The reopening reduces immediate oil price volatility but highlights the fragility of geopolitical stability affecting global markets.
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The potential agreement could stabilize regional tensions, but without a uranium deal, the ceasefire's durability remains uncertain.
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A recent report has suggested that the digital assets market has likely entered its “crypto winter” after the sector’s market capitalization and trading volume continued to decline for a second consecutive quarter. Related Reading: Solana-Based Drift Protocol Announces $150M Recovery Fund, New Token Following Tether Collab Crypto Winter Arrives As Volumes Drop On Thursday, CoinGecko affirmed that the market transitioned from a sharp correction to a “sustained” crypto winter in Q1 2026. This shift occurred as the late 2025 bearish momentum collided with the onset of global geopolitical tensions in the first quarter of the year. According to its 2026 Q1 Crypto Industry Report, the total crypto market capitalization dropped around 20.4%, roughly $622 billion, ending the first quarter at $2.4 trillion and marking the second consecutive quarter of decline. This contraction, which accelerated between mid-January and early February, left the market around 45% below its October peak of $4.27 trillion. During this period, daily trading activity also declined by 27.2% Quarter-over-Quarter (QoQ), with an average daily trading volume of $117.8 billion. Meanwhile, spot trading volume on the top 10 centralized exchanges (CEXes), including Binance, MEXC, KuCoin, and Bybit, decreased 39.1% QoQ to $2.7 trillion, seeing a notable decline by the end of Q1. Per CoinGecko data, volumes held above the $1 trillion mark in January, but fell throughout the quarter. With only $0.8 trillion in trading volume, March was the weakest month of Q1, recording the lowest levels since November 2023. While Binance maintained its dominance, with a 37% market share, MEXC was the only other exchange with a double-digit market share in Q1, at 10%. “All top 10 spot CEXes saw trading volume decline in Q1, with drops ranging from -23% to -55%. HTX saw the biggest slump, with its quarterly trading volume dropping to $133.6 billion in 2026 Q1 from $294.4 billion in 2025 Q4. Its market share fell to 4.9%, placing it in #10,” the report added. Majors Decline, Stablecoins Remain Flat Crypto market-wide declines continued in Q1, as majors pulled back for a second consecutive quarter. Bitcoin (BTC) fell 22% during the quarter but outperformed the other top five crypto assets by a narrow margin. However, it continued to underperform other major assets, including Oil, Gold, and the S&P 500. Ethereum (ETH), BNB, XRP, and Solana (SOL) recorded similar drawdowns as Bitcoin, which “weighed heavily on total market capitalization.” Legacy tokens such as Uniswap (UNI) and Chainlink (LINK) also faced continued pressure despite institutional adoption and gaining “digital commodity” status under the SEC-CFTC Joint Interpretive Guidance issued last month. The report noted that relative strength emerged amongst some altcoins after the Q4 2025 sell-off, including Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Bittensor (TAO), which outperformed the broader sector. Related Reading: Bitcoin Double Bottom Formation Eyes $82,500 Rally – Breakout Or Rejection Next? Meanwhile, the total stablecoin market capitalization stayed mostly flat in Q1, seeing a marginal 0.5% increase to end the quarter at $309.9 billion. During this period, Tether’s USDT saw its supply decline 1.6% to $184.1 billion, the first meaningful drop since Q2 2022. Circle’s USDC grew 2.4% to hit $77.1 billion, while Sky’s USDS and WLFI’s USD1 recorded double-digit growth. Nonetheless, stablecoin’s stability despite the challenging landscape for the broader crypto market in Q1 highlighted “the sector’s role as a liquidity anchor,” CoinGecko emphasized. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
A new memecoin, Asteroid, has taken the crypto market by storm, jumping from a tiny $50K market cap to over $20M+ in just hours. Data shared by Arkham shows how quickly the token went parabolic, leaving traders scrambling to understand what just happened. What is Asteroid Shiba (ASTEROID) Unlike typical meme coins, Asteroid carries an …
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) saw strong demand on April 17, with about $284 million worth of Bitcoin added as the fund bought thousands of BTC that day. This continued a recent streak of sustained accumulation by institutional investors and helped push total inflows over a multi-day period into the billions of dollars. IBIT’s holdings …
The growing preference for Bitcoin over gold among Americans highlights shifting investment trends, yet price recovery confidence remains low.
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Anthropic's valuation surge highlights the growing strategic importance of AI in national security, potentially reshaping global tech dynamics.
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Increased political strain on Trump may shift market dynamics, potentially affecting GOP support and influencing future electoral outcomes.
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Crypto Analyst Tony Edward spoke with Patrick Witt, Executive Director, President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets at the Solana Policy Institute summit, where Witt gave a grounded update on the Clarity Act and what’s actually coming next behind the scenes. Witt made it clear that the stablecoin issue almost blocked the bill completely. That’s …
Continued Russian military actions diminish prospects for peace, potentially prolonging conflict and impacting geopolitical stability.
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The distribution failure raises concerns about election integrity, potentially affecting voter turnout and altering political dynamics.
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The potential resolution of US-Iran tensions could stabilize geopolitical risks, but ongoing disruptions may keep oil prices volatile.
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XRP has reclaimed key price levels and is now testing resistance as the market builds toward what looks like a decisive move. The price is accelerating — from $1.41 at the time of the data snapshot to past $1.45 shortly after — and the momentum is drawing attention. But an XWIN Research Japan analysis is arguing that the force behind this move is different from what has driven XRP rallies in the past, and that difference is worth understanding. Related Reading: XRP Volatility Just Hit A Multi-Year Low – Analysts Explain Something Is About To Change The report identifies what it describes as a rare structural divergence. In most crypto markets, exchange speculation dominates. Trading volumes on centralized exchanges typically run 10x, 20x, sometimes 50x higher than actual on-chain utility. The assumption baked into most crypto price analysis is that speculation is the engine and real use is the passenger. For XRP, that ratio has compressed to 1.75. On-chain settlement volume stands at 291 million XRP. Aggregate speculative volume sits at 510 million. The gap between the casino and the infrastructure has nearly disappeared. And in the context of how crypto markets normally operate, that is genuinely unusual. What it suggests is that the price is not being pushed by traders chasing momentum. It is being pulled by adoption. The network is being used at a scale that is nearly matching the volume being traded around it — and according to the analysis, that changes everything about what the current price level means. The Network Is Active. The Exchanges Are Nearly Empty The supporting data behind the speculation-to-utility ratio removes any ambiguity about what is driving the current XRP move. Active addresses on the XRP Ledger reached 17,329 in the past 24 hours — a reading that broke above the weekly average and confirms that network participation is genuinely expanding, not just speculative volume inflating the numbers. Real accounts are conducting real transactions. Then there is the Binance inflow figure, which is the most striking data point in the entire report. While 291 million XRP settled on the blockchain — institutional remittances, OTC transactions, custody movements — only 1.36 million XRP entered Binance. In markets where exchange inflow typically tracks or exceeds on-chain activity, this ratio now almost inverts. The overwhelming majority of XRP moving through the network is going nowhere near the sell side. Related Reading: Ethereum Buyers Dominate Like It’s 2021 – Find Out What Happens Next That is the supply shock the analysis has been building toward. When coins are being used for legitimate settlement and custody rather than deposited on exchanges to be sold, the available liquid supply tightens with every transaction. Selling pressure cannot come from coins that never arrive at exchanges. The report’s conclusion is direct: at $1.41, the price has not yet caught up to what the on-chain data is describing. The adjustment, it argues, is still in its early stages — and the network is already doing the work that makes it inevitable. XRP Stabilizes Below Key Resistance XRP’s higher-timeframe structure shows a market still in a corrective phase, but beginning to stabilize after an extended decline. Following the mid-2025 peak above $3.50, the price entered a sustained downtrend defined by consistent lower highs and a breakdown below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages. That trend accelerated into early 2026, culminating in a sharp selloff that briefly pushed XRP toward the $1.20 region, accompanied by a spike in volume that suggests capitulation. Since then, the price has shifted into a consolidation range between roughly $1.30 and $1.50. This range is forming just below the 200-day moving average, which continues to slope downward and acts as a key macro resistance level. The 50-day moving average has flattened and is beginning to curl upward, reflecting improving short-term momentum, but without yet confirming a structural reversal. Related Reading: Bitcoin Miners Are Choosing To Hold At $74K: Changing The Supply Picture Volume has declined steadily following the capitulation event, indicating reduced participation and a market in wait-and-see mode. The repeated defense of the $1.30 area points to emerging demand, while the inability to break above $1.50 highlights persistent overhead supply. This compression typically precedes expansion. A confirmed break above $1.50–$1.60 would signal a shift toward recovery, while a loss of $1.30 would likely resume the broader downtrend. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
The interception raises geopolitical tensions, impacting market stability and highlighting the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Trump's threat impacts market dynamics, highlighting geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in achieving long-term US-Iran peace stability.
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Rising tensions over Hormuz could destabilize regional trade and security, impacting global markets and diplomatic relations significantly.
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Token edges ahead of bitcoin and ether over seven days, though thinning participation keeps the move in consolidation territory.
The blockade may trigger global economic instability, with potential oil price spikes and increased market volatility impacting financial systems.
The post Trump announces Strait of Hormuz blockade, oil supply disruption expected appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The USDC Bridge adds to Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol, which often sees over $500 million worth of USDC transfers each day.
Trump's actions may signal a shift towards regional stability, impacting geopolitical dynamics and market expectations for US-Iran relations.
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XRP's classification as a digital commodity could boost its market value through increased exchange listings and potential ETF inflows.
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The reopening alleviates immediate economic risks, boosting equities, but geopolitical fragility keeps oil markets cautious and volatile.
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Increased market odds suggest optimism for US-Iran diplomacy, but speculative trading highlights uncertainty without concrete progress.
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Iran's naval tactics in the Strait of Hormuz heighten global shipping risks, influencing market pessimism and strategic military considerations.
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The cruise ship's transit signals easing tensions, impacting market perceptions of military involvement and influencing strategic decisions.
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Shipping disruptions highlight vulnerabilities in global trade routes, potentially escalating costs and impacting supply chains worldwide.
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BlackRock's Bitcoin acquisition highlights growing institutional reliance on crypto as a hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
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Potential progress in US-Iran talks could shift focus from military tensions to diplomatic solutions, impacting global nuclear policy dynamics.
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Swalwell's resignation solidifies market predictions, highlighting the impact of political scandals on prediction markets and public trust.
The post Eric Swalwell resigns amid allegations, Polymarket contract YES appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
A fresh crypto controversy has flared up in Poland, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk accusing a crypto firm he says was formed with “Russian money” of backing political rivals and conservative events. Tusk made the remarks in the Polish parliament on Friday, as lawmakers prepared to vote on whether to overturn a veto by Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate whose leadership has become central to the dispute over new crypto regulations. The issue traces back to Nawrocki’s rejection of two separate attempts by the liberal government to regulate the Polish crypto market over the last six months. Zondacrypto’s Ties To Bratva And Russian Secret Services According to AP, Tusk spoke ahead of the parliamentary vote to override Nawrocki’s decision. In his speech, Tusk argued that the repeated blocking of regulations pointed to the interests of a particular company, Zondacrypto, which he said has provided financial support and maintains links to Russia. Tusk’s allegations went beyond general claims of foreign influence. He told lawmakers that the funding behind Zondacrypto’s success comes from Russian money tied to the “Bratva,” described by Tusk as one of Russia’s most important mafia groups, as well as from Russian secret services. Related Reading: Circle (CRCL) Sued Over $280M Drift Protocol Hack—What Plaintiffs Claim He further said Zondacrypto not only supports events in Poland but also “promotes very specific political forces.” In his account, the company has helped finance politicians from the Law and Justice party, Poland’s former national-conservative governing group, along with figures from the far-right Confederation. The prime minister also claimed that the crypto firm served as a strategic sponsor of a major Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event held in Poland. That meeting took place in Rzeszów in March 2025, AP reported, just five days before the presidential election that delivered a tight race between a candidate associated with Tusk’s political camp and Nawrocki. Government Defends Crypto Rules Tusk also asserted that Nawrocki was fully aware of Zondacrypto’s details when he chose to veto the proposed crypto regulations. He argued that the veto decisions were not made without context, pointing to the alleged relationship between Zondacrypto and key political actors. In response to the accusations, Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the president’s office, said Nawrocki was not opposing the need to regulate the crypto markets. Instead, Bogucki said Nawrocki’s objections were aimed at what he described as a flawed “regulatory model” proposed by the government. Meanwhile, Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the Confederation party, said the incoming legislation would have “destroyed the Polish cryptocurrency market.” Related Reading: Could Bitcoin Hit $90,000 And Trigger A New Altcoin Rally? Expert Cites 6 Major Catalysts The Polish government maintains that the new crypto regulations are designed to bring Poland in line with European Union (EU) rules governing digital assets. As for Zondacrypto, the company did not respond directly to AP’s questions about Tusk’s claims. However, the firm had told Polish media earlier this week that it is cooperating with Polish authorities investigating the allegations. For now, the parliamentary vote scheduled to follow Tusk’s remarks will determine whether the government can move forward despite Nawrocki’s vetoes—while the wider political dispute over alleged foreign-linked support for specific factions continues to grow around Poland’s crypto debate. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com