The launch of Velotrade's crypto prop platform could democratize access to capital for traders, potentially reshaping the crypto trading landscape.

The post Ex-JP Morgan and Dresdner Kleinwort traders launch crypto prop platform appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin's resilience amid economic uncertainty suggests a potential shift in its role as a hedge, but market sentiment remains cautious.

The post Bitcoin holds steady as inflation stays sticky and growth slows appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The postponement underscores the impact of geopolitical instability on global events, highlighting the need for adaptive planning in volatile regions.

The post TOKEN2049 Dubai postponed to April 2027 amid regional security concerns appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The surge in TRUMP meme coin highlights the volatile influence of high-profile events on cryptocurrency markets, impacting investor behavior.

The post TRUMP meme coin soars 60% after Mar-a-Lago event announcement appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The PI surge highlights the growing influence of exchange listings on altcoin market dynamics, potentially reshaping crypto investment strategies.

The post Pi Network’s PI surges over 30% as Kraken listing lifts it into top-ranked altcoins appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

AI Pivot Won’t Save Everyone, Wintermute Tells Bitcoin Miners

Bitcoin miners are caught in the tightest squeeze of the network’s history, and a new Wintermute report argues that simply waiting for the next bull run is no longer a strategy. 

Instead, the firm says miners will have to reinvent themselves as infrastructure and treasury managers if they want to make it to the next halving.

Wintermute analyst Jasper De Maere says the current mining cycle is structurally different from prior ones in 2018 and 2022. Bitcoin’s design cuts block rewards in half every four years, but this time the price has not doubled over the same window, which means miner revenue is shrinking in real terms. 

On a rolling four‑year basis, Bitcoin has only returned about 1.15x in this epoch, far below the 10x–20x multiples seen in earlier cycles.

In past cycles, huge price gains covered up a lot of problems. Miners could count on bull markets to bail out weak margins after each halving. 

Today, with institutions, ETFs, and corporate treasuries in the mix, Bitcoin trades more like a mainstream macro asset, and those explosive 20x runs are less likely. 

For miners that built their business on the assumption of permanent hypergrowth, Wintermute frames this as a regime change, not a bad quarter.

Margins are getting crushed

Under the hood, Bitcoin mining has a very simple cost structure: energy and compute. That simplicity means there are not many ways to protect profits when revenue falls. Wintermute’s analysis shows gross margins in this epoch peaked around 30%, a level that marked the bottom during prior bear markets, not the top. 

Earlier epochs saw long stretches where miners enjoyed 70–80% margins; now, the “good times” look more like prior stress points.

Transaction fees are not saving the day either. Fee spikes tied to hype cycles and mempool congestion show up on charts, but they fade fast and rarely contribute more than a few percent of total miner revenue over time. 

Wintermute notes that even when you include fees, the margin lines for each cycle barely move apart, especially in the current epoch. In other words, the protocol’s built‑in “second revenue stream” is not acting as a reliable backstop.

The AI pivot is an opportunity for a few

One path out of the squeeze is getting plenty of attention: pivoting into high‑performance computing (HPC) and AI workloads. Big tech firms and AI startups are racing to lock in power and data center capacity, and they do not want to wait five to ten years for new grid connections and construction. 

Miners, who already control cheap power and built‑out sites, are a natural shortcut.

Wintermute points out that sites once valued at roughly 1–7 dollars per watt as pure mining operations have changed hands at close to 18 dollars per watt after being repositioned for AI compute, helped by deals like HUT’s work with Google and Anthropic. 

Public‑market investors have rewarded miners that announce credible AI plans with higher valuations and cheaper capital through equity and convertible debt. 

The catch is that not every miner has the location quality, balance sheet, or operational capacity to turn into a data‑center business.

Putting “idle” Bitcoin to work

That is where Wintermute sees a second, underused lever: active balance sheet management. Miners together hold close to 1% of all Bitcoin, a legacy of the “HODL” playbook that dominated earlier cycles. 

At the same time, many listed miners have been selling down parts of their treasuries to cover tighter margins and debt, with some even wiping out holdings altogether.

Instead of letting reserves sit idle until they are dumped in a liquidity crunch, Wintermute argues miners should treat BTC like a working asset. On the “active” side, that means using derivatives strategies such as covered calls and cash‑secured puts to earn yield on holdings, at the cost of taking some market risk. 

On the “passive” side, miners can deploy coins into on‑chain lending markets, including a new wrapped‑BTC market on Wildcat that Wintermute has highlighted, to generate interest income.

Wintermute’s bottom line is that Bitcoin’s design is working, but the easy era for miners is over. Difficulty can still adjust, yet it cannot overcome slower price growth, a fee market that has not scaled, and rising energy costs that eat into every block reward. 

The AI pivot will likely reshape the upper tier of the industry, turning some miners into full‑blown infrastructure companies.

This post AI Pivot Won’t Save Everyone, Wintermute Tells Bitcoin Miners first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

South African Eskom Considering Discount Power for Bitcoin Miners as Solar Creates Surplus

Eskom, a South African electricity public utility,  is exploring plans to sell excess daytime electricity to Bitcoin mining companies as rooftop solar installations reduce grid demand during daylight hours.

Speaking at the Biznews Conference 2026 in Hermanus, Eskom chairman Mteto Nyati said the utility is evaluating ways to monetize surplus power generated during the middle of the day, according to local reporting.

South Africa’s rapid adoption of rooftop solar systems has begun to reshape the country’s electricity demand profile. Many households and businesses now generate their own power during daylight hours, leaving Eskom with unused capacity once solar panels begin producing electricity.

Nyati said the pattern is increasingly predictable.

Demand spikes in the early morning as households prepare for work and businesses open. As solar generation ramps up later in the day, grid demand falls, leaving Eskom with surplus electricity.

Eskom is looking at creative ways and means of using that capacity. One option under review is offering discounted electricity to Bitcoin mining companies operating in South Africa. The sector runs large data centers that perform energy-intensive computations to secure the Bitcoin network.

Nyati said industries such as Bitcoin mining are contributing to rising global electricity demand. He said that the technology did not exist two decades ago but now represents a growing source of power consumption.

Selling excess electricity to miners could allow Eskom to generate revenue from power that might otherwise go unused during solar-heavy hours.

South African Bitcoin mining opportunities

The idea also builds on earlier comments from Eskom chief executive Dan Marokane, who said the state-owned utility is examining opportunities tied to Bitcoin mining, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and large-scale data centers.

Those sectors require large, continuous electricity supplies and could provide new demand for Eskom’s generation fleet.

Nyati framed the initiative as part of a broader strategy to adapt to structural changes in South Africa’s electricity market.

The country’s power sector is opening to private investment, allowing independent companies to build generation capacity and compete in electricity distribution. At the same time, rising rooftop solar adoption is shifting demand away from the national grid.

Nyati said Eskom must adapt to remain viable in a more competitive environment.

Alongside new revenue strategies, Eskom is pursuing cost reductions. Nyati said the utility plans to eliminate about R112 billion in expenses over the next five years.

Reducing those costs could help lower electricity prices for households and energy-intensive industries such as mining and smelting.

Despite the changes in the energy landscape, Nyati said South Africa still needs a strong national utility.

He argued that Eskom’s coal and nuclear power stations provide the base-load electricity required to support industrial growth and economic development.

The proposal to supply discounted electricity to Bitcoin miners reflects how utilities are beginning to treat flexible energy consumers as tools for balancing supply and demand in an evolving power system.

This post South African Eskom Considering Discount Power for Bitcoin Miners as Solar Creates Surplus first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Reclaims $73,000 as War Shakes Markets, Outperforming Gold and Stocks

The Bitcoin price has outperformed gold, silver, and major U.S. equity indexes since the outbreak of the Iran–Israel conflict escalation 2026, climbing above $73,000 even as oil surged and expectations for near-term interest rate cuts faded.

Market data shows Bitcoin price rising about 8% since the first strikes against Iran, reaching a one-month high above $73,000. The move placed the digital asset ahead of several traditional safe-haven and risk assets during a period of geopolitical stress.

Gold declined during the same stretch, falling roughly 3% from levels seen before the conflict began. Silver dropped more than 10%, sliding from above $90 to around $82. U.S. equities also weakened, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite each down between 1% and 2%.

The divergence came as global markets responded to a surge in energy prices. Crude oil climbed close to 20%, breaking above $100 per barrel for the first time in nearly four years as tensions threatened supply routes across the Middle East. 

These conditions often pressure crypto markets because higher oil prices and tighter financial conditions raise inflation concerns and reduce risk appetite across global portfolios.

The bitcoin price followed that pattern at first.

In the hours after the conflict began, the asset dropped sharply as traders cut exposure across crypto derivatives markets. Roughly $300 million in leveraged positions were liquidated during the initial weekend selloff. Bitcoin briefly fell toward the mid-$63,000 range as uncertainty spread through global markets.

The selloff matched Bitcoin’s historical behavior during geopolitical shocks, where it often trades in line with other high-beta assets during the first wave of risk reduction.

The market response changed during the following week.

Bitcoin price recovery

Instead of remaining near those lows while energy prices climbed, Bitcoin price recovered steadily and broke back above the $70,000 level. The rebound left it outperforming metals and equities during the same window despite the challenging macro backdrop.

Derivatives data via Bitcoin Magazine Pro shows that part of the recovery followed a reset in market leverage. After the liquidation event cleared large speculative positions, traders began rebuilding exposure.

Open interest across major exchanges climbed back to roughly 88,000 BTC. The increase signals renewed participation without reaching extreme leverage levels that often precede sharp corrections.

Institutional demand also contributed to the rebound.

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded strong inflows during the week. Data from ETF trackers shows the funds attracted about $586 million, marking one of the largest inflow weeks of the year.

The flows represent a steady source of demand entering the market even as geopolitical tensions intensified and inflation concerns returned.

Robert Mitchnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, said the behavior of ETF investors has remained stable during periods of volatility.

Speaking on CNBC, Mitchnick said ETF flows show a long-term accumulation pattern even during large price declines in Bitcoin price. 

He said the investor base across financial advisors, institutions, and direct retail buyers has taken a steady approach to the asset, with many participants using price weakness to add exposure.

He also pointed to the performance of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), which continued attracting inflows despite a sharp drop in Bitcoin’s price from its previous peak.

Mitchnick said IBIT ranked among the largest ETF inflows globally during 2025 even while the underlying asset declined, highlighting sustained demand from long-term investors.

The growth of spot ETFs has expanded Bitcoin’s investor base and deepened market liquidity compared with earlier geopolitical episodes. Institutional capital can now enter the market through regulated products that trade alongside equities.

For now, Bitcoin’s performance during the conflict has reinforced its status as a liquid macro asset that reacts to both global market forces and crypto-native demand.

While oil, inflation expectations, and central bank policy continue to shape the backdrop, the digital asset has managed to recover faster than many traditional benchmarks during one of the most volatile geopolitical episodes of the year.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin price is trading at $72,941.

This post Bitcoin Price Reclaims $73,000 as War Shakes Markets, Outperforming Gold and Stocks first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Strategy (MSTR) Bought Over 4,000 Bitcoin Today via STRC As Strong Week Continues

Strategy appears to have purchased more than 4,000 bitcoin on Thursday, according to estimates derived from real-time trading data and community tracking dashboards monitoring the firm’s preferred equity sales.

Data from STRC.live and market trackers suggests the purchases were funded through heavy issuance of the company’s Variable Rate Series A Preferred Stock (STRC), a perpetual preferred instrument that Strategy has increasingly used to raise capital for bitcoin accumulation.

By end of day in New York, trading activity implied the firm had already raised enough capital to acquire more than 4,000 BTC, marking the largest single-day bitcoin purchase funded through STRC since the instrument launched.

The surge follows unusually strong activity earlier in the week. On March 10, STRC recorded a record $409 million in daily trading volume while maintaining roughly 3% 30-day volatility and a one-month volume-weighted average price near $99.78.

On-chain indicators and community monitoring suggested that day’s activity funded the purchase of more than 2,000 BTC, already one of the largest one-day accumulations tied to the instrument.

Thursday’s pace easily surpassed that figure.

Strategy, already the largest public corporate holder of bitcoin, has increasingly leaned on its preferred equity program to finance additional acquisitions.

Earlier this year the company amended its at-the-market (ATM) program, allowing multiple agents to sell STRC shares simultaneously. The change increased liquidity in the instrument and made it easier for Strategy to raise large amounts of capital quickly, with proceeds directed toward bitcoin purchases.

Real-time dashboards tracking STRC trading attempt to estimate how many shares Strategy itself is issuing versus secondary market trades. 

Because the company previously indicated it may sell shares when the price trades above its $100 stated amount, analysts can approximate capital raised when trading occurs above that threshold.

A recent SEC filing disclosed that the company purchased 17,994 BTC between March 2 and March 8 for approximately $1.28 billion. That acquisition lifted the firm’s total holdings to about 738,731 BTC, representing roughly 3.5% of bitcoin’s circulating supply.

The filing showed the purchase was funded through a combination of $377.1 million in STRC sales and $899.5 million raised through common stock issuance.

Based on those figures, STRC accounted for about 29.5% of the funding for that five-day accumulation period, equivalent to roughly 5,300 BTC acquired through preferred share sales.

If Thursday’s estimates prove accurate, the day’s purchases alone could exceed the average daily bitcoin acquisition pace seen during that earlier buying window.

The data remains unofficial. Strategy typically confirms purchases later through SEC filings or public disclosures.

How does Strategy’s STRC work?

STRC acts as a bridge between traditional income investors and Strategy’s Bitcoin-focused balance sheet. Income investors typically seek steady payouts, while Strategy’s large Bitcoin holdings bring long-term upside along with short-term price swings. The preferred stock helps connect these two profiles.

The security is structured to keep demand near its $100 par value while paying a monthly dividend that yields about 11.5% annually. In effect, it converts the economics of a Bitcoin treasury into a format that appeals to fixed-income investors who prioritize regular income.

Strong liquidity and relatively low volatility suggest that the investor base is shifting toward income-focused capital. That shift can help stabilize trading activity compared with instruments driven mainly by speculation.

These early results point to product-market fit. Rather than relying on marketing or hype, the structure appears to meet a clear demand among investors seeking yield tied to Bitcoin exposure.

For corporate leaders considering Bitcoin treasury strategies, STRC offers a way to integrate Bitcoin into broader capital structures. It allows companies to draw funding from multiple investor groups while building a shared strategic reserve around the asset.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin trades near $70,000, while shares of MicroStrategy (MSTR) are down about 0.75% on the day.

This post Strategy (MSTR) Bought Over 4,000 Bitcoin Today via STRC As Strong Week Continues first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

David Bailey Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker

David Bailey has been officially confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026, returning to the conference he helped build to share his perspective on Bitcoin’s expanding role across media, capital markets, and corporate strategy. As the Chairman and CEO of Nakamoto Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA), Bailey has executed one of the most ambitious consolidation plays in Bitcoin’s history — bringing together BTC Inc., and UTXO Management under a single publicly traded Bitcoin operating company. His vision extends far beyond media: Nakamoto is positioned as a diversified Bitcoin enterprise spanning asset management, advisory services, and institutional infrastructure, with Bitcoin accumulation at its core.

Bailey has long been a central force in shaping how the global Bitcoin community organizes, communicates, and grows. Under his leadership, BTC Inc. became the parent company of Bitcoin Magazine — the longest-running source of Bitcoin news and commentary, first published in 2012 — while also building The Bitcoin Conference into the largest Bitcoin event series in the world, drawing more than 67,000 attendees across U.S., Asia, Europe, and Middle East events in 2025 alone. His work through Bitcoin for Corporations has further accelerated institutional adoption, connecting over 40 member companies with the education and networks needed to integrate Bitcoin into their treasuries.

With the Nakamoto acquisition of BTC Inc. and UTXO now complete, Bailey arrives at Bitcoin 2026 at a defining moment — not just for his own company, but for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem.

Bitcoin Magazine is published by BTC Inc, a subsidiary of Nakamoto Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA)

Bitcoin 2026 Returns to Las Vegas Bigger Than Ever

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

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

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

Past Bitcoin Conferences in the U.S.

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

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

Get Your Bitcoin 2026 Pass

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

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

Bring your whole team to Bitcoin 2026 and get 20% off your entire order, bring more than six in a group and get 25% off for a limited time.

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

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

With tens of thousands of attendees expected and hundreds of major speakers like David Bailey already confirmed, now is the time to lock in your ticket.

Buy Bitcoin 2026 Tickets — Save 10%

Why Attend Bitcoin 2026?

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

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

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

Bitcoin 2026 Pass Types: Something for Everyone

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

Bitcoin 2026 General Admission Pass

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

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

Bitcoin 2026 Pro Pass

Designed for professionals, operators, and serious Bitcoin participants.

Includes all General Admission features, plus:

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

Bitcoin 2026 Whale Pass

The all-inclusive, premium Bitcoin 2026 experience.

Includes all Pro Pass features, plus:

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

This is the most immersive way to experience Bitcoin 2026.

Bitcoin 2026 After Hours Pass

Your ticket to the night.

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

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

More headline speaker announcements are coming soon.

Don’t miss Bitcoin 2026.

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

A French couple held at knifepoint in their home near Versailles and forced to transfer roughly €900,000 in Bitcoin would normally read like a rare, tragic story.

But in France, it now fits a pattern serious enough to rattle the industry, draw the interior minister into the fray, and push executives toward bodyguards and tighter personal security measures.

This signals a broader trend: crypto security is becoming a key concern for physical security.

The March 2026 Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt case, in which three men posing as police allegedly coerced the couple into authorizing the transfer, is the latest data point in what French authorities now call a “new criminal phenomenon.”

In January 2026, the Interior Ministry said that “the threat is evolving and now affects private individuals.”

That language marks a shift: crypto crime in France is no longer just a specialist cyber issue, but a personal protection problem requiring high-end policing.

The pattern became unmistakable in 2025. Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner were kidnapped in January, and a crypto ransom was demanded.

Reuters later reported that Balland's hand was mutilated, and part of the ransom was paid before investigators recovered it.

In May, the father of a wealthy crypto entrepreneur was abducted and had a finger severed. Days later, a masked gang attempted to kidnap the daughter of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat in broad daylight in Paris.

By the end of May, 25 people were being brought before an investigating judge over the attempted abduction and criminal conspiracy. In June, authorities arrested a suspect in Morocco tied to the French crypto sector kidnappings.

The 2026 attacks kept coming. In early February, a magistrate and her mother were abducted, with investigators focusing on the judge's partner's crypto ties. The Le Chesnay robbery followed weeks later.

What makes France editorially important is that it is producing enough cases to reveal the structural problem: self-custody protects against exchange collapse and platform risk, but it does not eliminate the risk of coercion.

CertiK's February 2026 wrench attack report documented 72 verified physical coercion incidents globally in 2025, up 75% year over year. Kidnapping was the primary attack vector. Physical assaults rose 250%.

Europe accounted for over 40% of cases, and France led the world. The report explicitly calls physical violence a “structural threat to digital asset ownership.” That is no longer anecdotal.

Related Reading

When the wrench comes for the wallet: Why Bitcoin’s biggest believers are handing over their keys

Self-custody is under fire as wrench attacks become a real threat for crypto holders, with physical coercion and organized crime targeting those with on-chain wealth.

Nov 2, 2025 · Christina Comben

Bitcoin's problem is key coercion

France is stress testing one of crypto's founding promises. “Be your own bank” solved dependence on trusted intermediaries. It did not solve the wrench attack.

Hardware wallets can reduce the risk of remote compromise, yet they cannot stop a knife at the door. The French state's own advice now reflects that reality.

In January 2026, it told holders not to display gains online, not to discuss holdings offline, to use strong authentication, and to consider delays for unlocking large amounts. That is the vocabulary of hostage risk mitigation.

The tension is that France also wants to be seen as a serious crypto jurisdiction.

Reports from March 2025 noted that state-backed lender Bpifrance was launching a crypto token fund to support French projects. At the same time, AP said the wave of kidnappings was denting France's image as a welcoming place for innovation.

France wants to be a crypto hub, but it is becoming the place where crypto wealth looks hardest to hold safely in public.

Bruno Retailleau, the interior minister, met crypto leaders in May 2025 and offered priority access to emergency police services, home security checks, and briefings from elite police units, including GIGN, RAID, and BRI.

The meeting was kept confidential enough that journalists were told not to film participants “for reasons of security.” That level of response does not get deployed for phishing campaigns. France is treating crypto crime as an executive protection problem.

The broader implication is that the security model around Bitcoin and self-custody is being redesigned in real time.

Multisig, geographic separation of keys, delayed spending controls, distributed approvals, and wealthy holders' willingness to mix self-custody with institutional custody are all responses to the same underlying fact: private keys can be hardened against hackers, but not against violence, family targeting, or face-to-face extortion.

Related Reading

Two major crypto events canceled after city hit by 18 violent physical attacks on crypto holders amid market downturn

Organizers blame a “market collapse” for the sudden shutdown, but a string of brutal kidnappings and home invasions across France suggests the risks of being seen in public have changed.

Jan 12, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

The privacy debate no one resolved

One unresolved tension is the possibility that greater visibility makes holders safer or more vulnerable.

Paymium explicitly criticized European reporting requirements after the May attempted kidnapping. However, the French Interior Ministry pushes the opposite message: blockchain is traceable, funds can be confiscated, and since 2014, French magistrates have seized €90 million in crypto assets.

Nevertheless, it isn't clear if more traceability deters criminals through enforcement or exposes holders through paper trails.

The answer likely depends on which type of actor investors are worried about.

The possibility of blockchain tracing does not deter sophisticated criminals who can kidnap executives and mutilate victims. They are betting on speed, coercion, and the victim's inability to resist in the moment.

For them, KYC data and public profiles are intelligence, not deterrents. For opportunistic criminals, the calculus may be different. But France's 2025 and 2026 cases look more organized than opportunistic.

Besides, the victim pool appears to be widening. The pattern began with highly visible figures and relatives of crypto insiders.

By January 2026, the Interior Ministry said the threat now affects private individuals. The Le Chesnay case involved a suburban couple, not a household publicly known as part of France's crypto elite.

The February magistrate abduction showed that proximity to crypto wealth, through a partner or professional ties, can be enough to make someone a target.

That is a meaningful escalation. Once the official guidance shifts from “professionals are exposed” to “holders generally are now targeted,” the security model changes from executive protection to mass retail operational security.

Related Reading

Crypto investor hunted down in France home invasion as crypto “wrench attack” spike spreads

From the Waltio breach to suspected insider access, identity data is becoming the most valuable precursor to violence.

Feb 17, 2026 · Gino Matos

What holders are changing

The likely long-run implication is a redesign towards more multisig, more geographic separation of keys, more delayed spending controls, more distributed approvals, and more willingness among wealthy holders to accept institutional or collaborative custody for large balances.

Additionally, investors will be more likely to refrain from oversharing on social media and adopt a low-profile stance.

These are the adaptations already happening in response to France's 2025 wave.

Security firms are seeing more requests for bodyguards and residential protection. Founders are changing posting behavior and custody routines. The French state is offering emergency police access and security briefings.

None of this eliminates the risk. All of it visibly raises the cost of holding crypto wealth.

France is showing that the next phase of crypto security may look less like cybersecurity and more like executive protection.

The digital asset industry spent the past decade building against remote attacks, key compromise, and platform failures. It did not build against kidnapping.

The 2025 and 2026 French cases are forcing that conversation. Hardware wallets can protect keys from hackers. They cannot protect holders from gangs, home invasions, or ransom threats.

The reality in France is that the threat model around crypto wealth is changing.

A run of kidnappings, mutilations, family targeting, and home invasions has turned “security” from a question of wallets, exchanges, and private keys into a question of bodyguards, home audits, social media restraint, and whether the person holding the keys can be coerced.

France is becoming the clearest case study yet of what happens when digital wealth becomes a real-world liability.

The post Crypto holders in France are being violently targeted again — and it’s no longer just insiders appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The next big Bitcoin policy fight may have nothing to do with ETFs or government legislation, but with a dry Federal Reserve capital proposal that most investors will never read.

The landscape is simple: will big banks continue to treat Bitcoin as a balance sheet hazard, or will US capital rules begin to leave room for more serious bank intermediation around it?

With the Fed expected to vote next week on a revised Basel proposal and then open a 90-day comment window, this little-noticed rulemaking could become one of the most important banking decisions for Bitcoin in years.

Reuters reported on Mar. 12 that the Fed plans to vote next week on a revised Basel proposal for large banks and then open a 90-day public comment period.

Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said the same day that proposals covering Basel III and the G-SIB surcharge would be published in the coming week.

Most crypto investors do not care about prudential terminology, but they do care about whether their bank will eventually offer better Bitcoin services, whether crypto firms can more easily secure bank relationships, and whether Wall Street integration expands beyond ETFs.

The current Basel framework is restrictive enough to make those questions materially harder for banks to answer.

This all comes amid increasing tension between the US crypto industry and banks as they continue to clash over the stalled Clarity Act. The President chose a side this month by directly blaming banks for the delay.

What Basel says now

Under the Basel crypto framework, banks' crypto exposures are split into Group 1 and Group 2, with the latter being the tougher bucket.

A Group 2 cryptoasset is treated as Group 2b unless a bank demonstrates to its supervisor that it meets Group 2a hedging recognition criteria. Group 2b exposures carry a 1250% risk weight, and Basel says that treatment is calibrated so that banks hold minimum risk-based capital equal to the value of those exposures.

Basel also says total Group 2 exposure is built around 1% and 2% of Tier 1 capital thresholds: banks are expected to stay under 1%, excess over 1% gets the harsher Group 2b treatment, and if exposure exceeds 2%, all Group 2 exposure gets the Group 2b treatment.

A bank with $100 billion in Tier 1 capital is expected to keep total Group 2 crypto exposure below roughly $1 billion. If it exceeded $2 billion, all Group 2 exposure would be subject to the harsher Group 2b treatment.

For the largest banks, that is enough room to experiment, but not enough to make Bitcoin a normal balance-sheet asset under the current framework.

Basel's framework allows a Group 2a path for cryptoassets that meet hedging recognition criteria, including the existence of regulated exchange-traded derivatives or ETFs/ETNs, as well as minimum liquidity thresholds.

For Group 2a, the framework uses a modified market risk treatment with a 100% risk weight on the net position, rather than the 1250% treatment for Group 2b.

Basel's default treatment of unbacked crypto is punitive, and unless banks qualify for the narrower 2a path, direct exposure remains extremely expensive.

Permission versus capital

Capital rules determine what banks can do economically, not just what they can do legally.

If the capital treatment remains harsh, large banks will still have a strong incentive to avoid meaningful Bitcoin inventory, financing, principal market-making, and other balance sheet-intensive services.

If it softens, or if the US draft provides a clearer, more usable path for lower-risk treatment, the long-run effect could be more bank custody, financing, execution, and infrastructure for Bitcoin.

The US has already been reopening the banking side of crypto. In March 2025, the OCC reaffirmed that crypto custody, certain stablecoin activities, and participation in independent node verification networks are permissible for national banks, and it scrapped a prior non-objection hurdle.

In April 2025, the Fed and FDIC withdrew two 2023 joint statements on cryptoasset-related activities and said banks may engage in permissible crypto activities consistent with safety and soundness.

In December 2025, the OCC said banks could act as intermediaries in “riskless principal” crypto transactions.

That means the policy bottleneck is increasingly shifting from permission to capital.

Washington may be opening the legal door to crypto banking while still leaving the economic door mostly shut. Banks may be allowed to touch crypto in more ways than they were two years ago.

However, if Basel implementation leaves Bitcoin in the harsh bucket, big banks still have little reason to scale meaningful balance sheet exposure.

Global context

In November 2025, the Basel Committee said it would expedite a targeted review of its cryptoasset standard, and in February 2026, it said it had discussed progress on that review.

A BIS speech in December 2025 said bank exposures to cryptoassets stood at just over €14 billion at end-2024 and remained limited enough that the banking industry had been “largely immune” to crypto's price swings.

That makes the current US debate more interesting: crypto-bank integration remains limited, and capital treatment is one reason why.

Basel's own text states that, on a segregated basis, some crypto-related custodial services generally do not give rise to credit, market, or liquidity requirements in the same way as direct exposures. However, they still raise operational risk and supervisory issues.

So the biggest effect of harsh capital treatment is on principal risk and scalable balance sheet activity.

In essence, the current case is a conflict between two visions of Bitcoin.

One says Bitcoin should remain something banks service only at the margins. The other says Bitcoin should eventually become bankable infrastructure: financed, custodied, hedged, and intermediated inside the same institutions that already handle other major asset classes.

Next week's Fed proposal will show which direction US prudential policy is leaning.

Potential outcomes

The bull case is that the US draft creates a more workable path for certain hedged or lower-risk Bitcoin exposures, or at least signals a willingness to interpret Basel's crypto framework in a less punitive way than many in the market currently assume.

In that version, banks gain more room for custody-plus-financing, market-making, and other institutional services around Bitcoin rather than suddenly loading up on it. Bitcoin became more bankable without being formally embraced.

The bear case is that the proposal operationalizes the harsh treatment cleanly and visibly, leaving banks with little ambiguity and little room to scale.

In that case, the 90-day comment window becomes a forum for crypto firms and policy groups to argue that the US is keeping Bitcoin outside the banking core even as it talks about innovation.

The result is more ETF-style access for investors, but still limited adoption on bank balance sheets.

The black swan is that the draft goes beyond the market's fears, or the debate around it gets captured by national security or AML concerns in a way that hardens the prudential case against Bitcoin rather than softening it.

Then the focus becomes a strategic US decision to keep Bitcoin largely on the edge of the regulated banking system.

This Fed proposal could decide how banks treat Bitcoin: as bankable infrastructure or as balance sheet contamination.

That is why this seemingly dry Fed vote matters more to Bitcoin's long-term banking integration than most investors realize.

The post The Fed is readying to punish banks for holding Bitcoin as US crypto tensions boil over appeared first on CryptoSlate.

BlackRock's new staked Ethereum ETF (ETHB) is easy to misunderstand.

This is not the first time ETH staking has finally reached exchange-traded products, as Grayscale has already crossed that bridge. What's interesting about the launch is that BlackRock is now standardizing the way Ethereum is explained to mainstream investors.

With ETHB, Ethereum is being repackaged less as a confusing crypto-tech bet and more as a yield-bearing portfolio asset: something investors can hold in a brokerage account, potentially collect monthly staking-related income from, and understand in much more familiar investment terms.

BlackRock introduced the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF on Mar. 12. BlackRock's release says the product gives investors exposure to spot Ether while “potentially generating income” by staking a portion of its Ether holdings.

Its product page says ETHB is designed for “monthly income,” seeks exposure to the price of Ethereum and staking rewards, and pays a monthly distribution.

On Jan. 5, ETHE became the first US Ethereum ETP to distribute staking rewards, and it said staking had already been activated for ETHE and ETH in October 2025. Grayscale's current product pages still show both products with staking branding.

So the shift on Mar. 12 was less about product novelty than about who was offering it and how it was being marketed.

Mainstream ratification, not first-mover advantage

BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, and its materials frame ETHB around “income potential,” “monthly income,” brokerage account convenience, and exposure to Ether plus staking rewards.

That makes the more important change one of distribution power: one of Wall Street's biggest product machines is now telling traditional investors how to understand Ethereum.

For years, Ethereum's mainstream problem was translation.

Bitcoin was easy to sell as digital gold. Ethereum was harder to package because it sits awkwardly between a technology platform, a monetary asset, and an application-layer infrastructure.

ETHB simplifies that story into something more familiar: price exposure plus income potential inside a brokerage account.

Ahead of the first US spot Ether ETFs, investors complained that unstaked Ether exposure resembled buying “a bond without the coupon,” and staking yields were about 3.1% at the time.

BlackRock's ETHB is a direct answer to that old demand problem.

BlackRock's own educational note says staking currently offers returns of roughly 2.5% to 3% annually, but also entails liquidity constraints and the risk of financial penalties.

It explicitly states that the decision to stake “does not materially change” an investor's exposure to ETH price movements, which remain the primary driver of returns.

How does this change the capital pitch

This changes how Ethereum competes for capital. If ETH gets marketed as “the crypto that pays,” it no longer competes only with Bitcoin for crypto allocation. It starts competing for investors seeking a mix of growth, network exposure, and yield, even though the ETH price remains the primary driver of returns.

The launch economics are designed to be competitive.

BlackRock says ETHB's sponsor fee is 0.12% for the first $2.5 billion of assets for the first 12 months beginning Mar. 12, 2026, and 0.25% thereafter or on assets above that threshold.

The firm also says ETHB intends to stake the majority of its ETH and distribute rewards, less fees, to shareholders.

ETHB's launch release says its existing crypto lineup already includes IBIT and ETHA, which had over $55 billion and $6.5 billion in assets under management, respectively, as of Mar. 6.

BlackRock is attaching that yield pitch to the same distribution network that has already made its bitcoin and Ether products market leaders.

Grayscale is the proof that ETH staking ETPs were already viable before ETHB.

As of Jan. 9, Grayscale's staking-branded ETH and ETHE product pages showed gross staking rewards of 4.49% and 4.04%, respectively, with ETHE showing a monthly distribution frequency.

BlackRock's launch is about scale, branding, and mainstream distribution.

Two competing ways to sell Ethereum

The real conflict is between two competing ways of selling Ethereum.

One version treats ETH mainly as a speculative tech token. The other treats ETH as a yield-bearing digital asset that can sit in a brokerage account and generate income-like returns while still providing price exposure.

ETHB strongly advances a second narrative. BlackRock's own language makes that framing available: ETHB offers “income potential,” “monthly income,” and a way to access staking without direct operational burdens.

This is exactly how a complicated crypto asset gets translated into mainstream portfolio language.

The bull case is that BlackRock's framing sticks. Ethereum stops being the “harder-to-explain” major crypto and becomes the one that offers a mainstream-friendly combination of infrastructure exposure and yield.

In that case, ETH may begin competing for pockets of capital that would not normally buy a pure-beta crypto asset, especially in brokerage and advisory channels already comfortable with income language.

The bear case is that the yield pitch proves too small relative to volatility. BlackRock itself says staking offers only modest rewards and adds liquidity and penalty risk, while the ETH price remains the main driver of returns.

In that version, ETHB is useful but not transformative: a better wrapper for existing ETH bulls rather than a true expansion of the addressable investor base.

The black swan is that a staking-related operational, liquidity, tax, or regulatory problem hits a high-visibility product, turning “crypto with yield” into “crypto with extra complications.”

BlackRock's own educational piece devotes real time to lock-up timing, risk-slashing, and operational complexity, which is a reminder that mainstreaming yield also mainstreams those risks.

Grayscale opened the door. BlackRock is deciding what Ethereum looks like once Wall Street walks through it.

Bitcoin was easy to market as digital gold. BlackRock is trying to make Ethereum legible as crypto with yield.

ETHB marks the point when staking becomes Ethereum’s mainstream sales pitch.

BlackRock did not invent the staking Ethereum product category. It is, however, shaping what Ethereum will look like once traditional finance starts taking it seriously.

The launch economics, distribution power, and marketing emphasis on monthly income all point to the same conclusion: Ethereum is being repositioned less as a speculative platform bet and more as a yield-bearing digital asset that traditional investors can understand, buy, and hold inside a brokerage account.

The post BlackRock’s new product just made Ethereum income impossible to ignore appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin has outperformed gold, silver, and major US equity indexes since the US-Israeli attack on Iran began, recovering to over $72,000 even as oil surged above $100 a barrel and traders cut expectations for near-term Federal Reserve easing.

According to CryptoSlate data, Bitcoin is up 7.3% since the conflict began and even rallied to a one-month high of over $73,000. The flagship digital asset has since retraced to around $72,200 as of press time.

Over the same stretch, gold fell to $5,091, about 4% below the level it stood before the first strikes hit Iran. Silver dropped more than 10%, falling from over $90 to $82 as of press time. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were down 1% to 2%.

The scorecard also places Bitcoin ahead of several traditional benchmarks during a period when the usual macro headwinds facing digital assets have otherwise strengthened.

Oil climbed about 20% and broke above $100 per barrel for the first time in nearly four years amid escalating tensions over Iran. The dollar also strengthened, and investors sharply reduced expectations for near-term rate cuts.

That backdrop usually weighs on crypto through tighter financial conditions and a more defensive tone across global markets.

However, Bitcoin has rebounded strongly, drawing attention because its rise came after an initial selloff, and because it held while other large assets struggled to regain ground.

From weekend selloff to rebound

Bitcoin’s first move after the strikes was consistent with its history during sudden geopolitical shocks.

At the time, CryptoSlate reported that BTC sold off over the weekend following the outbreak of war, with roughly $300 million in liquidations as traders cut risk.

Here, Bitcoin fell toward the mid-$63,000 range in the immediate aftermath, trading in line with broader expectations for a high-beta asset amid acute uncertainty.

However, the move that followed changed the shape of the story.

Instead of remaining pinned near those lows as oil moved higher and inflation concerns returned to the market, Bitcoin recovered into the second week of March and broke through the $70,000 mark.

That rebound left it ahead of gold, silver, and the major US stock indexes over the same period, even as crude remained elevated and traders reassessed the macro implications of a prolonged Middle East conflict.

Part of that rebound appears to have come from a market that had already cleared a sizable amount of leverage during the initial washout.

Data from CoinGlass showed Bitcoin price rising alongside open interest, with leverage rebuilding after the flush. Open interest returned to about 88,000 BTC, a level that points to renewed participation without yet reaching an extreme.

That setup leaves room for volatility in either direction. It also shows that traders returned to the market quickly after the first liquidation event, helping support the price recovery.

ETF flows add support

Another support layer came from spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund demand.

Data from SoSoValue showed that spot Bitcoin ETF inflows totaled $586.99 million this week, marking the third-strongest inflow week this year.

Those flows do not on their own explain the full price move, though they do point to a steady source of demand entering the market during a period of geopolitical strain and tighter macro conditions.

That combination, liquidation reset followed by ETF inflows, helps explain why Bitcoin recovered faster than many expected after the first round of war-related selling.

The backdrop differs from earlier geopolitical episodes in crypto because Bitcoin now trades in a deeper, more institutionalized market.

Spot ETFs have expanded the buyer base, and that broader capital pool appears to have helped absorb volatility after the first de-risking wave.

Bitcoin’s trading pattern during the conflict has also reinforced its role as a liquid macro asset. The market has been processing both crypto-native signals and global cross-asset signals simultaneously.

Price action around oil, the dollar, and Fed expectations remained relevant throughout the rebound, yet Bitcoin still recovered more strongly than several traditional benchmarks.

At the same time, there is also evidence of stress-driven utility beneath the surface of the market.

Following the initial strikes, blockchain data showed a jump in outflows from Iranian crypto exchanges.

Those flows were too small to move the global Bitcoin market on their own, though they added another reminder of how digital assets can be used during periods of capital stress and financial disruption.

Bear market view still hangs over the rally

Even with the rebound, several analysts continue to describe the market as bearish.

CryptoQuant head of research Julio Moreno said the firm’s Bitcoin Bull Score Index hit 30, the highest reading since late October. He said the index had shifted from “extra bearish” to “bearish,” while describing the latest move as a relief rally within a broader bear market.

Additional data from CryptoQuant has also shown growing market disbelief even as Bitcoin held above $70,000.

According to that view, the macro backdrop remains difficult, especially with tensions around global oil trade still unresolved. In that setting, traders have continued to lean against the rally rather than chase it.

That skepticism is visible in the derivatives market. Funding rates on Binance have remained negative for about a week, showing that each rebound has been used by many traders as an opportunity to add short exposure.

On March 10 and 11, funding rates on Binance fell below minus 0.006, a level that signaled a heavily short-skewed market.

Those conditions can cut both ways. Persistent short positioning reflects caution, though it also creates the possibility of further upside if rising prices force bearish traders to cover.

Joao Wedson, founder of blockchain analysis platform Alphractal, added another warning sign. He said Whale vs Retail Delta showed that whales had been reducing their long positions relative to retail traders.

When that measure moves into the red zone, it indicates whales are becoming more inclined to take short positions while retail traders lean the other way.

In previous cases, Wedson said, those readings either preceded a price decline or coincided with local exhaustion near a bottom.

Liquidity zones define the next move

For now, Bitcoin’s short-term structure remains range-bound, with whale supply overhead and strong bid support below.

Analysts at Bitunix told CryptoSlate that derivatives liquidation heatmaps show the area around $71,300 as the first major short-liquidation and liquidity concentration zone above the current price, making it a near-term resistance level.

CoinGlass data adds to that picture, showing large sell walls stacked between $72,000 and $74,000, creating a notable band of overhead supply.

Meanwhile, the support structure is also becoming clearer below the market.

CoinGlass data show whales layering bids between $70,500 and $71,000, with a deeper cluster between $69,000 and $70,000. Bitunix analysts separately identified secondary liquidity support near $69,000, while deeper long-liquidation clusters are concentrated around $68,800.

Taken together, the order-book and liquidation data show Bitcoin is trading between whale supply above and strong bid support below.

If buyers absorb the sell walls above $72,000, the price could move into the denser short-leverage zone between $72,000 and $73,500.

However, if that resistance holds, the market may rotate back toward the bid support near $70,500 to $71,000 and, in a deeper pullback, test liquidity around $69,000.

The post Bitcoin surges over $72k to outperform gold and stocks since Iran strikes, but one brutal sell wall is looming appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Mastercard’s crypto partner push is really a plan to keep stablecoins inside its network

Mastercard is trying to make sure the stablecoin era still needs its card services.

On Wednesday, the company launched a program with more than 85 crypto-native firms, payments providers, banks, compliance vendors, custody companies, exchanges, and infrastructure groups. On its face, that reads like another ecosystem announcement.

However, let's look at what the list implies. Mastercard is assembling the counterparties it needs so that if stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and other digital-dollar instruments become meaningful payment rails, those flows can still pass through Mastercard’s acceptance, trust, and settlement layers rather than around them.

The partner program is essentially a public index page for infrastructure already under construction. Mastercard spent years building crypto card issuance, merchant-facing acceptance tools, compliance controls, digital asset services, and tokenized settlement rails.

The new program packages those pieces into a clearer pitch: digital assets can move faster and on more programmable rails, while regulated money movement and merchant access can still run through the existing network.

Related Reading

Has Mastercard accepted the inevitability of crypto? Spends $2B on tokenization platform

Mastercard’s rumored deal for Zero Hash marks the moment stablecoin settlement leaves the sandbox and enters the payments mainstream.

Oct 30, 2025 · Andjela Radmilac

The real contest here is about who controls digital money once it starts moving in remittances, merchant settlement, payouts, treasury transfers, and issuer-acquirer flows. Stablecoins create the possibility of a cheaper or faster side road around traditional card economics. Mastercard’s answer appears to be to absorb that side road into its own governed routes.

Additionally, on March 3, Mastercard and SoFi said they would enable SoFiUSD settlement across the Mastercard network. That was a more operational proof point than the broader partner rollout on March 11. It tied a named stablecoin to network settlement, which is much closer to real payment plumbing than an open-ended ecosystem statement.

Put together, the two announcements suggest Mastercard is moving from “we support digital assets” language toward specific settlement use cases with branded instruments and defined network pathways.

The new announcement is a wrapper around an older build

Mastercard’s latest move makes more sense when viewed as strategic packaging around an existing build. The company has been laying this groundwork for years. In 2021, it rolled out a card program for cryptocurrency companies, aiming to simplify issuance and bring more crypto-linked payment products onto its rails.

That was an early sign that the company saw the risk of treating crypto as an external market to observe from a distance. It wanted to be the network used when crypto touched consumer payments.

Since then, Mastercard has expanded its digital-asset stack across multiple layers of the transaction chain. Its broader overview of digital asset services points to work across acceptance, card programs, settlement, identity, and compliance. Its network materials describe a system intended to connect financial institutions and businesses in tokenized transactions.

Related Reading

Chainlink surges 14% after partnering with Mastercard to bring 3 billion users direct access to crypto

Chainlink's interoperability technology leverages Mastercard's global network for seamless on-chain fiat-to-crypto transactions.

Jun 24, 2025 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

In plain English, Mastercard has been building payment plumbing for a world where some bank money and transaction settlements happen in blockchain form.

That is why the partner roster looks like a map of dependencies. A network trying to stay central in digital-dollar flows needs blockchains to host assets, custodians to hold them, compliance firms to screen them, banks to issue or support them, processors to route them, and merchant-facing infrastructure to put them to work in commerce.

The companies in Mastercard’s new program span those categories, making the list less a show of breadth than a map of function. It sketches the minimum coalition needed to keep on-chain money connected to off-chain commerce.

Mastercard is building the rails for digital dollars to settle, move, and reconcile behind the scenes while merchants, banks, and users continue to interact with familiar payment experiences. So, the visible consumer experience may change little even if the underlying money flows become more blockchain-native.

A shopper can still tap a card or approve a wallet transaction. A merchant can still see ordinary checkout flows. The real change happens in settlement, when the money actually lands, how fast it moves, whether it can move on weekends, and which intermediary controls the trust layer around that transfer.

Stablecoins are the real prize because settlement is the real battleground

Mastercard’s own recent messaging points in that direction. In 2025, the company enabled stablecoins, including USDC, PYUSD, USDG, and FIUSD, on its network. It also announced end-to-end capabilities for stablecoin transactions, from wallets to checkouts, in a release focused on the movement of value across the payment chain rather than on crypto as an investment story.

Related Reading

Mastercard launches stablecoin payment support via partnerships with major crypto companies

The new Mastercard foray into crypto includes a card in partnership with OKX to spend stablecoins.

Apr 28, 2025 · Gino Matos

That push covered wallet enablement, merchant acceptance, and settlement functionality. Read together, those materials point to a company trying to make digital-dollar movement usable inside the network, not merely adjacent to it.

The near-term use cases follow from that design. Remittances are one. Cross-border payouts are another. B2B transfers, supplier payments, treasury movement, and merchant settlement all fit the model. These are areas where 24/7 transfer capability, faster finality, and programmable conditions can have practical value even before consumers see a major change at checkout.

Tokenized deposits become relevant for the same reason. They are bank deposits issued in blockchain form, which makes them easier to route through programmable systems while keeping them tied to regulated institutions.

A crypto exchange can help distribute or interface with digital assets. A custody provider can hold them. A compliance vendor can screen counterparties and transactions. A banking partner can issue the money or support the fiat leg. A processor or network layer can move instructions and settle them into the existing merchant universe. Mastercard appears to want a seat at that intersection, where blockchain-native assets meet the trusted controls, rules, and acceptance footprint of traditional payments.

Visa’s recent actions are in alignment. In late 2025, Visa announced U.S. stablecoin settlement in a release centered on settlement integration. That suggests both major card networks have reached a similar conclusion: stablecoins are becoming credible rails for back-end money movement. Neither network appears willing to leave that territory open for banks, fintechs, or crypto infrastructure firms to own outright.

Still, the opportunity is real, but not fully mainstream yet.

The strongest reporting guardrail in this article is to separate gross on-chain volume from actual payment usage. A review from McKinsey, citing Artemis data, estimated annualized “actual stablecoin payments” at roughly $390 billion. That is a meaningful base, but it is much smaller than the most inflated readings of raw stablecoin transfer volume.

So stablecoins have not replaced card networks in commerce. Instead, they have become important enough in settlement and money movement that card networks are now building to contain the threat and capture the upside.

DefiLlama put total stablecoin market capitalization at about $309.0 billion. BVNK reported that 77% of surveyed crypto users would open a stablecoin wallet if their bank or fintech offered one, while 28% convert or spend stablecoins within days. And a16z's stablecoin estimate of $46 trillion in transaction volume last year should be treated as directional evidence of on-chain dollar movement rather than a pure payments number.

Taken together, those figures paint a clear picture: the market is already large enough to matter, but it is still early enough that control of the rails remains up for grabs.

If major retailers, large fintech stacks, processors, or bank consortia can move more value over stablecoin or tokenized-money systems, they may eventually reduce dependence on traditional card-settlement economics. Reporting from the Journal on Walmart and Amazon exploring stablecoins captured the direction of travel. Mastercard’s partner program can be read as a defensive response to that possibility. There's no panic or pivoting. It is network defense.

The next proof points are straightforward.

• Watch for more issuer settlement announcements, merchant settlement rollouts, bank stablecoin launches, tokenized-deposit pilots, and case studies tied to Mastercard’s Multi-Token Network.
• Watch for processors and acquirers moving recurring production settlement flows onto these rails. Most of all, watch for disclosed volume.

That is where we will see either things harden into a measurable shift in payment infrastructure or fade back into branding.

For now, Mastercard’s crypto partner program looks less like a broad endorsement of crypto and more like an attempt to shape where digital dollars travel next.

The company has published the ecosystem map. The harder question is whether the next wave of stablecoin settlement will keep using Mastercard’s network layers, or whether parts of the market will decide they no longer need them.

The post Mastercard frantically doubles down on crypto to avoid becoming irrelevant and losing control appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Why Are Gold and Silver Crashing While Bitcoin Is Rising?

Global markets are sending a confusing signal. Precious metals — traditionally considered safe haven assets during uncertainty — have suddenly dropped, while Bitcoin is moving in the opposite direction.

In the last few hours, silver fell sharply and gold also declined, wiping hundreds of billions of dollars from the metals market. At the same time, Bitcoin managed to reclaim the $73,000 level, even as geopolitical tensions and economic concerns dominate global headlines.

This unusual divergence is raising an important question: why are traditional safe havens falling while Bitcoin rises?

Gold and Silver See Sudden Sell-Off

Gold and silver markets experienced a sharp drop within a short period of time. According to market trackers, roughly $1 trillion in market value was wiped from the precious metals sector in just a few hours as both metals moved lower simultaneously.

Silver dropped significantly, falling below key support levels while gold also declined more than 2% during the sell-off.

Normally, geopolitical tensions or economic uncertainty push investors toward safe haven assets such as gold and silver. However, the recent move suggests something different may be happening in global markets.

One possible explanation is liquidity stress. When investors face uncertainty or margin pressure, they sometimes sell profitable assets — including metals — to raise cash.

Another factor may be profit-taking after strong rallies. Precious metals have surged in recent months, and some traders could be locking in gains during heightened volatility.

Economic Warning Signs Are Appearing

At the same time, new economic data is raising concerns about global growth.

Canada’s economy unexpectedly lost 83,900 jobs in February, one of the sharpest monthly declines seen in years. The surprising drop has triggered fears that economic momentum in North America could be slowing.

Weak employment data can affect global markets because it signals reduced consumer spending and potential economic contraction. When investors begin to worry about economic slowdowns, volatility often increases across multiple asset classes.

This kind of uncertainty can trigger sudden capital movements between markets.

Geopolitical Tensions Add More Pressure

Another key factor influencing markets is rising geopolitical tension.

Recent developments in the Middle East have increased concerns about energy supply disruptions. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, remains a critical point of risk for global energy markets.

Around 20% of global oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning any disruption could send oil prices sharply higher and increase inflation pressures worldwide.

Such geopolitical risks usually push investors toward safe assets — but the current market behavior suggests investors may be repositioning capital differently this time.

Bitcoin Is Moving the Other Way

While metals fell, Bitcoin managed to reclaim the $73,000 level, showing resilience despite global uncertainty.

This raises an interesting possibility: Bitcoin may be starting to behave differently in the current macro environment.

For years, Bitcoin has been described as “digital gold.” During certain market events, investors view it as a hedge against monetary instability, inflation, or geopolitical shocks.

The recent move could reflect capital rotation, where investors move funds between asset classes depending on liquidity, volatility, and perceived opportunity.

In this case, some traders may see Bitcoin as offering higher upside potential compared with traditional safe havens.

A Strange Signal From Global Markets

The current market environment is unusual because several signals are happening at the same time:

• Gold and silver are falling
• Economic data is weakening
• Geopolitical tensions are rising
• Bitcoin is climbing

Such a combination suggests investors are still trying to determine where the safest and most profitable place for capital may be.

Whether Bitcoin continues to rise while metals struggle remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: global markets are entering a period of unusual volatility and shifting narratives.

Investors are currently transitioning from a state of "Extreme Fear" encountered earlier in the month toward a "Risk-On" appetite. This shift is primarily driven by the flagship cryptocurrency, Bitcoin ($BTC), which has successfully breached the $72,500 resistance and is now aggressively testing the psychological $73,000 milestone.

While the global macroeconomic landscape remains plagued by uncertainty—ranging from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East to shifting Federal Reserve policies—the "bears" are finally letting go. This decoupling from traditional equities suggests that cryptocurrencies are once again being viewed as a hedge against global instability. Within this bullish vortex, Cardano ($ADA) is positioning itself for a significant move.

Is ADA Price Heading to $0.40?

Yes, the current technical structure suggests that the Cardano price is preparing for a leg up toward the $0.40 mark. With Bitcoin providing the necessary market liquidity and sentiment tailwinds, ADA has managed to stabilize above its critical support levels. If the current buying pressure continues, $0.40 represents the first major resistance zone that could define the trend for Q2 2026.

The Macro Backdrop: Why Are Crypto Prices UP?

The broader market rally isn't just about price action; it’s about a fundamental shift in global liquidity. Several factors are contributing to this environment:

1. Bitcoin Resilience: By trading near its all-time highs of $73,000, Bitcoin is acting as a "gravity well" for capital, pulling the rest of the altcoin market higher.
2. Institutional Inflows: Spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen record inflows this week, totaling over $700 million, signaling that the "Smart Money" is betting on a continued expansion.
3. Governance Milestones: For Cardano specifically, the implementation of the CIP-1694 governance model and the rollout of Plutus V3 have strengthened the network’s value proposition.

Cardano Price Analysis: Breaking Down the Chart

Analyzing the current ADA/USD price chart, we see a classic "Bottoming Out" formation. After a period of heavy consolidation between $0.25 and $0.28, ADA is finally showing signs of life.

Key Support and Resistance Levels

Indicators and Momentum

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for ADA has recently climbed out of the oversold territory and is currently hovering around 45-50. This indicates that there is plenty of "room to run" before the asset becomes overbought. Additionally, whale data indicates that large holders (wallets with 100M+ ADA) have accumulated nearly $35 million in tokens over the last 48 hours, suggesting they anticipate a breakout.

Cardano Price Prediction: The Path to $0.40 and Beyond

For the ADA price to reach $0.40, it must first reclaim the $0.313 level with high volume. This would invalidate the short-term bearish "head and shoulders" patterns seen on smaller timeframes.

• Phase 1 (The Breakout): A daily close above $0.30 would trigger a wave of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), likely pushing the price toward $0.34.
• Phase 2 (The Consolidation): Expect some resistance at the 200-day Moving Average (near $0.49), but a push to $0.40 is highly probable if Bitcoin holds above $71,000.
• Phase 3 (The Target): Once $0.40 is touched, Cardano would enter a new liquidity zone, potentially opening the doors for a move toward $0.54 by mid-2026.

According to data from Investing.com, the regulatory clarity provided by the upcoming "Clarity Act" in the US could be the final catalyst needed for this move.

What Should Investors Do?

While the outlook is bullish, traders should remain cautious of the "March Trap." High volatility means that "wick hunts"—where prices briefly dip to liquidate over-leveraged long positions—are common. It is essential to use proper risk management tools.

Summary of the Bullish Thesis

• Bitcoin (BTC) breaching $73,000 creates a "rising tide" for all alts.
• Whale accumulation suggests a market bottom has been formed for ADA.
• Technical Breakout: Cardano is eyeing a 40% gain from current levels to hit the $0.40 target.

Bitcoin Reclaims Key Levels Amid Regulatory Clarity

The crypto market is witnessing a significant breakout as we head into the weekend of March 13, 2026. After a period of consolidation, Bitcoin has surged past the $72,000 resistance level, currently trading at approximately $72,540. This 3.2% daily gain comes as institutional confidence is bolstered by a historic announcement from U.S. regulators and the successful launch of high-yield investment products.

For traders tracking the current trend: the "Extreme Fear" sentiment from earlier in the week is rapidly dissipating. The primary driver is the newly announced "Joint Harmonization Initiative" between the SEC and CFTC. Bitcoin’s move to $72,500 signals that the market is beginning to price in a more stable, "fit-for-purpose" regulatory environment in the United States.

The SEC and CFTC "Harmonization": Why It’s Pumping the Market

The most impactful news today is the official agreement between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to collaborate on a unified crypto oversight framework.

Historically, the "tug-of-war" between these two agencies over whether assets are securities or commodities created immense market friction. According to reports from Reuters, this new initiative aims to:

1. Streamline Reporting: Create formal data-sharing protocols for digital asset exchanges.
2. Clarify Jurisdiction: Provide a clear "checklist" to determine agency oversight, reducing legal uncertainty for developers.
3. Promote Innovation: Align with the broader federal policy goals of the current administration to make the U.S. a global "crypto hub."

This regulatory "cheer" has successfully offset global jitters regarding energy prices and geopolitical tensions, providing the necessary liquidity for Bitcoin to retest its yearly highs.

BlackRock’s ETHB Debut: $15.5 Million in Day One Volume

While Bitcoin leads the price action, Ethereum is capturing the "yield" narrative. BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) officially began trading on Nasdaq on March 12, 2024.

The fund recorded $15.5 million in trading volume on its first day, a result described by Bloomberg analysts as "very respectable" for a new ETF category. ETHB allows institutional investors to earn approximately 3.1% annual yield from staking rewards, distributed monthly. This launch confirms that the transition from passive holding to active "productive" crypto assets is well underway.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Is $80,000 Next for Bitcoin?

With Bitcoin holding firmly at $72,500, technical analysts are eyeing the psychological $75,000 resistance.

The divergence between Bitcoin and traditional equities is notable today; while the S&P 500 showed weakness due to oil market volatility, Bitcoin acted as a "digital gold" hedge, fueled by the $115 million weekly inflow into BlackRock’s IBIT fund.

Summary and Outlook

The convergence of regulatory peace and institutional product innovation has created a "perfect storm" for the $72,500 breakout. As the market digests the implications of the SEC-CFTC cooperation, volatility is expected to remain high. The focus for the next 48 hours will be whether BTC can flip the $72,000 mark into a permanent support floor.

Global financial markets are once again facing rising geopolitical uncertainty. Oil prices are climbing as tensions escalate across key energy regions, while governments and energy companies move quickly to protect critical infrastructure.

A new development illustrates how rapidly the global energy landscape is evolving. The world’s largest oil producer, Saudi Aramco, is reportedly in talks with Ukrainian firms to purchase specialized interceptor drones designed to defend oil facilities from potential Iranian drone attacks.

At the same time, President Donald Trump has stated that rising oil prices could benefit the United States because the country has become one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Together, these developments highlight how energy security is becoming a central issue for global markets — and why crypto investors are paying attention.

Oil Infrastructure Is Becoming a Strategic Target

Energy facilities have increasingly become targets during geopolitical conflicts. Drone attacks on refineries, pipelines, and export terminals can disrupt global oil supply within hours.

For companies like Saudi Aramco, protecting infrastructure is therefore a top priority.

Ukraine has developed sophisticated drone defense systems during the Russia–Ukraine War, including interceptor drones capable of stopping incoming unmanned aerial vehicles before they reach critical targets.

Reports indicate Saudi Aramco is now exploring these technologies to strengthen its defenses against potential attacks.

This reflects a broader shift in modern warfare, where relatively inexpensive drones can threaten infrastructure worth billions of dollars.

Oil Prices React to Rising Risk

Energy markets are extremely sensitive to geopolitical tensions. Even the threat of disruption to major producers can push oil prices sharply higher.

Recent headlines have already contributed to volatility in financial markets, with billions of dollars wiped from global stock valuations as investors reacted to rising geopolitical risk and oil prices moving higher.

One of the most sensitive energy chokepoints remains the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil exports pass.

Any disruption to shipping in this region could trigger major price spikes and ripple effects across global markets.

Trump Highlights the U.S. Energy Advantage

President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the situation, noting that the United States benefits from high oil prices due to its status as a major producer.

Over the past decade, the U.S. has dramatically increased production through shale extraction, transforming the country into one of the world’s largest oil suppliers.

If geopolitical tensions push oil prices higher, American energy exports could play an increasingly important role in stabilizing global markets.

However, higher oil prices can also contribute to inflation and market volatility.

Why Crypto Investors Are Watching Oil

For cryptocurrency markets, developments in energy markets often serve as early signals of macroeconomic changes.

When oil prices surge, several effects tend to follow:

• Inflation expectations increase
• Central banks may delay interest rate cuts
• Global financial markets become more volatile

These conditions can initially pressure risk assets such as cryptocurrencies.

At the same time, prolonged geopolitical instability can strengthen Bitcoin’s narrative as a hedge against global uncertainty.

As traditional markets react to geopolitical shocks, some investors begin exploring alternative stores of value.

Is Bitcoin Becoming a Crisis Hedge?

The idea of Bitcoin acting as “digital gold” has been debated for years. During periods of geopolitical instability, this narrative often returns.

Rising oil prices, drone threats to critical infrastructure, and shifting energy alliances are once again forcing investors to reconsider how global crises affect financial markets.

Whether Bitcoin ultimately behaves like a risk asset or a crisis hedge will depend largely on liquidity conditions and investor sentiment.

What is clear, however, is that geopolitical developments in energy markets are increasingly influencing the cryptocurrency landscape.

The Ethereum price has recently demonstrated significant strength, establishing a firm base above the $1,900 support zone. After a period of intense volatility in early 2026, driven by macroeconomic shifts and geopolitical tensions, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap is showing signs of a structural bottom.

Is the Ethereum Bottom In?

Current market data confirms that the ETH USD pair has successfully navigated a high-tension consolidation block. Traders are closely watching the $1,900 region, which has served as a critical pivot point.

So we can safely say yes, the Ethereum price has stabilized above $1.9k. This stabilization is backed by a "scarcity index" turning positive and massive exchange outflows, indicating that whales are moving assets into cold storage.

• Key Metrics: As of March 12, 2026, ETH is trading above $2,050, recovering from recent local lows.

Ethereum Price Analysis: Decoding the ETH Chart

Analyzing the recent ETH/USD price action reveals a "coil" effect. The price has been trapped between a descending trendline and a static horizontal support.

Support and Resistance Zones

The technical structure shows a bullish divergence on the daily RSI. While the price made lower lows in early March, the RSI formed higher lows, suggesting that bearish momentum is fading. For a confirmed breakout, ETH needs a weekly close above $2,160 on high volume. This would clear the path toward the 50-day moving average (currently near $2,247) and eventually the $3,000 target.

On-Chain Fundamentals: Whales are Accumulating

Despite the "bleak" retail sentiment, professional investors are positioning themselves for a reversal.

• Exchange Outflows: Within a recent 48-hour window, over $155 million in ETH was withdrawn from major exchanges like Binance and Kraken.
• Institutional Inflows: BlackRock recently expanded its suite with a Staked Ethereum ETP, signalling that Wall Street's appetite for Ethereum's yield-bearing properties remains high.
• Network Upgrades: The upcoming "Glamsterdam" and "Hegota" upgrades are set to enhance parallel execution and sharding, potentially slashing Layer-2 fees by 95%.

"The current consolidation suggests bears are losing momentum. Historical data shows that ETH often delivers sharp relief bounces from these 'Extreme Fear' zones." — Market Analyst Insight.

The Path to $3,000: What Needs to Happen?

For the Ethereum price to reach $3,000, two major catalysts are required:

• Macro Stabilization: A shift in global risk sentiment, potentially sparked by a pause in interest rate hikes or a de-escalation of energy-related geopolitical conflicts.
• Altcoin Season: Historically, Ethereum outperforms Bitcoin once $BTC dominance stabilizes. If the Altcoin Season Index crosses the 75-mark, $ETH is likely to lead the charge.

The company is taking a broad look at crypto-native firms that could generate interest on Wall Street.

Former hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller expects stablecoins to take over payments systems in the next 10-15 years.

Six North Korean individuals and two entities were hit with U.S. sanctions over an alleged crypto-fueled fraud scheme targeting U.S. firms.

The team behind Story Protocol has let go of several employees and contractors as it explores opportunities associated with AI agents.

A pair of planned Dubai conferences, Token2049 and TON Connect, have been pulled from the calendar amid Middle East unrest.

Fidelity Investments’ Jurrien Timmer is convinced that Bitcoin has established a cyclical floor at the $60,000 level.

Starknet founder Eli Ben-Sasson reacts to evidence from 2010 proving that Satoshi Nakamoto and Hal Finney supported the creation of altcoins. Discover how the "original vision" for Bitcoin embraced a multichain ecosystem over modern maximalism.

Current countdown for Litecoin (LTC) halving is in about 500 days.

Rippled, the reference server implementation of the XRP Ledger protocol, has gotten a new release that improves node stability.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) surges 17% this week, marking its strongest performance since December 2025. Bollinger Bands analysis signals further 22% upside potential toward $0.00000760.

The Bitcoin price news cycle is running with Binance Research’s data that reveals that the 12 months following US midterm elections have averaged a 54% Bitcoin gain across the three post-midterm years on record.

Binance is calling the pattern a post-midterm stretch, which could potentially be the strongest recovery window in the cycle.

Yet, this is expected to come in November, which may not do much for the current BTC price forecast. This is why fresh opportunities are so potent.

For example, DeepSnitch AI, a presale with $2.1M raised and 100x-300x community projections, is releasing on March 31, making it the perfect bridge until the midterm elections recovery materializes.

Can midterm elections trigger Bitcoin’s next recovery?

Binance Research published data showing that Bitcoin has logged significant drawdowns during midterm election years, including a 73% decline in 2018 and a 64% drop in 2022. Yet, a sharp rebound always followed in the 12 months following the vote.

Resolving political uncertainty through election outcomes has historically been the trigger for powerful risk asset rallies. With the November 2026 midterms eight months out, Binance suggests the setup could mirror previous cycles if macro conditions stabilize.

It’s worth stressing that the current situation is messy, to say the least. Oil briefly spiked to $95 per barrel, and overall escalation at that level keeps pressure on risk assets regardless of what historical election cycles suggest. The Bitcoin price news right now is caught between a bullish long-term pattern and a volatile near-term macro environment without a clear ending in sight.

This is exactly why traders are exploring altcoins and presale projects until the situation stabilizes.

Coins to watch in March 2026

1. DeepSnitch AI: Anticipation for a DSNT pump sky-high after the March 31 launch date was announced

Midterm tailwinds are a real force, according to Binance. Yet, who can wait for months until the chart moves an inch?

DeepSnitch AI was not only resilient to volatility, but it also doesn’t require macro conditions to run. The Uniswap launch (more CEX and DEX listings will likely follow) is on March 31, and the platform is already live.

This basically means that the community projections that go as high as 300x are backed by an actual product instead of oil prices.

While its breakout potential is clear, the underlying utility is the main driver of hype. Combining five AI agents into a live dashboard, DeepSnitch AI centralizes lifesaving crypto analytics services into a single window.

From tracking sentiment shifts and FUD to finding breakout setups, the dashboard practically does the same thing you’d need a dozen other tools for.

Ultimately, the Bitcoin price news cycle rewards traders who position early, and DeepSnitch AI offers the last chance to get it at $0.04399. The returns could be parabolic, especially if you apply the DeepSnitch AI discount codes that give you as many as 300% extra tokens for large allocations – so save the date.

2. Bitcoin: What’s next for Bitcoin?

According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin pumped to $71.4K on March 13.

BTC market news is currently bullish, especially with the idea of a post-midterm relief rally. But what’s the Bitcoin price analysis today projecting?

In short, Bitcoin is gearing up for a test of the 50-day SMA. Since the overall vibe favors the buyers, it’s very likely that Bitcoin could challenge the $74K resistance next. If it closes, then the Bitcoin price news will go through the roof as this would complete a bullish ascending triangle pattern, which could culminate in a test of $84K.

Since the bear market is still around, though, Bitcoin losing the support and turning down from the current levels could either lock it in a tight range or push the price back to $62.5K, negating the entire setup.

3. Solana: Will Solana finally move?

Solana swapped hands at $88 on March 13, according to CoinMarketCap.

Still in its $76-$95 range, Solana traders are hoping that the bullish Bitcoin price news will rub off on SOL. However, the technical setup itself is solid, and if SOL pushes past $95, it’s only a matter of time until it targets $117.

Further decline and a close below $76 will run the coin down to $67 or even as low as $57.

Final thoughts: Why wait around?

Bitcoin logging 54% average gains in the 12 months after midterms is a key historical data point that could play out again. That’s practically months and months of handling losses, hoping that the November pump saves your bag.

DeepSnitch AI cuts through both the Bitcoin price news and murmurs about the altseason. March 31 launch on Uniswap is where the magic will happen, and hopefully, the 100x-300x price predictions will turn out to be true.

It’s worth stressing that even a smaller rally is more than worth it with the exclusive bonuses you still have time to claim. If you’re investing $30K+, enter the DSNTVIP300 code at checkout and claim 300% extra DSNT tokens after launch.

Jump aboard the DeepSnitch AI presale train before the window closes. For the latest updates, check out what the community is cooking up on X or Telegram.

FAQs

1. What does Binance Research’s midterm data mean for the Bitcoin price news?

Post-midterm years have averaged 54% BTC gains across three cycles. November 2026 is the trigger date. Near-term Bitcoin price news remains volatile with oil at $95 and Middle East escalation keeping pressure on risk assets.

2. What are the key Bitcoin price levels traders are watching right now?

BTC is pushing toward the 50-day SMA with $74K as the critical resistance. Closing above it completes a bullish ascending triangle targeting $84K. Losing current support reopens $62.5K and potentially invalidates the entire short-term setup.

3. Why are traders choosing DeepSnitch AI over waiting for Bitcoin price news to improve?

March 31 TGE beats an eight-month wait on midterm tailwinds. Live platform, $2.1M raised, Uniswap listing confirmed, and 100x-300x community projections that don’t depend on oil prices or Senate schedules to play out.

The post Bitcoin Price News: DeepSnitch AI Powers Through With $2.1M Raised in Presale Ahead of March 31 Uniswap Launch, BTC Price Forecast Solid, SOL Remains Range-Locked appeared first on Blockonomi.

Every time a player deposits money into an online gambling platform, they are making a decision about value. Not just the odds on a single bet or the RTP on a particular slot, but the total value the platform delivers across everything it touches — bonuses, game selection, loyalty returns, payment costs, and withdrawal speed. These factors compound over time. A platform that edges ahead on each of them delivers a meaningfully better experience over weeks and months of regular play. Unibet and ZunaBet both want to be that platform for players in 2026, but the value they deliver sits at different levels when you break it down category by category.

Unibet: A Dependable All-Round Platform

Unibet started in 1997 in Sweden and has grown into one of the more recognisable names in European online gambling. Now operating under the Kindred Group with a London Stock Exchange listing, the platform holds licenses from the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and regulators in several additional jurisdictions including select US states. It covers both casino gaming and sports betting from a single account and has built its brand around being a solid, reliable choice that does everything reasonably well.

The sportsbook is arguably the strongest element. Football receives deep coverage with extensive markets, joined by tennis, basketball, ice hockey, horse racing, golf, and a wide range of other sports. Live betting is smooth and responsive with competitive odds across major events. The sportsbook product has matured through years of investment and ranks among the better options in the European market.

Casino content draws from known providers including NetEnt, Play’n GO, Evolution, and others. The library holds between one and two thousand titles depending on the jurisdiction, covering slots, table games, live dealer rooms, and video poker. It is a well-rounded collection built through established studio relationships that handles mainstream categories without pushing for maximum scale.

Banking runs through standard infrastructure. Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Trustly, Skrill, Neteller, bank transfers, and market-specific options are all available. E-wallets offer the fastest cashout path at several hours while bank and card methods extend across multiple business days. Cross-border transactions may carry conversion charges and additional processing time. The system is thorough but carries the inherent speed limitations of traditional finance.

Player rewards at Unibet mix a points-based loyalty system in some markets with ongoing promotional campaigns across the platform. Free bets, deposit matches, free spins, and enhanced odds rotate through on a regular basis. The combined return varies by market and by timing, providing some ongoing value without a single transparent framework that tells every player precisely what their activity earns.

ZunaBet: Where Every Feature Points Toward Player Value

ZunaBet went live in 2026 under Strathvale Group Ltd with an Anjouan gaming license. A team with over 20 years of combined gambling experience designed every system on crypto-native infrastructure with one overriding objective — return more value to the player than traditional platforms do. That objective shaped the game library, the bonus structure, the loyalty programme, and the payment system in equal measure.

The game catalog makes the scale of that ambition immediately apparent. ZunaBet lists 11,294 games from 63 providers. Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Hacksaw Gaming, Yggdrasil, and BGaming headline the roster, with more than fifty other studios contributing to a library that stretches across slots, live dealer tables, and RNG games with variety that traditional operators cannot match. Having access to this many titles on a single platform means players spend less time looking for something to play and more time actually playing.

Sports betting shares top billing with the casino. Football, basketball, tennis, hockey, and major global sports get full market coverage. Esports are embedded as a core category with markets on CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant. Virtual sports and combat sports broaden the appeal. The sportsbook was engineered to stand alone rather than exist as an appendage to the casino.

The welcome bonus is built to make a strong first impression that lasts. Up to $5,000 plus 75 free spins across three deposits provides new players with a starting advantage that dwarfs what most traditional operators offer. First deposit earns 100% up to $2,000 with 25 spins. Second earns 50% up to $1,500 with 25 spins. Third earns 100% up to $1,500 with 25 spins. Each deposit creates its own bonus event, keeping value flowing across multiple funding moments.

Payments operate entirely through crypto. Over 20 coins are supported — BTC, ETH, USDT across multiple chains, SOL, DOGE, ADA, XRP, and many more. No platform fees. Blockchain-based withdrawals process without bank involvement, without business day dependencies, and without geographic speed variations. Every player on the platform gets the same fast, free financial experience.

Native apps run on iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS. A dark-themed responsive interface loads quickly across devices. Support through live chat is available at all hours.

The Opening Offer: What Your First Deposits Buy

Welcome bonuses are the most visible way a platform communicates how much it values a new player. The difference between Unibet and ZunaBet on this front sets the tone for everything that follows.

Unibet’s welcome offers vary across markets and between casino and sportsbook products. Casino bonuses typically involve deposit matches with moderate ceilings. Sportsbook offers may include risk-free bets or bonus credits. The combined value is serviceable but designed to manage the platform’s exposure rather than dramatically enhance the player’s starting position.

ZunaBet’s three-deposit structure reaching $5,000 plus 75 free spins takes a fundamentally different approach. Three separate bonus events across three deposits mean players keep receiving substantial added value well past their first session. The total package exceeds traditional welcome offers by several multiples, giving players more room to explore the platform, try different games, and build familiarity before their bonus runway expires.

Loyalty Economics: How Much Comes Back

After the welcome bonus runs out, the loyalty programme determines the ongoing return on a player’s activity. This is where the structural difference between these platforms matters most over the long term.

Unibet blends a points system in certain markets with promotional campaigns that cycle through the platform. The combination produces some return for regular players, but the value fluctuates with promotional timing and varies between markets. Calculating a precise ongoing return requires tracking multiple inputs that shift from period to period. The system works but lacks the clarity that allows players to easily understand what their loyalty is worth in concrete terms.

ZunaBet designed its loyalty system to eliminate that ambiguity. The dragon evolution programme runs six tiers — Squire at 1% rakeback, Warden at 2%, Champion at 4%, Divine at 5%, Knight at 10%, and Ultimate at 20%. A dragon mascot named Zuno evolves with each tier. Higher levels bring up to 1,000 free spins, VIP club membership, and double wheel spins.

Rakeback cuts through the complexity of points and promotions with a single number — the percentage of qualifying wagers that comes back to the player. It runs on every session at a fixed rate. No promotional calendar to consult. No point conversion tables to decode. At 20%, the return is both substantial and completely transparent. Over months of regular play, consistent rakeback at these rates generates more cumulative value than a mixed system of points and variable promotions.

The Hidden Cost of Payment Friction

Value is not just what a platform gives you. It is also what it does not take away. Traditional payment infrastructure introduces costs and delays that chip away at player value in ways that are easy to overlook individually but significant in aggregate.

Unibet supports a wide range of payment methods, each with its own characteristics. E-wallets process faster. Bank methods take days. Currency conversion adds costs for international players. No single transaction feels particularly costly, but across dozens of deposits and withdrawals over months of play, the cumulative impact of banking friction is real.

ZunaBet neutralises that friction completely. Zero fees on every transaction. No conversion charges. No processing delays. Money moves at blockchain speed in both directions, and the player keeps everything they deposit and everything they withdraw. Over the same timeframe that traditional banking quietly erodes value, ZunaBet’s zero-cost instant processing preserves it entirely.

More Games, More Value

A larger game library is not just about bragging rights. It translates directly into player value through increased variety, better chances of finding games that match individual preferences, and a longer useful lifespan on the platform before content fatigue sets in.

Unibet’s one to two thousand games serve casual and moderate players adequately. But players who explore broadly, favour niche categories, or simply enjoy discovering new titles will eventually feel the limits of a traditionally sized library.

ZunaBet’s 11,294 games from 63 providers create a fundamentally different dynamic. The sheer volume means players can rotate between categories, discover new studios, and find hidden favourites for months without running out of fresh options. That sustained novelty keeps the platform engaging over time in a way that smaller libraries struggle to achieve.

Where the Value Actually Lives

Unibet has spent nearly three decades building a platform that delivers reliable all-round performance. Strong regulatory standing, a competitive sportsbook, and a recognised brand give it real strengths. For players who prefer traditional banking and value established European regulation, Unibet provides a dependable experience.

ZunaBet delivers more value in every category that directly impacts the player. A welcome bonus reaching $5,000 across three deposits versus moderate traditional offers. Over 11,000 games versus one to two thousand. Rakeback up to 20% versus a mixed system of points and variable promotions. Instant crypto payments with zero fees versus conventional banking with its delays and costs. A sportsbook with permanent esports markets versus one focused primarily on traditional sports.

When value is the question, the answer comes down to measurement. On bonus size, game count, loyalty returns, and payment efficiency, ZunaBet leads at every point. For players in 2026 who choose based on what they measurably receive from a platform, ZunaBet offers the better deal by a margin that is hard to argue with.

The post Getting More for Your Money: A Value Comparison Between Unibet and ZunaBet appeared first on Blockonomi.

JPMorgan just got sued for allegedly letting $328 million in crypto fraud flow straight through its accounts, and it knew. That’s the allegation at the heart of a class action that names one of the world’s most powerful banks as a knowing participant in a Ponzi scheme.

Goliath Ventures ran for three years, funds landed directly in Coinbase wallets, and prosecutors say the red flags were there the entire time. If the case holds, it rewrites the liability rules for every traditional bank servicing crypto businesses.

That case is a reminder that risk in financial markets never fully goes away, and that the demand for real verification tools has never been higher. Over $2.1M has flowed into DeepSnitch AI’s presale from investors who understand that.

The platform is live today, contract analysis tools are already accessible, and the TGE hits Uniswap on March 31st. While JPMorgan’s KYC processes allegedly missed $328 million in red flags, DSNT is built to catch them before a single dollar moves.

JPMorgan sued over a crypto Ponzi scheme

Investors have filed a class action against JPMorgan, alleging the bank ignored suspicious transactions and allowed Goliath Ventures to funnel $328 million in fraudulent investor funds through its accounts.

A parallel federal criminal case targets Goliath CEO Christopher Delgado, who faces up to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors allege the scheme ran from January 2023 through January 2026, with funds flowing through JPMorgan, Bank of America, and directly into Coinbase wallets.

The lawsuit’s core argument, that JPMorgan’s own KYC processes gave it knowledge of Goliath’s unlicensed operations, sets up a significant legal test for how far traditional banks can be held liable for servicing crypto businesses later exposed as fraudulent.

The case reinforces two persistent headwinds: reputational risk from high-profile fraud and the regulatory scrutiny that follows. It also puts pressure on exchanges like Coinbase, which received funds directly, to demonstrate increasingly rigorous onboarding and transaction monitoring standards.

Top 3 crypto presales to buy in 2026: DeepSnitch AI, BlockDAG and Pepeto

DeepSnitch AI price prediction: DeepSnitch AI’s utility bid is running hot ahead of launch

The JPMorgan class action alleging the bank overlooked $328 million in fraudulent transactions is a reminder that risk in financial markets never fully goes away. Crypto is no different: rug pulls get worse in sideways conditions and bad contracts slip through when attention drifts, regardless of what narrative is dominating at the time.

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.

The traction speaks for itself. Over $2.1 million raised, with more than 42 million tokens already staked. That staked supply reduces sell pressure and signals that early holders are here for the long run, not a quick exit.

At $0.04399 with nearly 190% presale growth already on the board, DeepSnitch AI has real momentum before it even lists, while competitors like Pepeto are still selling roadmap promises.

As on-chain activity keeps growing, contract verification only becomes more valuable. That’s the real asymmetry here: demand built on utility, not trend cycles.

BlockDAG news: Can BDAG win the L1 competition?

The latest BlockDAG news shows that BDAG crosses into live trading. Tokens airdropped on March 3, exchange liquidity launched March 4 at $0.05. The presale chapter closes. A harder one opens.

Early predictions target $0.08–$0.10 within months, a potential 60–100% gain from listing. Presale momentum makes that range credible. The pitch holds up too: parallel processing and high transaction throughput address real infrastructure demand, not manufactured narrative.

But open markets apply a different standard. Fundraising milestones, or bullish BlockDAG news, don’t move prices here. Developer adoption does. Live dApps do. Real network usage does.

What happens on-chain in the weeks after launch carries more signal than a hundred positive BlockDAG news. That’s where BlockDAG proves itself, or doesn’t.

Pepeto price prediction: Will frog memes make a comeback in 2026?

Pepeto targets cross-chain friction with a unified interface for all things DeFi. Presale price: $0.000000186. Staking yields reach 209% APY. Early yield-seekers arrive before any listing date exists.

The credibility layer is genuine. Dual audits from SolidProof and Coinsult cover the ground most early-stage projects skip. Token value tied to DEX volume creates a logical, legible growth story.

But the meme coin label is the ceiling as speculative capital chases the next opportunity. Sustaining 209% APY demands real users returning because the product works. Pepeto built something credible, but real adoption determines how far that credibility travels.

The closing thoughts

BDAG raised millions and now has to prove its blockchain was worth it beyond speculative BlockDAG news. Pepeto has the structure but not yet the users.

DeepSnitch AI already has a live product and holders who won’t stop talking about it. At $0.04399, with 190% presale gains and $2.1M raised, the fundamentals are in place before a single exchange candle prints.

Use code DSNTVIP300 to turn $30,000 into $90,000 in tokens, and if those 100x projections land, that math gets very interesting very fast.

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

FAQs

What is the latest BlockDAG news following its exchange listing on March 4th?

Presale tokens were airdropped on March 3rd, and exchange liquidity launched on March 4th at $0.05. The presale chapter now closes, and open market trading begins. Early price targets sit at $0.08–$0.10 within months, contingent on real developer adoption and live dApp deployment.

What do BlockDAG’s post-listing updates say about its price potential?

The early price target of $0.08–$0.10 represents a 60–100% gain from listing, credible if network usage follows. But open markets care about developer activity and live dApps, not presale momentum. Those metrics write the price story from here.

How does BlockDAG compare to DeepSnitch AI right now?

BlockDAG is transitioning from presale to open market, still unproven post-listing. DeepSnitch AI has a live platform, $2.1M+ raised, 190% presale gains, and a confirmed March 31st Uniswap launch. BlockDAG’s best case is a double. DSNT’s starting conversation is 100x.

The post BlockDAG News: As JPMorgan Gets Dragged Into a $328M Crypto Mess, Traders Dump BDAG & Pepeto and Pour $2.1M Into DeepSnitch AI For 100x appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Major tech companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta are partnering with nuclear facilities for reliable data center power.
• Previously decommissioned nuclear plants such as Three Mile Island are being reactivated with corporate investment.
• Advanced small modular reactor technology provides scalable, clean energy solutions close to computing facilities.
• Cryptocurrency mining operations demonstrated nuclear energy’s viability for computationally demanding applications.
• Nuclear capacity expansions and facility restarts address surging electricity requirements from artificial intelligence workloads.

The United States is experiencing a nuclear energy renaissance fueled by technology sector investments as corporations expand their data infrastructure footprint. Power providers are witnessing extraordinary demand from advanced computing operations that require reliable, emissions-free electricity. Industry leaders are forging direct partnerships with atomic energy facilities to guarantee uninterrupted power for continuous computational workloads.

Technology Leaders Forge Nuclear Partnerships for Reliable Energy

Leading technology corporations are establishing extended agreements to obtain nuclear-generated electricity for their computing facilities. Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have committed to multi-year contracts supporting nuclear installations throughout various regions. These strategic partnerships ensure uninterrupted energy delivery and allow power companies to efficiently maintain and enhance existing reactor infrastructure.

Atomic energy installations previously slated for closure are experiencing renewed investment, marking a reversal of historical industry trends. Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island Unit 1 and the Comanche Peak facility in Texas represent reactors benefiting from renewed corporate commitment. These collaborative ventures underscore nuclear technology’s critical importance to supporting contemporary digital infrastructure requirements.

Next-generation small modular reactors represent an innovative approach to positioning energy generation adjacent to intensive computing facilities. Their reduced physical footprint enables accelerated implementation while delivering consistent, environmentally clean power generation. These advanced systems work alongside conventional nuclear installations to satisfy the persistent energy requirements of large-scale data operations.

Cryptocurrency Operations Validated Nuclear’s Computing Potential

Bitcoin miners established the blueprint for positioning computationally intensive operations near atomic power facilities to minimize energy expenses. TeraWulf collaborated with Talen Energy to develop the Nautilus Cryptomine facility immediately adjacent to the Susquehanna nuclear installation. This initiative sourced power directly from the reactor, creating a template for energy-proximate computing ventures.

The achievements of initial nuclear-powered mining operations motivated larger technology firms to explore comparable configurations for artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications. Power generation companies have transformed mining-adjacent locations into expansive data facility complexes. These transformations highlight nuclear energy’s adaptability in supporting next-generation technology infrastructure needs.

Through strategic use of nuclear facilities, operators can enhance capacity via “uprates,” boosting energy production without constructing additional reactors. Vistra and Constellation are incorporating hundreds of additional megawatts throughout their existing plant networks to fulfill extended partnership agreements. These enhancements reflect an evolving perspective treating nuclear reactors as scalable digital backbone infrastructure.

Atomic Energy Strengthens Grid Resilience During AI Growth

Expanding artificial intelligence and cloud computing operations have strained American electrical infrastructure, driving utilities to emphasize nuclear generation. Dominion Energy indicates that data centers account for more than one-quarter of power consumption within its PJM service territory. Nuclear facilities deliver constant, zero-emission electricity that variable renewable sources cannot dependably supply.

Utility providers and technology corporations are collaborating to prolong reactor operational periods and reactivate mothballed facilities. Notable examples include Iowa’s Duane Arnold reactor and Illinois’s Clinton Clean Energy Center. Nuclear power serves as the foundation for a robust, high-capacity electrical infrastructure supporting emerging technological requirements.

The convergence of new construction projects, facility reactivations, and capacity enhancements highlights nuclear energy’s essential function in America’s transforming power landscape. Technology enterprises are financing extended-term nuclear generation to guarantee carbon-neutral, dependable electricity access. Atomic energy currently underpins the accelerated development of AI data centers and advanced computing infrastructure.

The post Nuclear Energy Powers the AI Revolution: How Tech Companies Are Investing in Atomic Energy appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Legendary investor predicts stablecoins will control global payments within 10-15 years.
• Blockchain technology offers superior speed and cost efficiency for international transfers.
• USDT and USDC lead the market in transaction volume and adoption.
• Financial institutions actively test stablecoins for payments and treasury operations.
• Bitcoin maintains its position as a digital store of value.

The global financial system stands at a potential inflection point as digital payment technology challenges conventional infrastructure. Renowned billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller projects that stablecoins will emerge as the dominant force in global payments over the next 10 to 15 years. His forecast underscores growing institutional recognition of blockchain-based payment networks that deliver enhanced speed and reduced transaction costs for international settlements.

Blockchain-Based Payment Systems Attract Institutional Interest

During a conversation with Morgan Stanley released Thursday, Stanley Druckenmiller shared his perspective on the evolution of payment infrastructure. He projected that stablecoin networks could supplant significant segments of existing financial systems. According to Druckenmiller, blockchain architecture delivers superior efficiency while cutting expenses associated with worldwide payment processing.

He characterized the technology as delivering faster execution and lower costs compared to traditional settlement frameworks operated by financial institutions and payment processors. This value proposition has prompted numerous financial organizations to experiment with stablecoin implementations for fund transfers and liquidity operations. The dual benefits of transaction velocity and operational cost reduction continue attracting attention from both institutions and infrastructure providers.

A stablecoin typically preserves stable value through backing assets denominated in conventional currencies like the U.S. dollar. This structure enables stablecoin transactions to eliminate price fluctuation concerns while leveraging blockchain settlement benefits. Financial organizations are therefore examining stablecoin infrastructure for applications including international remittances, e-commerce transactions, and corporate treasury functions.

Market Leaders USDT and USDC Drive Stablecoin Adoption

The worldwide stablecoin landscape currently centers around two primary digital assets. Tether (USDT) alongside USD Coin (USDC) represent the overwhelming majority of stablecoin trading and transfer activity throughout cryptocurrency markets. These instruments enable merchants, corporations, and payment service providers to transmit digital dollar equivalents instantaneously via blockchain infrastructure.

Circle Internet Financial creates and distributes USDC while marketing the token toward financial infrastructure applications. Simultaneously, Tether sustains USDT availability throughout numerous blockchain platforms and trading venues. Both networks facilitate substantial transaction throughput and progressively function as cross-border settlement solutions.

Financial institutions and banking enterprises currently examine stablecoin architectures for prospective incorporation into payment workflows. Analysis from Australian financial institution Macquarie similarly indicates broadening stablecoin infrastructure throughout financial service sectors. Market observers highlight that stablecoin utilization has extended beyond trading activities to encompass payments, transfers, and corporate treasury applications.

Bitcoin Preserves Store-of-Value Status Amid Broader Crypto Criticism

While endorsing stablecoin payment prospects, Druckenmiller reiterated skepticism toward numerous cryptocurrencies. He has maintained for years that multiple digital tokens lack compelling economic applications. From his perspective, many blockchain projects represent solutions seeking real-world problems to address.

He recognized Bitcoin’s enduring status as a value preservation instrument. He observed that the cryptocurrency established powerful brand awareness and sustained adoption throughout market participants. This recognition, he indicated, reinforced bitcoin’s continued relevance within broader financial discourse.

Druckenmiller additionally questioned the sustainability of the U.S. dollar’s position as the preeminent global reserve currency. He has previously cautioned that mounting fiscal challenges could erode the dollar’s international standing over extended timeframes. Though uncertain regarding potential alternatives, he proposed that digital assets or stablecoin frameworks might ultimately reshape global monetary arrangements.

The post Stanley Druckenmiller Predicts Stablecoins Will Transform Global Payments Within 15 Years appeared first on Blockonomi.

The primary cryptocurrency registered a renewed uptick over the past hours, with its price soaring past $74,000 before it faced an immediate rejection.

The broader outlook remains bearish, with BTC still trading far below its all-time high of over $126,000 reached last October. Analysts have highlighted several key resistance levels that must be reclaimed before bulls can regain full control.

More Gains Ahead?

The impressive revival comes on the back of Donald Trump’s recent remarks that Iran is “about to surrender” as well as the reports that the newly elected leader of the Asian country, Mojtaba Khamenei (who is the son of the late Ali Khamenei), is “likely disfigured.”

BTC’s pump has caught the attention of multiple market observers, and some expect the rally to go on in the short term. X user Ted noted that Coinbase Premium is rising, indicating solid spot demand. He believes that holding above the $70,000 zone could lead to further gains of around $76,000.

The analyst who goes by the moniker Ardi on X claimed that the leading digital asset needs to flip the $74,000 resistance into support to actually “start looking macro bullish again.” If it could achieve that, the valuation might surge to $85,000, he added. At the same time, he warned that anything below that mark is “just price setting a macro lower high in a downtrend.”

Certain indicators suggest the asset could continue marching north. Data from SoSoValue show that over the past few days, inflows into spot BTC ETFs have outpaced outflows. This is a clear bullish factor that displays that institutional investors, such as pension funds, hedge funds, and asset managers, have been increasing their exposure to cryptocurrency. As inflows rise, ETF issuers are required to purchase additional BTC to back the new shares, creating buying pressure that can further support the price.

Next on the list is the gradually declining amount of coins sitting on crypto exchanges. According to CryptoQuant, the figure slipped to roughly 2.74 million today, the lowest level since the end of 2020. This development signals that investors have been moving their holdings toward self-custody methods and are in no rush to cash out.

Short-Term Pullback on the Horizon?

Other metrics, such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI), suggest that BTC’s substantial resurgence could soon be replaced by a correction. The technical analysis tool measures the speed and magnitude of recent price changes to give traders an idea about possible reversal points. It ranges from 0 to 100, and readings above 70 signal that the asset is overbought and gearing up for a decline. As of press time, the RSI stands at 81.

BTC’s Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) is also worth analyzing. It compares the current value of all coins to the price at which people originally paid to acquire their holdings. Over the past months, the ratio has been decreasing, reaching around 1.3 today. According to CryptoQuant, readings below 1 typically signal a bottom, implying that the bear market may not have fully unfolded yet.

Earlier this week, numerous analysts warned that BTC’s price could drop to $50,000, and possibly lower, later this year.

The post Bitcoin (BTC) Halted at $74K: Analysts Speculate Where the Price Could Go Next appeared first on CryptoPotato.

On March 12, Strategy’s STRC preferred stock program set a single-day record, generating enough capital to fund the purchase of 4,000 BTC.

According to data from BitcoinTreasuries, the week’s total was already enough to buy more than 10,000 BTC, a pace that is drawing the attention of investors who are watching how aggressively the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder is building its treasury.

Record Trading Volume for STRC

In a post on X, BitcoinTreasuries revealed that there were about 7.3 million shares traded during the March 12 session, a figure 471% higher than the stock’s average daily volume.

The platform uses a model that analyzes 1-minute STRC candles during the entire trading day, including pre-market and after-hours sessions. For any bar that closed at or above $99.92, considering STRC’s $100 par value, the model attributed 40% of the volume to at-the-market (ATM) issuance. It then subtracted a 2.5% underwriter commission and divided the net proceeds by the session-average Bitcoin price to get an estimated BTC total.

March 12th’s 7.3 million share volume yielded just over $283 million in net proceeds using the formula, and when divided by Bitcoin’s average price near $70,000, it was found that the money could buy 4,000 BTC, which was a first in the program’s history.

The amount of trading reached an estimated $743 million, exciting observers enough that one of them, Mark Harvey, suggested that the day could become STRC’s first $1 billion trading day, given that at the time there were still two hours left before the market closed.

Stock Structure Draws Attention

STRC pays a variable monthly dividend currently annualized at 11.5%, and it has built-in rate adjustments designed to keep the stock trading near par. The instrument channels investor capital directly into Bitcoin purchases while providing a yield-focused product that tends to move less than Strategy’s common MSTR stock.

Essentially, the fixed dividend remains perpetual with no principal repayment required, unlike debt. Harvey recently gave an example of how it works, using a hypothetical scenario where the company issues $100,000 of STRC at the stated 11.5% yield to buy BTC.

According to him, it would create a yearly dividend obligation of $11,500, which would be fixed, meaning that even if BTC’s value were to shoot up 10 times in five years, Strategy’s dividend obligation would be just $57,500, while its BTC holding grows by $1,000,000, delivering a net $842,500 gain to shareholders.

As of its most recent filing dated March 9, Strategy held 738,731 BTC, boosted by recent purchases, including 3,015 BTC bought on March 2 and a bigger announcement of 17,994 BTC on March 9 acquired for $1.28 billion.

At current prices, the stash is valued at about $53.1 billion, with the company having acquired it for just over $56 billion.

The post Strategy STRC Offering Hits Record High in Single Day appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP remains in a fragile position, with both the USDT and BTC pairs still trading within broader bearish structures. Although the price is attempting to stabilize near key support zones, buyers have yet to reclaim the major moving averages or break the descending trendlines that continue to define the downtrend.

Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair

On the XRP/USDT chart, the asset is still moving inside a falling channel and remains below both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, which keeps the broader outlook tilted to the downside. XRP is now trading around $1.43, holding above the $1.10 to $1.20 support zone, while the first meaningful resistance sits at the $1.80 mark.

If buyers manage to push above that area, the next major hurdle comes in around $2.40 to $2.50. For now, though, the structure remains weak, and the recent RSI recovery only points to mild momentum improvement rather than a confirmed trend reversal.

The BTC Pair

Against Bitcoin, XRP continues to underperform and again, remains pinned below both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages. The pair is trading near 1,968 sats and is once again testing the key 1,950 to 2,000 sats support area, which has acted as an important floor in recent months.

As long as that support holds, a short-term bounce remains possible, but any recovery still needs to clear the 2,500 sats resistance zone to shift momentum more decisively. If the current support breaks, the next downside target would likely be the 1,500 sats region, while a stronger reclaim of overhead resistance could open the way toward the key 2,700 sats resistance level.

The post Ripple Price Analysis: XRP Structure Remains Weak Against BTC and USD Despite Recent Rebound appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin is pushing into a more decisive part of its recovery. After spending weeks rebuilding from the February flush, the market is no longer just defending support. It is now pressing toward a key resistance cluster around the $80K, which makes this the kind of area where a simple relief rally either matures into something bigger or gets rejected back into range.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

The daily chart is improving, but it has not fully turned bullish yet. BTC has managed to climb from the blue demand area near $60K to $62K and is now moving toward the old breakdown region around $75K to $80K. That is an important development, because this yellow zone acted as support before the market lost it during the broader downtrend. Reaching it again shows that buyers have regained some control, but reclaiming it is a different question altogether.

The broader structure still asks for caution. The price remains below the declining 100-day and 200-day moving averages, and both of them are still sloping lower, which means the macro trend has not been repaired yet. In other words, BTC is rallying into overhead supply while still sitting under major trend filters. If buyers can force a daily acceptance above the $75K area, the technical picture would improve materially. If not, this remains a rebound inside a larger corrective phase.

BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart

On the 4-hour chart, the recovery looks much cleaner. Bitcoin has been carving out a rising structure with higher lows, and the latest leg higher has carried the price right back toward the upper boundary of that formation. The market is not drifting upward anymore. It is actively pressing resistance, and that usually precedes either a breakout or a sharp reaction.

Momentum supports the idea of short-term strength, with RSI pushing into the upper end of its range. Still, that also means BTC is arriving at resistance with momentum already stretched. So the next move matters. A clean break above the channel top and the $73K to $75K supply band would suggest continuation toward the next overhead zones. A rejection here, on the other hand, would likely send the price back toward the mid-range and keep the market trapped in consolidation for longer.

On-Chain Analysis

The on-chain backdrop adds an interesting twist. Bitcoin’s adjusted SOPR is still below 1, which means coins moving on-chain are, on average, still being spent at a loss. That tends to happen in corrective or transitional phases, when the market has not yet fully returned to profit-taking behavior. So despite the recent price recovery, the network data suggests the broader reset is not entirely over.

At the same time, aSOPR has started to rebound from its recent lows, which is an early sign of improving conditions. That does not confirm a new expansion phase on its own, but it does hint that the worst of the capitulation pressure may already be behind the market. Put differently, price is testing resistance while on-chain behavior is trying to heal. If those two start aligning through a confirmed breakout on the chart and a move back above 1 on aSOPR, Bitcoin’s outlook would become much stronger.

The post Bitcoin Price Analysis: What’s Next for BTC After Reclaiming $70K? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

It was another eventful week, with the headlines strongly focused on the quickly developing (and, in most cases, worsening) situation in the Middle East as both sides continue to hit each other, or allies.

In the meantime, the ever-volatile cryptocurrency industry responds to almost all new developments. Bitcoin, for example, started the week on the wrong foot, slipping from $68,000 on Sunday to a multi-day low of $65,600 when almost all financial markets opened for trading after the strikes and statements during the weekend.

However, the bulls were quick to intervene and didn’t allow further decline. Instead, BTC began its gradual recovery, which saw it near $70,000 by Wednesday. After the initial rejection, the bulls stepped up and pushed the asset to almost $72,000. It faced more resistance at this level and returned to $69,000 when the US CPI numbers came out later that day.

Although expectations and reality met, BTC remained relatively calm at first, but jumped by nearly two grand later on after Trump said there’s “practically nothing left to target” in Iran. Following another volatile session around $70,000, the cryptocurrency went on the offensive on Friday after the release of the US PCE data for January. which showed a 0.3% MoM increase, and a 2.8% YoY rise.

Bitcoin tapped $74,000 for the second time in the past 10 days, but it was stopped once again and driven south by over two grand. Nevertheless, it’s still 6% up weekly, similar to BNB, XRP, and SOL. Ethereum has added almost 10% in the past seven days, while HYPE has exploded by 23%.

Market Data

Market Cap: $2.52T | 24H Vol: $138B | BTC Dominance: 56.9%

BTC: $71,700 (+6.1%) | ETH: $2,130 (+9.3%) | XRP: $1.4 (+5%)

This Week’s Crypto Headlines You Can’t Miss

BlackRock Staked Ethereum ETF Sees $15.5M First-Day Volume. Perhaps the most significant piece of industry news this week came from the world’s largest asset manager. BlackRock debuted a new sort of Ethereum ETF that allows investors to take advantage of the network’s staking function. The launch day saw $15.5 million in daily volume.

Ripple Targets $50B Valuation With $750M Buyback Amid Major Partnerships. A recent report indicated that Ripple has launched a share buyback program that puts it at a whopping valuation of $50 billion. Its plan is to repurchase up to $750 million in shares from employees and investors.

POTUS to Headline Gala for Top TRUMP Holders as Price Soars 50% After ATL. Following a consistent and painful decline for the meme coin TRUMP, the US President stepped up to headline a gala for the top asset holders in several weeks. The token reacted immediately with a massive 50% surge.

Here’s When Arthur Hayes Will Buy Bitcoin Again. The co-founder of BitMEX remains a bitcoin bull, but he believes the asset is likely to retrace again amid the ongoing conflict between the US and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other. As such, he said he might look for a new bottom below $60,000 before he starts accumulating again.

Binance Under DOJ Investigation for Possible Iran Sanctions Violations: WSJ. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Justice has begun an investigation into whether Binance was used in any form to help Iranian-linked wallets bypass American sanctions. Meanwhile, the exchange has sued the publication for defamation over an article from February 24.

Elon Musk Confirms Early Public Access Launch of X Money Next Month. Musk continues with his attempts to transform the social media platform, and indicated that users will receive public access to X Money in April.

Charts

This week, we have a chart analysis of Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid – click here for the complete price analysis.

The post BTC Rejected at $74K Amid Rising Middle East Tensions, BlackRock’s ETHB Debuts: Weekly Recap appeared first on CryptoPotato.