The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a significant threat to the security of cryptocurrencies, necessitating urgent adoption of post-quantum cryptography to safeguard digital assets and maintain financial stability.

The post Google warns Bitcoin encryption could break with fewer quantum resources than expected appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Meta tests Instagram Plus with stealth story viewing and premium features as it expands beyond creator monetization.

The post Meta tests Instagram Plus subscription with stealth story viewing and paid features for users appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The Mined in America Act could bolster US economic security by reducing reliance on foreign crypto mining and enhancing domestic production.

The post Senator Lummis, Cassidy introduce Mined in America Act to support the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Square enables Bitcoin payments for US sellers with instant conversion to cash and zero processing fees through 2026.

The post Square auto-enables Bitcoin payments for US sellers with zero fees through 2026 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Musk's engagement highlights the volatile influence of celebrity actions on crypto markets, sparking rapid shifts in token valuations and investor gains.

The post Elon Musk animates Bitcoin waifu after viral fan art request appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Labor Department Proposal Could Open 401(k)s to Bitcoin and Alternative Assets

The U.S. Department of Labor has unveiled a sweeping proposed rule that could significantly expand the range of investment options available in 401(k) retirement plans, marking a potential turning point for alternative assets — including crypto — within tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

Released Monday by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, the proposal aims to reduce regulatory uncertainty and litigation risk for fiduciaries considering alternative investments. 

The move follows an executive order from Donald Trump directing agencies to “democratize access” to non-traditional assets in retirement portfolios.

At its core, the rule reinforces that fiduciary responsibility under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act is grounded in process rather than outcomes. 

Plan managers would retain broad discretion to include a wide array of investment options — provided they follow a prudent, well-documented evaluation process assessing factors such as fees, liquidity, valuation, and performance benchmarks.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the proposal is designed to align retirement investing with modern financial markets. “This greater diversity will drive innovation and result in a major win for American workers, retirees, and their families,” she said.

Bitcoin gets exposure

The guidance could open the door for increased exposure to digital assets like Bitcoin within 401(k) plans — a development long sought by segments of the crypto industry. While plan sponsors have technically always been permitted to consider such assets, regulatory ambiguity and prior guidance had a chilling effect.

In 2022, the Biden administration issued a compliance release cautioning fiduciaries against offering cryptocurrency in retirement plans, citing volatility and investor protection concerns. 

That stance is now being reversed, with Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling emphasizing neutrality. “The department’s days of picking winners and losers are over,” he said.

The proposal does not explicitly endorse crypto or any specific asset class. Instead, it establishes “safe harbor” frameworks designed to protect fiduciaries who undertake thorough due diligence when adding alternative investments to plan menus. 

This process-based approach could make it easier for asset managers to introduce diversified funds that include exposure to private equity, real estate, or digital assets or Bitcoin.

Assets like Bitcoin could enhance long-term returns and provide a hedge against inflation, particularly for younger savers with longer time horizons. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of the Treasury both collaborated on the rulemaking, signaling a broader interagency effort to modernize retirement investing.

This post Labor Department Proposal Could Open 401(k)s to Bitcoin and Alternative Assets first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

U.S. Senators Unveil ‘Mined in America Act’ to Reshore BTC Mining, Codify Bitcoin Strategic Reserve

Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and Cynthia Lummis introduced legislation Monday aimed at reshaping the U.S. digital asset mining sector, tightening supply chains, and embedding bitcoin into federal reserve strategy.

The proposal, titled the “Mined in America Act,” would establish a federal certification program for domestic crypto mining operations while phasing out reliance on foreign-manufactured hardware.

It also seeks to codify Donald Trump’s executive order creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, placing the policy on statutory footing, according to a release on the matter.

“Digital asset mining is a big part of our economy. We should be doing it here in America,” Cassidy said in a statement, framing the bill as a supply chain and manufacturing initiative.

Lummis tied the legislation to a broader push to position the United States as a global hub for digital assets. “The Mined in America Act brings this industry home through forward-thinking initiatives to secure our financial future,” she said.

The bill directs the Department of Commerce to create a voluntary “Mined in America” certification for mining facilities and pools that meet security and sourcing standards. Certified operators would be required to transition away from hardware linked to foreign adversaries over a phased timeline, with the goal of full compliance by the end of the decade.

Lawmakers and industry advocates have pointed to a stark imbalance in the current mining ecosystem. While the United States controls an estimated 38% of global bitcoin hash rate, roughly 97% of specialized mining hardware is produced by Chinese firms, including Bitmain and MicroBT.

Domestic mining security push

Supporters argue that dependence poses both economic and national security risks. The bill references prior incidents, including U.S. inspections of imported mining rigs and the discovery of vulnerabilities in firmware that raised concerns about remote access capabilities.

To address the imbalance, the legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to support the development of domestic mining hardware.

It stops short of authorizing new spending, instead integrating certified projects into existing federal energy and manufacturing programs.

The measure also positions bitcoin mining as a tool for grid management and energy development. 

By tapping into existing Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, certified operators could access financing for projects that absorb excess renewable energy, stabilize grid demand, or capture methane emissions from landfills and oil fields.

Industry group Satoshi Action Fund endorsed the legislation, calling it a comprehensive framework that links energy policy, manufacturing, and digital asset strategy.

Strategic Bitcoin Reserve gets a formal nod

Beyond industrial policy, the bill’s most significant provision may be its formalization of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve within the Treasury Department. While the federal government already holds a large amount of bitcoin from law enforcement seizures, the reserve would establish a framework for long-term retention and accumulation.

The legislation outlines a “budget-neutral” pathway for expanding holdings. Revenue generated from staking rewards and airdrops tied to other seized digital assets would be funneled into bitcoin purchases. In addition, certified domestic miners could sell newly mined bitcoin directly to the government in exchange for a capital gains tax exemption, creating an incentive to supply the reserve at discounted prices.

If enacted, the Mined in America Act would mark one of the most expansive federal efforts to integrate bitcoin mining into U.S. industrial and energy policy. 

It arrives as policymakers weigh how to balance innovation, security, and competition in a sector that has become increasingly global.

This post U.S. Senators Unveil ‘Mined in America Act’ to Reshore BTC Mining, Codify Bitcoin Strategic Reserve first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Crypto Stocks Near a Bottom After 60% Selloff, Sees “Big Discount” Entry Point: Analyst

Wall Street broker Bernstein says crypto-linked equities are approaching a cyclical bottom following a steep ~60% drawdown from 2025 highs, framing the pullback as a potential “big discount” opportunity ahead of first-quarter earnings.

In a Monday note led by analyst Gautam Chhugani, the firm said the combination of macro uncertainty, geopolitical tension, and weak crypto sentiment has pressured valuations across the sector, but argued that fundamentals tied to long-term growth themes remain intact, according to Investing.com.

Despite the bullish longer-term view, Bernstein lowered price targets across major names: it cut its target on Coinbase to $330 from $440, Robinhood to $130 from $160, and Figure to $67 from $72. All three remain rated Outperform.

The broker estimates crypto equities have retraced roughly 60% from their 2025 peak, alongside a broader crypto market correction that erased trillions in value. Bitcoin itself has fallen sharply from record highs, contributing to weaker trading activity and sentiment.

Still, Bernstein pointed to structural growth drivers including stablecoins, tokenization, prediction markets, and derivatives. It also argued that crypto exposure remains a smaller share of Robinhood’s revenue base, while Figure is positioned as a pure-play tokenization business.

The firm expects Q1 earnings weakness to mark a sentiment floor before recovery into the second half of 2026.

Crypto, bitcoin continues slumping

This note comes as Bitcoin traded lower over the weekend after remarks from Donald Trump suggesting the United States is engaged in discussions with a new leadership structure in Iran and that progress toward a potential agreement is underway.

The moves followed a weekend dip toward $64,000 and reinforced a broader rangebound structure between roughly $65,000 and $70,000.

Sentiment was driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East, where the conflict between Iran and Israel has intensified, with strikes on Iranian targets and regional spillovers affecting Kuwait and other Gulf states. 

Reports of missile and drone activity, risks to energy infrastructure, and threats to shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz have kept global markets on edge. U.S. President Donald Trump has alternated between diplomatic signals and severe threats toward Iran’s energy infrastructure, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been cited in discussions suggesting regime change dynamics may be emerging, with Pakistan attempting to facilitate indirect talks.

Beyond geopolitics, derivatives positioning has also contributed to muted volatility. Institutional investors selling covered call options have shifted gamma exposure to market makers, whose hedging activity dampens price swings by buying dips and selling rallies. 

Overall, Bitcoin remains rangebound as markets digest geopolitical risk, options-driven volatility suppression, and macroeconomic uncertainty, while traders await clearer direction from both policy signals and liquidity trends, say this comes as institutional positioning continues to offset retail-driven momentum and headline shocks in a tightly controlled trading environment through early spring 2026 cycle period.

This post Crypto Stocks Near a Bottom After 60% Selloff, Sees “Big Discount” Entry Point: Analyst first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Square Begins Automatic Bitcoin Payment Rollout to Millions of U.S. Merchants

Square, the payments platform owned by Block, has begun automatically enabling bitcoin payments for eligible U.S. sellers starting today, marking a major expansion in the company’s push to integrate bitcoin into everyday commerce.

The move, touched on by Square product lead Miles Suter on X, shifts the feature from an opt-in tool introduced in late 2025 to a default setting now activated across millions of merchants. 

Sellers will still receive USD as their default settlement currency, with bitcoin payments seamlessly converted in the background. 

Square first unveiled its “Square Bitcoin” initiative in October 2025, introducing integrated bitcoin payments and wallet functionality for small businesses. 

At launch, merchants could choose to enable bitcoin acceptance at checkout, with support for Lightning Network payments, instant settlement, and zero processing fees through 2027.

A broader rollout followed in November 2025, but adoption remained voluntary.

Today’s update removes that friction entirely. Eligible U.S. sellers now have bitcoin payments enabled automatically, without requiring manual activation in their Square settings. Merchants retain the ability to opt out or adjust preferences.

Bitcoin at the point of sale for Square

With the change, customers can pay in Bitcoin at checkout while merchants continue to receive USD by default. The system is designed to abstract away volatility and settlement complexity, positioning bitcoin as a payment rail rather than a speculative asset for merchants.

Square’s integration leverages Lightning Network infrastructure to enable near-instant transactions, aiming to make bitcoin usable in everyday retail environments such as cafés, salons, and local shops.

Suter has described the rollout as a foundational step toward bitcoin functioning as “everyday money,” pointing to the scale of Square’s merchant network as a catalyst for adoption.

Earlier this year, Cash App, a mobile payments app from Block, also announced major upgrades to its Bitcoin offering, including zero-spread pricing, lower fees, expanded withdrawal limits, and new funding rails such as ACH and wire transfers.

According to Suter, eligible users can now withdraw up to $10,000 daily and $25,000 weekly, positioning Cash App as one of the most cost-effective Bitcoin on-ramps in the U.S.

The update aims to simplify Bitcoin usage, with automatic conversion between USD and Bitcoin and improved user experience across the platform.

Editorial Disclaimer: We leverage AI as part of our editorial workflow, including to support research, image generation, and quality assurance processes. All content is directed, reviewed, and approved by our editorial team, who are accountable for accuracy and integrity. AI-generated images use only tools trained on properly license material. In Bitcoin, as in media: Don’t trust. Verify.

This post Square Begins Automatic Bitcoin Payment Rollout to Millions of U.S. Merchants first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Teeters on Iran Talks as Geopolitics and Options Flows Trap Price in Narrow Range

Bitcoin price moved higher Sunday night into Monday after remarks from Donald Trump indicating the United States is engaged in discussions with a new leadership structure in Iran and that progress toward a potential agreement is underway. 

The comments helped lift risk appetite across digital assets after a weekend dip that briefly pushed bitcoin price toward the $64,000 area.

The rebound added to a broader pattern of rangebound trading, with bitcoin holding between roughly $65,000 and $70,000 as markets continue to digest geopolitical developments, macroeconomic signals, and shifting liquidity conditions. 

The latest move followed a period of uneven price action marked by late-week weakness and early-week stabilization.

Geopolitical risk tied to Iran remains a key driver of sentiment. Tensions around energy infrastructure, shipping routes, and potential escalation scenarios continue to feed uncertainty across global markets, with crypto responding to headline changes alongside equities and commodities.

The conflict between Iran and Israel has escalated sharply, with U.S. and Israeli strikes hitting Iranian targets while Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks across the region, including strikes that affected Kuwait and other Gulf states, pushing the regional death toll above 1,900 in Iran and over 1,200 in Lebanon. 

President Donald Trump has alternated between claiming diplomatic progress and issuing severe threats to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, and the strategic Kharg Island export hub if a deal is not reached soon.

The fighting has widened regionally, with Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intercepting incoming missiles and drones, while tensions over shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz continue to raise global energy concerns.

Diplomatic efforts remain uncertain, with Pakistan attempting to mediate indirect talks involving regional powers, even as leaders like U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests regime change in Iran may be underway.

Bitcoin price reaction 

Bitcoin price has been stuck in a tight range around $70,000 since mid-February because multiple forces are offsetting each other. On one side, institutional investors have been selling covered call options on their Bitcoin holdings to earn extra income, which shifts “gamma” exposure onto market makers. 

Those market makers then hedge by buying when prices fall and selling when prices rise, which naturally dampens volatility and reinforces range-bound trading. 

At the same time, macro factors like safe-haven demand and rising U.S. yields are pulling Bitcoin price in opposite directions, keeping it trapped between roughly $65,000 and $75,000.

Investors continue to rotate toward yield-bearing and lower-volatility assets while reducing exposure to risk assets tied to global uncertainty. Crypto markets remain reactive to headlines rather than driven by sustained inflow momentum.

Despite softer institutional demand, underlying activity has not fully reversed. Prior weeks of inflows remain significant in scale, suggesting continued longer-term allocation interest even as near-term positioning shifts. 

For now, bitcoin price remains anchored in a tight trading band shaped by geopolitical developments, ETF flow trends, and expectations around upcoming U.S. economic data.

This post Bitcoin Price Teeters on Iran Talks as Geopolitics and Options Flows Trap Price in Narrow Range first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

The first Form 1099-DA season is arriving for US crypto investors with a basic problem: many people are getting the new IRS form before they understand what it actually tells them.

A Coinbase and CoinTracker survey of 3,000 US crypto users found that 61% were unaware of the new 2025 reporting rules, even though 74% said they knew crypto activity can be taxable and 56% rated their own knowledge of crypto tax rules as good or excellent.

That gap comes as the IRS begins receiving more standardized data on digital-asset sales handled by brokers. Treasury and the IRS require brokers to report gross proceeds on Form 1099-DA for digital-asset sales effected in 2025, with basis reporting on covered securities starting in 2026.

The IRS has also told taxpayers that most 2025 statements will not include basis, meaning the form can show that a sale happened without doing the work needed to determine the actual gain or loss.

For many investors, that turns a new information return into a false sense of completeness. The IRS says Form 1099-DA is used by brokers to report proceeds from, and in some cases basis for, digital-asset dispositions to both the taxpayer and the government.

It also says taxpayers must report all income, gains, and losses from digital-asset transactions, whether or not they receive the form, and must calculate the basis before filing.

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Mar 7, 2026 · Gino Matos

A new form, but not a finished tax answer

The transition-year structure is what makes the first filing season unusually easy to misread. A taxpayer who bought Bitcoin on one exchange, moved it to self-custody, later transferred part of it to another platform, and sold there may receive a Form 1099-DA showing the disposal proceeds.

However, if the asset was transferred in from another broker or wallet, the form may not carry the basis information needed to calculate the real taxable result.

Tax practitioners writing in The Tax Adviser said taxpayers may receive Forms 1099-DA without basis for assets transferred in from another broker or self-custody wallet, for sales on some noncustodial platforms, and for assets bought before 2026 that are not treated as covered securities.

That is why tax specialists are warning taxpayers not to treat the document like a completed brokerage statement. Jonathan Cutler, a Deloitte senior manager, reportedly said the 2025 form is mainly a signal that the taxpayer transacted in crypto, while adding that taxpayers “really need their own records to be tight.”

The IRS has made the same point in plainer terms. Its guidance says taxpayers should use Form 1099-DA together with their other records and that they must calculate basis before filing. It also notes that taxpayers transacting through foreign brokers may not receive a Form 1099-DA from those brokers even when the transactions remain taxable in the United States.

Where investors are getting tripped up

Meanwhile, the Coinbase and CoinTracker survey data suggests the confusion is not limited to basis, as it found that only 49% of respondents correctly said a tax event is triggered when crypto is sold.

Another 41% said tax is triggered when crypto is transferred to a bank, 36% thought tax applies only once profits rise above a threshold, and 22% thought a transfer from another account is itself the trigger.

At the same time, users reported an average of 2.5 platforms or wallets, 83% said they use self-custodial wallets, and 71% said they had transferred assets between wallets or platforms.

The new IRS guidance runs against the cash-out logic still common among retail traders.

The agency treats digital assets as property for federal income-tax purposes and its Form 1099-DA guidance says taxpayers can receive the form when they dispose of digital assets for dollars, exchange them for another digital asset, use them to pay for goods or services in any amount, or use digital assets to pay broker transaction costs.

The IRS FAQ on virtual currency also says a taxpayer generally recognizes gain or loss when virtual currency is sold for real currency.

That leaves a market full of investors who broadly know crypto can be taxable but still misunderstand when taxable events arise and what records the IRS expects them to keep.

The Coinbase’s survey found that 76% of respondents knew cost-basis adjustments may be required, but only 35% said they had actually made those adjustments in the past.

Shehan Chandrasekera, Head of Tax Strategy at CoinTracker, said:

“While crypto brokerages will provide 1099-DA forms this tax year, users are responsible for correctly computing their cost basis, holding period and actual gains or losses. This cost basis issue is uniquely hard to solve.”

Visibility rises before compliance catches up

The reporting push reflects a wider belief that the old system captured only part of the market. A 2026 paper in Review of Accounting Studies using IRS data found the agency appeared to observe only 32% to 56% of US cryptocurrency owners.

A separate NBER paper using Norwegian data found that 88% of crypto holders failed to declare holdings or gains, and that even among investors using domestic exchanges that shared identifiable data with tax authorities, 80% still failed to declare.

Meanwhile, the current stricter scrutiny could changes crypto investors' behavior before it fully closes the tax gap. An NBER study on crypto tax-loss harvesting found that increased tax scrutiny pushed investors toward more legal tax planning and affected preferences for US-based exchanges.

That lines up with what practitioners are seeing in the first 1099-DA season, where missing or incomplete basis has forced accountants into what Accounting Today described as forensic reconciliation against client-maintained records rather than simple form-matching.

For U.S. investors filing this year, the immediate lesson is narrower and more practical. Form 1099-DA gives the IRS a cleaner view of many 2025 crypto sales. However, it does not, by itself, settle the tax bill.

Taxpayers still have to prove what they paid, where the asset moved, how long they held it and whether the disposal produced a gain, a loss or something much smaller than the proceeds figure shown on the form.

Until those records are reconciled, the government may see the sale more clearly than the investor can explain the profit.

The post The new IRS crypto tax form can flag your sale before you prove what you actually owe appeared first on CryptoSlate.

FTX will begin its fourth creditor distribution on March 31, with about $2.2 billion set to reach eligible customers through BitGo, Kraken, and Payoneer within 1 to 3 business days.

On paper, this might look like just another routine bankruptcy milestone. But in practice, this could be a fresh liquidity test arriving as Bitcoin trades through one of the harshest macro periods in the past year.

The timing of the distribution is what has the potential to turn it into a major hurdle for the entire market.

CryptoSlate warned earlier this month that the new wave of distribution could create short-term selling pressure in what was already a fragile Bitcoin market. At the time, the concern was that the FTX cash would hit the market just as Bitcoin tried to recover above $70,000. Since then, that setup has only gotten weaker.

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Mar 19, 2026 · Gino Matos

Bitcoin's price drop is what gave this distribution power. About a month ago, we were worried about a large payout hitting the market while it was trying to break higher.

Now, we're worried about whether Bitcoin can absorb another liquidity test while everything from oil and rates to the dollar moves against risk assets. Brent is on track for a 56% rise this month, the largest ever recorded, while the dollar is also heading towards its biggest monthly spike since last July.

FTX said creditors would begin receiving distributions on March 31, with Dotcom customer claims getting an incremental 18% distribution, bringing cumulative recovery to 96%. US customer entitlement claims will be receiving 5% to reach 100%, while general unsecured and digital asset loan claims will each receive 15% to reach 100%. Convenience claims remain at a cumulative 120% distribution.

Creditors are focused on these numbers, as each percentage point of recovery they get their hands on drastically reduces the damage they suffered from the collapse of FTX almost two and a half years ago.

The rest of the market, however, is focused on a more immediate problem: what will happen when $2.2 billion lands in exchange accounts on a pretty tough week for Bitcoin?

A routine FTX payout meets a risk-off market

Brent crude is on track for a record monthly rise, while markets have moved from pricing Fed easing before the war to effectively expecting rates to stay on hold this year. Overall financial conditions tightened in March at the fastest one-month pace since last April’s tariff shock, driven by higher energy prices, wider credit spreads, rising borrowing costs, and falling stock prices.

In a calmer market, this amount of FTX creditor cash would certainly be notable, but it most likely wouldn't be a decisive factor in Bitcoin's short-term stability.

Related Reading

FTX files for bankruptcy, Sam Bankman-Fried steps down from CEO role

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Nov 11, 2022 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

In a market like this, though, the FTX payout certainly can become a real-time test of whether demand is strong enough to absorb a huge wave of liquidity without losing key support. We can see the defensiveness of the market both in crypto prices and the dollar index, which climbed to its highest level in almost a year.

The Bitcoin market is no different. CryptoSlate's earlier thesis of a spot-led recovery pushing back into the low-$70,000s has given way to a more defensive pattern. Bitcoin is holding at around $66,600 rather than breaking down outright, but we can clearly see it's not trading like a market with strong risk appetite behind it.

While it's not good news for Bitcoin, it's in line with the broader cross-asset picture, with oil surging, the dollar strengthening, and Asian equities posting some of their steepest monthly losses in years.

That leaves us with three near-term possibilities.

The first is the simplest: some creditors de-risk, some hold cash, and Bitcoin comes under renewed pressure as funds settle over the next several business days.

The second is more constructive: the payout is absorbed more easily than feared because the event was heavily reported on and widely expected, allowing Bitcoin to hold the mid-$60,000s even as macro conditions remain difficult.

The third is the outcome bulls need most: crypto separates from the broader risk complex and treats the distribution as fresh capital that may eventually rotate back into digital assets.

The FTX creditor payout itself was scheduled and widely known, but the global macro and geopolitical backdrop wasn't. With oil elevated, the Fed in wait-and-see mode, financial conditions tightening, and Bitcoin pinned well below the recovery zone that CryptoSlate highlighted earlier this month, the question now is whether the market can absorb that cash flow without turning this distribution into the next source of weakness.

The post Bitcoin has to survive a new major liquidity test today as $2.2B hits the market on top of geopolitical pressure appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, posted a striking piece of market commentary on X before the latest futures swing. Adding fuel to the online propaganda proxy war being fought on social media, the comments lean into accusations of insider trading on Polymarket war bets.

“Pre-market so-called ‘news’ or ‘Truth’ is often just a setup for profit-taking,” he wrote. “If they pump it, short it. If they dump it, go long.”

The market then traded almost exactly as described.

The Kobeissi Letter tracked the move in time order, with S&P 500 futures opening sharply lower on Sunday evening, recovering by late evening, then extending higher after President Trump said on Truth Social that “great progress” had been made on Iran peace talks.

MarketWatch confirmed the validity of the account that had so publicly offered contrarian trading advice to U.S. investors shortly before the Sunday futures open, and Barron’s described Monday’s rebound as another early-morning market jolt driven by Trump’s social-media messaging on Iran.

Trump’s posts around Iran have repeatedly altered short-term pricing across equities, oil, and crypto.

A week earlier, markets surged after Trump said a resolution with Iran was near.

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Mar 16, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

Bloomberg reported that billions of dollars in oil and stock-index futures changed hands shortly before one of Trump’s Iran posts sent crude lower and equities higher, while The Wall Street Journal described a burst of futures activity ahead of another Trump message that drew scrutiny across trading desks.

The economic climate for the week ahead sits inside that backdrop.

The market faces a geopolitical risk premium in oil, a rising probability of slower growth, and a political communications channel that now functions as an immediate pricing input.

Monday’s cross-asset move makes the interaction plain.

S&P 500 futures added to gains after Trump said the U.S. was in “serious discussions” with a “new, and more reasonable regime” in Iran.

The same message cycle has also included a threat to “completely obliterate” Iran’s energy and water infrastructure if a settlement failed to materialize.

That combination, conciliatory language on one side and escalation risk on the other, shaped the session. The Wall Street Journal reported WTI above $100 a barrel and Brent above $108, while Brent then surged above $116 as the conflict intensified.

Investors are now dealing with diplomacy and disruption at the same time, and the energy channel remains the main route into inflation, rates, and growth.

Bitcoin enters this equation with one structural advantage over every major U.S. risk asset.

It trades through all of it, through weekends, through Asia hours, through the periods when Wall Street’s core cash market is closed.

Bitcoin tracked the same macro shock as equities, then formed its own pattern while Wall Street was offline

Bitcoin’s value in this sequence comes from timing.

It trades continuously, so it acts as a live macro market when U.S. equities are closed.

That gives it two roles at once.

It responds to the same geopolitical inputs that move the S&P 500, and it also offers a real-time view of how those inputs are being absorbed outside the U.S. cash session.

The pattern in the charts around this latest Iran-Trump sequence clearly carries that distinction.

Bitcoin sold off hard into the weekend and into the period around the U.S. close, then moved into a long stabilization band while U.S. equities sat offline.

Bitcoin price fell to the March 27 close, then spent much of the closeout period in a broad range around the mid- to upper $66,000s, before firming into the U.S. open on Monday.

The S&P’s intraday sequence was sharper and more discrete.

Bitcoin’s sequence was earlier, more continuous, and more gradual.

That broad structure lines up with broader market reporting from earlier in the month.

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Mar 30, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

Bitcoin was the first liquid asset to price the Iran war when the initial attack cycle began on a Saturday, dropping 8.5% while traditional markets were closed.

In the days that followed, Bitcoin slid as far as $67,300 before turning higher after Trump said the U.S. had begun talks with Iran. Bitcoin then climbed back above $71,000 when war concerns eased.

Bitcoin also slid below $68,500 last week as another round of mixed messaging from Iran whipsawed markets. There's a simple interpretation.

Bitcoin has been trading as a macro-sensitive asset throughout this conflict, with oil, rates, and political signals shaping direction.

The latest charts add a more refined point.

Bitcoin mirrored the S&P at the regime level, with both assets weakening under geopolitical stress and firming when Trump’s rhetoric shifted toward talks. Within that regime, the path diverged.

During the hours when the S&P cash market was closed, Bitcoin spent more time absorbing losses and building a base than extending a strong relief move.

The visible lift came closer to the U.S. open.

That timing suggests Bitcoin functioned as a pre-open sentiment gauge for the Monday rebound in equities, with the strongest upside leg appearing from around 00:01 UTC on Monday into the U.S. session.

The U.S. Dollar Index has also climbed steadily into Monday, which gives the move extra texture.

A firmer dollar usually tightens the backdrop for BTC and other risk assets.

Bitcoin’s ability to stabilize and then rise alongside a rising DXY points to a move driven by repricing around Iran and Trump’s messaging, supported by positioning and relief, with less help from the currency side of the macro equation.

Oil, payrolls, retail sales, and Bitcoin’s 24/7 signal define the week ahead

The macro calendar now arrives with crude oil at the center.

The Wall Street Journal said WTI had climbed roughly 50% since the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran in late February.

Axios wrote that the OECD now sees U.S. inflation reaching 4.2% in 2026, up 1.2 percentage points from expectations in December, because the war and the energy shock have altered the inflation path.

That turns this week’s economic releases into a concentrated stress test.

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the March Employment Situation arrives Friday, April 3, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
• The Census Bureau says the delayed February advance retail sales release lands on April 1.
• The Institute for Supply Management says the March Manufacturing PMI will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, April 1.
• The Bureau of Economic Analysis lists the next U.S. international trade release for Thursday, April 2.

Each of those reports now carries a second layer. Investors will judge growth through the lens of oil. That raises the pressure on every risk asset, including bitcoin.

Bitcoin has already outperformed many major assets at points during the stress.

The immediate week-ahead setup is narrower and more practical.

Bitcoin is serving as a high-beta macro instrument during geopolitical repricing, and it is also serving as a 24/7 discovery venue for sentiment shifts that hit outside U.S. cash hours.

That combination makes Bitcoin unusually useful right now.

If Trump posts over a weekend, bitcoin trades first.

If oil surges in Asia hours, bitcoin absorbs that input before New York.

If a diplomatic turn emerges in the early morning, bitcoin can begin revaluing risk before the S&P cash market gets a vote.

The unresolved question for the week sits exactly here.

Trump’s Iran posts have shown enough market impact to count as a working transmission channel, and traders have been watching these moments closely, including bursts of trading activity that arrived shortly before some of the posts.

Markets still need confirmation from events on the ground, from oil, and from the incoming U.S. data.

Bitcoin offers one of the clearest real-time views of how investors are processing that uncertainty.

The recent pattern suggests a sequence with three phases, initial risk repricing, stabilization through the closure, then a firmer advance into the U.S. reopen.

If that sequence repeats during the next round of Iran-related messaging, bitcoin’s weekend and overnight behavior will offer one of the earliest clues about whether traders see another temporary relief move forming, or whether the energy shock is taking control of the week.

The post Iran Speaker predicts pre-market “reverse indicator” then Bitcoin climbed before the S&P500 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Washington is building a cleaner lane for digital dollars, and the consequence for Bitcoin is becoming easier to map.

Over the past year, U.S. lawmakers, regulators, and the White House have moved in the same direction. The GENIUS Act framework advanced in the Senate with language built around payment stablecoins, reserve backing, consumer protection, and cross-border efficiency.

The White House’s digital assets report described dollar-backed stablecoins as the “next wave of innovation in payments” and tied them directly to U.S. monetary reach. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said the law gives the dollar an “internet-native payment rail.”

Then the OCC’s February proposed rule translated that political direction into operating architecture, spelling out how permitted issuers, reserves, redemption, custody, supervision, and approval processes would fit together under federal oversight.

The alignment is hard to miss.

Washington wants a regulated digital dollar product that can move through familiar legal channels, support demand for Treasuries, and extend dollar settlement into faster, cheaper, and more globally portable rails. That preference does not erase Bitcoin. It sorts Bitcoin into a different lane.

Stablecoins are being shaped as money-like instruments. Bitcoin remains the scarce external asset, valuable because it sits outside the state’s liabilities and outside the dollar’s direct monetary stack.

That leaves a more interesting question for markets.

If the U.S. state is building better legal and tax plumbing for digital dollars, what happens to the long-running ambition that Bitcoin could become everyday transactional money in major developed markets?

The answer increasingly looks uncomfortable for that use case. Bitcoin still carries scarcity, portability, censorship resistance, and reserve-like appeal. Its recent price behavior also complicates any simplistic “digital gold” slogan.

Yet policy direction keeps reinforcing the same split, stablecoins for spending, Bitcoin for savings, collateral, treasury reserve exposure, and macro expression. That is a narrower role than some early Bitcoin advocates imagined, though it is also a cleaner one, and potentially a more durable one.

Washington’s stablecoin push is building digital cash around the dollar

The first layer of the structure is explicit state interest. The White House report frames dollar-backed stablecoins as a strategic payments technology. The language is direct.

Dollar stablecoins can reinforce U.S. financial leadership, support real-time cross-border transfers, and preserve dollar relevance as digital finance globalizes.

Treasury’s post-enactment statement on GENIUS pushes the same line from a market structure angle, presenting stablecoins as a new rail for the dollar economy and a mechanism that can increase demand for U.S. government debt through reserve holdings.

A Richmond Fed economic brief reaches a similar conclusion, arguing that reserve-backed stablecoins can deepen, rather than dilute, demand for dollars and Treasuries.

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The second layer is implementation. The OCC’s proposed rule gives this direction operational shape.

It sets out who can issue payment stablecoins in the United States, how reserves should be handled, how redemption works, what supervisory standards apply, and how custody and approvals fit into the regime. This framework signals institutionalization. Markets usually respond to legal clarity with capital formation, product design, and distribution buildout.

A payments instrument becomes far more credible when issuers, banks, custodians, and service providers can see the rails in advance.

The third layer is tax treatment. The PARITY Act discussion draft creates a special rule for qualifying regulated payment stablecoins pegged solely to the U.S. dollar, with explanatory language that points toward a de minimis approach for routine transactions. In the same draft, lawmakers move to apply wash-sale rules across digital assets.

The sequencing is telling. The product being simplified for ordinary use is the regulated digital dollar. The asset class facing tighter tax discipline is the broader digital asset field, including Bitcoin exposure.

BDO’s analysis highlights the exact direction, noting both the expansion of wash-sale treatment and the specialized relief contemplated for regulated payment stablecoins.

Set those layers together, and a pattern emerges.

The United States is promoting a version of crypto that can extend the dollar's reach, deepen Treasury demand, and fit within conventional oversight. That policy mix naturally favors instruments with price stability, issuer accountability, reserve transparency, and redemption design.

Bitcoin offers almost none of those features, as governments typically define payment infrastructure. It offers an exogenous monetary asset with a fixed supply and no sovereign issuer.

That distinction sits at the center of the debate.

Washington’s current path gives digital dollars better odds of becoming normalized money on-chain. Bitcoin, by comparison, keeps its claim on scarcity and neutrality, while losing ground in the race to become frictionless everyday currency within the U.S. regulated perimeter.

Bitcoin’s payments role is narrowing, while its scarcity case remains intact

Bitcoin’s position in this framework is more nuanced than either side of the ideological debate.

The maximalist reading says state preference for dollar stablecoins vindicates Bitcoin by proving that governments will always privilege sovereign money. The dismissive reading says stablecoin progress leaves Bitcoin stranded as a speculative relic. Current evidence supports neither extreme.

Bitcoin still carries a large and durable monetary proposition as a scarce bearer asset. It still offers settlement outside banking hours, resistance to debasement over long horizons, and portability across borders without issuer risk. Yet the conditions needed for Bitcoin to become easy, routine, tax-light money for mainstream U.S. consumers are moving further away.

Senator Cynthia Lummis’s 2025 digital asset tax proposal showed that at least some lawmakers understand the compliance burden created when everyday transactions in digital assets trigger taxable events.

That recognition captures a practical barrier rather than an ideological one. People do not spend assets easily when every small transaction creates a reporting calculation.

The more recent PARITY draft starts from a narrower base and gives the initial relief lane to regulated payment stablecoins. The draft also leaves the door open to future treatment for other digital assets, which keeps the long-term map fluid.

Even so, the immediate preference is clear. Washington is standardizing the payment token first, and that payment token is designed around the dollar.

This has direct implications for Bitcoin’s narrative. The phrase “digital gold” has always done several jobs at once.

It expresses scarcity. It signals distance from sovereign monetary systems. It points to long-duration holding behavior rather than transactional use. It also invites comparison with an asset that can hold value across regimes, even when short-term performance is uneven.

Recent Bitcoin market action complicates any lazy use of that label. Gold and Bitcoin do not move in lockstep through every risk window. Bitcoin remains more volatile, more liquidity-sensitive, and more exposed to cross-asset de-risking than physical gold.

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Those differences deserve clear treatment. At the same time, the state’s stablecoin agenda may end up strengthening the core of the “digital gold” frame by stripping away one of Bitcoin’s most contested ambitions, becoming regulated digital cash for ordinary commerce.

That shift could clarify Bitcoin’s role for mainstream users with some market exposure.

A cleaner framework would look like this. Stablecoins become the transactional layer, optimized for payments, remittances, exchange settlement, and digital-dollar mobility. Bitcoin becomes the savings and reserve layer, held for scarcity, sovereign distance, treasury diversification, collateral, and macro hedging across long arcs rather than everyday checkout flows.

The market already leans in that direction. Corporate treasury adoption, ETF flows, and reserve-asset rhetoric all sit closer to the savings side than the payments side. U.S. policy now appears to be reinforcing that separation rather than blurring it.

Stablecoins serve monetary reach, Bitcoin serves monetary distance

There is a tension inside that outcome.

Bitcoin’s broadest monetary dream loses range when states and banks build a far smoother digital-dollar stack. Bitcoin’s scarcity proposition gains clarity when its role becomes cleaner. Investors can hold both truths at once.

A narrower use case can still support huge value when the remaining use case is global, legible, and increasingly institutional. Gold itself offers the obvious parallel. It does not dominate payments. It still occupies a major place in reserves, savings psychology, and macro hedging.

Bitcoin’s volatility, liquidity profile, and technology stack make it a different asset from gold, though the structural comparison remains useful when thinking about role assignment rather than short-term price symmetry.

The deeper significance here sits beyond crypto branding.

Washington’s preference for digital dollars is also a preference for monetary reach. A regulated payment stablecoin extends the dollar into software, settlements, wallets, and cross-border networks while preserving reserve backing, redemption rights, and supervisory control.

That architecture serves the state. It supports financial influence abroad. It helps defend demand for dollar instruments. It keeps the center of gravity inside regulated intermediaries.

Senate Banking Committee language around faster, cheaper transactions and the White House’s emphasis on payment innovation and dollar leadership fit that objective exactly.

Bitcoin serves a different demand function. Its value proposition begins where state monetary control ends.

It is scarce by design. It settles without issuer redemption promises. It sits outside the Treasury market instead of helping fund it.

From a government perspective, those traits make Bitcoin far less useful as a tool of monetary extension. From an investor perspective, those same traits can make Bitcoin attractive in a world where sovereign systems keep expanding digital reach.

That is why the emerging split carries weight. Stablecoins and Bitcoin are increasingly being sorted into complementary rather than competing roles, one closer to money under sovereign sponsorship, one closer to an external reserve asset living alongside sovereign money.

For crypto markets, that sorting could reduce a long-standing ambiguity. For years, the sector tried to sell the same broad category as payment network, savings technology, speculative instrument, and anti-sovereign monetary alternative all at once.

Capital ultimately prices cleaner categories more efficiently. Regulators also regulate cleaner categories more confidently.

In that sense, the U.S. push around stablecoins could do two things at the same time. It could make digital dollars dramatically easier to use in normal economic life, and it could leave Bitcoin with a more concentrated identity anchored in scarcity, reserve behavior, and monetary independence.

That identity still faces tests. Bitcoin has to show that scarcity alone can support large and durable value through changing macro regimes. It has to show that its correlations with risk assets can loosen enough over time to sustain reserve-like demand. It has to absorb the fact that governments increasingly welcome blockchain-based dollars while offering far less enthusiasm for Bitcoin-based payments.

Those are real constraints. They also sharpen the core analytical question. The issue is no longer whether Washington embraces crypto in the abstract. The issue is which part of crypto Washington wants to scale.

Right now the answer points in one direction.

The United States is building policy for digital dollars because digital dollars extend the dollar system. Bitcoin sits outside that ambition. That leaves Bitcoin with a harder, narrower, and in some ways stronger proposition.

It remains scarce. It remains globally legible. It remains outside sovereign issuance.

If U.S. policy keeps making digital dollars easier to issue, hold, settle, and spend, Bitcoin’s role as digital gold gains clearer edges, even if its price behavior continues to challenge any simple slogan. The next test is whether markets start valuing that clarity as a feature rather than a limitation.

The post Congress aims to make digital dollars easier to use than Bitcoin solidifying the ‘digital gold’ narrative appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Ripple is trying to reshape the institutional case for the XRP Ledger (XRPL) around two issues that have long limited the use of public blockchains in mainstream finance: privacy and software risk.

The company’s argument is that banks, payment firms, and asset managers may be more willing to use a public ledger for tokenized cash, treasury operations, and other regulated financial activity if they can keep sensitive transaction data from a broad public view and if the network can show stronger security controls as it grows more complex.

That marks a broader repositioning for XRPL, which for years was tied mainly to cross-border payments.

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Ripple now wants the ledger to be seen as part of a larger institutional stack spanning stablecoins, custody, treasury infrastructure, and tokenized asset flows, with compliance tooling and permissioned market structure layered into the network.

The timing reflects how far Ripple’s business has moved beyond a single payments narrative.

The company says Ripple Payments has processed more than $100 billion globally, while its product set now includes RLUSD, custody services, treasury software, and institutional trading infrastructure.

XRPL sits at the center of that effort as Ripple tries to present the ledger as financial plumbing rather than a retail crypto venue.

Privacy becomes a selling point

One of the clearest obstacles for institutions on public blockchains is transparency itself. Open ledgers can make settlement and audit trails easier, but they also expose balances, transaction amounts, and activity patterns in ways that many firms do not accept for trading, treasury management, or fund operations.

Ripple’s response is a proposal known as Confidential Transfers for Multi-Purpose Tokens (Confidential MPTs). The MPTs are an extension of the XLS-33 token standard.

The design would allow balances and transfer amounts to be encrypted while preserving issuer controls, such as freeze and clawback, and while still allowing validators to verify transfer correctness and supply integrity through zero-knowledge proofs.

That approach is aimed directly at regulated use cases. Ripple’s researchers describe the challenge as separating actor privacy from market integrity.

According to them, positions and transaction amounts can remain hidden, while the ledger can still verify that transfers are valid and that issuance rules are being followed.

Here, the sender and receiver identities would remain visible, preserving XRPL’s account-based structure, but the system is intended to prevent sensitive balance information from becoming publicly available.

The commercial logic is straightforward. Institutions may be more willing to use a public blockchain for tokenized funds, collateral management, or corporate treasury activity if they do not have to reveal every balance movement to competitors and other market participants.

That still leaves Ripple with an execution problem as confidential MPTs remain a research and design effort rather than a feature already operating at scale in production.

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Ripple is therefore asking institutions to buy into a roadmap while competing against networks that already have a deeper foothold in tokenized finance.

The current activity mix on XRPL shows why Ripple is pushing now. The network appears to be gaining more traction in stablecoins and payment-related flows than in the active movement of tokenized securities and other real-world assets.

That split suggests Ripple has made more progress in tokenized cash and settlement than in broader capital markets use cases, making privacy one of the next major hurdles if it wants institutions to move higher-value activity onto the ledger.

AI is being pitched as a security tool

Ripple’s AI push is also framed less as a product theme than as a security discipline.

The company has outlined a plan to use AI across the XRPL development cycle, including code scanning on pull requests, automated adversarial testing guided by threat models, and a dedicated AI-assisted red team focused on how features interact under real-world conditions.

Ripple says the red team has already identified more than 10 bugs and that the next XRPL release will be devoted entirely to fixes and improvements rather than new features.

That message is designed for institutional audiences that care less about AI branding than about operational reliability. A ledger designed to support stablecoins, treasury systems, and tokenized assets must demonstrate that security processes can keep pace with a growing codebase and a broader set of use cases.

Ripple has made that point explicitly. XRPL has been running since 2012, processing billions of transactions and more than 100 million ledgers.

Systems with that kind of longevity tend to accumulate older assumptions, legacy design choices, and more complicated feature interactions over time. Ripple’s position is that periodic audits and reactive patching are no longer sufficient for infrastructure that serves regulated finance.

Essentially, Ripple plans to use AI to argue that software hardening can become more continuous, systematic, and scalable than traditional review processes alone.

For institutions, that is a practical question. Public blockchains can offer 24-hour settlement, lower reconciliation costs, and programmable asset flows. They still have to prove release discipline, security oversight, and resilience under stress.

Ripple is trying to show that XRPL can meet those standards as it moves further into compliance-heavy financial applications.

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Ripple’s institutional stack gets broader

This strategy also fits with Ripple’s wider push into enterprise finance.

The company has more closely tied XRPL to RLUSD, its dollar-backed stablecoin, while broadening its institutional footprint through treasury tools, custody, and prime brokerage capabilities.

It has described its acquisition of GTreasury as a way to deepen its role in corporate finance, while Ripple Prime, built from its Hidden Road acquisition, is meant to offer institutional clients clearing, financing, and access to digital-asset markets.

XRPL itself is being repositioned for that environment. Permissioned domains and a permissioned decentralized exchange are intended to support more controlled venues where access can be managed through credentials and compliance checks.

That gives Ripple a way to pitch public blockchain infrastructure in terms that are more familiar to regulated institutions.

Seen together, the effort suggests Ripple as a broader operating system for tokenized money movement, treasury activity, and selected forms of institutional DeFi.

The harder question is whether that broader infrastructure buildout creates meaningful demand for XRP itself.

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What it could mean for XRP

That is where the market case becomes more complicated.

Bitrue Research argued in a March 27 report that the XRP ecosystem is expanding beyond payments into a wider stack that includes stablecoins, decentralized finance, sidechains, and cross-chain settlement.

The report said that growth could help deepen XRP’s role in liquidity and on-chain activity, especially if RLUSD expands, XRPFi grows, and institutional usage increases across the network.

At the same time, Bitrue highlighted a tension that sits at the center of Ripple’s strategy. Stronger infrastructure does not automatically translate into stronger value capture for XRP.

However, more economic value could accrue to RLUSD, liquidity pools, sidechain activity, or surrounding services, even as the ecosystem around XRPL becomes more active and more institutional.

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That tension runs through Bitrue’s price outlook. The firm laid out a base case for XRP rising from around $1.40 in March to $1.80 to $2.00 by September, and a stronger scenario of $2.25 to $2.50 if RLUSD grows faster, the XRPFi market expands, and regulation becomes more supportive.

But the report described the central issue for 2026 as the gap between infrastructure growth and token value capture.

So, Ripple’s push into privacy and AI could help narrow that gap if it leads to more settlement activity, greater liquidity demand, and deeper institutional adoption of XRPL-based systems.

The post Ripple pushes a more private blockchain to banks and adds AI code checks as fears grow it could leave XRP price behind appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Cardano ($ADA) has had a rough ride this year. Over the past 12 months, it’s dropped more than 60%, with 2026 alone already seeing a 26% decline. Many investors are asking themselves: is Cardano finished, or is it just undervalued?

The truth isn’t so clear-cut.

Sure, the price looks weak, but it’s not just Cardano—macro pressures are weighing on the entire crypto market. Rising geopolitical tensions, especially the ongoing conflict in Iran, are shaking risk assets across the board.

Still, crypto has shown it can hold up under stress. Often, during times like these, markets go into a “wait-and-see” mode rather than collapse outright, giving projects like Cardano room to recover.

Cardano Price Analysis: What the Chart Is Telling Us

Looking at the below daily chart, the trend is clearly bearish—but with signs of stabilization.

Key Observations

• ADA has been in a long-term downtrend since mid-2025
• Price is currently consolidating around $0.24–$0.25 support
• Lower highs confirm continued selling pressure
• RSI is neutral (~40–45), suggesting no strong momentum yet

Important Levels to Watch

Support zones:

• $0.24 → critical short-term support
• $0.21 → next major downside target if breakdown occurs 

Resistance zones:

• $0.30 → first breakout level
• $0.40 → strong resistance zone
• $0.55 → macro trend reversal level

Right now, $Cardano is trading in a compression phase, often a precursor to a big move.

Iran War Impact on Crypto: Why ADA Is Struggling

The current geopolitical situation is playing a major role.

• Oil price spikes and inflation fears are reducing risk appetite
• Altcoins like ADA are typically hit harder than Bitcoin
• Market volatility is preventing clear bullish momentum 

Bullish Scenario: Cardano Recovery Targets in 2026

If market conditions improve—or if the war de-escalates—Cardano could recover faster than many expect.

Short-Term Recovery Targets

• $0.30 → first breakout confirmation
• $0.42–$0.58 → relief rally zone after macro stabilization 

Mid-Term Targets (2026)

• $0.50–$0.67 → realistic range based on analyst forecasts 
• ~$0.41+ → conservative baseline if downtrend ends 

Long-Term Potential

Some models suggest:

• $2+ possible by 2030 with strong adoption 
• Even $3+ in a strong bull cycle with regulation clarity 

👉 Bottom line: Cardano is not dead—but it needs a macro tailwind + market cycle shift.

Bearish Scenario: What If the Downtrend Continues?

If the Iran war escalates or macro conditions worsen, ADA could still drop further.

Downside Risks

• Breakdown below $0.24 → confirms bearish continuation
• $0.21 → next key support (~20% downside) 
• Sub-$0.20 → possible in extreme risk-off environment

Weak demand and declining trading activity are already visible in the market.

Is Cardano Still a Good Investment?

From an analytical standpoint:

Strengths

• Strong academic and research-driven blockchain
• Active development and roadmap (Voltaire phase, governance) 
• Long-term ecosystem growth potential

Weaknesses

• Weak price momentum
• Strong competition (Solana, Ethereum L2s)
• High dependence on overall crypto market cycles

The crypto market is going through a major phase of institutional accumulation right now. A good example: by the end of March 2026, Bitmine Immersion Technologies has staked a huge 3.31 million ETH.

That’s worth roughly $6.7 billion—and it’s not a small bet. Moves like this go beyond simple treasury management. It’s a strong signal that big players still see Ethereum as undervalued, especially when you look at how much the network is actually used and the fact that it can generate yield on top.

Bitmine’s "Digital Asset Treasury" Strategy

Bitmine has transitioned from a traditional mining firm into a sophisticated "Digital Asset Treasury" powerhouse. The firm’s long-term strategy, often discussed in institutional circles as the "Alchemy of 5%," aims to eventually control 5% of the total Ethereum supply.

By staking 3.31 million ETH, Bitmine has become one of the largest individual entities securing the network. This strategy treats $ETH not just as a speculative asset, but as a productive capital asset. By moving these tokens into staking protocols, Bitmine is effectively creating a "corporate bond" equivalent for the blockchain era, generating consistent yield while betting on the long-term appreciation of the underlying asset.

What is Staking and why is it Important

Staking helps keep Ethereum secure without using a lot of energy. By locking up your tokens, you're acting as a digital "guard" for the network. It’s a win-win: the blockchain gets the validation it needs to stay decentralized, and you earn rewards like new ETH and fee tips for your participation.

The Impact of 3.31 Million ETH Locked

• Network Security: Bitmine now controls a significant portion of the validator set via its MAVAN (Made in America VAlidator Network) platform, contributing to the decentralization and security of the Ethereum network.
• Massive Yield Generation: At current staking rates, this multi-billion dollar position generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. This "organic" income is independent of market volatility, providing the firm with a robust balance sheet.
• The Supply Squeeze: By removing over 3 million tokens from the tradable supply, Bitmine is contributing to an illiquidity event. When large amounts of ETH are locked in staking, the "circulating" supply on exchanges drops, which can lead to explosive price moves if demand increases.

Why Institutional Data Suggests ETH is "Insanely Undervalued"

Despite the multi-billion dollar valuation of Bitmine’s holdings, many analysts argue that the current $Ethereum price is still far below its fair market value. The argument for ETH being undervalued hinges on several fundamental pillars:

Market leaders point to historical "V-shaped" recoveries, noting that Ethereum has frequently outperformed $Bitcoin in the late stages of a bull cycle. With the bridge between Wall Street and on-chain yield now fully established, the current price levels are increasingly viewed as a high-conviction entry point for long-term holders.

Ethereum Future and the Path to New Highs

If Bitmine and other institutional players continue to lock up massive quantities of ETH, the upward pressure could become unsustainable for bears. The "Triple Halving" effect—the combination of reduced issuance, fee burning, and massive staking—is creating a supply-demand imbalance that hasn't been fully priced in yet.

Global markets are starting to split in a noticeable way. The “Magnificent 7”—Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Nvidia, and Tesla—have lost around $5 trillion in market value from their peaks. The Nasdaq is under pressure as AI hype cools and geopolitical tensions rise, pushing investors to look for safer ground.

What’s surprising is that crypto has held up relatively well so far. While big tech valuations are getting squeezed, Bitcoin and Ethereum have stayed fairly stable. Still, the strong link between tech stocks and crypto hasn’t gone away—so it’s probably a matter of when, not if, crypto reacts.

The $5 Trillion Tech Wipeout: A "Magnificent" Retreat

The sell-off in Big Tech has been nothing short of historic. Since hitting a combined valuation peak of roughly $20 trillion in late 2025, the leading seven stocks have entered a significant correction phase.

According to recent reports from Bloomberg, this $5 trillion wipeout is fueled by a "market rotation" away from overextended AI valuations and into cyclical sectors like energy and infrastructure. The outbreak of conflict in the Middle East has further pressured these giants, as rising oil prices threaten to keep interest rates "higher for longer."

Why Crypto Prices Are Stable Today

Despite the sell-off on Wall Street, Bitcoin is holding up relatively well. As of March 30, 2026, it’s trading in the $66,400–$67,500 range. Ethereum (ETH) is hovering around $2,050, showing a slight bounce from its recent lows.

This stability is largely due to:

1. Institutional HODLing: Spot ETFs have changed the market structure. Major allocators are treating Bitcoin as a long-term asset rather than a speculative trade.
2. Supply Constraints: Post-halving dynamics are fully in play, with exchange balances at multi-year lows.
3. Regulatory Clarity: Recent SEC and CFTC guidance classifying major assets as "digital commodities" has provided a floor for institutional confidence.

Crypto Prediction: Is the "Lagging" Crash Coming?

While crypto looks like a "hero" today, historical data serves as a stern warning. The 30-day correlation between Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 has recently hovered near 0.80, its highest level in years.

Historically, when a massive deleveraging event occurs in tech, crypto follows with a delay. As institutional investors face losses in their equity portfolios, they often liquidate "liquid" assets like Bitcoin to cover margin calls or rebalance risk. If the Magnificent 7 continue their slide toward a formal bear market (a 20% drop), we could see a "liquidity flush" in crypto that sends BTC toward the $58,000 support zone.

Crypto Price Today (March 30, 2026)

• Bitcoin ($BTC): $67,250 (+1.8% in 24h)
• Ethereum ($ETH): $2,058 (+3.6% in 24h)
• Solana ($SOL): $135 (+1.9% in 24h)
• $XRP: $1.35 (+1.2% in 24h)

Analysis: Will Cryptos Crash?

The current stability in crypto is a testament to its maturing market structure, but it would be premature to declare a total "decoupling" from tech. Traders should keep a close eye on $65,800 for Bitcoin; a break below this level would likely signal that the $5 trillion tech wipeout is finally spilling over into the digital asset space.

The question "Is XRP dead?" has resurfaced with a vengeance in early 2026. After a massive bull run that saw the asset peak at $3.65 in July 2025, the token has entered a grueling downtrend. As of March 30, 2026, XRP is trading at $1.34, representing a 37% decline from its price of $2.10 exactly one year ago.

Despite the conclusion of the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit in August 2025 and the subsequent launch of several spot XRP ETFs, the price action remains decoupled from the "bullish" fundamental narrative. This article analyzes the structural, macro, and technical reasons behind this stagnation and what it would take for XRP to reclaim its former glory.

Why is XRP Down?

Investors are understandably frustrated. While Bitcoin and Solana saw significant institutional rotations in late 2025, XRP has surrendered 63% of its value since its cycle high. The primary drivers for the current slump include:

1. Macro Economic Pressure: The Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance in March 2026, projecting only one rate cut for the year, has sucked liquidity out of high-risk altcoins.
2. Geopolitical Instability: Recent conflicts in the Middle East have triggered a "risk-off" environment, favoring gold and oil over digital assets.
3. ETF "Sell the News": Much like the Bitcoin ETF launch in 2024, the debut of XRP ETFs in late 2025 led to a massive liquidity exit by early whales.

The "Dead Coin" vs. Utility Reality

In the crypto space, a "dead coin" typically refers to an asset with zero development, no liquidity, and no community. By this definition, XRP is far from dead. The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is currently processing over 1.5 million transactions daily. Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, has reached a market cap of $1.4 billion, serving as a bridge for institutional cross-border payments. According to Investing.com, institutional interest remains high, with 25% of surveyed asset managers planning to add XRP to their portfolios by the end of 2026.

XRP Price Prediction: The Technical Breakdown

Technically, XRP is trapped in a classic bear flag pattern on the weekly charts. The price is currently testing a critical structural floor.

Key Price Levels to Watch:

The Role of the CLARITY Act

While technicals look bleak, the "recovery" catalyst likely lies in Washington. The CLARITY Act, currently moving through the U.S. Congress, aims to codify the commodity status of digital assets like XRP. If passed by late April 2026, it could trigger the institutional "buy-in" that the market has been waiting for since the SEC case ended.

Will XRP Price Recover?

For XRP to recover to its $3.50+ levels, three things must happen:

• Bitcoin Stability: XRP maintains an 80% correlation with $BTC. A Bitcoin recovery toward $75,000 is a prerequisite.
• ETF Inflow Reversal: The current net outflows from XRP ETFs must flip to positive as "TradFi" investors seek diversification.
• RLUSD Adoption: Increased use of the Ripple USD stablecoin for settlement on the XRPL will drive organic demand for $XRP as a gas token.

The global financial landscape is being shaken by escalating tensions in the Middle East. Reports suggest that the U.S.S. Tripoli, carrying around 3,500 Marines, has entered the Central Command region—fueling speculation about a possible ground operation targeting Iran. This growing uncertainty has triggered a clear risk-off mood across markets, with Bitcoin struggling to hold above the $65,000 level.

In the midst of all of these developments, and despite cryptos being slightly bearish, 3 altcoins are showing bullish momentum.

1. NKN (NKN): The Low-Cap Breakout

NKN has emerged as the top performer of the day, posting a staggering +38.63% gain in the last 24 hours and over 210% in the past week. With a market cap of approximately $11.89 million, NKN is a decentralized data transmission protocol aiming to rebuild the internet.

Analysis of the Surge

The recent price action for NKN is primarily driven by a massive 230.45% increase in trading volume. Interestingly, there are no specific fundamental catalysts or partnership announcements behind this move.

• Speculative Flow: This appears to be a classic low-cap "pump" driven by altcoin rotation.
• Technical Outlook: Traders should watch for sustained volume above $7.5M. A failure to hold current support could lead to a sharp reversal, common in high-volatility, low-cap assets.

2. DeAgentAI (AIA): AI Narrative Resilience

DeAgentAI (AIA) is making waves in the artificial intelligence sector, gaining 16.56% in 24 hours. The project operates as an AI-powered agent platform, a sector that has seen mixed results lately but remains a favorite for retail "moonshot" traders.

Social Hype vs. Fundamentals

While the AIA price is up nearly 30% over 7 days, much of the current momentum is attributed to social media hype and coordinated trading activity rather than protocol updates.

• Key Levels: Liquidity has settled around the $0.118 mark.
• Warning: The AI sector is prone to rapid sentiment shifts. Without a fundamental "moat," these gains rely heavily on continued social engagement.

3. DeXe (DEXE): Social Trading Momentum

DeXe, a decentralized social trading platform, has been holding up well, gaining 13.98% over the past 24 hours. Unlike many smaller caps, it has a more solid market cap of around $680 million, which usually points to stronger, more established capital behind the move.

Institutional and Retail Interest

DeXe recently showed up among the top gainers on Binance Spot. What stands out is that it’s moving up even while Bitcoin is going sideways—suggesting some capital is rotating into selective plays.

• Resistance to watch: A move above $7.80 could confirm further upside
• Positioning: Compared to other DeFi tools, DeXe’s focus on social trading gives it an edge, especially for traders looking for opportunities when the broader market is quiet

Summary of Bullish Movers

The safe harbor proposal would allow 401(k) managers to offer crypto-linked funds with stronger legal protections.

The Uranium Finance indictment carries potential prison time of up to 30 years for fraud and money laundering counts.

Senator Richard Blumenthal wants the agency to answer whether it softened enforcement against allies of President Donald Trump.

Microsoft's Copilot Researcher now puts GPT and Claude to work in sequence—and the combination just outscored every AI system around.

Sens. Bill Cassidy and Cynthia Lummis introduced legislation to support Bitcoin miners, arguing that the industry needs government help.

JAN3 CEO claims Elon Musk is pivoting toward Bitcoin in accordance with his January prediction.

Google Quantum AI has shocked the crypto community after publishing research that drastically slashes the hardware and time requirements needed for quantum computers to break blockchain encryption.

Move further bridges traditional finance (TradFi) exposure with decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure, making it possible for institutions to trade real-world assets on-chain.

Market is showing signs of recovery across multiple assets types, including HYPE, XRP and Bitcoin.

Jack Dorsey’s Block has flipped the switch on one of the most ambitious mainstream crypto integrations to date..

Key Highlights

• SpaceX’s anticipated IPO could generate up to $75 billion, potentially shattering all previous records
• Confidential SEC filing process leverages framework initially designed for smaller enterprises
• Recent Nasdaq policy adjustment enables qualified companies to enter the Nasdaq-100 just 15 trading days after listing
• Public float anticipated at merely 3-4% of total equity, representing an exceptionally tight float for a major company
• Analysts at Morningstar identify potential 20-30% volatility swings triggered by Elon Musk-related developments

Elon Musk’s aerospace venture, SpaceX, stands on the brink of executing what would become the largest initial public offering ever witnessed in financial markets. The rocket manufacturer aims to secure up to $75 billion through its public debut, dramatically surpassing Saudi Aramco’s existing benchmark of approximately $30 billion established in 2019.

The aerospace giant has either submitted or will imminently submit confidential registration paperwork to the Securities and Exchange Commission. This confidential pathway originated from the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, initially crafted to streamline public market access for emerging companies. Subsequent amendments in 2017 broadened eligibility, enabling major corporations such as Uber and Airbnb to utilize this route.

The confidential submission mechanism permits SpaceX and regulatory authorities to conduct private evaluations of registration materials before public disclosure. This approach safeguards proprietary financial data and strategic intelligence during preliminary review stages.

Financial projections for SpaceX appear remarkably robust. Industry observers anticipate the company’s Ebitda profit margins could reach 50%, significantly outpacing the roughly 20% average recorded by aerospace firms within the S&P 500.

Updated Nasdaq Policy Creates Accelerated Path

On March 30, Nasdaq officially announced that beginning May 1, newly public large-capitalization companies can secure Nasdaq-100 index membership within just 15 trading days following their listing. This represents a dramatic departure from previous requirements mandating waits of up to twelve months.

This policy revision emerged after representatives for SpaceX reportedly engaged Nasdaq and competing index providers earlier this year to advocate for expedited inclusion mechanisms. Rapid entry into prominent indexes would automatically activate purchasing by passive funds tracking these benchmarks, substantially enhancing liquidity for existing shareholders.

Betting platform Kalshi currently assigns 81% probability to a SpaceX IPO occurring before August 1.

Musk has additionally committed to reserving up to 30% of IPO shares for individual retail investors. Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade platform reportedly leads negotiations to facilitate retail distribution. Competing platforms Robinhood and SoFi appear excluded from current arrangements.

Understanding the Musk Factor

Franco Granda, an analyst with Morningstar, highlighted what he terms the “Musk Effect” as a significant consideration for prospective investors. He referenced Tesla’s track record, where corporate governance controversies and political activities involving Musk generated average stock fluctuations approaching 12%.

For SpaceX, given its extraordinarily limited public float of just 3-4%, comparable events could trigger substantially more pronounced price movements. Both Morningstar and PitchBook analysts project potential swings between 20-30% following similar catalysts.

Granda further observed that while SpaceX leadership consistently achieves stated objectives, punctuality remains challenging. Only approximately 20% of initiatives meet original timelines, with remaining projects experiencing delays spanning two to three years.

SpaceX is actively promoting space-based artificial intelligence computing infrastructure as a fundamental component of its expansion roadmap. Musk maintains that solar-powered orbital data facilities will achieve cost advantages over terrestrial alternatives within several years.

Once the S-1 registration statement becomes publicly accessible, investors will gain comprehensive financial visibility into a company executing more than half of all orbital launches globally.

The post SpaceX IPO: How Nasdaq’s New Rule Could Fast-Track Index Inclusion in Just 15 Days appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• National gasoline prices in the United States exceeded $4 per gallon for the first time since the summer of 2022, reaching an average of $4.018.
• Global oil benchmarks have climbed approximately 50% in the past month following the escalation of the US-Iran military conflict.
• Emergency regulatory waivers from the White House on ethanol blending and maritime shipping laws have failed to reduce prices.
• Diesel fuel reached $5.45 per gallon — representing an unprecedented monthly increase.
• Goldman Sachs increased its April Brent projection to $115, while certain market observers caution that prices might reach $200 should hostilities extend into summer.

American motorists reached a significant price threshold this Tuesday as gasoline costs surpassed $4 per gallon nationwide for the first time in nearly three years. The national benchmark climbed to $4.018 per gallon, representing the steepest monthly price acceleration ever recorded, according to fuel tracking service GasBuddy.

This dramatic escalation stems from the continuing military confrontation between the United States and Iran, which has now entered its fifth week. Throughout the past thirty days, both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate benchmarks have jumped approximately 50%, with Brent hovering around $107.80 per barrel and WTI near $102 per barrel.

Compared to the same period last year, consumers are paying roughly an additional dollar per gallon. The majority of this increase has materialized since military operations commenced.

Commercial transportation operators face even steeper challenges. The nationwide diesel average reached $5.45 per gallon on Tuesday — another unprecedented monthly surge, according to GasBuddy’s tracking data.

On March 25, the White House issued emergency regulatory relief relaxing federal mandates on E15 ethanol-blend gasoline, a more economical fuel formulation. The administration simultaneously suspended Jones Act maritime regulations for a temporary 60-day period, which typically increase costs for domestic shipping operations.

Both interventions have thus far failed to produce meaningful relief at service stations across the country.

The Strait of Hormuz Problem

Regardless of when military operations conclude, oil prices may remain elevated for some time. The critical factor is the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint that facilitated approximately 20% of worldwide petroleum and natural gas shipments prior to the current crisis.

According to a Wall Street Journal report citing senior administration sources, President Trump has indicated openness to de-escalating military operations even if the Strait remains substantially obstructed. As long as this vital shipping lane stays compromised, petroleum prices are likely to maintain elevated levels.

The consequences are already spreading across Asia. Since the majority of crude oil transiting through the Strait was destined for Asian refineries, countries throughout the region are implementing emergency measures. Bangladesh has temporarily closed university campuses, while both Pakistan and the Philippines have instituted condensed work schedules to reduce energy consumption.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine were expected to address the media Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. Eastern time.

What Analysts Are Saying

Goldman Sachs revised its April Brent crude projection upward from $85 to $115 per barrel, attributing the adjustment to prolonged disruption and elevated risk premiums surrounding the Strait of Hormuz situation. High-ranking Saudi Arabian officials have internally modeled scenarios placing Brent at $180 should the conflict persist through April. Meanwhile, energy analysts at Macquarie have projected that Brent could exceed $200 per barrel if military operations continue through the end of June.

Premium gasoline grades and aviation fuel costs are experiencing similar upward pressure. While consumer gasoline prices represent a significant burden, they remain below the rates that commercial diesel operators are currently absorbing.

Brent crude futures were most recently trading near $107.61, posting modest gains during the session.

The post U.S. Gasoline Prices Breach $4 Mark Amid Iran Conflict – Analysts Warn of Further Spikes appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Boston-based Whoop secured $575 million in Series G funding, achieving a $10.1 billion company valuation
• High-profile backers include soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, NBA legend LeBron James, Qatar Investment Authority, and Mayo Clinic
• Platform recorded 103% annual bookings growth and achieved positive cash flow status in 2025
• Member base has expanded to 2.5 million with bookings run rate hitting $1.1 billion
• Workforce expansion plans of up to 75% suggest potential public market debut on the horizon

Boston-headquartered fitness tracking company Whoop has successfully closed a $575 million Series G investment round. This latest capital injection propels the company’s valuation to $10.1 billion, representing a significant jump from its $3.6 billion valuation established during its 2021 fundraising effort.

Collaborative Fund spearheaded the investment round. Additional institutional participants include Qatar Investment Authority, Mubadala Investment Company, Abbott Laboratories, Mayo Clinic, Macquarie Capital, and GP Bullhound.

A notable group of elite athletes also contributed capital as individual backers. Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Rory McIlroy, Reggie Miller, Niall Horan, and Virgil van Dijk all invested in this financing round.

Will Ahmed established Whoop in 2012. The company produces a display-free fitness monitoring band that continuously measures recovery metrics, sleep patterns, and physical exertion levels.

Unlike traditional smartwatches, the device doesn’t display notifications or provide smartphone connectivity features. This design philosophy differentiates it from devices like the Apple Watch, which merges fitness monitoring capabilities with comprehensive smartphone functionality.

Whoop operates on a membership-based business model. The wearable device comes bundled with the subscription, currently priced at $239 annually as of early 2026.

Impressive Financial Performance

The fitness tech firm posted 103% year-over-year bookings expansion. By the end of 2025, the company had established a $1.1 billion bookings run rate while maintaining positive operating cash flow.

Whoop’s membership base has reached 2.5 million users. Since inception, the company has accumulated more than $950 million in total capital raised.

Product Innovation and Healthcare Integration

Whoop unveiled its latest Whoop 5.0 device alongside a specialized Whoop MG model. The MG variant has obtained FDA authorization for clinical-grade ECG monitoring and blood pressure tracking capabilities.

The ecosystem incorporates an artificial intelligence feature named Whoop Coach, delivering customized workout recommendations derived from individual user metrics.

Oura Health, creator of the Oura Ring smart ring, represents Whoop’s primary competitor in the health wearable sector. Oura secured funding last autumn that elevated its company worth to $11 billion.

Whoop’s current workforce stands at approximately 800 full-time employees. Management intends to expand personnel by up to 75%, creating over 600 positions spanning software development, hardware engineering, sales operations, and marketing functions.

This substantial hiring initiative has fueled market speculation regarding a possible initial public offering. Company representatives have not publicly addressed any public listing intentions.

With its present $10.1 billion valuation, Whoop ranks immediately below Shield AI valued at $10.4 billion and Kraken at $10.5 billion among the highest-valued privately-held companies, based on Yahoo Finance tracking data.

The post Fitness Tracker Whoop Secures $575M Funding from LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on Blockonomi.

KEY POINTS

• JPMorgan Chase commits to providing $80 billion in financing to American small businesses throughout the next ten years.
• The financial institution plans to recruit 1,000 additional bankers, expanding its business banking team from 3,000 to 4,000 professionals.
• The bank’s target is to onboard 3 million additional small business customers, adding to its existing 7 million client base.
• The “American Dream Initiative” encompasses educational resources, consulting services, and policy advocacy focused on entrepreneurship and economic accessibility.
• This strategic move supports JPMorgan’s broader objective to increase its US deposit market share from 11.1% to a target of 15%.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) unveiled an ambitious expansion into the small business sector this Tuesday, committing $80 billion in lending capacity over ten years while planning to bring on 1,000 additional bankers throughout its nationwide branch system.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., JPM

Dubbed the “American Dream Initiative,” this comprehensive program was introduced by CEO Jamie Dimon with a message centered on preserving economic mobility for everyday Americans. “The American Dream remains vibrant, yet it’s becoming increasingly difficult to attain for many citizens — and for the generations that will follow,” Dimon stated.

With a current portfolio of 7 million small business relationships, the institution seeks to capture an additional 3 million clients in the coming years. Supporting this expansion, JPMorgan will grow its dedicated business banking workforce from 3,000 professionals to 4,000 throughout the decade.

The $80 billion financing pledge represents approximately a 10% increase beyond the bank’s initial projections.

Addressing Economic Accessibility Challenges

This strategic initiative responds to genuine financial pressures facing Americans. According to St. Louis Federal Reserve statistics, median per-capita income climbed roughly 155% between 2000 and 2024, yet median residential property prices surged 207% during the same period. Meanwhile, New York Fed data indicates small business revenue expansion has remained modest.

Simultaneously, American financial institutions have implemented stricter lending criteria for small enterprises during the most recent quarter, while experiencing reduced demand for home loans, based on the Federal Reserve’s latest senior loan officer opinion survey.

JPMorgan announced it will broaden its Coaching for Impact entrepreneurship program, aiming to graduate seven times the current number of small business proprietors. The institution intends to guide small enterprises on improving their access to supplier networks for defense and government contracting opportunities.

Political Context

This announcement doesn’t exist in isolation. It comes on the heels of a comparable JPMorgan initiative targeting US manufacturing and defense sectors introduced half a year ago. Both programs align with the Trump administration’s declared priorities surrounding economic expansion and affordability concerns.

JPMorgan specifically mentioned its Alabama operations in the announcement — mere days following Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s signing of an executive directive designed to prevent financial institutions from refusing services based on individual beliefs. The bank has found itself entangled in the nationwide “debanking” controversy, with President Trump filing litigation against JPMorgan and Dimon this past January, alleging his accounts were terminated for political motivations in 2021. The financial institution maintains the lawsuit lacks foundation.

JPMorgan isn’t the only major financial player making substantial community investment commitments. BlackRock announced last month a $100 million allocation toward funding educational programs for skilled vocations including ironwork, plumbing, and HVAC installation.

JPMorgan currently controls an 11.1% portion of US bank deposits as of year-end, declining from 11.3% in 2024. The bank’s strategic objective aims for a 15% market share.

The post JPMorgan Chase (JPM) Stock Rises on $80 Billion Small Business Lending Commitment appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Fiscal Q2 2026 revenue reached $3.03 billion, marking a 61% year-over-year increase
• Gross margins expanded dramatically from 29.8% to 50.9% quarter-over-quarter
• Sequential datacenter revenue surged 64%, fueled by AI infrastructure buildouts
• Q3 revenue forecast ranges from $4.40B to $4.80B, with projected EPS between $12 and $14
• Analyst consensus shows Moderate Buy rating with average target price of $594.48

Following its separation from Western Digital, SanDisk now operates as an independent entity dedicated exclusively to flash memory solutions. This corporate restructuring has provided market participants with greater transparency into the company’s NAND-focused operations.

Sandisk Corporation, SNDK

The most recent quarterly performance demonstrated significant momentum. For the second fiscal quarter of 2026, SanDisk delivered $3.03 billion in total revenue. This represented a sequential improvement of 31% compared to the prior quarter and a year-over-year expansion of 61%.

The profitability metrics were particularly noteworthy. Gross margin experienced a remarkable expansion, vaulting from 29.8% to 50.9% in just three months. This substantial improvement reflects multiple factors: enhanced pricing dynamics throughout the NAND industry and an advantageous product mix shift toward premium offerings.

The datacenter business segment emerged as the primary growth catalyst. SanDisk’s datacenter revenue jumped 64% on a sequential basis. This expansion was powered by customers building AI infrastructure, major technology firms, and those requiring semi-customized storage solutions.

Products targeting enterprise and datacenter applications command superior margins compared to consumer-grade storage devices. The company’s strategic pivot toward these higher-margin segments explains much of the dramatic profitability enhancement.

Forward Guidance Indicates Sustained Momentum

Management’s outlook for the coming quarter reinforced confidence in ongoing strength. For fiscal Q3 2026, the company projects revenue between $4.40 billion and $4.80 billion. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share are expected to land in the $12.00 to $14.00 range.

These projections indicate that customer demand remains robust. Moreover, the trajectory suggests growth is potentially accelerating beyond what was observed in the January quarter.

However, the company’s trailing twelve-month earnings per share still registers at -7.6. This negative figure serves as a reminder of how severe the recent NAND industry downturn was, despite the obvious recent improvement.

The analyst community maintains a generally favorable view of the stock. MarketBeat data shows 24 analysts providing coverage on SanDisk. The rating distribution includes 15 buy recommendations, 2 strong buy ratings, 6 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating. This composition yields a Moderate Buy consensus opinion.

The mean price target among analysts stands at $594.48, marginally above the current trading price near $572.50. Based on these professional forecasts, the implied upside appears relatively modest from present levels.

Current Valuation Incorporates Optimistic Assumptions

The company’s market capitalization recently approached $42.9 billion. This represents a substantial valuation for an enterprise still emerging from a cyclical trough.

Market participants are evidently incorporating expectations of sustainable improvement. The artificial intelligence infrastructure narrative provides a more compelling investment thesis than a conventional NAND recovery cycle would typically support.

Memory semiconductor companies are characterized by pronounced cyclicality. The operational leverage that enables rapid margin expansion during upturns can reverse with equal speed when pricing weakens or industry capacity expands.

The critical consideration is whether this current upturn represents a standard cyclical rebound or reflects more enduring structural changes. Robust datacenter demand linked to AI infrastructure deployment could sustain elevated margins beyond typical cycle patterns.

The company’s Q3 guidance provides the most recent indication of management’s demand visibility. Revenue expectations reaching $4.80 billion suggest confidence that major customers show no immediate signs of pulling back.

Conclusion

SanDisk presents as a company capturing genuine business momentum, demonstrating enhanced profitability, and offering a more transparent investment opportunity following the corporate separation. The organization is clearly capitalizing on AI-related storage requirements and improved industry fundamentals. Nevertheless, following the substantial share price appreciation, the investment appears better characterized as a quality cyclical holding with strong fundamental support rather than an undervalued opportunity.

The post SanDisk (SNDK) Stock Jumps 61% Year-Over-Year: Is AI Demand Sustainable? appeared first on Blockonomi.

There is a particular frustration building among SOL holders in early 2026 that has nothing to do with price. Native staking yields, once a reliable source of passive income for long-term Solana believers, are compressing on a schedule that was written into the protocol from day one. Solana’s inflation model reduces base validator rewards by 15% annually — not as a response to market conditions, but as a deliberate design feature. The result is a yield floor that drops every year regardless of how the network performs.

Current native SOL returns sit somewhere between 5.9% and 7.5% depending on validator selection, with commission fees applied on top of that compression. Liquid staking options like JitoSOL have offered a partial workaround, but yields there have trended downward for three consecutive months with no structural change on the horizon. The core issue is baked into how Solana allocates rewards.

Why the Math Gets Worse as Adoption Grows

The structural problem with inflation-based reward models is a simple one: participation and yield move in opposite directions. As more capital enters the staking system, the same fixed issuance pool divides across a larger base, thinning individual returns. Solana’s growing ecosystem — genuinely one of the most active developer environments in crypto — works against stakers by design. Success means more dilution.

Bitcoin Everlight was built around the opposite relationship between adoption and returns. The project operates a lightweight transaction routing and validation layer that runs alongside the Bitcoin blockchain — not a fork, not a competing chain, but infrastructure that processes Bitcoin transaction activity and generates routing fees in the process. Those fees flow back to participants through the Shard system. As transaction volume through the network increases, the fee pool available for distribution grows with it. More adoption means a larger reward pool, not a thinner slice of a fixed one.

How the Shard System Works

The Shard system structures participation into four tiers, each earning BTCL rewards during the presale period that transition automatically to real Bitcoin at mainnet — no manual action required on either end.

The Jade Shard activates at $100 and earns up to 6% APY in BTCL during presale. Azure activates at $500 with up to 12% APY. Violet activates at $1,500 with up to 20% APY. Radiant, the highest tier, activates at $5,000 and earns up to 25% APY. Tier upgrades happen automatically as cumulative contribution crosses each threshold — the dashboard handles progression without requiring a separate transaction or manual claim.

Once mainnet launches, the same shard that accumulated BTCL during presale begins distributing real BTC from live routing fee activity. The transition is automatic and requires nothing from the participant. This is a meaningful difference from staking models where epoch-based distributions require active monitoring of validator performance, commission rate changes, and periodic rebalancing decisions.

Transparency Built In Before the Presale Opened

Bitcoin Everlight completed two independent smart contract audits — Spywolf and Solidproof — alongside full team identity verification through Spywolf KYC and VitalBlock. All of this was completed before the presale opened — real identities verified, smart contracts independently reviewed, with reports publicly accessible from day one.

The project publishes regular developer updates covering infrastructure progress, dashboard improvements, and network milestones, giving participants ongoing visibility rather than a whitepaper and silence between phases. The documentation is now on its seventh release, actively maintained and publicly versioned — an unusual level of iterative transparency for a project still in presale.

The dashboard itself reflects this approach: a live Earning Dashboard tracks reward accumulation in real time, and a Global Heatmap displays network activity as it happens. Participants can see what the network is generating rather than waiting on epoch summaries from a validator they selected months ago.

Two Models, Opposite Directions

Solana’s validator model has real strengths — battle-tested infrastructure, deep liquidity, and one of the most active developer ecosystems in the industry. The yield compression issue isn’t evidence of the network failing. It’s a structural feature of how the protocol was designed, and it becomes more pronounced as the ecosystem grows. SOL holders who entered expecting 8% annually are tracking toward 6% and lower, with validator commissions narrowing the effective return further.

Bitcoin Everlight has raised over $2.0 million across its presale phases, with participants spread across all four shard tiers entering ahead of successive price increases. The project is also working toward listings on major centralized exchanges as part of its post-launch strategy — a step that would expand access significantly beyond the current presale audience. The fixed total supply of 21 billion BTCL carries no inflation mechanism, meaning the scarcity properties are set at deployment rather than eroding over time. 45% of that supply is allocated directly to presale participants — the largest single allocation in the tokenomics structure.

For SOL holders watching their staking yield compress on a schedule they cannot change, the question isn’t whether Solana is a good network. It’s whether an inflation-based reward model is the right place to hold capital when alternatives exist that scale in the other direction.

Enter Phase 2 Before the Next Pricing Step

Phase 3 is active at $0.0012 per BTCL. The presale runs across multiple phases with price increases at each stage — participants entering now lock in current pricing before the next adjustment. Start with $100, activate a Jade Shard, and begin accumulating rewards from the moment activation completes.

Find more information here.

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The post Solana Yields Keep Falling — Why Investors Are Turning to This New BTC Reward Model appeared first on CryptoPotato.

PI’s correction has been ongoing for a few consecutive weeks now. Will it stop in the following several days?

PI Network (PI) Price Predictions: Analysis

Key support levels: $0.15 

Key resistance levels: $0.20, $0.28

PI Correction Continues

PI dropped from $0.30 to $0.17, which equals a 40% drawback. Normally, this should be more than sufficient if you have a bullish bias. However, in the past week, the asset has been moving sideways around $0.18, which is concerning.

That’s because the longer the price hovers around these levels, the more likely sellers are to return and attempt new lows. To make that scenario less likely, buyers have to return to PI and send it above $0.20 again. Anything less is an opening for bears to show up again.

Volume Vanishes

On the positive side, the sales volume has crashed. This implies that sellers have lost interest here or appear undecided. This has allowed PI to move sideways, but it is not yet certain that buyers will return to reverse this bearish price action.

If nothing changes in the near future, the bias leans bearish with sellers having a clear upper hand. That makes a drop to the $0.15 support likely and would also coincide with the breakout level from the major downtrend that started in 2025. 

Daily RSI Under 50

Another bearish signal can be seen on the daily timeframe RSI, which shows this indicator is stuck under 50 points. As long as it cannot break above this level, there is little hope of a reversal.

While the moving average of the RSI is curving up at the time of this post, that is no guarantee it can start making higher highs. Only a break above 52 points would confirm it, which is the last high on the chart. 

The post PI Network (PI) Price Predictions for This Week appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s price tapped a five-day high earlier this morning at $68,400, only to be rejected and driven south by almost two grand in hours after the latest controversial developments on the Middle East war front.

Most altcoins have followed suit, dropping by 2-3% in the past day. HYPE and XRP have dropped the most from the top 25 alts.

BTC Down Again

Bitcoin challenged the $72,000 resistance on a couple of occasions during the previous business week, but to no avail. The second failed attempt took place on Wednesday morning, but the bears were quick to intervene and began a gradual correction that drove BT south to $69,000 on Thursday.

Another, more painful decline took place on Friday when the cryptocurrency fell to $65,600, dragging the overall market sentiment back to extreme fear levels.

After a quiet weekend in which it traded above $66,000, BTC dipped once again on Monday morning to a new monthly low of just under $65,000, where it found support and jumped to $68,000. More volatility ensued, with another drop to $66,300 and a surge to $68,400 earlier this morning, before the bears stepped up again and bitcoin now struggles below $67,000.

These fluctuations transpired as different reports claimed that Trump might consider ending the war even with the Strait of Hormuz closed, while others suggested that several countries in the region are still pushing him to continue attacking Iran.

XRP Dips Again

Although it’s down by over 1% in the past day, ETH continues to trade above $2,000 after it reclaimed that level earlier this week. BNB has slipped below $610 after a 2% decline, while XRP’s 3.4% drop has pushed it toward a key support level at $1.30. The asset is down by over 7% in the past week alone, and now trails further behind BNB in terms of market cap placement.

SOL, ADA, CC, XLM, and RAIN are also deep in the red from the larger-caps, while HYPE and HBAR have dropped by more than 5% daily. Bitcoin Cash and ZEC are among the few exceptions posting modest gains.

The total crypto market cap has shed over $30 billion daily and is down to $2.380 trillion on CG.

The post BTC Fails at $68K After Latest War Moves, XRP Drops to Key Support: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Pi Network’s Core Team, which has come under serious criticism as of late, has just updated on the number of users who have completed the second migration of their balances.

As with similar posts on X before, though, the community was quick to pick up on the statement and lash out at the lack of actual progress.

119K and Counting

Recall that the team made several major announcements on Pi Day (March 14), ranging from protocol updates to the highly anticipated second migrations. The process began on that day and continues with a gradual rollout. The idea is to allow Pioneers to bring additional Pi to Mainnet and “further participate in the ecosystem.”

Those who have already migrated their token balances once may now be eligible to do it again with the second batch of transferable coins. Second migrations also include referral mining bonuses attributable to Referral Team members who have completed KYC fully.

The new update from the team, published a few hours ago, indicated that almost 120,000 users have completed second migrations of their transferable balances, including their referral mining bonuses, and the gradual rollout continues.

Over 119,000 Pioneers have completed second migrations of their transferable balances so far, as the gradual rollout continues.

Explore the full update below https://t.co/jF30vH1mLE

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) March 31, 2026

Community Still Not Happy

Although over 119,000 sounds like a massive number, most of the comments below Pi Network’s post on X continued a recent trend of bashing the team for the lack of results. One user said the actual project community is made up of millions of users, and the team should not brag about approving only 119,000.

Others also asked why the process is taking so much time, and questioned the status of tentative KYC, in which they are reportedly stuck for months or even years. There were even a few users claiming that they had not received any updates on the first migrations.

The post Pi Network Drops Big Update on Pioneers and Second Migration appeared first on CryptoPotato.

XRP lost its support at $1.4, how low will it go next?

Ripple (XRP) Price Predictions: Analysis

Key support levels: $1.3, 1

Key resistance levels: $1.6, $1.4

XRP Loses Key Support

With buyers unable to keep the price above the $1.4 support, this level has become resistance, and XRP was forced lower. Bulls have retreated to $1.3, but this level is unlikely to hold if pressure continues to build.

The most likely support to reverse this downtrend is closer to $1, a key psychological level. The price may quickly fall lower if $1.3 cracks and revisits the lows from early February, when the price briefly spiked to $1.1.

Buy Volume Absent

Without buyers, there is no way to stop the current downtrend. A look at the weekly timeframes shows that in the past 10 weeks, only two weeks closed in green. This highlights the bears’ clear dominance over the price.

If sellers break below $1.3 and make a lower low, then that will only reinforce the ongoing downtrend. That will put a lot of pressure on the $1 support level, which may struggle to stop a future crash.

Daily MACD Turns Bearish

In the past week, the daily MACD has turned bearish after the moving averages reversed and started falling again. This change places the indicator on the negative side, giving a bearish bias.

Considering that the MACD histogram is still trending lower and has yet to form clear higher lows, the downtrend is likely to continue. Only if the support at $1.3 holds can XRP hope to attempt a reversal by reclaiming $1.4.

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