signal. Historically strong monthly returns contrast with the broader pattern that years starting from similarly weak Q1 conditions have rarely closed higher, leaving the burden on macro and flows rather than calendar effects.

The post Bitcoin traders cheer April’s historic gains, yet one Fed calendar date could flip this rally overnight appeared first on CryptoSlate.

On Mar. 30, Google Quantum AI published a 57-page whitepaper coauthored with Justin Drake of the Ethereum Foundation and Dan Boneh of Stanford.

The paper demonstrates that breaking the 256-bit elliptic-curve discrete logarithm problem, the cryptographic foundation underlying most blockchain transactions, requires roughly 500,000 physical qubits, a 20-fold reduction from prior estimates.

That compression means a sufficiently advanced quantum computer could crack a Bitcoin private key in approximately 9 minutes, placing live transactions within the 10-minute block confirmation window with roughly a 41% probability of theft.

Days earlier, Google had set a 2029 deadline for completing the industry's post-quantum cryptography migration.

Related Reading

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Mar 26, 2026 · Gino Matos

Those numbers generated the expected interest around when quantum computers will be able to crack Bitcoin.”

It also raised another question asked by Bloomberg's Eric Balchunas and Bitcoin analyst Checkmate.

Checkmate asked,

This paper, if I understand it correctly, is Google saying we have cracked the design for a cryptographically relevant quantum computer.

That's a very big deal.

Why oh why, did they focus the paper on our blockchain bags?

Not government codes. Not banking infrastructure, Not internet protocols.

Internet funny money.

Balchunas added,

Not discounting threat (that's a whole sep debate) but why would Google apply this research time/money on crypto vs something of way more societal consequence, like military defense systems, the global banking system or even private emails. Is bitcoin really their biggest worry?

So why did Google choose blockchains as the vehicle for one of the most consequential responsible-disclosure exercises in the history of public key cryptography?

Not a Bitcoin paper

The paper's first move is widening. Google explicitly stated that the literature had overlooked vulnerabilities in stablecoins and tokenization, then devoted sections to USDT and USDC admin keys, Ethereum validator concentration, and real-world asset tokenization.

The document projected that tokenized assets could push quantum-vulnerable values above $16 trillion by 2030. Co-writing with the Ethereum Foundation and Stanford researchers frames the paper as an argument for industry-wide migration.

The numbers Google chose to publish make the vulnerability legible.

About 1.7 million BTC, nearly 9% of all Bitcoin, sits in P2PK scripts with public keys exposed on-chain, and dormant vulnerable Bitcoin may reach 2.3 million BTC across script types.

Roughly 6.9 million BTC in total are at heightened risk, including wallets opened by Taproot's default public-key disclosure. On Ethereum, the 1,000 wealthiest exposed accounts hold approximately 20.5 million ETH, and a sufficiently advanced machine could drain them within nine days.

These are observable, on-chain facts. A researcher can verify them without access to a bank's internal systems, a government registry, or a telecom's proprietary PKI.

Related Reading

Google slashes quantum cracking estimates by 20X creating $600 billion countdown for Bitcoin and Ethereum

Google used zero-knowledge proofs to verify quantum attack estimates without exposing the underlying attack circuits.

Mar 31, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Google has pursued post-quantum cryptography since 2016.

The company ran the first PQC experiments in Chrome that year, protected internal communications with PQC in 2022, enabled ML-KEM by default for TLS 1.3 and QUIC on desktop Chrome in 2024, launched quantum-safe digital signatures in Cloud KMS preview in 2025, and integrated ML-DSA-based PQC protections into Android 17 in March 2026.

The crypto whitepaper is one public-facing case study inside a migration Google already runs across its own infrastructure, and a carefully controlled one. Google withheld the actual attack circuits and instead published a zero-knowledge proof, allowing anyone to verify its resource estimates without accessing the attack roadmap.

The company coordinated with the US government before publication.

Current geopolitics amplifies the timing. The US finalized its first PQC standards in 2024 and aims to achieve full industry migration by 2035. South Korea targets the same 2035. Reports noted that China is working toward national PQC standards within 3 years.

Google's paper lands in an accelerating standards race, and crypto serves as the most visible public arena for how that race plays out in practice.

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Why crypto specifically

Google's own introduction provides one answer: cryptocurrencies “stand out” among quantum-vulnerable systems because many blockchains rely heavily on ECDLP-based elliptic-curve cryptography, which a smaller quantum computer can break than comparable RSA systems.

Additionally, blockchains typically offer no recourse when a forged signature authorizes a fraudulent transfer.

The combination of concentrated cryptographic exposure and irreversible failure makes crypto the clearest venue to demonstrate what post-quantum signature collapse looks like.

Beneath that technical argument sits a governance argument. The paper explicitly states that Bitcoin's decentralized structure and “lack of a singular center of power” may require a “drawn-out process of consensus building” for key rotation or dormant-asset policy.

Centralized institutions deploy software updates through a single authority, and Bitcoin's equivalent requires decentralized consensus, a process that runs in public at whatever pace the community permits.

Google chose the domain where the migration problem plays out in the open, where failures turn permanent and public, and where no single authority can resolve the coordination problem by mandate.

The same vulnerable cryptography protects TLS web traffic, firmware updates, end-to-end messaging, passports, MFA, SSH, and DNS.

Blockchains layer on top of all that a set of properties unique to open networks: public-key registries, observable mempools, on-chain dormant wallets, and governance debates that run in real time and are open to any observer.

The inference that the paper's structure supports is that those properties give Google a venue to explain the blast radius of a signature migration failure in observable, public terms before the same migration becomes necessary in systems with lower tolerance for public failure.

What to expect

The paper could force chains, wallets, and stablecoin issuers to make PQC migration visible and measurable early.

Google already points to live or test PQC deployments on Algorand, Solana, and XRP Ledger.

Projects that demonstrate clean key-rotation paths, hybrid-signature support, and a credible approach to dormant assets earn governance credibility they can carry into the tokenization wave.

Crypto would then move from the first visible venue for quantum vulnerability to the first public laboratory for post-quantum trust infrastructure, and Google's paper becomes the founding document for that transition.

The result is a controlled disclosure that forced the hardest governance conversation before a quantum computer relevant to cryptography existed.

If coordination fails visibly, Bitcoin's consensus politics drag on key rotation, Ethereum-style validator and admin-key complexity stays unresolved, and stablecoins or tokenized assets start selecting host chains unevenly on PQC readiness.

The 6.9 million BTC in high-exposure wallets then constitute a permanent liability that the network cannot address without a breakthrough in social coordination; it has never been managed at this scale.

Google's paper ages into a different kind of record: documentation that crypto earned its place in the research through the visibility of its failure modes and the finality of its losses, with the most consequential systems requiring a different kind of disclosure altogether.

Google published its research as a controlled warning about the internet's coming trust migration and chose the domain where that migration runs in public, turns irreversible on failure, and falls to no single authority to mandate.

The post Why Google’s new breakthrough quantum research focuses on Bitcoin rather than banking or nuclear codes appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Midnight Foundation declared its network live on Mar. 29, with the genesis block dated Mar. 17.

That launch gives Cardano's community its first production test of Charles Hoskinson's argument that public blockchains cannot reach regulated finance, identity, and business use unless the infrastructure itself embeds privacy and compliance from the start.

Cardano enters that test in an unusual position: a market cap above $9.1 billion, 672 active developers per Electric Capital data, and a DeFi footprint that hasn't matched the valuation's weight.

DefiLlama shows roughly $134 million in total value locked, about $47 million in stablecoins, and less than $2,000 in daily chain fees.

The gap between Cardano's perceived scope and its on-chain activity persists. Midnight's premise is that privacy-first infrastructure can attract a class of users and use cases that Cardano's base layer never targeted.

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Dec 1, 2025 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Hoskinson framed Midnight at launch as an addition to a generational arc: Satoshi gave sound money, Ethereum gave programmability, Cardano brought governance and interoperability, and Midnight returns identity and privacy.

Institutional stablecoin volume reached $1.22 trillion, yet only 0.0013% settled on private rails, per Aleo's 2025 Privacy Gap Report.

RWA.xyz now tracks about $26.67 billion in distributed tokenized assets, with McKinsey projecting that tokenized financial assets could reach around $2 trillion by 2030.

At that scale, privacy becomes a market-structure issue. Public ledgers expose positions, counterparties, and reserve data in ways that regulated compliance frameworks cannot readily accommodate.

Midnight's architecture targets that friction directly. Its key building blocks enable institutions to demonstrate compliance or solvency without broadcasting sensitive data that would render transparent chain participation commercially untenable.

Compact, a TypeScript-influenced smart contract language, provides enterprise developers already familiar with TypeScript with a direct onboarding path to the network.

The dual-token NIGHT/DUST model adds further structural logic: separating governance and security (NIGHT) from transaction costs (DUST) provides enterprises with predictable operating economics.

This token model eventually abstracts crypto exposure away from end users entirely, a feature that compliance-driven buyers often value over cryptographic architecture alone.

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Aug 5, 2025 · Gino Matos

A specific bet in a crowded category

Other protocols are also betting on the privacy-plus-compliance pitch.

Aztec combines a public and private smart contract state with client-side proving. Namada advances selective disclosure and privacy for viewing keys. Aleo recently announced USAD, a privacy-by-default stablecoin built on the same institutional gap rhetoric.

The field has become a genuine competitive cluster, and Midnight's edge sits in a specific combination: Cardano-linked validator selection that accounts for SPO stake delegation, NIGHT's initial launch on Cardano mainnet, and Lace wallet support added in early March.

Those linkages give Midnight access to Cardano's existing staking infrastructure and builder base that competitors cannot replicate.

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The network opens on a federated operator model, consisting of names such as Google Cloud, Blockdaemon, MoneyGram, Pairpoint by Vodafone, eToro, Worldpay, and Bullish running block production from day one.

Each brings a different theory of where regulated on-chain finance goes next. Midnight bets that a Cardano-adjacent, enterprise-first operator model gets there first.

The federated operator set is both a design choice and a constraint. A curated infrastructure environment lowers the trust bar for regulated institutions evaluating deployment, as they can verify who operates the network before committing sensitive workflows to it.

Google Cloud's role is infrastructure and node operation. MoneyGram is exploring a confidential payment network settlement with regulatory trust, acting as both a node operator and an active collaborator in the network's early phase.

Monument Bank represents the clearest near-term product case: the bank wants to bring up to £250 million in tokenized retail deposits onto Midnight in a first phase, drawing from £7 billion in deposits managed for more than 100,000 customers.

Worldpay is running a stablecoin payments proof of concept using USDG, while Bullish is building a proof-of-reserves tooling on the privacy layer.

Each of those arrangements sits at the proof-of-concept stage, and the Midnight team said in January it was still compiling a definitive inventory of applications targeting the launch window.

A separate restraint applies to token metrics. NIGHT traded above $1 billion in market cap in late January 2026, but CoinGecko placed it at nearly $731 million as of Mar. 30.

That earlier episode measured attention, and treating it as evidence of sustained network adoption would misrepresent the data.

Broader community-driven block production is scheduled for later in 2026, which gives decentralization skeptics a clear opening: the network is asking observers to trust a curated launch environment before it has proved decentralized demand.

What to expect

In the bull case, Monument discloses visible issuance milestones over the next 90 days, and at least one of Worldpay, Bullish, or MoneyGram publishes a production milestone or public demo.

Midnight begins to function as the first credible bridge between Cardano's infrastructure and regulated on-chain finance, pulling in builders and institutions that transparent ledgers have never served.

Additionally, NIGHT retests the $1 billion-plus range as Midnight becomes the dominant new narrative for Cardano's broader orbit.

In the bear case, the application pipeline stays thin through mid-2026. Enterprise commitments result in announcements before live application deployment. The federated launch draws more criticism from participants focused on decentralization.

Midnight still carries technical credibility but fails to establish product-market fit in its stated institutional target, and the privacy-and-compliance thesis never graduates from architecture to an adoption record.

Hoskinson can now point to a full stack running from Cardano's governance and interoperability layer to Midnight's identity and privacy layer.

The verdict will come later, from the applications builders deploy, the deposits Monument actually tokenizes, and the workflows the institutional operators commit to past the launch window.

The post Cardano’s $9B network has little real activity — its new system aims to fix that appeared first on CryptoSlate.

America holds roughly 38% of global Bitcoin mining capacity, and the specialized hardware powering that position comes overwhelmingly from Chinese manufacturers.

Senators Bill Cassidy and Cynthia Lummis introduced the Mined in America Act on Mar. 30 to address that gap, proposing certification, domestic manufacturing support, and the codification of President Donald Trump's Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to begin unwinding a foreign hardware dependence they frame as a national industrial vulnerability.

Cassidy's office cites 97% of mining hardware coming from China. Hashrate Index's January 2026 update places US Bitcoin mining capacity at roughly 37%-38% of the global total, at around 400 exahashes per second.

Both data points describe the same supply-chain gap: American mining operations running on machines supplied by Chinese manufacturers. That combination of leading the world in an activity while relying on adversary-linked manufacturers for the machines that enable it is the argument the bill puts into legislative form.

The bill proposes a voluntary “Mined in America” certification administered by Commerce. Certified facilities would phase out mining hardware linked to foreign adversaries.

NIST and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership would support domestic hardware manufacturing by drawing on existing federal energy and rural programs. Cassidy's office says the bill operates within current program authorities.

The bill would also write the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve into statute. Trump's March 2025 executive order created the reserve using forfeited government Bitcoin and specified that any additional acquisition strategies must be budget neutral, imposing no incremental taxpayer cost.

Moving the reserve from executive action to law would give it legislative standing beyond a single administration and, for the first time, bind the hardware-sourcing argument to a federal balance sheet instrument.

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The Mined in America Act rests on a specific argument: owning the activity layer while ceding the hardware layer to foreign-origin manufacturers leaves the US exposed upstream.

The bill's answer spans certification, manufacturing support, and reserve codification, three policy levers that together frame Bitcoin mining as a sector deserving the same upstream attention Washington gives to semiconductors or critical minerals.

Why Washington got here

Reuters reported that US authorities began seizing some Chinese-made mining equipment at ports in late 2024 on FCC and Customs enforcement grounds, before releasing some of it in March 2025.

Those seizures gave the hardware dependence argument concrete, documented weight.

The port-level friction raised a question that the bill now codifies in law: if Chinese-origin mining gear can be caught by customs enforcement, what does that mean for an industry whose hardware stack now connects directly to Treasury reserve policy?

For the bill's backers, the episode turned that question from theory into documented enforcement history.

Mining economics made the supply chain exposure more consequential. A CoinShares report puts network hash price in the $30 to $35 per petahash per day range, with roughly 15% to 20% of the global fleet operating at a loss at those levels.

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Hardware supply disruptions land harder when the hash price environment already squeezes margins, with operators unable to quickly source replacement machines facing real operational exposure from a customs hold or tariff escalation.

The SEC released guidance on Mar. 17 clarifying the treatment of protocol mining and other crypto activities. A July 2025 White House digital assets report directed Congress and regulators to support US digital asset leadership.

Washington now treats crypto infrastructure as an industrial-policy category, and the Mined in America Act arrives as the hardware-sourcing component of that reorientation.

The bill's logic runs through the same channel as semiconductor policy, battery manufacturing, or telecom equipment: who controls the machines behind a compute-intensive infrastructure that now touches power markets and the Federal Reserve.

In 2024, the EIA estimated that cryptocurrency mining could account for up to 2.3% of US electricity consumption at 137 identified facilities. March reporting shows data-center electricity demand already generating public pushback over grid strain and utility costs.

Mining now sits within a broader public infrastructure debate, well beyond crypto.

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The harder question the bill raises is what “American” hardware actually means. Reports noted that Chinese-origin manufacturers have already begun establishing US production footholds, in part to navigate tariffs, while US-based Auradine has been promoting its products and policy case for domestically designed ASICs.

Assembly in America and design-plus-component-sourcing in America produce different supply chain outcomes, and the bill's certification framework will eventually have to define which one earns the label.

What this bill represents

The Mined in America Act drawing broad Republican support and the White House folding it into a combined reserve-protection and manufacturing plank represents the bull case.

Domestic and domestically assembled rig capacity expands enough to capture meaningful orders from certified facilities.

The US holds its high-30s share of global hash rate while reducing upstream concentration risk, and Bitcoin mining joins semiconductors and critical minerals as a named category in US industrial policy.

In this scenario, Auradine and potential new entrants capture orders that currently go abroad.

In the bear case, the legislation stalls. “Mined in America” functions as a certification brand with limited uptake, and miners continue buying from Chinese-origin vendors because price, performance, and availability dominate purchasing decisions.

Washington's policy ambitions outpace its industrial capacity to execute them, and the bill serves as a documented statement of vulnerability that the domestic manufacturing base has yet to answer.

The bill's introduction puts the supply chain gap in Bitcoin's hardware layer onto the Senate's legislative record.

The post Washington moves to cut China out of the machines powering US Bitcoin mining appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin rose back above $68,000 on March 31 after markets began to bet on a resolution to the Iran-US-Israel War and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared to end the war under certain conditions.

Data from CryptoSlate showed the broader crypto market added about $40 billion in value after the remarks. Bitcoin climbed nearly 2% to retake the $68,000 level, while Ethereum rose 3% to around $2,100.

The rebound marked a sharp reversal for digital assets, which had spent much of the past week under pressure as the conflict in the Middle East pushed investors toward oil, the dollar, and other traditional defensive trades.

The terms sought by Tehran were not immediately clear, leaving markets to react first to the possibility of de-escalation rather than to any concrete diplomatic framework.

Still, that uncertainty did little to slow the initial move across asset classes.

Iran war de-escalation lifts market

The Kobeissi Letter suggested that oil prices had fallen sharply by 5% in about three minutes today, because of unconfirmed comments from Pezeshkian. The post implies that algorithmic trading systems quickly seized on the headline. It said more than $1 trillion in market value moved across global markets within minutes as investors repriced the likelihood of a prolonged conflict.

Reports also surfaced yesterday of the PM making similar comments.

Today, US stocks also rallied rapidly at the same time, while the dollar fell by almost 1% on the DXY Dollar Index. The S&P 500 gained 2.5% on the day, adding about $1.4 trillion in market capitalization, as traders moved back into risk assets that had been battered by the surge in energy prices and fears of a wider regional disruption.

A WSJ article today follows directionally with Kobeissi's narrative, stating that President Trump is also keen on ending the war soon.

The reaction reflected how heavily the war had begun to weigh on financial markets before Tehran's latest remarks. Notably, oil prices have consistently traded above the $100 mark this month, with Brent crude on course for its biggest monthly gain on record, up 54% since the start of March.

That oil shock has become the central macro channel linking the conflict to crypto. Bitcoin and other digital assets have increasingly traded like broader risk-sensitive instruments during periods of rising yields, tighter financial conditions, and inflation anxiety.

As crude surged, investors worried that a longer disruption in Middle East energy flows would keep price pressures elevated, weaken growth, and reduce the room for central banks to ease policy.

Meanwhile, the economic stakes stretch well beyond financial markets.

The International Monetary Fund recently warned that a prolonged conflict that continues to choke flows through the Gulf would lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide.

That view has shaped investor behavior across asset classes, with traders watching not just the battlefield but also the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.

The post Bitcoin, stocks rally because of chatter that Iran is ready to ‘end the war’ as Dollar Index sinks below 100 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Early this morning, users of a prominent European cryptocurrency exchange were greeted by a chart that defied all logic. The $Bitcoin price appeared to collapse in a vertical line, crashing from its stable range of approximately $68,000 down to a mere $1,000. For several minutes, social media platforms were set ablaze with screenshots of the "crash," as traders rushed to deposit funds in hopes of catching the ultimate discount.

Was This a Real Market Event?

The sight of a 99.9% drop in the world's largest digital asset naturally sparked fears of a catastrophic systemic failure or a "fat finger" trade of historic proportions. However, investors can breathe a sigh of relief. This was an elaborate April Fools' Day prank. The exchange in question intentionally modified its front-end display to show the $100 price point as a nod to Bitcoin's early trading days, but no actual liquidations or trades occurred at this level.

What is a Flash Crash?

A flash crash is a genuine market phenomenon where a lack of buy orders (liquidity) leads to a rapid, temporary collapse in price. While today’s event was a scripted joke, real flash crashes have occurred in the past due to:

• High-frequency trading (HFT) algorithm errors.
• Massive sell orders hitting "thin" order books.
• Technical glitches in exchange matching engines.

In today's case, the global Bitcoin price remained steady on all other major platforms like Coinbase and Binance, confirming that the "crash" was localized and cosmetic.

The Reality of the Current Market

Despite the morning's humor, the actual crypto news cycle shows a market characterized by consolidation. Recent data indicates that Bitcoin is currently navigating "macro jitters," with prices hovering around the $69,000 mark as investors weigh geopolitical tensions and interest rate trajectories.

Why the Joke Hit So Hard

The $1,000 price target was chosen because it represents a "holy grail" for latecomers to the space—a price not seen since 2013. By displaying this specific number, the exchange targeted the psychological FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) that drives much of the retail crypto trading activity.

"I almost threw my coffee at the monitor," one trader shared. "I knew it was April 1st, but seeing that red candle touch $100 makes your survival instincts kick in before your brain does."

Protecting Your Portfolio from Real Volatility

While we can laugh at a scheduled prank, real market anomalies do happen. High-authority financial outlets like Bloomberg often highlight the risks of keeping entire portfolios on centralized exchanges. To mitigate the risk of actual technical glitches or exchange-side issues, many experts recommend:

• Cold Storage: Using hardware wallets to remove assets from the "line of fire" of exchange glitches.
• Diversified Order Books: Spreading trades across multiple high-volume exchanges to ensure price discovery is accurate.

Summary of the "Crash"

Markets Are Rallying on War-End Hopes

Global markets are currently experiencing a strong relief rally, driven by signals that tensions between the US and Iran could de-escalate.

Stocks surged across the board:

• The S&P 500 jumped over 2%
• Nasdaq and Dow followed with strong gains
• Trillions were added to global market capitalization

At the same time, crypto reacted positively:

• Bitcoin ($BTC) reclaimed the $68,000 level
• Ethereum ($ETH) pushed back above $2,100
• Altcoins showed short-term recovery

👉 On the surface, this looks like the beginning of a sustained recovery.

But the reality is far more fragile.

Why the Crypto Market Is Surging Right Now — and What Could Go Wrong

The current move is not being driven by improving fundamentals.

Instead, markets are reacting to a single dominant expectation:

👉 The war might end soon.

This creates a classic “risk-on” environment:

• Investors move back into equities
• Crypto benefits from renewed liquidity
• Volatility temporarily declines

However, this rally is built on expectation — not confirmation.

And that makes it extremely vulnerable.

The Hidden Threat That Could Crash the Crypto Market

While headlines focus on de-escalation, a major risk is quietly building:

👉 Iran has threatened to target major US companies operating in the Middle East.

This shifts the situation from geopolitical tension to:

👉 Economic and corporate disruption

If pursued, the consequences could extend far beyond the region.

Why This Threat Matters for Stocks

The companies at risk represent:

• A large share of the S&P 500
• Core drivers of Nasdaq performance
• Critical global supply chains

If disruptions occur, markets could react immediately:

• Tech stocks could sell off sharply
• Investor confidence could weaken
• Risk premiums could spike

👉 This would likely trigger a broader market pullback.

Oil Prices: The Key Trigger for a Crypto Crash

The most important variable in this situation is energy.

If tensions escalate:

• Oil prices surge
• Inflation fears return
• Liquidity tightens

👉 This directly pressures the crypto market.

At the moment, crypto is behaving like a risk asset, not a safe haven.

What Happens to Bitcoin and Altcoins Next?

Short-Term Reaction

If escalation headlines emerge:

• Bitcoin ($BTC) could drop quickly
• Ethereum ($ETH) would likely follow
• Altcoins could see sharper losses

This reflects crypto’s growing correlation with traditional markets.

The Second Phase to Watch

If the situation intensifies:

• Confidence in traditional markets may weaken
• Investors may seek alternative stores of value

👉 This could allow Bitcoin to stabilize and potentially recover after the initial drop.

Key Signals Investors Should Monitor

This market is now highly sensitive to headlines.

Watch closely for:

• Any confirmed targeting of US corporate assets
• Sudden spikes in oil prices
• Official geopolitical statements shifting tone

👉 These events could rapidly reverse the current rally.

A Market Pricing “Perfect Conditions”

Right now, markets are pricing:

• De-escalation
• Stable energy prices
• Improving liquidity

But if this scenario fails:

👉 The downside reaction could be fast and aggressive.

Conclusion: A Fragile Rally with Real Risk

The crypto market is rising on optimism — but that optimism is not yet supported by reality.

👉 If corporate threats become real, the current rally could unwind within hours.

For investors, this is a critical moment:

The next move will not be driven by charts — but by headlines.

$BTC, $ETH

A recent research development from Google has sparked serious concerns across the crypto industry. The paper suggests that breaking modern cryptographic systems may require far fewer quantum resources than previously estimated.

This has reignited a long-standing debate: could quantum computing eventually break Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?

What the New Quantum Research Claims

What’s been going around the market lately is pretty eye-catching:

• Some are saying cryptographic systems might be breakable with around 500,000 qubits—much lower than older estimates
• In theory, an attack could take minutes instead of hours
• High-value wallets, especially older ones, might be at risk sooner than people thought

It’s still being debated, so nothing is confirmed. But it does point to one thing: quantum computing seems to be moving faster than most expected.

How Real Is the Threat to Bitcoin and Ethereum?

To understand the risk, it’s important to look at how major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are secured.

Both rely on public-key cryptography, which could theoretically be broken by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer using algorithms like Shor’s algorithm.

However, there are important caveats:

• Today’s quantum computers are still far from the required scale
• Real-world attacks would require stable, error-corrected systems (not yet available)
• Many wallets use additional layers of security beyond basic encryption

👉 Bottom line: the threat is not immediate—but no longer theoretical either.

Bitcoin Developers Are Already Responding

In response to growing concerns, developers within the Bitcoin community are actively working on solutions.

A new Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) is reportedly in development, aimed at making the network resistant to quantum attacks.

Key developments include:

• Early-stage testnets for quantum-resistant upgrades
• Exploration of post-quantum cryptography
• Discussions on how to safely migrate existing wallets

This shows that the ecosystem is not ignoring the threat—but preparing for it.

What Happens If Quantum Attacks Become Real?

If quantum computing reaches the required level, the impact could be massive:

Potential Risks

• Old Bitcoin wallets (especially exposed public keys) could be compromised
• Large ETH wallets could become targets
• Market panic could trigger sharp sell-offs

But Also Opportunities

• New quantum-resistant blockchains could emerge
• Existing networks could upgrade and become even stronger
• Security innovation would accelerate across the industry

Timeline: Do We Really Have 3 Years?

Some estimates suggest the crypto industry has around 3–5 years to prepare before quantum computers become a real threat.

However, timelines in deep tech are notoriously unpredictable. Breakthroughs can happen suddenly—or take much longer than expected.

👉 This uncertainty is exactly why developers are acting early.

Should Investors Be Worried?

From a research and risk perspective:

Reasons Not to Panic

• Quantum computers are not yet powerful enough
• Crypto communities are actively developing solutions
• Upgrades can be implemented over time

Reasons to Pay Attention

• The pace of innovation is accelerating
• Security assumptions are being challenged
• Long-term holders could face new risks

Cardano ($ADA) has had a rough ride this year. Over the past 12 months, it’s dropped more than 60%, with 2026 alone already seeing a 26% decline. Many investors are asking themselves: is Cardano finished, or is it just undervalued?

The truth isn’t so clear-cut.

Sure, the price looks weak, but it’s not just Cardano—macro pressures are weighing on the entire crypto market. Rising geopolitical tensions, especially the ongoing conflict in Iran, are shaking risk assets across the board.

Still, crypto has shown it can hold up under stress. Often, during times like these, markets go into a “wait-and-see” mode rather than collapse outright, giving projects like Cardano room to recover.

Cardano Price Analysis: What the Chart Is Telling Us

Looking at the below daily chart, the trend is clearly bearish—but with signs of stabilization.

Key Observations

• ADA has been in a long-term downtrend since mid-2025
• Price is currently consolidating around $0.24–$0.25 support
• Lower highs confirm continued selling pressure
• RSI is neutral (~40–45), suggesting no strong momentum yet

Important Levels to Watch

Support zones:

• $0.24 → critical short-term support
• $0.21 → next major downside target if breakdown occurs 

Resistance zones:

• $0.30 → first breakout level
• $0.40 → strong resistance zone
• $0.55 → macro trend reversal level

Right now, $Cardano is trading in a compression phase, often a precursor to a big move.

Iran War Impact on Crypto: Why ADA Is Struggling

The current geopolitical situation is playing a major role.

• Oil price spikes and inflation fears are reducing risk appetite
• Altcoins like ADA are typically hit harder than Bitcoin
• Market volatility is preventing clear bullish momentum 

Bullish Scenario: Cardano Recovery Targets in 2026

If market conditions improve—or if the war de-escalates—Cardano could recover faster than many expect.

Short-Term Recovery Targets

• $0.30 → first breakout confirmation
• $0.42–$0.58 → relief rally zone after macro stabilization 

Mid-Term Targets (2026)

• $0.50–$0.67 → realistic range based on analyst forecasts 
• ~$0.41+ → conservative baseline if downtrend ends 

Long-Term Potential

Some models suggest:

• $2+ possible by 2030 with strong adoption 
• Even $3+ in a strong bull cycle with regulation clarity 

👉 Bottom line: Cardano is not dead—but it needs a macro tailwind + market cycle shift.

Bearish Scenario: What If the Downtrend Continues?

If the Iran war escalates or macro conditions worsen, ADA could still drop further.

Downside Risks

• Breakdown below $0.24 → confirms bearish continuation
• $0.21 → next key support (~20% downside) 
• Sub-$0.20 → possible in extreme risk-off environment

Weak demand and declining trading activity are already visible in the market.

Is Cardano Still a Good Investment?

From an analytical standpoint:

Strengths

• Strong academic and research-driven blockchain
• Active development and roadmap (Voltaire phase, governance) 
• Long-term ecosystem growth potential

Weaknesses

• Weak price momentum
• Strong competition (Solana, Ethereum L2s)
• High dependence on overall crypto market cycles

The crypto market is going through a major phase of institutional accumulation right now. A good example: by the end of March 2026, Bitmine Immersion Technologies has staked a huge 3.31 million ETH.

That’s worth roughly $6.7 billion—and it’s not a small bet. Moves like this go beyond simple treasury management. It’s a strong signal that big players still see Ethereum as undervalued, especially when you look at how much the network is actually used and the fact that it can generate yield on top.

Bitmine’s "Digital Asset Treasury" Strategy

Bitmine has transitioned from a traditional mining firm into a sophisticated "Digital Asset Treasury" powerhouse. The firm’s long-term strategy, often discussed in institutional circles as the "Alchemy of 5%," aims to eventually control 5% of the total Ethereum supply.

By staking 3.31 million ETH, Bitmine has become one of the largest individual entities securing the network. This strategy treats $ETH not just as a speculative asset, but as a productive capital asset. By moving these tokens into staking protocols, Bitmine is effectively creating a "corporate bond" equivalent for the blockchain era, generating consistent yield while betting on the long-term appreciation of the underlying asset.

What is Staking and why is it Important

Staking helps keep Ethereum secure without using a lot of energy. By locking up your tokens, you're acting as a digital "guard" for the network. It’s a win-win: the blockchain gets the validation it needs to stay decentralized, and you earn rewards like new ETH and fee tips for your participation.

The Impact of 3.31 Million ETH Locked

• Network Security: Bitmine now controls a significant portion of the validator set via its MAVAN (Made in America VAlidator Network) platform, contributing to the decentralization and security of the Ethereum network.
• Massive Yield Generation: At current staking rates, this multi-billion dollar position generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. This "organic" income is independent of market volatility, providing the firm with a robust balance sheet.
• The Supply Squeeze: By removing over 3 million tokens from the tradable supply, Bitmine is contributing to an illiquidity event. When large amounts of ETH are locked in staking, the "circulating" supply on exchanges drops, which can lead to explosive price moves if demand increases.

Why Institutional Data Suggests ETH is "Insanely Undervalued"

Despite the multi-billion dollar valuation of Bitmine’s holdings, many analysts argue that the current $Ethereum price is still far below its fair market value. The argument for ETH being undervalued hinges on several fundamental pillars:

Market leaders point to historical "V-shaped" recoveries, noting that Ethereum has frequently outperformed $Bitcoin in the late stages of a bull cycle. With the bridge between Wall Street and on-chain yield now fully established, the current price levels are increasingly viewed as a high-conviction entry point for long-term holders.

Ethereum Future and the Path to New Highs

If Bitmine and other institutional players continue to lock up massive quantities of ETH, the upward pressure could become unsustainable for bears. The "Triple Halving" effect—the combination of reduced issuance, fee burning, and massive staking—is creating a supply-demand imbalance that hasn't been fully priced in yet.

European crypto asset manager CoinShares positions for U.S. expansion as institutional players consolidate market share against Wall Street giants.

Federal grand juries have indicted ten individuals tied to alleged pump-and-dump schemes, following an FBI undercover operation.

Research suggests fault-tolerant quantum machines could arrive sooner than expected, posing a threat to Bitcoin and Ethereum cryptography.

P2P.me was established to push boundaries, but the startup admitted that wagering on itself via Polymarket may have been a bridge too far.

Support for Magic Eden's crypto wallet is ending soon, meaning users will have to export their private keys to avoid losing access to funds.

Cardano ranked ahead of Bitcoin and XRP Ledger in quantum readiness.

Bitcoin has finally ended a grueling five-month losing streak, securing a modest 1.84% gain in March to print its first green monthly candle since September 2025.

Ripple has executed its scheduled release of 1 billion XRP from cryptographic escrow.

Market is back on its feet, but there is a long way to go for it to reach the level of bullish consensus.

Crypto news digest: SHIB price jumps 4%; XRP ready for a rebound; BTC whale awakens to dump.

TLDR:

• Oracle terminated roughly 30,000 employees via a single early-morning email with no prior warning from management.
• The layoffs are expected to free up between $8 billion and $10 billion in cash flow for AI infrastructure.
• Oracle accumulated $58 billion in new debt over two months to fund a large-scale AI data center buildout.
• Despite the cuts, Oracle posted a 95% jump in net income last quarter, recording $6.13 billion in profit.

Oracle layoffs have shaken the global technology industry after the company terminated roughly 30,000 employees in a single morning.

Workers across the United States, India, and other regions received a brief termination email at 6 a.m. Eastern Time.

No prior warning came from managers or human resources teams. The cuts represent approximately 18% of Oracle’s global workforce of 162,000 people.

Analysts have directly linked the decision to the company’s push into artificial intelligence infrastructure.

A Cold Email That Ended Thousands of Careers

The termination email was short, formal, and sent without advance notice to any affected staff. It informed employees that “following a review of current business needs, their roles were being eliminated as part of organisational changes.“

That same day was designated as the final working day for all receiving the message. Access to internal systems was revoked almost immediately after the email went out.

Employees were then directed to sign termination paperwork through DocuSign in order to receive severance. They were also asked to update their personal email addresses to receive further separation details. The process left many workers with little room for questions or clarification from management.

Screenshots of the email spread quickly across Blind and Reddit’s r/employeesOfOracle community. Many employees described the notification as abrupt and disorienting.

One affected worker posted on Reddit: “There was no heads-up, no meeting, nothing — just an email and then no access.”

Some workers also reported that monitoring software had recently been installed on company-issued laptops. Staff were instructed not to copy files or code before returning devices.

Certain divisions faced the deepest cuts within Oracle’s global workforce. The Revenue and Health Sciences division reportedly saw reductions of 30% or more, affecting engineers across multiple units.

The SaaS and Virtual Operations Services team experienced similar reductions, with manager-level positions also included.

NetSuite’s India Development Centre saw cuts across project management, individual contributor, and managerial roles. Employees with unvested restricted stock units lost those benefits immediately upon termination.

Vested stock remained accessible through Fidelity. Some staff were placed on garden leave, with April 3 designated as a formal last working day.

Oracle’s AI Expansion Drives a Major Workforce Restructuring

Oracle’s layoffs are directly tied to the company’s large-scale expansion into artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company reportedly accumulated $58 billion in new debt over the past two months.

That borrowing was aimed at funding a major buildout of AI data centers across multiple regions. The workforce reduction is designed to free up cash needed to sustain that investment.

TD Cowen analysts estimated the cuts could generate between $8 billion and $10 billion in new cash flow. That amount is expected to help ease financial pressure from Oracle’s growing debt obligations.

Meanwhile, Oracle’s stock has fallen more than 50% since its peak in September 2025. Several banks have also reportedly reduced financing for certain Oracle data center projects.

A post circulating widely on social media captured the mood among affected employees. One user wrote: “Oracle fired 30,000 people this morning with a single cold email — ‘today is your last working day.'”

The message resonated with many workers who had received no prior notice of the terminations. Hundreds of similar accounts surfaced on Reddit and professional forums throughout the day.

Despite these financial pressures, Oracle posted strong quarterly results before the announcement. Net income rose 95% last quarter, reaching $6.13 billion. The layoffs are not a response to poor performance but rather a deliberate shift of resources toward AI infrastructure.

The situation at Oracle reflects a growing pattern across the technology sector. Large companies are betting heavily on AI while managing substantial debt loads.

Workforce reductions are increasingly being used to fund those technology investments. For the 30,000 employees who received that 6 a.m. email, the corporate pivot to AI came with an immediate and direct personal cost.

The post Oracle Fires 30,000 Employees Overnight to Fund $58 Billion AI Data Center Debt appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Berkshire Hathaway’s $373.3B cash reserve is the largest ever held by any corporation in history.
• The Buffett Indicator hit 220%, surpassing the dot-com peak and every prior reading on record.
• TTF natural gas surged 75% and Brent crude reached $107, raising costs for S&P 500 companies.
• Buffett publicly linked Iran’s nuclear programme to market risk for the first time on March 31.

The Buffett Indicator has climbed above 220 percent, exceeding every prior reading in its recorded history. Warren Buffett appeared on CNBC on March 31, holding the largest corporate cash reserve ever accumulated.

Berkshire Hathaway now sits on $373.3 billion in Treasury bills and cash equivalents. The firm has also completed thirteen consecutive quarters of net stock selling, totalling $187 billion in net sales.

Analysts are watching both figures closely against a backdrop of rising energy costs and geopolitical tension.

Berkshire’s Selling Streak Draws Attention Across Markets

The thirteen-quarter selling streak marks the longest in Berkshire Hathaway’s history. That figure alone has prompted renewed scrutiny of Buffett’s market positioning.

He has not publicly forecast a crash, staying consistent with his long-held view that short-term forecasts are unreliable.

Buffett made that position clear decades ago. He has repeated it across multiple market cycles, including the 2008 financial crisis. During that downturn, he published his “Buy American. I Am.” statement and deployed capital while others were exiting.

In 2002, he warned that derivatives were “financial weapons of mass destruction.” That warning came six years before the instruments contributed to a global financial collapse. His track record of positioning ahead of stress events is well-documented.

On March 31, Buffett flagged Iran’s nuclear programme as a market risk. According to the tweet by @shanaka86, this was the first time he publicly connected a Middle Eastern conflict to his valuation framework in an interview.

Energy Costs and AI Valuations Add Pressure to the Indicator

The Hormuz crisis has driven TTF natural gas prices up 75 percent. Brent crude has reached $107 per barrel. Natural gas generates 40 percent of US electricity and heats 47 percent of American homes, making it central to corporate cost structures.

The Buffett Indicator’s 220 percent reading was calculated using pre-crisis earnings. As energy costs rise, post-crisis earnings are expected to fall. A shrinking earnings denominator pushes the ratio higher, not lower.

The AI sector sits at the centre of this tension. NVIDIA represents roughly seven percent of the S&P 500 index. OpenAI closed a $122 billion funding round at an $852 billion valuation. AI infrastructure runs on natural gas, which now costs 75 percent more than it did five weeks ago.

Oracle’s credit default swaps recently exceeded 198 basis points, surpassing the 2008 financial crisis peak. The IRGC has designated 18 American companies as legitimate military targets.

Against that backdrop, Berkshire’s $373.3 billion cash position continues to grow, while Buffett remains on the sidelines.

The post Berkshire Hathaway’s $373.3B Cash Reserve Signals Caution as Buffett Indicator Hits Record 220% appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Novo Nordisk unveiled a flexible subscription service for Wegovy, featuring 3-, 6-, and 12-month options for cash-paying customers
• Monthly costs for injections drop from $329 (3-month plan) to $249 (12-month plan), delivering up to 29% savings versus the regular $349 price
• Pill format subscriptions offer $289–$249 monthly pricing, compared to the typical $299 cost
• The service launched via telehealth platforms Ro, WeightWatchers, and LifeMD, with Hims & Hers and Sesame joining shortly
• Market data shows Eli Lilly commanding approximately 60% of U.S. branded GLP-1 sales; Novo Nordisk captures roughly 39%

Novo Nordisk is making an aggressive play for self-paying obesity treatment customers through a newly unveiled subscription framework for Wegovy, aiming to narrow the substantial lead held by competitor Eli Lilly in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Novo Nordisk A/S, NVO

The Copenhagen-based pharmaceutical giant rolled out the initiative this Tuesday, providing qualifying out-of-pocket buyers the ability to secure predictable monthly costs through three distinct subscription tiers. The formula is straightforward: extended commitments unlock deeper discounts.

For Wegovy’s injectable formulation, subscribers pay $329 monthly under a 3-month arrangement, $299 for a 6-month commitment, and $249 when signing up for 12 months. These rates represent significant reductions from the current $349 standard monthly charge — savings reaching 29% at the top tier.

The Wegovy oral tablet, which entered the U.S. market this past January, employs comparable tiered pricing: $289, $269, or $249 monthly, down from the baseline $299. Annual savings potential hits $600 for tablet users and $1,200 for injection patients who select the year-long subscription.

Pricing remains constant regardless of dosage adjustments throughout treatment, eliminating a common source of cost uncertainty for self-funded GLP-1 users.

Immediate availability exists through Ro, WeightWatchers, and LifeMD platforms. Hims & Hers, Sesame, and additional telehealth partners will join the network in coming weeks. The program hasn’t launched through Novo’s proprietary NovoCare pharmacy service yet, though future expansion remains under consideration.

Strategic Timing Behind the Launch

This rollout reflects mounting competitive urgency. Novo faces significant challenges as Eli Lilly maintains dominance with approximately 60% of America’s branded GLP-1 segment compared to Novo’s 39% share. Lilly established its direct-to-patient sales infrastructure earlier and has watched its Zepbound medication outperform Wegovy in prescription velocity.

Novo has already executed internal restructuring measures — replacing top leadership, reducing headcount, and appointing fresh management for its American operations. This subscription offering represents the latest strategic counter-move.

The Wegovy tablet has successfully attracted consumers who previously avoided GLP-1 injections, making the timeline before Lilly’s competing oral medication critical. Lilly’s pill-based obesity treatment currently awaits FDA clearance, with potential approval anticipated around April.

Industry observers have cautioned that Novo risks disadvantageous positioning in an escalating price competition, particularly after slashing Wegovy injection costs from $499 to $349 this past November — a dramatic 30% reduction.

Competitive Landscape: Lilly’s Self-Pay Structure

Lilly’s Zepbound carries self-pay costs beginning at $299 monthly for the 2.5mg strength, escalating to $399 for 5mg, and $449 for maximum doses through its “Self Pay Journey Program.”

A critical challenge the subscription addresses: treatment continuity. Research published in 2025 indicated approximately 65% of obesity patients discontinue GLP-1 therapies within twelve months, frequently citing financial unpredictability and adverse reactions.

Ed Cinca, Novo’s marketing and patient solutions executive, emphasized that subscribers retain cancellation flexibility throughout their active enrollment period.

The 4mg Wegovy tablet, currently available at $149 monthly, will increase to $199 beginning this September. The recently authorized 7.2mg strength will integrate into subscription offerings at an undisclosed future date.

The post Novo Nordisk (NVO) Stock: New Wegovy Subscription Model Targets Eli Lilly’s Market Lead appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Ken Griffin’s Citadel positioned Nvidia and Amazon as top portfolio holdings in Q4 2024, divesting from Tesla completely
• Nvidia’s autonomous vehicle platform features Omniverse simulation, Cosmos data generation, and Alpamayo reasoning models, with potential for hundreds of billions in revenue
• Amazon subsidiary Zoox operates the only purpose-built autonomous taxis on American public roads, with services in Las Vegas and San Francisco
• Amazon shares have declined 14% in 2026, yet analysts maintain a Strong Buy consensus with a $284.30 average target price
• French AI firm Mistral AI placed an order for approximately 13,800 Nvidia GB300 GPUs, valued at approximately $575 million

During the final quarter of 2024, hedge fund titan Ken Griffin significantly expanded his investments in both Nvidia and Amazon, elevating them to become Citadel’s largest equity positions by year-end. Simultaneously, the billionaire investor completely exited his Tesla holdings.

These portfolio adjustments arrive amid intensifying competition in the self-driving vehicle sector. With light-duty vehicles logging more than 3 trillion miles annually across the United States, the autonomous taxi market presents a revenue opportunity measured in the trillions, even accounting for competitive pricing pressures.

Nvidia provides the essential computing hardware and software infrastructure that powers many autonomous driving platforms. The company’s GPUs remain the gold standard for artificial intelligence computing tasks, regularly surpassing competitors in performance tests for both model training and real-time inference operations.

NVIDIA Corporation, NVDA

The chipmaker has assembled a comprehensive development ecosystem for autonomous vehicles. Omniverse creates detailed simulations of urban environments. Cosmos produces synthetic datasets for model training. Alpamayo represents a suite of advanced reasoning models enabling self-driving systems to interpret and respond to real-world conditions.

Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress informed investors that the autonomous taxi segment could deliver revenue in the hundreds of billions throughout the coming decade. She emphasized that virtually every significant automotive manufacturer and mobility service provider developing self-driving technology relies on Nvidia’s platform in some capacity.

Expanding Horizons for Nvidia

Aside from autonomous vehicles, Nvidia continues experiencing robust demand throughout the AI infrastructure landscape. Mistral AI, a French artificial intelligence company, secured $830 million in debt capital and announced plans for a Parisian data center deployment featuring roughly 13,800 GB300 GPUs from Nvidia. Industry estimates place this chip procurement at approximately $575 million.

Worldwide cloud infrastructure expenditure reached $110.9 billion during Q4 2025, representing 29% year-over-year expansion. Research organization Omdia anticipates 27% growth continuing through 2026.

On March 16, Nvidia unveiled the Space-1 Vera Rubin computing module, engineered specifically for orbital data center applications. Space technology startup Starcloud recently closed a $170 million funding round at a $1.1 billion valuation and plans to deploy a satellite-based GPU cluster before year-end.

Financial analysts project Nvidia’s earnings will compound at 38% annually over the next three-year period. The stock currently commands a valuation of approximately 35 times forward earnings, with total market capitalization exceeding $4 trillion.

Amazon’s Dual Strategy in Robotaxis and Cloud Computing

Amazon operates Zoox, presently the sole autonomous vehicle company deploying purpose-designed robotaxis on American public thoroughfares. Zoox vehicles currently provide service in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with testing programs active in Austin and Miami deployments scheduled for later this year.

Amazon.com, Inc., AMZN

Zoox submitted a recent application to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration seeking authorization for commercial ride-hailing operations utilizing up to 2,500 autonomous vehicles. Federal regulators are anticipated to render their decision in early April.

Morgan Stanley research suggests Zoox will capture 12% of all autonomous ride-sharing trips by 2032.

Amazon’s stock price has retreated approximately 14% during 2026, currently trading around $199 per share. Investor concerns center on the company’s announced $200 billion AI infrastructure capital expenditure plan for the year and AWS growth rates trailing behind cloud computing competitors.

Jefferies analyst Brent Thill upholds a Buy recommendation with a $300 price objective, characterizing the recent selloff as an excessive market reaction. The broader analyst community maintains a Strong Buy consensus, with 44 analysts establishing an average target price of $284.30.

Amazon’s forthcoming quarterly earnings announcement represents the next significant catalyst for share price movement.

The post Ken Griffin’s Citadel Loads Up on Nvidia (NVDA) and Amazon (AMZN) in Autonomous Vehicle Play appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Internal source code from Claude Code, Anthropic’s AI coding assistant, was unintentionally made public
• Approximately 1,900 files containing 512,000 lines of code were exposed
• A social media post linking to the leaked code surpassed 30 million views
• The company confirms no user data or authentication credentials were compromised
• Anthropic has experienced two separate data exposure incidents within the same week

On Tuesday, Anthropic publicly acknowledged an unintended disclosure of proprietary source code belonging to Claude Code, its artificial intelligence-driven development tool. Company representatives characterized the incident as stemming from a “release packaging issue caused by human error, not a security breach.”

Cybersecurity professionals analyzing the exposure reported that nearly 1,900 individual files totaling approximately 512,000 lines of code became accessible. Given that Claude Code operates within developer environments where it interacts with confidential information, security specialists expressed significant apprehension about the implications.

A social media message on X containing a direct link to the exposed code rapidly gained traction online. Within hours of appearing during the early Tuesday morning, the post had already accumulated more than 30 million impressions.

Software engineers immediately began analyzing the released code to gain insights into Claude Code’s operational mechanics and Anthropic’s future development roadmap. Meanwhile, security professionals highlighted potential exploitation vectors that malicious actors might leverage with access to this information.

AI-focused cybersecurity company Straiker published analysis suggesting that threat actors could now examine Claude Code’s internal data processing architecture. Their assessment indicated this knowledge could enable adversaries to engineer persistent exploits that maintain presence throughout extended sessions, essentially creating backdoor access.

Back-to-Back Security Events

This incident represents the second problematic disclosure for Anthropic in under seven days. Fortune previously disclosed that the organization had mistakenly granted public access to thousands of internal documents.

Among those documents was an unpublished blog entry detailing a forthcoming AI system referenced internally under the codenames “Mythos” and “Capybara.” The draft reportedly acknowledged potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities associated with the model.

Anthropric announced plans to implement additional safeguards against similar future occurrences. The organization emphasized that neither incident involved exposure of customer information or authentication credentials.

Claude Code’s Market Position

Anthropric made Claude Code publicly available in May of the previous year. The platform assists programmers with feature development, debugging, and workflow automation.

Adoption has accelerated substantially. By February, the product had achieved an annualized revenue run rate exceeding $2.5 billion.

This commercial success has intensified competitive pressure across the sector. OpenAI, Google, and xAI have all committed significant resources toward developing comparable coding assistance platforms to challenge Claude Code’s market position.

Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI leadership and research personnel, Anthropic has built its reputation primarily around its Claude AI model series.

A company representative confirmed that Anthropic is implementing procedural changes designed to prevent recurrence of such disclosure events.

The post Anthropic Exposes Half a Million Lines of Claude Code in Major Leak appeared first on Blockonomi.

Stablecoins have emerged as one of crypto’s clearest and most prominent use cases, with their total market cap exceeding $320 billion at the time of this writing. That’s more than 13% of the entire industry’s capitalization.

Attempting to take full advantage of the narrative, Ripple has been pushing its RLUSD stablecoin for a while, and today, they dropped another announcement.

According to the company’s X account, RLUSD is now live on one of the largest regulated exchanges in South Korea – Coinone.

Korean traders are now able to access the asset directly in KRW.

$RLUSD is now live on @CoinoneOfficial — one of South Korea’s largest regulated exchanges.

Korean traders can now access Ripple’s fully-reserved, enterprise-grade stablecoin directly in KRW.

Global reach. Local access. #RLUSD #Ripple

— Ripple (@Ripple) April 1, 2026

Coinone is amongst the leading crypto exchanges in the country, boasting a trading volume of around $300 million in the past 24 hours.

This is the last in a series of moves aimed at positioning RLUSD as a preferred crypto on-ramp internationally. As CryptoPotato reported earlier in March, Ripple is testing whether RLUSD can replace manual payment processes in Singapore,  using the city-state’s sandbox environment called BLOOM. The latter is under the direct management of the Monethary Authority of Singapoe (the country’s de-facto central bank).

The post Important Announcement for Ripple (XRP) Traders in South Korea appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin jumped to a new multi-day peak of over $69,200 earlier today as the markets prepare for Trump’s highly anticipated speech on the war against Iran.

Most larger-cap alts are also in the green, with ETH climbing past $2,100 and XRP defending the $1.30 support. ZEC and HBAR have posted the most gains.

BTC Stopped at $69K

The primary cryptocurrency ended the previous business week with a violent price drop that drove it from $69,000 to a then-multi-week low of $65,600, which dragged the entire market sentiment back to ‘extreme fear’ territory. The asset found some support at those levels before it dumped to a new monthly low of $65,000 on Monday morning when the legacy futures markets opened.

The bulls finally reemerged at this point and didn’t allow another breakdown. Instead, BTC began to recover some ground and tapped $68,000 later on Monday. It fell back to $66,400, jumped by two grand, and dipped again to $66,000 yesterday as the war in the Middle East continued to unfold.

Once Iran’s President said his country is ready to end the war if it receives certain guarantees, BTC jumped to $68,400 again, but was stopped. It broke through that level earlier today and tapped $69,200 after reports emerged that US President Trump will address the situation later.

For now, BTC has retraced to $68,700, avoiding a sixth consecutive decline into March, with a market cap of $1.375 trillion. Its dominance over the alts stands above 56% on CG.

Oil’s Month

Given the fact that Iran, one of the world’s biggest oil hubs, was under attack for the entire month, and the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, it’s expected that the commodity’s price would go on a volatile ride.

Overall, it ended March with a massive 60% surge. In fact, Brent crude oil futures marked the most significant monthly increase since the contracts were created nearly 40 years ago.

BREAKING: Brent crude oil futures prices officially end March 2026 with a +60% gain, posting the largest monthly gain since the creations of the futures contract in 1988.

US gas prices are up by +$1.25/gallon since December. pic.twitter.com/3OFL6Drukl

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) March 31, 2026

ETH Above $2.1K

Ethereum has jumped by over 3% in the past 24 hours and now sits well above $2,100. XRP maintained the $1.30 resistance and now sits at $1.36. BNB is above $615, while LINK, ZEC, AVAX, and HBAR have posted even more impressive gains from the larger-cap alts. In contrast, CC, BCH, and TRX are slightly in the red.

The total crypto market cap has added around $60 billion daily and sits close to $2.450 trillion on CG.

The post Bitcoin Tapped $69K, Oil Prices Ended March With 60% Surge: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.

After another volatile month fueled by the war moves in the Middle East, bitcoin managed to scrape above the surface at the end and finished with a minor increase.

The focus has now turned to April and Q2, and CryptoPotato turned to a leading expert about their take on the matter and what investors might expect.

March Was Green(ish)

Although it tapped a new all-time high in early October, that month actually ended slightly in the red and began a violent streak. Data from CoinGlass shows that after that 3.7% drop in October, the primary cryptocurrency dumped by over 17.5% in November, 3% in December, and posted two more double-digit declines in January and February, 2026.

This meant it ended five consecutive months below its starting point, which puts it straight in bear market territory. March was on the line, as a red closure would equal the worst such negative streak marked between August 2018 and January 2019. And, the month saw a few dips to below those levels, but the late March 31 jump to $68,000 prevented this possibility, and it ended with a minor 1.8% increase.

Nevertheless, the quarterly results were quite painful once again. After the 23.07% decline posted in Q4 2025, the cryptocurrency saw another 22.2% drop in Q1 2026. This became its worst-performing Q1 since the 2018 bear market when it plunged by 50% in the first three months of the year.

What’s Next?

History shows that bitcoin has had some success in April, especially in the distant 2013 (50% surge), and between 2016 and 2020, when it posted numerous double-digit gains. Speaking on what the future might hold for BTC in April 2026 with CryptoPotato was Lacie Zhang, a research analyst at Bitget Wallet, who said:

“The April outlook for crypto remains cautiously optimistic, even as markets navigate a complex mix of geopolitical uncertainty, including ongoing ceasefire discussions in the Middle East alongside the risk of further escalation. Bitcoin and stablecoins are continuing to function as key channels for capital movement out of the region, with relatively low correlation to traditional assets and increasing room for institutional accumulation. This dynamic suggests that, despite headline-driven volatility, underlying demand remains intact and structurally supportive.”

Zhang laid out some targets for BTC and ETH for Q2. If the war in Iran continues and oil prices rocket past $120, BTC might test $55,000 while ETH could drop to yearly lows of $1,500. However, a substantial de-escalation could send the assets above $90,000 and $2,700, respectively.

Another important catalyst for price moves is expected to be the CLARITY Act, but the analyst believes there’s only a “40%-60% chance it would pass this year.”

The post Bitcoin Barely Avoids Equaling Worst Red Monthly Streak: What’s Next for April? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The market-wide volatility fueled by the major developments in the war against Iran continues, as bitcoin just tapped a multi-day peak of almost $69,000 after dropping to $66,000 yesterday.

The latest leg up coincided with reports citing information from the White House that US President Donald Trump will drop a major update on the hot topic later today.

BREAKING: President Trump will deliver an address to the nation on Wednesday at 9 PM ET to give “an important update on Iran.”

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) April 1, 2026

Although the details of the upcoming speech are scarce at the moment, the speculation from experts is going rampant, mostly because of the contrasting statements made in the past few days.

On the one hand, Trump was reportedly considering ending the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. On the other hand, WSJ coverage claimed that several nations in the Gulf Stream pushed the US to continue the war, as the UAE has begun preparing to help open the Strait by force.

Iran’s President said his country is ready to end the war under certain guarantees. Meanwhile, several European states, including Spain, Italy, and France, continue to deny providing any military support to the US.

BTC’s price has remained quite volatile amid all of these developments. It dropped to $65,000 on Monday morning for the first time in a month, jumped to $68,400 on Tuesday, dipped to $66,000 again, and neared $68,800 minutes ago after the news about Trump’s upcoming speech went live.

The post Bitcoin Price Rises Ahead of Trump’s Key Iran War Announcement appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Despite the growing criticism online, the Pi Network Core Team continues to introduce new features that are aimed at enhancing its overall performance and providing new features and capabilities for users.

The latest announcement, made just hours ago, was regarding a crucial step taken to simulate and test Smart Contracts on its blockchain.

Pi Testnet Introduces RPC Server

Upon celebrating Pi Day (on March 14), the team outlined several new features ranging from protocol updates to second Mainnet migrations. While the latter continues to be a hot topic of discussion within the Pi Network community, which remains unimpressed despite the thousands of claimed successful migrations, the former attracted significant attention for all the good reasons.

The protocol was upgraded to version 20.2 after the previous updates in February and March to v19.6 and v19.9. The latest version, which is now days away from being moved to v21, is expected to be a game-changer for Pi Network as it lays down the foundations of smart contract capabilities.

Once successfully incorporated, this functionality will enable developers to build decentralized applications and automate blockchain-based processes. The first expected categories will include NFT-related apps, escrow services, and subscription systems.

The new move on the matter announced by the team today indicated that Pi Network’s Testnet now has an operational Remote Procedure Call (RPC) server, which is a “major step toward Smart Contracts being simulated, tested, and deployed.”

Pi Testnet now has an RPC server.

This is a major step toward Smart Contracts being simulated, tested, and deployed. pic.twitter.com/xIjAHSgn0n

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) April 1, 2026

RPC servers are network applications allowing users to execute functions, procedures, and programs on a remote device as if they were local. In the blockchain industry, they act as a bridge between dApps, wallets, and the network itself, allowing programs to query data (token balances, transactions, etc) and submit new transactions to the network by translating these requests into a format the node understands.

PI Still Struggles

Despite all these developments and promises of a more functional network, the project’s native token has struggled ever since it was violently rejected at $0.30 in mid-March, following the Kraken listing pump-and-dump.

Although most mid-cap alts have posted impressive gains over the past 24 hours, PI is up by less than 1% and remains deep below $0.18. The token unlock schedule for the next couple of weeks is also worrying, as there are several days with more than 10 million coins to be released, which could increase the immediate selling pressure.

The schedule for the rest of April might be the silver lining here, with the number of new PI to be unlocked dropping to under 5 million on some occasions.

The post Major Pi Network Announcement for Developers, Users, Investors: Details appeared first on CryptoPotato.