Market analyst MorenoDV_ reports a muted response by Bitcoin short-term holders (STH) to a combined attack by the US and Israel on Iran. The observation is important considering the previous sell-offs that have dominated the market in recent months. Related Reading: Bitcoin In The Line Of Fire: Price Dips To $63k As US, Israel Launch Strikes On Iran Bitcoin STH Reaction To Geopolitical Conflict Signals Seller Exhaustion – What Next? The Bitcoin short-term holders refer to a cohort of investors who acquired Bitcoin over the last 155 days. They are described as the most reactive set of investors, and therefore, activity is often indicative of short-term volatility and price direction. According to MorenoDV_ in a QuickTake post on February 27, these short-term holders are showing a moderate market response to the heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran. Using data from the Bitcoin STH P&L to exchanges 24H, the renowned market analyst reports subdued inflows to exchanges, indicating no panic profit taking or loss capitulation, even despite an event that has historically triggered a mass sell-off. MorenoDV_ explains that this shift in market behavior came after the major market capitulation between February 5-6, when Bitcoin short-term holders sent 89,000 BTC to exchanges at a loss within 24 hours. Following this event, loss-driven inflows appear to have steadily reduced, indicating sellers’ exhaustion, or a positive shift from panic to patience. With respect to the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, there was no spike in STH exchange inflows even as prices dipped to around $63,000-$64,000. MorenoDV_ states that this important observation suggests a complete exit of weak hands from the market as well as significant absorption of recent liquidation pressure. Looking ahead, if the STH holders maintain a muted response to other bearish triggers, it would suggest a market stabilization phase that has historically preceded a bullish market recovery arc. On the other hand, an increase in STH exchange inflows and realized losses would indicate market drawdown is incomplete, and investors still stand at risk of further decline. Related Reading: Bitcoin Enters Fragile Phase As Annual LTH Realized Profits Taper — Details Bitcoin Price Overview At the time of writing, Bitcoin is valued at $67,007, reflecting a slight rebound of 4.41% in the last 24 hours. In tandem, daily trading volume is up by 0.81% and valued at $40.81 billion. The premier cryptocurrency continues to move within a defined range of $60,000-$70,000 as seen for the majority of February. While analysts continue to speculate on the cycle bottom, the conditions for a bullish reversal, such as a recovery in ETF inflows, a spike in LTH demand, or a dovish Fed outlook, also remain absent. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview
The US military reportedly relied on Anthropic’s Claude AI for intelligence analysis and targeting during an Iran strike hours after Trump ordered a ban on the company’s systems.
The future of Ethereum development may be arriving faster than many expected. Vitalik Buterin recently described an experiment in which much of Ethereum’s proposed 2030 roadmap was “vibe-coded” within just a few weeks using artificial intelligence tools. While he cautioned that the results are far from production-ready, the broader message was clear: AI is rapidly …
The crypto market is staging a sharp comeback today, with total market capitalization climbing back above $2.3 trillion. After days of heavy selling and extreme fear, buyers have stepped in, pushing major cryptocurrencies higher across the board. So what is driving the rally in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP and why are altcoins suddenly flashing green? …
Solana led major tokens with a 10.8% bounce, while ether reclaimed $2,000 and bitcoin climbed back above $66,800 ahead of traditional futures opens on Sunday.
The newly created Polymarket wallets placed bets on the timing of a US strike against Iran, buying shares hours before the first explosions were reported in Tehran.
With the Bitcoin price evidently in a bear cycle, there were not a lot of positives to take from the market’s performance in the past month. According to a recent on-chain observation, March seems set to be a continuation of the worrying trend, as a relevant metric paints a bearish picture for the world’s leading cryptocurrency. Whale Activity Rouses Expectations Of Sell Pressure In a recent Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, analyst Arab Chain revealed a critical change in Bitcoin’s whale behavior, as reflected on the Binance Whale To Exchange Flow. This metric tracks the total amount of Bitcoin transferred by large holders into Binance over a 30-day period. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Investors Show Diamond Hands: Only $6.5B In Outflows Since October 10 According to Arab Chain, the whale inflow to Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, spiked to as high as $8.8 billion, marking an expansion toward new highs not seen since early 2022. Interestingly, this surge in exchange inflows was seen at the same time Bitcoin was trading at around $64,000. Arab Chain further explained that the sudden, large exchange inflows from these BTC whales suggest a significant rise in the activity of this investor group. According to historical data, these large movements to trading platforms indicate the intentions of whales to sell. However, more than just a signal of potential sell pressure, this event could also be an indication that Bitcoin’s whales are reallocating their positions. Regardless of the prevalent intent among this investor group, it appears that these whales are preparing for a major move or shift in the Bitcoin market. Arab Chain also referenced observations from comparing the current move to that which occurred in 2021. According to the analytics group, 2021 “saw price peaks followed by sharp corrections after waves of large whale inflows to exchanges.” — and because this is recurring today, it might be a sign of “increased potential selling pressure, or at least a willingness among large investors to manage risk at elevated price levels.” But then, Arab Chain pointed out that surges in exchange inflows do not necessarily mean a bearish period would follow, as some cycles only witnessed high volatility before price continued to expand. Nonetheless, the present conditions reveal that the Bitcoin market is at a “crossroads,” where its price action in the coming weeks could be pivotal in determining what’s next for the asset. Bitcoin Price At A Glance At the time of this writing, the price of BTC stands at $67,960, reflecting a nearly 3% jump in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Bitcoin Historical Cycle Pattern Points To $31,500 Bottom Target – Details Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView
Donald Trump described Ayatollah Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history,” on Truth Social.
The prediction market has spun up over a dozen Iran-related contracts since Saturday's strikes, with the Khamenei removal market alone pulling in $45 million in volume.
A prediction market about military strikes on a sovereign nation now sits alongside presidential election bets as one of the most-traded contracts the platform has ever hosted.
The death of Iran's supreme leader opens the door to regime change, and markets are pricing in a shorter period of tension.
After dipping below $1,800 earlier in the month, the price of Ethereum has since reclaimed the $2,000 level, which is considered a psychological support zone for many traders. Over the past week, though, the price showed mild downward pressure, struggling to hold sustainably above the $2,000 level. Whale Activity Signals Potential Volatility Surge In Ethereum Markets In a post on the X platform, crypto analyst Joao Wedson stated that there has been a major shift in the behavior of Ethereum’s large holders. The market pundit also pointed out that something deeper may be happening under the surface. Related Reading: Vitalik Buterin Lays Out A Plan To Make Ethereum 1,000 Times More Capable Wedson asserted that wallet addresses holding between 100,000 and 1,000,000 ETH have significantly reduced their holdings over the past 90 days, showing that big holders are selling or moving large amounts of ETH. What’s more interesting is that this shave-off is happening from non-exchange whale wallets. In other words, major private ETH holders, institutions, or early investors may be actively decreasing their exposure, and this could indicate profit-taking, risk-off positioning, or preparation for volatility. All in all, Wedson noted that when this group of whales begins to unwind positions, it often means that a structural shift is occurring beneath the surface. As of this writing, the price of Ethereum stands at around $2,010, showing an almost 5% jump in the past 24 hours. Slumping Global Backdrop Affecting ETH Most According to a recent on-chain observation, this strategic move by ETH large holders could be connected to the worsening macroeconomic conditions. Pseudonymous analyst Darkfost, in a Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, revealed that the global economic backdrop is slowly losing momentum, and Ethereum seems to be the most impacted altcoin so far. Starting with the risk-off global climate, Darkfost referenced the core Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures inflation at the wholesale level. The Core PPI MoM at +0.8% confirmed persistence of inflation, suggesting that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to cut interest rates soon, which is unfavorable for risk assets. On top of that, the rising tension between the United States and Iran increases geopolitical uncertainty. On Saturday, the US and Israel announced military actions against Iran, which sent crypto prices tumbling over the weekend. However, Ethereum’s Open Interest (OI) on all exchanges dropped from 7.79 million ETH to 5.8 million ETH, with about 2 million of that figure concentrated on Binance. This exposes that traders are closing positions and leverage is being reduced, with exposure to ETH also shrinking. Additionally, the Notional OI, which measures the total dollar value of open contracts, experienced a sharper drop as positions were closed. For instance, Binance’s Open Interest dropped from over $12.6 billion to $4.1 billion, while Bybit’s cut by two-thirds to $1.9 billion. This shows broad deleveraging across the entire market and not just one platform. Overall, the Ethereum derivatives market is shrinking, as traders are unwinding leverage in response to macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures. Moreover, the current market condition hasn’t been particularly encouraging for investor risk appetite — as seen with the ETH whales. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Investors Show Diamond Hands: Only $6.5B In Outflows Since October 10 Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Removing intermediaries with account abstraction is a “core principle of non-ugly cypherpunk Ethereum,” said Buterin.
Bitcoin is trading at weekly RSI levels historically seen near bear market bottoms, signaling that selling pressure may be easing. While confirmation is needed, the market is in a zone often marking late-stage capitulation. The key question: was the recent drop the final flush, or is one last shakeout still ahead? RSI Compression Signals Downside Exhaustion According to crypto analyst Batman, Bitcoin’s weekly RSI has fallen back into the same territory that historically marked prior bear market bottoms. This momentum zone has repeatedly appeared during late-stage capitulation phases, making it a critical signal that the market could be nearing another major turning point. Related Reading: Bitcoin Nears Major Milestone As 100 BTC Wallets Approach Record Levels However, Batman is clear that this does not confirm the bottom is already in, stressing the importance of waiting for proper confirmation before declaring a reversal. Still, he notes that when RSI compresses to these levels on the weekly timeframe, Bitcoin has typically been much closer to a structural low than to the beginning of a fresh collapse. Reflecting on the 2022 bear cycle, Batman points out that once RSI entered this extreme zone, price managed to print one final lower low. However, that move occurred very close to the ultimate bottom, indicating that most of the downside had already played out by the time momentum reached such depressed readings. The analyst concludes that probabilities matter more than precision. From his perspective, when Bitcoin trades at these weekly RSI levels, it historically represents a zone where strategic accumulation becomes increasingly attractive. Bitcoin’s Six Consecutive Weekly Lower Highs — A Rare Signal In a recent weekly Bitcoin analysis, SuperBro pointed out that BTC has now printed six consecutive weekly lower highs, a rare structural pattern. The last time this occurred was during the COVID crash in 2020, a period marked by extreme volatility and eventual macro reversal. Related Reading: Fidelity Thinks Bitcoin May Be Leaving Its 80% Crashes Behind Price is currently slipping beneath the 200-week EMA and the volume Point of Control (POC), though the weekly candle has not yet closed. A reclaim of the POC before the close could trigger a sharp upside reaction and signal that the breakdown attempt is losing strength. Just below current levels sits the rising 200-week SMA, adding another layer of higher-timeframe support. RSI remains at extreme levels, suggesting that momentum is already deeply stretched. When you combine oversold conditions with six straight lower highs pressing into major support, the case for sustained downside continuation becomes less convincing. Beyond the near-term structure, the broader megaphone formation remains intact. If that macro pattern ultimately plays out, its upper trajectory projects potential targets north of $300,000, keeping the long-term expansion thesis firmly on the table despite current compression. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
The company was the first to deploy its AI models on classified US military cloud networks, according to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
Crypto analyst Javon Marks remains bullish on XRP even after its recent price crash below $1.3. The analyst argued that the cryptocurrency’s long-term technical picture points to a potential surge well into the double-digit territory. According to Marks, XRP’s bullish roadmap toward $15 remains unchanged, underscoring his strong confidence in the altcoin’s ability to push past prevailing bearish trends. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off Slows Down, But The Road To Recovery Is Long — Analyst XRP Double-Digit Price Target Remains Unchanged Sharing his outlook on X, Marks told followers that XRP’s measured move target about $15 remains firmly intact, dismissing recent price weakness as a temporary setback within a much larger bullish structure. His accompanying chart spans over a decade of XRP’s price history, stretching from roughly 2014 through a projected timeline extending well into 2026. Marks’ analysis highlights a recurring pattern that has played out across multiple market cycles. In each instance, XRP formed a descending triangle or wedge formation and then experienced a downturn below a key support level, which the analyst labeled a “false breakdown.” Following this, XRP launched into a powerful parabolic rally to new all-time highs. This sequence of wedge formation and a subsequent false breakdown occurred notably in 2017 and again heading into 2021, each time producing extraordinary gains in the price of XRP. According to Marks, the breakout that materialized in late 2024, when XRP rose from around $0.55 to over $2.2, mirrors the jump in 2017 that preceded a final bull rally to $3.84 in 2018. He argues that this development hints at another tenfold move in this cycle, representing a more than 900% increase in the XRP price. The chart also projects a peak target somewhere between $15 and $18, with a vertical measurement bar illustrating a potential surge of approximately 2,872.31%. Analysts Stay Bullish On XRP As Whales Go Long Analysts’ confidence in the XRP price remains strong despite broader market volatility and recent price dips. Notably, market expert Steph is Crypto has identified a multi-year Cup and Handle pattern on its chart that could trigger a historic surge in XRP’s price. According to the analyst, the upward trendline above the pattern points to a projected rally to the $4 level. This price zone is highlighted as a key resistance area, and a decisive move above it could push XRP to its next target above $30. Interestingly, Steph’s bullish outlook for XRP comes as whales continue to go long on the cryptocurrency. Recent reports from market expert Xaif Crypto reveal that a whale opened a massive $3.34 million long position on XRP. He noted that the whale held $193,000 equity with a 104% margin, essentially going all in with no safety net. Related Reading: Crypto Mixing Is Back — And Criminals Adapted Faster Than The Rules Did This move underscores the whale’s strong confidence in XRP’s bullish potential. However, Xaif Crypto has cautioned that if XRP drops to $1.37, then the whale could lose everything. It’s important to note that the XRP price has already declined below $1.3 and now sits near $1.28 at the time of writing. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView
Ethereum’s dominant total value locked and widespread adoption by traditional finance institutions confirm its role as the base of global onchain finance. Will Ether price follow?
BIP-110, formerly known as BIP-444, is a controversial proposal that would restrict certain ways of storing data on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Bitcoin's future hinges less on technological factors and more on how AI affects growth, employment, real interest rates, and central bank liquidity, NYDIG Research argues.
A rare Bitcoin bottom signal from 2023 has flashed again, but the 2026 macroeconomic backdrop calls its validity into question. Can BTC price defy the odds?
A recent evaluation has surfaced that reveals that Bitcoin’s long-term holders are slowly easing away from their deep profits, and that this could affect prices in either way, depending on further developments. Related Reading: The Distribution Trap: Why Bitcoin’s Reserve Growth Proves Sellers Still Hold The Tape Long-Term Holder Average Monthly SOPR Slips Under 1 In a recent QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, a pseudonymous on-chain analyst, Darkfost, reveals that Bitcoin’s long-term holders are entering a fragile phase in the current cycle. This post is based on readings obtained from the BTC: Long-Term Holders (LTH) SOPR metric, which tracks if coins moved by Long-Term Holders are done profitably, or at a loss. A SOPR value above 1 reflects that holders of this category are, on average, realizing profits, while a reading below 1 signals that these coins are being moved at a loss. According to Darkfost, the current readings from the SOPR metric have fallen under the critical 1 level, and currently sit around 0.98 This is a sign that Bitcoin’s LTHs, which are typically the strongest investor hands in the market, are beginning to realize losses on a monthly basis. Interestingly, the scenario is somewhat different on the annual timeframe. Related Reading: XRP Emerging As Safe Haven? CEO Points To Steady Inflows As BTC, ETH Struggle Annual LTH SOPR Still Positive, But Trend Is Falling — Analyst Darkfost further highlights that, although the monthly timeframe leans towards the red zone, the annualized SOPR still sits well into positive territory, with readings at approximately 1.84. According to the analyst, this represents about 84% in average realized gains, by implication. However, the annualized profits have taken on a downward trend and have been slowly falling. Notably, the LTH SOPR has not gone higher than 3.4 on the charts throughout the current cycle, a value that is approximately half the readings seen in the previous cycle’s peak. Interestingly, this is also less than four times the peak of the two previous cycles, suggesting a less impulsive distribution among this investor cohort. Furthermore, Darkfost conjures historical data, showing that bear markets have formed only after the SOPR dropped towards the 0.6 region, a level that correlates with average realized losses of approximately 40%. Hence, while the current reading on the metric is below 1 every month, it is still far from the zone representing capitulation. For now, the Long-term holders have entered what seems to be a transitional phase. In the scenario where Long-Term Holder realized profits continue to fade, selling pressure might in turn erode from this side. As of this writing, the Bitcoin price stands at a valuation of approximately $64,247, reflecting a loss of 4.85% over the past day. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview
Bitcoin's future hinges on retail interest as institutional access fails to spark a market revival.
The post Lyn Alden: Bitcoin’s four-year cycle is evolving, retail participation remains muted, and integration into finance is crucial for global adoption | The Wolf Of All Streets appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin defends $64K after U.S., Israel strikes on Iran as ETF flows return to center stage Bitcoin traded through a weekend macro shock after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked regional retaliation. The largest price swings occurred during low-liquidity hours, leaving spot BTC back near the mid-$64,000 area. The move reinforced a pattern that […]
The post Bitcoin recovers instantly after Iran war crashes price but one Monday number could flip the next move appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Ethereum is showing signs of a major breakout after flipping a corrective price channel. This shift suggests the start of an impulsive wave, signaling potential strong upside momentum. Traders should watch for confirmation above key levels as the path for the next leg up begins to take shape. Wave 3 In Motion: Preparing For A Strong Upside Move Charting an expected path for Ethereum on the 4-hour timeframe, Elliott Waves Academy has revealed a significant opportunity to ride a new bullish wave. The price appears to be preparing for a powerful upward surge following a successful breach of its corrective price channel. Related Reading: From Breakdown To Bottoming? Ethereum Tests Key High-Timeframe Support The technical structure indicates that Ethereum is likely forming Wave 3 of (3), with current projections showing the asset reaching a minimum 161.8% extension. However, the internal momentum suggests the potential for the move to extend further, signaling that a major impulsive rally is now officially underway. From a strategic standpoint, any temporary bearish corrections would be viewed as high-probability opportunities for long re-entries. These minor pullbacks serve to reset local indicators while the primary trend remains firmly higher. Traders are currently eyeing the $2,624.14 level as a primary target, with the possibility of a move toward the 261.8% extension if the positive momentum remains sustained. To validate and maintain this bullish scenario, it is critical to see a confirmed breakout and sustained trading above the previous price channel. Staying above this structural boundary will reinforce the upward outlook and provide the necessary support for the next leg of the rally. Ethereum Sweeps Range High: Buyers Step In According to Lennaert Snyder, Ethereum recently reached its all-time high and liquidity, setting the stage for a notable bounce after testing the extremes of its current range. This move reflects a strong recovery following aggressive price action and shows that buyers are actively defending key levels. Related Reading: Here’s Why Ethereum Slipped Below $2,000 – Details For traders looking at local setups, caution is advised. Given the recent massive displacement, it’s best to wait for clearer directional signals before entering positions, ensuring trades align with confirmed momentum rather than chasing volatility. That said, the liquidity captured during this sweep opens up opportunities for hedge strategies. For example, a short position on the opposite side could help mitigate risk while waiting for the market to stabilize. Specific levels, such as the 50% wick fill around $2,110, may present interesting shorting opportunities after a bearish MSB forms. Additionally, similar to Bitcoin, Ethereum left a significant Fair Value Gap (FVG) during the aggressive leg higher, with the 50% level of this gap near ~$1,970. Should the price retest this FVG, it could provide a favorable setup for long entries following a reversal, highlighting potential areas for strategic accumulation. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
JPMorgan said the long-awaited Clarity Act would bring regulatory clarity, boost institutional participation and accelerate tokenization across U.S. crypto markets.
Declining crypto prices mean that many digital asset treasuries are either underwater or trading at a discount to their net asset value.
The government relies on this crypto infrastructure for international trade, while ordinary Iranians use it as a financial lifeline during protests and economic crises.
Bitcoin is turning into multi-generational wealth, and a large share of holders still run it with a single point of failure. One accident, illness, or a stretch of incapacity can be the difference between inheriting generational wealth and losing everything. That's the inheritance crisis the market will have to face. A recent report from the […]
The post Bitcoin’s self custody culture created an inheritance time bomb, and 2026 may be when it starts detonating appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The number sounds almost too big to take seriously. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin posted a detailed technical roadmap on February 27 outlining how the network could handle up to 1,000 times its current transaction capacity — without pricing out the smaller node operators who keep the system decentralized. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off Slows Down, But The Road To Recovery Is Long — Analyst The document, which Buterin informally calls the “Strawmap,” breaks the work into three problem areas: execution, data, and state. Near-Term Upgrades Come First The closest item on the list is an upcoming protocol upgrade called “Glamsterdam.” According to reports, one of its key changes introduces block-level access lists — a technical adjustment that allows different parts of a block to be processed simultaneously rather than one after another. Reports also say the upgrade improves how efficiently each 12-second block slot is used, making it safer to pack more transactions into every block without destabilizing the network. Now, scaling. There are two buckets here: short-term and long-term. Short term scaling I’ve written about elsewhere. Basically: * Block level access lists (coming in Glamsterdam) allow blocks to be verified in parallel. * ePBS (coming in Glamsterdam) has many features, of… — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 27, 2026 Buterin acknowledged that these changes, combined with better client software, might be enough to reach a stable state on their own. If real usage stays low, he suggested the full 1,000x push could be shelved in favor of other priorities entirely. Zero-Knowledge Proofs Take Center Stage In Longer Plans The more ambitious part of the roadmap involves zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines, or ZK-EVMs. Rather than requiring every validator to re-run every transaction to confirm it is legitimate, ZK-EVMs allow validators to check cryptographic proofs instead — a far lighter task. According to reports, Buterin’s timeline calls for a small group of validators to begin using this method as early as 2026, with broader adoption potentially following in 2027. If that plays out, the network’s capacity ceiling could be raised significantly without forcing node operators to invest in more powerful hardware. Related Reading: Aave Crosses $1 Trillion In Loans — No Bank Required State Growth Gets Its Own Fix Reports say Buterin flagged state growth as a separate and underappreciated problem. Deploying a large smart contract adds data that every Ethereum node must store permanently — and that accumulated storage gradually raises the cost of running a node at all. His proposed fix tracks state creation gas independently, so it does not count against the regular transaction gas cap. Large contracts could still be deployed, but their pricing would reflect the real long-term storage cost. The 1,000x figure is a long-term ceiling, not a promise for next year. Each phase of the plan depends on the one before it working as intended. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The real competitive advantage in stablecoins, the moat that holds competitors at bay, now lies in the distribution held by incumbents, according to the person behind Meta's abandoned Diem token.