Hyperliquids licensed S&P 500 perpetual tops $100M in daily volume, extending 24/7 onchain trading of traditional markets.

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Eightco's increased investment in OpenAI underscores the growing influence of AI in reshaping global industries and investor strategies.

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Bluesky disclosed a $100 million Series B led by Bain Capital Crypto as its user base topped 43 million amid a leadership transition.

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SoftBank plans a 10-gigawatt Ohio AI data center with up to $40 billion in first phase costs and a $33 billion gas power buildout.

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Ledger's strategic US expansion and leadership change could significantly enhance its market position, paving the way for a successful IPO.

The post Ledger taps ex-Circle exec to lead finance ahead of potential US IPO appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Capital managers are migrating to bitcoin 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bitcoin Magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Future positive returns for Bitcoin price?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Institutional flows, however, have softened. 

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

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

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

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

Bitcoin Magazine

North Carolina Lawmakers Propose State Bitcoin Reserve

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

U.S. states want Bitcoin

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

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

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

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

Bitcoin Magazine

Adam Back Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker

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

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

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

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

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

Bitcoin 2026 Returns to Las Vegas Bigger Than Ever

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

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

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

Past Bitcoin Conferences in the U.S.

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

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

Get Your Bitcoin 2026 Pass

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

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

And don’t forget:

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

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

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

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

Why Attend Bitcoin 2026?

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

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

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

Bitcoin 2026 Pass Types: Something for Everyone

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

Bitcoin 2026 General Admission Pass

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

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

Bitcoin 2026 Pro Pass

Designed for professionals, operators, and serious Bitcoin participants.

Includes all General Admission features, plus:

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

Bitcoin 2026 Whale Pass

The all-inclusive, premium Bitcoin 2026 experience.

Includes all Pro Pass features, plus:

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

This is the most immersive way to experience Bitcoin 2026.

Bitcoin 2026 After Hours Pass

Your ticket to the night.

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

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

More headline speaker announcements are coming soon.

Don’t miss Bitcoin 2026.

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

Bitcoin Magazine

Despite a 47% Price Drop, Bitcoin Traders Aren’t Selling

Bitcoin faced a dramatic market correction in early 2026, plunging 46% from its $126,000 all-time high and briefly dipping below $61,000 on February 6. 

The drop erased over $1 trillion in market value and prompted headlines warning of a defining crypto moment. Social media feeds filled with reactions, yet most holders remained on the sidelines.

A survey by Oobit of 1,006 American Bitcoin holders and sentiment analysis of 117,630 posts across 10 major crypto subreddits reveals that fear did not translate into widespread selling. 

Anxiety and hope dominated emotional responses, with 39% of holders reporting anxiety and 38% hope. 

Despite the turbulence, 69% of respondents had neither sold their holdings nor planned to, demonstrating what the community often calls “diamond hands.” Only 8% were classified as true panic sellers.

Among anxious holders, 72% still intended to hold, and 64% of fearful holders expressed the same. 

Overall, 75% would maintain their positions even if prices continued to fall. The survey indicates that fear and hope often coexist: 86% of respondents reported experiencing both emotions while holding their Bitcoin, according to the survey.

A Bitcoin recovering is coming

Investors are also anticipating a recovery. Two-thirds of holders (66%) expect Bitcoin to reach a new all-time high, with the median 12-month price forecast at $75,000. 

Expectations varied across demographics: Gen Z participants were most bullish at 70%, compared with 60% of baby boomers. High-income holders ($100,000+) predicted a median price of $80,000, while those earning less than $100,000 forecasted $72,000.

Market behavior during the downturn also included opportunistic buying. Roughly 25% of holders purchased Bitcoin during the dip, with younger and higher-income investors more active in buying.

Reddit sentiment mirrored the survey’s findings. Across 117,630 posts, positive sentiment outweighed negative nearly 2-to-1. 

Bitcoin prices recovered faster than sentiment. By February 12, the market had rebounded to $66,221, though online sentiment trailed, reflecting ongoing emotional processing among holders. 

The data suggests that investors react on conviction as much as price, with sentiment volatility roughly one-third that of price volatility during the downturn.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $70,400 after briefly trading above $75,000 this week. 

Yesterday, Bitcoin fell below $70,000, trading near $69,500, as rising energy prices and a firm Federal Reserve stance strengthened the dollar and weighed on risk assets.

The drop coincided with Brent crude surpassing $114 per barrel amid Middle East tensions, driving broader market weakness and a roughly 4% decline in Bitcoin over 24 hours.

This post Despite a 47% Price Drop, Bitcoin Traders Aren’t Selling first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin’s real macro risk right now is more discreet than simply watching the price of oil. Behind the scenes, a Fed liquidity cushion is nearly gone, and it can quickly become a headwind for Bitcoin's attempt to avoid a deep crypto winter.

On March 19, usage of the Federal Reserve’s overnight reverse repo facility stood at just $0.637 billion. Separately, the Fed’s weekly balance-sheet release for March 18 showed total assets at $6.656 trillion, reserve balances at $2.999 trillion, and the Treasury General Account at $875.833 billion.

As a result, one of the market’s easiest shock absorbers has shrunk to almost nothing.

For much of the last two years, cash could leave the overnight reverse repo facility and move back into bills, repo, bank reserves, or risk assets.

That process did not solve every macro problem, but it softened some of the pressure when the Treasury rebuilt cash, when issuance rose, or when markets had to absorb tighter financial conditions.

That passive release valve has now shrunk to a rounding error. So the next inflation scare, oil-driven repricing, or funding squeeze gets less automatic relief. Pressure can land more directly on reserves, or it can force a more active policy response.

That dynamic sits beneath the week’s focus on oil and the Fed.

Related Reading

Bitcoin eyes new liquidity as the Fed's $18.5 billion repo spike reignites money printer chatter

Persistent ETF outflows indicate market hesitation despite Fed's temporary liquidity maneuver.

Feb 19, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Bitcoin sold off this week, dipping below $70,000, while U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted two straight days of outflows totaling $253.7 million, with $163.5 million on March 18 and $90.2 million on March 19.

Crypto traders often talk about “net liquidity,” usually as a shorthand for how the Fed’s balance sheet interacts with the Treasury’s cash balance and the reverse repo pool.

The recent numbers explain why that framework should be back in focus. The balance sheet rose again. Reserves fell. The Treasury’s cash balance stayed large. And the passive buffer that once helped absorb stress is now effectively gone.

The shift also lines up with the way Bitcoin has traded through the ETF era, more in step with rates, flows, and broader liquidity conditions than many holders expected at the start of the cycle.

This week’s ETF outflows do not establish causation on their own. They do fit a market that remains highly sensitive to macro repricing and less supported by old balance-sheet plumbing than many holders may assume.

The old cushion is nearly gone, and the Fed has shifted toward active reserve management

The first thing we should pin down is around composition. The near-zero overnight reverse repo print does not mean every reverse repo liability on the Fed’s books has disappeared. The March 18 weekly balance-sheet data still showed $331.352 billion in total reverse repos. But almost all of that sat in foreign official cash.

A separate series showed foreign official and international accounts at $330.654 billion, leaving only about $698 million in the domestic “others” bucket that traders usually have in mind when they talk about the old ON RRP liquidity cushion.

The Fed still carries reverse repo liabilities, but the domestic pool that could quietly run down and feed liquidity back into markets is basically exhausted.

Related Reading

Fed decision tonight will likely decide whether Bitcoin gets past $80k or fall further

Bitcoin faces $80,000 test as Fed meeting and oil shock dim hopes for rate cuts.

Mar 18, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

The core figures look like this:

A January Fed research note said changes in the Treasury General Account, the ON RRP facility, and the foreign repo pool affect reserve balances one-for-one unless the Fed offsets them.

That same work argued that money-market rates become more sensitive when reserve buffers are smaller. The issue, then, is transmission. Shocks that once could be softened by a falling ON RRP balance now reach the system more directly.

The Fed has already moved on this front. The FOMC ended balance-sheet runoff starting Dec. 1, 2025, and began reserve management purchases of Treasury bills in December 2025 to maintain ample reserves.

Markets have lost an automatic cushion, while policymakers have already shifted toward a more active reserve-management stance.

Bitcoin is trading with rates and flows as the macro backdrop tightens

That shift carries through to Bitcoin because the market has already shown how fast it responds when rates and flows move together.

The Fed’s March 18 policy statement held the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, described economic activity as still expanding at a solid pace, and said inflation remains somewhat elevated.

It also said uncertainty around developments in the Middle East had increased. Markets did not need a rate hike to reprice. They only needed a reminder that inflation risk and geopolitical risk can still keep yields firm.

The two-year Treasury yield moved from 3.68% on March 17 to 3.76% on March 18. That is only an eight-basis-point move, but short-end repricing carries weight when Bitcoin is already leaning on ETF demand and broad risk appetite.

The two straight ETF outflow days fall short of proving that Fed balance-sheet plumbing caused the move. They do show investors were willing to cut exposure as the rates backdrop turned less friendly.

The ON RRP data helps explain why the move hit so hard. Oil can still shape the market by feeding inflation concerns. But the mechanism runs deeper.

With the market’s passive liquidity release valve nearly empty, the same inflation scare can travel faster into funding conditions, yields, and allocation decisions than it did when the reverse repo pool still held hundreds of billions that could run down.

For Bitcoin, that is a more durable macro frame than a single move in crude, which the Fed’s own research supports.

The January research paper said quarter-end repo effects have already intensified as reserves and ON RRP balances declined, with SOFR rising seven basis points above the ON RRP rate at the March 2023 quarter-end and by as much as 25 basis points at later quarter-ends.

That is a market-structure signal rather than a crypto-specific one. It shows how tighter buffers can become visible first in funding markets.

There is also a clear offset. The New York Fed’s February 2026 reserve-demand elasticity update said the fed funds rate’s sensitivity to reserve changes was very small and statistically indistinguishable from zero, which suggests reserves are still abundant.

The market is dealing with a setup in which the old passive cushion has thinned out, while the remaining reserve pool still looks ample for now.

That combination can produce a new regime for Bitcoin. In the earlier phase, markets could watch the reverse repo pool fall and treat that decline as a quiet source of support.

In the current phase, there is much less quiet support to assume. Either reserves absorb shocks cleanly, or the Fed leans harder on bill purchases and standing facilities, or risk assets do more of the adjustment on their own.

The next pressure points sit in quarter-end funding, Treasury cash swings, and ETF demand

The most useful framework from here is to identify the set of conditions to watch.

The most likely scenario is that reserve balances stay near current levels, the Fed keeps rates unchanged, and ETF flows continue to swing day by day with mixed demand. In that setup, Bitcoin likely remains tied to short-end yields and broad risk appetite, but without a visible funding break.

The firmer-risk case is easy to sketch from the numbers already on the table. If the Treasury keeps a large cash balance, the domestic reverse repo pool stays near zero, and inflation worries keep the short end under pressure, reserve drains should land more directly on the banking system than they did when ON RRP still had room to fall.

Bitcoin only needs tighter financial conditions, more cautious ETF demand, and less confidence that passive liquidity support is still there in the background to feel that change.

The softer-risk case is also clear. If reserve management purchases keep reserves stable, if quarter-end funding stays orderly, and if ETF flows recover after this week’s outflows, the market may treat the disappearance of the ON RRP cushion as a change in plumbing rather than a fresh source of stress.

The regime shift would still be there. The difference would be that the Fed’s active tools were doing enough work to keep the strain from spilling into broader markets.

So the next checkpoints are mechanical.

• Traders should watch the daily ON RRP series, the weekly H.4.1 update for reserves and the Treasury’s cash balance, and the daily ETF flows.
• They should also watch whether quarter-end funding pressure starts to show up more clearly in repo markets, because that is where the Fed’s own research says thinner buffers can become visible first.

Bitcoin’s immediate pressure may still arrive through oil, inflation, or a hawkish rates repricing. The larger macro signal sits one layer lower.

The passive liquidity cushion that once softened market stress is nearly exhausted. The next shock will show whether active Fed management can keep that from becoming crypto’s next macro headwind.

The post While the world watches oil prices, one critical Fed cash backstop is almost empty appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin investors are buying protection around $50,000 even as the flagship digital asset holds near $70,000 and has recently outperformed gold, the S&P 500, and the US dollar during the ongoing Iran war.

According to CryptoSlate’s data, Bitcoin was trading at about $70,688 at press time, which means hedging around the $50,000 level means investors are guarding against a roughly $20,000 drawdown, even as the spot price remains firm.

The contrast has become one of the clearest signals in the market. Spot Bitcoin has shown resilience through the first phase of the conflict, but the derivatives market still shows traders paying for downside insurance.

On Deribit, the latest public options-flow note showed buying in the $50,000 to $60,000 put zone, along with March put spreads and fresh downside structures after attacks on Middle East energy infrastructure and a hot US producer-price print.

That split suggests investors are no longer treating Bitcoin as a one-directional war trade. Instead, they are weighing two outcomes at once.

One is that Bitcoin continues to absorb geopolitical stress better than many expected. The other is that the oil shock spills into inflation, pushes rate-cut expectations further out, and drags risk assets lower, forcing BTC back toward the low-$50,000s.

Related Reading

The latest US inflation report looked like good news, but the Fed may already have a bigger problem

February CPI looked reassuring on paper, but it may end up being the last calm snapshot before a new inflation scare.

Mar 14, 2026 · Andjela Radmilac

Middle East crude is rising faster than Brent

Oil helps explain why that hedge has stayed in place. Reuters reported Brent settled at $108.65 a barrel on March 19 after reaching an intraday high of $119.13, while West Texas Intermediate touched $100.02 before ending at $96.14. Brent later traded at $107.29 after hitting $119 the previous day.

The Kobeissi Letter, a macro analysis platform, noted that the more severe move has been in the Middle East itself.

According to the firm, Dubai crude, a regional benchmark tied more closely to Gulf exports, hit $166.80 on March 19, while physical cargo prices for crude and fuel also set records as the conflict around Iran disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Oman’s oil price rose to $167 a barrel, while Brent remained near $113 and WTI traded around $97, leaving the gap between regional and global benchmarks at one of its widest levels in years.

That divergence has changed the market’s reading of the oil shock. Brent remains the headline benchmark, but the bigger stress is showing up in Gulf-linked cargoes, where traders are pricing the direct effect of disrupted shipping, lower exports, and supply fears around the Strait of Hormuz.

The Kobeissi Letter explained:

“When the war first began, US oil prices surged in the wake of uncertainty. However, as the Strait of Hormuz closed, markets began reassessing risks. While the Strait of Hormuz is closed, ~18% of global crude oil supply is offline.”

So, once that war premium moved from futures into physical barrels, the macro risk became harder for Bitcoin traders to ignore.

That would essentially shift the question for crypto investors from whether oil is rising to whether the rise remains contained in global benchmarks or continues feeding through Middle East cargo markets, keeping inflation pressure elevated for longer.

Related Reading

Iran conflict could push oil to $150 and crash Bitcoin up to 45%

If Hormuz disruption drags past week seven, bank models jump from “manageable” to $100 $125 $150 stress scenarios.

Mar 6, 2026 · Gino Matos

Why traders are still buying downside protection

That backdrop is showing up clearly in Bitcoin derivatives.

Deribit’s March 19 note described buying $50,000 to $60,000 puts and said downside protection was provided through April and December risk-reversal structures as the energy shock and inflation data hit the tape.

The current market structure of the flow also adds nuance, with some of the recent downside positions expressed through put spreads and risk reversals rather than outright crash bets.

This suggests a market that manages costs and defines risk rather than simply positioning for panic. Investors are still paying for defense, but they are doing so with targeted structures around a specific lower range.

Meanwhile, broader derivatives data point in the same direction. K33 Research said CME Bitcoin futures open interest had climbed back above 110,000 BTC, while perpetual open interest held between 260,000 and 270,000 BTC.

It also said the seven-day average funding rate was -2.2% and the 30-day average had been negative for 18 consecutive trading days, the longest streak since December 2022.

In practical terms, the futures and perpetuals markets are still leaning defensive, even as Bitcoin trades near the top of its recent range.

Deribit’s weekly report with Block Scholes showed the same caution in options. BTC at-the-money implied volatility was around 50%, seven-day implied volatility stood at 52%, and the futures-implied yield curve remained flat at 2% to 3% across tenors.

Put-call skew had recovered from the late-February low, but the surface had still not rotated toward calls. So, traders were no longer chasing downside hedges at the same pace as earlier in the month, yet they were still willing to pay for protection.

Glassnode’s positioning data reinforces that picture, showing that perpetual funding remained firmly negative, while directional premium remained bearish, and directional perp premium turned negative for the first time since 2022.

This means that traders were still leaning short even after BTC's recovery from recent lows.

What comes next for Bitcoin

The upside case is that this hedge-heavy positioning becomes fuel for a squeeze. Glassnode said the combination of crowded shorts, negative funding, and easing options stress leaves Bitcoin vulnerable to further squeeze-driven upside if spot demand continues to recover.

In that setup, the same defensive posture that now reflects caution could turn into forced buying if traders have to cover shorts into strength.

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Meanwhile, CryptoQuant’s more constructive scenario points the same way.

The crypto analytics firm said daily demand from accumulator addresses remained high at 224,700 BTC, above the monthly average, while exchange outflows reached 11,300 BTC in three days. At the same time, the Coinbase Premium remained positive, suggesting US buyers were still active.

Under that view, institutions are absorbing liquidity while retail sells into war headlines, creating the conditions for a bear trap rather than a breakdown.

However, the downside case remains tied to a wider conflict and a more persistent inflation shock. CryptoQuant said that if the US sends more troops to Iran and the conflict escalates further, restrictive Fed policy could remain in place for longer.

In that scenario, BTC's probability of a revisit to the February bottom near $60,000 rises, with the final liquidation zone around $54,800.

For traders trying to time the next entry, the more useful signal may be less about headlines and more about positioning.

CryptoQuant’s framework argues that price could continue to fluctuate between $69,000 and $65,000 amid heavy military tension, with a clearer entry only once the Bitcoin Price Momentum indicator returns toward its balance point near 50 and begins to show a reversal in the support region.

The post Bitcoin beating gold and stocks right now is making “smart money” worried appeared first on CryptoSlate.

When Vanity Fair published “Crypto's True Believers Demand to Be Taken Seriously” on Mar. 17, the backlash arrived within hours.

Hayden Adams said he had passed on the shoot after being asked to pose in a bathrobe in a sauna. Camila Russo called the framing “so off.” Nic Carter compared the group photograph to the Alliance of Magicians from Arrested Development.

Dennison Bertram, a former fashion photographer and Tally co-founder, went further. He dissected the lighting and angles as a deliberate composition designed to diminish rather than document.

The industry's first instinct was to call it a hit job, while the reactions on X told a more complicated story.

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Three reactions, one diagnosis

The backlash sorted into three competing instincts, and that sorting exposed more than the outrage did.

One camp argued legacy media still cannot read crypto with any seriousness, claiming that the framing read as anachronistic, written from a mental model of the sector that predates ETFs, treasury strategies, and congressional PAC money.

Russo's reaction belongs here: the piece felt like it described an industry that no longer exists.

A second camp held that the shoot was engineered to manufacture ridicule. The lighting, angles, and costuming choices were deliberate acts of visual condescension.

Bertram made that case in technical photographic terms, which gave it more evidentiary weight than standard X venting.

The third camp was quieter and more honest, noticing that the photographs stung partly because they captured something real.

Dean Eigenmann had put the harshest version of this on record months earlier, in a February essay arguing that crypto went to institutions and got reshaped in their image.

An industry that spends years lobbying for establishment legitimacy eventually hands those establishments the vocabulary to satirize it back. The Vanity Fair spread arrived as illustrated proof.

Noelle Acheson bridged the outrage to the forward-looking question: is this how mainstream media sees the industry, and if so, how much work remains?

The X reaction was largely a class panic about how legacy media reads crypto, with costumes, eccentricity, and nouveau-riche theater.

The problem is that some of it still is, and crypto has not resolved that internally.

The cast that the magazine assembled

One detail in the Adams reaction went mostly unexamined: he passed on the shoot.

The spread reflects who accepted Vanity Fair's framing, who showed up, on what terms, in what setting. The industry's internal hierarchy regarding legitimate representation is so unresolved that a glossy magazine could define it by default.

What Vanity Fair's own reporting reveals cuts deeper still.

The piece notes that Meltem Demirors is buying Bitcoin again, and mentions that Cathie Wood and Olaf Carlson-Wee are accumulating Bitcoin.

In a feature built around broad crypto culture, the capital allocation answer from several of its most prominent subjects is not more tokens, more protocols, or more ecosystem bets. It is BTC.

However, the magazine framed it as a “crypto believers” story. The believers, when describing where their conviction actually points, keep naming the same asset.

That detail maps onto a structural reality that the X reaction cycle largely bypassed.

Public companies collectively hold roughly 1.179 million BTC across 195 firms, with Bitcoin accounting for approximately 95% of public company crypto treasury assets, per BitcoinTreasuries.

Strategy alone held 761,068 BTC as of Mar. 19, and spot US Bitcoin ETFs pulled $199.4 million in net inflows on the same day the Vanity Fair piece published, before shedding $163.5 million on Mar. 18 as the Fed held rates at 3.50%-3.75% and revised its 2026 inflation projections to 2.7% for both headline and core PCE.

That ETF volatility is what institutionalization looks like when macro headwinds hit. Bitcoin now trades against rate expectations and energy prices, and a magazine profile does not move it.

The political ledger sharpens the contradiction. Crypto poured $135 million into the 2024 election and won more than 90% of the races it backed.

Fairshake and its affiliates entered the 2026 cycle with more than $193 million in cash on hand, while the broader industry prepared roughly $200 million for the midterms.

An industry with that electoral infrastructure does not need Vanity Fair's approval. Yet, the X reaction proved it still wants cultural legitimacy badly enough to spend a news cycle fighting for it.

The backlash put a contradiction on display: political power on one side, reputational insecurity on the other.

Two paths from here

Citi's current scenario framework sets the financial stakes. Its 12-month Bitcoin target sits at $112,000, revised down from $143,000. The bull case reaches $165,000. The bear case lands at $58,000.

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The bull case depends on Bitcoin continuing to pull away from the cultural version of crypto. If ETF inflows resume, treasury adoption broadens, and Washington delivers enough regulatory clarity, the Vanity Fair episode could accelerate the sorting the industry already needs.

Builders and allocators who want credibility gain another reason to emphasize Bitcoin, infrastructure, compliance, and payments over personality-driven spectacle.

The magazine's caricature of “crypto” becomes self-limiting: the sector it satirized looks increasingly unlike the sector where serious capital sits, and Bitcoin trades on its own macro logic entirely outside the cultural cringe cycle.

The bear case is that the piece landed on a real structural weakness. Crypto sought elite validation across a decade, and elite validation responded with a bathrobe in a sauna.

If legislation stalls, ETF flows remain choppy, and the macro environment tightens further. Brent crude hit an intraday high of $119.20 on Mar. 19, already past the ECB's own adverse-scenario peak, with its severe scenario projecting euro-area headline inflation at 4.4% in 2026.

The reputational drag compounds existing market fragility.

Eigenmann's thesis proves out more completely in that setup: crypto went to the institutions, got reshaped in their image, and earned their satire in return.

Bitcoin falls with risk assets under that pressure but outperforms the broader crypto complex as capital consolidates into the most liquid, institutionally integrated asset.

Bitcoin has Wall Street's pipes and Washington's ear. The Vanity Fair shoot put the remaining unsettled question before a much wider audience: what culture Bitcoin actually belongs to.

The post Vanity Fair “bathrobe-gate” proves $135 million bought the crypto industry leverage but not respect appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Fed kept rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% on Mar. 18, lifted its 2026 inflation projections to 2.7% for both headline and core PCE, and held to a median year-end fed-funds path of 3.4%.

Chair Jerome Powell said higher energy prices will push up overall inflation in the near term and that the implications of events in the Middle East are uncertain.

One day later, the ECB held its deposit rate at 2.00% but revised its 2026 inflation forecast to 2.6% from 1.9%, with officials believing that the baseline is already outdated by the energy shock, with rate-hike discussions potentially starting at the Apr. 29-30 meeting and action more plausible at the June 10-11 meeting.

Bitcoin reached an intraday low below $69,000 on Mar. 19, below the psychological $70,000 threshold before recovering overnight.

The sequence breaks a narrative that has supported risk assets for months: that major central banks were delaying cuts by a quarter or two.

Markets are now entirely repricing the developed-world policy path. Traders have pushed Fed easing expectations to roughly 14 basis points by December, less than a single quarter-point cut, while fully pricing in two ECB hikes this year, with better-than-even odds of a third.

The Bank of England, which kept its Bank Rate at 3.75%, now trades with a higher probability of a hike than a cut. Bitcoin's battle with $70,000 is the fastest visible readout of that liquidity recalculation.

Oil forces the reset

The Fed's March SEP already showed discomfort. The median 2026 fed funds rate remained at 3.4%, versus a current midpoint of 3.625%, implying only one cut in the baseline path.

The longer-run rate rose to 3.1% from 3.0% in December. Powell's opening statement was explicit: “In the near term, higher energy prices will push up overall inflation.”

The Middle East conflict entered its fourth week with no clear resolution, and Brent crude briefly rose above $119 on Mar. 19 before pulling back.

The ECB's official baseline assumed a Brent price of $81.30 for 2026, with one ECB source reportedly saying that oil around $110 already makes that assumption stale, and another citing $200 oil as the kind of trigger that could force an April move.

The ECB's staff scenarios, published alongside the decision, provide a clearer picture of the scale of the risk.

The baseline assumes oil around $90 in the second quarter of 2026. The adverse scenario peaks near $119.

The severe scenario peaks near $145, lifting euro-area inflation by 1.8% in 2026 and 2.8% in 2027 relative to baseline, which would take headline inflation to 4.4% in 2026 and 4.8% in 2027.

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The IMF's rule of thumb offers outside validation: every sustained 10% rise in energy prices for about a year can add 0.4% to global inflation and cut output by 0.1%- 0.2%.

That quantifies why central banks are now less comfortable “looking through” this shock than they were with earlier commodity spikes.

Bank of America had noted on Mar. 16 that a quick resolution could put Brent near $70. Still, the path toward $85 for a longer disruption or $130 for a prolonged conflict now looks more consistent with the energy market's direction.

Bitcoin as a liquidity barometer

Bitcoin's behavior over the past 48 hours tracks macro sensitivity.

The Fed lifted inflation projections, kept only one cut in its median path, and Powell flagged energy as a near-term headwind.

The ECB raised its inflation forecast, published severe scenarios implying a much uglier inflation trajectory if energy disruption persists, and then some officials already view the baseline as obsolete.

Traders responded by repricing the entire developed-market rate path, and Bitcoin moved first.

The bull case for Bitcoin assumes that diplomatic de-escalation restores energy flows faster than feared, that oil retreats sharply, and that markets decide the March hawkish turn was a war premium rather than a durable policy reset.

Bank of America's quick-resolution path pointed to Brent near $70, though that scenario appears less plausible given the Mar. 19 escalation. In that setup, Bitcoin can confirm a hold above $70,000 and work back toward the mid-$70,000s.

The case depends on central banks returning to a clearly dovish tilt, which requires the energy shock to fade.

The bear case assumes oil stays above current ECB assumptions, the June ECB meeting turns live, and markets fully abandon 2026 Fed easing. Bitcoin then tests the low- to mid-$60,000s.

Citi's recession case target of $58,000 serves as the cleanest outside anchor for that downside path.

If the discount rate for risky assets stays higher for longer, Bitcoin loses one of its cleanest cyclical tailwinds, even without any crypto-native negative catalyst.

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Central banks relearn a 2022 lesson

Energy shocks do not remain confined to the energy line if they are large enough and persistent enough, and arrive when inflation is not yet fully dead.

The ECB's scenario work explicitly assumes stronger indirect and second-round effects than standard models normally produce. The Fed's own projections now show inflation at 2.7% in 2026 for both headline and core, well above the 2% target.

The BoE's public explainer says higher energy prices will push inflation above expectations this year, that the impact will be greater the longer the war lasts, and that policymakers will do what is necessary to keep inflation on track.

Some investors now see the odds of a Fed hike by year-end creeping higher. That tail repricing hits Bitcoin first because it sits at the intersection of liquidity, risk appetite, and narrative momentum.

Central banks that spent months preparing markets for easing are now updating their frameworks under an energy shock that refuses to behave like a transient supply disruption.

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Bitcoin's dip below $70,000 is the market's fastest visible expression of that recalibration.

The asset is behaving less like an idiosyncratic crypto story and more like a liquidity-sensitive macro barometer, with its policy tailwind being repriced away.

June is the more plausible action window for the ECB, as April would require a further surge in energy prices. Either way, the old “cuts are just delayed a quarter” story is dead.

Bitcoin is now trading on the global realization that the next move from major central banks may not be cuts at all.

The post Even at $70,000 Bitcoin is now exposed to a bigger fight that it cannot control appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Retail investors became the main force behind gold-fund buying over the past six months, helping extend bullion’s rise even as some institutional money started to step back.

At the same time, fresh inflows into US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) show part of Wall Street rebuilding crypto exposure through the regulated ETF channel, setting up a split in how investors are responding to the same backdrop of war, inflation pressure, and shifting rate expectations.

The divergence offers a clearer view of investor behavior than either market does alone. Essentially, households have leaned on gold as the traditional store of value, while professional capital has shown renewed willingness to buy Bitcoin after a weak start to the year.

The result is a market in which gold and Bitcoin are no longer moving as simple rivals for the same defensive trade, but as separate expressions of different risk appetites.

Retail takes the wheel in gold accumulation

The Bank for International Settlements laid out the shift in unusually direct terms in its March quarterly review.

In a section on the late-January and February break in precious metals, the BIS said fund-flow data showed retail investors were the main source of inflows into gold and silver funds, while institutional investors “maintained stable positions or even trimmed exposure.”

The chart accompanying the analysis showed cumulative retail inflows into gold funds climbing to roughly $60 billion by the first quarter of 2026, up from about $20 billion in late 2025, while institutional flows stayed near flat and then turned negative.

The BIS tied the move to a broader run-up that stretched through 2025 and into early 2026. Gold and silver rose sharply before reversing in late January and February, a swing the BIS said was amplified by retail participation through ETFs, daily rebalancing by leveraged products, and margin-driven selling.

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Silver, which had doubled in 2025 and then risen more than 50% in January alone, fell about 30% in a single day in late January. Gold followed the same pattern with smaller moves.

The fund-flow picture helps explain how gold continued to attract money even as prices became harder to chase.

World Gold Council data show that physically backed gold ETFs pulled in $19 billion in January, the strongest month on record, then added another $5.3 billion in February, marking a ninth straight month of inflows.

Total holdings rose to 4,171 metric tons in February, while assets under management reached a record $701 billion.

Those totals show demand remained broad, but the BIS breakdown suggests retail investors were doing more of the incremental buying.

The institutional bid starts to soften

What changed in March was not the long-run case for gold, but the willingness of some larger investors to keep adding at the same pace.

Earlier this month, investors pulled more than $4 billion from GLD, the largest gold-backed ETF. Notably, this was the largest weekly outflow in its 20 years of existence.

By a week later, spot gold had fallen rapidly to around $4,611 an ounce, its lowest level since early February.

According to goldprice.org data, this extends a seven-session losing streak as higher oil prices and inflation fears pushed expectations toward tighter monetary policy.

Higher-for-longer rates have always been a problem for bullion because gold yields nothing, and the recent slide turned that old relationship back into the main driver.

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Reuters reported that analysts at Commerzbank pointed to more restrictive policy expectations as the key reason gold had come under pressure, while TD Securities said institutional positioning had grown large during the past year’s “debasement trade” and that the foundations of that trade were weakening.

In other words, gold’s buyers changed just as the macro case became harder to hold in a straight line.

Still, the institutional retreat should not be overstated.

The World Gold Council said North America added $7 billion to gold ETFs in January and another $4.7 billion in February, both part of a sustained run of inflows tied to geopolitical risk and demand for defensive assets. Europe was the weak point in February, with $1.8 billion of outflows, much of it tied to redemptions after the late-January sell-off.

This means that institutions were trimming their exposure at the margin and not abandoning the precious metal outright.

Bitcoin draws fresh money

While gold’s institutional bid began to look less certain, Bitcoin started attracting money again through the market’s main institutional access point.

Data compiled by Farside Investors show US spot Bitcoin ETFs absorbed about $1.16 billion in net inflows from March 9 through March 17. Notably, this was the strongest inflow streak since last October.

The streak included daily net additions of $246.9 million on March 10, $180.4 million on March 13, and $199.4 million on both March 16 and March 17.

However, that run paused on March 18 with a $163.5 million outflow, but the direction of travel had already been established, with BTC price reaching as high as above $75,000 during the streak.

While those ETF flows do not prove a wholesale institutional embrace of crypto, they are the clearest evidence that professional money has started moving back toward Bitcoin after months of caution.

This is further corroborated by Bitwise data, which shows that Bitcoin’s latest institutional demand extends beyond ETF inflows.

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André Dragosch, Bitwise Europe’s head of research, said in a post on X that institutional demand had accelerated to its highest level since October 2025.

His one-month tally showed that Bitcoin ETPs added 34,400 BTC and treasury companies added 46,800 BTC, including 46,400 BTC from Strategy alone, for a combined 81,200 BTC.

Against a new monthly supply of about 13,300 BTC, that meant institutions bought about six times as much Bitcoin as miners produced over the same period.

Meanwhile, Coinbase’s latest institutional survey points out the institution's strong conviction in the top crypto.

In a January survey of 351 institutional decision-makers conducted with EY-Parthenon, 74% of the respondents said they expect crypto prices to rise over the next 12 months, and 73% said they plan to increase digital-asset allocations in 2026.

The same report said the share of firms allocating more than 5% of assets under management to digital assets is expected to rise from 18% to 29% by the end of 2026.

Those figures suggest Wall Street’s return to Bitcoin is no longer visible only through the ETF wrapper. It is also showing up in corporate treasury accumulation and in survey data pointing to larger planned allocations.

What does this shift mean for gold and BTC?

The flow split suggests that gold and Bitcoin are attracting different types of buyers across different parts of the same macro trade.

Gold remains the first choice for retail investors seeking a store of value during periods of war, inflation, and interest-rate uncertainty. Its long history, deep liquidity, and lower day-to-day volatility keep it attractive to households and fund buyers seeking protection without taking on the price swings common in crypto markets.

Bitcoin, by contrast, is regaining ground with institutions willing to treat it as a scarce, liquid asset with higher upside and higher risk.

The recent pickup in ETP demand, treasury-company accumulation, and survey data pointing to larger planned allocations suggest that professional investors are becoming more comfortable adding exposure as supply conditions tighten and access improves through regulated products.

For markets, the implication is that gold and Bitcoin are no longer competing in a simple zero-sum way.

Gold can continue to attract defensive retail flows even if institutional money slows, while Bitcoin can benefit from corporate buying and portfolio reallocation even if it remains more sensitive to policy signals and liquidity conditions.

In the near term, gold looks positioned to hold its role as a hedge, while Bitcoin is increasingly trading as an institutional scarcity asset.

The post Retail is rushing into gold, but institutions are buying Bitcoin again – so why the split? appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin has gone through multiple crashes, corrections, and market cycles since its creation in 2009. From drops of over 80% to new all-time highs, volatility has always been part of the journey.

Yet one question still appears frequently: Can Bitcoin ever go to $0?

While short-term crashes are always possible, a complete collapse to zero is extremely unlikely. Here are three strong reasons why Bitcoin will not crash to $0.

1. Massive Global Adoption and Institutional Support

Bitcoin is no longer a niche experiment used by a handful of tech enthusiasts. Today, it is a globally recognized asset class.

• Major financial institutions like BlackRock, Fidelity, and Morgan Stanley are actively involved in $BTC
• Spot Bitcoin ETFs have opened the door for billions in institutional capital
• Governments and corporations now hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets

This level of adoption creates a strong demand floor.

For $Bitcoin to go to $0, every institution, company, and investor worldwide would have to abandon it simultaneously—a scenario that is highly unrealistic.

2. Decentralized Network with Proven Security

Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network secured by thousands of nodes and miners across the world.

• No central authority can shut it down
• The network has maintained near 100% uptime since launch
• It is protected by one of the most powerful computing networks globally (hash rate)

To bring Bitcoin to $0, the entire network would need to fail or be compromised globally.

Given its distributed nature and continuous upgrades, this is extremely unlikely. In fact, the network has only grown stronger over time.

3. Scarcity and Built-In Economic Model

Bitcoin has a fixed supply of 21 million coins, making it one of the scarcest assets in the world.

• New supply is reduced every 4 years through the halving mechanism
• Demand continues to grow as adoption expands
• Lost coins further reduce circulating supply

This scarcity creates a long-term value proposition, similar to digital gold.

Even during major crashes, Bitcoin has never reached zero because there is always buyers stepping in at lower levels.

Conclusion

Bitcoin can be volatile. It can drop 50%, even 80% during bear markets. But a complete collapse to $0 would require:

1. Total global abandonment
2. Network failure
3. Zero demand worldwide

All three happening at the same time is highly improbable.

Instead, Bitcoin continues to follow cycles of boom and correction, with each cycle bringing higher adoption, stronger infrastructure, and deeper liquidity.

Cardano Price Today: Consolidation After a Downtrend

Cardano ($ADA) is currently trading around $0.26–$0.27, moving sideways after a prolonged downtrend.

Over the past few weeks, ADA has shown limited volatility, with price action stuck in a tight range and no strong breakout attempts. Buyers are present, but not strong enough to push the price higher.

Cardano Price Analysis: Range-Bound with Strong Resistance

Looking at the chart, ADA is no longer trending down aggressively, but it is also not in a confirmed uptrend.

Key levels:

• Immediate resistance: $0.30
• Major resistance: $0.40
• Critical target: $0.50
• Support zone: $0.25

Price has repeatedly failed to hold above $0.30, showing that sellers remain active at higher levels.

👉 This suggests a neutral to slightly bearish structure.

How Much Does ADA Need to Reach $0.50 Before April?

Let’s calculate:

• Current price ≈ $0.27
• Target price = $0.50

👉 Required increase:
+85%

This would need to happen within days to a couple of weeks — a very aggressive move.

Is an 85% Move Before April Realistic?

👉 Mostly unlikely

Here’s why:

1. Time Constraint Is Very Tight

Reaching $0.50 before April would require a rapid move with sustained momentum — something not currently visible on the chart.

2. Multiple Resistance Levels

ADA would need to break:

• $0.30
• $0.40
• Then push toward $0.50

Each level increases selling pressure and slows the move.

3. Lack of Momentum

The current consolidation between $0.25 and $0.30 shows hesitation rather than accumulation for a breakout.

RSI Insight: No Breakout Signal Yet

The RSI is around 47–48, indicating:

• Neutral momentum
• No bullish divergence
• No sign of an imminent breakout

👉 This supports the idea that ADA is not building strong upward pressure yet.

Historical Comparison: Has ADA Done This Before?

Cardano has delivered 80%+ rallies, but typically:

• During strong altcoin seasons
• With high market-wide momentum
• After major catalysts

👉 Right now, these conditions are not present, especially within such a short timeframe.

Most Likely Scenario Before April 2026

Based on the chart:

• ADA likely remains between $0.25 and $0.30
• Break above $0.30 → first bullish signal
• Break above $0.40 → stronger trend shift
• $0.50 → unlikely before April without a sudden catalyst

Cardano Price Prediction: Can ADA Reach $0.50 Before April?

👉 Mostly unlikely

To reach $0.50 before April 2026, ADA would need:

1. An 85% price surge in days
2. Clean breakout above multiple resistance levels
3. Strong bullish momentum across the market

These conditions are currently missing.

Conclusion

Cardano is stabilizing, but not yet ready for a major breakout.

While $0.50 remains a valid long-term target, expecting it before April 2026 does not align with:

• Current technical setup
• Market structure
• Momentum indicators

👉 The key level to watch remains $0.30 — a break above it could be the first sign of recovery.

Bitcoin Price News: BTC Defends Uptrend Despite Volatility

$Bitcoin price news today shows a market at a critical turning point. Despite recent volatility, BTC is holding firmly above a key ascending trendline, trading around the $70,000 level.

Looking at the 4-hour chart, Bitcoin continues to respect a rising support structure that has been forming since early March. This trendline has acted as a strong foundation, preventing deeper corrections even during sharp sell-offs.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: Ascending Trendline Still in Play

From a technical perspective, the chart reveals a clear structure:

• Support Zone: $68,000 – $69,000 (trendline + recent bounce area)
• Major Support: $62,600 (previous range low)
• Resistance Zone: $74,000 – $76,000
• Key Breakout Level: $80,000

Bitcoin recently corrected from the $75K–$76K range but found strong buying interest exactly at the ascending trendline. This confirms that buyers are still defending higher lows — a classic bullish continuation pattern.

As long as BTC remains above this trendline, the structure favors an eventual move higher.

RSI Signals Cooling Momentum — But Not Weakness

The RSI indicator currently sits around 42–43, showing that momentum has cooled after the recent drop.

This is important for two reasons:

1. Bitcoin is no longer overbought, allowing room for a new move up
2. The market is stabilizing rather than entering panic-selling territory

Historically, such RSI resets within an uptrend often precede the next bullish leg.

ETF Narrative Strengthens: Morgan Stanley Enters the Game

One of the biggest catalysts in recent bitcoin price news is Morgan Stanley filing for a spot Bitcoin ETF.

This development signals:

• Continued institutional interest in Bitcoin
• Expansion of ETF competition beyond existing players
• Potential for increased capital inflows into BTC

The ETF narrative has been one of the strongest drivers of Bitcoin’s recent rally. With another major financial institution entering the space, the long-term outlook remains supported by growing institutional demand.

Bitcoin Future: What Happens Next?

Bullish Scenario

If Bitcoin continues to hold the ascending trendline:

• A move toward $74K–$76K resistance becomes likely
• A breakout could push BTC toward the $80K level
• ETF-related optimism could accelerate momentum

Bearish Scenario

If the trendline breaks:

• BTC could revisit $66K–$68K
• A deeper correction toward $62,600 support becomes possible

However, current price action suggests buyers are still in control.

XRP Price Today: Stuck Below Key Resistance

XRP is currently trading around $1.40–$1.44, struggling to gain momentum after weeks of consolidation. Despite a few short-term rebounds, the price remains under pressure and continues to follow a broader downtrend.

XRP has failed to reclaim higher levels and is now hovering below key resistance zones, with buyers showing limited strength.

XRP Price Analysis: Bearish Channel Still Dominates

The below chart clearly shows $XRP trading inside a descending channel, which is a classic bearish pattern.

Key observations:

• Lower highs confirm ongoing selling pressure
• Price remains below the mid-channel resistance
• Strong resistance sits around $1.60, then $2.00
• Support is holding near $1.20

Even recent upward moves have been weak and quickly rejected, suggesting that the market lacks strong bullish conviction.

👉 As long as XRP remains inside this channel, the trend is still bearish to neutral.

How Much Does XRP Need to Reach $2?

Let’s break it down:

• Current price ≈ $1.44
• Target price = $2.00

👉 Required move: +38.9% increase

This is a significant move — especially within a very short timeframe.

Can XRP Realistically Move +40% in 12 Days?

While crypto can be volatile, a move of nearly 40% in 12 days is unlikely under current conditions.

Here’s why:

1. Momentum Is Weak

XRP has been ranging between $1.35 and $1.50 with no strong breakout continuation.

2. No Strong Catalyst

Large moves typically require:

• Major legal developments
• Institutional adoption news
• Market-wide bullish momentum

None of these are currently driving XRP.

3. Market Structure Is Bearish

The descending channel suggests sellers still control the market.
Without a breakout, upside remains limited.

Historical Comparison: Has XRP Done This Before?

Yes — but under very different conditions.

XRP has previously delivered large double-digit gains in short periods, but these happened:

• During strong bull markets
• After major announcements (e.g., Ripple-related news)
• With significant volume spikes

👉 Current market conditions do not reflect that environment.

Most Likely Scenario for March 2026

Based on the chart:

• XRP is likely to remain within $1.20 – $1.60 range
• A break above $1.60 could signal early recovery
• A move to $2 would require a full trend reversal

That kind of shift typically takes more time than a few days.

Final Verdict: Can XRP Reach $2 This Month?

👉 Mostly unlikely

To reach $2 before the end of March 2026, XRP would need:

1. Nearly 40% upside in days
2. Strong breakout above resistance
3. A sudden surge in market momentum

None of these signals are currently present.

Bitcoin news today is dominated by a sudden reversal in market sentiment. After a spectacular rally that saw the $Bitcoin price push toward the $76,000 resistance level earlier this week, the primary cryptocurrency has experienced a sharp correction. On Thursday, March 19, 2026, Bitcoin slipped below the psychologically significant $70,000 mark, trading as low as $69,400 during the European session.

This downward move follows a period of intense optimism fueled by institutional ETF inflows and the SEC’s recent classification of 16 digital assets as commodities. However, the combination of a "hawkish hold" by the Federal Reserve and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East has forced investors back into a defensive posture.

Why is Bitcoin Crashing?

The core reason for the Bitcoin price drop today is a "perfect storm" of macroeconomic factors. Specifically, the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates in the 3.50%–3.75% range, paired with a surge in global oil prices (Brent crude exceeding $114), has strengthened the US Dollar and dampened the appetite for "risk-on" assets like cryptocurrencies.

The "Hawkish Hold" and Risk Appetite

In financial terms, a "Hawkish Hold" occurs when a central bank keeps interest rates unchanged but uses rhetoric that suggests rates will stay higher for longer or could even rise.

For Bitcoin, this is a significant headwind. Because BTC is often viewed as a high-growth, speculative asset, its valuation is highly sensitive to liquidity. When the Fed signals that it is not ready to pivot to rate cuts, the "cost of carry" for holding Bitcoin remains high compared to "safe" yields like US Treasuries.

The Fed Effect: High Rates and Inflation Fears

The Federal Reserve's March meeting was the primary catalyst for the volatility seen in today's bitcoin news. While the market expected rates to remain steady, the updated "dot plot" and comments from Chair Paul Atkins (who took over the SEC and influenced broader policy) suggested that inflation remains a stubborn foe.

• Inflation Forecast: The Fed raised its 2026 PCE inflation outlook to 2.7%.
• Growth Outlook: Projected growth for 2026 was upgraded to 2.4%, giving the Fed more room to keep rates high without immediate fear of a recession.
• Market Reaction: The probability of an April rate cut has plummeted to near zero, with some traders now pricing in a 4% chance of a rate hike if energy costs continue to spiral.

Geopolitical Tensions: The Oil Factor

Beyond the Fed, the escalating conflict in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through the energy markets. Attacks on energy infrastructure have caused oil prices to spike, which historically leads to higher transport and production costs, further fueling inflation.

In previous cycles, Bitcoin was occasionally touted as "digital gold" or a safe haven. However, recent crypto news shows that in times of acute geopolitical stress, BTC often moves in lockstep with the Nasdaq-100, which also saw significant losses today. Investors are currently seeking the safety of the US Dollar and actual physical gold over digital assets.

Institutional Sentiment: ETF Inflows Turn to Outflows

A key pillar of the recent rally was the consistent demand from US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs. According to data from CoinGlass, a seven-day streak of inflows—totaling over $1.1 billion—was snapped on Wednesday.

From a technical perspective, Bitcoin's failure to reclaim the $76,000 level is a bearish signal in the short term. The price is currently testing the 100-hourly simple moving average. If the $69,000 support level fails to hold, analysts warn of a potential slide toward the $66,500 zone, which acted as a floor earlier in March.

Kalshi has raised $1 billion at a $22 billion valuation, doubling its worth in just three months.

The Trump administration's framework outlines a national approach to AI policy, from child safety to data centers.

Publicly traded blockchain and AI firm Eightco upped its investment in the private firm behind ChatGPT, OpenAI.

Shareholders claim the Winklevoss twins failed to disclose plans to shift Gemini’s focus, and overstated the viability of its ambitions.

Analysts acknowledged that Bitcoin would likely face pressure if the Fed hikes rates, but they highlighted the asset’s recent resilience.

Bitcoin is showing a "striking divergence" from traditional assets this March, maintaining a structural floor at $60,000 despite a surging U.S. dollar and rising bond yields.

Ledger has officially launched a multi-million dollar expansion into the United States, marking its largest global move to date with a new headquarters in New York City.

Evernorth confirms XRP Ledger's use for tokenization and lending. Discover why the firm bets on XRP's unique regulatory clarity in 2026.

April could be big for XRP community as key date surfaces.

Ripple USD's (RLUSD) race to two billion supply is stalled, with nine million tokens burned.

TLDR

• Chinese EV manufacturer submitted major shelf registration filing for potential future stock issuance
• Shares plummeted more than 6.5% in Thursday trading, erasing portion of recent ~20% surge
• Company achieved historic first quarterly GAAP operating profit of $40.4 million announced March 10
• Fourth-quarter vehicle deliveries reached all-time high of 124,807 units, representing 71.7% annual increase
• Cash reserves declined to $1.61 billion while current liabilities surpass current assets

Shares of NIO Inc. tumbled over 6.5% during Thursday’s session following the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer’s submission of a shelf registration filing that opens the door for potential future equity issuance. The regulatory document spooked investors who had recently enjoyed substantial gains, with share dilution anxieties rapidly dominating market sentiment.

NIO Inc., NIO

The shelf registration emerged mere days after NIO announced a historic operational achievement: the company’s inaugural quarterly GAAP operating profit. The automaker posted net income of $40.4 million during Q4 2025, accompanied by record-setting deliveries totaling 124,807 vehicles — marking a substantial 71.7% increase compared to the prior year period. Investment bank HSBC reacted by elevating the stock to a Buy rating and raising their price target by 42%. Shares surged approximately 20% in subsequent trading sessions.

That momentum has now evaporated. While the shelf registration didn’t announce an immediate equity offering, the mere possibility of future share dilution proved sufficient to trigger a wave of selling.

The situation presents a notable contradiction, as NIO’s operational performance has demonstrated considerable strength. The manufacturer celebrated delivering its 80,000th unit of the third-generation ES8 SUV and crossed the 550,000-unit threshold for cumulative in-house semiconductor production. Both its Shenji NX9031 processor and Yangjian chip are currently in production, representing critical components of the company’s strategy toward proprietary autonomous driving capabilities.

Financial Position Raises Ongoing Questions

Notwithstanding the profitability breakthrough, NIO’s balance sheet continues to display warning signals. Cash and cash equivalents decreased to $1.61 billion, while current liabilities have now surpassed current assets — a financial position that makes any discussion of potential share issuance appear more necessary than procedural.

The company’s subsidiary brands haven’t yet contributed meaningful volume. Firefly recorded merely 2,657 deliveries during February. Onvo is demonstrating gradual momentum growth, though progress remains measured.

From a broader market perspective, NIO confronts possible challenges from 100% U.S. import duties and European Union protectionist policies, although the automaker qualifies for China’s RMB 62.5 billion trade-in subsidy initiative for 2026, which could deliver substantial domestic support.

What Analysts Are Saying

Market observers at Traders Union express divergent perspectives. One group views the bullish technical formation as maintained above critical moving averages, citing semiconductor production expansion and subsidy program eligibility as justification for positive outlook. The opposing view highlights ongoing selling momentum and cautions that a breach below the $5.31 support threshold could trigger increased downside vulnerability.

NIO’s Q1 2026 projections anticipate deliveries between 80,000 and 83,000 units alongside revenue ranging from $3.5 billion to $3.6 billion — representing growth if realized, though representing a deceleration from Q4’s record performance.

Shares maintain approximately 12% gains over the trailing month, yet remain more than 80% below their historical peak. A single profitable quarter hasn’t eliminated years of accumulated losses, and a single shelf registration filing proved adequate to remind market participants of that reality.

NIO traded near $5.50 during Thursday’s session, hovering just above the critical $5.50 threshold that market participants are closely monitoring.

The post NIO (NIO) Stock Plunges 6.5% as Shelf Registration Sparks Dilution Worries appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Kalshi secured more than $1 billion in fresh capital from a financing round spearheaded by Coatue Management, bringing its valuation to $22 billion—a doubling from its previous round just months ago.
• The platform’s annualized revenue has reached $1.5 billion, while February alone saw trading activity surpass $10 billion.
• Arizona authorities have filed criminal charges against Kalshi, alleging the operation of an unlicensed gambling enterprise.
• A Nevada appellate court ruling has paved the way for state officials to prohibit Kalshi’s activities within their jurisdiction.
• The company previously identified and sanctioned users for insider trading violations, including an individual associated with content creator MrBeast.

The prediction market operator Kalshi has successfully closed a funding round exceeding $1 billion, elevating the company’s valuation to $22 billion. Investment firm Coatue Management spearheaded the round, as reported by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal.

This latest valuation represents a remarkable doubling from December 2025, when the platform secured $1 billion at an $11 billion price tag. That previous financing was anchored by Paradigm and attracted participation from notable investors including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, ARK Invest, and CapitalG, the investment arm of Alphabet.

Kalshi was established in 2018 by co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara. The platform functions as a federally regulated financial exchange under the supervision of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, holding the distinction of being America’s first regulated prediction market exchange.

The service enables participants to trade contracts based on real-world events—spanning political elections, commodity prices like oil, and even speculative scenarios such as the official confirmation of extraterrestrial life. Its user ecosystem encompasses retail traders, institutional market-makers, and corporations utilizing the platform for hedging specific event risks.

February marked a significant milestone as platform trading volume exceeded $10 billion. This figure represents approximately twelve times the volume registered half a year prior, based on data from KalshiData. Currently, the company reports annualized revenue of $1.5 billion.

According to an individual with knowledge of the matter cited by the Wall Street Journal, investor enthusiasm for this funding round has been partially fueled by expansion in Kalshi’s institutional business segment.

Polymarket, Kalshi’s primary competitor, has experienced comparable growth trajectories but primarily serves markets outside U.S. borders. Recent valuations for both platforms have clustered around the $20 billion mark.

Mounting Legal Challenges From State Authorities

Notwithstanding its impressive expansion, Kalshi confronts significant legal obstacles. This week, Arizona prosecutors filed 20 criminal counts against the platform, charging it with operating an illegal gambling operation without proper licensing and facilitating election betting within state boundaries. Kalshi has characterized these state-level allegations as “seriously flawed.”

On Thursday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Kalshi’s motion to prevent an anticipated temporary restraining order in Nevada. This judicial decision enables Nevada authorities to move forward with banning the platform’s operations throughout the state.

Kalshi has initiated litigation against several states attempting to implement similar prohibitions. The company maintains that it operates under federal CFTC jurisdiction and therefore lies outside the scope of state gambling regulations. Currently, more than a dozen state-level enforcement actions are proceeding nationwide.

Insider Trading Investigations Draw Additional Attention

Last month, Kalshi publicly disclosed that it had identified and sanctioned two users for insider trading violations. One individual among those penalized was an editor with connections to MrBeast, the widely followed social media influencer.

The company further revealed it maintains more than a dozen active insider trading investigations from a total of approximately 200 cases it has examined.

When approached by media organizations regarding the new financing round, Kalshi representatives declined to provide comment.

The post Kalshi Secures $1B Funding Round, Doubling Valuation to $22B Amid Legal Battles appeared first on Blockonomi.

Evernorth, an XRP treasury firm, has submitted an S-4 registration form to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to secure approval for a public merger with special purpose acquisition company Armada Acquisition Corp. II.

Amid this development, DeepSnitch AI, an emerging cryptocurrency project, is making rounds for deploying AI agents that can track money flows across chains. With these tools, traders and analysts can determine what institutions are buying at any given time.

Since its presale began, DeepSnitch AI has raised over $2.25 million and is currently in stage seven, with its token, DSNT, trading at $0.04577. While recent XRP price predictions hint at a rally to $4, 100x projections around DeepSnitch AI turn this target into a race between both projects.

Evernorth submits S-4 filing to close a $1 billion SPAC deal

The S-4 filing Evernorth submitted to the SEC on March 18 stipulated that the merged entities will operate as Evernorth Holdings Inc subsequent to the merger. It will appear on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPN for its Class A common stock and XRPNW for warrants.

According to the filing details, Evernorth Holdings Inc will receive roughly 473 million XRP, derived from Ripple’s contribution and proceeds from open-market transactions.

Initial reports noted that the yield from the merger transaction will exceed $1 billion, consisting of investments from Pantera Capital, SBI, GSR, Ripple, and Kraken. The XRP price prediction has since turned bullish following this move.

Latest Ripple price prediction for 2026 as presale crypto takes centre stage

1. DeepSnitch AI stuns non-believers with 203% uptick ahead of March exchange debut

Most investors learn about a token only after it’s printed 10x, 100x, or 1000x in gains. DeepSnitch AI is a new crypto-AI project focused on helping investors spot projects like this in their early stages, before they become public knowledge.

The platform is basically an intelligence hub of on-chain data. Therefore, you can track on-chain events and stay ahead of the curve information-wise. In terms of making better trading decisions, this will be a game-changer.

At the core of DeepSnitch AI are five AI agents that bring its functionalities to life. Not only do they gather actionable intelligence across chains, but they also perform security audits to ensure that you do not fall victim to scams.

As of now, DeepSnitch AI is gearing up for its exchange listing on March 31st after raising $2.25 million, during which it will make its official entry on Uniswap. Some believe it could beat XRP to $4, representing a 100x increase from its current price of $0.04577.

2. XRP price prediction: Can XRP touch $4 after pundits highlight a crucial breakout level?

Mounting selling pressure across the crypto market sparked a surge in volatility in XRP on March 18, sending the asset into a sideways trade.

In the last seven days, however, XRP registered a notable price surge, rising 5.8% to $1.45, outshining most large-cap cryptocurrencies over the same period.

Market analyst Ali Martinez called attention to the price of XRP arriving at a critical breakout zone that has been forming for years on the higher timeframe.

According to him, breaking out of this level could usher XRP to $4. This XRP forecast for 2026 mirrors DeepSnitch AI’s post-launch target.

3. Solana price prediction: SOL sets for recovery from $90 support

Following the unexpected US PPI data release, the broader crypto market entered a downward trend, including Solana, which fell 4% over the past seven days to the $90 support level.

Based on the report published by the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, PPI jumped 0.6% in February, while core PPI rose 0.3%, both figures surpassing economists’ forecasts and signalling persistent inflationary pressures.

Notwithstanding, the chart shows SOL on an ascending trendline that has provided support to the price. If this support holds, the price could head towards $100 in the days ahead.

Conclusion

The race between XRP and DeepSnitch AI is driven by investor sentiment and the adoption of narratives. AI-driven innovations are taking over the crypto space, and DeepSnitch AI offers game-changing solutions built on this technology.

While the current XRP market outlook and Ripple price prediction for 2026 are bullish, DeepSnitch AI has taken centre stage. It has secured over $2.25 million in investments from investors and is set to soar 100x post-launch.

Before its launch on March 31, investors can get a 300% bonus on purchases of $30,000 or more. After launch, this investment can reach $1 million as DSNT’s price grows. However, how high DeepSnitch AI will trade post-launch remains to be seen.

Visit the official website for more information, and join X and Telegram for community updates.

FAQs

1. What is the XRP price prediction for 2026?

Crypto analyst Ali Martinez forecasts XRP’s potential ascent to $4. More optimistic projections suggest XRP could trade at $6 by the end of the year. DeepSnitch AI could also reach this level if it achieves the 100x growth it’s predicted to achieve.

2. Can XRP reach $10?

Even though this price point is reachable, it is quite ambitious for the current XRP market outlook. Experts opine that this would be a realistic target for 2029-2030. DeepSnitch AI, on the other hand, riding on fresh project momentum, could hit this target within the year.

3. What is the long-term Ripple price prediction for 2030?

While long-term projections vary, experts have shared several targets for XRP in 2030. Estimates put XRP between $10 and $15, with more bullish targets set between $20 and $25, provided XRP dominates the payment market. DeepSnitch AI’s 2030 projection suggests asset trading above $500, making now the best time to buy.

The post XRP Price Prediction: DeepSnitch AI Races XRP Towards $4 As Its March Launch Date Draws Near, while Solana Signals Comeback appeared first on Blockonomi.

The SEC just clarified that it considers most crypto assets not securities under federal law, and the ruling changes the regulatory deck for every digital asset from Solana to the smallest presale. Japan rolled out retail USDC yield through SBI, and Circle is pushing the UK to shape global stablecoin rules. Three major economies are simultaneously building regulated stablecoin infrastructure.

While the solana price prediction hinges on macro cooperation, Pepeto’s working exchange ecosystem is already measurable, and the presale at $0.000000186 gives you the chance to see exactly what you are buying at pre listing pricing before the Binance listing changes everything.

The SEC issued its most definitive statement on crypto classification, with Chair Paul Atkins calling it clear lines in clear terms according to CoinDesk. Japan’s SBI VC Trade launched a retail USDC lending service for consumer yield on regulated stablecoins.

SOL trades at $88 after hotter than expected PPI data reinforced fears of delayed rate cuts according to CoinMarketCap. The solana price prediction depends heavily on the Fed’s tone, which remains uncertain.

Solana Price Prediction and the Presale Where the Tools Are Already Working and the 100x Math Is Conservative

Pepeto’s Exchange Went Live During Presale and the Entry at $0.000000186 Is the Chance to Position Before the Listing Changes the Price

Pepeto’s exchange tools went live during presale, and the daily workflow they enable is simple compared to the hours of manual research traders do right now. PepetoSwap handles every trade at zero cost. The bridge moves capital across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana without fees. The risk scorer gives you a breakdown of any contract’s danger signals before your wallet approves.

Five minutes of due diligence done with tools that are sharper than anything else out there, and all of that would normally take hours and be less reliable. The ecosystem is built to change the way retail traders protect their capital, and the reason this token has 100x to 150x potential is not just the utility. It is the timing.

Created by the mind who took the original Pepe to $7 billion, Pepeto is approaching the Binance listing at exactly the moment when the market is crying out for trust and transparency. Nothing like this set of tools has existed before at presale pricing, and the need is real across every trading demographic. When something this useful becomes a daily habit for traders worldwide, and each new user adds buying pressure on PEPETO, the token does not need manufactured hype because the product is the catalyst.

The presale is in its final stretch now, with the listing approaching fast. Since the tools are already live, you can see exactly what you are buying and still pay presale pricing. Anyone who recognizes what a 100x entry looks like before launch will spot that potential in Pepeto, but buying in now is crucial to personally benefit from the explosive move that follows the listing.

Solana Price Prediction for 2026 at $88

SOL trades at $88 after PPI data reinforced delayed rate cut fears according to CoinMarketCap. Derivatives funding rates went negative and the price was rejected near $97. The $88 level is critical, and holding it keeps a rebound toward $94 within view.

Still, the solana price prediction for 2026 depends on the Fed’s tone. From $88, even a move to $137 is roughly 55%, and that takes the rest of the year.

Chainlink Trades Sideways at $9

LINK trades at $9 after a 6.5% weekly drop according to CoinGecko. Despite positive regulatory news classifying LINK as a digital commodity, the macro selloff overpowered it. If LINK defends $9.00, a sideways range between $9.00 and $9.50 is most likely.

Chainlink’s oracle infrastructure underpins DeFi, but like the solana price prediction, the near term path needs macro relief that has not arrived.

The Solana Price Prediction Needs Macro Cooperation but Pepeto Needs Only the Listing

The solana price prediction’s technical setup stays positive if SOL holds $88, and Chainlink’s oracle role keeps it structurally important. But both are waiting on external triggers: Fed rhetoric, market structure legislation, and institutional rotation. Pepeto is not constrained by any of those factors.

It has a working exchange, staking that compounds at 196% daily, and holders who already see exactly what the tools do. At $0.000000186, the token is still at presale pricing, but that changes the moment the Binance listing arrives. The Pepeto official website is where the traders who understand the difference between waiting on macro and entering a presale with live products are positioning right now.

Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

What is the solana price prediction after the recent dip?

SOL trades at $88 with a rebound toward $94 to $97 possible if support holds. The solana price prediction depends on the Fed’s tone and macro conditions improving.

How does Chainlink fit into the solana price prediction outlook?

LINK’s oracle infrastructure is foundational to DeFi but like the solana price prediction, its near term path depends on macro relief that has not arrived yet.

Why is Pepeto a stronger entry than SOL right now?

Pepeto at $0.000000186 with three live tools and a Binance listing does not depend on external catalysts. Visit the Pepeto official website before the listing closes the presale.

The post Solana Price Prediction for 2026 as SEC Clarifies Crypto Assets and Pepeto’s Working Exchange Sets Up for 100x Before the Binance Listing appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Citi reaffirms Buy recommendations for Circle Internet Financial and Bullish Group among crypto equities
• Circle’s price objective stands at $243, supported by USDC stablecoin expansion potential
• Bullish’s target adjusted downward to $65 from $67 following revised Bitcoin price assumptions
• Bullish disclosed a 70% month-over-month jump in spot trading activity from January to February
• Ongoing regulatory debates surrounding the CLARITY Act haven’t altered Citi’s investment thesis

Citi’s research division has identified Circle Internet Financial and Bullish Group as the firm’s preferred crypto equity investments heading into the rest of the year, maintaining confidence despite ongoing congressional deliberations over digital asset frameworks.

These selections persist through Bitcoin’s price fluctuations and delayed progress on the CLARITY Act, legislation addressing stablecoin governance and comprehensive cryptocurrency regulation.

Circle commands the leading position in Citi’s analysis. The financial institution assigns a Buy rating with a $243 price objective, representing approximately 97% upside from current market levels.

Circle Internet Group, CRCL

Circle’s primary product is the USDC stablecoin. Citi identifies expanding revenue streams connected to USDC, particularly as artificial intelligence systems increasingly manage payment processing and financial operations.

Analysts at the bank position Circle as a likely fundamental infrastructure layer for AI-powered financial transactions. The company’s Arc Blockchain platform is presently operating in testnet phase, with mainnet deployment potentially arriving in the latter half of 2026.

Citi’s $243 valuation model incorporates approximately $200 billion in payment and transfer volume accumulation across the coming five-year period. Additional Wall Street firms share optimism about Circle’s trajectory, with Clear Street elevating its rating to Buy and Bernstein maintaining an Outperform stance.

Bullish Strengthens Position Among Institutional Traders

Citi’s runner-up selection is Bullish Group, a digital asset exchange platform targeting institutional market participants rather than individual retail investors.

Bullish, BLSH

Bullish equity has appreciated roughly 55% following the firm’s most recent quarterly earnings disclosure, propelled by robust trading metrics throughout the first two months of this year.

Citi implemented a modest reduction to its Bullish price objective, moving from $67 down to $65. This modification stems from recalibrated Bitcoin valuation models rather than fundamental concerns about the company’s operational performance.

Bullish secured its New York BitLicense authorization in September 2025, enabling expanded engagement with American institutional market participants. The platform additionally introduced options trading capabilities in the closing months of 2025.

Spot trading volume at Bullish during February climbed 70% relative to January figures, a development Citi interprets as evidence of sustainable momentum.

Despite favorable trading metrics, Bullish stock has declined approximately 2% year-to-date, currently exchanging hands near $38.54.

Policy Framework Remains Unresolved

The CLARITY Act, proposed legislation establishing stablecoin regulatory parameters, continues moving through the legislative process. Committee markup sessions could materialize by late March, with floor voting potentially scheduled between April and May.

Citi’s research team anticipates negotiated adjustments to the bill’s more controversial provisions, including stipulations regarding stablecoin yield programs. The prevailing uncertainty hasn’t prompted the bank to revise its investment recommendations on either equity.

Rosenblatt and JPMorgan both reduced their Bullish price targets, though Rosenblatt and Canaccord Genuity preserved Buy ratings.

Bullish’s February spot trading volume represented a 70% increase versus January, constituting the most current publicly available operational data from the company.

The post Citi Analysts Highlight Circle and Bullish as Premier Crypto Investments for 2026 appeared first on Blockonomi.

Many leading cryptocurrencies have posted slight declines or negligible increases over the past 24 hours, but this isn’t the case for Bittensor (TAO), whose price soared by 15%.

The question now is whether this momentum can hold or if a pullback is coming next.

Further Gains Ahead?

Earlier today (March 20), TAO’s price soared to $306 (per CoinGecko data), the highest since the start of December 2025. Its market capitalization pumped to roughly $2.7 billion, making it the 35th-biggest cryptocurrency.

The most evident catalyst of the resurgence appears to be the discussion between NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang and the well-known entrepreneur Chamath Palihapitiya. Both men endorsed the project, with Huang praising Bittensor for successfully training a 4-billion-parameter Llama model using a fully distributed computing model.

According to multiple market observers, the price has yet to reach new peaks. X user John claimed that TAO “looks like it’s about to go on a massive run,” while Ardi envisioned a pump to $360-$370 if TAO initiates a decisive breakout above the $302 resistance level.

Andrew Crypto and Altcoin Sherpa also chipped in. The former forecasted heightened volatility in the coming months and an eventual rise beyond $500 after the summer. For their part, Altcoin Sherpa doesn’t see the current conditions as a perfect buying opportunity, although the comments from NVIDIA’s boss might change the picture.

“This is not a great place to be buying, but with NVIDIA having their conference and AI being in the news, maybe you can consider top blasting and not caring. Strong bounce; sad I didn’t take it earlier like I charted,” the analyst stated.

Those curious to observe other recent price predictions involving Bittensor’s native cryptocurrency can take a look at our dedicated article here.

Beware of These Signals

Contrary to the aforementioned optimism, TAO’s exchange netflow suggests the price may soon head south. Over the past several days, inflows have outweighed outflows, meaning that investors have been flocking toward centralized platforms and abandoning self-custody. This doesn’t guarantee a price crash but is typically considered as pre-sale behavior.

The asset’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) also signals trouble ahead for the bulls. The indicator has soared past 70 on a daily scale, thus entering overbought conditions, which could be a precursor of a pullback. The RSI ranges from 0 to 100, with anything below 30 considered a buying opportunity.

The post Bittensor (TAO) Hits a 3-Month Peak: What Caused the Rally and What Comes Next? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Morgan Stanley has filed a second amended S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch its spot Bitcoin ETF.

The update adds operational details and signals progress in the bank’s application, even though approval is still uncertain.

Morgan Stanley Adds Structure to Bitcoin ETF Filing

In its filing, the bank outlined plans for an initial seed basket of 50,000 shares, which is expected to raise about $1 million. Earlier in the month, the bank revealed that it had undertaken another routine step in ETF preparation, buying a couple of the fund’s shares for auditing purposes.

In its previous amendment, the investment giant disclosed that it had roped in BNY Mellon and Coinbase as key service providers, with the former acting as its cash custodian, administrator, and transfer agent, while the latter will serve as prime broker and custodian for the fund’s BTC holdings. Additionally, the filing also confirmed that if approved, the proposed BTC ETF will trade on the  NYSE Arca, with MSBT as its ticker.

The financial institution submitted its BTC ETF application back in January, alongside filings for products linked to Solana (SOL). At the time, it stated that it had decided to embrace crypto assets due to improved regulatory clarity under the Trump administration. And while it is yet to disclose its management fees, the spot Bitcoin ETF could go live in the next few weeks, thanks to the SEC’s generic listing standard.

Were that to happen, it would place Morgan Stanley among a growing list of issuers competing in the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF market, where products launched in January 2024 have attracted over $56 billion in cumulative flows, according to data from SoSoValue.

Institutional Crypto Push Gathers Pace

Morgan Stanley’s foray into crypto isn’t exactly new. It previously allowed certain brokerage clients access to digital asset trading, and recent ETF launches from fellow Wall Street giant BlackRock could show them what to expect.

BlackRock has been in the crypto ETF space for a while now, but it recently launched a staked Ethereum ETF that recorded a trading volume of more than $15 million on its first day. While the figure seemed modest, especially compared to the firm’s more established funds, it showed that there is still interest in new crypto investment structures.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin itself was trading around the $70,000 level at the time of writing, up less than 1% in the last 24 hours and showing a dip of over 2% in the past seven days. In the last month, the OG cryptocurrency added at least 4% to its value, although it is still nearly 44% below its all-time high price recorded in October 2025, when it went past $126,000.

The post Morgan Stanley Files Second Amendment for Direct Spot Bitcoin ETF Product appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The cryptocurrency market has remained shaky over the past 24 hours, and sentiment remains in “Extreme Fear” according to the popular Crypto Fear and Greed Index. The total market capitalization is dwindling, currently at about $2.47 trillion as of this writing.

Bitcoin’s Price Struggles Through the Week

Before we proceed with the altcoins, let’s have an overview of what happened to Bitcoin this week. Tensions in the Middle East are far from over, while in the US, the Federal Reserve held its second FOMC meeting of the year.

Just a week ago, BTC’s price surged toward $74,000 for the second time in ten days, but was then faced with rejection and slipped back toward $70K during the weekend. The decline was exacerbated by one of the most severe US bombing operations on Iranian infrastructure, as described by the POTUS himself.

Despite all of this pressure, BTC held the $70K level and managed to reverse course early in the week. The momentum picked up on Monday and especially Tuesday, when the price soared to about $76K – a level we hadn’t seen in nearly six weeks.

However, the rally lost its steam soon after. By Wednesday, the leading cryptocurrency had pulled back to $74K, and then dropped sharply ahead of the FOMC decision, which, by the way, was in line with expectations. Comments from the Fed Chair, expressing concern about inflation and the broader economy, triggered another wave of selling, ultimately pushing BTC below $70K.

Altcoins Tumble, But Some Are Catching the Attention

Many altcoins have lost their footing in the past 24 hours, and many of them are also charting insignificant increases in the range between 0% and 1%. That’s especially true for the large-caps such as Binance Coin (+0.02%), XRP (-0.47%), ETH (-0.07%), Solana (+0.7%), and so forth.

As mentioned above, the broader market sentiment has once again shifted to extreme fear, and the uncertainty in major markets is evident.

That said, there are always exceptions to the rule. Siren (SIREN) – a coin that recently entered the top 100 is performing really well today. It has managed to soar by 10% in the past day and by 60% in the past week. Bittensor’s TAO is the clear winner from the top 100, gaining more than 14% during the last 24 hours, riding on the back of the AI hype.

One coin that is flying under the radar but boasts strong fundamentals and visible traction, though, is the newly-launched GCOIN by PlayNance. The altcoin sits on a fully diluted valuation of about $80 million, meaning that it doesn’t take that much for it to gain traction.

On the other hand, nearly 10% of the currently circulating supply is locked and essentially out of the market for the foreseeable future, removing considerable immediate selling pressure.

GCOIN is the native cryptocurrency of the PlayNance ecosystem and is powering its entire infrastructure. The protocol is oriented toward some of the hottest current narratives in the face of gaming and entertainment and already boasts thousands of applications and millions of daily transactions, all powered by GCOIN. Following a successful token generation event (TGE) from a few days ago, GCOIN is available for trading on the popular MEXC exchange.

Those who want to get in on the action early can find more information about GCOIN here.

Disclaimer: The above article is sponsored content. CryptoPotato doesn’t endorse or assume responsibility for the content, advertising, products, quality, accuracy, or other materials on this page. Nothing in it should be construed as financial advice. Readers are strongly advised to verify the information independently and carefully before engaging with any company or project mentioned and to do their own research. Investing in cryptocurrencies carries a risk of capital loss, and readers are also advised to consult a professional before making any decisions that may or may not be based on the above-sponsored content.

The post These Trending Altcoins Are Turning Heads: Bittensor (TAO), SIREN, and GCOIN by PlayNance appeared first on CryptoPotato.

This Friday, we examine Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid in greater detail.

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum tested the $2,400 resistance this week, but it was quickly rejected as the overall market entered a significant pullback. Nevertheless, the price is up by 2% compared to last week.

Hopefully, buyers will manage to hold the price above the support at $2,000. Any failure there will likely see this cryptocurrency fall to $1,800, where buyers returned in February.

Looking ahead, ETH made a higher high, and if it also manages to make a higher low, then the chance of an eventual breakout above $2,400 is likely later this month or in early April. This is contingent on the overall market staying flat or turning bullish again.

Ripple (XRP)

XRP is up 4% this week, and its price also attempted to break the resistance at $1.6, but it was rejected just like it happened to ETH. Bulls will need more time to seriously challenge that level,

and a consolidation under the key resistance is likely.

The current support on the chart is found at $1.4 and $1. Ideally, XRP will hold above $1.4 since a deeper correction will put in doubt the conviction from buyers.

Looking ahead, this cryptocurrency has a real chance to break away from its prolonged downtrend that started in July 2025. That starts as soon as $1.6 turns into a key support. That will also allow XPR to challenge $2 afterwards.

Cardano (ADA)

ADA is at a similar price to last week, being unable to move higher. The resistance at $0.28 stopped buyers from attempting a rally, and sellers have been more dominant in the second part of this past week.

The current price action shows that the support at $0.25 could be tested before the bulls attempt a new rally towards the key resistance. Hopefully, buyers will manage to regain control soon so they can maintain pressure and not lose their momentum completely.

Looking ahead, ADA has to break above $0.28 to turn bullish again, with key targets at 33 and 40 cents.

Binance Coin (BNB)

Binance Coin is down 3% this week after the price was rejected at the $690 resistance. With sellers back, buyers are now struggling to keep the price above $650. If they fail, a retest of the $580 support level becomes likely.

Nevertheless, the price did make a higher high, and another push could break the resistance. If so, the way will open for this cryptocurrency to rally towards $900. That would bring back excitement to this coin.

Looking ahead, BNB may need a bit more time for this price action to show its true intentions. For now, it could consolidate under $690 until momentum and volume pick up again.

Hype (HYPE)

HYPE managed to double its price from the lows in mid-January. That is an impressive performance considering the overall market was rather mixed. The price went from $20 to $43 which shows that buyers have a firm control over the price.

This is also why this cryptocurrency closed the week with a 4% profit and is one of the best performers in the market right now. Nevertheless, the resistance at $42 has put a stop to this rally, at least for now.

Looking ahead, HYPE is getting closer to its all-time high of $59. A retest of that level could be interpreted as a bullish signal, but for that to happen, the price has to move above $42 and $50 first.

The post Crypto Price Analysis Mar-20: ETH, XRP, ADA, BNB, and HYPE appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin opened 2026 with a brief window of relative calm — and then the market remembered what it does best. Geopolitical tensions, a derivatives market running on elevated leverage, and a macro environment still digesting shifting interest rate expectations have combined to push Bitcoin’s 30-day volatility metrics to their highest levels since March 2025. Price swings exceeding $10,000 in a single session have become routine again, with a rapid rebound tied directly to the Iran conflict reminding the market how quickly sentiment can flip when external pressure enters the picture.

The structure driving this volatility isn’t coming primarily from spot demand. High open interest in perpetual futures has created conditions where liquidation cascades can trigger sharp two-way moves independently of any fundamental development — traders reacting to other traders, leverage amplifying every directional bet in both directions simultaneously. ETF outflows and risk-off sentiment from institutional players have added fragility to an environment already prone to sharp corrections, with Binance flagging macro uncertainty as a compounding factor in the current setup.

For investors who built Bitcoin positions during the quieter period and are now watching that capital swing by five figures in a session, the question of how to hold Bitcoin exposure without being entirely at the mercy of that volatility has become increasingly pressing. A growing number of them are finding an answer in Bitcoin Everlight’s shard model.

Infrastructure Participation as a Volatility Hedge

Bitcoin Everlight is a decentralized validation network where participants contribute to securing blockchain infrastructure and earn Bitcoin rewards in return. The platform runs on a Transaction Validation Node framework handling validation, routing, and reward distribution, with Everlight Shards as the participation layer sitting on top of that infrastructure. Each shard represents an activation tier within the node network — once active, it draws from the BTC-denominated fee pool generated by transaction routing activity, distributing rewards to shard holders regardless of what the Bitcoin price is doing on any given day.

That distinction matters in a volatile market. A shard position generates BTC from network fee activity — the reward comes from transaction volume flowing through the infrastructure, not from the spot price of Bitcoin sitting above or below a particular level. For investors looking to maintain Bitcoin exposure while reducing their dependence on price action, that separation between earning mechanism and market price is the core of the value proposition.

Before the presale opened, the project completed dual smart contract audits through Spywolf and Solidproof, alongside dual KYC verifications through Spywolf and Vital Block — independent verification of both the smart contract and the team’s identity, in place from day one.

How Shard Activation Works

Entry into the network begins with acquiring BTCL tokens during the current presale phase, with a minimum purchase of $50. Once a participant’s cumulative USD commitment crosses a tier threshold, the shard activates automatically based on the value at the time of purchase. From that moment, rewards begin distributing in BTCL at a fixed APY tied to the active tier, continuing throughout the presale period. Tokens remain locked during presale and commitments are final — a structure that keeps participants economically aligned with the network’s long-term performance.

When mainnet launches, the fixed presale incentives transition to performance-based BTC distribution drawn from real transaction routing fee activity. The reward pool scales with network usage — higher transaction volume through the infrastructure generates more fees, which increases distribution potential for active shard holders. There is no fixed post-mainnet APY because the returns reflect what the network generates from real economic activity.

Azure, Violet, Radiant — The Three Activation Point

The Azure Shard activates at a $500 commitment and earns up to 12% APY in BTCL during the presale period, transitioning to BTC rewards at mainnet launch. The Violet Shard activates at $1,500 with up to 20% APY during presale, and the Radiant Shard activates at $3,000 with up to 28% APY — both carrying the same BTC reward transition when the network goes live.

Participants holding tokens below any threshold maintain a dormant shard position that upgrades automatically once their balance reaches the next tier. After mainnet, tiers are sustained through ongoing USD-equivalent BTCL balance — if holdings grow past a threshold the shard upgrades, and if a balance falls below one it adjusts to the appropriate level.

What Volatile Markets Reveal About Passive Income Models

Sharp volatility tends to expose the weaknesses in passive income strategies that looked solid during quieter periods. Yield products denominated in the same asset being held collapse in real-world value when the underlying drops 15% in a session. Leveraged positions designed to generate income get liquidated in exactly the conditions where income is most needed. The investors rotating out of those structures in early 2026 are looking for positions where the earning mechanism has some independence from daily price movement.

Bitcoin Everlight’s post-mainnet reward structure distributes BTC from transaction routing fees — the value of what a shard holder earns is tied to network activity, not to whether Bitcoin closed above or below a key level on a given day. In a market where geopolitical events and derivatives positioning can move the spot price by $10,000 without any change in underlying fundamentals, that separation between earning mechanism and price action is exactly what a growing number of investors are looking for.

Phase 1 Is Open Now

Bitcoin Everlight is currently in Phase 1 of its presale — a phase that runs for 6 days, with 472,500,000 tokens available at $0.0008 per token. Shards activated during this phase begin earning BTCL rewards immediately and carry that position directly into the mainnet BTC reward phase at the lowest available pricing.

As Bitcoin volatility climbs back toward its 2025 peaks, the case for holding an infrastructure position that generates Bitcoin from network activity — independent of where the spot price moves next — is getting easier to make.

The full details on how Everlight Shards work and what the BTC reward distribution looks like after mainnet launch can be found here.

Disclaimer: The above article is sponsored content; it’s written by a third party. CryptoPotato doesn’t endorse or assume responsibility for the content, advertising, products, quality, accuracy, or other materials on this page. Nothing in it should be construed as financial advice. Readers are strongly advised to verify the information independently and carefully before engaging with any company or project mentioned and to do their own research. Investing in cryptocurrencies carries a risk of capital loss, and readers are also advised to consult a professional before making any decisions that may or may not be based on the above-sponsored content.

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