AI's rapid evolution is reshaping global economics and personal lives, outpacing societal and governmental readiness.

The post Peter Diamandis: The unprecedented speed of technological change, why society and governments are unprepared for AI, and the democratization of intelligence reshaping our future | The Pomp Podcast appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Rapid demographic shifts in Britain could reshape the political landscape and challenge electoral integrity.

The post Matt Goodwin: The British public demands urgent political reform, demographic shifts threaten electoral integrity, and the rise of the Greens reflects a rejection of the establishment | The Peter McCormack Show appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

CoreWeave's AI cloud platform expansion challenges misconceptions about GPU depreciation and market value.

The post Michael Intrator: GPU technology’s adaptability beyond crypto, the monetization of AI through inference, and why GPU lifespan misconceptions are misleading | All-In Podcast appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Monad's groundbreaking token sale on Coinbase draws 85,000 participants, spotlighting its innovative market strategy.

The post Keone Hon: Monad’s successful blockchain launch, the importance of decentralization for user trust, and why outdated token gating strategies hinder growth | Empire appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin emerges as a safe haven amid geopolitical tensions and rising commodity prices.

The post David Bailey: The Fed’s interest rates remain stable, rising commodity prices act as a tax on consumers, and Bitcoin shows signs of potential growth amidst geopolitical risks | Galaxy Brains appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

MoonPay Launches Open-Source Wallet Standard for AI Agents

MoonPay recently launched an open-source wallet standard to equip artificial intelligence (AI) agents with the ability to manage funds and conduct transactions across multiple blockchains.

By doing so, MoonPay says it is trying to confront the challenges posed by the existing fragmentation in wallet and key management systems that autonomous software often encounters.

The escalating involvement of AI agents in economic activities underscores the urgent need for standardized financial tools that streamline operations and minimize risks. Under traditional systems, each AI agent typically must handle its own keys and maintain a distinct balance, which invariably leads to inefficient processes and heightened security vulnerabilities.

For example, a lack of coordination among key management can expose funds to hacks or loss, particularly if agents operate in environments with differing security protocols. MoonPay’s initiative aims to counter these risks by providing a cohesive framework for wallet access and transaction execution, benefiting both AI developers and their end-users.

This development not only enhances operational efficiency but also paves the way for broader adoption of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the AI sector.

As these agents become more prevalent across trading, e-commerce, and automated financial services, the demand for seamless interactions with blockchain technology will grow accordingly.

Key features of the wallet standard

The newly introduced MoonPay wallet standard is composed of several pivotal features designed to optimize the functioning of AI agents within various blockchain environments:

• Unified Access: AI agents are empowered to function from a centralized pool of funds. This feature eliminates the fragmentation of multiple disconnected accounts, facilitating smoother transaction flows.
• Secure Key Management: The wallet standard prioritizes security by ensuring that private keys are stored within an encrypted local vault. Transactions are signed in a dedicated, isolated process, which keeps keys out of the agent’s runtime environment, thus mitigating the risk of exposure during transactions.
• Policy Controls: Users can implement spending limits and restrictions, offering them control over the transactions that an AI agent can initiate. This feature is particularly valuable in organizational contexts, where oversight and compliance with internal financial policies are critical.
• Modular Design: The standard adopts an open-source, modular approach, encompassing essential components such as storage systems, signing processes, policy controls, and compatibility with a range of blockchains. This flexibility will allow developers to tailor the wallet to meet the specific needs of various AI applications.

These integrated features collectively aim to bolster the security and efficiency of AI-conducted financial transactions, supporting the growing trend of automation in business operations.

Industry Collaboration and Adoption

MoonPay’s endeavor to establish this wallet standard was bolstered by contributions from more than a dozen companies, including notable entities like PayPal, OKX, and Circle.

The participation of various blockchain foundations and infrastructure providers demonstrates the industry’s collective recognition of the need to effectively integrate AI agents into blockchain ecosystems. Such collaboration is pivotal to adopting new technologies that could reshape financial services.

The introduction of MoonPay’s wallet framework for AI agents presents significant implications for the Bitcoin network.

By facilitating seamless interactions, this development could lead to increased transaction volumes and the emergence of innovative use cases. For instance, AI-driven trading algorithms may use the wallet to execute transactions more efficiently, potentially stabilizing market dynamics by improving liquidity.

Furthermore, as the integration takes hold, it could spur greater adoption of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies among businesses looking to leverage AI capabilities.

Companies may find new opportunities for efficiency and cost-effectiveness in utilizing bitcoin for automated financial transactions, driving further integration of AI in daily business practices.

Outlook

Looking ahead, as AI technology continues to accelerate, the integration of standardized financial tools is poised to become increasingly impactful.

MoonPay’s open-source wallet standard stands as a crucial step in promoting autonomous economic activities for AI agents. Its implications extend beyond mere financial transactions, influencing the ongoing intersection of AI and blockchain technologies.

Editorial Disclaimer: We leverage AI as part of our editorial workflow to support research, image generation, and quality assurance processes. However, all content is human-led, rigorously reviewed, and approved by our editorial team, with strict standards for accuracy, originality, and integrity. In Bitcoin, as in media: Don’t trust. Verify.

This post MoonPay Launches Open-Source Wallet Standard for AI Agents first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Swings Wildly as Iran Ceasefire Drama Rocks Crypto Markets

Bitcoin kicked off the week with a surge above $71,000 before retracing, reflecting renewed market sensitivity to geopolitical developments between the U.S. and Iran. 

The leading cryptocurrency had traded below $68,000 over the weekend, leaving investors on edge as markets digested conflicting reports about peace talks in the Middle East.

Monday’s spike came after the U.S. President Donald Trump announced a five-day postponement of planned strikes on Iranian power plants, citing “very good and productive” conversations with Tehran on a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities. Within minutes of the announcement, 

Bitcoin jumped to an intraday high of $71,811, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro, before easing back to around $70,000. The rally briefly wiped out roughly $791 million in leveraged crypto positions, with $425 million in long positions liquidated.

The momentum was short-lived. Iran’s Foreign Ministry, via state media, denied that any talks had occurred in the form Trump described. 

“We are not the party that started this war, and all these requests should be referred to Washington,” the ministry said, underscoring the continued uncertainty surrounding the conflict. 

The market’s reaction reflected the mixed signals, with volatility dominating early-week trading.

Bitcoin’s resilience in war 

Despite the rollercoaster, BTC remains resilient over a broader horizon. 

Since February 28, when U.S.-Israeli airstrikes triggered retaliatory Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Bitcoin has risen roughly 7%, outperforming the S&P 500 (-4.6%) and gold (-17%). Gold is currently trading near $4,428.

Analysts attribute this outperformance to several rounds of market deleveraging since October 2025, when BTC peaked at $126,080.

The week’s volatility was compounded by broader market factors. 

U.S. 10-year Treasury yields climbed to 4.36% on Monday, reflecting inflation concerns exacerbated by higher oil prices. 

Brent crude, which surged past $107 per barrel after February’s Strait of Hormuz closure, fell back on Monday by 8%, highlighting the interplay between oil markets, inflation expectations, and risk assets such as BTC.

Technically, Bitcoin remains confined within a symmetrical triangle on the daily chart, suggesting consolidation. 

A sustained close above $75,000 this week could pave the way for further gains toward $85,000 and $90,000, while a breakdown below $67,000 would reopen the path to retest recent lows, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro analysis. 

At the time of publication, Bitcoin’s price is trading near $71,000.

This post Bitcoin Swings Wildly as Iran Ceasefire Drama Rocks Crypto Markets first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Capital B Acquires 44 Bitcoin, Boosting Holdings to 2,888 Coins

Capital B, Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company, has completed the acquisition of 44 bitcoin for €2.7 million, bringing its total holdings to 2,888 BTC. 

The purchases were executed as part of the company’s ongoing Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy, which aims to increase the number of bitcoin per fully diluted share over time, according to a company press release seen by Bitcoin Magazine. 

The company also finalized multiple capital raising operations. An “ATM-type” capital increase with TOBAM generated €0.5 million through the issuance of 669,906 new shares at €0.76 per share. 

Additionally, €3 million was raised via share subscription warrants, with €2 million subscribed by TOBAM and €1 million by UTXO Management. 

These operations funded the latest BTC acquisition and supported the company’s broader treasury strategy.

Capital B reported a year-to-date (YTD) BTC Yield of 0.72%, equivalent to a gain of 20.4 BTC and €1.2 million. The company also achieved a quarterly BTC Yield of 0.72%, highlighting the incremental growth of its bitcoin holdings relative to fully diluted shares. The average acquisition cost of its BTC portfolio stands at €92,495 per coin, representing a total investment of €267.1 million.

Swissquote Bank Europe SA, a Luxembourg-registered virtual asset service provider (VASP), executed the bitcoin acquisition and provided secure custody through Taurus technology. The company maintains an additional 60 BTC for operational needs, separate from its treasury holdings.

Capital B is listed on Euronext Growth Paris and specializes in data intelligence, artificial intelligence, decentralized technology consulting and development, and corporate treasury. 

Bitcoin surges

Bitcoin surged to $71,000 on Monday, rebounding from weekend lows near $67,000, following a sudden easing of geopolitical tensions after Donald Trump announced a five-day pause on planned U.S. strikes against Iran. 

The pause came after what Trump described as “very good” and “productive” talks with Tehran, reversing the market’s defensive posture from prior threats to target Iranian energy infrastructure. 

Amid this backdrop, Strategy continued its corporate bitcoin accumulation, albeit at a slower pace. Between March 16 and March 22, the company acquired 1,031 BTC for $76.6 million at an average price of $74,326 per coin, funded through common stock sales. This contrasts with the prior two weeks, when Strategy deployed over $1 billion into bitcoin via equity and preferred share offerings, signaling a more measured approach.

Strategy now holds 762,099 BTC, purchased for approximately $57.7 billion at an average cost of $75,694 per coin. 

Disclaimer: Bitcoin Magazine is owned by Nakamoto Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA). Nakamoto Inc. also owns UTXO Management.

This post Capital B Acquires 44 Bitcoin, Boosting Holdings to 2,888 Coins first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) Arms Itself With $44.1 Billion ATM Capacity to Fuel Bitcoin Treasury Expansion

Strategy has moved to sharply expand its capacity to raise capital through at‑the‑market equity and preferred offerings, adding new Wall Street agents and reshaping its preferred stock authorization to favor a key floating‑rate series. 

The steps, disclosed in a March 23 Form 8‑K, give the company scope to sell up to an additional $44.1 billion in securities on top of large existing programs.​

In the filing, Strategy said it entered joint agreements with Moelis & Company LLC, A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, and StoneX Financial Inc., adding them as sales agents under its Omnibus Sales Agreement dated November 4, 2025.

That agreement already named TD Securities (USA), The Benchmark Company, Barclays Capital, BTIG, Canaccord Genuity, Cantor Fitzgerald, Clear Street, Compass Point, H.C. Wainwright, Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Maxim Group, Mizuho Securities USA, Morgan Stanley, Santander US Capital Markets, SG Americas Securities, and TCBI Securities doing business as Texas Capital Securities as agents.​

Under the joinders, each of Moelis, Alliance, and StoneX becomes an agent on the same contractual footing as the original banks, with the right and obligation to place Strategy’s securities in at‑the‑market, or “ATM,” transactions. 

Strategy’s new ATM programs and size

Alongside the added agents, Strategy and the syndicate executed three “Additional Program Addenda” that establish new ATM programs for its Class A common stock (ticker MSTR), its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock (STRC), and its 8.00% Series A Perpetual Strike Preferred Stock (STRK). 

These addenda operate under Section 8(i) of the Omnibus Sales Agreement and are structured so they do not cancel or limit rights under the underlying framework.​

The company then filed new prospectus supplement annexes under its automatic shelf registration statement, which became effective on January 27, 2025. 

Those annexes authorize at‑the‑market offerings of:​

• Up to $21.0 billion of new Class A common stock (the “New Common ATM Shares”).​
• Up to $21.0 billion of new STRC preferred shares (the “New STRC ATM Shares”).
• Up to $2.1 billion of new STRK preferred shares (the “New STRK ATM Shares”).​

In other words, Strategy has established new ATM programs to sell up to $21 billion of common stock, $21 billion of STRC preferred, and $2.1 billion of STRK preferred shares.

These programs supplement existing authorizations, with the old STRK program replaced by the new $2.1 billion offering.

These new capacities sit alongside existing shelf authorizations. Strategy had previously registered the sale of about $15.85 billion of common stock and $4.2 billion of STRC preferred under prior annexes and the base prospectus, and it intends to keep using those prior prospectuses until those capacities are fully sold. 

In contrast, the company terminated its prior STRK preferred ATM program effective March 22, 2026, and the new $2.1 billion STRK annex replaces that earlier effort.​

Strategic tilt in preferred structure

To support this mix of funding options, Strategy also amended its charter with two targeted preferred stock actions. A Certificate of Increase raised authorized shares of STRC preferred from 70,435,353 to 282,556,565, more than tripling the pool available for issuance. A separate Certificate of Decrease reduced authorized STRK preferred shares from 269,800,000 to 40,270,744.​

Both certificates were adopted by the board’s Pricing and Financing Committee under authority granted in the company’s Second Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Section 151(g) of the Delaware General Corporation Law. 

Strategy also said they secured legal opinions confirming that its new ATM shares — both common and preferred — will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable. 

The 8‑K clarifies that no offers or sales are happening yet, and any actual issuances will depend on market conditions, investor demand, and internal decisions. 

Overall, the expanded ATM programs and reallocated preferred shares give Strategy flexibility to raise capital while prioritizing floating‑rate preferred issuance over the 8.00% STRK series.

This post Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) Arms Itself With $44.1 Billion ATM Capacity to Fuel Bitcoin Treasury Expansion first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

H100 Eyes Strategic Bitcoin Acquisition to Triple its BTC Holdings and Expand Institutional Scale

H100 Group AB (H100), the Stockholm-based publicly listed bitcoin treasury company, announced a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire Norwegian bitcoin-focused firms Moonshot AS and Never Say Die AS. 

The move, if completed, would roughly triple H100’s holdings to around 3,500 BTC, positioning the company among Europe’s largest listed bitcoin treasury firms and enhancing its institutional profile, according to a press release seen by Bitcoin Magazine. 

Currently holding 1,051 BTC, the company would add the target companies’ combined 2,450 BTC through the transaction. 

The acquisition is structured as a bitcoin-for-bitcoin exchange, meaning ownership in the combined entity will be determined solely by the number of BTC contributed.

This preserves the existing shareholders’ exposure per share while significantly expanding the company’s balance sheet. The deal is set up as an all-share transaction with no cash consideration, consistent with H100’s strategy of bitcoin-based mergers and acquisitions.

The move comes on the heels of H100’s January announcement regarding its combination with Switzerland-based Future Holdings AG, also a bitcoin treasury company, highlighting the firm’s ongoing effort to consolidate institutional-scale bitcoin holdings in Europe.

H100’s backing

Both acquisitions have backing from Adam Back, the British cryptographer and co-founder of Blockstream, reinforcing the network of experienced bitcoin investors involved in the transactions.

Chairman Sander Andersen emphasized the industrial rationale for the deal, citing scale, credibility, and access to capital markets as increasingly important for publicly listed bitcoin firms. 

“This transaction would significantly strengthen H100 in all these areas,” Andersen said, noting that the acquisition aligns with H100’s ongoing capital markets and M&A strategy while leaving its listing structure and core operations unchanged.

The target companies bring more than just bitcoin holdings. Moonshot AS and Never Say Die AS are led by seasoned professionals including CEO Eirik Grøttum, a former systematic trader and asset manager, and CIO Peter Warren, a hedge fund veteran with extensive experience across equities, derivatives, and FX markets. 

Together with founder Geir Harald Hansen, the pioneer behind the Bitminter BTC mining pool, the Norwegian teams bring operational expertise and technology capabilities expected to complement H100’s treasury management and capital markets activities.

Following completion, the company will remain the listed parent company. Management and board positions are expected to include representatives from both H100 and the acquired firms, ensuring continuity of existing leadership while integrating new expertise. 

Current executives, including Andersen and CEO Johannes Wiik, will continue in central roles. Definitive agreements are targeted by April 22, 2026, with completion expected shortly after H100’s annual general meeting on May 21, subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions.

The company continues to operate its health technology business alongside its bitcoin treasury strategy, combining digital health tools and AI-powered solutions for providers of health and lifestyle services. 

The firm said its core business model and listing structure will remain unchanged even as it pursues aggressive growth in bitcoin holdings.

This post H100 Eyes Strategic Bitcoin Acquisition to Triple its BTC Holdings and Expand Institutional Scale first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Over the last week, both Bitcoin and gold failed the safe-haven test. Bitcoin is still trading more like a risk asset than “digital gold,” while gold has also failed to behave like a clean geopolitical hedge as higher yields and inflation fears overrode the usual flight-to-safety bid.

To start the week, Bitcoin rebounded to about $70,508 after falling as low as $67,436 earlier in the day, while gold was still trying to recover from a far steeper break, and the US 10-year Treasury yield remained above its Friday close after briefly pushing to a new high.

That sequence changed the usual reading of a geopolitical shock. Investors did not rush cleanly into classic hedges. They sold first, repriced inflation and rates, and only then bought back some risk after comments about “productive” talks with Iran and a five-day pause in strikes eased immediate panic.

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Mar 23, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

The last three sessions broke into three distinct phases.

Friday was an inflation and yield repricing. Bitcoin hovered near $70,272 after the prior day’s drop below $69,000, linked to higher-for-longer Fed expectations and energy-driven inflation pressure.

Over the weekend, escalating US-Iran tensions pushed Bitcoin back toward $68,000, wiping out more than $240 million in long positions.

Monday then brought a relief reversal. Bitcoin traded in a wide intraday band from $67,436 to $71,696 before climbing back above $70,000, tied to the market’s reading of Trump's de-escalation statement.

Gold followed the same broad rhythm, though with heavier damage

Barron’s coverage showed New York futures up about 1.7% to $4,682.20 early Friday, yet still headed for a weekly loss of more than 7%, with front-month futures ending the week near $4,570.40.

Today, gold is down toward roughly $4,100 to $4,260 intraday as the market focuses on the inflation and yield shock coming from oil.

Gold is not acting as a clean geopolitical hedge; it's trading like an asset caught between forced selling, higher real-rate expectations, and opportunistic buying.

The macro hinge has stayed in rates. The 10-year Treasury yield was around 4.30% on Friday as oil strength and fading rate-cut hopes pushed yields higher.

Today, the 10-year hit 4.43%, the highest level since mid-2025. After the Iran-talks headline, yields fell to about 4.31% before settling near 4.386%. The inflation premium eased, but it did not disappear.

Flows show where investors looked for liquidity

The price action alone was enough to weaken the old “digital gold” line. US spot Bitcoin ETFs finished the March 16 to March 20 stretch in positive territory, but the direction turned worse as the week went on.

The daily flow table shows net inflows of $199.4 million on March 16 and another $199.4 million on March 17, then net outflows of $163.5 million on March 18, $90.2 million on March 19, and $52.0 million on March 20. That left the week net positive by about $93.1 million, yet the pattern was one of weakening demand, not strong accumulation.

That distinction helps with the Bitcoin framing. ETF buyers did not vanish. Buying slowed, then reversed, as macro pressure returned and Bitcoin lost momentum into the weekend.

Monday’s recovery above $70,000 improved the immediate picture, but it did not erase the sequence that came before it.

Bitcoin is still trading primarily as a high-beta macro asset, with any hedge behavior showing up only in short bursts.

Related Reading

Bitcoin no longer acting like “digital gold” because its correlation with physical gold, USD collapsed

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Feb 16, 2026 · Gino Matos

Gold ETF flows were weaker. The cleanest indexed US data for last week points to a cluster of heavy withdrawals from the largest gold funds.

ETF.com reported IAU outflows of $554.66 million on March 17, while commodity ETFs as a whole lost $735.29 million that day.

On March 18, ETF.com reported GLD outflows of $414 million and IAU outflows of $387 million. On March 19, GLD outflows were $760 million, and IAU outflows were $329 million.

That makes gold the more revealing asset in this stretch. Bitcoin bent, then recovered, and Bitcoin ETF flows for the week still ended slightly positive. Gold took deeper price damage and saw large holders redeeming through the break.

Investors appeared to use gold ETFs as a source of liquidity instead of treating them as a preferred refuge. That is a meaningful shift because gold normally carries the stronger default claim as a haven during geopolitical stress.

The broader context still matters. Global gold ETFs took in $5.3 billion in February and lifted holdings to a record 4,171 tonnes. That tells you the US outflow week did not arrive after a long period of persistent global liquidation.

After a strong prior backdrop, the reversal is even more striking. In other words, the selling pressure was strong enough to overwhelm a market that had just logged nine straight months of global inflows.

The next move still runs through yields, oil, and expectations

Monday’s bounce changed the direction of travel, but it did not change the hierarchy of drivers.

The market still looks more sensitive to oil, inflation expectations, and rate pricing than to the old safe-haven labels attached to either asset.

The University of Michigan’s early-March chart showed short-run inflation expectations rising from about 3.3% to 3.5% and long-run expectations rising from about 3.1% to 3.3%, with one-year gasoline price expectations jumping from about 10 cents to about 43 cents. Those moves help explain why the inflation premium in yields stayed elevated even after Monday’s relief reversal.

The Fed’s March projections still point to only modest easing, with the median end-2026 fed-funds rate at 3.4% against a 2025 midpoint near 3.6%. That leaves little room for a fast return to the kind of falling-real-yield backdrop that usually flatters both gold and Bitcoin.

The market can absorb one encouraging geopolitical headline and still keep a higher bar for non-yielding assets if inflation risk remains embedded in energy and rates.

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Bitcoin focus flips from oil to bonds as US and Japan 10-year yields spike into a critical week

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Mar 23, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

Oil sits at the center of that calculation. The latest EIA outlook said Brent should stay above $95 for the next two months before falling below $80 in the third quarter and toward $70 by year-end, assuming disruptions ease.

If that path holds, the pressure on real yields can cool and the current selloff in hedges can look like a short-lived dislocation. If oil stays higher for longer, the Monday rebound in both gold and Bitcoin will look more like a relief trade than the start of a durable turn.

Published outlooks still give both assets room to recover, though the ranges are wide. A 2026 gold outlook showed a gain of 5% to 15% in a shallow-slip case and 15% to 30% in a deeper risk scenario, while a reflation case pointed to a decline of 5% to 20%.

In crypto, an Investing.com report said Citi cut its 12-month Bitcoin target to $112,000 because it expects weaker ETF-driven demand and slower progress on US crypto legislation, while Standard Chartered warned Bitcoin could fall to $50,000 before recovering.

Those ranges fit the current market structure. Downside still runs through yields. Upside still runs through calmer energy markets, steadier inflation readings, and renewed ETF demand.

Narrower projection than the old “digital gold” debate usually allows

Gold and Bitcoin both lost ground when the market marked up the return available in yield-bearing assets and questioned how quickly inflation would fade.

Monday’s rebound showed that both can still snap back when fear eases. It also showed that traders were responding to the prospect of de-escalation, not restoring either asset to automatic safe-haven status.

For the next quarter, the cleanest checkpoints are visible already.

The 10-year Treasury yield needs to stop pushing higher. Oil needs to move toward the lower path sketched by the EIA outlook.

Bitcoin ETF flows need to move from three straight outflow sessions back toward sustained creations. Gold needs to hold a rebound without another round of heavy GLD and IAU withdrawals.

Until those things happen, the market is still saying the same thing it said from Friday through Monday, cash flow and explicit yield rank above narrative when inflation risk is rising.

The post Gold is not acting like a safe haven, so what does “digital gold” even mean for Bitcoin? appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Gold has fallen into bear-market territory after giving up its gains for the year, even as US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued to attract fresh money, pushing the two assets onto sharply different paths.

Spot gold traded near $4,388 an ounce on March 23, according to goldprice.org, down about 22% from its Jan. 29 record of $5,594.82. The decline accelerated after the latest Middle East conflict began on Feb. 28. Since then, gold has dropped about 17%, reversing the advance that had carried it higher in the opening weeks of 2026.

At the same time, institutional money continued to flow into the US spot Bitcoin ETF market. Data from Farside Investors show the funds took in about $2.42 billion of net inflows across the four calendar weeks ended March 20.

The divergence has drawn attention across macro and digital-asset markets because gold and Bitcoin are often discussed in similar terms during periods shaped by inflation concerns, currency dilution, and geopolitical stress.

Over the past month, however, investors treated them very differently. Gold faced liquidation pressure as cash demand rose and rate expectations stayed elevated. Bitcoin, through the ETF structure, continued to draw allocations through brokerage and advisory channels.

The move also stands out because gold had entered 2026 with strong momentum. Its retreat now meets the widely used market definition of a bear market: a decline of 20% or more from a recent peak. Bitcoin, by contrast, has held up well enough to keep ETF buyers engaged through the same stretch of volatility.

Gold gives back early-year gains as rates stay high and investors raise cash

Gold’s decline has unfolded against a macro backdrop that has become less supportive for assets that tend to benefit from lower yields and a softer dollar.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in March and projected the benchmark rate at 3.4% at the end of 2026, while core personal consumption expenditures inflation remained at 2.7%. That combination reinforced the view that policy may stay restrictive longer than investors expected earlier this year.

For bullion, the effect is direct. Higher rates raise the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset. A firmer dollar adds pressure by making gold more expensive for buyers using other currencies.

Those forces intensified as investors also sought cash and liquidity after the Middle East shock forced a repricing of growth, inflation, and energy expectations.

Fund-flow data captured the shift quickly. LSEG Lipper data showed global gold and precious-metals funds posted about $5.19 billion in weekly net outflows through March 18, the largest weekly withdrawal since at least August 2018. In the same week, money market funds took in $32.57 billion.

That rotation suggests investors moved toward liquidity and away from positions that had benefited from earlier inflation and geopolitical hedging demand.

Gold’s decline, therefore, fits into a broader portfolio adjustment in which preserving flexibility became more important as markets reassessed the likely path of monetary policy and commodity prices.

The selloff also arrived after a period in which gold’s long-term support looked firm. Central-bank demand had helped underpin the bullion market through 2025, and the reserve case remained intact as 2026 began.

The recent drop shows how forcefully short-term macro conditions can overwhelm that structural support over a matter of weeks.

Additional fund data point in the same direction. The largest US gold-backed ETF, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), recorded $7.07 billion in outflows in March, according to market data.

That exceeded the previous monthly record withdrawal of $6.8 billion in April 2013. The pace of redemption reflected the speed of the reversal in investor positioning after gold’s run higher earlier in the year.

By the standard used in financial markets, a 22% decline from a January peak marks a clear transition into bear-market territory.

Gold’s drop, therefore, represents more than a routine pullback after a rally. It signals a broad withdrawal from a trade that had been supported by reserve accumulation, geopolitical hedging, and concern over inflation persistence.

Bitcoin funds extend their strongest inflow streak of 2026

While gold was losing ground, US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds posted their strongest inflow streak this year.

Farside data show the 12 US spot Bitcoin funds recorded four consecutive weeks of net inflows, with more than $2 billion added during that period. It is the longest run of 2026 and the strongest since August and September 2025, when the funds absorbed more than $3.8 billion.

CoinShares data show a similar trend globally. The firm said Bitcoin exchange-traded products have registered $1.5 billion in inflows so far this month.

Those inflows came during a period that included war risk, shifting expectations for US interest rates, and renewed volatility across commodities. Even in that backdrop, institutions continued to use the ETF wrapper to add or maintain Bitcoin exposure, while gold funds were experiencing large redemptions.

Last week, Bitwise said Bitcoin and other major cryptoassets have outperformed US equities and gold since the beginning of March.

The asset manager said the move could point to the early stages of a rotation, while also cautioning that recent price action may reflect temporary volatility or isolated liquidity events. Bitwise added that gold has historically led Bitcoin by four to seven months.

State Street Global Advisors outlined the volatility gap in its March gold monitor. Over a trailing 10-year period, rolling 30-day volatility for Bitcoin averaged about 52.0, compared with 13.6 for gold.

From January 2016 through February 2026, Bitcoin recorded 30 months with losses greater than 8%, while gold recorded one such month, according to the report.

Those figures show the type of exposure investors were taking through Bitcoin ETFs. Buyers were accepting wider swings and deeper drawdowns in return for access to an asset some investors view as a hedge against fiat dilution and policy risk.

CryptoQuant data also show how far the two assets have diverged. The firm said Bitcoin-to-gold correlation fell to minus 0.88, the lowest reading since November 2022, indicating the two assets were moving in opposite directions with unusual force over the measured period.

Oil and rates may shape the next phase

Gold’s longer-term support has not disappeared, even after the March selloff, and that is part of what makes the current split between gold and Bitcoin more closely watched.

The World Gold Council said total gold demand, including over-the-counter activity, exceeded 5,000 metric tons for the first time in 2025. Gold ETF holdings rose by 801 tons last year, and central banks bought 863 tons. In February 2026 alone, physically backed gold ETFs took in $5.3 billion globally.

Those figures show official-sector buying and long-duration investment demand remained strong heading into this quarter.

The current drawdown, therefore, leaves investors balancing two forces: short-term macro pressure from rates, dollar strength, and liquidity demand, and a structural reserve bid that remained in place through last year and into early 2026.

Oil prices may play a central role in how that balance develops. Several banks raised their 2026 Brent forecasts after the latest Middle East shock. Bank of America lifted its view to $77.50 a barrel, while Standard Chartered raised its forecast to $85.50. Bank of America also outlined an upside path toward $130 in the event of a prolonged supply disruption.

Higher oil prices would feed inflation expectations and could keep the Federal Reserve cautious for longer. That would affect gold and Bitcoin through different channels.

Gold would continue to face pressure from elevated real yields and dollar strength if policy remains restrictive. Bitcoin would remain tied more closely to liquidity conditions, institutional risk appetite, and the willingness of ETF buyers to keep adding exposure through regulated products.

For now, the clearest market signal is the split itself. Gold, long treated as a traditional store-of-value asset during periods of stress, has entered a bear market after falling more than 20% from its January high. Bitcoin, an asset more commonly associated with larger price swings, has continued to gather ETF inflows through the same period.

The post Why investors are pulling back from gold and still buying Bitcoin appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Playnance’s G Coin has moved past the one million holder mark, with the project’s public tracker currently showing 1,155,141 holders.

The milestone follows CryptoSlate’s March 18 coverage, which cited 203,732 holders ahead of the token’s broader market debut, and later launch-week reporting that referenced a 623,272-holder tracker reading. Using those figures, G Coin’s holder base appears about 5.7x larger than the March 18 count and roughly 85% above the later 623,272 reading.

From presale traction to post-launch acceleration

The pace of growth fits the sequence CryptoSlate has tracked over the past week. Ahead of the March 18 Token Generation Event, company materials and CryptoSlate coverage described G Coin as coming to market with more than 200,000 holders and around 13 billion tokens distributed during presale.

On March 16, Playnance also launched GCOIN staking on PlayW3 and said more than 250 million tokens were locked within hours.

MEXC listing and staking added the next signals

Momentum continued after G Coin/USDT went live on MEXC on March 19. CryptoSlate reported that more than 1 billion GCOIN had already been locked in staking shortly after trading opened, while a later launch-week article cited 3.202 billion locked tokens and 623,272 holders from tracker-based reporting.

Those milestones put exchange access, staking participation, and holder distribution on public display at the same time.

Why the one-million-holder mark matters

Holder count is not a perfect proxy for durable adoption, but it is one of the clearest public indicators available in a token’s first stretch of open trading.

In Playnance’s documentation, G Coin is positioned as the utility layer for gameplay interactions and fees, rewards and incentives, partner revenue distribution, and treasury flows across the company’s ecosystem. The same docs describe PlayBlock as a Layer-3 execution layer built for high-frequency applications, with gasless execution, deterministic settlement, transparent on-chain accounting, and sub-second finality.

A utility narrative now faces a market test

Playnance’s white paper frames G Coin as a utility token rather than a claim on profits. It says the token is designed for gameplay, loyalty benefits, missions, and other engagement-based functions; that it does not confer ownership, governance, dividends, or claims on company assets; and that total supply is fixed at 77 billion tokens.

Crossing one million holders gives Playnance a strong launch-week headline. The bigger question now is whether holder growth, staking participation, and broader ecosystem activity continue moving together after the initial listing window. For now, the public tracker and the project’s recent launch timeline suggest G Coin has moved from presale distribution into a broader public-market phase unusually quickly.

Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post brought to you by Playnance.

The post Playnance’s G Coin surpasses 1 million holders as launch-week momentum accelerates appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin’s jump back above $70,000 on Monday morning came with unusual clarity.

The move started when Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States and Iran had held “very good and productive conversations” on a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East, and that planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure would be delayed for five days.

Within seconds, global markets repriced. Oil tumbled more than 10%, U.S. stock futures jumped more than 2%, European equities reversed sharp early losses, and Bitcoin sprinted from the upper $67,000s back through $70,000.

Kobeissi estimates the move added about $2 trillion in market value. The rally then reversed slightly after Iran said there had been “no contact” with Washington. By 8:00 a.m. ET, futures were down about 120 points from the peak, erasing roughly $1 trillion.

In Kobeissi’s words, that left the S&P 500 with a total headline-driven swing of about $3 trillion in implied market value in 56 minutes.

Trump’s post was the trigger, but the force came from the macro chain that followed

Before the post, the market had been moving in the opposite direction. Higher crude prices were feeding a stagflation scare. Rising energy costs were threatening to push inflation expectations higher just as growth data had started to soften. Bond yields were climbing again. Bitcoin, gold, and equity futures were all under pressure while rates rose into a more sensitive zone.

In CryptoSlate’s morning analysis of the week ahead, the focus had already shifted from oil alone to the bond market, with the U.S. 10-year yield approaching a level that can tighten financial conditions quickly.

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Then the market received a de-escalation signal.

The reaction after Trump’s post filled in the sequence in real time. Brent crude dropped more than 10% as traders stripped out part of the war premium. Dow futures rose about 2.6%, while the FTSE 100 recovered almost all of an earlier 250-point slide. Gold also reversed sharply, with an intraday slide of more than 7% before losses narrowed.

In rates, the U.S. 10-year yield dropped more than 20 basis points to around 4.30% before settling near 4.36% as of press time. Bitcoin followed the same repricing path at high speed, reclaiming $70,000 as the pressure embedded in oil and yields started to ease.

Oil cracked first. Yields backed off. Gold reversed. Equity futures snapped higher. Bitcoin then expressed the same repricing faster than most major assets.

The significance for Bitcoin sits one layer below the spike itself. Nothing about the crypto market changed in a structural sense during those five minutes. The post did not bring a new ETF catalyst, a policy shift from the Fed, or a sudden change in on-chain conditions.

What changed was the macro environment that had been pressing on every risk-sensitive asset for days. The market moved from pricing a wider energy shock to pricing the possibility of a pause.

CryptoSlate’s recent coverage has already mapped that transition.

• On March 7, we argued that oil had become one of Bitcoin’s clearest macro signals.
• On March 9, Bitcoin slipped below $70,000 as oil moved higher and stagflation fears intensified.
• On March 11, the market showed its first instinct during an oil panic, when traders sold Bitcoin rather than treating it as a haven.
• On March 12, Bitcoin held up better even as Brent briefly reclaimed $100, which suggested the market was beginning to separate immediate panic from broader positioning.
• By Monday morning, the center of gravity had shifted again, from oil shock alone to the risk that higher yields would become the dominant problem.

Monday’s move above $70,000 needs to be read inside that framework.

The timing invites a stronger political-economic reading

The U.S. 10-year had been approaching a zone that can become politically and financially difficult very quickly. Mortgage costs respond to it. Equities respond to it. Fiscal sensitivity rises with it. The White House watches it.

My morning piece already outlined the market’s concern around the 4.5% area, especially with Treasury auctions, flash PMIs, jobless claims, and inflation expectations lined up to shape the week. Trump’s post arrived just as the bond market was threatening to become part of the problem in a larger way.

Trump's post could be more than a diplomatic update. It looks like an intervention into a market sequence that was beginning to grow expensive.

Oil was pushing inflation risk back into the system. Rising yields were tightening financial conditions. Gold and stock futures had already moved into defensive positions. A de-escalation signal at that point gave traders permission to reverse the most painful part of the morning’s repricing.

That interpretation rests on incentives and timing, rather than on any official confirmation of motive. It fits the market sequence cleanly. It also fits the broader sensitivity around borrowing costs. The Guardian’s live coverage captured the pressure that rising yields had already started to place on the UK mortgage market, while we had already identified bond yields as the more dangerous extension of the oil shock for Bitcoin.

Once yields started to ease after Trump’s post, the path higher in BTC reopened immediately.

Bitcoin’s own market structure helps explain why the move traveled so fast.

A session shaped by higher oil and rising yields usually creates a defensive posture across crypto. Spot demand softens. Leveraged players hedge. Short exposure can build when macro pressure aligns across rates and energy.

Once the macro impulse flips, crypto often becomes the fastest outlet for the reversal. That appears to be what happened on Monday.

The move through $70,000 reads as a relief repricing amplified by positioning, speed, and the market’s existing sensitivity to macro inputs.

Related Reading

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Mar 23, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Macro repricing added an important confirming signal

Gold's sharp reversal suggests that traders were taking out part of the immediate war premium rather than rotating into a classic safe-haven structure. Bitcoin moved with that same repricing wave, which places it firmly inside the macro risk complex for this session.

That fits the recent pattern we have shown in our own reporting, where Bitcoin has traded more like a high-beta expression of financial conditions than a defensive shelter during energy-driven stress.

There are still limits to how far Monday’s relief can be extended.

Iranian media quickly pushed back on Trump’s account of the talks. Business Insider noted that oil rebounded from its lows as traders began to question how durable the de-escalation signal really was.

That leaves the market with a pause, rather than with resolution. The difference is important because Bitcoin’s hold above $70,000 now depends less on the post itself and more on whether the broader macro relief can survive a week, which remains difficult to read.

The normal inflation anchor is absent. The Bureau of Economic Analysis release calendar shows that the February PCE will not arrive until April 9, leaving traders leaning more heavily on secondary indicators and Treasury supply.

Our morning analysis highlighted the immediate sequence: flash PMIs on Tuesday, the 2-year auction on Tuesday, the 5-year on Wednesday, jobless claims and the 7-year auction on Thursday, and the final University of Michigan sentiment reading on Friday.

With oil having shaken inflation expectations and bond yields already testing market tolerance, those events now carry more weight for Bitcoin than any crypto-native development on the calendar.

That leaves Bitcoin with a clearer near-term map

If oil stays contained and the U.S. 10-year remains below the earlier stress zone, Monday’s move can become a platform. A reclaimed $70,000 then starts to look like a level the market can build above while it reassesses the inflation path and broader financial conditions.

If oil regains momentum and yields resume their climb, the relief trade loses force quickly. Bitcoin would then move back into the same macro regime that had been dragging on it before Trump posted, one defined by tighter financial conditions, more expensive risk, and a market that still sees stagflation as a live possibility.

The answer to the morning’s initial question is now fairly tight.

Bitcoin jumped almost 5% in five minutes because Trump’s post broke a one-way macro sequence that had been building across oil, rates, metals, and equities.

The post gave traders a reason to cut some of the war premium. Oil fell, yields followed, stocks reversed, gold dropped, and Bitcoin expressed the repricing fastest.

The deeper layer is the one traders will keep watching. Trump’s post arrived at a point where rising oil and rising yields were beginning to feed into a more dangerous mix for financial conditions.

The market response suggests participants understood the signal immediately.

For Bitcoin, the move above $70,000 restored momentum. Whether that level holds now depends on the next phase of the same macro chain, crude, yields, and whether the market believes the relief has enough substance to keep financial conditions from tightening again.

The post Market swings by $3 trillion as Bitcoin price explodes upward in 5 minutes appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin climbed back above $70,000 after President Donald Trump said the United States had held “productive conversations” with Iran and would postpone planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

In a March 23 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote in capital letters:

“BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.”

Trump said the delay would depend on the outcome of talks that are set to continue through the week.

This eased some of the risk aversion that had spread across global markets earlier in the session.

Data from CryptoSlate showed that the move pushed Bitcoin up about 3.6% on the day to $70,968, after it traded as low as $67,436 intraday.

Other digital assets, including Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and the top 10 crypto assets by market capitalization, all registered gains of more than 4% as traders moved back into risk assets following the White House signal.

Following the uptick, short sellers who were betting against upward market momentum lost $271 million in the past hour, bringing their total losses to $364 million over the last 24 hours.

Trump's shifting position on Iran war

This marketwide rebound came after a volatile weekend in which Trump issued a series of shifting statements on the conflict.

Trump had previously threatened to destroy Iranian power infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened, while Iran warned it would retaliate against infrastructure linked to US interests and regional allies.

Those exchanges pushed markets toward a classic risk-off posture earlier on Monday, with oil surging, equities sliding, and investors reassessing the outlook for inflation and interest rates.

Once Trump announced the pause, the reaction spread quickly across asset classes. Oil prices fell sharply as traders reduced some of the geopolitical premium tied to fears of disruption in the Gulf.

Data from Oilprices show that West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 13% to $85.45 a barrel and Brent fell 12% to $98.66 after Trump’s post signaled a temporary opening for diplomacy.

At the same time, US stock futures rebounded more than 2%, reflecting a partial unwind of the defensive positioning that had dominated earlier in the day.

While, Europe’s STOXX 600 reversed losses of more than 2.2% to trade higher, and the dollar gave back earlier gains as investors responded to the prospect of a temporary de-escalation.

The post Bitcoin price jumps above $70,000 as US announces shock pause on Iran strikes appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Why is XLM Up?

The primary driver behind the XLM price increase is the news that US President Donald Trump has officially extended the 48-hour deadline previously given to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Instead of immediate military action, the administration has granted an additional five-day window for negotiations, citing "productive conversations" with regional leaders. Investors have interpreted this as a cooling of the "war premium," rotating capital back into high-utility assets like Stellar.

What is Stellar Crypto?

Stellar is a decentralized, open-source network designed to facilitate fast, low-cost cross-border payments. Its native token, $XLM (Lumens), acts as a bridge currency to swap different fiat and digital assets. In times of geopolitical uncertainty involving trade routes (like the Strait of Hormuz), payment networks that offer "borderless" efficiency often see increased speculative interest and utility-driven demand.

XLM Price Analysis After the War News: Chart Breakdown

The XLM/USD chart highlights a sharp vertical move following the news. After languishing near the $0.155 support level during the height of the crisis, XLM has successfully breached its immediate resistance.

Key Technical Observations:

• Bullish Impulse: The 7% surge pushed the price toward the $0.168 mark, effectively reclaiming the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).
• Volume Profile: Trading volume spiked significantly during the announcement, confirming that institutional and retail buyers are stepping in on the "peace talk" narrative.

Target Levels: If the diplomatic momentum continues, the next major hurdle for the XLM price sits at $0.182. Conversely, if talks break down, a retest of the $0.145 zone is highly probable.

Geopolitics and the "Risk-On" Shift

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. The threat of its closure last weekend sent energy prices skyrocketing and forced a crypto market sell-off. Trump’s decision to extend the deadline to March 28, 2026, has allowed markets to breathe.

According to reports from The Guardian, the shift toward "escorted tankers" and political risk insurance has mitigated the immediate fear of a global energy shock. For XLM, which thrives in a stable global trade environment, this reprieve is a major fundamental tailwind.

What Should Investors Do?

While the 7% jump is encouraging, the situation remains fluid. The "five-day extension" is a temporary bridge, not a permanent resolution. Traders should monitor:

• Official White House Statements: Any pivot back to "maximum pressure" could erase these gains instantly.
• Oil Price Correlation: A continued drop in crude oil prices typically correlates with a stronger "risk-on" sentiment for altcoins.
• Security of Assets: During periods of high volatility, ensuring your tokens are off-exchange is critical. You can view our hardware wallet comparison to find the best security options.

Markets Explode on Trump’s Iran Statement

Global markets surged in a matter of minutes after President Trump announced a 5-day pause on military strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure, claiming “productive talks” had taken place.

The reaction was immediate and aggressive:

• Over $900 billion added to the US stock market at the open
• Nasdaq futures +4%
• S&P 500 futures +3.9%
• Bitcoin (BTC) +5% within hours
• Oil prices dropped sharply, signaling easing geopolitical risk

In total, some estimates suggest over $2.5 trillion was added across global markets in less than 20 minutes.

A Perfect “Risk-On” Reaction

The move followed a classic macro playbook:

• Stocks rallied on reduced war risk
• Oil crashed as supply fears eased
• Bitcoin surged, benefiting from liquidity and momentum

Even traditional safe havens reacted violently, with gold and silver experiencing one of their most volatile sessions in years, initially dropping before sharply rebounding.

This was a textbook shift into risk-on sentiment.

But There’s One Problem…

Shortly after the rally, Iran officially denied any direct or indirect talks with the United States.

Statements from Iran’s Foreign Ministry and state-linked media contradicted Trump’s claims, rejecting the idea that negotiations had taken place.

This creates a critical disconnect:

👉 Markets are rallying on a de-escalation narrative that may not exist.

Markets Are Pricing Hope — Not Reality

Right now, the market appears to be pricing in:

• A temporary ceasefire
• Potential diplomatic progress
• Reduced geopolitical risk

But if those assumptions are incorrect, the implications are serious.

This isn’t the first time markets have reacted to headlines over confirmed developments, but the scale of this move is unusual.

👉 A single statement triggered nearly $1 trillion in equity inflows.

Why Bitcoin Is Benefiting

Bitcoin’s reaction is particularly interesting.

Unlike gold, which showed mixed signals, Bitcoin moved decisively higher—suggesting:

• Strong liquidity-driven momentum
• Growing perception as a macro asset
• Increased participation from risk-on traders

BTC is no longer just reacting to crypto-native news—it is now deeply integrated into global macro flows.

What Happens Next?

Everything now depends on one key factor:

👉 Is there actually a deal?

If talks are confirmed:

• Markets could continue higher
• Bitcoin may push toward new local highs
• Risk assets remain supported

If tensions escalate again:

• A sharp reversal is likely
• Oil could spike
• Stocks and crypto may retrace quickly

The Bottom Line

Markets just added $900 billion in value based on a narrative that is already being challenged.

That raises a critical question:

👉 Is this rally built on real progress—or on hope?

For now, markets are choosing optimism.

But if that optimism proves wrong, volatility could return just as fast as it disappeared.

As of March 23, 2026, Solana ($SOL) is positioned at a critical technical juncture. Following a period of intense market-wide volatility triggered by geopolitical shifts in the Middle East and a hawkish "hold" from the Federal Reserve (FOMC), the asset is currently trading between $80 and $90. While the broader market remains cautious, Solana’s internal ecosystem is showing signs of decoupling, driven by massive institutional adoption and the imminent deployment of the Alpenglow consensus upgrade.

Is Solana a Good Buy Now?

Traders looking for a short-term direction should focus on the $92.34 resistance zone. A daily close above this level could catalyze a rally toward $98.65 by the end of March. Conversely, if SOL fails to defend the $86.66 support, a deeper correction toward the $80.00 psychological floor is highly probable.

What Should Driving Solana’s Value in 2026?

In the current 2026 landscape, Solana’s value is increasingly tied to its Network Finality and Institutional Liquidity. Unlike 2024, where retail "meme" activity dominated, the primary drivers now are:

• Spot Solana ETFs: Regulated vehicles providing direct exposure to institutional capital.
• Alpenglow Upgrade: A transition from Tower BFT to a new consensus mechanism aiming for 150ms finality.
• Digital Commodity Status: Confirmed regulatory taxonomy that has stabilized long-term investor sentiment.

Solna Price Analysis: Technical Chart Patterns

Analyzing the current SOL price action, we see a consolidation pattern forming after the mid-March dip.

• Moving Averages: SOL is currently hovering near its 20-day EMA ($88.93). Staying above this level is vital for maintaining a bullish "bias." The 50-day SMA at $87.23 serves as a secondary safety net.
• RSI (Relative Strength Index): At 51.63, the RSI is neutral. This suggests the market is "resetting," providing enough room for a significant move without being immediately overbought.
• MACD Signal: We observe a slight bearish divergence on the daily histogram. This indicates that while the price is stable, buying momentum is currently thinning, requiring a fresh catalyst to break overhead resistance.

Solana Price: Key Support & Resistance

Solana Upgrade: The Alpenglow and Firedancer Effect

The stagnant price action masks a massive technical shift. The Alpenglow upgrade is currently rolling out, which promises to reduce transaction finality from 12 seconds to under 150 milliseconds. This makes Solana faster than many centralized servers, a factor that major financial outlets cite as a reason for the record $1.45 billion in cumulative ETF inflows. Institutional players like Goldman Sachs and Electric Capital now hold significant SOL exposure via these ETFs, creating a "floor" of demand that was absent in previous cycles.

Will Solana Price go up? March 2026 Outlook

For the final week of March, the following three factors will dictate SOL's path:

• ETF Inflow Consistency: If net inflows exceed $20M daily, expect a test of $95.
• Geopolitical De-escalation: A reduction in energy-related inflation fears will allow capital to rotate back into "high-beta" assets like Solana.
• Bitcoin Stability: Solana's correlation with $Bitcoin remains high (0.84); a $BTC push past $72k would likely drag SOL above $100.

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

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

XRP price stabilizes near key levels

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

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

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

Why XRP price is showing strength

Unlike many altcoins, XRP benefits from a unique narrative:

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

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

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

Key levels to watch next

For the XRP price, traders should closely monitor:

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

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

Right now, XRP is sitting at a decision point.

Conclusion — XRP price at a turning point

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

This type of price action often precedes a larger move.

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

👉 XRP is not weak — it is waiting.

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

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

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

PayPal and Big Tech Are Accelerating Stablecoin Adoption

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

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

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

US Regulation Is Turning Bullish for Stablecoins

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

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

This is a major turning point.

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

Stablecoins Are Solving Real Global Problems

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

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

Stablecoins offer:

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

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

A New Financial System Is Emerging

What makes this shift particularly important is its timing.

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

Stablecoins are uniquely positioned at the center of this transformation:

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

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

Risks and Challenges Still Remain

Despite their rapid growth, stablecoins are not without risks:

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

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

Conclusion — The Rise of the Digital Dollar

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

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

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

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TLDR

• Shibizens confirmed that Shibarium completed a major server migration and full chain reindexing in the past 30 days.
• The Shibarium explorer is about 45% synchronized as it rebuilds its database from scratch.
• Displayed explorer data shows fewer blocks, transactions, and wallets due to incomplete indexing.
• Actual on-chain data exceeds 14 million blocks and 1.56 billion transactions.
• The real wallet count stands above 270 million addresses despite lower visible figures.

Shibizens reported a 30-day infrastructure overhaul across Shibarium systems. The update confirms a server migration and a full chain re-indexing process. The team clarified that the changes reflect upgrades rather than network slowdown.

Shibarium Infrastructure Rebuild and Explorer Reindexing

Shibizens stated that Shibarium completed a major server migration during the last 30 days. The team also initiated a full chain re-indexing to strengthen system capacity. They explained that the process rebuilds the explorer database from scratch. As a result, synchronization now stands near 45%. However, the explorer currently shows partial on-chain data. Shibizens stressed that this reflects indexing progress rather than missing blockchain records.

The group addressed visible discrepancies on the Shibarium explorer. Displayed data lists about 2.4 million blocks and 168 million transactions. In contrast, actual records exceed 14 million blocks and 1.56 billion transactions. Wallet data also differs across reports. The explorer shows about five million addresses, while real figures exceed 270 million addresses. Shibizens attributed the gap to incomplete indexing across nodes.

Shibizens stated that only 51% of blocks remain indexed. They cited Shibariumscan and Shibburn data to support the figure. They explained that indexing delays affect visible balances and NFT displays. However, they confirmed that on-chain assets remain intact. “Shibarium is not lagging,” Shibizens said. They added, “It is rebuilding at scale for what’s coming next.”

The team emphasized that token visibility depends on explorer synchronization. Therefore, some wallets may not reflect full holdings. They clarified that blockchain records remain unchanged during migration. They also confirmed that block production continues normally. Current block time averages about five seconds. The network continues processing transactions without interruption.

Layer 3 Focus Expands Across Puppynet and SHIB Ecosystem

Shibizens reported that the development focus now shifts toward Layer 3. The team referenced Shib Alpha and ShibClaw within the roadmap. They indicated that testing efforts now concentrate on advanced scaling layers. Meanwhile, Puppynet continues to operate as Shibarium’s testnet. The team confirmed that AI-driven automated contract activity is increasing. However, block time stability remains steady at five seconds.

Over the weekend, Woofswap confirmed that Shibarium L3 remains under active testing. The participant shared limited details regarding technical specifications. Shibizens also confirmed that a new L3 explorer went live on March 21. The launch supports early testing and monitoring functions. They described the rollout as part of the broader infrastructure buildout.

Puppynet continues recording automated contract interactions across its network. Developers monitor activity patterns and test smart contract deployments. The testnet supports validation before mainnet integration. Shibizens reiterated that infrastructure upgrades support future expansion.

The post Shibarium Begins Major Reindexing After Server Migration appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• TRON DAO has expanded its AI Fund tenfold, growing from $100 million to a full $1 billion commitment.

• The fund targets agent identity systems, stablecoin payment rails, and tokenized equity as core investment areas.

• TRON’s network processes over $21 billion daily and holds $85 billion in USDT, supporting agent-scale payments.

• Tokenized equity is positioned as the ownership layer for AI agents managing economic interests on behalf of users.

TRON DAO has expanded its AI Fund from $100 million to $1 billion. The fund targets early-stage companies building infrastructure for the agentic economy.

It focuses on agent identity systems, stablecoin payment rails, tokenized assets, and developer tooling. This move builds on a thesis formed in 2023, when TRON predicted AI and blockchain would converge.

TRON Doubles Down on AI and Blockchain Convergence

The TRON AI Fund first launched with a clear conviction: AI and blockchain technology would eventually merge. That prediction has gained enough traction to justify a tenfold increase in committed capital.

The fund now positions itself as a strategic vehicle, not just a financial one. Its expanded mandate reflects growing market demand for autonomous financial infrastructure.

Three core theses continue to drive the fund’s investment direction. As TRON stated, “AI agents will become active participants in the global economy, requiring new financial infrastructures that combine identity, payment, and asset ownership fully onchain.”

This makes stablecoins the most practical payment layer for agent-to-agent commerce today. The fund views this as foundational, rather than experimental, infrastructure.

Stablecoins also serve individuals and small teams augmented by AI tools. A single person running AI-powered operations no longer needs a large team behind them.

However, they still need payment systems that are simple, low-cost, and accessible. Traditional banking onboarding and intermediary fees make that difficult to achieve.

TRON noted that “AI-augmented people can run what once required entire teams from a single laptop.” That shift changes the demand for financial tools entirely.

Tokenized equity rounds out the fund’s framework as the ownership layer for this new economy. It is divisible, programmable, and transferable around the clock, supporting autonomous asset management.

TRON’s Network Scale Positions It for Agent-to-Agent Settlement

TRON’s blockchain currently supports over 370 million user accounts across its network. Daily transaction volume on the chain exceeds $21 billion, demonstrating its capacity at scale.

The network also holds more than $85 billion in circulating USDT supply. These numbers place TRON among the largest stablecoin liquidity sources in the blockchain space.

TRON described agent-to-agent payments as systems expected to “rely on infrastructure that is already proven at scale.” Its network meets that standard through its user base, liquidity depth, and transaction throughput.

The fund intends to extend this infrastructure further into settlement and custody for tokenized assets. That expansion aligns with the broader goal of supporting autonomous financial systems.

The fund will also pursue acquisitions alongside traditional investments. Early-stage companies building core agentic tools are the primary target.

Consolidation in this space is expected as the sector matures. TRON sees this as an opportunity to shape the foundational layer of the agentic economy.

As AI agents take on more economic roles, demand for on-chain financial rails will grow steadily. TRON’s expanded fund positions it to meet that demand directly and at scale.

The post TRON Scales AI Fund to $1 Billion to Build the Financial Rails of the Agentic Economy appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Cliff Asness said crypto currently trades like a risk-on asset rather than a safe haven.
• He cited chart correlations showing Bitcoin moving in line with S&P 500 futures.
• Asness rejected the idea that Bitcoin provides diversification during stock market declines.
• He described Bitcoin as an imaginary asset and questioned extreme valuation claims.
• Asness criticized the concept of Bitcoin yield promoted by Michael Saylor.

Cliff Asness rejected claims that cryptocurrencies function as digital gold or safe havens. He said recent market data shows crypto moving with equities. The AQR Capital Management founder argued that Bitcoin price trades like a risk asset.

Asness addressed market behavior and challenged claims that Bitcoin protects against equity downturns. He cited chart correlations between Bitcoin and S&P 500 futures during recent selloffs. He said the data shows crypto falling when stocks decline.

Crypto Acts Like a Risk-On Asset, Says Asness

Asness stated that crypto acts like a risk asset in current conditions. He said, “Crypto does not look like a store of value.” He added that it looks like “risk on” during recent trading sessions.

He pointed to chart correlations between Bitcoin and S&P 500 futures. He said both assets moved in the same direction during market stress. Therefore, he rejected the claim that Bitcoin offers diversification benefits.

He explained that crypto has not behaved like gold during volatility. He said the data shows joint declines during equity pullbacks. He maintained that current patterns contradict the haven narrative.

Asness also dismissed claims that Bitcoin drives broader equity markets. He described Bitcoin as another volatile asset class. He said maximalist arguments overstate its market influence.

Asness Targets Bitcoin Yield and MicroStrategy Premium

Asness criticized the concept of “Bitcoin yield” promoted by Michael Saylor. He argued that the metric does not represent actual yield or total return. He said the term misleads investors about performance.

He mocked the phrase in blunt terms. He said, “Every time someone says Bitcoin yield, an angel gets their wings violently ripped off.” He used the remark to underline his rejection of the metric.

Asness directed sharper criticism at MicroStrategy’s corporate strategy. He said the company trades at a large premium to its Bitcoin holdings. He described the structure as similar to a 2x net asset value closed-end fund.

He argued that this pricing reflects weak market efficiency. He called the structure “moronic” in public comments. He maintained that the premium lacks fundamental justification.

Asness reiterated that he views Bitcoin as an “imaginary asset.” He questioned how a digital currency could equal the value of global assets. He rejected projections that place Bitcoin at aggregate world asset levels.

The post AQR Founder Argues Crypto Acts Moves With Stocks, Not Gold appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Fidelity submitted a formal letter to the SEC seeking clear rules for crypto market infrastructure.
• The firm asked the SEC to define standards for tokenized securities under existing laws.
• Fidelity urged regulators to update reporting requirements for decentralized finance platforms.
• The letter stated that tokenizing a security does not change its legal status.
• Issuer-sponsored tokens provide voting rights, while third-party tokens often offer only price exposure.

Fidelity submitted a formal letter to the SEC outlining demands for clearer crypto market infrastructure rules. The firm called for defined standards on tokenized securities, revised DeFi reporting requirements, and guidance on distributed ledger recordkeeping. The request targets regulatory barriers that limit institutional participation in digital assets.

Fidelity Urges Clear Rules for Tokenized Securities and DeFi

Fidelity asked the SEC to define standards for tokenized securities under existing securities laws. The firm stated that tokenizing an asset changes its format, not its legal status. It added that a security remains a security after it moves onto a blockchain.

However, Fidelity said uncertainty persists over the rights attached to tokenized holdings. Issuer-sponsored tokens link directly to official shareholder registers and grant full voting rights. In contrast, third-party tokens often provide price exposure only and increase counterparty risk.

Fidelity also addressed decentralized finance reporting obligations in its letter. The firm said current financial reporting rules rely on centralized institutions. It urged the SEC to update frameworks because decentralized platforms lack a central reporting authority.

The letter focused on institutional access rather than retail participation. Fidelity said large capital allocators require legal clarity before entering the market. Estimates project up to $5 trillion in institutional capital could be unlocked by 2026 under a clear U.S. framework.

Compliance spending continues to rise under new U.S. and MiCA regimes. Firms now allocate between 20% and 30% of budgets to regulatory and audit requirements. Fidelity researchers also reported that Bitcoin showed limited price movement throughout 2025.

The researchers forecast that traditional money managers could enter crypto markets in 2026. They stated that infrastructure development will determine the pace of that transition. The firm linked regulatory clarity directly to operational readiness.

Market Data Shows Ethereum Leads as Stablecoin Value Reaches $300.79 Billion

Kraken’s parent company, Payward, announced work with Nasdaq to build tokenized stock and ETF infrastructure. Payward also became the first crypto-related firm to access the Federal Reserve payment system. These developments reflect ongoing integration between traditional finance and digital asset platforms.

Major exchanges expanded offerings beyond cryptocurrencies into tokenized equities and commodities. Infrastructure for broader asset exposure continues to expand across networks. As a result, fresh capital entered the market under evolving regulatory frameworks.

Data from RWA.xyz shows U.S. Treasury debt leads tokenized real-world assets at $11.84 billion. Commodities follow at $5.06 billion, and asset-backed credit stands at $3.15 billion. Real estate accounts for $292 million despite frequent projections about growth potential.

Ethereum holds $15.3 billion in distributed real-world asset value across networks. BNB Chain follows with $3.2 billion, while Solana records $1.7 billion. Stellar reports $1.4 billion in distributed value across tokenized assets.

Flow data over the past 30 days shows Ethereum gained $845 million in net inflows. BNB Chain added $808 million, while Solana recorded $398 million in inflows. XRP Ledger lost $68 million, and Liquid Network declined by $156 million.

Stablecoin value across tracked networks totals $300.79 billion, down 2.4% month over month. Meanwhile, the holder count rose to 239.36 million, reflecting a 5.05% increase. The data highlights the current distribution of assets across blockchain networks.

The post Fidelity Calls for SEC Framework on Crypto Infrastructure appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Larry Fink compared tokenization to the internet in 1996, signaling a major shift in institutional thinking.
• BlackRock manages nearly $150B in digital assets, including BUIDL, the world’s largest tokenized fund.
• Fink sees digital wallets as a gateway for retail investors to access tokenized bonds, stocks, and ETFs.
• BlackRock holds $65B in stablecoin reserves, reflecting deep and growing institutional commitment to digital finance.

Tokenization is at the heart of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s 2026 Annual Chairman’s Letter, where he outlines a case for digital assets reshaping global investing.

Fink, who oversees $14 trillion in assets under management, drew a direct parallel between tokenization and the early internet.

His remarks come as BlackRock deepens its presence in the digital finance space, managing nearly $150 billion in digital assets, including BUIDL, the world’s largest tokenized fund.

BlackRock Sees Tokenization as a Gateway to Broader Market Access

Fink’s letter points to digital wallets as a key driver of change in how everyday people access financial markets. He noted that half the world’s population already carries a digital wallet on their phone.

That existing infrastructure, he argued, could become a gateway to investing in tokenized stocks, bonds, and ETFs.

Ondo Finance shared key excerpts from the letter on X, drawing attention to Fink’s vision for a more accessible financial system.

In his own words, Fink wrote: “Half the world’s population carries a digital wallet on their phone. Imagine if that same digital wallet could also let you invest in a broad mix of companies for the long term, as easily as sending a payment.”

He went further, adding that “tokenization could help accelerate that future,” framing the technology as a practical tool for expanding market participation. That statement captures the scale of what tokenization could mean for retail investors globally.

Tokenized assets allow for fractional ownership, meaning investors with limited capital can still access markets previously reserved for larger institutions.

Beyond equities, tokenized bonds and ETFs could also become part of everyday portfolio-building, settling faster and at lower cost on blockchain infrastructure.

Regulation and Stablecoin Reserves Reflect Institutional Commitment to Digital Finance

BlackRock’s letter also touched on the role of regulation in advancing digital finance. Fink made clear that regulatory clarity around investor protection and digital identity is not a roadblock. Instead, he described it as the very infrastructure that makes progress possible.

Ondo Finance summarized his position directly, noting that Fink sees regulation as something that “enables” progress rather than restricts it.

That framing aligns with how many in the crypto industry have long argued for structured, workable rules rather than blanket restrictions.

The letter also pointed to $65 billion in stablecoin reserves held by BlackRock, reflecting deep institutional commitment to digital finance.

That figure shows how far digital assets have moved from the fringes of finance into mainstream capital allocation strategies.

As the world’s largest asset manager puts tokenization at the center of its annual communication to shareholders, the technology moves further into the institutional mainstream. BlackRock’s position makes that direction increasingly difficult to overlook.

The post BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Compares Tokenization to the 1996 Internet in Annual Chairman’s Letter appeared first on Blockonomi.

USR, an overcollateralized stablecoin natively backed by ETH and maintained by the Resolv protocol, lost its peg on March 22 after an attacker minted millions of unbacked tokens and reportedly extracted at least $25 million.

Here’s how the incident went down, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

Attacker Exploits Minting Key to Create $80M in Unbacked USR

In a thread posted on X earlier today, Chainalysis explained that the attacker gained access to Resolv’s AWS Key Management Service, where a privileged signing key was stored. The access allowed them to authorize minting operations using the protocol’s own permissions.

There were two standout transactions, the first minting 50 million USR, and the second adding another 30 million to bring the total to 80 million tokens. But according to Chainalysis, the minting operations were backed by rather small USDC deposits worth between $100,000 and $200,000, which the criminal used to trigger inflated swap outputs.

They then moved quickly, converting the newly minted USR into wrapped staked USR (wstUSR), which is a derivative that represents a share of a staking pool rather than a fixed token amount. After that, they swapped the funds into other stablecoins and then into ETH, obscuring their trail by rotating through several decentralized exchange pools and bridges.

Resolv Labs confirmed the breach, stating that the unauthorized minting had been enabled by a compromised private key. The team paused contracts shortly after detecting the issue and managed to burn nearly 9 million USR that the attacker had in their possession. They also reported that about $0.5 million in redemptions had been processed before operations were halted.

Per Chainalysis, the attacker controls about 11,400 ETH, worth about $25 million at the time the theft took place. They also hold about 20 million wstUSR, which were valued at much lower levels.

USR Depegs

Immediately after the attack, USR plunged to a new all-time low near $0.14 per CoinGecko data. However, it has since recovered slightly, but the value at press time still represented a drop of over 57% in the last 24 hours.

According to the Resolv team, there are still at least 71 million illicitly minted tokens in USR’s circulating supply, which CoinGecko puts at just north of 176 million tokens. However, the team has initiated a redemption process for all USR minted before the incident, starting with allowlisted users.

The episode is especially damaging, considering a recent survey by Ripple found that 74% of finance executives see stablecoins as useful tools for managing cash flow and treasury operations. At the same time, 89% of them said they give great priority to secure custody when selecting service providers, which points to the importance of infrastructure safeguards.

Resolv has said that it is working with partners, law enforcement, and analytics firms to trace funds and recover assets, and it has warned users not to trade with the affected tokens during the recovery process.

The post How the $25M Resolv USR Minting Heist Happened appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Analyst Jamie Coutts has said that Bitcoin’s transparent ledger and real-time pricing could expose weaknesses in private equity markets.

The comments, made on the back of a broader market stress and falling crypto prices, have raised questions on how risk is measured across asset classes.

Linking BTC’s Structure to the Opacity of Private Equity

In a series of posts on X, Coutts argued that for years, private equity masked volatility by avoiding mark-to-market pricing, a practice he described as “volatility laundering.” He also warned that losses in such portfolios may not become visible until conditions get worse.

“No mark-to-market doesn’t mean no losses,” Coutts cautioned. “It means no discovery until it’s too late. And it’s getting late.”

The analyst mentioned several signs of strain on traditional markets, including a rise in the MOVE index, pressure on the U.S. dollar index, which is getting near the 100.50 level, and tightening credit conditions in sectors linked to private equity and AI.

He also said there were bearish technical signals in equity markets, such as RSI divergences, where prices were climbing even as momentum grew weak.

It’s against this background that Coutts suggested that Bitcoin’s recent resilience has been structural rather than driven by strong demand, citing a market reset in February when excess leverage was cleared alongside derivatives activity that reduced volatility through 2025.

“Bitcoin grows in stature as the facade of the fiat fractional-reserve credit system limps from one crisis to the next,” wrote the market watcher.

Still, he warned that if risk assets fall by 10% to 15%, BTC could go back to its February lows, with a potential bottom forming later in the second or third quarter of 2026.

The crypto researcher also noted that although Bitcoin ETF inflows picked up in March, they may already be slowing down. Per data from SoSoValue, since March 18, daily net inflows for spot BTC ETFs have been negative, coming after seven straight days of inflows that amounted to just over $1.1 billion.

Fragile Sentiment Across Crypto

Recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, where he threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure, pushed BTC below $68,000 for the first time since March 9.

However, the asset has since recovered and was trading above $71,000 at the time of writing, following the latest controversial developments. The current price represents a nearly 17% dip year-on-year and an almost 7% drop across 7 days, but is still a 3% uptick over two weeks.

Market sentiment is rather weak, with the Fear and Greed Index currently at 8, signaling “extreme fear” despite Bitcoin trading over 15% above its February lows near $60,000.

But according to Coutts, BTC differs from private equity in this environment. While private markets rely on periodic valuations, the king cryptocurrency trades continuously with transactions that are publicly visible.

He suggested that if traditional portfolios were forced to reprice, assets like Bitcoin that have transparent pricing may react faster, and when liquidity support returns, BTC will likely respond early, reflecting its greater sensitivity to changes in financial conditions.

The post This Is Why Bitcoin Is a Better Risk Barometer Than Private Equity appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The primary cryptocurrency has experienced significant volatility lately, mainly due to the geopolitical tension caused by the war in the Middle East.

One popular analyst described the current price area as a “no-trade zone,” arguing that a clear move in either direction will depend on how BTC reacts to some key breakout levels. Other market observers believe the bear market has yet to shock investors, foreseeing a double-digit price decline from the ongoing valuation.

‘It’s a Waiting Game’

Bitcoin experienced a substantial decline to under $68,000 over the weekend after US President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants should the Iranian officials keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

Earlier today, the American leader triggered an evident revival of the entire crypto market after saying that the warring parties had held “constructive” conversations, following which the destruction of the Iranian energy infrastructure was postponed. As a result, BTC briefly soared past $71,000 but lost some ground and currently trades at around $70,600 (per CoinGecko’s data) after Iran denied Trump’s de-escalation claims.

According to Ali Martinez, anything between $65,636 and $70,685 is a “no-trade zone,” describing it as “the most important spot on the chart.” He argued that over 1.7 million BTC were transacted in that range, meaning buyers and sellers “are digging in their heels.” Martinez believes that the next “big move” will come once the price breaks above the upper mark or falls below the lower one.

“For now, it’s a waiting game,” he concluded.

Other analysts, including Crypto Fergani, are more optimistic and think the bear market is almost over. The X user took into account the business cycle, the performance of the US dollar and the precious metals, the recent actions of Trump, the upcoming Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and other factors to predict that “crypto is going to shock everyone.” Crypto GVR is also bullish, setting BTC’s next short-term target at $86,000.

The Big Crash is Looming?

There are those who believe the bear market is nowhere near its end, predicting a meltdown in the near future. X user Chiefy claimed, “We’re only halfway through the bull trap,” and if that pattern holds, BTC could dump to $48,000 sometime this week.

Merlijn The Trader classified $70,000 as “the last line of defense” and forecasted that failing below could result in a major collapse to as low as $26,000. For his part, X user Doctor Proft warned investors that a historic crash worse than the one observed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic might be on the way. Back then, BTC nosedived by over 50% in a single day.

Those curious to explore additional bearish price predictions can take a look at our article here.

The post Bitcoin (BTC) Stuck in a ‘No Trade Zone:’ When Is the Next Big Move Coming? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Ethereum briefly dropped to around $2,080 following a weekend sell-off triggered by rising tensions in the Middle East. Despite the pressure, ETH gained 5% on Monday, which pushed its price to $2,140 after Donald Trump described recent talks with Iran as “very good and productive.”

Meanwhile, fresh data suggest that the crypto asset is in a prime accumulation zone.

Strong Accumulation Narrative

According to the latest findings by crypto analyst Ali Martinez, Ethereum is currently close to a critical accumulation range between $2,000 and $1,800, supported by a convergence of technical structure and on-chain signals. The analyst stated that ETH remains inside a well-defined ascending triangle on the weekly chart.

This price behavior coincided with a significant change in on-chain metrics, as the MVRV ratio dropped below 0.8. The level is historically associated with periods when Ethereum is considered undervalued. Similar MVRV compressions have previously preceded major market upcycles. Such an alignment between price support and on-chain reset strengthens the case for accumulation within this zone.

On the momentum front, Ethereum is also showing early signs of a potential trend reversal. The Supertrend indicator on the daily chart flipped bullish for the first time since May last year, which indicates that the long consolidation phase may be nearing its end.

As ETH attempts recovery, crucial resistance levels have been identified through MVRV pricing bands, starting with $2,356 as the first major threshold. A move beyond this level could open the path toward intermediate targets at $2,647 and $3,639, followed by higher expansion zones at $4,632 and $5,624.

Structural Support at $1,800

Martinez also observed that a sustained breakout above $2,356 would mean a transition out of the current accumulation phase, while a reclaim of the previous all-time high region near $4,900 could confirm a broader structural breakout. Until then, the $2,000-$1,800 range remains the focal zone, and the $1,800 level will act as a major floor that underpins the ongoing accumulation thesis.

A separate finding shows that Ethereum’s Sharpe ratio points to a possible local bottom.

The post Ethereum Enters Prime Accumulation Zone as On-Chain Signals Flash ‘Generational Buy’ appeared first on CryptoPotato.

While the second-largest cryptocurrency has registered a significant rebound over the past month, it remains at risk of plummeting to drastically low levels during this cycle.

On the other hand, some important indicators suggest that the worst might be over and the price could be gearing up for a major rally.

The Critical Point

Ethereum, just like many other leading digital assets, has been on a roller coaster lately. Its price hovered between $2,000 and $2,400 during the past week and is currently at nearly $2,200 (per CoinGecko’s data).

The lower level was reached over the weekend when POTUS threatened to destroy the Iranian power plants if the country refused to open the key oil corridor, the Strait of Hormuz. Back then, X user Ted noted that ETH temporarily lost its $2,100 support zone, arguing that the next key level is $2,000. The analyst predicted that breaking below that mark could lead to a “cascading liquidation.”

ETH managed to hold its ground and headed north today following Donald Trump’s recent de-escalation remarks (despite being refuted by Iran).

Another analyst who stressed the importance of the $2K psychological level is Merlijn The Trader. He believes that holding above that zone could open the door to a major bull run to a new all-time high of $12,000, whereas losing it would break nine years of support.

Just a few days ago, Ali Martinez assumed that Ethereum had entered a “generational buy zone” because the asset’s Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) had dropped below 1. He reminded that in the past, such a development was followed by triple and even quadruple price explosions.

Most recently, he outlined several MVRV pricing bands designed to serve as a roadmap. $1,655 was depicted as the most important support level, $2,356 as the first major resistance to reclaim, $2,647/$3,639 as mid-term breakout targets, and $4,632/$5,624 as long-term “expansion” zones.

Mixed Signals From These Indicators

Over the weekend, the number of ETH coins stored on crypto exchanges registered another sharp drop, falling to a nearly 10-year low of roughly 15 million units. This trend suggests that investors continue to move their holdings from centralized platforms to self-custody, showing that they are not preparing for any mass sell-offs.

Conversely, the asset’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) hints that another move south might be on the horizon. The indicator’s ratio has surged past 70, suggesting that ETH has entered overbought territory and could be on the verge of a correction. Meanwhile, any readings beneath 30 signal that the valuation has fallen too much in a short period of time, meaning it might be time for a rebound.

The post Ethereum (ETH) on the Edge: Critical Level Stands Between New Bull Run and a Major Crash appeared first on CryptoPotato.