The incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures in crypto platforms to protect user data and financial assets.

The post Bitrefill reports Lazarus-style exploit drained funds and exposed some user data appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Aster launches a privacy focused Layer 1 for perpetual trading as ASTER rises 8% and DeFi derivatives volume hits $14T.

The post Aster launches privacy-focused Layer 1 for perpetual trading as ASTER token jumps 8% appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Tally shuts down after six years as demand for DAO governance tools declines following regulatory changes and market consolidation.

The post Tally shuts down operations amid reduced demand for DAO tools appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

World launches AgentKit beta, linking World ID with x402 to help AI agents prove a real human stands behind them while preserving privacy.

The post Sam Altman’s World and Coinbase roll out toolkit to distinguish human-backed AI agents from bots appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin's rally faces challenges as geopolitical tensions and central bank decisions shift investor focus to commodities, impacting crypto momentum.

The post Bitcoin’s rally ran into a wall — and oil might be stealing its thunder appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Dances Near $75,000 as Market Questions ‘Decoupling’ Narrative

Bitcoin price traded near $75,000 on Tuesday, after extending an eight-day streak that has pushed the asset close to a key psychological level.

The move marks a sharp recovery from February lows near $60,000 and has renewed debate over whether the market has found a bottom.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency broke above $75,000 yesterday during U.S. trading hours after weeks of tight consolidation. The rebound has lifted prices close to early February levels and placed focus on whether bitcoin price can hold its ground.

Analysts at Bitfinex said the recent strength reflects relative outperformance but warned against calling it a structural shift.

“The recent strength above $75,000 does show relative outperformance, but calling it a true ‘decoupling’ is premature,” analysts wrote to Bitcoin Magazine. They pointed to stabilizing ETF flows, fresh demand from new structured products, reduced leverage, and tighter on-chain supply as key drivers.

Bitcoin has outperformed traditional risk assets in recent sessions. Still, analysts noted that it remains tied to broader liquidity conditions. A sustained break from macro correlation would require bitcoin price to continue rising despite tighter financial conditions such as higher yields and a stronger dollar.

For now, the $75,000 to $78,000 range is seen as a critical test. Holding that zone could signal strong spot demand and supply absorption. Failure to do so may suggest the rally is part of a broader positioning reset.

Bitcoin price speculation

Data from Nansen supports the view that the current move is driven by more than speculation. Exchange outflows have remained steady in recent weeks, indicating that investors are moving bitcoin into long-term storage rather than selling into strength.

ETF inflows have also stayed consistent, with roughly $763 million in weekly demand. Corporate buying has added to the trend. Strategy disclosed a $1.57 billion bitcoin purchase, one of the largest this year.

Nansen analyst Nicolai Søndergaard wrote to Bitcoin Magazine that this reflects balance sheet accumulation rather than short-term trading.

“These are balance sheet decisions rather than speculative buys,” he said, adding that derivatives activity has amplified the move. Rising futures open interest and short liquidations contributed to the break above $75,000.

Macro conditions remain a key variable. Geopolitical tensions tied to the Iran–Israel War and shifting expectations around interest rates continue to shape sentiment. Easing concerns around the Strait of Hormuz helped support risk appetite over the weekend.

Markets are now focused on the Federal Reserve’s March 18 decision. A neutral stance could support further upside, while a hawkish signal may trigger profit-taking.

Bitcoin price has staged similar recoveries in past cycles without confirming a lasting bottom. Traders are watching whether the asset can maintain support above $75,000. A sustained hold could open a path toward $80,000.

This post Bitcoin Price Dances Near $75,000 as Market Questions ‘Decoupling’ Narrative first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitrefill Discloses Cyberattack, Points to North Korea’s Lazarus Group

Crypto e-commerce platform Bitrefill said it was the target of a cyberattack earlier this month that resulted in stolen funds and limited exposure of customer data, with indicators pointing to the North Korean-linked Lazarus Group as a likely perpetrator.

The breach, which began on March 1, originated from a compromised employee laptop, according to the company’s incident report. 

Attackers were able to extract legacy credentials tied to production systems, allowing them to escalate access across Bitrefill’s infrastructure, including segments of its internal database and certain cryptocurrency hot wallets.

Bitrefill said the attackers drained an undisclosed amount of funds from its hot wallets while also exploiting its gift card inventory systems to place suspicious purchases with vendors. The company did not specify the total financial impact but stated it will absorb the losses using operational capital.

The intrusion was first detected through irregular purchasing patterns and anomalies in supplier activity. 

In response, Bitrefill temporarily took its systems offline to contain the breach across its global operations. The company said services, including payments and account access, have since returned to normal levels.

As part of the attack, approximately 18,500 purchase records were accessed. The exposed data includes email addresses, cryptocurrency payment addresses and metadata such as IP addresses. 

Around 1,000 of those records involved encrypted customer names, which are being treated as potentially exposed due to the possibility that attackers accessed encryption keys. Bitrefill said it has notified affected users directly.

Despite the breach, the company emphasized that it stores minimal personal data and does not require mandatory know-your-customer verification for most transactions. Any KYC-related information is handled by external providers and is not stored within Bitrefill’s systems. The firm added there is no evidence that its full database was exfiltrated or that customer data was the primary target.

“Based on our investigation and logs, we don’t have reason to think that customer data was the objective,” the company said, noting that the attackers appeared to conduct limited queries consistent with probing for valuable assets such as cryptocurrency holdings and gift card inventory.

North Korea’s Lazarus Group was involved

Bitrefill cited several indicators linking the attack to the Lazarus Group, including similarities in malware, reused infrastructure such as IP addresses and email accounts, and on-chain transaction patterns. 

The group, often associated with North Korea, has been tied to some of the largest crypto thefts in recent years through its specialized subgroup, Bluenoroff.

Cybersecurity firms including zeroShadow, SEAL911 and RecoverisTeam assisted in the response and investigation, alongside on-chain analysts and law enforcement. The company said it is implementing additional security measures, including expanded monitoring systems and internal controls, to prevent similar incidents.

The attack highlights ongoing concerns around state-sponsored cyber threats in the digital asset sector. 

According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, groups linked to North Korea were responsible for more than $2 billion in crypto thefts in 2025, accounting for a significant share of total illicit activity in the space.

Bitrefill said operations have stabilized following the incident and expressed confidence in its recovery, noting that customer activity and sales volumes have returned to typical levels.

This post Bitrefill Discloses Cyberattack, Points to North Korea’s Lazarus Group first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Strategy (MSTR) is About to Have More Bitcoin Than BlackRock’s IBIT

Strategy (MSTR) is closing in on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), with the gap in Bitcoin holdings shrinking to a level that could be erased within the next couple of weeks.

Recent data shows IBIT holding roughly 781,000 BTC, while Strategy holds about 761,000 BTC. The difference, now around 40,000 BTC, has tightened as Strategy accelerates its accumulation pace, according to investor Mark Harvey.

The shift reflects diverging models. IBIT holdings rise and fall based on investor inflows and outflows into its spot ETF, while Strategy raises capital through equity and preferred share issuance to fund direct Bitcoin purchases. 

This allows Strategy to acquire Bitcoin independent of ETF demand cycles.

Strategy has added significant volume in recent weeks, including two multibillion-dollar purchases in March that pushed its total higher. Last week, the company bought 2,337 bitcoin for about $1.57 billion.

The company continues to frame its performance around Bitcoin accumulation and “BTC Gain” as a proxy for net income under its Bitcoin-centric strategy. 

Over the first two weeks of March 2026, Strategy acquired 40,332 BTC and posted a 3.0% yield, reinforcing its aggressive treasury approach, according to Michael Saylor. 

Year to date, the firm has accumulated 88,568 BTC with a 3.4% yield, signaling sustained momentum behind its balance sheet transformation.

Bitcoin and Strategy’s strong March

Bitcoin has posted eight consecutive days of gains, a rare streak seen only 15 times since its creation, with past instances delivering a median 30-day return of about 19%, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.

Bitcoin recently climbed from below $66,000 to $76,000 before easing back near $73,800, even as historical patterns show such rallies can precede sharp pullbacks like the 30% drop four years ago. 

Bitcoin’s latest surge comes after the asset bottomed near $63,000 in February during heightened geopolitical tensions linked to the Iran–Israel War. 

Since then, prices have staged a steady recovery as macroeconomic conditions stabilized and investor confidence returned. 

Bitcoin has outperformed other assets like gold and the S&P 500. 

Markets received a boost over the weekend after signs of easing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. 

For now, traders are watching whether bitcoin price can maintain support above the $72,000 region. 

A sustained hold above that level could open the door to a push toward $80,000, which previously acted as a key support zone before the early-2026 correction. 

Shares of MSTR are pushing $150 a share today.

This post Strategy (MSTR) is About to Have More Bitcoin Than BlackRock’s IBIT first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Vietnam Begins to Restrict Overseas Crypto Trading, Domestic Licensing Race Accelerates

Vietnam is preparing to restrict access to overseas cryptocurrency platforms as regulators push forward with a plan to launch the country’s first licensed digital asset exchanges, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters.

The Ministry of Finance is drafting rules that would prohibit Vietnamese citizens from trading on foreign exchanges such as Binance, OKX, and Bybit. The move aligns with a five-year pilot program designed to bring crypto trading under domestic supervision while limiting capital outflows.

The policy shift comes as Vietnam ranks among the most active cryptocurrency markets globally. Data from Chainalysis shows Vietnamese users transacted more than $200 billion in digital assets in the 12 months through June 2025, placing the country fourth on its global adoption index. Crypto usage in Vietnam spans remittances, savings, and gaming, reflecting integration into daily financial activity.

Under the proposed framework, only locally licensed platforms would be permitted to operate, requiring users to migrate away from international exchanges. 

Authorities say the approach aims to strengthen oversight, reduce fraud risks, and retain transaction-related revenue within the domestic economy.

A Vietnamese crypto licensing arms race begins 

At least five firms have passed an initial qualification round for exchange licenses, including affiliates of Techcombank, VPBank, and LPBank, along with VIX Securities and Sun Group. 

The licensing regime sets a high bar for entry. Applicants must meet a minimum charter capital requirement of 10 trillion Vietnamese dong, or roughly $400 million, and comply with strict standards covering governance, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering controls. Foreign ownership is capped at 49%, signaling a preference for domestic control over key market infrastructure.

The effort builds on a legal shift that began in 2025, when Vietnam’s National Assembly recognized crypto assets as property under the Law on Digital Technology Industry. While cryptocurrencies remain non-legal tender, the change established a foundation for regulated market development.

Officials and industry representatives say restricting offshore trading could redirect liquidity toward domestic platforms, though it may limit access to global markets. 

Authorities are also considering a tax framework that could include a levy on crypto transactions conducted through licensed exchanges. Details remain under review as regulators finalize the structure of the pilot program.

The first licensed exchanges could launch as early as March 2026. The outcome of the pilot is expected to shape Vietnam’s long-term approach to digital asset regulation and position the country within the broader Southeast Asian crypto market.

This post Vietnam Begins to Restrict Overseas Crypto Trading, Domestic Licensing Race Accelerates first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Capital B Raises €3 Million to Expand Bitcoin Treasury Holdings

Capital B, also known as The Blockchain Group, announced a €3 million capital raise on Tuesday alongside amendments to existing convertible bonds, as the company moves to accelerate its Bitcoin treasury strategy.

The Paris-listed firm said the financing includes €2 million raised through share subscription warrants subscribed by TOBAM and €1 million from UTXO Management. The transaction is structured through the issuance of 27.39 million warrants, each priced at €0.11 and exercisable into ordinary shares.

According to the company, proceeds from the raise could support the acquisition of approximately 36 additional bitcoin, potentially bringing total holdings to 2,880 BTC. The move aligns with Capital B’s stated objective of increasing bitcoin exposure on a per-share basis over time.

Alongside the capital raise, the company also announced adjustments to the conversion prices of three tranches of convertible bonds subscribed by TOBAM. 

The conversion price for the A-03 tranche was reduced from €6.24 to €3.12 per share, while A-04 was adjusted from €5.174 to €2.59, and A-05 from €3.656 to €1.83.

The revised terms also introduce additional incentives for bondholders. Upon conversion, each bond will now grant a share subscription warrant with a two-year maturity. In addition, conversion conditions tied to share price thresholds have been removed for the A-03 and A-04 tranches, allowing holders to convert at any time.

Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company

Capital B said the changes are intended to enhance flexibility for investors and support the execution of its treasury strategy. Capital B has positioned itself as Europe’s first “Bitcoin Treasury Company,” a model focused on accumulating bitcoin as a core balance sheet asset while growing bitcoin per fully diluted share.

The exercise price of the newly issued warrants will be set at the higher of €1.01 or a metric tied to the company’s bitcoin holdings, referred to as “mNAV 1.1.” This metric reflects a 10% premium to the per-share value of the company’s bitcoin reserves, calculated on a fully diluted basis.

The transaction was carried out under an existing shareholder authorization granted at the company’s June 2025 general meeting, allowing for capital increases without preferential subscription rights for existing shareholders in favor of specific investors.

Capital B operates across multiple business lines, including data intelligence, artificial intelligence, and decentralized technology consulting, but has started to work on bitcoin accumulation as a central component of its corporate strategy.

The announcement reflects a broader trend of companies adopting bitcoin-focused treasury strategies, using capital markets instruments to increase exposure to bitcoin. 

Yesterday, Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, disclosed the purchase of 22,337 additional bitcoin for approximately $1.57 billion. 

The acquisition increased the company’s total holdings to 761,068 BTC, with a combined market value of roughly $50 billion.

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

This post Capital B Raises €3 Million to Expand Bitcoin Treasury Holdings first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin is heading toward its first real recession-era test as a mature institutional asset after Moody’s recession model rose to 48.6%, a level that, in that historical series, has not previously been reached without a recession following within 12 months.

The historical ‘point of no return' signal arrives as US growth slows, the labor market weakens, oil trades above $100, and Bitcoin has started to post gains over the past week and month.

That combination sets up a clearer test than the brief COVID downturn: whether Bitcoin trades like a risk asset when the economy softens the slow way, or holds up as an alternative asset when confidence in traditional markets starts to fray.

The macro case behind that framing is no longer thin. US real GDP growth slowed to 0.7% annualized in the fourth quarter of 2025 after 4.4% in the third quarter, based on revised figures.

Related Reading

Bitcoin price faces a crucial weekend test as US growth collapses to 0.7% while inflation stays stubborn

The data looked shaky even before the oil shock, and Powell now has to explain what breaks first.

Mar 14, 2026 · Gino Matos

February payrolls fell by 92,000, and unemployment held at 4.4%, according to Labor Department data. Initial jobless claims stood at 213,000 for the week ending March 7, and weekly claims data fit a softer labor backdrop in a slowing economy.

At the same time, the current Sahm Rule reading sits at 0.27, still below the 0.50 recession trigger.

The New York Fed’s yield-curve model is also less alarmed, with a 12-month recession probability of 18.8%.

That split leaves a clear tension in the data. Moody’s does not capture the whole macro picture, yet the signal is strong enough to drive Bitcoin analysis. It now points to a recession risk zone that collides with a market Bitcoin has never seen before, deep ETF ownership, large fund flows, and the highest ever level of institutional participation.

CryptoSlate data currently shows Bitcoin at $73,777, up 0.05% over 24 hours, 4.55% over seven days, and 7.51% over 30 days, with a $1.48 trillion market cap, $55.59 billion in daily volume, and 58.5% market dominance.

Why this setup looks different from COVID

The easiest comparison for crypto markets is March 2020. It is also the least useful one for this analysis. The National Bureau of Economic Research dated the COVID recession from March 2020 to April 2020, making it the shortest US recession on record.

Markets moved through a shutdown shock, then through an unusually fast policy response, and then into a sharp rebound. Bitcoin crashed with everything else in the first leg, while the episode left open the larger question of how it behaves in a slower recession with weaker growth, weaker hiring, and a longer stretch of pressure on risk appetite.

The current setup is broader and less concentrated in a single event. Growth had already slowed before the latest Middle East shock. Payrolls had already turned down.

The outside-world pressure point is oil. Brent crude recently traded at $103.43, while a separate energy analysis shows the Strait of Hormuz handled 20.9 million barrels per day in the first half of 2025, around 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption. The chokepoint feeds directly into fuel, shipping, and consumer prices at a moment when the growth backdrop is already weaker.

The historical comparison that fits better is the Great Recession, with one obvious limitation: Bitcoin did not exist then.

The Great Recession ran from December 2007 to June 2009, with a 4.3% peak-to-trough GDP decline and unemployment rising from 5% to 9.5% by June 2009, according to Federal Reserve history.

There is no direct market record for how Bitcoin would trade from the start of a long, broad recession. It launched in 2009, after the downturn had already taken hold.

The next 12 months could therefore produce the first clean read on whether Bitcoin still trades mainly as a liquidity-sensitive asset or can keep attracting capital during a drawn-out slowdown.

That distinction carries more weight now because the ownership structure has changed. Bitcoin is no longer a niche retail market reacting only to internal crypto events. It now sits inside portfolios that also hold equities, bonds, commodities, and cash.

Fund flow data show the tension clearly. CoinShares reported $619 million of inflows in the week of March 9 and about $1.4 billion of inflows over three weeks since the Iran crisis began. Those figures point to institutional demand after months of outflows, even as recession risk and geopolitical stress rise.

Related Reading

Bitcoin sets sight on $50,000 floor as recession fears retreat despite scary headlines

The real risk is a crypto-only flush that resets buyers while the wider economy grinds on.

Feb 12, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

What the next 12 months could do to Bitcoin

The next question is straightforward. If the economy slips into recession without a quick reset, Bitcoin has to show whether it behaves like a high-beta trade that gets sold when liquidity tightens, or a harder asset that can absorb flows when confidence in traditional markets weakens. Both outcomes still fit the available data.

The case for resilience starts with relative behavior. Bitcoin is up over the last seven and 30 days even as recession odds rise and oil markets stay tense. Weekly fund flow data have also turned positive again.

If that pattern holds while labor and growth data worsen, the market will have stronger grounds to argue that Bitcoin is reacting differently from earlier risk-off periods. That would be the strongest evidence yet that part of the market sees Bitcoin as a policy hedge, an inflation hedge, or simply an asset outside the banking and sovereign debt system.

The bear case is just as clear. A normal recession often becomes a liquidity story before it becomes an inflation or monetary story. If payroll weakness deepens, claims rise, and investors cut risk across portfolios, Bitcoin could still trade like a risk asset first. Any identity shift would then have to wait.

The oil shock sits at the center of that risk. Higher oil prices can delay easier policy by lifting inflation pressure even as growth fades. That combination is rough for speculative assets because it removes the clean “bad growth equals lower rates” path that can support markets in a plain slowdown.

Staying on the current trajectory would keep recession fears elevated without full confirmation from layoffs or claims. In that setup, Bitcoin could stay volatile while outperforming equities on a relative basis if fund flows remain positive.

A bull case would require that pattern to strengthen, weaker macro data, continued inflows, and rising Bitcoin dominance. A bear case would show up in broad de-risking, negative flow reversals, and Bitcoin selling off alongside equities.

However, a black swan event would pair a deeper oil shock with worsening growth, creating a stagflation-style squeeze that could hit Bitcoin first and then support an “outside money” allocation if markets lose confidence in a quick policy response.

Related Reading

Bitcoin shrugs off oil surge and geopolitical tension, setting up potential push toward $80k

Spot BTC stabilizes as speculative froth subsides, ETF flows resume, and futures hint at momentum shift.

Mar 12, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

What to watch next

The next checkpoints are clear.

1. The labor market comes first. Another weak payroll report, a rise in unemployment, or a move higher in jobless claims would make the Moody’s signal harder to dismiss. The Sahm Rule is also worth watching because it is still below the line that has historically marked the start of recession. If it moves toward 0.50, the argument shifts from elevated odds to firmer confirmation.
2. Oil is the second checkpoint. If Brent stays above $100 or moves higher, markets will have to deal with rising inflation pressure and weaker growth at the same time. That would likely tighten the test for Bitcoin.
3. The third checkpoint is flows. If Bitcoin investment products continue to attract money while recession odds rise, the case for relative resilience strengthens. If those flows reverse quickly, markets are still treating Bitcoin as a liquidity trade rather than a macro shelter.

For now, the data support a stronger line than generic macro uncertainty and a narrower line than a full recession call. Moody’s says the odds are high enough to take seriously. GDP and payroll data support the slowdown narrative.

Other gauges still show less urgency. Bitcoin now sits at the center of a test it has never fully taken before, not whether it can survive a sharp shock, but whether it can trade through a slower recession as a mature, institutionally owned asset.

The next payroll print, the next claims update, the next oil move, and the next round of crypto fund flows should decide whether that test is beginning in earnest.

The post Moody’s recession odds hit ‘point of no return’ preparing Bitcoin to show its true market value in 2026 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin is back in focus after another sharp turn higher, with the asset trading at $73,772 on March 17 after hitting an intraday high of $75,937, according to market data. The move matters less as proof of a clean breakout than as evidence that buyers have rebuilt momentum after a punishing February washout.

On Feb. 6, Bitcoin rebounded from a 16-month low of about $60,018 after a broad selloff across risk assets, posting its biggest one-day gain since March 2023. That rebound did not end volatility, but it did mark the point where panic selling started to give way to a more selective bid.

Still below the highs

Even with that recovery, the market is still climbing out of a deep hole. Bitcoin hit a record high above $125,245 in October 2025, and today’s mid-$70,000 range still leaves it far below that peak. Recent trading underscores how quickly sentiment has shifted.

Reuters reported Bitcoin was near $71,021 on March 13 and around $74,298 early on March 17, while the current tape shows the market briefly probing nearly $76,000 before pulling back. That is a meaningful rebound, but not yet a full technical or psychological reset, especially for traders still anchored to last year’s highs.

Macro still controls the tone

Macro remains the dominant backdrop. Global stocks rallied on March 16 as oil prices eased, but Brent still settled above $100 a barrel and traders pushed expectations for a U.S. rate cut further out as they waited for this week’s Federal Reserve decision. Those conditions help explain why Bitcoin’s move higher has looked opportunistic rather than fully risk-on.

Citigroup captured that tension on March 17 when it cut its 12-month Bitcoin target to $112,000 from $143,000, arguing that stalled U.S. crypto market-structure legislation narrows the window for the regulatory catalysts that many expected to support ETF-driven demand and broader institutional adoption.

Citi also said Bitcoin is likely to range-trade around $70,000 as legislative headlines evolve, a reminder that the latest rally still sits on top of unresolved policy risk.

Where G Coin by Playnance fits in

That backdrop also matters for smaller token stories trying to break through Bitcoin’s gravitational pull. Playnance’s G Coin is being positioned as a utility-driven project rather than a simple trading chip. Playnance says G Coin powers its ecosystem and serves as the unified economic layer across products built on PlayBlock.

In its January 2026 white paper, Playnance OÜ describes G Coin as an ERC-20 compatible utility token on Ethereum and its EVM-compatible Playblock Layer 3, with a fixed maximum supply of 77 billion tokens.

The company says the token is designed for digital access, gameplay, reward unlocking, missions, and promotional participation across the Playnance ecosystem.

Utility narrative, speculative market

The same white paper makes clear that G Coin does not confer ownership, governance, dividend, or profit-sharing rights, which is an important distinction in a market that still blurs the line between utility and speculation.

For now, the setup remains simple: Bitcoin is trading well above its February low but still far below its October record, while utility-token stories such as G Coin are trying to gain traction in a macro-sensitive tape.

If BTC can keep holding the low-to-mid $70,000 area, those narratives may get more room to breathe. If the macro picture darkens again, attention is likely to snap back to Bitcoin first.

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

The post Bitcoin price action retests $75k as G Coin by Playnance enters the utility-token conversation appeared first on CryptoSlate.

XRP gained nearly 10% over the past week, presenting a sharp divergence from the institutional sector as investment products tied to the token posted their steepest monthly outflows of the year.

Data from CryptoSlate showed the digital asset reaching a monthly high of $1.60 over the last 24 hours before pulling back to stabilize at around $1.51 at press time.

This notable market rally coincided perfectly with a massive surge in new wallet creation, an increase in daily active addresses, and a higher volume of completed payments executed directly on the XRP Ledger.

Blockchain analytics provider Santiment reported that the underlying network recently surpassed 7.7 million non-empty wallets. Additionally, active addresses on the network rose to 46,767, marking a definitive five-week high in network participation and user engagement.

Evernorth, the largest XRP treasury company, highlighted the aggressive growth trajectory of these network metrics in a recent market update.

It stated:

“XRP transactions are nearing 3M per day as of this week, up from ~1M per day in mid 2025. Nearly triple! Price moves attract attention. Activity shows where adoption is growing as more financial assets move on-chain.”

As a result, the current market environment provides traders with two completely separate signals to evaluate. The blockchain network's usage and raw transactional utility are accelerating rapidly across the digital ecosystem, while the investments through regulated financial fund vehicles continue to contract.

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How Ripple’s new $1 billion XRP treasury plans to reshape the token's future

With up to $1 billion at stake, Ripple's prospective XRP treasury sets the stage for enhanced liquidity and market dynamics.

Oct 17, 2025 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Institutional investors reduce XRP portfolio exposure

Institutional interest in the digital asset has followed a completely separate trajectory from the retail spot market, with professional investors rapidly cutting their direct exposure to the Ripple-linked token.

On March 16, asset management firm CoinShares reported that XRP investment products registered $133 million in formal outflows throughout the current month. That specific volume of capital flight firmly places the token as the worst-performing digital asset within professionally managed investment portfolios during the reporting period.

SoSo Value data shows that the four United States spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) actively corroborate this broader institutional retreat. These funds have experienced a continuous outflow streak since March 5, resulting in a total capital outflow of approximately $58 million.

Notably, the current trend marks the longest continuous outflow streak since these exchange-traded products launched last November. At the present pace, XRP funds are on course to record their first negative monthly flows since their launch year.

This sharp contraction immediately follows four consecutive months of positive capital injections totaling approximately $1.26 billion.

The decline in XRP funds can be attributed to shifting macroeconomic and geopolitical factors. CryptoSlate previously reported a 93% decline in flows directed into XRP funds amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

During this period, investors have directed consistent, substantial capital inflows into Bitcoin-related financial products. Current CoinShares data shows Bitcoin funds have attracted approximately $1.3 billion in positive inflows since the beginning of the current month.

Despite the shifting institutional landscape, Ripple continues advancing its corporate strategy across global payments, institutional custody, liquidity provision, and corporate treasury management.

The technology company recently executed a series of significant strategic acquisitions involving financial firms Hidden Road, GTreasury, and Palisade. The firm also continues to aggressively pursue regulatory operating licenses across various global jurisdictions to support its expanding XRP infrastructure.

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Ripple is winning on Wall Street and in the UK, but the XRP Ledger is losing users fast and the split will define 2026

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Jan 9, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Spot market buyers absorb institutional selling

Meanwhile, the rapid decline of institutional capital has left retail spot market investors as the primary drivers of current XRP price action.

A research note from CryptoQuant showed that XRP's open interest is demonstrating early signs of a broader structural recovery following a period of sustained downward pressure.

Open interest across major cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges, including industry leader Binance, has trended consistently downward since the beginning of the year, sitting near its lower historical range.

A decline in open interest alongside falling or stabilizing prices typically signals a thorough unwinding of excess leverage across the broader financial market. This indicates a significant portion of highly speculative leveraged positions has successfully cleared the trading system, paving the way for more organic price discovery.

However, CoinGlass data showed a slight upward movement in the open interest during the past day to $2.84 billion.

At the same time, daily derivatives volume rose by 71% to $7.37 billion, marking the highest daily trading volume since mid-February.

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XRP leverage collapses 78%, but $1.4B in ETF money still won’t leave because of Ripple's expanding footprint

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Mar 11, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

What next for XRP?

Considering the above and recent price trajectory, crypto analyst Dom pointed out that XRP's market structure on Coinbase, the largest US-based exchange, is showing the “largest bid skew within 50% seen in nearly a year.”

This means there is minimal concentration of sell orders in the $1.50 to $2.00 price range. The distinct lack of heavy overhead resistance suggests the asset price can move upward with significantly reduced friction, as fewer structural barriers exist in the order book to slow potential forward momentum.

However, for the token to achieve such upside, outflows from its four funds would need to significantly reduce from current levels.

This means the XRP ETFs must successfully recoup the approximately $58 million lost since early March to provide the necessary institutional support.

At the same time, the token would require a broader shift in macro market momentum to revive interest in alternative crypto assets. This could help revive the speculative market attention in XRP toward long-term sustainability.

The post XRP rallies as ledger activity surges — even as ETFs suffer over $50 million in outflows appeared first on CryptoSlate.

For weeks, Bitcoin (BTC) couldn't convincingly break out of the $70,000 zone, which it kept circling as a real problem area.

BTC repeatedly failed to close above that level from early February through early March, making the zone a meaningful area of resistance in a market shedding confidence.

Glassnode's Mar. 11 report described those failures as a sign of weak buy-side demand and overhead supply. However, the ceiling broke, and Bitcoin managed a weekly close above $70,000 on Mar. 14.

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Bitcoin price jumped over $71k – but most of the rally isn’t coming from real buyers

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Mar 15, 2026 · Andjela Radmilac

As of press time, Bitcoin has settled to approximately $74,000, with an intraday high near $75,900.

With the weekly close pillar fulfilled, other key metrics drew attention, such as ETF flows and spot demand.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs absorbed around $763 million from Mar. 9 to 13, according to Farside Investors data, and Glassnode reported that buy-side activity was close to offsetting selling pressure.

These metrics show that Bitcoin has moved from “fragile bounce” territory into “possible stabilization” territory. Yet, the next major options cluster sits almost directly overhead at $75,000.

The gamma magnet above

Glassnode's Mar. 4 report identified the $75,000 strike as the key gamma magnet, hosting about $2.3 billion of negative gamma across expiries, with roughly $1.8 billion tied to the Mar. 27 expiry.

The Mar. 11 update kept $75,000 as the key upside magnet, this time putting the pocket at roughly $2 billion, and said that if price pushes into that region, dealer hedging could accelerate the move toward $80,000.

Amberdata's Mar. 8 derivatives note described $60,000 and $75,000 as the floor and ceiling of the current gamma box, with dealers holding large short gamma positions at both edges.

The note said that if markets trade beyond that box, negative gamma can make things worse from a dealer rebalancing perspective.

Deribit data recently showed that the BTC-27MAR26-75K-C strike holds roughly 8,000 contracts of open interest, making the zone one of the largest clusters into month-end.

The structure creates a two-way volatility trap.

Negative gamma amplifies moves in both directions. Glassnode explicitly states that a push into $75,000 can accelerate upward toward $80,000, while Amberdata frames moves beyond the $60,000/$75,000 box as amplified in whichever direction the break occurs.

The truth is that $75,000 is where the next move can stop being smooth.

If Bitcoin forces a convincing break above the strike and holds there, short-gamma hedging could help drag the price higher. If it gets rejected and loses momentum at the cluster, the same structure can make the pullback nastier than a normal fade.

Why this setup exists

The negative gamma concentration at $75,000 reflects a market that has been range-bound for months.

Dealers sold options to collect premium while Bitcoin chopped between $60,000 and $75,000, and those positions have accumulated at the boundaries.

The Mar. 27 expiry deadline sharpens the setup because about $1.8 billion of the $75,000 negative gamma pocket expires then, potentially leaving the current gamma map to persist into April. That gives the current threshold real urgency.

The backdrop also makes a crowded strike more dangerous. Last week, global equity funds saw $7 billion of outflows, while Brent traded above $100 and the VIX hit 28.15, its highest since November.

Barclays joined Goldman Sachs in pushing back its expected first Fed cut to September, with only one 25-basis-point cut now expected this year amid elevated Middle East-driven inflation risks.

In that environment, a crowded Bitcoin strike can become a volatility transmission point for macro headlines, turning a crypto-native level into a regime-break indicator.

The stabilization versus stress debate

Bitcoin's move back above $70,000 makes the case that it's strong enough to force dealers to chase price through the biggest overhead options cluster on the board.

Glassnode's Mar. 11 note described near-term dealer gamma as neutral, which sounds calming. Neutral dealer gamma still allows violent price action when the asset is sitting just under a $2 billion negative gamma pocket.

Amberdata's base case assumes consolidation, with the market needing to trade “within the box” as realized volatility runs at 77% on a 30-day daily candle basis versus 58% on a monthly candle basis.

That implies a calmer regime, but one with explosive edges.

The Mar. 27 expiry becomes a deadline for the current range to either break or persist. If Bitcoin holds above $75,000 before then, the hedging flows could help accelerate the move. If it stalls and pulls back, the same structure can amplify the rejection.

What decides the outcome

The cleanest bull case assumes a convincing move through $75,000, with Bitcoin holding above the strike long enough to force dealer rehedging.

Glassnode's setup implies that hedging could accelerate the price toward roughly $80,000 in that scenario.

The bear case assumes a hard rejection at $75,000, with Bitcoin slipping back through the low-$70,000s.

In that case, the same short-gamma structure can make the pullback uglier, potentially reopening a move toward the mid-$60,000s and the $60,000 edge of Amberdata's box.

The macro wildcard sits above the chart. A fresh escalation in the Middle East or a hawkish Fed surprise could shove Bitcoin violently through one side of the box.

In that scenario, the options structure amplifies the move, but macro supplies the spark.

The negative gamma test is close enough to feel urgent, and the structure is sharp enough to make the next move violent.

Currently, Bitcoin is consolidating around a resistance-turned-support at $73,750-$74250 after being rejected at $76,000, so neither bull, bear, nor the wildcard scenario has yet been confirmed.

The post Bitcoin breaks into a $2B options trap that can turn this rally violent around $75,000 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

For most of its life, Solana's brand was straightforward: fast infrastructure for whatever crypto wanted to do at volume.

By year four, that mostly meant memecoins, and it stayed that way until year five.

Solana became known for being the infrastructure for high-profile, and sometimes controversial, memecoin launches. A few cases include President Donald Trump-linked TRUMP memecoin and the LIBRA token endorsed by the Argentinian president, Javier Milei.

Blockworks data showed that memecoins accounted for nearly 30% of Solana's average monthly DEX activity in 2025. The reputation of an on-chain casino was accurate.

Although the brand hasn't flipped, something else happened: institutions started building there anyway.

In January 2026, Ondo brought more than 200 tokenized US stocks and ETFs to Solana, backed 1:1 by securities held with US-registered broker-dealers.

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WisdomTree enabled native minting of its tokenized funds on the network, with institutional clients able to purchase, hold, and manage positions on-chain.

Solana's February payments report said Visa, PayPal, and Worldpay are building across treasury management, remittances, payouts, and merchant settlement.

Citi explored tokenizing bills of exchange for trade finance in collaboration with PwC and Solana.

The re-rating case: serious money no longer requires degen activity to disappear first.

The barbell takes shape

What makes this move non-obvious is that Wall Street didn't wait for cultural cleansing.

Traditional finance infrastructure often demands sterile environments before deployment, as banks don't typically move into venues where 70% of monthly trading activity involves tokens named cartoon frogs.

However, Solana's institutional adopters appear to have made a different calculation: they need fast settlement, low fees, and liquid rails more than they need brand distance from speculation.

The tokenized stocks structure reveals that logic. Ondo's implementation runs mint and redeem windows 24/5, with on-chain transferability between those windows.

Registered broker-dealers hold the securities, and the blockchain handles the movement layer. That separation lets institutions use Solana's speed without adopting its culture.

WisdomTree's move carries similar implications. The firm extended its existing tokenized fund infrastructure to include Solana as a venue for minting and management.

Institutional clients can now buy, hold, and manage positions there alongside whatever else lives on the network.

The SEC granted special relief allowing intraday trading in tokenized shares of WisdomTree's money market fund, indicating that regulators are working with these structures.

The payments narrative follows the same pattern.

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Visa said US banks started settling with it in USDC over Solana, while Worldpay said merchants will be able to settle with USDG on Solana. PayPal positioned PYUSD on Solana to make the stablecoin faster and cheaper for commerce.

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These firms needed to process transactions reliably at scale, with the memecoin narrative becoming irrelevant.

Why the infrastructure play works

The financial argument for Solana turns on distribution.

Ethereum still holds about $15.6 billion in tokenized asset value excluding stablecoins, according to RWA.xyz, compared to Solana's $1.84 billion. BNB Chain sits between them at roughly $2.95 billion.

Jupiter, Solana's primary DEX aggregator, provides a consumer-facing onramp for tokenized products that Ethereum's infrastructure doesn't readily support.

Ondo's tokenized stocks launched via Jupiter integration, allowing retail users to access these securities through the same interface they use for memecoin trading.

That creates distribution power: the same wallets, the same UX, and the same liquidity sources applied to regulated securities.

The payment volume supports the rail thesis more than any single product launch.

Solana processed $650 billion in stablecoin transactions in February 2026, more than doubling its previous record, while stablecoin supply exceeded $15 billion.

Those figures show the network already handles money-like flows at an institutional scale, which makes the “financial rail” framing plausible.

RWA.xyz shows about $1.68 billion of Solana's $1.84 billion tokenized asset value as distributed on-chain, roughly 91.6% in portable form.

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The 30-day RWA transfer volume surpassed $2 billion. For comparison, the entire tokenized stocks category across all chains is valued at about $1.08 billion. It has a monthly transfer volume of $2.3 billion, with Ondo holding roughly $644 million and about 60% platform market share.

These numbers demonstrate that tokenized assets on the network move at a meaningful scale.

Macro forces behind the bet

Solana's institutional turn sits within a broader recalibration.

McKinsey's base case projects roughly $2 trillion in tokenized assets by 2030, with a range of $1 trillion to $4 trillion. BCG forecasts that tokenized fund AUM alone could exceed $600 billion by 2030.

Citi's 2030 stablecoin outlook raised its issuance forecast to $1.9 trillion base case and $4 trillion bull case, with potential transaction activity reaching $100 trillion to $200 trillion.

Those projections assume blockchains transition from an asset class to a market infrastructure.

Besides, regulatory conditions turned in Solana's favor. On Mar. 5, the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and OCC said eligible tokenized securities should generally receive the same capital treatment as non-tokenized securities, calling the capital rule “technology neutral.”

That removes one barrier to participation in traditional institutions: banks can now hold tokenized securities without incurring punitive capital requirements simply for choosing blockchain settlement.

Yet despite efforts by names such as Nasdaq, rights structures stay uneven.

McKinsey stressed that regulation-heavy infrastructure creates friction in adoption. Payward recently noted that xStocks have surpassed $25 billion in total transaction volume, including more than $4 billion settled on-chain.

As a result, the landscape is one in which investors are trading billions of dollars‘ worth of tokens that don't yet make them shareholders.

Additionally, the tokenized stocks category stay tiny globally, meaning a single compliance shock or operational failure could upend the entire narrative.

What's open now

Despite not resolving the memecoin-versus-institutions tension, Solana turned the tension into a product.

The infrastructure, now treated as a venue for memecoin launches, hosts over 200 of Ondo's tokenized stocks, WisdomTree's regulated funds, and Visa's USDC settlement flows.

The re-rating case assumes institutions care more about throughput, cost, and liquidity than they care about brand adjacency to speculation.

Solana processed $650 billion in stablecoin transactions last month. It handles a 3,000-fold increase in annual RWA trading volume. It attracted Visa, PayPal, Worldpay, WisdomTree, Ondo, and Citi as active participants.

Taken together, those facts support the rail thesis.

The bear case assumes pilots stay pilots. Announcements multiply, but secondary liquidity stays shallow. Institutions prefer Ethereum for serious size, or they build permissioned systems that avoid public blockchains entirely.

Solana's ex-stablecoin RWA stays below $2.5 billion, while memecoin bursts continue to dominate revenue and public perception.

What determines the outcome is whether banks, asset managers, and payment processors treat blockchain infrastructure as technology or as something chosen for brand alignment.

Solana turns six with both identities intact. The memecoin casino still operates at full volume, while Wall Street built its infrastructure on top of it anyway.

The post As Solana turns six years old, the “memecoin chain” is quietly listing 200 plus tokenized stocks for Wall Street appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Vietnam is shifting from one of the world's most active unregulated crypto markets to a strictly controlled domestic ecosystem. According to reports from Reuters, the government in Hanoi is preparing to launch a pilot scheme for locally licensed digital asset exchanges while simultaneously drafting rules to ban citizens from using overseas platforms.

The Race for the First Vietnam Crypto License

Five major domestic entities have passed an initial qualification round to operate the country’s first legal exchanges. This move marks a significant transition for a nation that ranked fourth globally on the Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index.

The qualified applicants include:

• Techcombank (TCB)
• VPBank (VPB)
• LPBank (LPB)
• VIX Securities
• Sun Group

Why Hanoi is Curbing Foreign Trading

The Vietnamese government’s primary concern is uncontrolled capital outflows. While the country has high crypto interest, most transactions currently occur on offshore servers, making it difficult for authorities to monitor wealth movement or collect taxes.

By forcing users onto local platforms, Hanoi aims to:

• Regulate Capital: Ensure trades are settled via local banking rails.
• Tax Revenue: Implement a structured tax framework for digital assets.
• Consumer Protection: Bring high-risk trading under the oversight of the Ministry of Finance.

Market Impact and Local Adoption

Currently, Vietnamese traders move over $200 billion annually in crypto. The new regulations will likely push this liquidity into the hands of major local financial institutions. However, digital assets are still not recognized as legal tender or a formal means of payment in the country.

Summary of New Vietnam Crypto Regulations

Ripple’s native token, $XRP, reclaimed the $1.50 price level. This move comes after weeks of tightening volatility, where the asset was compressed within a massive technical structure. As the broader crypto market shows signs of a renewed bullish cycle, XRP's recent price action suggests that the long-awaited move toward psychological resistance levels may be underway.

XRP Price Prediction: The Road to $2.00

The current technical setup confirms that XRP is targeting the $2.00 milestone. This projection is based on a "measured move" following the breach of a multi-week consolidation pattern. If XRP-USD can maintain its position above the $1.45 support zone, the next liquidity pocket sits between $1.85 and $2.10.

The Symmetrical Triangle

A symmetrical triangle is a chart pattern characterized by two converging trendlines connecting a series of sequential peaks and troughs. In XRP’s case, this pattern represented a period of "equilibrium" where buyers and sellers were in a deadlock. Typically, a breakout from this formation indicates that the prevailing trend—in this case, the bullish momentum from late 2025—is ready to resume with high volume.

The Breakout: How XRP Breached the Triangle

The most critical development in the recent XRP-USD price action is the upward breach from the triangle formation. Since February 2026, XRP has been making lower highs and higher lows, narrowing into an apex near the $1.38 mark.

On March 14, trading volume surged by over 300%, providing the necessary fuel for XRP to pierce the upper descending trendline. This "breach" was not merely a wick but was followed by a daily candle close above the resistance, effectively flipping it into a support floor. Technical analysts often view this specific type of exit from a triangle as a signal that the "accumulation phase" is over and the "markup phase" has begun.

Technical Indicators Supporting the $2 Target

Beyond the triangle breakout, several other indicators point toward a continued rally:

• Moving Averages: XRP is now trading comfortably above its 50-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs).
• Relative Strength Index (RSI): The RSI is currently at 64, suggesting that while the asset is gaining strength, it is not yet "overbought" (which typically occurs above 70).
• Institutional Inflows: According to data from CoinShares, XRP-specific investment products have seen over $1.3 billion in cumulative inflows this year, providing the structural liquidity needed to sustain a move to $2.00.

Key Support and Resistance

Ethereum (ETH) has bounced back strongly, rising more than 20% over the past eight days. While much of the market focused on Bitcoin’s volatility, Ethereum moved higher in the background. The rally is being driven by growing institutional interest and clearer regulatory support, two factors that are starting to change how major financial players approach the Ethereum network.

Why is Ethereum Price UP?

The recent Ethereum price pump is driven by a convergence of institutional liquidity and regulatory clarity. Specifically, the Federal Reserve's decision to allow tokenized securities as bank collateral and BlackRock’s launch of its iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) have provided the necessary fundamental support for ETH to decouple from minor market corrections.

Tokenization and Staked ETFs

To understand why these developments are "game-changers," we must define the two pillars supporting this rally:

• Tokenized Securities: These are traditional assets (like stocks or bonds) represented as digital tokens on a blockchain.
• Staked ETFs: Unlike a standard spot ETF, a staked ETF (like ETHB) actually participates in the network's consensus, earning a "yield" or dividend for its shareholders by securing the network.

1. The Fed’s Green Light: Tokenized Assets as Collateral

On March 6, 2026, the Federal Reserve, alongside the OCC and FDIC, issued a landmark clarification. U.S. banks are now officially permitted to use tokenized securities as collateral for loans.

Why This Matters for Ethereum

Regulators confirmed that as long as the tokenized version confers the same legal rights as the traditional asset, it will receive the same capital treatment. Crucially, the Fed stated this applies regardless of whether the blockchain is permissioned or permissionless (public).

• Liquidity Influx: Trillions of dollars in "off-chain" value (Treasuries, equities) can now migrate to Ethereum.
• Ethereum as the "Settlement Layer": Since Ethereum remains the dominant hub for Real-World Assets (RWAs), this ruling cements $ETH role as the global plumbing for modern finance.

2. BlackRock’s ETHB: The First Dividend-Paying Crypto ETF

On March 12, 2026, BlackRock launched the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ticker: ETHB). While the market already had spot ETH ETFs, ETHB is the first from a major issuer to offer staking rewards directly to shareholders.

Key Features of ETHB:

• Yield Generation: The fund stakes between 70% and 95% of its holdings.
• Monthly Distributions: Investors receive monthly cash payouts, similar to a high-yield dividend stock.
• Institutional Infrastructure: BlackRock partnered with Figment and Coinbase Prime to manage the validator sets, bringing "Enterprise-Grade" security to the staking process.

"The ETHB launch transforms Ethereum from a speculative commodity into a productive, yield-bearing asset for the average 401k investor." — Market Insight

Comparison: Spot ETH vs. Staked ETH ETFs

Fundamental Divergence

For months, analysts have noted a divergence: Ethereum's network fundamentals (Total Value Locked, Active Addresses, and Layer 2 scaling) were hitting record highs while the Ethereum price lagged. This 20% pump suggests the "valuation gap" is finally closing.

Markets Rally Ahead of President Trump’s Speech

Global markets are reacting strongly ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected White House speech today, with equities surging and oil prices falling after reports that the United States is allowing some oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to stabilize global supply.

The development comes after days of heightened geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the United States. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, responsible for transporting roughly 20% of global oil supply.

Reports that tankers are now being allowed to pass through the strait have eased fears of a major disruption to global energy markets. As a result, oil prices dropped sharply, triggering a powerful rally across U.S. stock markets.

$1 Trillion Added to U.S. Stocks

The market reaction has been immediate. U.S. equities surged at the open, with major indexes posting strong gains.

The S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, and Russell 2000 all climbed significantly as investors interpreted the tanker news as a signal of possible de-escalation in the Middle East conflict.

Tech stocks led the rally, with major companies such as Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, Apple, and Google all trading higher. In total, the U.S. stock market added hundreds of billions of dollars in market value, approaching the $1 trillion mark during the early session.

The logic behind the rally is straightforward: if oil supply remains stable, inflation pressure may ease, which could reduce economic uncertainty and support risk assets.

Oil Prices Drop After Hormuz News

Energy markets were extremely sensitive to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week. Any threat to the route can send oil prices soaring due to fears of supply disruptions.

However, the latest reports suggesting the United States is allowing some tankers to pass through the strait have helped calm markets.

Oil prices dropped sharply after the announcement, reinforcing the perception that global supply chains may remain intact despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.

For financial markets, lower oil prices often translate into lower inflation expectations, which tends to support stocks and other risk assets.

All Eyes on President Trump’s Announcement

President Trump is expected to address the situation during a White House press conference later today. Investors are closely watching the speech for signals about the next steps in U.S. policy.

Key questions markets are asking include:

1. Will the U.S. officially confirm that tanker traffic through Hormuz is being stabilized?
2. Will there be a broader international coalition protecting the shipping route?
3. Could the speech signal de-escalation or further military action?

Markets have already partially priced in a positive outcome, meaning the tone of the speech could play a decisive role in determining the next move across global assets.

Could Bitcoin Be the Next Market Mover?

While traditional markets have already reacted, the cryptocurrency market is watching closely.

Bitcoin has recently shown surprising resilience during geopolitical instability. In many cases, major macro developments initially move traditional markets such as oil and equities before spilling over into crypto.

If global risk sentiment continues improving, capital could rotate back into digital assets, potentially supporting Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.

On the other hand, if the speech signals escalation or renewed uncertainty, volatility could return across both traditional and crypto markets.

For now, Bitcoin traders are waiting to see whether the macro rally in equities will translate into momentum for the crypto market as well.

Conclusion

With oil prices dropping and U.S. stocks surging ahead of President Trump’s speech, global markets are positioning for potential stabilization in the Strait of Hormuz situation.

However, the final market reaction will likely depend on the tone and details of the announcement. Investors across equities, commodities, and cryptocurrencies are now waiting to see whether the speech confirms de-escalation — or introduces a new wave of uncertainty.

If risk appetite continues improving, Bitcoin could become the next asset to react.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has actively lobbied for a multinational military coalition to reopen the strategic waterway, Beijing has formally responded with a message of de-escalation. The friction between the world's two largest economies, coupled with a tightening energy supply, has positioned Bitcoin as a focal point for investors seeking a hedge against systemic risk.

China Sidesteps Military Engagement in the Strait

In a direct response to President Trump’s call for China to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has signaled a firm preference for diplomacy over military intervention. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on Monday that "all parties should immediately cease military operations" to prevent a regional catastrophe that could further cripple global economic growth.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil flows. Trump’s administration argued that since China is a major beneficiary of Middle Eastern oil, it should share the burden of securing the passage. Instead of joining the U.S.-led coalition, China is prioritizing "head-of-state diplomacy," though Trump has threatened to delay his upcoming summit with Xi Jinping if cooperation is not met.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Price Breaches $73K

Amidst this geopolitical standoff, the Bitcoin price has shown remarkable resilience. After consolidating near $70,000 for much of early March, the premier cryptocurrency surged past $73,000 today, marking an 8% increase over the past week.

Technical Targets and Resistance

Market analysts are now eyeing the $75,000 level as the next immediate target. The breakout above $73,400—a level aligned with the 50-period moving average—suggests that the "Expertise" of the bulls is currently dominating the narrative.

• Immediate Support: $70,000 (Psychological barrier)
• Resistance Zone: $74,500 – $75,200
• Weekly Gain: +8.3%

The rising appetite for $Bitcoin reflects a shift in market sentiment. While the S&P 500 has faced pressure due to soaring oil prices (now exceeding $100 per barrel), BTC is increasingly being viewed as a "digital gold" alternative.

Why China's Stance Matters for Markets

China's refusal to join the military coalition adds a layer of uncertainty to global trade. If the Strait remains blocked and the U.S. continues its unilateral military pressure, energy prices are expected to stay elevated. For the crypto market, this often translates to two scenarios:

• Inflationary Hedge: Persistent high energy costs drive inflation, traditionally a bullish catalyst for BTC.
• Safe Haven Shift: As traditional exchange platforms see increased volatility in equities, capital flows toward decentralized assets.

Bitcoin Prediction: The Road to $75,000

As the "Who, What, and Why" of this crisis unfold, the path to $75,000 for Bitcoin seems clear, provided it can maintain its support above $72,000. Investors are closely watching the upcoming diplomatic meetings, as any further escalation in the Middle East or a breakdown in U.S.-China trade talks could provide the final push needed for BTC to hit new all-time highs.

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With 50% of the total supply earmarked for community distribution and token buybacks promised from day one, the SEA token launch had everything lined up.

Then came the indefinite delay. CEO Devin Finzer’s candor about “challenging market conditions” sends a clear signal that even the most well-resourced teams are unwilling to absorb a weak launch right now.

That delay makes DeepSnitch AI’s March 31st commitment more significant. While OpenSea steps back from a launch it had fully announced, DSNT is moving forward.

With $2.2M raised in the same market conditions and 200% presale gains in the same market conditions, DeepSnitch AI looks much better than OpenSea.

OpenSea delays SEA token launch

OpenSea has indefinitely postponed its SEA token generation event, originally slated for March 30, with CEO Devin Finzer citing challenging market conditions and a desire to ensure everything is in place before a one-time launch. No new date was provided.

The delay is notable given the scale of anticipation: 50% of total supply was earmarked for community distribution, with 50% of platform revenue pledged for token buybacks at launch and staking functionality promised from day one.

The decision reflects a broader trend of token launches being shelved or delayed as the market digests post-2025-peak corrections. OpenSea’s candor about market timing is unusually direct, but it also signals that even high-profile projects are unwilling to absorb the risk of launching now.

Top 3 cryptocurrencies to buy in 2026: DeepSnitch AI, BlockDAG and Ionix Chain

DeepSnitch AI

Risk never goes away in crypto. Rug pulls get worse in sideways markets, and bad contracts slip through when people stop paying attention.

DeepSnitch AI sits right at that verification layer, and it’s already live. The dashboards and contract analysis tools are accessible today, which means you’re buying into a working product before it gets broader exchange exposure. And the team is super confident in their product.

That’s why they’re going forward with the March 31st launch, even as established companies like OpenSea are pulling away. And investors are loving that confidence, pushing over $2.2 million in presale funding.

At $0.04487, with nearly 200% growth already on the board during presale, DeepSnitch AI has real momentum before it even lists. Competitors like BlockDAG and Ionix Chain are still working toward adoption, while DSNT is already generating it.

BlockDAG news: DeepSnitch AI looks like a better presale

BlockDAG ran the early-stage playbook well: compelling infrastructure narrative, aggressive fundraising, ecosystem momentum. The DAG-based parallel processing architecture gave the pitch real substance. But that’s old BlockDAG news.

The harder challenge starts now. Most Layer 1 challengers don’t fail on architecture, but on adoption. There are hundreds of layer 1 blockchains out there, while the TVL is concentrated on 3 main ones: Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. Getting past those giants could be impossible, even with all the bullish BlockDAG news.

Post-listing, one set of metrics writes the story: real developers building, real users transacting, real applications launching and staying. Presale momentum built the foundation and fueled all the bullish BlockDAG news. None of what comes next can be manufactured from it.

Ionix Chain competes with giants, just like BlockDAG

Ionix Chain makes an architectural distinction that matters. IONX doesn’t host AI applications on a standard blockchain, but embeds AI directly into the Layer 1 protocol.

The GPU marketplace targets a real bottleneck. AI computation costs persistently constrain decentralised AI development. Most Layer 1 competitors don’t address it directly, while IONX does.

But the same familiar obstacle could push Ionix out of the picture. Ethereum, BNB Chain, and TRON hold entrenched ecosystems that architecture alone won’t displace. Developer migration needs incentives that outlast launch momentum.

The bottom line

While high-profile projects delay launches citing challenging conditions, DSNT ships March 31st because a live product with $2.2M raised and 200% presale gains doesn’t need perfect market conditions to perform.

Compared to the latest BlockDAG news, DeepSnitch AI is already useful for traders who can’t afford to guess. It doesn’t need to compete with giants like Ethereum and Solana, because it carved a niche of its own, with over 100M customers ready to buy its services.

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

FAQs

What is the latest BlockDAG news as OpenSea delays its own token launch?

The biggest BlockDAG crypto news is that it has already completed its open market transition, unlike OpenSea, which indefinitely postponed its SEA token. BlockDAG now faces the harder challenge of converting presale momentum into real developer adoption and on-chain activity.

What do BlockDAG project updates reveal about its post-listing performance so far?

BlockDAG project updates show a project in transition. The infrastructure narrative and DAG-based architecture earned strong presale traction, but post-listing success depends entirely on real developers building.

What do BlockDAG’s latest updates say about how it stacks up against DeepSnitch AI?

BlockDAG’s latest updates confirm it’s still proving its architecture against Ethereum’s entrenched ecosystem. DeepSnitch AI already has a live product, $2.2M raised, 200% presale gains, and a confirmed March 31st Uniswap listing.

The post BlockDAG News: DeepSnitch AI Surges 200% While BDAG Investors Get the Minimal 2x Even After Listing appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Arizona AG Kris Mayes filed 20 criminal counts against Kalshi for running an unlicensed wagering business.

• Four counts specifically target election wagering, including bets on the 2028 presidential and 2026 Arizona races.

• Kalshi preemptively sued Arizona on March 12, continuing a pattern of federal lawsuits against Iowa and Utah.

• An Ohio federal judge recently denied Kalshi’s injunction bid, affirming state authority to regulate gambling markets.

Kalshi, the prediction markets platform, now faces 20 criminal counts filed by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. The charges target KalshiEx LLC and Kalshi Trading LLC for allegedly running an unlicensed gambling operation.

Arizona residents reportedly placed bets on sports, individual player performance, and political elections through the platform.

The counts include four charges tied specifically to election wagering, which Arizona law prohibits entirely. This action adds to a growing wave of state-level enforcement against Kalshi across the United States.

Arizona Files Criminal Charges Against Kalshi for Operating Without a License

Attorney General Mayes filed the criminal information on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Phoenix. The charges cover a wide range of alleged violations under Arizona state law. Operating a wagering business without a license is one of the core allegations brought against the company.

Four of the 20 counts relate directly to election wagering, which Arizona law bans outright. The bets at issue covered the 2028 presidential race and the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial election. Two additional counts involve the 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary and the Arizona Secretary of State race.

Beyond political contests, Kalshi allegedly accepted wagers on professional and college sporting events. Proposition bets on individual player statistics were also listed among the charges. The platform reportedly accepted bets on whether the SAVE Act would become federal law.

Mayes challenged how Kalshi presents itself to regulators and users in her statement. “Kalshi may brand itself as a ‘prediction market,’ but what it’s actually doing is running an illegal gambling operation,” she said.

She added, “No company gets to decide for itself which laws to follow,” reinforcing the state’s firm stance on the matter.

Kalshi’s Preemptive Lawsuits Draw Sharp Criticism From State Officials

Kalshi moved ahead of the charges by suing Arizona in federal court on March 12. The company filed the lawsuit before criminal proceedings were formally initiated. This tactic mirrors similar suits Kalshi filed against Iowa and Utah within the same three-week period.

Mayes addressed this pattern directly, stating, “Kalshi is making a habit of suing states rather than following their laws.”

She noted the three lawsuits filed in under three weeks as evidence of the company’s broader legal strategy. “Rather than work within the legal frameworks that states like Arizona have established, Kalshi is running to federal court to try to avoid accountability,” she continued.

A federal court in Ohio recently rejected this approach during proceedings in that state. Judge Sarah Morrison denied Kalshi’s request for a preliminary injunction, ruling that Kalshi’s concerns were “dwarfed by Ohio’s interest in exercising its police power.” She stressed the state’s authority to enforce its laws and regulate sports gambling for public welfare.

The CFTC has also entered the broader debate by seeking exclusive jurisdiction over event contracts. The federal regulator is advancing related rulemaking as state-federal tensions over prediction markets intensify.

Mayes closed with a direct warning: “Arizona will not be bullied into letting any company place itself above state law.”

The post Arizona Charges Kalshi With 20 Criminal Counts for Illegal Gambling and Election Wagering appeared first on Blockonomi.

JP Morgan is being sued for its alleged role in a $328 million crypto Ponzi scheme. US prosecutors have urged a judge to block Sam Bankman Fried’s retrial bid, and a memecoin launchpad’s domain was hijacked to drain wallets according to CoinDesk.

Trust in crypto is being tested hard this week, but that is also why it is becoming easier to spot the best crypto presales of 2026, as they are almost always the ones with proof already in hand. While those tokens are few and far between, their potential is enormous. And among them, Pepeto has especially high prospects, with massive upside in the cards as exchange listings approach.

It already has $8.1 million raised, with three infrastructure products close to being ready. Tokens are at only $0.000000186, though they are likely about to see a major reprice once listings go live.

Ponzi lawsuits, SBF retrial, and domain hacks amount to a chaotic week

A class action accuses JPMorgan of ignoring suspicious transactions that funnelled over $328 million into a crypto Ponzi operation. Prosecutors have argued against Sam Bankman Fried’s retrial bid.

And a memecoin launchpad got hit when attackers compromised the domain and pushed a wallet draining prompt according to Cointelegraph. There is undoubtedly demand this year for presales that help traders verify what they are buying.

Best crypto presale picks and tokens to watch this March

1. Pepeto

Everything about Pepeto’s setup speaks volumes about why this could be the next Pepe coin to watch, and reason enough for investors to anticipate a massive run once exchange listings go live. The team has announced PepetoSwap, Pepeto Bridge, and Pepeto Exchange, three products designed for different purposes that work together to serve the meme coin economy. All three are close to being ready, and the SolidProof audit has verified every contract, making Pepeto the most infrastructure heavy meme coin presale running right now.

In essence, Pepeto has turned the meme coin presale from a blind gamble into a real investment backed by products, a proven founder, and verified security. PepetoSwap will let holders trade directly within the ecosystem.

Pepeto Bridge will connect blockchains so tokens flow freely. Pepeto Exchange will be the full trading platform where the meme coin economy comes together. In 2026, infrastructure like this is essential for a meme coin, and the adoption potential once listings begin is incredibly high.

The 196% APY staking model is compressing supply every day, so early believers are compounding from day one. Exchange listings are approaching fast, and a massive move is fully within reach. Tokens are at $0.000000186 with six zeros still in the price, and this is the moment to learn how to buy Pepeto if you want to see the highest gains.

This is the best crypto presale out there right now from the PEPE cofounder who has built something the meme coin industry desperately needs. The presale space is flooded with empty promises, but Pepeto is SolidProof audited with $8.1 million raised. If there is a token to invest in right now, this is it.

2. Hyperliquid

Hyperliquid has been just above $40 this week, processing close to $1 billion in 24 hour volume as geopolitical tensions pushed traders onto its 24/7 markets. Roughly 97% of trading fees route into HYPE buybacks and burns.

Resistance sits between $36.77 and $38.42. A break above opens a run to $43 and $50, but HYPE could slide back toward $25.50 if momentum fades.

3. Ondo Finance

Ondo is at about $0.28 on March 17, anchoring the real world asset tokenization narrative. By year end, it could approach $0.67, offering around 163% upside. But projections anticipate a slide toward $0.20 if selling pressure stays.

ONDO’s purpose is valuable. But early stage presales with real products and six zero pricing have an entirely different return profile.

The math that changes everything

If the news this week tells us anything, it is that the market needs projects with real substance. That is why Pepeto, with three real products and the PEPE cofounder behind it, has real moonshot potential. Exchange listings are approaching, and a $1,000 entry at $0.000000186 buys over 5.3 billion tokens.

If Pepeto reaches $0.00005, that $1,000 becomes $269,000. The 196% APY staking lets you compound while you wait. Once Pepeto reprices on exchanges, the upside could be exponential. This is easily the best crypto presale out there right now.

Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

What separates Pepeto from the rest in 2026?

Three products close to launch, SolidProof audit, $8.1M raised, and the PEPE cofounder behind it all.

How could Pepeto handle the trust problem in crypto?

SolidProof has audited every contract. Three real products are close to launch. The PEPE cofounder stakes his reputation.

Can Pepeto outperform large cap altcoins?

At $0.000000186 with six zeros, Pepeto has the kind of upside that mature altcoins structurally cannot deliver.

The post Best Crypto Presale to Buy in 2026: Pepeto Reports $8.1M Raised Ahead of Exchange Listings as HYPE and ONDO See Market Activity appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Mastercard will acquire BVNK for up to $1.8B, including $300M in contingent payments, pending regulatory approval.

• BVNK’s platform supports stablecoin payments across 130+ countries and all major blockchain networks worldwide.

• The deal enables financial institutions to offer stablecoin, tokenized deposit, and digital asset payment services.

• Together, Mastercard and BVNK will deliver a chain-agnostic infrastructure connecting fiat and on-chain payment rails.

Mastercard has announced a definitive agreement to acquire BVNK, a leading stablecoin payment infrastructure company.

The deal is valued at up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. This move broadens the payments giant’s support for digital currencies across multiple rails, regions, and currencies.

Together, the two companies aim to connect traditional fiat systems with on-chain payment networks. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2025, subject to regulatory review.

Bridging Fiat and On-Chain Payments

Digital asset payment volumes reached at least $350 billion in 2025, reflecting strong market demand. This growth has driven the need for stablecoin-based solutions in cross-border remittances, P2P, and B2B payments.

Growing regulatory clarity in multiple regions has also pushed financial institutions toward digital currency services. Consequently, demand for compliant, interoperable infrastructure has risen considerably across the industry.

BVNK was founded in 2021 and has built infrastructure spanning over 130 countries since then. Its platform supports sending and receiving payments across all major blockchain networks.

These capabilities complement Mastercard’s existing global payments network effectively. Together, the combined offering would support stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and tokenized assets at scale.

The acquisition also addresses the growing need for payment orchestration between fiat and digital systems. Multiple blockchains and digital currencies require secure, compliant, and reliable bridging infrastructure.

Mastercard plans to apply its established security and compliance standards directly to on-chain payments. This approach is intended to maintain trust across every payment type within the network.

Crypto wallets worldwide have already embraced cards as the preferred credential for consumer payments. Mastercard’s announcement captured attention online, with the company stating: “Together, we’re strengthening how fintechs, platforms and financial institutions connect traditional fiat and on-chain payments across rails, currencies, and regions.”

Adding on-chain rails to the Mastercard network could further enhance speed and programmability across transactions. The combined platform is therefore positioned to reshape how value moves globally.

Expanding the Digital Asset Strategy

Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard, addressed the acquisition’s broader purpose directly. He said: “We expect that most financial institutions and fintechs will in time provide digital currency services, be it with stablecoins or tokenized deposits. We want to support them and their customers with a best in class, highly compliant, interoperable offering that brings the benefits of tokenized money to the real world.”

He further added that the deal reinforces Mastercard’s long-standing use of innovation to power economies. Lambert also noted that on-chain rails would support speed and programmability for virtually every transaction type.

This acquisition builds on the Mastercard Crypto Partner Program, which was launched to encourage collaboration across the on-chain payments sector.

That program was designed to maximize opportunity in the next phase of digital payments for all participants. The BVNK deal reinforces that strategic direction at a considerably larger scale. It also reflects a broader industry shift toward more open and interoperable financial systems.

BVNK co-founder and CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers offered his perspective on the deal’s potential. He stated: “For all of the advancements made in simplifying the digital currency opportunity, we have only scratched the surface of what’s possible. This deal brings together complementary capabilities to define and deliver the future of money. Together, we’re able to deliver an unprecedented infrastructure for digital currency-based financial services.” His remarks point to the scale of opportunity both firms see ahead.

The merged platform will take a digital asset- and chain-agnostic approach moving forward. Customers will be able to access solutions tailored to their needs without being locked into closed ecosystems.

This flexibility is central to the value of the combined infrastructure offering. It also reflects the broader industry trend toward open and interoperable financial systems.

The post Mastercard Acquires BVNK for $1.8 Billion to Bridge Stablecoin and Fiat Payments appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• First NRC materials license approval enables Oklo’s entry into isotope processing sector.
• Stock advances 2.35% as regulatory milestone validates commercial expansion strategy.
• Atomic Alchemy subsidiary authorized to handle and distribute critical isotopes.
• DOE safety design approval propels Aurora reactor initiative forward.
• Multi-reactor isotope facility planned for healthcare and technology applications.

Shares of Oklo Inc. (OKLO) climbed 2.35% to reach $61.09, rebounding from earlier session fluctuations as the company announced significant regulatory achievements. The nuclear technology firm obtained crucial federal authorization and solidified reactor development partnerships. These milestones mark critical progress in Oklo’s evolution from development stage to active market participant in nuclear energy and isotope production.

Oklo Inc., OKLO

Federal Authorization Opens Door to Isotope Production Business

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Oklo its inaugural materials license via the company’s Atomic Alchemy division. This authorization permits the subsidiary to manage, process, and supply essential radioactive isotopes. The approval represents Oklo’s formal entry into commercial isotope operations.

Under the license terms, Atomic Alchemy can work with controlled amounts of radium-226 and sealed calibration materials. The authorization encompasses chemical processing, secure storage, and repackaging activities within regulatory parameters. Consequently, Oklo now possesses the legal framework to initiate isotope recovery and preparation procedures.

Operations will initially center at the Idaho Radiochemistry Laboratory facility. The site will handle distribution to federally authorized customers according to compliance standards. This regulatory approval creates a foundation for developing domestic isotope production capabilities.

Building Domestic Isotope Infrastructure Advances

Oklo intends to transform unused radioactive materials into viable feedstock for medical isotope manufacturing. This methodology addresses critical shortages affecting healthcare institutions and research organizations. The approach also diminishes dependence on international isotope suppliers.

Reclaimed materials will enable applications including targeted alpha therapy treatments and industrial diagnostic procedures. Moreover, the recycling process improves resource utilization by repurposing materials previously designated as waste products. This operational model supports wider nuclear industry sustainability objectives.

Knowledge gained from Idaho laboratory operations will guide upcoming large-scale production facilities. The organization envisions constructing a multi-reactor isotope foundry featuring multiple compact reactors. These integrated systems will serve varied applications spanning medical treatments, defense requirements, and aerospace technologies.

Federal Partnership Propels Aurora Reactor Initiative

Oklo formalized an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy supporting its inaugural reactor installation. The arrangement addresses design specifications, construction protocols, and operational parameters within a federal demonstration program. This collaborative structure expedites deployment schedules for next-generation nuclear systems.

The Department of Energy granted Nuclear Safety Design Agreement approval for the Aurora reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. This clearance launches the subsequent phase of technical evaluation and project implementation. The approval also facilitates comprehensive safety assessment under federal supervision.

Oklo maintains concurrent development of its fuel manufacturing facility in Idaho. The plant will produce initial fuel assemblies for Aurora reactor operations. Collectively, these initiatives bolster domestic nuclear infrastructure and facilitate eventual commercial licensing objectives.

The post Oklo (OKLO) Stock Climbs 2.35% Following NRC Materials License Approval appeared first on Blockonomi.

The meme coin PIPPIN, which was among crypto’s rock stars not long ago due to its staggering price increase, has crashed by approximately 50% over the past day alone.

The big question now is whether a rebound is on the horizon or if this was a textbook rug pull, signaling that things may only get worse from here.

The Scam Revealed Its Real Face?

While the broader crypto market struggled throughout February, the lesser-known meme coin PIPPIN defied the negative conditions, registering a triple-digit price explosion. At one point, the valuation surged to $0.76, whereas towards the end of last month it climbed to an all-time high of almost $0.90.

PIPPIN’s market capitalization briefly reached nearly $900 million, thus entering the elite club of the 100 biggest cryptocurrencies, but that success was short-lived. The beginning of March saw a substantial correction, which intensified after a 52% decline over the last 24 hours. In a matter of a single day, nearly $200 million of the asset’s market cap was vaporized, and it now ranks as the 188th-largest digital asset.

The most evident reason for the crash appears to be the selling spree initiated by certain investors. Some X users reported that the same wallets that accumulated PIPPIN last week recently dumped their holdings en masse.

The meme coin has been the subject of criticism from many market observers, even during its bull run. Last month, X user Dippy.eth described it as “the largest scam of the past year,” while others think the whole project is “a cabal play,” in which a coordinated group of insiders is believed to manipulate the price through their actions. Most recently, Crypto Analyst joined the club of critics, classifying PIPPIN as a “scam coin” that “rugged people.”

How About a Revival?

Despite the overwhelming opinion among industry participants that PIPPIN is a red flag for traders and investors, some remain bullish on the asset. X user Nehal, for instance, envisioned heightened volatility ahead and eventual price increase to a new ATH of $1.

The asset’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) supports the rebound theory. The indicator measures the speed and magnitude of recent price movements, helping traders identify potential reversal points. It runs from 0 to 100, and ratios below 30 are considered bullish territory that could precede a resurgence. On the contrary, readings beyond 70 signal that a pullback might be on the way. Currently, PIPPIN’s RSI stands at around 24.

The post Trending Meme Coin PIPPIN Collapses by 50%: Classic Rug Pull or Buying Opportunity? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin briefly neared $76,000 on Tuesday, a level seen for the first time in six weeks, in spite of the global uncertainty as the conflict in the Middle East entered its third week.

Data from Alphractal shows that Bitcoin’s Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) Multiple has fallen to its lowest level since 2022. This indicates minimal movement of older units.

Veteran Holders Stay Put

Alphractal explained that the metric, which measures the intensity of Coin Days Destroyed relative to its historical average, normalizes current activity against a long-term baseline to assess whether long-term holders are spending at elevated or reduced rates.

Current readings suggest that older BTC remains largely dormant, which points to steady holding behavior among long-term investors.

According to the analysis, many of these holders previously distributed coins at higher price levels, leaving the present market dominated by relatively younger supply in circulation. The low CDD Multiple also implies limited selling pressure from mature holdings.

In previous cases, similar low levels in the metric have coincided with consolidation phases, where reduced activity from long-term holders precedes significant directional moves in the market.

Meanwhile, data from Santiment shows that Bitcoin’s recent move has been accompanied by a sharp rise in market optimism. The uptick has pushed FOMO to its highest level since January 2, as social media data from this week indicates a bullish-to-bearish comment ratio of 1.67 across platforms such as X, Reddit, and Telegram. The positive sentiment has outweighed the negative views.

Further data reveal Bitcoin is showing early signs of recovery in buyer activity after heavy selling in February. Despite rising geopolitical tensions and expectations that the Federal Reserve will not cut interest rates at the upcoming FOMC meeting, CryptoQuant found that BTC has remained relatively “resilient” compared to traditional assets like equities and commodities.

Buyer Dominance

Data from Binance and Coinbase indicate that trading volumes are gradually changing in favor of buyers. On February 16, the 30-day average volume delta was strongly negative, at -$145 million on Binance and -$88 million on Coinbase, reflecting broad selling by both retail and institutional investors. This has now turned positive, and reached about +$21 million and +$14 million, respectively.

While this is a clear improvement, analysts say that liquidity remains low, and the trend will need further confirmation to support upward price movement.

The post The Old Whales Aren’t Selling: What Bitcoin’s Plunging CDD Multiple Means for the Rally appeared first on CryptoPotato.

[PRESS RELEASE – Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, March 17th, 2026]

Non-custodial exchange platform ChangeNOW has announced the rollout of Private Send, a feature designed to prevent direct links between sender and recipient addresses on public blockchains.

Integrated into NOW Wallet, Private Send introduces a toggle within the transaction flow. Instead of a direct wallet-to-wallet transfer, funds are routed through ChangeNOW infrastructure before reaching the final address. To the recipient, the transaction appears standard, while the sender’s address does not appear in the recipient’s transaction history.

Pauline Shangett, CSO at ChangeNOW, says, “Public blockchains were supposed to be about financial freedom, not financial surveillance. Yet today, analytics firms map billions of addresses into clusters, building profiles on ordinary users. Private Send isn’t about hiding from regulators, it’s about stopping the default exposure of every move you make. One click, and the direct link between you and the recipient disappears. That’s it.”

Role of Blockchain Analytics

Blockchain analytics has become standard infrastructure across the industry. A common misconception is that holding crypto in self-custodied wallets ensures anonymity. Analytics firms map billions of addresses into identifiable clusters, linking wallet activity to individuals or entities. Private Send was developed in response to this environment by introducing an intermediary into the transaction flow. The blockchain records the transaction without establishing a direct connection between the sender and the recipient.

Transaction Flow Structure

• Users toggle “Private Send” in NOW Wallet’s standard send flow
• Transaction routes: sender → ChangeNOW → recipient
• Recipient sees funds arriving from a ChangeNOW address
• No additional apps, registrations, or technical knowledge required

Key details

• Most assets available in NOW Wallet
• All transactions undergo standard AML screening
• Geographic availability matches ChangeNOW’s existing restrictions
• Requirement: latest version of NOW Wallet

Typical use cases

• Moving funds between personal wallets without consolidating on-chain history
• Paying vendors or contractors without exposing full portfolio activity
• General privacy-conscious transfers where direct address links are undesirable

Private Send is not a mixing service or an anonymization tool. It operates entirely within ChangeNOW’s compliance framework and does not alter the final transaction record; it only changes the path to the destination.

About ChangeNOW

ChangeNOW is a non-custodial cryptocurrency exchange platform that values speed, security, and user liberty. Since its launch, it has served over 8 million customers worldwide, offering access to over 110 blockchains and 70+ fiat currencies. By combining the best rates from top centralized and decentralized platforms, ChangeNOW offers a seamless experience with simplified onboarding where users have full control over their assets.

The post ChangeNOW Launches Private Send to Break Blockchain Address Tracking appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The cryptocurrency market has posted an evident upswing over the past several days, with Cardano’s ADA following the green wave.

Its price surged 8% on a weekly basis, while some analysts believe a more substantial pump may be in the making.

The Necessary Condition

According to the popular market observer Ali Martinez, ADA “is setting up for a bullish breakout.” He argued that the prolonged sideways movement is nearing an end, outlining $0.304 as the upper boundary of this channel.

Martinez predicted that a breakout above this level could open the door to an increase to $0.338 and even $0.376. As of press time, Cardano’s native token trades at around $0.28 and is quite close to the depicted mark.

X user ZAYK Charts also presented an optimistic forecast. The analyst claimed that ADA has broken out of a falling wedge pattern on the daily timeframe, suggesting this could be a precursor to a “massive bullish wave” above $0.50.

For their part, Celal Kucuker expects the cryptocurrency to experience heightened volatility and eventually skyrocket to a new all-time high of $5.67 sometime next year.

Meanwhile, ADA remains oversold on a weekly scale with its Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering around 30. Such ratios are considered bullish and indicate that a rally could be on the horizon. On the contrary, readings above 70 signal overbought conditions and hint that a correction might be imminent.

Dead Cat Bounce?

Other on-chain indicators, though, suggest that ADA could head south in the short term. Over the past few days, exchange inflows have exceeded outflows, meaning that some investors have abandoned self-custody and transferred their holdings to centralized platforms. This is typically seen as a pre-sale step.

The recent whale behavior should also be taken into consideration. Earlier this month, large investors sold or redistributed 130 million ADA over a seven-day period, bringing their total holdings down to roughly 13.5 billion coins. A similar pattern was observed at the beginning of March, when whales moved about 230 million tokens.

When this cohort of investors unloads a substantial amount of ADA, it increases the available supply on the market, which can put downward pressure on the price. Big players often move before the crowd, so their selling spree can signal that they expect weaker conditions ahead. This kind of activity could scare smaller investors and might trigger panic selling on their part.

The post Cardano (ADA) Poised for a 30% Rally, But Only if One Condition is Met appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Central banks in the US, UK, and the European Union are getting ready to announce their interest rate decisions, with markets expecting that there won’t be any changes across the board.

The policy paralysis has led an analyst to suggest that it could make Bitcoin (BTC) more appealing as a neutral store of value, as shown by its recent strength against the euro and US dollar.

Central Banks Could Hold Steady As Inflation Risks Rise

The cluster of rate decisions, scheduled between March 18 and March 21, has put global markets on edge, with Lacie Zhang, a research analyst at Bitget Wallet, telling CryptoPotato that policymakers in the US, UK, and eurozone are likely to keep rates the same, given the recent surge in oil prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

According to her, this environment is already affecting crypto markets.

“With the BoE expected to hold at 3.75% and the ECB at 2%, both central banks are likely to maintain a cautious stance rather than pursue aggressive hikes or cuts,” she said.

The analyst added that this uncertainty has “supported BTC/EUR, with Bitcoin holding strong above €65,000,” which pointed to more institutions treating crypto as a way to protect themselves against fiat instability.

That expectation matches recent reporting from Reuters that the Bank of England is likely to keep its benchmark rate at 3.75% because inflation risks are rising due to higher energy prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Per the report, economists are estimating that by the end of 2026, UK inflation will reach 3% to 4%, therefore complicating any rate cuts in the near future.

Europe is also showing similar caution, with a Bloomberg poll done between March 6 and March 11 finding that most economists think the European Central Bank will keep rates the same for an extended period, even though inflation risks are rising.

Expectations are similar in the US, as data shared by journalist Sonali Basak on March 16 showed only one rate cut is priced in for 2026 ahead of this week’s Federal Reserve meeting.

Bitcoin Shows Resilience

The price action of Bitcoin reflects the prevailing macro backdrop. At the time of writing, the asset showed a 5% jump from a week ago to trade at about $74,000, per data from CoinGecko. It briefly hit $76,000 in early trading hours on Coinbase, which was its highest level since early February.

Meanwhile, on-chain data suggested a change in sentiment, with crypto analyst Darkfost saying that buyer activity has started to pick up again after a lot of selling in February, as trading volumes on major exchanges also went back up.

Ultimately, Zhang believes that BTC’s performance during this period supports its positioning as a hedge.

“This ‘higher-for-longer’ stance may temper short-term risk-on sentiment, but it continues to support Bitcoin’s positioning as a non-sovereign store of value,” she explained.

The post Bitcoin Could Win Big as Central Banks Prepare to Hold Rates appeared first on CryptoPotato.