Cointelegraph

Tech investor and former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan has called on the crypto industry to develop more financial tools for refugees and stateless people.

In a Saturday post on X, Srinivasan said the number of displaced individuals could grow as global conflicts intensify and economic migration increases. He pointed to examples ranging from Ukrainians fleeing war to workers leaving the Gulf countries amid regional tensions.

“We should build more crypto tools for refugees and stateless people,” Srinivasan wrote, suggesting that blockchain-based systems can provide financial infrastructure when traditional institutions fail or become inaccessible.

Srinivasan described crypto as “wartime mode for the internet,” arguing that decentralized networks were designed to operate even under hostile conditions such as cyberattacks, infrastructure failures or financial restrictions. He said that public blockchains can continue processing transactions even if centralized systems face disruptions.

Crypto rarely builds for refugees despite clear need

His comments came in response to a separate post from Andi Duro, founder of research site TwoCents, who argued that while crypto could serve refugees effectively, the industry rarely builds products specifically for them.

“It’s very unfortunate that crypto is a great solution for refugees who are stateless and forced to interact with crumbling institutions and payment rails,” Andi wrote. “But nobody in crypto builds for refugees because they’re not useful consumers for gambling.”

Srinivasan calls on crypto to build more tools for refugees. Source: Balaji Srinivasan

However, Srinivasan noted that crypto has had some success in building such tools. He pointed out the growing role of stablecoins, which he said are already gaining global reach as a borderless form of digital money. “But we can do more,” he added.

UAE capital flight boosts USDC

As Cointelegraph reported, the market capitalization of the USDC (USDC) stablecoin is nearing a record $80 billion as supply surges in recent weeks. USDC’s circulating supply reaching roughly $79.2 billion, surpassing its previous high set in December after rising from about $70 billion in early February.

One Dubai-based analyst attributed the spike to capital flight from the United Arab Emirates amid turbulence in the real estate market. The DFM Real Estate Index has dropped sharply since the start of the war.

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Opinion by: Ana Carolina Oliveira, chief compliance officer at Venga

Crypto doesn’t have a money laundering problem on its own. At least, not when compared to traditional finance, where the practice is at least twice as prevalent and over 90% of which is believed to go undetected. Money laundering is a general problem wherever we see the transfer of funds. That’s the good news. 

Blockchain records everything for posterity. When money laundering does occur, an indelible record is created that allows the illicit financial flows to be traced from end to end.

Just because crypto doesn’t have a particular money laundering problem doesn’t mean that money laundering has been eradicated. The anti-money laundering system needs to evolve as a whole to strengthen preventive and investigative measures across traditional finance as well as centralized and decentralized finance (CeFi and DeFi) environments.

This evolution requires greater communication within the sector, improved feedback mechanisms, a deeper understanding of emerging typologies and more effective dissemination of new trends. 

The recently published European Union AML Regulation (Regulation EU 2024/1624) sets some rules on this matter, but more needs to be done in practice. Achieving this calls for regulators and industry leaders to create the kind of guardrails that go beyond “box-checking” compliance. 

Crypto must do better

It’s not enough to have AML procedures in place. These need to be constantly enhanced to ensure that crypto overcomes its misunderstood reputation as a high-risk money-laundering environment and strengthens its barriers to keep aggressively combating this practice.

This demands a cultural change in how we approach money laundering, with an emphasis on greater information sharing. Otherwise, criminals will simply shift operations from high AML venues to softer crypto targets where they can continue to ply their trade.

Crypto “enables” money laundering in exactly the same manner as fiat. The architecture may be different, but the outcome is the same: bad actors doing bad things with funds that facilitate everything from ransomware to, in the most egregious cases, terrorism. 

Blockchain’s pseudonymity may be a feature, not a bug, but it makes it hard to know who you’re dealing with when it comes to self-hosted wallets, exacerbated when mixers are used to obfuscate the source of funds.

When you can’t easily identify the origin or owner of the funds, you will struggle to prevent money laundering. 

That is the reality for fiat and crypto alike. A single exchange, no matter how robust its AML and Know Your Transaction tooling, lacks the visibility into everything that’s taking place onchain. Collectively, however, all crypto platforms possess vast knowledge of who’s doing what onchain, and when that “what” strays into the realm of suspected criminality, that information must be shared.

At present, initiatives like the Travel Rule, wallet screening and onchain analytics form a powerful AML barrier, but responsibility and the costs associated with creating the pathways to combat illicit activity, are delegated to individual entities. To give just one example, the Travel Rule mandates a SWIFT/IBAN-style identification system, but the industry has been left alone to create the technology and integration to facilitate this exchange of information.

In other words, regulators have delegated the implementation of a “crypto SWIFT system” to the industry. In a sector characterized by multi-jurisdictional companies that are subject to different geo-specific regulations, this compliance burden is colossal and labyrinthine. The ideal solution is for a global compliance standard to be implemented industry-wide.

Given the difficulties of getting different regulators and regions to agree to such a framework, the onus falls to the crypto industry, once more, to self-regulate. States and other national competent authorities must do better in regulating and setting the path for the industry to comply. 

Fewer loopholes, more freedom

The biggest crypto money-laundering challenge at present is the difficulty of identifying who owns the wallets, and not the technology itself. Because the United States, EU and Asia have different thresholds and rules when it comes to sharing information, performing due diligence and enforcing the Travel Rule, there are loopholes that bad actors exploit.

Closing off these loopholes won’t just curtail money laundering; it will also empower legitimate users to enjoy the financial freedom that crypto provides. The freedom to transact, to trade and to tokenize without running into brick walls every time they change exchanges or switch regions. Because crypto is borderless, compliance needs to follow suit. Compliance needs to work everywhere, every time. 

That’s why the industry needs to collaborate to share information, adopt best practices and signal to the world that blockchain is open for business but closed to criminals who have nowhere to hide their ill-gotten gains.

We’ve mastered the AML tools. Now we need to master the art of talking. Exchange to exchange. Platform to platform. Region to region. FIU to obliged entities. TradFi with CeFi. That’s how crypto’s stance on money laundering goes from low-tolerance to no-tolerance.

If we can achieve that, the industry will flourish.

Opinion by: Ana Carolina Oliveira, chief compliance officer at Venga.

The market capitalization of the USDC stablecoin is approaching a record high near $80 billion as demand surges in the Middle East, with one analyst linking the spike to capital flight from the United Arab Emirates.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, USDC (USDC)’s circulating supply has risen to roughly $79.2 billion, marking a new all-time high for the dollar-pegged stablecoin. The stablecoin’s market cap previously hit a high of below $79 billion in December last year.

The increase comes after supply expanded by billions of dollars in recent weeks. The stablecoin’s market cap stood at just over $70 billion in early February and at $75 billion earlier this month.

USDC market cap. Source: CoinMarketCap

Self-proclaimed Dubai-based analyst Rami Al-Hashimi claimed the surge reflects growing demand from investors seeking to move funds out of traditional markets. In a Friday post on X, Al-Hashimi said over-the-counter (OTC) desks in Dubai have struggled to meet demand for the stablecoin.

Dubai property slump may be driving USDC surge

Al-Hashimi tied the surge in stablecoin demand to turmoil in the UAE’s real estate market. The analyst claimed property prices in Dubai have fallen roughly 27% this month, sparking a rush among investors to move capital into digital assets.

“War panic. Capital flight. Sellers are bleeding,” he wrote, describing what he said was a rapid shift in investor behavior.

Data from TradingView also shows that the DFM Real Estate Index, which tracks the performance of listed real estate and construction companies in Dubai, has suffered a sharp sell-off, with the index falling from around 16,800 at its recent peak to about 11,516, a decline of roughly 31%.

Al-Hashimi claimed the situation has also led some property sellers to accept cryptocurrency payments directly. He said certain real estate listings now advertise discounts for buyers who pay using Bitcoin (BTC).

“Pay in BTC, get 5–10% off,” he wrote, adding that the trend reflects growing demand for digital assets during periods of financial uncertainty.

USDC overtakes USDt in adjusted transaction volume

Japanese investment bank Mizuho says USDC has surpassed Tether’s USDt (USDT) in adjusted transaction volume for the first time since 2019. According to the bank’s research note, USDC recorded about $2.2 trillion in adjusted transaction volume year-to-date, compared with $1.3 trillion for USDt, giving USDC roughly 64% of combined transaction share.

Despite the shift in activity, USDt remains the largest stablecoin by market capitalization at about $184 billion, far ahead of USDC’s $79 billion.

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US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) logged their first five-day inflow streak of 2026, bringing in roughly $767.32 million this week.

The funds recorded $180.33 million in net inflows on Friday, extending the run of positive flows that began earlier in the week. The strongest day of the streak came on Tuesday, when spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs attracted $250.92 million, according to data from SoSoValue.

The last time the funds saw a comparable streak was in late November 2025, when spot Bitcoin ETFs logged five consecutive days of net inflows from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, bringing in a combined $284.61 million.

Spot Bitcoin ETF flows so far this year. Source: SoSoValue

Overall, the ETFs now hold $91.83 billion in net assets, with cumulative net inflows reaching $56.14 billion and roughly $4.93 billion in total value traded on the day.

Ether ETFs see 4-day inflow streak

Meanwhile, US spot Ether (ETH) ETFs recorded $26.69 million in net inflows on Friday, extending a four-day run of positive flows. The streak began on Tuesday, when the funds added $12.59 million, followed by $57.01 million on Wednesday and a stronger $115.85 million on Thursday, the largest inflow during the period.

The four-day stretch has brought roughly $212.14 million into spot Ether ETFs, reversing the outflows seen earlier in March. As of today, cumulative net inflows into US spot Ether ETFs stands at $11.79 billion, while total net assets across the funds reached $12.26 billion, with about $1.30 billion in value traded on the day.

The recent stretch marks the first sustained inflow run for spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs this year after a volatile start to 2026 that saw several days of heavy outflows across the products.

Bitcoin range-bound as Middle East tensions rise

Rising tensions in the Middle East and volatility in energy markets are weighing on global risk sentiment. According to Bitunix analysts, escalating conflict around the Strait of Hormuz and elevated oil prices have increased macro uncertainty and reduced expectations for aggressive Federal Reserve rate cuts, prompting investors to focus on short-term liquidity rather than long-term risk exposure.

Against this backdrop, Bitcoin remains range-bound. Bitunix said derivatives liquidation heatmaps show a key short-liquidity cluster near $71,300, which is acting as near-term resistance, with a larger concentration between $72,000 and $73,500.

On the downside, liquidity support sits around $69,000, with deeper long liquidation levels near $68,800, suggesting BTC may continue consolidating unless macro catalysts trigger a breakout.

Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘narrative vacuum,’ Ethereum now inevitable: Trade Secrets

Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller said blockchain and stablecoins may only be a decade away from powering the global payments system — though he isn’t sold on the idea of crypto functioning as a store of value.

In an interview with Morgan Stanley recorded on Jan. 30 and released on Friday, the former hedge fund manager said blockchain-based tokens — particularly stablecoins — boost productivity in the payments space:

"Blockchain and the use of stablecoins, if you want to throw crypto into that, tokens, incredibly useful in terms of productivity," Druckenmiller said.

"I assume our whole payment systems will be stablecoins in 10 or 15 years,” he said, adding that stablecoins are more efficient, faster and cheaper than existing solutions.

Druckenmiller speaking to Morgan Stanley’s Iliana Bouzali on Jan. 30. Source: Morgan Stanley

Druckenmiller founded Duquesne Capital Management in 1981 and closed the fund in late 2010. During that time, he achieved an average annual return of 30% and never experienced a down year.

Druckenmiller said back in May 2021 that a blockchain-based system could replace the payment rails that power the US dollar due to a lack of trust in the traditional banking system.

“Well, the problem has been clearly identified. It's Jerome Powell and the rest of the world, central bankers. There's a lack of trust,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Box at the time.

Several traditional payments firms, such as Western Union, MoneyGram and Zelle, announced plans to launch stablecoin settlement systems last year following the passage of the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act in July, which provided a clear regulatory framework for payment firms to offer digital asset services.

Drunkenmiller not sold on crypto as a store of value

Despite Druckenmiller’s conviction on blockchain and stablecoins, he isn’t convinced that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) can function as a store of value.

“It's a solution looking for a problem. I'm very sad that it ever happened,” Druckenmiller told Morgan Stanley. 

“It wasn’t needed,” but crypto has become a brand that some people love, so it will function as a store of value to them, he said.

Back in October 2023, Druckenmiller said he compared Bitcoin to gold, stating that he prefers the latter because it is a “5,000-year-old brand.”

Druckenmiller went on to say that he doesn’t own any Bitcoin, but that he should.

Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘narrative vacuum,’ Ethereum now inevitable: Trade Secrets

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin sits above $71,000 as weak US economic data and the US and Israel-Iran war drive investors toward scarce assets.

Tech stocks’ correlation to BTC and rising oil prices suggest that the 5-month correction from $126,000 might not be over.

Bitcoin (BTC) jumped above $73,000 on Friday, successfully locking in the 70,000 support for the week. These gains occurred as the US reported weak economic activity data, triggering concerns of an impending recession while the war in Iran continues to drag on.

While socio-economic events and institutional inflows might have led to Bitcoin’s bullish momentum, traders are still questioning if the bear market has actually ended.

Economic turmoil, growing investor appetite for BTC back Bitcoin’s breakout

The US economy grew by a mere 0.7% between October and December 2025, which was a significant downgrade from previous estimates, according to a US Commerce Department report released on Friday. While the final report is due April 9, the risks of a recession throughout 2026 have increased, driving investors away from US Treasuries.

US 10-year Treasury yield vs. Bitcoin/USD. Source: TradingView

Yields on the US 10-year Treasury surged to 4.26%, meaning investors are demanding a higher return to hold those assets. The mere risk of additional liquidity causes traders to seek shelter in scarce assets. This partially explains why the S&P 500 traded just 5% below its all-time high despite the worsening economic conditions.

WTI oil futures (left) vs. S&P 500 futures (right). Source: TradingView

On Monday, the S&P 500 futures plummeted to their lowest levels in over three months after oil prices briefly surged to $119.50. The US decision to temporarily authorize the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea helped to cool off some of the risks. This move, announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday, eased the markets’ short-term concerns.

US-listed spot Bitcoin ETF daily net flows, USD. Source: CoinGlass

Institutional demand for Bitcoin has also been signaled as a potential driver for the recent bullish momentum. Spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) faced four consecutive days of net inflows totaling $583 million, while analysts estimate that Strategy (MSTR) accumulated over $900 million through the yield-bearing STRC instrument.

Bitcoin’s momentum turned bullish, but the bear market carries on

At first glance, the economic backdrop points toward liquidity injections and rising institutional interest in Bitcoin. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the five-month correction following the $126,000 peak in October 2025 has ended. 

Bitcoin’s 50-day correlation with the Nasdaq 100 sits at 84%. As concerns grow over sticky inflation and stagnant economic growth, the odds of a stock market pullback increase. Traders are unlikely to use Bitcoin as a hedge, especially given its recent underperformance compared to gold.

Adding to this, oil prices remain $30 higher than levels seen before the war in Iran began. These high fuel costs hit consumer spending and create inflationary pressure, which reduces the capital retail traders have available for crypto investments.

Inflows to the spot BTC ETFs have surged as $2.14 billion entered the ETFs from Feb. 24 to March 4, driving a 14% rally. However, prices slipped 10% over the next four days as those flows reversed. This suggests spot ETF activity is just reacting to Bitcoin’s price rather than acting as a leading indicator.

Whether Bitcoin stays above $70,000 over the weekend may not shift investor sentiment. While a five-week consolidation and several tests of the $64,000 support show bulls’ confidence, the recent price action hasn't delivered a clear signal for a breakout.

A US federal court has rejected Custodia Bank’s final attempt to challenge the Federal Reserve’s authority over granting master accounts — effectively ending the crypto-focused bank’s five-year-long battle for direct access to the central bank’s payment system.

The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit said in a filing on Friday that it wouldn’t hear Custodia's final appeal on that point in a 7-3 vote.

Custodia first applied for a master account in October 2020, which allows financial institutions to hold reserves directly at the Federal Reserve and access its payment rails, enabling them to settle transactions without relying on intermediary banks.

After the Fed rejected its master account application, Custodia turned to the courts, arguing the Monetary Control Act entitles state-chartered banks to access Fed services and therefore a master account.

However, the multiple courts have now ruled that the Fed retains discretion over whether to grant master accounts.

Custodia’s blow comes as Kraken became the first crypto platform to receive a master account from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City on March 4.

Kraken’s master account enables it to connect to the Fedwire payments system, though it does not include the full range of services available to traditional banks.

The move raised hopes that US regulators could offer “skinny” or limited master accounts to crypto firms.

Banks not given master accounts akin to “death sentence”

While only three judges sided with Custodia, one of them, Judge Timothy Tymkovich, wrote a strong dissenting opinion, stating that “a master account is ‘indispensable’ for a bank’s operations” and being denied one is “akin to a death sentence.”

He noted that three months after Custodia’s application in October 2020, the Fed said Custodia was eligible and told it there were “no showstoppers” with its application. 

He added, “I do not agree that Reserve Banks have discretion over account applications and would have allowed the mandamus claim to go forward.”

Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns

The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), an industry advocacy group, is eyeing a target window between March and August 2026 to pass a de minimis tax exemption for Bitcoin through Congress, warning that time to pass meaningful legislation is running out.

BPI said it has engaged with 19 Congressional offices in both the House and Senate over the last three months to pitch US lawmakers on a tax exemption for Bitcoin (BTC) transactions below a certain threshold.

Expanding the de minimis tax exemptions beyond dollar-pegged stablecoins has bipartisan support, but the BPI warned that the “window is narrowing” for Bitcoin tax legislation. The BPI said:

“Congress will be increasingly consumed by midterm dynamics as summer approaches, and the bandwidth for complex tax legislation shrinks with every passing week. Senator Lummis, the issue's most forceful champion, departs the Senate in January 2027.

If a package does not come together in the next few months, the opportunity may not return for years,” the BPI continued. 

The timeline and target window for Bitcoin de minimis tax legislation. Source: Bitcoin Policy Institute

Under current US tax rules, using BTC to pay for goods and services triggers a taxable event and tax reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), preventing the use of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange.

A de minimis exemption would allow small crypto transactions, typically below a set dollar threshold, to be excluded from capital gains reporting, allowing users to spend Bitcoin without calculating gains or losses on minor purchases.

Tax policy has kept Bitcoin as an investment and out of commerce

Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis introduced a bill in July 2025 proposing a de minimis tax exemption for cryptocurrency transactions of $300 or less, capped at $5,000 annually.

However, the bill failed to gain traction in the Senate, and a competing bill focused entirely on tax exemptions for stablecoins was introduced to the House of Representatives by Congresspersons Max Miller and Steven Horsford in 2025.

A comparison of the Lummis standalone crypto tax bill and the stablecoin de minimis tax bill introduced by Congressmen Max Miller and Steven Horsford. Source: Bitcoin Policy Institute

Bitcoin payments are held back by the digital asset’s current treatment under the US tax code, according to Pierre Rochard, a board member for BTC treasury company Strive. 

“The number one impediment to Bitcoin payments adoption is tax policy, not scaling technology,” Rochard said on X.

Magazine: Big questions: Should you sell your Bitcoin for nickels for a 43% profit?

Japanese investment bank Mizuho reported that stablecoin issuer Circle’s USDC overtook Tether’s USDt in transaction volume for the first time since 2019.

In a research note released on Friday, Mizuho said it had raised its price target for Circle stock from $100 to $120 after comparing transaction volumes between the two major stablecoins. According to Mizuho, USDC (USDC) had about $2.2 trillion in adjusted transaction volume for the year to date, compared with USDt (USDT) at $1.3 trillion.

“The data shows USDC vs. USDT volumes at 64% market share,” said Mizuho. This is a reversal in a long-term trend of USDT volumes surpassing USDC in 2019-2025.”

The stock price for Circle, which went public on the NYSE in June 2025, was little changed following the Mizuho report’s release. While the investment bank reported that USDC had overtaken USDT in transaction volume, Tether’s stablecoin remained the largest by market capitalization, at about $184 billion, compared with USDC’s $79 billion.

According to Mizuho analysts, volume data is significant because the stablecoin “winner” will be the one people use for everyday transactions, not just market capitalization.

Fight over stablecoin yield continues in US government

In Washington, DC, it’s unclear whether lawmakers and policymakers will reach an agreement that would allow a digital asset market structure bill to move forward in Congress.

The legislation, called the CLARITY Act when it passed the House of Representatives, has been stalled in the Senate amid debates over stablecoin yield, ethics, and tokenized equities. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune reportedly said on Thursday that the chamber would prioritize a bill on voting requirements rather than market structure, which he didn’t anticipate passing before April. 

Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘narrative vacuum,’ Ethereum now inevitable: Trade Secrets

After reaching a monthly high of $2,209 on Friday, Ether (ETH) price fell back below a key monthly resistance, which has been tested five times since February.

While onchain data highlights a large cluster of investors near $2,800, Ether’s futures market data shows traders are scaling back positions after this week’s rally.

Investors’ $2,800 cost basis highlights a major accumulation zone

Data from Glassnode indicated that ETH’s cost-basis distribution heatmap shows a heavy accumulation near $2,800, where more than 3 million ETH were previously purchased.

The cost-basis clusters identify the price zones where large groups of investors established positions, often acting as magnets during upward moves as investors defend entry levels or add exposure.

ETH cost basis distribution heatmap. Source: Glassnode

The data suggests a potential pathway toward $2,800. Notably, there is a relatively limited historical supply concentration between $2,200 and the $2,800 cost-basis cluster, meaning a break above the current range may allow the price to move more freely into that range.

Ether one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

From a technical standpoint, the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) also intersects near the $2,800 level on the daily chart, a key indicator ETH has not approached since early January.

However, derivatives data suggest traders remain cautious near the present price range.

Related: Ethereum Foundation publishes mandate clarifying role and goals

Ether futures activity fades after $2,200 test

Ether’s futures market activity expanded during this week’s rally, with open interest rising 21% to $10.9 billion from $9 billion this week as the price pushed toward $2,200. The increase suggests traders were opening new leveraged positions as Ether moved higher.

Ether price, open interest, aggregated spot volume. Source: velo.data

However, the positioning shifted once ETH tested the upper range. Open interest fell roughly 6% after the $2,200 test, indicating some traders began closing positions rather than adding new exposure.

The pullback suggests long traders likely took profit or reduced risk near the upper boundary of the range, slowing the rally’s momentum.

Spot market activity showed improving demand during the move. Spot volume cumulative delta (CVD), which tracks aggressive buying versus selling, rose sharply to $87 million from -$150 million on March 8, indicating buyers stepped in as Ether rebounded from the $2,000 region.

Ether price and bid-ask ratio. Source: Hyblock

However, order-flow data reflected a fading bullish sentiment. The bid–ask ratio remained strongly positive while Ether consolidated near $2,000, showing buyers dominated trading during the range phase.

That strength faded as the price approached $2,150, signaling reduced buying pressure near the top of the move.

Hyblock data offered additional clarity in the derivatives markets. The futures positioning remains relatively balanced, with long traders accounting for about 59.4% of Ether futures exposure on Binance.

Such a balanced outlook often leads to choppy price action as the market struggles to decisively break through nearby resistance levels.

ETH percentage of accounts long on Binance. Source: Hyblock

The data shows a divergence forming, while past ETH accumulation points toward a rally to $2,800. With this in mind, it is clear that Ether futures traders remain cautious near ETH’s current range.

Related: Ethereum accumulation wallets jump 30%: Will ETH price follow?

Bitcoin (BTC) price rallied close to a monthly high near $74,000, posting a 10.42% weekly gain, its strongest seven-day return since September 2025. 

The spot market activity, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, and corporate-level BTC accumulation suggest a positive shift in demand, as analysts monitor whether the renewed buying pressure can support a rally to higher price levels. 

Bitcoin Coinbase premium gap flips after 10 weeks

Crypto analyst IT Tech noted that the Coinbase premium gap, which measures the price difference between Bitcoin on Coinbase and global exchanges, currently reads +35.4, marking its first positive print in nearly ten weeks.

The metric previously dropped to –175 on Feb. 2, when Bitcoin traded near $78,000. That period marked the deepest negative reading during the correction that pushed BTC toward $60,000.

Coinbase premium gap. Source: CryptoQuant

The premium has remained in negative territory for the majority of 2026, reflecting persistent selling pressure from the US spot traders. A positive premium signals buying pressure, coinciding with BTC’s rally.

Spot BTC ETF flows have also improved over the past three weeks. The net inflows now exceed $1.9 billion, in line with the recent recovery and rising institutional activity.

The additional demand came from corporate buys. Strategy acquired 11,042 BTC this week through its STRC financing program, adding to the steady bid supporting Bitcoin’s sharp rise since Monday. 

Bitcoin accumulation through STRC by Strategy this week. Source: strc.live

Related: STRC may help Strategy reach 1M Bitcoin milestone before BlackRock

BTC liquidity clusters sit above $75,000

Bitcoin is currently attempting to reclaim its 100-day moving average on the daily chart, marking the first major retest of this level since it flipped into resistance on Jan. 20.

Bitcoin one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If Bitcoin stabilizes above $74,000, the price re-enters a zone with dense liquidity. The liquidation map shows roughly $1.9 billion in leveraged long positions clustered just above $75,000, which can attract the price as BTC seeks higher liquidity zones.

Above $75,000, nearly $2 billion in sell-side liquidity sits between $76,000 and $80,000, although it is distributed across a $4,000 range.

Bitcoin liquidation map. Source: CoinGlass

If BTC pushes through this region, the next nearby technical range sits between $79,400 and $81,400, where a one-hour fair value gap (FVG) formed during the previous decline. These imbalances between buyers and sellers often act as key inflection points for continuation.

Speaking on the potential retest of $74,000, crypto trader Ardi said Bitcoin needs to flip this level into support and reclaim the $85,000 region to rebuild a higher-time frame (HTF) bullish trend.

Bitcoin one-day analysis by Ardi. Source: X

Meanwhile, MN Capital founder Michaël van de Poppe identified $76,000–$79,000 as a resistance band where additional momentum may spill into altcoin markets. 

A move into that region exhibits a monthly engulfing candle pattern, effectively erasing February’s correction for BTC. A bullish engulfing pattern on the monthly chart may invite more buying pressure from traders, as it marks a positive shift on an HTF chart.

Related: Bitcoin catching up to gold hints at an ‘opportunity within risk’

Key points:

Bitcoin turned down from the $74,000 level, indicating that the bears remain sellers on rallies.

Several major altcoins are showing strength and are likely to break above their immediate resistance levels.

Bitcoin (BTC) turned down from the $74,000 level, indicating that the bears are vigorously defending the level. Glassnode said in its latest Week On-chain newsletter that BTC is stuck between the realized price (average acquisition cost of all circulating supply) at $54,400 and true market mean (the cost basis of actively transacted coins) at $78,000. Rally attempts are likely to witness rejection at the $78,000 level.

Historical data also does not support a sharp rally in BTC in 2026. Data from Binance Research shows that BTC has seen drawdowns of 56%, 73%, and 64% during the 2014, 2018 and 2022 US midterm election years. However, there is a ray of hope for the bulls as the two years following the midterm elections have seen massive gains in BTC.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView

Notwithstanding the uncertainty, a positive sign in favor of the bulls is that BTC has emerged as the best performing macro asset since the start of the US and Israel-Iran war. It shows investors are not panicking and dumping their BTC positions. That increases the likelihood of a bottom formation in BTC.

Could buyers propel BTC and select major altcoins above their overhead resistance levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

Bitcoin price prediction

BTC rallied toward the overhead resistance at $74,508, where the bears are mounting a strong defense.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 20-day exponential moving average ($69,271) has flattened out, and the relative strength index (RSI) has jumped into the positive zone, signaling an advantage to buyers. That increases the possibility of a break above the $74,508 level, completing a bullish ascending triangle pattern. The BTC/USDT pair may then skyrocket to $84,000. 

Sellers will have to tug the Bitcoin price below the support line to signal a comeback. If they do that, the pair may collapse to the $62,500 to $60,000 support zone.

Ether price prediction

Sellers are attempting to halt Ether’s (ETH) relief rally at the 50-day simple moving average ($2,173), but the bulls continue to exert pressure.

ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If buyers do not allow the Ether price to slip back below the 20-day EMA ($2,036), it enhances the prospects of a rally to $2,600. Such a move suggests that the downtrend may be over.

Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will attempt to swiftly pull the price back below the 20-day EMA. If they can pull it off, it suggests that the ETH/USDT pair may extend its range-bound action between $1,750 and $2,200 for some more time.

BNB price prediction

BNB (BNB) reached the 50-day SMA ($680), where the bears are expected to mount a strong defense.

BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

However, if buyers overcome the barrier at the 50-day SMA, the BNB price may ascend to $730 and subsequently to $790. Such a move suggests that the BNB/USDT pair may have bottomed out at $570.

Alternatively, if the price turns down from the 50-day SMA and breaks below the 20-day EMA, it suggests that the bears remain in command. The pair may drop to $607 and thereafter to $570.

XRP price prediction

XRP (XRP) has risen above the 20-day EMA ($1.39), indicating that the selling pressure is reducing.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The relief rally is expected to face selling at the 50-day SMA ($1.49) and then at the $1.61 level. If the XRP price turns down from the overhead resistance but rebounds off the 20-day EMA, it suggests a change in sentiment from selling on rallies to buying on dips. That increases the possibility of a rally to the downtrend line of the descending channel pattern.

This positive view will be negated in the near term if the price turns down from the 50-day SMA and breaks below $1.27. The XRP/USDT pair may then plummet to the support line.

Solana price prediction

Solana (SOL) has gradually risen to the top of the $76 to $95 range, indicating that selling pressure is reducing.

SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If buyers overcome the barrier at $95, the SOL/USDT pair might travel to the $117 level. Sellers are expected to fiercely defend the $117 level, but on the way down, if the Solana price does not dip below $95, it suggests that the pair may have bottomed out in the short term.

Contrarily, if the price turns down sharply from the $95 level, it signals that the bears remain in control. The pair may continue to oscillate between $95 and $76 for a few more days.

Dogecoin price prediction

Dogecoin (DOGE) has been trading between the 50-day SMA ($0.10) and the $0.09 level for the past few days.

DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The tightening range suggests a possible range expansion in the near term. A close above the 50-day SMA opens the gates for a rally to the breakdown level of $0.12. If the Dogecoin price turns down from the $0.12 level, it signals a possible range formation. The DOGE/USDT pair may consolidate between $0.09 and $0.12 for a while.

A close above the $0.12 resistance clears the path for a rally to the $0.16 level, while a break below the $0.09 support signals the resumption of the downtrend.

Hyperliquid price prediction

Hyperliquid (HYPE) closed above the $36.77 resistance on Thursday, indicating that the bulls are attempting to take charge.

HYPE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

There is minor resistance at $38.43, but it is likely to be crossed. The HYPE/USDT pair may march to $43 and later to $50.

The first sign of weakness will be a close below the $36.77 level. That suggests the bears are selling on rallies. The Hyperliquid price may descend to the 20-day EMA ($32.57), which is a critical support to watch out for. If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA with force, the bulls will again attempt to resume the recovery. Sellers will be back in control on a close below the 50-day SMA ($30.65). 

Cardano price prediction

Cardano (ADA) has risen above the 20-day EMA ($0.27), indicating aggressive buying by the bulls.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 50-day SMA ($0.28) may act as a resistance, but it is likely to be crossed. The ADA/USDT pair may then rise to the downtrend line of the descending channel pattern. A close above the downtrend line signals a potential short-term trend change. That clears the path for a rally to $0.39 and subsequently to $0.44.

Instead, if the Cardano price turns down sharply from the downtrend line, it signals that the bears remain sellers on rallies. That might keep the pair inside the channel for some more time.

Bitcoin Cash price prediction

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has pierced the 20-day EMA ($471), indicating that the bulls are on a comeback. 

BCH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If the Bitcoin Cash price closes above the 20-day EMA, the BCH/USDT pair may surge to the 50-day SMA ($514). Sellers are expected to defend the 50-day SMA, as a close above it opens the doors for a rally to $600.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down sharply from the moving averages, it indicates that the bears remain in control. That increases the likelihood of a break below the $443 level. The pair may then plunge to $375.

Monero price prediction

Buyers held Monero’s (XMR) pullback at the 20-day EMA ($348), indicating that the dips are being viewed as a buying opportunity.

XMR/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

That improves the prospects of a break above the 50-day SMA ($366). If that happens, the XMR/USDT pair may climb to the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level of $414 and later to $452.

Time is running out for the bears. They will have to swiftly yank the Monero price below the $333 level to weaken the bulls. The pair may then tumble to $309, where the buyers are expected to step in.

As the conflict involving Iran drags on and global energy supplies risk prolonged disruption, most financial assets are likely to behave like risk assets, according to Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone in a recent interview with Cointelegraph.

Despite major price swings across commodities, stock market volatility has remained relatively low, a divergence McGlone considers unsustainable. Historically, such imbalances tend to resolve through increased volatility in equities — often during broader market corrections.

That unusual volatility dynamic is also showing up in gold, a market traditionally viewed as a safe haven.

"Right now, 180-day volatility on gold is almost 2.5 times that of the S&P 500,” McGlone said. “So it's no longer a store of value."

In the interview, McGlone also discusses why Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader crypto market may be acting as a leading indicator for global risk assets. With the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index already significantly down from its peak, he argues that crypto could be signaling a potential downturn in traditional markets.

The macro backdrop, he suggests, increasingly resembles past periods of stress, including the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis, when energy prices spiked before sharply reversing during a global economic slowdown.

McGlone also shares his outlook on oil prices, interest rates, and the role of US Treasuries, which he still views as one of the few assets that could benefit if volatility rises and economic growth slows.

Could the current oil shock trigger a broader market correction? And what does it mean for Bitcoin, stocks, and the global economy?

Watch the full interview with Mike McGlone to hear his full macro outlook and market predictions.

The Ethereum Foundation, the non-profit organization that stewards the development of the Ethereum ecosystem, published its mandate on Friday, reaffirming its role and the core pillars of Ethereum.

The Ethereum Foundation’s two stated goals are that Ethereum remains decentralized and that users have a “final say” over their onchain assets and data, while the protocol achieves mass scale, according to the mandate.

Censorship resistance, open source code, privacy, security, and freedom-preserving technology are the core properties of Ethereum that will be upheld, the mandate, the document said.

Source: Ethereum Foundation

The Ethereum Foundation said it will continue to focus on core protocol upgrades, “long-horizon research,” cybersecurity, and providing tooling for Ethereum’s developers, while minimizing its role as much as possible. The mandate said: 

“Our ultimate goal is for Ethereum to pass the walkaway test: its protocol and core application layers become robust and trustless enough that they would continue to reliably function and evolve even if the Foundation and today’s core developers disappeared tomorrow.”

The Ethereum Foundation said it aims to focus on tasks that become less necessary over time through a process of subtraction. 

The mandate follows a challenging year for the protocol, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin saying that Ethereum’s approach to scaling through layer-2 networks “no longer makes sense,” and that many L2s are centralized projects. 

Buterin says a drastic change in how Ethereum scales is needed

Buteirn said that many layer-2 networks feature centralized points of control, including private trusted networks and centralized sequencers, and have no plans to transition to a fully decentralized model.

“The original vision of L2s and their role in Ethereum no longer makes sense, and we need a new path,” Buterin said in February. 

Buterin argued that a layer-2 project that boasts a throughput of 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) but relies on a multi-signature bridge to interact with the layer-1 protocol is not scaling the Ethereum ecosystem in a decentralized way.

Instead of acting as scaling layers for Ethereum, the ecosystem’s many layer-2 networks should specialize in a niche such as privacy, identity solutions, finance platforms and social media applications, Buterin said, which drew mixed reactions from L2 projects.

Magazine: Ethereum’s roadmap to 10,000 TPS using ZK tech: Dummies’ guide

Ether (ETH) traded about 30% below its yearly open of $2,990, as traders grow increasingly risk-averse amid a global conflict and macroeconomic uncertainties.

Still, stronger network usage and increasing inflows into ETH accumulation addresses could provide a spark that may see the price finally break $2,200 resistance.

Key takeaways:

ETH held in accumulation wallets has risen 32% since January, showing strong long-term confidence.

Staked ETH reaches a record 37.85 million, representing over 30% of supply.

Analysts say Ether bulls must reclaim $2,200 as support 

6.5M ETH increase in accumulation addresses

Although Ether’s price has fallen in 2026, network activity increased, with daily active addresses (DAA) rising to 1.1 million in February, the highest level since December 2022. The DAAs jumped by 80% to 672,170 from 370,390 in the past seven days.

“The increase in ETH active addresses indicates bullish market movements,” CryptoQuant analyst CW8900 said in a QuickTake note on Friday.

The chart below shows that activity increased most significantly after Ether’s recent drop below $2,000. 

“This implies that accumulation activity was at its most active,” the analyst added.

Ethereum daily active addresses. Source: CryptoQuant

Similar activity has been consistently observed near macro bottoms since 2022, preceding significant ETH price rallies.

Additionally, daily inflows into accumulation addresses have increased steadily since mid-2025, reaching a record high of 1.14 million ETH in November 2025. The inflows have continued to climb in 2026, averaging 200,000 ETH per day, with a spike to over 350,000 on Thursday.

As a result, the amount of ETH held in accumulation wallets, or holders with no history of selling, has increased by 6.5 million to 26.55 million from 20.1 million on Jan. 1, representing a 32% increase.

The ETH supply held in accumulation addresses is an important indicator for traders and market participants, as it reflects overall confidence in Ether’s long-term outlook.

ETH inflows into and balance in accumulation addresses. Source: CryptoQuant

The total value of ETH staked further reinforces this outlook. The supply of staked Ether reached an all-time high of 37.85 million this week, signaling growing investor confidence and a squeeze on the liquid supply. This represents over 30% of the total ETH supply.  

Staked ETH supply. Source: Dune

A growing staked supply also indicates that a large percentage of investors are preparing to hold their ETH for longer.

As Cointelegraph reported, Ether supply held on exchanges fell to a new multi-year low of 3.46 million ETH, further tightening the available liquidity on the order books. 

Ether price needs to flip $2,200 into support

Data from TradingView shows ETH attempting to breach the $2,100-$2,200 resistance that has suppressed its price over the last month.

“This has been an important price area over the past couple of years of price action for Ethereum,” analyst Daan Crypto Trades said in a recent X post.

The last time the ETH/USD pair reclaimed this level was in May 2025. It rallied 24% in less than a week. In June 2025, it served as a launchpad for a 126% ETH price rally to the current all-time high of $4,950 reached in August 2025.

ETH/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

A key area to watch on the downside is $1,750-$1,850, which, if lost, could extend the downtrend to as low as $1,000.

“I assume that when this breaks either side of the range, we will see a large move occur,“ Daan Crypto Trades added.

This support area coincides with an ascending trend line that has upheld the price on the weekly chart since 2022.

Technical analyst Prof said holding this support would then trigger a retest of the 21-week exponential moving average at $2,700, 22% above the current price. 

ETH/USD weekly chart. Source: X/Prof

As Cointelegraph reported, a decisive break above the $2,100 resistance and the 50-day EMA at $2,200 will have the bulls target $2,600 next.

Bitcoin (BTC) aimed for five-week highs at Thursday’s Wall Street open as US inflation trends stayed on track.

Key points:

US inflation data keeps crypto and stocks higher as BTC price action tests $74,000 again.

Bitcoin traders diverge over the future of the move, with a “bearish retest” risking a new price collapse.

BTC/USD finally recrosses its 50-day moving average trend line.

PCE inflation emboldens Bitcoin bulls

Data from TradingView confirmed new local BTC price highs near $74,000 following the January print of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index.

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Known as the Federal Reserve’s “preferred” inflation gauge, January PCE matched market expectations, coming in at 0.3% month-on-month and 3.1% year-on-year, per data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

PCE Index % change (screenshot). Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

While still at its highest levels since late 2023, the result appeared to soothe risk assets, with US stocks up around 0.5% at the time of writing. 

In doing so, both risk assets and crypto began to diverge from a positive correlation to oil seen over the week. WTI crude was down 2% on the day at around $95 per barrel.

CFDs on WTI crude oil one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

BTC price forecast: $79,000 or “bearish retest?”

Commenting on Bitcoin, crypto trader Michaël van de Poppe was cautiously upbeat on the outlook.

“Resistance zone for me is between $76-79K for Bitcoin. I don't expect a fast breakout in one-go, but I would assume that we're going to see some extra momentum occur on the altcoin markets in that window,” he wrote in a post on X. 

“In the meantime; if Bitcoin gets there, it provides a monthly engulfing candle and therefore, it erases the entire correction of February.”

BTC/USDT 12-hour chart. Source: Michaël van de Poppe/X

Others stayed on edge, with trader Daan Crypto Trades warning of a “large drop” if the current trading zone collapsed.

$BTC If this level breaks, it's time for a large drop. pic.twitter.com/9A6DaICCs3

— Daan Crypto Trades (@DaanCrypto) March 13, 2026

Trader Roman, already bearish, described the ongoing shift higher on BTC/USD as a “bearish retest.”

“RSI bear divs, bear price action (volume down + price up), & complete reset of MACD,” he summarized, referring to the relative strength index (RSI) and moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) price indicators on daily time frames.

BTC/USD one-day chart with RSI, MACD data. Source: Roman/X

In fresh updates on his Telegram channel on the day, meanwhile, independent analyst Filbfilb focused on open interest (OI).

Market observers, he said, should watch for OI to “ditch” — an event that would precede the end of the push higher.

Exchange Bitcoin OI (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

“No sign yet,” he acknowledged, noting that price was now interacting with its 50-day simple moving average (SMA). 

As Cointelegraph reported, this was a key overhead resistance zone of interest during previous breakout attempts.

BTC/USD one-day chart with 50 SMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Belgian-born crypto millionaire, Olivier Janssens, reportedly offered to pay Nevis residents $100 per month if the government approves his development plans for a tech-friendly libertarian community on the Caribbean island.

Jannsens’ Destiny, a project aiming to buy and restructure about 2,400 acres of land on the Caribbean island, said it will begin paying residents $100 per month, “immediately once the final agreement with the government is approved,” according to an email seen by the Financial Times. 

The monthly $100 figure is an increase from the initial 30 East Caribbean dollars (US$11) announced by the project in November 2025.

The offer drew sharp criticism from opponents of the project, who said it amounted to an attempt to influence public opinion and government approval.

Kelvin Daly, a member of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), condemned the move for allegedly pressuring authorities into accepting the development plans. “Janssens and De Primer have upped their bribe from US$30/month to US$100/month,” wrote Daly in a Facebook post on Monday.

“This is influence buying, a clear attempt by a private developer to interfere in the domestic socioeconomic and political affairs of our country.”

Daly urged authorities to investigate the initiative for breaches under the Anti-Corruption Act.

Project Destiny, preview. Source: Destiny.com

Destiny is seeking approval under St. Kitts and Nevis’ Special Sustainability Zones framework, a legal regime passed in 2025 that enables projects of this kind.

The initiative plans to invest $50 million into Nevis’ infrastructure to fund hospitals, health centers, villas, and create more jobs, while sharing 10% of the profit with citizens and 10% with Nevis’ sovereign wealth fund.

Cointelegraph has approached Destiny for comment on the approval timeline of the project.

Crypto founders building their own cities in “ultimate exit” plan

Janssens was an early Bitcoin investor and briefly served on the Bitcoin Foundation’s board in 2015, when he publicly said the organization was “effectively bankrupt.”

Former Coinbase exchange chief technical officer, Balaji Srinivasan, announced a similar initiative at the Network State Conference in Singapore in October 2025.

During his speech, he urged crypto and tech enthusiasts to collectively buy land and create more tech-friendly communities, positioning it as Silicon Valley’s “ultimate exit” from “failing” US institutions.

Srinivasan also shared a document that showed a total of 120 “start-up societies” in development worldwide.

Magazine: Move to Portugal to become a crypto digital nomad — Everybody else is

Bitcoin is trading in a narrative vacuum, says crypto executive

Bitcoin needs a fresh catalyst to push its price back to levels that excite investors again, says Gate.io chief business officer Kevin Lee.

What we see is Bitcoin is currently trading in a narrative vacuum, the exchange boss tells Magazine.

There is no dominant crypto-specific catalyst driving price discovery, no major regulatory breakthrough, no structural adoption milestone, and no technological shift redefining valuation, he adds.

Potential catalysts traders are watching right now is whether the US CLARITY Act passes, the US Federal Reserves upcoming rate decisions, the resolution of geopolitical tensions, and the US midterm elections in November, all of which impact Bitcoin’s price.

At the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading at $70,550, up 2.65% over the past 30 days, according to CoinMarketCap.

Bitcoin is up 2.65% over the past 30 days. (CoinMarketCap)

Despite signs of strength, several onchain indicators are flashing warning signs for Bitcoin.

The average recent Bitcoin buyer is already sitting on losses, a setup that can sometimes trigger panic selling if prices fall further.

Bitcoins Short-Term Holder Price the average cost basis for investors who have held Bitcoin for less than 155 days currently sits at $86,085, roughly 19% above its current price of $70,060.

Lee says that the gap could widen further if macro risks continue, pointing to tensions involving Iran, Russia-Ukraine, Pakistan-Afghanistan, and broader strategic friction in East Asia. He adds:

In the absence of a strong internal storyline, the market has defaulted to macro as the primary driver.

Meanwhile, crypto sentiment platform Santiment recently pointed out that Bitcoin whales wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC have been selling aggressively in recent weeks, while retail investors holding less than 0.01 BTC ramping up their buying, a classic signal that further headwinds may be ahead.

Bitcoin onchain analyst Willy Woo also believes the market may not be out of danger yet.

This is NOT me saying the bottom is in, Woo said as a part of a recent X post, declaring that Bitcoin is solidly in the middle of its bear market through a lens of long-range liquidity. 

Woo warned that a potential bull trap may be forming, a false signal that Bitcoin is entering an uptrend before reversing lower.

Ethereum long-term holders aren’t bothered

Ether long-term holders are unlikely to start realizing their losses anytime soon, according to Swyftx lead analyst Pav Hundal.

I dont think long-term holders will be phased by the current market at all, Hundal tells Magazine.

“Long term, nothing has changed. The current headwinds are real, but the broader momentum behind Ethereum from AI and the CLARITY Act is basically irreversible, Hundal says.

The US CLARITY Act, which still has a better than even chance of moving through Congress this year, aims to provide clearer rules for the crypto industry and has been widely flagged by analysts as a potential catalyst for the broader market.

Ether is down 2.98% over the past 30 days. (CoinMarketCap)

At the time of publication, Ether is trading at $2,087, down 2.98% over the past 30 days, according to CoinMarketCap.

While Hundal expects long-term optimism to hold, he said volatility may persist in the near term as geopolitical tensions weigh on risk assets.

The market is becoming more risk-off, and that is likely to put pressure on ETH over the coming weeks, Hundal said.

Read also

Features Hodler’s Weekly TEMPLATE ONLY: DUPLICATE, DO NOT PUBLISH

Features Inside the Iranian Bitcoin mining industry

Despite the market uncertainty, institutional activity around Ether continues to gain momentum. The worlds largest asset manager, BlackRock, this week debuted its long-awaited staked Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), allowing investors to earn staking rewards alongside price exposure.

Corporate accumulation has also continued. Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the largest Ether treasury company, continues to buy. On Feb. 18, the company bought 45,759 Ether, bringing its total ETH holdings up to 4,371,497.

Altcoin season mentions hit ‘multi-year lows: Sentiment

Mentions of altcoin season on social media have fallen to multi-year lows, a potential sign the tide could be turning, according to Santiment.

(Matthew Hyland)

Historically, when hype disappears, opportunities arise, Santiment said in a report.

Counter-trade the crowd; look for assets with zero social hype rather than chasing those already trending, Santiment added.

The decline in altcoin season chatter shows that risk appetite remains subdued across the crypto market, with traders still favoring Bitcoin over more speculative tokens.

Other indicators suggest market caution

The slump in discussion also comes as the debate continues over whether the next altcoin season will resemble previous cycles.

Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan said on Mar. 6 that the euphoric altcoin seasons in which almost every cryptocurrency rises across the market are probably not coming back.

The altcoin total market capitalization is $993.24 billion. (CoinMarketCap)

The Altcoin Season Index, which is based on the performance of the top 100 altcoins relative to Bitcoin over the past 90 days, posted a Bitcoin Season score of 41 out of 100 on Thursday, indicating that the market is favoring Bitcoin over cryptocurrencies down the risk curve.

Read also

Features Hodler’s Weekly TEMPLATE ONLY: DUPLICATE, DO NOT PUBLISH

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Meanwhile, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures overall crypto market sentiment, has ranged between 8 and 15 this week, both firmly in the Extreme Fear range, indicating investors are taking a cautious stance.

What are the prediction markets saying?

Prediction market participants are leaning toward Bitcoin closing the month above its current price, but the chances of it dipping back toward $60,000 remain relatively high.

The odds of Bitcoin ending March above $75,000 are at 70% on Polymarket, while the next most likely outcome (47%) sees it dropping below $65,000 by month’s end.

(Polymarket)

Most arent betting it will hit its all-time high again by the end of the year.

Bitcoin has a 22% chance of reclaiming the $120,000 level in 2026, with just a 9% chance of the asset reaching above $150,000.

Pundits, like last month, believe Bitcoins strongest month will be December and that its weakest month is already behind us in January.

This goes against Bitcoins historical average performance over its best-performing months since 2013, with September the worst-performing month and November the best-performing month, according to CoinGlass.

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US and European authorities said Thursday they had disrupted SocksEscort, a malicious proxy service used by cybercriminals to hide their identities while carrying out fraud, including cryptocurrency account takeovers.

The DOJ said the service compromised at least 369,000 routers and other internet-connected devices in 163 countries, giving cybercriminals control over proxies that hid their true IP addresses.

The platform reportedly enabled crimes, including bank fraud and cryptocurrency account takeovers, since 2020. In one case cited by prosecutors, a victim in New York lost roughly $1 million in cryptocurrency.

Authorities said they seized 34 domains, disrupted about two dozen servers across seven countries and froze about $3.5 million in cryptocurrency linked to the operation.

The network received at least $5.7 million from users

To access the proxy service, customers used a payment platform that allowed them to purchase it anonymously with cryptocurrency, according to a statement by Europol.

Investigators estimate that SocksEscort received at least 5 million euros ($5.7 million) from its users.

“Proxy services like ‘SocksEscort’ provide criminals with the digital cover they need to launch attacks, distribute illegal content and evade detection,” Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said.

Source: The Hacker News

“Operations like this show that when investigators connect the dots internationally, the infrastructure behind cybercrime can be exposed and shut down,” she added.

The operation involved agencies from multiple countries

The takedown was part of a coordinated international effort that included law enforcement agencies from Austria, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Romania and the US.

The FBI Sacramento Field Office, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office were among the US agencies involved. Europol and Eurojust provided investigative and operational support for the cross-border operation.

The DOJ also acknowledged the assistance of Black Lotus Labs, the threat intelligence unit of the US telecom company Lumen Technologies, and the nonprofit organization Shadowserver Foundation, which provided technical intelligence during the investigation.

According to The Hacker News, SocksEscort relied on malware known as AVrecon, details of which were publicly documented by Black Lotus Labs in July 2023.

Magazine: All 21 million Bitcoin is at risk from quantum computers

Yield-bearing stablecoins are growing faster than the broader stablecoin market, according to Messari, as Washington remains divided over how crypto-linked yield should be treated under US law.

Yield-bearing stablecoins have outpaced the growth of the broader stablecoin market 15-fold over the past six months, according to a Messari research report published on Thursday.

The increase was driven by a 198% rise in the market cap of Circle’s USYC (USYC), a 169% increase in Paxos’ Global Dollar (USDG), a 114% rise in the value of the Tron DAO-linked Decentralized USD (USDD), and a 91% rise in Ondo Finance’s Ondo US Dollar Yield (USDY). The overall stablecoin market capitalization rose 9%.

Messari said the largest yield-bearing stablecoins are starting to function more akin to money market funds or bank deposits. “The winners don’t do payments,” Messari said, adding that the largest issuers focus their offer on a single asset, rather than payment-related use cases. 

Yield-bearing stablecoins started outpacing the growth of the stablecoin supply in mid October 2025, Messari said. The trend suggests rising demand for blockchain-based US dollar products that offer yield without direct exposure to broader crypto volatility.

Yield stablecoins are currently worth a cumulative $22.7 billion, after their market capitalization rose 11% over the past 30 days, according to Stablewatch data.

The growth of yield-bearing stablecoins, 6-month chart. Source: Messari

While this marks a two-fold increase overthe $11 billion market capitalization reached in May 2025, the $22.7 billion value of yield-bearing stablecoins only accounts for about 7.4% of the total $303 billion stablecoin market capitalization, up from 4.5% in May last year.

Yield-bearing stablecoin supply, top yield-bearing stablecoin, 30-day chart. Source: Stablewatch

Among the largest yield-bearing stablecoins by value are Sky’s (sUSDS), Ethena’s (sUSDe) and Maple’s Syrup USDC, according to DefiLlama.

Top yield-bearing stablecoins by weekly yield. Source: Messari

In terms of yield, Maple’s Syrup USDC led this week with a 4.54% annual percentage yield, followed by Maple USDT with a 4.17% APY, Sky Lending’s SUSDS with a $3.75% APY in third place and Ethena’s USDe with 3.49% APY, according to Messari.

Lawmakers at odds over stablecoin yield regulations

Despite the growing demand, US lawmakers remain at odds over the market structure bill’s provisions related to yield-bearing stablecoins.

On Thursday, US Senator Majority Leader John Thune reportedly said he doesn’t expect the chamber to move forward with the crypto market structure bill before April.

Yield-bearing stablecoins have become a key sticking point in the debate, with banking groups warning they could create a loophole that pulls deposits away from traditional banks.

The Senate Banking Committee postponed its markup in mid-January as bipartisan negotiations continued, drawing criticism from US President Donald Trump for delaying the bill.

The Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity Act, known as the CLARITY Act, is designed to provide a clear regulatory framework for digital assets. The House of Representatives passed the measure on July 17, 2025, and it has been under debate in the Senate since.

The US’s federal stablecoin framework, the GENIUS Act, prohibits issuers from paying interest or yield for holding a payment stablecoin, but still allows third-party platforms to offer reward programs tied to stablecoin holdings. The act was signed into law on July 18, 2025.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026