Alibaba's Wukong AI platform could redefine enterprise automation, intensifying competition and influencing AI integration strategies globally.

The post Alibaba unveils Wukong AI agent platform ahead of earnings appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Mastercard's acquisition of BVNK could accelerate the integration of stablecoins into mainstream finance, enhancing global payment systems.

The post Mastercard to acquire stablecoin firm BVNK for up to $1.8B appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Vietnam's move to regulate crypto exchanges could enhance domestic economic control, reduce capital outflows, and challenge foreign dominance.

The post Vietnam shortlists firms for first regulated crypto platforms appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

PayPal's expansion of PYUSD access could significantly enhance financial inclusion and streamline cross-border transactions globally.

The post PayPal expanding PYUSD stablecoin access to 70 countries: Report appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Argentina's ban on Polymarket may hinder access to global prediction markets, impacting financial transparency and innovation in the region.

The post Argentina blocks access to Polymarket after early bets on February inflation appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Surges Above $75,000 as Bullish Momentum Builds 

The bitcoin price climbed above $75,000 on Monday evening extending a sharp rebound that has lifted the asset nearly 25% from its February lows and reignited bullish sentiment across the crypto market.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency broke through the psychological $75,000 level during U.S. trading hours after spending several weeks consolidating in a tight range.

The move marks Bitcoin’s strongest price since early February and reflects improving risk appetite across global markets.

Bitcoin price’s latest surge comes after the asset bottomed near $63,000 in February during heightened geopolitical tensions linked to the Iran–Israel War. Since then, prices have staged a steady recovery as macroeconomic conditions stabilized and investor confidence returned. 

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

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

Two commercial tankers reportedly transited the waterway on Sunday for the first time since the conflict began, after Iran indicated its shipping restrictions would apply only to vessels linked to its adversaries.

Strategy buys into the bitcoin price game

At the same time, corporate demand for bitcoin continues to expand. Earlier Monday, Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, disclosed the purchase of 22,337 additional bitcoin for approximately $1.57 billion. 

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

Institutional interest is also building internationally. Tokyo-listed investment firm Metaplanet recently secured about $255 million from global investors to accelerate its bitcoin treasury strategy, with additional warrants that could raise total funding to more than $530 million for future purchases.

Despite the rally, market participants remain cautious about declaring a full breakout.

Bitcoin price experienced several rebounds of similar magnitude during the 2022 crypto downturn before eventually falling to cycle lows below $16,000 following the collapse of FTX.

For now, traders are watching whether bitcoin price can maintain support above the $75,000 region. A sustained hold above that level could open the door to a push toward $80,000, which previously acted as a key support zone before the early-2026 correction.

Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, has recently argued that the current market structure favors long-term accumulation, urging investors to “turn on your DCA,” referring to the dollar-cost averaging strategy of buying Bitcoin prices at regular intervals regardless of price.

According to Mallers, bitcoin price is trading near historically important support zones and prolonged consolidation periods often provide some of the best opportunities to steadily accumulate the asset ahead of major market moves.

This post Bitcoin Price Surges Above $75,000 as Bullish Momentum Builds  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin at Key Support Levels — Why Jack Mallers Says Turn On DCA Now

Few people are as close to the center of the Bitcoin industry as Jack Maller. A young, tech-savvy CEO of a major Bitcoin exchange in the United States, partnered with Tether, the most profitable company in recent history, the son of Chicago traders, Jack, is plugged in. In his podcast, BLABLA, he has been ringing the bell over the past few weeks, “It’s time to turn on your DCA”. 

But what does DCA even mean? An acronym for “dollar cost average,” it is an investment strategy ported into Bitcoin that has become the gold standard recommendation to Bitcoin fans across the industry. Turning on your DCA means buying bitcoin on a regular basis, regardless of the price. Why does this work? Well its quite simple actually. If you buy regardless of the price on a weekly basis for example, you will buy as much of the lower prices as you will the higher ones. In fact, bitcoin tends to spend significant portions of time in ‘consolidation’, which is another word for neither going up nor down, but rather going sideways. This is a great opportunity to accumulate sats. 

Every time you buy bitcoin at a price lower than you bought before, you are lowering your ‘dollar cost average’ or rather, the average cost of your total bitcoin in dollar terms. Eventually, because of Bitcoin’s unmatched and inelastic scarcity, combined with its network-like growth, the price tends to go up, and when it goes up, it does so quickly. Most people miss the opportunity to buy at the perfect time, right before a major move up. But Bitcoiners doing DCA will already have an optimal average price, perfectly set up to profit from a large move up. As a result, you can end up with an average purchase price curve that looks something like this, right before a major bull run. 

There are other profound benefits to the Bitcoin DCA strategy. Because it involves small, manageable investments over a long period of time, the amount risked at any single point in the investment journey is relatively small. Investing, for example, 10% of your disposable income a month in Bitcoin would not be a heavy burden, making bear markets not just tolerable but actually turning them into incredible investment opportunities.

Multiple exchanges have also implemented automated Bitcoin DCA features, such as Kraken, Strike, Swan, and Bull Bitcoin, which cover many countries throughout the world. The automated aspect of this strategy can not be overstated. Compared to the high stress, intense cognitive load of a professional trader, automated Bitcoin DCA is a walk in the park, and it yields comparable results!

Books like The Art of Execution cover long-term studies done on professional traders on Wall Street, demonstrating that most lose money, and of those that do earn money, lose for 10 years straight before becoming good enough to make it. The human capital required to become a good trader is not cheap, but Bitcoin DCA is set it and forget it; you can go do something else with your life while your Bitcoin stack grows. 

You can calculate the long-term value of the Bitcoin DCA strategy with a variety of tools online, such as this BM Pro calculator which lets you see what would have happened if you had started buying say $100 of Bitcoin every two weeks, back in 2017. Needless to say, the results are incredible. 

In recent years, Gold has started performing very well with DCA as well, but those calculations are mostly dwarfed by its meteoric rise in 2025. Historically, Gold has much longer cycles than Bitcoin, and can easily stay still for many years after a big move, being the giant that it is. Whereas Bitcoin has a lot more upside overall and its cycles are much shorter, arguably leading to better returns if played right. 

Now Is The Time To Start Your DCA

Why now, you might ask? Isn’t it always good to have your Bitcoin DCA on? Well, there’s a great question, and implicit in Jack Maller’s quote, the answer is no. Technically, you can start your DCA at the top of a bull market and end up with a great average down purchase price by the time the next bull market takes off. But you certainly would be better off not buying the top. 

The following is not investment advice and does not represent the opinion of Bitcoin Magazine or BTC Inc. They are the opinions of the author alone.

The problem, of course, is that no one knows where the top of the market is; if they did, they’d be rich! Their strategy would get discovered, replicated by others, removing its competitive advantage over time. That’s the nature of markets; secret knowledge only works while it is secret. When it becomes public, the rest of the market adapts. 

Since Bitcoin DCA does not attempt to price the top, it avoids the issue entirely. But many people turn off DCA when they feel the market is nearing a top, and tops historically only happen after crossing the previous all-time high price from a previous cycle. So, despite the math, some do turn off their DCA, only to turn it back on when a clear bear market has begun.

So is Bitcoin in a bear market? Sort of. The price is down 50%From the top, but it also dropped very quickly, suggesting a reaction to larger macro events, which in turn means that most of the pain is likely behind us. There’s also a variety of technical price indicators that are flashing green, suggesting we are far closer to the bottom than we are to the top. In other words, it is time to get in. 

Weekly RSI, a momentum indicator, is in oversold territory historically for Bitcoin. You can go back a decade in Bitcoin, and every time the weekly RSI reaches levels this low, it signals a bottom. The Mayer multiple, which compares Bitcoin to the 200-day moving average, is also in the buy zone territory. 

The fear and greed index for Bitcoin and the broader crypto market has been at extreme fear for a while now, and you know what they say. If there’s blood on the streets, it’s time to buy. 

There’s also a historical analysis that looks at percentage-based corrections in Bitcoin from the top of the market to the bottom. These corrections tend to be smaller over time, with the last bear market drawdown going as far down as 77%. We are currently at about 51% correction, if we were to go down 70%, it would mean we are already more than half way down. So closer to the bottom than we are to the top. 

Notice we are already halfway through the Bitcoin halving cycle as well, with the next halving expected in early 2028. The last halving was anticipated with bitcoin making all-time highs near the halving, as the metric has become widely known, for the same reasons, we might see an anticipation of the halving again this cycle. Historically speaking, we are not likely to see a correction deeper than 70% from the top, an extreme scenario that would push Bitcoin to $40,000 temporarily.

Dips of the sort are also less likely given the institutional adoption of Bitcoin, which has massively expanded the liquidity of this market. If we did go that far down, those prepared to buy would find an incredible opportunity, but it would be speculation and a trading mindset to try to catch the absolute bottom, hence why low-risk, consistent DCA is so great. 

Finally, we have the death cross and colden cross combo. Pitting off the 50-day moving average versus the 200-day moving average leads to a fairly predictable dynamic. Markets sell before the 50-day crosses below the 200-day. And they pump before the 50-day crosses above the 200-day. Bitcoin has now crossed above the 50 day moving average, if it can stay there or continue to consolidate around the $70,000 mark, it will be very well positioned for a run up deeper into 2026 as the golden cross occurs, probably signaling the beginning of a new bull market.  

Macro Economic Trends 

AI stonks have been soaking up a lot of liquidity and investment this cycle, with roughly a trillion dollars invested in AI infrastructure in the past handful of years. The market is broadly bullish on AI continuing its disruption path. I don’t think it takes a genius to say that an “AI fear and greed index” would be way over on the greed side right now. It may be that AI has brought us to a new paradigm of only up for AI stocks and tech, but that kind of thinking is usually a sell sign. If there is some sort of event in the next year or two akin to the dot-com crash that leads to a serious AI correction, we may see speculative and investment capital look for other options beyond AI, bringing liquidity back to Bitcoin. Though it is arguably still early to call this. 

Meanwhile, U.S. debt yield, or the interest on the debt of the U.S. Government, has stalled out with signs from the FED that lower rates are coming. Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve back in January, and his confirmation — while stuck in the Senate — is likely to go through soon, signaling a looser monetary policy, aligned with Trump’s broader economic strategy, which favours lower interest rates and more money printing, coupled with aggressive growth and deregulation. 

The Fed funds’ effective fund rate is also trending down, signaling cheaper money coming into the market, likely in part due to more money printing by the Fed, since U.S. bonds are not particularly attractive to foreign investors during this time of geopolitical tension. 

Fundamental Analysis

As far as fundamental trends or changes to Bitcoin, the only question that has emerged is in relation to quantum computing and whether it can break Bitcoin’s cryptography. This fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), while new to many investors, is not new to Bitcoin technologists. Broad consensus within the Bitcoin industry remains that quantum computing advancements remain mostly hype and have a long way to go before they become a threat to Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin core developers have been actively discussing long-term solutions to quantum for at least a couple of years now, though as far back as the Satoshi era. Formal improvement proposals have already been drafted, and software is well on its way to reach maturity, should it be needed to deal with a quantum threat. So overall, investors who sold due to quantum FUD might find themselves on the wrong side of the trade. 

The Barrier To Entry Into Bitcoin

So yes, most signs suggest that it is time to turn on your Bitcoin DCA. And the good news is, there are only a couple of things people need to really understand about Bitcoin to benefit from it. Why is its supply limited, and how does it remain limited? And how to protect it long term via good self-custody. These essential skills in Bitcoin are not trivial to acquire; they do demand some study and interest from investors, but they are simple hobbies compared to the knowledge requirements of becoming a professional trader or investor who can survive the volatility and unpredictability of the market.

In terms of understanding Bitcoin’s economics, Bitcoin Magazine has a premium selection of books on the topic, any of which is likely to give you the fundamentals and much more in an eloquent and enjoyable way. And when it comes to self-custody, Bitcoin Magazine also has a fresh review of excellent tools, written by yours truly, for the year 2026.  

This post Bitcoin at Key Support Levels — Why Jack Mallers Says Turn On DCA Now first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

Eric Trump Confirmed As Speaker For Bitcoin 2026 Conference

Bitcoin Magazine has confirmed that Eric Trump will take the stage at the upcoming Bitcoin 2026 conference, adding another high-profile voice to the event’s growing lineup. 

The businessman and increasingly vocal bitcoin advocate has emerged over the past year as one of the most prominent political-adjacent supporters of the asset, repeatedly arguing that Bitcoin represents both a financial revolution and a strategic opportunity for the United States.

Trump’s presence at the conference comes amid his expanding involvement in the Bitcoin ecosystem, including his role as co-founder and chief strategy officer of American Bitcoin, a mining and treasury company focused on accumulating BTC.

In recent months, Trump has delivered some of the most bullish public commentary on Bitcoin from a figure closely tied to American politics and finance. In remarks, he declared that he has “never been more bullish on bitcoin in my life,” adding that he believes the asset could eventually reach a seven-figure valuation.

His confidence reflects a broader narrative he has promoted at industry conferences and media appearances — that global demand for Bitcoin is accelerating rapidly. During one panel appearance last year, Trump said the momentum around the asset is unmistakable, stating that “everybody wants bitcoin, everybody is buying bitcoin.”

Trump: America should dominate bitcoin

Trump has also framed Bitcoin as part of a larger geopolitical and economic shift, arguing that the United States has an opportunity to lead the emerging digital asset economy. Speaking about the industry’s growth, he said the goal is to bring innovation back to the country and ensure America dominates the next phase of financial infrastructure.

“We are bringing Bitcoin to America and America is going to win the crypto revolution,” Trump said during a conference panel.

Beyond rhetoric, Trump has backed that stance with business initiatives. His firm American Bitcoin has been expanding its holdings and mining capacity as part of a long-term accumulation strategy. 

The company recently increased its corporate treasury to thousands of bitcoin while expanding its mining operations in the United States.

Bitcoin 2026 Returns to Las Vegas Bigger Than Ever

Bitcoin 2026 will take place April 27–29 at The Venetian in Las Vegas and is expected to be the largest 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

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%

This post Eric Trump Confirmed As Speaker For Bitcoin 2026 Conference first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin’s Ownership Base is Maturing, Reducing Reliance on Retail: Analysts

Bitcoin investors have shown surprising resilience despite recent market turbulence, fueled by institutional investors and aggressive corporate treasury buyers. 

Analysts say this trend highlights a structural shift in ownership that could support long-term growth. Institutional demand is clearly back, with “four consecutive sessions of ETF inflows and aggressive spot demand…suggesting one thing: institutional buyers have returned and they’re ready to increase their holdings around current prices, which recovered to above $70k as a result,” Bitfinex said in a note to Bitcoin Magazine.

Bitfinex wrote that “a sustained break above resistance could trigger momentum expansion, as positioning and the balance of flows suggest that the market is preparing for its next directional move after weeks of range trading.”

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan also noted Bitcoin ETFs have held up despite a roughly 50% price drop since October 2025, underlining institutional commitment.

“The best evidence we have is in the ETF market,” Hougan said, according to Coindesk reporting. 

“Bitcoin ETFs accumulated roughly $60 billion in net flows from their launch in January 2024 through October 2025. Since October 2025, prices are down 50%, but we’ve seen less than $10 billion in outflows from ETFs,” he said. 

Hougan described institutional investors as exhibiting “diamond hands,” maintaining positions despite severe market drawdowns. He attributes this persistence to the non-consensus status of BTC.

Hougan said that institutional investors who buy into BTC today are still sticking their neck out and standing out from their peers. That career risk, he explained, fosters unusually high conviction, meaning investors allocating capital to bitcoin today tend to be 80–90% convinced of its long-term value rather than mildly optimistic.

This conviction underpins Hougan’s reaffirmed long-term bitcoin forecast of $1 million per coin. 

“The wildest thing about my $1 million prediction is that it’s not wild at all,” he said. “All you need for bitcoin to get to $1 million is for the global store of value market to continue to grow as it has for the past 20 years and for bitcoin to become a minor but material part of that market.”

Last week, Hougan argued that skepticism over Bitcoin reaching $1 million stems from a misunderstanding of its valuation, as many analysts use “static math” that ignores the rapidly growing global store-of-value market. 

Framing BTC as an emerging competitor to gold, he estimates that with a $38 trillion market and BTC’s fixed supply of 21 million coins, the $1 million price target is plausible.

Bitcoin isn’t very speculative anymore

Supporting this thesis, Bernstein analysts also noted that bitcoin’s ownership base has matured, reducing reliance on retail speculation.

In a March 16 research note seen by Bitcoin Magazine, they highlighted the growing influence of spot BTC ETFs and corporate treasury buyers such as Strategy. 

The firm described Strategy as a “bitcoin central bank of last resort,” citing its aggressive accumulation model, which has added more than 66,000 BTC so far in 2026 at an average cost near $85,000. Strategy’s total holdings now exceed 761,000 BTC, valued around $56 billion.

Bernstein emphasized that institutional inflows are reshaping BTC’s ownership structure. Spot ETFs absorbed about $2.1 billion in inflows over three weeks, nearly offsetting year-to-date outflows of $460 million. 

Institutional vehicles now control roughly 6.1% of BTC’s total supply, while coins inactive for over a year represent approximately 60% of circulating supply, signaling a growing base of long-term holders.

On top of this, on-chain indicators point to a late-stage bear cycle, as Lacie Zhang of Bitget Wallet explained to Bitcoin Magazine: “The convergence of on-chain indicators such as realized price and MVRV suggests Bitcoin may be entering the late stage of a typical bear cycle, a phase historically associated with long-term accumulation rather than continued capitulation.” 

Despite short-term macro headwinds, the current conditions signal a strategic accumulation phase, with BTC likely fluctuating between $68,000 and $84,000 as longer-term investors position for the next cycle.

This post Bitcoin’s Ownership Base is Maturing, Reducing Reliance on Retail: Analysts first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

South Korea Fines Bithumb $24M, Imposes 6-Month Partial Suspension Over AML Violations

South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has fined cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb 36.8 billion won ($24.6 million) and ordered a six-month partial suspension of new-user services after uncovering millions of anti-money laundering (AML) violations, according to local reporting.

The FIU’s investigation found roughly 6.65 million breaches of the country’s AML and customer verification rules. About 3.55 million involved failures to verify customer identities, while 3.04 million cases concerned transactions that should have been blocked but were allowed. 

Authorities also identified 45,772 transactions with 18 unregistered overseas exchanges.

The sanctions, part of ongoing regulatory oversight of South Korea’s top crypto platforms, include a reprimand for Bithumb’s CEO and a six-month suspension for the exchange’s reporting officer. 

Existing customers can continue trading, while the restrictions primarily affect new user account activity, including deposits and withdrawals.

Bithumb, founded in 2014, is one of South Korea’s largest exchanges by trading volume. The fine is the country’s largest imposed on a virtual asset exchange, slightly surpassing a 35.2 billion won penalty handed to Upbit in 2025.

The violations were uncovered during on-site inspections of South Korea’s five largest crypto exchanges between 2024 and 2025. 

Regulators have emphasized that strict compliance with customer verification and AML obligations is critical to maintaining market trust.

Bithumb’s bitcoin blunder

The announcement comes just weeks after Bithumb accidentally sent billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin to users during a promotional event. 

The exchange had planned to distribute small cash rewards through a “Random Box” event at around 6 p.m. local time. Winners were supposed to receive between 20,000 and 50,000 Korean won. 

Instead, staff reportedly entered the payment unit as Bitcoin rather than won.

As a result, some users received at least 2,000 BTC each, worth roughly 196 billion won per person based on prices near 98 million won per Bitcoin at the time, according to social media screenshots and accounts. 

The operational error briefly caused Bitcoin prices on the platform to drop over 10% below broader market levels. Bithumb stated the incident did not result in any customer losses.

The FIU will finalize the fine after giving Bithumb at least 10 days to submit its opinion. 

Authorities said the enforcement action signals continued tightening of crypto market oversight in South Korea.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading near $74,000.

This post South Korea Fines Bithumb $24M, Imposes 6-Month Partial Suspension Over AML Violations first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy bought 22,337 Bitcoin for about $1.57 billion last week, using a funding mix led by its variable-rate perpetual preferred stock, STRC.

The March 16 announcement showed the company paid an average of $70,194 per Bitcoin in the purchase. The buy lifted Strategy’s holdings to 761,068 Bitcoin, valued at about $56.5 billion at prevailing prices, and ranked among the five largest single-week acquisitions in the company’s history.

The financing mix carried the more important signal. Strategy sold 11.9 million STRC shares during the previous week for about $1.18 billion of proceeds, or roughly 75% of the cash used for the purchase. Another $396 million came from the sale of 2.8 million shares of MSTR Class A common stock.

For most of the past years, investors could read the Strategy model mainly through MSTR. The company sold common stock into a market that valued the shares at a premium to the Bitcoin on its balance sheet, then turned that capital into more Bitcoin.

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Mar 21, 2025 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

STRC expands that model by bringing in a different buyer base, one centered on income-oriented investors seeking yield and principal stability rather than only high-beta Bitcoin exposure. The preferred stock pays an annualized dividend of 11.50%, distributed monthly in cash, and is structured to trade near its $100 par value.

The company has therefore widened the pool of capital it can use for Bitcoin purchases. That shift has been evident in the most recent transactions, where preferred stock provided the majority of the funding.

Notably, the prior week pointed in the same direction. Strategy bought 17,994 Bitcoin for $1.28 billion using a similar mix of preferred and common issuance.

Over the two weeks, the company deployed nearly $2.85 billion, with STRC funding most of it. Thus, this pace has turned STRC from a supporting instrument into a principal financing lever.

STRC becomes a larger part of the machine

The speed of STRC’s growth helps explain why the conversation around Strategy has changed.

On Feb. 1, Strategy reported $3.4 billion of STRC notional outstanding, according to the company’s capital tracker. By March 16, that figure had climbed to about $5.02 billion.

This nearly 50% increase in six weeks gave Strategy a larger preferred base to tap at a time when it was accelerating Bitcoin purchases.

Saylor underlined that momentum in a post on X, saying STRC is now the most liquid preferred stock by trading volume, ahead of offerings from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Boeing.

Notably, Strategy also said its Bitcoin per share increased 3.0% in the first two weeks of March, driven by growing demand for STRC.

Adam Livingston, a Bitcoin analyst, argued that the instrument’s scaling could reshape Strategy’s BTC buying power.

Related Reading

Strategy paradoxically funds 66,231 Bitcoin purchase by giving investors $442M

Critics question the sustainability of Strategy's STRC model as the company continues aggressive Bitcoin acquisition.

Mar 10, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

According to him:

“The growth of STRC will be crazy…Strategy could add $40 BILLION of Bitcoin this year. For sure.”

Livingston’s estimate was based on a conservative scenario. He noted that Strategy raised $1.557 billion from STRC over the last two weeks and said that, even if the company maintained that pace for only 20 of the 41 remaining weeks in the year, it would still raise about $16 billion from STRC alone.

His framework then added the possibility of growth in the preferred program, fuller months of STRC issuance, and additional MSTR sales.

Livingston’s estimate is an outside view rather than company guidance, but the recent funding mix helps explain why it has gained traction.

Strategy now sells common stock for momentum-driven capital and preferred stock for yield-seeking capital, then converts both into Bitcoin. A larger preferred channel means the company can fund additional purchases without relying as heavily on common issuance every time it wants to expand the treasury.

The climb toward 1 million Bitcoin

The accelerated funding mechanism places Strategy on a trajectory to reach 1 million Bitcoin by the end of the year.

From Feb. 1 to March 16, the company added 47,566 Bitcoin, averaging about 1,081 Bitcoin per day.

To reach 1 million Bitcoin by Dec. 31, Strategy would need another 238,932 Bitcoin, which works out to about 824 Bitcoin per day for the rest of the year. The required pace sits below what the company has sustained since early February.

Meanwhile, the cost of that target remains large. At a Bitcoin price of about $73,369, buying 238,932 Bitcoin would require about $17.53 billion. At $85,000 per Bitcoin, the figure rises to about $20.31 billion.

Reaching the 1 million threshold would give MicroStrategy control over 4.76% of Bitcoin’s maximum supply of 21 million coins, an increase from its current 3.62% share.

Following the 2024 halving event, miners are expected to produce only about 130,500 new Bitcoins between mid-March and the end of the year.

To meet its target, Strategy would need to absorb 183% of all newly mined coins during this period, requiring significant purchases from the existing secondary market.

Meanwhile, Rachael Lucas, an analyst at BTC Markets, said the current pace also has implications beyond the 1 million mark.

She said that at Strategy’s recent daily acquisition rate, the company could surpass the estimated 1.1 million Bitcoin attributed to Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, as early as March 2027.

In the near term, the company’s pace also puts it on a trajectory to overtake BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, the largest Bitcoin fund, which held about 571,700 Bitcoin as of press time.

On current momentum, Strategy’s lead over other corporate holders and large fund vehicles would continue to widen.

The case for 1 million Bitcoin, therefore, rests on more than one large weekly purchase. It rests on whether Strategy can keep raising capital at a rate that supports sustained buying into a market with limited incremental supply.

Premium and payout pressures remain central

Meanwhile, the accumulation strategy faces specific structural and financial vulnerabilities. The model relies entirely on the market valuing the Bitcoin-focused firm's equity at a premium compared to the underlying BTC on its balance sheet.

Data from Strategy shows that its mNAV stands at 1.18. That premium supports issuance on terms that remain accretive to Bitcoin on a per-share basis.

A sharp compression of this premium, potentially triggered by a decline in Bitcoin prices, rising interest rates, or shifting investor sentiment, would severely restrict the firm’s ability to continue purchasing at the current scale.

Moreover, the reliance on STRC introduces substantial cash obligations. With a notional outstanding amount of $5.02 billion and an annualized rate of 11.50%, the preferred stock generates a cash dividend requirement of approximately $578 million annually, or $48 million per month.

Notably, Strategy has disclosed a $2.25 billion reserve earmarked for preferred dividends and interest on debt.

Still, Jeff Dorman, chief investment officer at Arca, highlighted the long-term solvency concerns tied to the company’s interest expenses.

Dorman stated that the interest coverage ratio is the ultimate determinant of long-term solvency, noting that the firm generates zero earnings before interest and taxes, leaving it without interest coverage.

He also highlighted the growing annual burden of interest and dividend payments, which currently exceed $1 billion, suggesting the firm will eventually exhaust its options to service these obligations.

Considering this, Dorman outlined several potential long-term outcomes for the company. The first scenario involves continuous Bitcoin price appreciation, allowing Strategy to issue equity perpetually to stay afloat. A second path involves the company halting its dividend payments, a move Dorman views as highly logical and certain to end the current accumulation cycle.

In a third scenario, Strategy could sell a portion of its Bitcoin annually to cover payments. Dorman argued this action would immediately destroy the investment narrative surrounding the stock.

However, a fourth possibility entails the company using its Bitcoin to acquire a cash-flowing business to service the debt, transitioning into a BTC-denominated holding company.

Meanwhile, Dorman also noted the possibility of a default if Bitcoin prices crash to levels where the firm’s assets fall below the value of its debt, estimating this threshold around $20,000 per Bitcoin.

Finally, he suggested Bitcoin could evolve into a productive asset, allowing Strategy to earn yield through lending or selling calls to cover its expenses.

Dorman characterized the current structure as a clever arrangement with significant underlying vulnerabilities. He said:

“As I've always said, there are no covenants in the debt that force MSTR to sell the BTC (forced selling is not a risk)… but voluntary selling to cover interest & dividend payments is a real risk. And if you don't believe he will ever do that, then you have to recognize that he will eventually stop the dividend.”

He observed that four distinct stakeholder groups, including BTC holders, MSTR debt holders, the firm's preferred shareholders, and its common shareholders, currently feel secure in their positions.

However, Dorman concluded that these four groups possess conflicting foundational assumptions.

According to him, while these classes can coexist in the near term, they hold mutually exclusive views on the company’s ultimate financial path, creating a fundamental long-term risk for the corporate structure.

The post Strategy on course to hit 1 million BTC this year — and STRC is the clearest reason why appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin’s recovery is evolving into a broader market comeback as spot ETF inflows rebound, buyer activity returns after February’s sell-off, and fresh institutional accumulation helps push BTC back above $75,000.

Bitcoin pushed above $75,000 in Asia trading hours, extending a rebound that's getting harder to dismiss as a simple bounce. Wall Street is putting fresh money into spot ETFs, on-chain data is showing buyers are stepping back in, and Strategy is still buying a lot of Bitcoin.

Even mainstream media outlets described Bitcoin as an “oasis of calm” while war-driven volatility rattled almost every other market, a label crypto doesn't usually get during a geopolitical shock.

That's what makes this spike much more interesting than your average green day. There's more than one engine under the hood that's driving Bitcoin out of its winter slump. The price is higher, that's for sure, and trying to breach critical resistance levels that would cement its position in the mid-$70,000s.

But the rally is also being reinforced by ETF flows, renewed buyer aggression, corporate accumulation, and a macro backdrop that makes BTC look like a significantly better investment than almost everything else.

Up until a week ago, you had an easy argument against every bounce, as most were reflex rallies in an extremely oversold market. But this one is harder to dismiss so easily, because the buying is coming from several directions at once.

Wall Street is buying again

The best proof for this lies in ETFs. Farside data shows that spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $199.4 million in inflows on March 16, marking the sixth consecutive day of inflows after two days of heavy redemptions.

As expected, BlackRock's IBIT was responsible for the majority of the intake, seeing $139.4 million in inflows, while Fidelity's FBTC added $64.5 million. Six consecutive green days aren't a fluke, and they show that money is returning to the biggest, most established institutional wrappers.

However, ETFs don't explain every Bitcoin move, and they're not enough to turn every recovery into a full-blown bull rally. What they can tell you is whether institutional capital is joining the move or standing back, and right now it's eager to get a piece of the action.

March inflows have topped $1.34 billion as of press time, taking a sharp turn from February's aggressive withdrawals. After more than a month of fading demand and very little momentum, this sure is a real reset in sentiment.

CryptoSlate has already been tracking that turn. Our March 1 report asked the question whether the signs of rebound the market saw after the February slump were temporary or tactical. And now, just a couple of weeks later, the answer is pretty constructive: the same ETF complex that spent weeks dragging the price down is now giving some ballast to the recovery.

On-chain data shows us that this is a well-fueled recovery. Data from Qryptoquant showed buyer activity has returned after an aggressive selling period in February. While buying pressure remains significantly lower than the peaks we saw last fall, it's still a meaningful change from last month's seller-heavy market.

Having buyers back means there's potential for a stronger rally on a stronger foundation, because price can bounce off short covering alone.

The numbers we're seeing aren't market-changing on their own, but they represent such a sharp turn from Bitcoin's structure just days ago.

That point lands harder because Bitcoin’s structure looked shakier just days ago. Last week, CryptoSlate noted that derivatives were doing much of the work while spot participation lagged as Bitcoin struggled to remain above $71,000.

But the March 1 setup looks much healthier than that. The leverage is still there and won't be going away anytime soon, but it's now joined by ETF inflows and clear on-chain evidence of renewed accumulation.

Bitcoin is getting help from more than one direction

Then there's Strategy. The company bought 22,337 BTC for about $1.57 billion between March 9 and March 15, for an average of $70,194 per coin. That brought its total holdings above 761,000 BTC. At this point, every Strategy purchase adds real demand to the market, which feeds a familiar public narrative of institutional conviction.

Even people tired of Michael Saylor can read the message: a very large balance-sheet buyer isn't treating this move as an opportunity to de-risk and is actively leaning into it. So, the price is up, ETFs are positive, and the largest and loudest corporate bull is still shopping for more BTC.

Macro is doing part of the work, too. Bloomberg reported that Bitcoin was a pocket of calm amid the Iran conflict, which jolted broader markets. A significant part of the market started treating Bitcoin as a hedge against the Iran risk, helping the rest of the crypto market recover even as stocks struggled.

While we're still a long way away from Bitcoin being a textbook safe haven, this decoupling from stocks shows more investors are willing to treat it as a resilient macro asset.

There's still a significant leverage component here. We most likely wouldn't have seen this big a bounce without a significant amount of short liquidations. That's normal in a fast Bitcoin rally, especially in a market that loves derivatives so much.

But the difference here is that short covering no longer carries the whole rebound, as ETF flows are positive, buyers are getting stronger, and a major corporate accumulator is back accumulating. Put all of this together, and you've got a recovery that seems to have finally found its footing.

The hard part's not over yet, though. Bitcoin is still well below its ATH, and a good stretch in March won't erase the weaknesses that built up over the past three months. But today's step is stronger, broader, and easier to believe than any of the other rebound headlines we've seen this year.

The market no longer has to rely on a single explanation; it now has several, and for once, they're all pulling in the same direction.

The post Bitcoin price jumps as global markets shake, fueled by ETFs and institutional buying appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin’s power law enters a 2026 stress test as Giovanni’s new chart shifts the debate from price targets to regime signals

Bitcoin Power Law chart creator Giovanni Santostasi has added a new layer to one of crypto’s most durable valuation models.

The chart shifts attention to Bitcoin's movements away from the trend line, with a field of green and red rays that track Bitcoin’s 10-day local growth rate in log-log space against the long-run power-law curve.

For years, the Bitcoin Power Law was mostly shown as a time-based price corridor, with attention fixed on whether spot traded above, below, or near the trend line. Giovanni’s latest version shifts the focus to motion.

In Giovanni’s framing, each ray is a direct measurement of Bitcoin’s local growth rate in log-log space, with angle and length encoding slope. Green marks periods when the price grows faster than the long-run power law, while red marks slower growth or decline.

With 10-day averaging, the chart reads less like noise and more like a vector field around Bitcoin’s long-run power-law attractor.

CryptoSlate’s earlier coverage treated the power law as a framework that could point to six-figure valuations while also warning that it did not encode broader market forces.

Recently, we sharpened the falsifiability question, noting that a prolonged stall near the high-$60,000s would eventually put the model’s rising floor under direct pressure.

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In 2026, the live debate is whether the model still helps explain Bitcoin after U.S. spot ETFs, tighter macro linkages, and rising mining difficulty changed the market’s plumbing.

Two current reference points show the tension. A live page from Newhedge places the power-law centerline near $124,477 and the floor near $52,280.

A separate calculator from Bitbo projects a 2026 power-law price of about $142,782. Those levels leave room for both a recovery case and a stress case.

Bitcoin does not need to revisit old highs immediately for bulls to argue the long-run structure still holds. But it also does not need to trade below the floor for critics to say the model has lost day-to-day relevance in an institutional market.

The visual update also helps explain something the older line chart could not show as clearly: the pattern of overshoot and mean reversion across halving eras.

Giovanni says the four halving cycles appear as alternating green and red clusters, with each bull market pulling the price above the attractor and each bear market pulling it back. That creates a cleaner way to describe a recurring structure that looks less like a straight-line forecast and more like a series of regime changes around a long-run path.

The 2026 test extends beyond the line

Bitcoin’s deviations from the power law can now be linked to hard numbers outside the model. ETF flow data, mining difficulty, and downside bank forecasts all point to a 2026 market that can move sharply around the attractor without settling the bigger debate.

Start with ETF flows. Data from flows compiled by Farside show cumulative net inflows into U.S. Bitcoin ETFs of about $56.1 billion as of March 16.

BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for about $63.1 billion of cumulative net inflows, while GBTC still showed roughly $25.9 billion in cumulative net outflows. The recent sequence was uneven.

Total flows came in at +$461.9 million on March 4, then -$227.9 million on March 5 and -$348.9 million on March 6, before turning back to +$167.1 million on March 9, +$246.9 million on March 10, and +$180.4 million on March 13.

Those figures fit the regime view better than the old “near the line” framing. In 2026, Bitcoin can absorb hundreds of millions in ETF demand one day and face meaningful outflows the next.

The new chart gives that back-and-forth a visual language.

Green clusters can now be read not only as speculative heat around a halving cycle, but also as intervals when macro allocators and ETF buyers push price growth above the long-run pace. Red clusters can be read as periods when those flows cool or reverse.

Mining data points in the same direction. In late February, a report said Bitcoin difficulty jumped 15% to 144.4T, the largest percentage increase since 2021, while hashrate recovered to 1 zettahash per second.

That shows that the system’s security bill kept rising even as prices failed to cleanly snap back to the centerline. Capital continues to build the network even when price action looks slower than the long-run fit.

A second chart posted in reply to Giovanni’s update points in a similar direction. D Cane’s chart plots Bitcoin’s estimated production cost, derived from mining difficulty, on a log-log chart, a format often used to compare values that grow over long periods.

A regression line (a statistical best-fit line used to show the overall relationship between variables) runs through the data and yields an R² of 0.9845, a metric indicating how closely the data follow that trend.

It suggests one possible mechanism for why Bitcoin can keep returning toward a long-run scaling relationship; time, mining difficulty, and price may be more linked than daily market narratives imply. But the article should stop there. The regression is a supporting visual, not consensus evidence.

There is also, however, a bearish read on the same data. A February report said Standard Chartered cut its end-2026 Bitcoin target to $100,000 and warned that BTC could slide to $50,000 before recovering. That range sits close enough to the live floor to keep pressure on the model without requiring a total breakdown.

It gives skeptics a clean argument: if a large bank’s downside case nearly overlaps the floor, then the power law in 2026 may be less a destination than a boundary line that the market keeps testing.

A 2026 view of the model comes down to scenarios, not conviction

We no longer need to debate whether Bitcoin can still be fitted to a power law. We should perhaps still question what the model says when outside forces are strong enough to pull the price away from the centerline for months at a time.

Bitcoin could stay above the floor, trade below the centerline for long stretches, and that does not force a final verdict on the model.

Under that setup, the power law persists as a long-run organizing framework, while short-run moves are driven by ETF allocations, macro positioning, and mining economics. Giovanni’s field would show repeated shifts between green and red without a decisive trend break.

That outcome fits the current mix of positive cumulative ETF demand, uneven daily flows, and a network that remains expensive to secure.

A move back toward the centerline, then toward the broader 2026 projection, would mean a recovery toward the $124,477 trend level and potentially toward the $142,782 estimate later in the year.

The mechanism is plain, steadier ETF inflows, less pressure from rates, and a market willing to pay for scarcity again after a slow patch.

In that setup, the new visualization becomes more than chart art. It becomes a way to describe a genuine re-acceleration in local growth rates before price itself catches up to the long-run curve.

If Bitcoin keeps trading weak enough, long enough, the floor becomes the main reference point. A move toward the $50,000 to $70,000 area would not automatically invalidate the model, but it would sharpen the criticism already present in our earlier reporting.

The framework is historical first and causal second. The power law does not include policy, liquidity, or leverage. If those outside variables dominate for long enough, the line will remain on the chart while losing its force in the market.

That leaves Giovanni’s latest version in a stronger place than a simple target chart, but a weaker place than a law in the strict sense.

It gives us a way to describe Bitcoin as a system that oscillates around a durable path. It does not settle what force keeps that path intact. In 2026, that distinction sits at the center of the debate.

Crypto markets now have tools that did not exist when the early power-law charts began to circulate at scale, spot ETFs with daily creation and redemption data, a mining sector operating at industrial intensity, and broader macro traders who can treat Bitcoin as part of a cross-asset book.

The line held through Bitcoin’s retail adolescence. The field now tries to explain Bitcoin’s institutional adulthood.

That is why the chart deserves another look. We don't have a clean answer on where Bitcoin will trade tomorrow, but we have a sharper way to examine the next few months.

If Bitcoin climbs back toward the centerline, the power law will look less like a relic and more like a regime model that adapted to a bigger market.

If price keeps sagging while the floor rises underneath it, the market will get the test CryptoSlate flagged earlier.

The line will still be there. The open question is whether traders still treat it as an attractor.

The post New Bitcoin power law chart turns $124k into the ETF-era battleground appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The President-backed effort to set broader rules for US crypto markets is nearing a political deadline in Congress as banks press lawmakers and regulators to block stablecoin companies from offering rewards that resemble interest on deposits.

The fight has become one of the central unresolved questions in Washington’s crypto agenda. At stake is whether dollar-linked digital tokens remain focused on payments and settlement or gain features that make them more competitive with bank accounts and money market funds.

The Senate’s market-structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, has stalled after negotiations broke down over so-called stablecoin yield.

Industry participants and lobbyists say late April or early May is shaping up as the practical window for the bill to move if it is to have a realistic chance before the election-year calendar tightens.

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CRS sharpens the legal question

Congressional Research Service has framed the issue more narrowly than the public fight around it.

In a March 6 report, CRS said the GENIUS Act bars stablecoin issuers from paying yield directly, but may not fully settle the status of what it called a “three-party model,” in which an intermediary such as an exchange stands between issuer and end user.

CRS said the act does not clearly define “holder,” leaving room for debate over whether intermediaries can still pass economic value through to customers. That ambiguity has become one of the main reasons banks want Congress to revisit the issue in the broader market-structure bill.

Banks say even limited rewards could turn stablecoins into a stronger competitor for deposits, especially at regional and community lenders.

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Feb 11, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

However, crypto firms argue that incentives tied to payments, wallet usage or network activity would help digital dollars compete with older payment rails and could widen their role in mainstream finance.

That split also reflects different views of what stablecoins are becoming.

If lawmakers treat them mainly as payment instruments, the logic for tighter limits on rewards becomes stronger. However, if lawmakers see them as part of a broader shift in how value moves through digital platforms, the argument for limited incentives becomes easier to make.

Bank groups have urged lawmakers to close what they call a loophole before reward structures spread more widely. They say allowing rewards on idle balances would encourage deposit migration away from banks, reducing a key funding source for loans to households and businesses.

Standard Chartered estimated in January that stablecoins could draw about $500 billion from US bank deposits by the end of 2028, with smaller lenders facing the greatest strain.

The banking industry has also tried to show lawmakers that the position carries consumer backing. The American Bankers Association (ABA) recently published the results of a Morning Consult survey on stablecoins, fintech innovation and regulatory preferences.

According to the survey, respondents, by a 3-to-1 margin, said they agreed with congressional prohibitions on stablecoin rewards if the question raised the prospect of reduced funds available to banks to lend in the community and support economic growth. By a 6-to-1 margin, respondents said stablecoin laws should be cautious and should avoid steps that could undermine the existing financial system, particularly community banks.

However, crypto firms have pushed back by arguing that banks are trying to protect their funding model by limiting competition from digital dollars.

Industry advocates, including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, have argued that stablecoin issuers operate under stricter reserve requirements than banks under the GENIUS Act, which requires issued stablecoins to be fully backed by cash or cash equivalents.

The volume story has raised the stakes in Washington

The market’s scale has made the rewards dispute harder to dismiss as a niche argument.

Boston Consulting Group estimated that only about $4.2 trillion of roughly $62 trillion in gross stablecoin transfer volume last year represented real economic activity after stripping out bots, exchange flows, and other internal movements.

That gap between headline volume and underlying economic use helps explain why the debate over rewards has taken on greater importance.

If stablecoins remain largely a settlement tool for trading and market structure, lawmakers may find it easier to keep them boxed in as payment instruments. If rewards help them become a widely used store of cash inside consumer apps, the pressure on banks could rise more quickly.

As a result, the White House tried to broker a compromise earlier this year that would have allowed some rewards in narrow use cases, such as peer-to-peer payments, while barring returns on idle holdings. Crypto companies accepted that framework, but banks rejected it, leaving the Senate talks at an impasse.

However, even if Congress does not act, regulators may still narrow the path for reward structures.

In a proposed rule to implement the GENIUS Act, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) said it would presume an issuer is effectively paying prohibited yield if it funds an affiliate or related third party that then pays yield to stablecoin holders.

That signals the administration may try to police the issue through rulemaking if lawmakers fail to produce a legislative fix.

Congress is running short on time

The fight now has two tracks. Congress is debating whether to settle the matter in statute, while regulators are moving to define how far companies can go under the law already on the books.

For the Senate bill, the calendar itself has become a source of pressure.

Alex Thorn, Galaxy Digital's head of research, wrote on X:

“If Clarity doesn’t pass committee by the end of April, odds of passage in 2026 become extremely low. This needs to hit the Senate floor by early May. Floor time is running out, and the odds diminish every day that passes.”

Thorn also expressed caution about the chances of a breakthrough even if the rewards fight is resolved, saying:

“The framing right now is that the dispute over stablecoin rewards is holding up the Clarity Act. But even if compromise is reached on rewards, there are very likely to be other hurdles.”

Those challenges could include regulations pertaining to the decentralized finance sector, the powers of regulators, or “even ethics,” Thorn said.

The issue of crypto regulation is likely to become a larger political battleground ahead of the midterm elections in November. That adds another layer of urgency to the current impasse, because a delayed bill would have to compete with a more crowded political calendar and a harder legislative path.

Prediction markets reflect that shift in sentiment. In early January, Polymarket placed the odds of passage at 80%. After recent setbacks, including Armstrong calling the current version of the bill unworkable, the odds moved closer to 50%.

Data from Kalshi shows that the bill has only a 7% chance of passage before May and 65% before the end of the year.

Failure would leave more to regulators and the market

The consequences of failure reach beyond the current dispute over rewards. The CLARITY Act is meant to define when crypto tokens are securities, commodities or otherwise, and to provide a clearer legal framework for how the market is overseen.

If the bill stalls, the industry would remain more dependent on guidance, rulemaking and future political turnover.

That is one reason market participants have focused so heavily on the bill’s fate. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan argued earlier this year that the Clarity Act would cement the current pro-crypto regulatory environment into law. Without it, he said, a future administration could reverse the current policy push.

Hougan wrote that if the bill fails, crypto would enter a “show me” period and have three years to make itself indispensable to the everyday lives of regular Americans and the traditional financial industry.

In that view, future gains would depend less on investors pricing in a durable legislative win and more on whether stablecoins, tokenized assets, and related products can prove broader real-world adoption.

That creates two distinct paths for the market. Passage could lead investors to price in the growth of stablecoins and tokenization sooner. Failure could leave future growth more contingent on adoption and more exposed to skepticism about whether Washington’s current support will survive the next turn in politics.

For now, the next move belongs to Washington. If senators can revive the market-structure bill this spring, lawmakers may still define how far stablecoins can go in sharing value with users and how much of the broader crypto framework can be locked into statute. If they cannot, regulators appear ready to draw at least part of that line themselves.

Either way, the issue now reaches beyond whether stablecoins are part of finance. The fight has moved to how they will function inside it, and who gets paid as they grow.

The post Congress has only weeks left to convince banks on crypto CLARITY Act or risk losing it to midterms appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Wall Street private-credit funds are slowing the exits as withdrawal pressure builds

As Bitcoin climbs and holds above $73,000, several of Wall Street’s biggest private-credit funds have capped, stretched, or halted withdrawals, according to recent filings and reports tied to BlackRock, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, Cliffwater, and Blue Owl.

JPMorgan has also marked down some private-credit loan portfolios and reduced lending against parts of the same market, a sign that the pressure is moving beyond investor queues and into the financing that supports the asset class.

Investors asked to withdraw more money than several funds were willing or able to return on schedule. The pattern points to a market built on steady income and smoother marks running into a basic liquidity problem when demand for cash rises: the underlying loans do not trade like public bonds and are harder to sell quickly.

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The gap between promised access and actual liquidity sits at the center of the issue. It is also the part most likely to travel beyond private-markets specialists.

For crypto, the distinction is clear even before any price reaction enters the picture. A gated private fund and a 24/7 traded asset handle liquidity in very different ways. One depends on quarterly windows and the manager's discretion. The other trades continuously, for better and for worse.

The pressure is visible in the numbers.

The ratios are more telling than the top-line figures. BlackRock’s fund faced demand equal to about 1.86 times its 5% cap. Morgan Stanley’s fund faced roughly 2.18 times its cap. Cliffwater saw requests equal to 2 times the 7% it planned to honor, and 2.8 times the standard 5% gate. Blackstone’s Bcred reached 1.58 times the 5% threshold that lets it restrict payouts. Those are not tiny overruns.

So far, the market has not had to digest a clear wave of forced sales at disclosed discounts. That marks the dividing line between a liquidity-management problem and a valuation problem. Still, JPMorgan’s move adds a harder edge.

When a bank lends less against private-credit assets after marking down some portfolios, it changes the economics around those funds even if investors never read the filings. Financing gets tighter. Asset sales become more expensive. Confidence takes another hit.

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What the filings show, and where the pressure can move next

The filings and reports point to the same mechanism across several products. Private-credit funds offered investors periodic ways to redeem, but the assets under them are private loans that do not move through a deep public market.

Managers can smooth marks in calm periods because they are not forced to print a public price every minute. But when redemptions exceed the cap, the smoothing stops looking like stability and starts looking like a delay.

That distinction shapes where the next pressure may show up. If managers can continue to meet a portion of requests each quarter while keeping loan performance intact, the situation stays inside the box marked limited liquidity.

If requests keep outpacing those windows, managers will have fewer clean options. They can continue to ration cash. They can sell loans. Or they can change fund terms. Each of those choices carries consequences for the market’s growth outlook.

The private-credit market has grown to about $1.8T, according to an IMF note. That scale helps explain why a cluster of redemption caps now reads as more than product-level noise. The system does not need a crisis to feel a slowdown. It only needs investors and lenders to act more cautiously at the same time.

That caution is already visible in public signals around the sector. A Barron’s report cited in earlier coverage said the VanEck Alternative Asset Manager ETF was down 23% in 2026. That shows that public markets are already repricing the firms tied most closely to the trade.

For Bitcoin, the cleanest interpretation is structural and centered on market design. Crypto markets are volatile, but they are transparent about that volatility in a way private-credit products are not.

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A holder can sell Bitcoin at any time the market is open to them, which is effectively all the time.

A holder in a private-credit vehicle may learn that liquidity exists only inside a quarterly gate. The difference describes how access works, rather than settling the question of which asset is safer.

The private-credit pitch was built on two ideas at once: stable income and tolerable access. Recent events have not yet disproved the income side. They have, however, tested the access side in public. JPMorgan’s tighter lending, tied to marked-down collateral, adds a second layer of pressure because it suggests the firms financing the system are also adjusting their view of the risk.

The next question is whether managers can clear the queue without changing how the market prices these loans.

Bull and bear cases for markets, liquidity, and crypto

The bull case for the sector is a contained slowdown. In that version, funds continue to honor a portion of withdrawals, managers sell selected assets without taking large disclosed hits, and banks other than JPMorgan do not rush to widen haircuts or pull back financing across the board.

The pressure then stays concentrated in products with heavier retail or wealth-channel exposure. Fundraising slows, but the market avoids a broad reset in valuations.

For crypto, that setup gives Bitcoin a narrative edge without requiring a macro accident. The contrast is simple: Wall Street products can ration exits, while Bitcoin remains continuously tradable. That framing can help BTC relative to traditional risk assets even if the direct flow link remains thin.

The bear case is more mechanical. If withdrawal requests remain above caps for another quarter and managers begin selling assets into a thinner secondary market, the focus shifts from access to pricing.

A loan sold below the last stated value becomes a reference point for the next trade. Once that happens, lenders may tighten terms further, other banks may follow JPMorgan, and investors may question whether net asset values are keeping pace with market reality. In that version, liquidity pressure can feed valuation pressure, and valuation pressure can feed more withdrawals.

In a broader liquidity event, Bitcoin often behaves first like a liquid asset. Investors sell what they can. The safer argument, based on the material cited above, is that the issue strengthens Bitcoin’s long-term case as an asset without redemption windows, while leaving short-term price direction open.

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There is also a middle ground, and it may be the most likely one. Private credit can keep growing while losing part of the sales pitch that helped it reach a wider base of investors. A market can survive a queue.

What becomes harder to sustain is the language that treats those products like near-cash income tools. Once withdrawals exceed caps across several large names, the burden shifts. Managers then have to show that limited liquidity is a manageable feature, rather than the defining fact of the product.

For now, the market has a cluster of capped or halted exits, a bank that is lending less against some of the same assets, and a set of public numbers that show the line is getting longer.

The next quarter will show whether managers are simply pacing withdrawals, or whether the industry has to start proving what those loans are worth when someone actually needs to sell them.

The post Largest Wall Street funds start restricting withdrawals as investors rush for the exit while Bitcoin climbs appeared first on CryptoSlate.

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

XRP Price Prediction: The Road to $2.00

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

The Symmetrical Triangle

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

The Breakout: How XRP Breached the Triangle

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

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

Technical Indicators Supporting the $2 Target

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

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

Key Support and Resistance

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

Why is Ethereum Price UP?

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

Tokenization and Staked ETFs

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

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

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

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

Why This Matters for Ethereum

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

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

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

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

Key Features of ETHB:

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

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

Comparison: Spot ETH vs. Staked ETH ETFs

Fundamental Divergence

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

Markets Rally Ahead of President Trump’s Speech

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

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

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

$1 Trillion Added to U.S. Stocks

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

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

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

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

Oil Prices Drop After Hormuz News

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

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

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

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

All Eyes on President Trump’s Announcement

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

Key questions markets are asking include:

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

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

Could Bitcoin Be the Next Market Mover?

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

China Sidesteps Military Engagement in the Strait

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

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

Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Price Breaches $73K

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

Technical Targets and Resistance

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

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

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

Why China's Stance Matters for Markets

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

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

Bitcoin Prediction: The Road to $75,000

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

As of today, March 16, 2026, $Ethereum is up 7% in the past 24 hours with 13% gain over the past week.

This sudden volatility to the upside has liquidations of short positions reaching over $123 million, suggesting that the "bear trap" may have finally snapped shut. With institutional interest peaking due to the launch of products like the BlackRock iShares Staked Ethereum ETF (ETHB), the path toward $3,000 appears increasingly clear—provided key support zones hold.

Is the Ethereum Bull Run Back?

The short answer is: Potentially, but confirmation is key. The break above $2,250 is the first higher-high Ethereum has printed on the daily chart in months. For this to transition from a "relief rally" to a full-blown bull run, $ETH must now flip $2,250 into a support floor and challenge the next major liquidity cluster near $2,450.

Current Market Performance at a Glance:

Ethereum Price Prediction: Breaking Down the Chart

Analyzing the recent technical structure, the breakout occurred following a "double-bottom" pattern near the $1,950 zone. The charts indicate a sharp vertical move that has pushed the Relative Strength Index (RSI) into the bullish 60-65 range, suggesting there is still room for growth before reaching "overbought" territory.

Ethereum Price Target After the Rally

The next logical target for bulls is the $3,000 mark. This level isn't just a psychological milestone; it represents a major historical supply zone where Ethereum struggled during the previous quarter. If the current momentum continues, driven by increased on-chain activity and ETF inflows, we could see a test of $3,000 by late April 2026.

Ethereum Risk Areas

Despite the optimism, the bull run is not yet "guaranteed." Technical analysts point to two critical risk areas:

• $2,200 Support: If ETH fails to hold above this level on a daily close, the current breakout might be labeled a "fakeout."
• $2,050 Support: This is the line in the sand. If Ethereum breaks below $2,050, it invalidates the current bullish structure, suggesting that the market remains in a long-term downtrend and the bull run has not yet started.

Expert Insight: "The $2,150 to $2,250 range has been a thick liquidity node. Breaking above it with high volume is a strong signal, but we need to see the crypto market stabilize here to avoid a sharp rejection," notes a senior analyst at CoinDesk.

Institutional Catalysts: BlackRock and ETF Inflows

A major driver behind this 7% pump is the surging institutional adoption. The recently launched BlackRock iShares Staked Ethereum ETF (ETHB) saw over $15.5 million in trading volume on its debut. Unlike standard ETFs, this product offers exposure to staking rewards, making it highly attractive for pension funds and large-scale investors looking for yield in a volatile market.

Strategy just made its biggest Bitcoin buy of 2026, and Kalshi is running a $1 billion March Madness bracket contest.

Mastercard said Tuesday that it will acquire stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK in an effort to connect fiat and crypto payment rails.

Tokenization platform Theo plans to introduce a "gold-powered" stablecoin, which is set to generate yield from two independent sources.

AI and privacy tokens have emerged as leaders after Bitcoin’s $75K retest, with experts citing infrastructure demand over speculative memes.

ETH rallied with fresh inflows and treasury-buying support, while users on prediction market Myriad have shifted bullish.

XRP Ledger fees are in the spotlight as nonempty wallets set the ATH as adoption grows.

This morning on the crypto market, PayPal takes PYUSD global to fight Ripple, 237 billion SHIB leave exchanges and Citi lowers BTC target to $112,000.

Shiba Inu is back to its starting point as the slightest price increase leads to an enormous exchange inflow from active sellers.

Ripple-affiliated XRP once again becomes the top 4th cryptocurrency, flipping BNB.

Is a SHIB ETF finally here? $1.8 trillion giant T. Rowe Price moves closer to launching its "TKNZ" Crypto ETF, officially listing Shiba Inu as an eligible asset alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Key Takeaways

• At its GTC conference, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang forecasted $1 trillion in AI infrastructure spending from 2025 through 2027
• Uber is set to deploy DRIVE-powered autonomous vehicles in 28 markets worldwide by 2028, competing directly with Tesla’s robo-taxi vision
• Major automakers including BYD, Hyundai, and Nissan have committed to integrating Nvidia’s DRIVE technology for self-driving capabilities
• Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate Tesla’s autonomous technology is worth approximately $270 per share, representing roughly $1.2 trillion — dependent on maintaining competitive differentiation
• Elon Musk revealed the “Terafab Project” will debut in 7 days, suggesting Tesla’s expansion into AI infrastructure development

For years, Tesla’s market valuation has carried a significant premium linked directly to its artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicle aspirations. However, Monday’s Nvidia GTC conference raised an uncomfortable question for investors: what becomes of that valuation premium when autonomous driving technology becomes widely accessible?

During his keynote presentation, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang outlined expectations for $1 trillion in AI infrastructure investment spanning 2025 to 2027. The announcement that caught Tesla investors’ attention was Nvidia’s DRIVE platform — an integrated solution that enables virtually any vehicle to function as an autonomous taxi through the DRIVE AGX Thor computing system combined with camera arrays and lidar sensing technology.

Tesla, Inc., TSLA

Uber revealed plans to deploy DRIVE-equipped autonomous taxis throughout 28 international markets before 2028 ends. This represents a significant opportunity that might have otherwise belonged to Tesla, which is currently developing its Cybercab vehicle and building out its own ride-hailing fleet infrastructure.

Uber wasn’t the only major announcement. BYD, Hyundai, and Nissan each disclosed intentions to integrate DRIVE technology into their autonomous vehicle initiatives. Every additional partnership expands Nvidia’s presence in a market segment Tesla has positioned as central to its future revenue streams.

Tesla’s electric vehicle deliveries have declined year-over-year for two straight years across both U.S. and Chinese markets. Despite this, shares have surged 141% during the past two years, propelled primarily by enthusiasm surrounding robo-taxi potential and AI developments rather than actual vehicle delivery growth.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley assign a $270 per share valuation to Tesla’s autonomous driving capabilities exclusively — translating to approximately $1.2 trillion when calculated against its 4.5 billion fully diluted share count. This valuation framework assumes Tesla maintains a sufficiently differentiated self-driving product to support premium pricing power.

The Commoditization Risk to Tesla’s Valuation

Should DRIVE establish itself as the industry-standard autonomous driving solution, self-driving technology transitions from competitive advantage to standard equipment. While fleet operators and vehicle buyers would still purchase the capability, profit margins likely wouldn’t support a trillion-dollar valuation component.

Musk has dismissed these concerns publicly. In early 2026, he stated he’s “not losing any sleep” over Nvidia’s autonomous driving technology and expressed that he “genuinely hopes Nvidia succeeds.” Regardless of whether this represents strategic positioning or authentic sentiment, investors must conduct their own valuation assessments.

From a hardware perspective, Tesla represents a significant Nvidia client. The company’s AI development teams utilize extensive GPU cluster arrays for training the neural networks powering Full Self-Driving capabilities and robotics initiatives. This positions Tesla among Nvidia’s fastest-expanding compute customers.

Terafab Project Hints at Tesla’s Infrastructure Ambitions

Yet Musk’s recent X platform announcement regarding the “Terafab Project” launching within days suggests Tesla aims to expand its role in AI infrastructure — transitioning from solely purchasing chips to manufacturing its own hardware components. Tesla has already developed proprietary vehicle processors and the Dojo training architecture.

This strategic direction parallels moves by Alphabet and Amazon — both developed custom AI processing chips to decrease reliance on external suppliers like Nvidia.

Tesla shares declined 0.1% in Tuesday premarket trading to $395. Nvidia advanced 0.3% to $183.76. Uber jumped 2.6% to $76.60 following the DRIVE partnership announcement.

The post Tesla (TSLA) Stock Slides as Nvidia DRIVE Secures Major Partnerships with Uber, BYD and Hyundai appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin now reaches users in 70 countries worldwide, a significant jump from its initial US and UK availability.
• The expansion encompasses regions across Africa, Latin America, South America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
• Business owners can receive payment settlements in minutes instead of the traditional multi-day waiting period.
• The stablecoin’s total market capitalization has surged to approximately $4.1 billion from less than $1 billion twelve months ago.
• American users benefit from roughly 4% annual returns on PYUSD holdings, with this feature rolling out internationally.

On March 17, PayPal revealed plans to broaden availability of PYUSD, its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, to consumers in 70 countries around the globe. Previously, the digital currency was exclusively accessible to residents of the United States and United Kingdom.

PayPal Holdings, Inc., PYPL

This expansion introduces 68 additional nations across Africa, Latin America, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Nations such as Singapore, Peru, and Guatemala are now included, with additional territories expected to join in subsequent weeks.

Residents in these newly eligible territories can store, send, and receive PYUSD within their PayPal accounts. Additionally, they have the option to move tokens to third-party cryptocurrency wallets or exchange them for their local currency during withdrawal.

This development eliminates a prior constraint that required users in numerous countries to immediately convert funds to their national currency or withdraw directly to bank accounts. In countries like Malawi, PayPal transactions previously mandated immediate bank transfers.

May Zabaneh, who serves as PayPal’s senior vice president overseeing cryptocurrency operations, characterized the expansion as an initiative to address “cross-border transfers and volume, where the pain is felt so high.”

PYUSD debuted in August 2023 through a collaboration with Paxos Trust Company. The stablecoin maintains 1:1 backing through U.S. dollar reserves, short-duration Treasury securities, and cash equivalents, all under U.S. regulatory supervision.

Accelerated Payment Processing for Businesses

A major advantage for commercial entities involves settlement velocity. Businesses that accept PYUSD payments can now receive their funds within minutes, contrasting sharply with the multiple days typically needed using conventional payment infrastructure.

This expedited processing timeline could significantly improve liquidity management for merchants engaged in high-transaction-volume or international commerce. According to PayPal, the token reduces expenses and eliminates multiple intermediaries traditionally involved in cross-border transactions.

The yield-generating feature is also expanding internationally. American account holders currently receive approximately 4% annual interest on PYUSD holdings, transforming dormant wallet funds into interest-bearing assets.

PYUSD’s Position Among Competing Stablecoins

PYUSD’s total market capitalization has reached roughly $4.1 billion, representing substantial growth from its sub-$1 billion valuation one year earlier. Despite this progress, it remains significantly behind industry frontrunners.

Tether’s USDT commands the market with approximately $143 billion in market capitalization. Circle Internet’s USDC follows with roughly $78 billion.

The stablecoin has diversified beyond its initial Ethereum foundation to include Solana, Arbitrum, and Stellar networks, with additional interoperability features extending its operational scope.

PayPal has yet to release a comprehensive catalog of newly supported nations. The phased rollout is anticipated to become visible within the application for qualified users throughout the upcoming weeks.

The post PayPal (PYPL) Launches PYUSD Stablecoin in 68 Additional Markets Worldwide appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Mastercard plans to purchase stablecoin payment platform BVNK in a deal worth as much as $1.8 billion
• Up to $300 million of the purchase price is performance-based
• BVNK launched in 2021 and provides services in over 130 countries worldwide
• The company enables seamless transactions between traditional money and stablecoins on leading blockchain platforms
• Transaction completion is anticipated prior to the conclusion of 2026

Mastercard (MA) stock climbed 2.11% during Tuesday’s trading session following the company’s revelation that it intends to purchase BVNK, a provider of stablecoin payment infrastructure, in a transaction valued at as much as $1.8 billion.

The acquisition represents a strategic expansion for Mastercard as it ventures deeper into digital currency services beyond its traditional card payment network operations.

BVNK launched operations in 2021 and has developed technology that seamlessly integrates conventional fiat money systems with stablecoin transactions. The company’s infrastructure enables cross-border payments on every significant blockchain platform, serving clients in over 130 nations.

Mastercard Incorporated, MA

The acquisition’s $1.8 billion valuation incorporates $300 million in performance-based payments, which means a portion of the total compensation is conditional upon BVNK achieving predetermined benchmarks following deal closure.

Jorn Lambert, Mastercard’s chief product officer, made the company’s strategy crystal clear: “We expect that most financial institutions and fintechs will, in time, provide digital currency services,” he stated.

That statement reveals significant confidence. Mastercard isn’t hedging its bets on digital currencies — the company is strategically positioning itself to provide essential infrastructure when stablecoin usage becomes widespread.

What BVNK Does

BVNK operates as a critical connector in the payments ecosystem. The platform enables companies to process payments using stablecoins while simultaneously managing conversions between digital assets and conventional currencies.

This type of foundational infrastructure is precisely what major financial players require to enter the digital asset market without undertaking massive internal development projects.

The company’s existing operations span more than 130 nations, providing Mastercard with instant access to regions experiencing rapid stablecoin adoption and usage.

Deal Timeline and Terms

The transaction is projected to reach completion before 2026 ends, pending standard regulatory clearances.

The maximum transaction value stands at $1.8 billion. The performance-based $300 million component will be distributed only when BVNK achieves agreed-upon operational targets after the deal finalizes.

This payment arrangement is typical in technology sector acquisitions where a portion of compensation depends on future performance metrics or business continuity measures.

Mastercard has not publicly revealed the specific benchmarks tied to the contingent compensation structure.

The transaction ranks among Mastercard’s most significant investments in the digital asset sector and underscores intensifying rivalry among payment processors to establish dominance in stablecoin technology.

Mastercard stock gained 2.11% during the trading session when the acquisition was announced.

The post Mastercard (MA) Secures $1.8B BVNK Acquisition to Dominate Stablecoin Infrastructure appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Gold futures climbed to approximately $5,025 per ounce on Tuesday, marking a 0.5% daily increase.
• S&P 500 futures declined 0.3% as Brent crude jumped 3.3% to reach $103.53 per barrel.
• The ongoing US-Israeli military action against Iran continues to restrict Strait of Hormuz shipping, elevating oil beyond $100.
• The Federal Reserve commenced its two-day policy meeting Tuesday with expectations to maintain rates between 3.5%–3.75%.
• Market futures now indicate 26 basis points in potential rate reductions through December, showing a modest uptick.

Precious metal markets experienced upward momentum Tuesday morning as market participants monitored two significant simultaneous developments: the continuing US-Israeli military operations against Iran and the commencement of the Federal Reserve’s two-day monetary policy deliberations.

Gold futures advanced 0.5% to reach $5,025.10 per troy ounce. The spot gold market gained 0.7% to settle at $5,023.53. During earlier trading hours, continuous gold futures showed a more moderate 0.2% increase at $5,010.41 per ounce.

Concurrently, S&P 500 futures dropped 0.3%, reflecting increased caution among equity investors. Brent crude futures surged 3.3% to $103.53 per barrel, maintaining crude oil prices solidly above the $100 threshold.

The elevation in oil prices stems directly from military tensions. The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has substantially closed the Strait of Hormuz, interrupting a critical shipping corridor for worldwide petroleum distribution.

The precious metal experienced a challenging beginning to the trading week. Valuations retreated during Monday’s initial 24-hour trading period following statements from Iran’s foreign minister that investors interpreted optimistically. Equity markets rallied, treasury yields decreased, and the dollar surrendered recent advances.

“That seems to echo the markets’ positive response to Iran’s foreign minister’s comments,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive. “Crude oil pulled back, yields ticked lower, and the US dollar gave back some recent gains as stocks rose.”

Nevertheless, petroleum prices remained elevated above $100, and gold regained momentum by Tuesday’s opening.

Fed Meeting in Focus

The Federal Reserve initiated its two-day policy conference on Tuesday. Widespread market consensus anticipates the central bank will maintain interest rates unchanged within the 3.5% to 3.75% corridor for a consecutive meeting, with the official announcement scheduled for Wednesday.

Futures markets currently reflect 26 basis points in anticipated rate cuts through the December meeting, representing a 2.4 basis point increase from the previous day, according to Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid.

Gold functions as a non-yielding instrument, which typically performs favorably when interest rate expectations decline. Reduced rate projections diminish the opportunity cost associated with holding gold versus interest-generating investments.

Gold’s Role as a Safe Haven

Since military hostilities commenced in Iran, gold has actually depreciated 6.1%, based on FactSet analytics. This decline prompted uncertainty about whether gold maintained its traditional safe-haven characteristics.

Tuesday’s price appreciation may indicate the precious metal is beginning to reclaim that defensive position. Market analysts continue close observation.

“Gold may weaken if the central bank strikes a relatively hawkish tone,” Spivak warned. The Fed’s tone on Wednesday could move prices in either direction.

The US Federal Reserve is anticipated to keep rates stable, though any unexpected hawkish commentary regarding future rate increases could again pressure gold valuations.

Gold futures were exchanging at $5,021.10 as of Tuesday morning, representing an $18.90 daily gain.

The post Gold Surges Past $5,000 Mark Amid Iran Conflict and Federal Reserve Policy Meeting appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Steel Dynamics forecasted Q1 EPS between $2.73 and $2.77, significantly trailing the $3.24 Wall Street consensus estimate
• Shares declined 1.3% during premarket hours on Tuesday
• The guidance represents growth from last year’s Q1 EPS of $1.44 and Q4’s $1.82
• Order backlog has surged more than 35% year-over-year, stretching through Q3 2026
• Sector peers Nucor and Cleveland-Cliffs saw premarket declines following the announcement

Steel Dynamics (STLD) disappointed investors with its first-quarter 2026 earnings outlook, forecasting earnings per share between $2.73 and $2.77—substantially below the Street’s $3.24 expectation. The shortfall triggered a 1.3% decline in premarket trading Tuesday morning.

Steel Dynamics, Inc., STLD

However, context matters. The forecast represents meaningful improvement from the prior quarter’s $1.82 EPS and a substantial jump from Q1 2025’s $1.44 figure—demonstrating clear year-over-year momentum. The issue lies in the disconnect between company performance and analyst projections, which proved overly optimistic.

Management attributed the anticipated sequential gains to strengthening steel operations. The company expects higher shipping volumes combined with expanding metal spreads—driven by average selling prices increasing faster than scrap input costs—to enhance profitability versus the fourth quarter of 2025.

The metals recycling division should contribute improved earnings as well, benefiting from elevated ferrous and nonferrous pricing. That said, shipment volumes in this segment are projected lower due to weather-related disruptions that affected operations during January and February.

Meanwhile, the steel fabrication business is anticipated to deliver results comparable to Q4, with increased volume offsetting margin compression from higher raw material expenses.

A particularly encouraging indicator: Steel Dynamics’ customer order backlog has climbed over 35% compared to last year and extends through the third quarter of 2026. This substantial pipeline suggests sustained demand momentum.

The company highlighted robust demand across non-residential construction, energy infrastructure, and automotive end markets.

Alabama Aluminum Facility Update

Steel Dynamics advanced commissioning efforts at its Columbus, Mississippi aluminum flat rolled products facility throughout the quarter. The plant has successfully manufactured finished products for industrial applications and the beverage can industry, securing product approvals from multiple can sheet customers.

Additionally, the facility has produced aluminum hot band for automotive end-uses—marking an important achievement as the company expands its product portfolio into new market segments.

Stock repurchase activity slowed temporarily during Q1. Capital was deployed toward the company’s annual profit-sharing distribution of approximately $126 million and increased working capital requirements associated with aluminum operations. The company bought back around $66 million worth of shares in the quarter and expects to resume standard buyback levels in the second quarter.

Steel Dynamics boasts a 13-year consecutive dividend increase streak. Recently, management announced a 6% dividend hike to $0.53 per share quarterly, with payment scheduled for early April.

Shares have climbed approximately 37% over the trailing twelve months, propelled by Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. However, the past month has seen sector weakness amid speculation that these protective measures could be scaled back.

Industry Peers React Negatively

The weaker-than-anticipated guidance created headwinds across the steel sector. Nucor (NUE) shares fell 0.5% in premarket trading, while Cleveland-Cliffs experienced a 0.2% decline.

Steel Dynamics is scheduled to release complete Q1 2026 financial results after market close on Monday, April 20.

Regarding merger activity, Steel Dynamics and SGH Ltd. increased their combined acquisition proposal for BlueScope Steel to $11 billion—representing a 14% premium—but BlueScope’s board rejected the enhanced offer. The bidding consortium has indicated they will not sweeten the proposal further unless a rival bidder materializes.

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[PRESS RELEASE – George Town, British Virgin Islands, March 17th, 2026]

Aster, a privacy-focused trading ecosystem backed by YZi Labs, today announced the official launch of Aster Chain Mainnet. This purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain is designed to dismantle the “transparency trap” of modern DeFi, offering institutional-grade privacy and CEX-level performance to professional and retail traders worldwide.

Ending the Era of Onchain Position Hunting

Transparency is a defining characteristic of decentralized finance, supported by public ledgers, verifiable transactions, and open protocols. However, transparency between protocols and users differs from transparency among market participants. When trading activity, including order placement, position size, and liquidation levels, is fully visible on-chain, such information may be observed and used by other participants in the market.

Position hunting – where traders identify a large position, see its liquidation price, and coordinate to trigger a forced liquidation – has cost traders millions of dollars on fully transparent platforms. Infamously, in March 2025, a trader opened a $375 million BTC 40x short on a fully transparent platform. Traders quickly began openly coordinating on Twitter to pool funds and hunt the position.

Aster’s default privacy removes that attack surface entirely.

The Aster Thesis: Privacy is a Fundamental Right

Unlike existing solutions that treat privacy as an opt-in feature or a third-party wrapper, Aster Chain embeds encryption directly into the execution layer. On Aster, privacy is the default, not a privilege.

The Aster privacy stack utilizes a ZK-verifiable encrypted architecture:

• ZK-Verifiable Encryption + Stealth Address Mechanism: Every order is ZK-verifiable encrypted before it reaches the chain; with Account Privacy enabled, orders are routed through unique stealth addresses, ensuring no link between users’ wallets and their trading activity, and preventing any third party from tracing, correlating, or reconstructing trades.
• Selective Disclosure: While asset transfers remain traceable for compliance, the execution layer shields strategic intent. Users who want their activity visible can choose to make it public. With Account Privacy enabled, users can generate a Viewer Pass to share with selected parties, allowing only those with access to the pass to view their private orders.
• Zero Performance Trade-off: Aster Chain achieves peak throughput of 100,000+ TPS and a median block time of 50ms, all without gas – performance that matches the speed traders expect from a centralized exchange.

“Transparency between a protocol and its users is a fundamental feature, but transparency between a trader and their competitors is a critical vulnerability,” said Leonard, CEO at Aster. “Aster Chain is the only architecture that treats privacy as a fundamental requirement for a fair market, neutralizing predatory attacks at the base layer.”

CEX Speed Meets DEX Principles

Aster Chain delivers the sub-second finality and high-leverage experience of a CEX while upholding the core tenets of decentralization: self-custody, verifiability, and permissionless access. Trading privacy removes the last reason to stay on a centralized exchange. The network is supported by a native bridge to BNB Chain and proprietary oracles to ensure high-fidelity price data.

Fuelling the Next Wave of Innovation

The mainnet launch marks the start of a phased expansion. Beyond the flagship Aster trading UI, the ecosystem is inviting builders to create specialized vaults and collaborative DeFi products through Aster Code.

To coincide with the launch, Aster will initiate a Staking Program within a week to reward early supporters and liquidity providers.

About Aster

Aster is a privacy-first onchain trading platform backed by YZi Labs, with unique features like Hidden Orders to protect user trading activity. It offers perpetual contracts across crypto, stocks and commodities, as well as crypto spot trading, and is powered by Aster Chain, a Layer 1 blockchain built to power the future of decentralized finance.

Users can learn more about Aster on the official website or follow Aster on X.

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The team behind the controversial crypto project Pi Network unveiled several important updates lately, while the community celebrated its symbolic Pi Day.

PI’s price had its glory moments, briefly climbing to a five-month peak, but then experienced a massive correction.

The Latest Developments

March has been quite eventful for Pi Network. At the start of the month, the Core Team announced that the protocol v19.9 migration was successfully completed, while version 20.2 was scheduled for release around March 12. The official confirmation about the migration arrived with the Pi Day celebratory announcement.

Another major development was Kraken’s decision to allow trading services with Pi Network’s native cryptocurrency. This happened just a day before Pi Day – the community’s special date, celebrated because it matches the mathematical constant π (3.14), and which is logically held annually on March 14.

This year, the team marked the occasion by rolling out several ecosystem upgrades designed to boost utility, attract more developers, and strengthen the network’s overall infrastructure. Some of the improvements include new Mainnet capabilities for Pi App Studio, advancements that enable future smart contract functionality, KYC validator rewards, and more.

Most recently, Pi Network’s team disclosed that second migrations have started and “will continue with a gradual rollout, opening the door for Pioneers to bring additional PI to Mainnet and further participate in the ecosystem.” The post on X received mixed reactions: some users praised the move, whereas others questioned why the team had launched a second migration when the first one hadn’t been properly completed.

PI Remains Trending

The numerous developments surrounding Pi Network led to significant volatility in PI. The protocol updates, the listing on Kraken, and the anticipation of Pi Day boosted the price to a five-month peak of almost $0.30. At one point, the asset’s market capitalization neared $3 billion, making PI the 36th-largest cryptocurrency.

However, over the past few days, the price headed south just as rapidly in what appeared to be a classic “sell-the-news” moment. As of this writing, PI trades at around $0.18 (per CoinGecko’s data), representing a 9% daily decline and a 19% collapse over the week.

Despite the downtrend, the asset remains one of the most-searched digital assets. It is the fifth-most trending cryptocurrency on CoinGecko today, surpassing well-known names such as Bittensor (TAO), Ethereum (ETH), and Bitcoin (BTC).

What Lies Ahead?

In the following days, the daily token unlocks will exceed 15 million on a couple of occasions. Nonetheless, the end of March and the beginning of April are expected to be much calmer on that front, which could stabilize the price and slow down the recent pullback.

Moreover, PI’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) has fallen to 10, signaling oversold conditions that can sometimes precede a resurgence. The technical analysis tool ranges from 0 to 100, and conversely, anything above 70 is considered bearish territory and indicates that a short-term correction could be on the way.

The post Pi Network (PI) News Today: March 17 appeared first on CryptoPotato.

[PRESS RELEASE – New York, United States, March 17th, 2026]

GSR, crypto’s capital markets partner, today announced the $57 million acquisition of Autonomous and Architech. The transaction significantly expands the firm’s ability to support tokenized organizations from formation through scale. Autonomous will continue to operate under its existing brand within the GSR group, providing launch operations, operational support, and financial infrastructure for tokenized organizations, while Architech will form the foundation of GSR Digital Asset Advisory, working alongside GSR’s institutional trading, liquidity, and asset management capabilities.

Launching a tokenized network today often requires engaging multiple structuring advisors, token economists, market makers, and listing consultants, typically operating under fragmented mandates and misaligned incentives. GSR’s integrated model replaces that patchwork with a coordinated approach, aligning foundation structuring, governance design, token economics, fundraising and exchange strategy, and long-term capital planning. Clients can also access GSR’s institutional trading, derivatives, and asset management capabilities through its existing, regulated entities.

“The crypto industry has matured, but its capital markets infrastructure remains fragmented,” said Xin Song, CEO of GSR. “Entrepreneurs should not have to allocate significant portions of their token supply to disconnected service providers. By aligning advisory expertise alongside GSR’s institutional trading and asset management capabilities, we provide coordinated support from pre-launch through scale.”

Beyond launch, the platform addresses a structural challenge in crypto: foundations frequently begin life managing substantial digital asset treasuries without the financial infrastructure required to oversee them. GSR is able to provide strategic treasury and capital markets guidance, including:

• Cash and Liquidity Planning – optimizing working capital and banking relationships.
• Cash Flow Forecasting – runway modeling and capital planning.
• Risk Management – structured approaches to manage token volatility and exposures, with execution available through GSR’s trading and derivatives businesses.
• Capital Allocation Strategy – disciplined diversification and portfolio construction, supported by GSR’s asset management and trading capabilities.

Today, many crypto treasuries function primarily as passive holdings of their own tokens. Introducing structured diversification and income strategies can transform those balance sheets into sustainable funding engines without diluting long-term token alignment. Professionalizing treasury management not only strengthens individual networks but supports the long-term stability of the broader ecosystem.

“Crypto foundations are effectively managing large, complex balance sheets from day one,” said James Hutchings, Managing Director, Autonomous. “Integrating with GSR allows us to pair deep advisory expertise with institutional trading infrastructure.”

“Successful tokenization doesn’t end at launch,” added Matt Solomon, CEO, Architech. “It requires coordination across design, liquidity, and long-term financial management. This platform unifies those elements within a first-of-its-kind, integrated offering.”

With this acquisition, GSR advances its strategy to become crypto’s one-stop capital markets partner, delivering institutional standards, aligned incentives, and full-lifecycle support for the next generation of on-chain businesses.

About GSR 

GSR is crypto’s capital markets partner, delivering market-making services, institutional-grade OTC trading, and venture backing to founders and institutions. With more than a decade of experience, we provide strategic guidance, market intelligence, and access to a global network to help teams scale. Users can visit www.gsr.io for more information, including the General Terms Business, relevant disclosures, and GSR’s trading terms.

About Autonomous

Autonomous is an end-to-end launch, finance, and operations partner for digital asset projects. With comprehensive white-glove services including fractional CFO/COO services, finance management, treasury operations, payment processing, partner coordination (i.e., exchanges, custodians, market makers, OTC desks), multi-sig and treasury architecture, token minting, liquidity planning, lock/vest administration, grants management, governance support, and banking setup. Autonomous support projects through their full lifecycle, spanning pre-launch preparation, TGE, and go-to-market execution, and post-launch steady-state operations.

About Architech

Architech is the premier advisory firm specializing in fungible token launches and bespoke liquidity strategies. Since its inception in October 2024, Architech has supported token launches totaling over $10 billion in peak fully diluted value. Its core services span mechanism design, market maker facilitation, centralized exchange coordination, GTM strategy, and fundraising.

The post GSR Acquires Autonomous and Architech to Launch Integrated Capital Markets and Treasury Platform for Crypto appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin is pressing into a major test. The rebound from the $60,000 area has now extended into the mid-$70,000s, which means the price is no longer just recovering. It is challenging the first real ceiling of this bounce, and that makes the current zone especially important for the next directional move.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

The daily chart has improved meaningfully, but the broader trend has not fully flipped yet. BTC is now pushing back into the $75,000 to $80,000 region, which marked the previous breakdown area and has now turned into a heavy supply zone. The price is also approaching the higher trendline of the descending channel again, while still trading beneath both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, located at $80,000 and $93,000 levels, respectively.

That combination makes the current level a key decision area. If buyers can reclaim this region with a clean daily break, the recovery would start to look much more structural. If not, this could still end up being another lower-high rejection inside the broader corrective trend. For now, the chart is stronger than it was a few weeks ago, but not yet fully repaired.

BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart

On the 4-hour chart, the structure remains constructive. Bitcoin has continued printing higher lows and highs inside its rising recovery channel, and the latest move has carried the price right into the upper resistance band around $73,000 to $76,000. That shows buyers are still in control in the short term.

Momentum is also firm, with the RSI holding in the upper half of its range and recently pushing higher again. Still, the market is now at a confluence zone where horizontal resistance and the upper trend boundary meet. So this is where continuation needs confirmation. A breakout could open the door to a stronger leg higher, while rejection here would likely drag BTC back toward the middle of the channel.

Sentiment Analysis

From a sentiment perspective, funding rates remain negative even as the price keeps climbing. That is a notable divergence. It shows that derivatives traders are still not leaning aggressively long, and short exposure remains relatively elevated despite the recovery.

That kind of backdrop is often supportive rather than bearish in the near term. When the price rises while funding stays subdued or negative, it suggests the move is not being driven by overcrowded bullish leverage. In other words, sentiment is still cautious, and that leaves room for upside if BTC can break resistance, since the market has not yet reached an overheated condition, and a short liquidation cascade could be the fuel the price needs to jump aggressively.

The post Bitcoin Price Analysis: Will The Rally Continue as BTC Nears Key Breakout Point? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Payments giant Mastercard continues with its pro-crypto endeavors, announcing a major acquisition of the stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK for $1.8 billion.

The move followed another major expansion from last week, when Mastercard tapped Ripple, Binance, PayPal, Circle, and other crypto companies in an attempt to bridge the gap between traditional finance and blockchain.

Mastercard’s Big Acquisition

The definitive agreement for $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments, will expand Mastercard’s end-to-end support of digital assets and value movement across currencies, rails, and regions, reads the statement.

According to the payments behemoth, the focus of the acquisition will be on real-world use cases such as cross-border remittances, business-to-business transactions, and global payouts, where stablecoins are increasingly seen as faster and more efficient alternatives.

The company emphasized that the key challenge remains integrating crypto-native systems into existing financial infrastructures, despite their evident growth over the past several years. It plans to use its global payment network, which spans over 200 countries, with BVNK’s blockchain capabilities, to deliver “secure, compliant, and scalable payment solutions.”

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

He added that this acquisition reinforces what the company has been striving for – using innovation and technology to power economies and empower people. The network’s speed and programmability for every type of transaction are expected to increase with the addition of on-chain rails.

BVNK CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers described the deal as a major milestone for the entire industry as it would help “define and deliver the future of money” by combining complementary technologies and expertise.

Crypto Adoption on the Rise

Mastercard’s statement explained that the new acquisition aligns with its broader push into the digital asset space, following last week’s announcement about the creation of the Crypto Partner Program. As reported, the company tapped industry giants such as Binance, Gemini, Paxos, Circle, and Ripple, alongside crypto-native and fintech behemoth PayPal, to connect blockchain with its vast global payments infrastructure.

The combined project is expected to offer a “chain-agnostic and asset-agnostic infrastructure” that will allow clients to operate across different blockchain networks without being locked into a single ecosystem.

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