When social media declared Netanyahu dead, crypto prediction markets priced it at 5%. The money was right — and Washington wants to shut it down.
The FAQ aligns the CFTC's framework with the SEC's recent haircut guidance, setting a 20% charge for bitcoin and ether and 2% for payment stablecoins.
Worldcoin's OTC sales and upcoming token unlock could significantly impact market dynamics and investor confidence in crypto projects.
The post Worldcoin reportedly sells 117 million WLD through OTC deals appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Following the recent market trend, the XRP price has maintained its hold on an important trendline over the years. This trendline leans bullish, and as long as the cryptocurrency holds above it, the likelihood of a recovery remains high. However, a break below this multi-year trendline could signal doom, with crypto analyst CrypFlow forecasting how low the digital asset could go before eventually finding a bottom. Bears Threaten XRP’s Multi-Year Trendline According to crypto analyst CrypFlow, the XRP multi-year trendline that began back in the year 2017 is currently still in play. In fact, with the price trading well above the $1.2 level, it continues to hold up well. So far, this has suggested that bulls still have some strength left, and this trendline has been a beacon. Related Reading: Signal That Led To Last 2 Altcoin Seasons Has Returned, And Here’s How Bitcoin Fits In From here on out, the XRP price would only need to actually complete a breakout to maintain its uptrend. This breakout would not only need to happen, but it would need to do so with momentum. As CrypFlow explains, for momentum to follow, the XRP price needs to do two things. The first of these is that the XRP price needs to break out of the descending resistance. This descending resistance had begun back in 2025, continuing on into 2026. As long as this resistance remains, the price remains bearish. But a break towards $2 invalidates it. Next on the list is that the XRP RSI downtrend needs to be broken as well. A breakout above $2 will complete this, ensuring that there is enough momentum for the cryptocurrency to follow. Such a move, the crypto analyst believes, would send the XRP price toward its 2018 highs of $3.8. However, in the case that the bulls are unable to complete a breakout within moments, then the bears could take control once again. Such a scenario would see the price lose its multi-year trend and eventually fall below $1. Related Reading: Analyst Says Bitcoin Price Is Showing Dangerous Weakness, Here’s Why Once this happens, then there is little cushion left for the cryptocurrency. As the price falls, the analyst highlights what they call the ‘discount zone,’ where XRP would be seemingly cheap to buy, and this lies around the $0.6-$0.8 level. Nevertheless, once the decline is over, the price is expected to rebound again. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com
First-quarter purchases have reached 89,618 BTC so far, the most since fourth-quarter 2024, and the quarter is not yet over.
Qualifying for Trump’s crypto gala can cost as little as $70,000 or as much as several million, with rankings driven by timing and strategy rather than sheer holdings.
Hong Kong police say a 66-year-old retiree was duped three times in six months by self-styled “crypto investment experts,” as scammers promised easy gains and help to recover losses.
Bitcoin is hovering near the $71,000 mark, consolidating after recent swings as the market digests key liquidity zones. While price remains contained, underlying technical signals suggest a larger move may be brewing, with both upside breakouts and downside sweeps on the horizon. A Bounce Back To $71,000 After Channel Support Holds Crypto analyst Columbus highlighted Bitcoin’s resilience following a successful bounce from its channel boundary support. This technical reaction has allowed the price to grind steadily higher, reclaiming the $71,000 level. While the explosive momentum has begun to decelerate after that first reaction, the overall market structure remains decidedly constructive for the bulls as long as this newly reclaimed territory is defended as support. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stalls Near $75K As Traders Move Coins To Exchanges According to the MMT Heatmap, the path toward further upside is clearly defined by a significant stack of liquidity resting just above the current price. A sustained push through the immediate overhead supply would effectively clear the way for a continuation move toward higher liquidity clusters concentrated around the $75,000 to $76,000 region. However, the analysis also cautions that the current level is a precarious battleground for the asset. Should Bitcoin fail to maintain its footing above this support region, the market would likely undergo another sweep into lower liquidity pockets to find sufficient buying interest before any meaningful attempt at higher expansion. Ultimately, the short-term outlook hinges on whether the current support holds or if the slowing momentum leads to a structural failure. For now, this area is key to determining if the market is preparing for a breakout toward the mid-70s or a temporary retreat. Bitcoin Consolidates Mid-Range After Recent Range Breakout BTC is consolidating in the mid-range, according to Lennaert Snyder’s post on X. The market recently experienced a range breakout, which effectively acted as a push-to-fill on Bitcoin, moving the price toward key liquidity zones. Related Reading: Bitcoin Shows Early Trend Reversal Signs After Major Support Hold Snyder is already positioned short, but he is prepared to add to his position on the next weekly candle if the price pushes into the fair value gap (FVG) around $72,400. This level represents a potential trigger zone for further downside, aligning with his bearish strategy. He plans to short the bearish market structure break (MSB) when the conditions above are met, targeting the liquidity around the $65,580 low. While lower prices are possible, he intends to manage risk carefully and will be roughly 80% positioned at that level. For long positions, Snyder cautions that BTC is trading mid-range and is currently exhausted from the recent drop. Thus, he is waiting for significant liquidity to be mitigated at the range low or for higher time frame (HTF) levels to be gained before considering any new long entries. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
The jailed founder of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is fueling growing speculation that he is seeking a presidential pardon.
Bitcoin’s mining difficulty just logged its second sizeable cut of 2026, easing conditions for remaining miners as competition from artificial intelligence data centers rises.
Dogecoin is still trading below $0.10, but there’s still the question of just how far it can go if it plays out a breakout structure. A price target of $0.6533 is on the table for Dogecoin, and if that level breaks, analyst Javon Marks says $1.25111 comes into play next, which would mark an all-time high for the meme coin. Long-Term Breakout Still Keeping The Bullish Structure Alive The main feature on Marks’ chart is a multi-year breakout from a descending resistance line that had stopped Dogecoin’s price advances since its previous top in 2021. That trendline, which is drawn from the May 2021 peak through later lower highs, acted as a resistance for a long period before price finally broke through in early 2025 and began forming a new structure. Related Reading: XRP Still In Danger Zone Without This Key Breakout: Analyst The technical chart from Marks also references a sequence of higher highs and higher lows after that breakout, which shows the current trend dominated by Dogecoin. Even though the asset has since retraced below $0.10, the outlook is that the bigger breakout is still in play. In other words, the recent weakness has not yet erased the larger technical change that took place when Dogecoin pushed above that long-standing resistance. Marks also pointed to a regular bullish divergence on the MACD, and that is where the shorter-term optimism comes from. As shown in the lower part of the chart below, the momentum indicator has been forming a rising structure even as price pressed lower in 2026. That kind of divergence typically means that the downside momentum is weakening, although the price action has not fully reflected that. Dogecoin Price Chart. Source: @JavonTM1 On X How High Dogecoin Can Go From Here According to Marks, the current setup is pointing to a reversal and the continuation of a 581% breakout run. This 581% projection clarifies just how significant the projected move would be relative to the current price around $0.09. At the time of writing, Dogecoin is trading at $0.0952, but the first breakout target is at $0.6533. A move to $0.6533 would represent a gain of more than 585% from the current price, and this would place Dogecoin in sight of trading at new price highs. That target is not being presented as the end of the story either. Marks says a break above $0.6533 would bring $1.25111 into play. The chart visually highlights both levels, treating the first as the main breakout objective and the second as the next expansion target if bullish continuation strengthens further. Related Reading: Bitcoin Gains Ground On Gold Even As Both Assets Slide Interestingly, that target of $0.6533 is not the end of the story. According to Marks, a break above $0.6533 would inevitably see Dogecoin break above $1 and bring a peak price of $1.25111 into target. The chart projects that move into late 2026 to mid-2027, with the annotated gain from current levels registering at approximately 421%. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Two things happened in Washington this week that the crypto industry has been waiting years for and they arrived at the same time. The House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a hearing titled “Tokenization and the Future of Securities: Modernizing Our Capital Markets” for Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10AM EST. Blockchain Association CEO Summer …
XRP Price is showing signs of weakness in the short term. The altcoin has slipped below its rising support line and is now trading under $1.450, which suggests buyers may be losing control. The crypto market is also back inside its previous range. Unless XRP reclaims the $1.452–$1.465 zone, upside could remain limited, and any …
Security certifications topped the list of concerns for financial institutions weighing tokenization partners, with 97% saying standards like ISO and SOC II were non-negotiable — a sign that trust, not just technology, is now driving deals in institutional crypto finance. Related Reading: Bitcoin Gains Ground On Gold Even As Both Assets Slide Stablecoins Lead As Finance Firms Shift Crypto Focus A new survey from Ripple, released Thursday, found that 72% of more than 1,000 financial industry executives worldwide believe their companies must offer digital asset solutions to remain competitive. Ripple surveyed 1,000+ global finance leaders in 2026. A few things stood out: https://t.co/414dTO9Qit → 72% say digital assets are now table stakes to stay competitive → 74% see stablecoins as a cash-flow tool, not just a payment rail → 89% of those surveyed say digital… — Ripple (@Ripple) March 19, 2026 The poll covered banks, asset managers, fintechs, and corporate firms across global markets. What stood out wasn’t just the appetite for digital assets — it was how differently each type of firm plans to get there. Fintech companies are moving fast and building in-house. About 47% of fintech respondents said they plan to develop their own digital asset infrastructure. Corporate firms are taking the opposite approach. Nearly three-quarters of them said they intend to work with outside providers. Banks and asset managers are looking for something in the middle — experienced partners who can guide strategy while also supplying the technology. Stablecoins drew the strongest interest across the board. According to Ripple, 74% of respondents said stablecoins have the potential to improve cash flow and free up capital that would otherwise sit idle. Ripple said institutions are treating stablecoins not just as payment tools, but as instruments for managing treasury operations. Custody Rises As A Core Priority Tokenization is also gaining ground, though institutions aren’t rushing in without safeguards. Among those assessing potential tokenization partners, 89% named secure asset storage as a top requirement. Token lifecycle management came in at 82%, and primary distribution ranked at 80%. Banks showed a particular appetite for advisory help. Based on survey data, 85% of bank respondents called pre-issuance structuring support important. Asset managers were close behind at 76%. Reports indicate that institutions aren’t just buying crypto infrastructure — they want guidance on how to use it. Ripple credited several forces for pushing digital assets higher on the priority list: shifting regulations, growing interest from major banks, wider use of fintech services, and the continued rise of stablecoins. Related Reading: XRP Still In Danger Zone Without This Key Breakout: Analyst The Build-Or-Buy Question Takes Center Stage The survey suggests the industry’s internal debate has moved on. The question is no longer whether to get involved with crypto. It’s who to work with and what to build. That shift, if accurate, marks a turning point in how seriously established financial institutions are treating the space. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Pi Network has rolled out the first version of its Token Launchpad on the testnet, giving users and developers a chance to explore token creation in a safe, risk-free environment. The update, announced on Pi Day 2026, went live on March 20th. What is the Pi Network’s Token Launchpad? The Token Launchpad is a new …
James Wynn is back on Hyperliquid. The trader who turned $4 million into $87 million, then lost nearly all of it, has returned to the platform that made him infamous, this time with $3,911 scraped together from referral rewards and a 40x short on Bitcoin sitting $415 away from liquidation. Bitcoin is currently trading at …
Crypto wallets used to mean one thing: self-custody. Users held their keys, owned their assets, and stayed off the radar of traditional finance. Phantom's Mar. 17 no-action relief from the CFTC's Market Participants Division rewrites that definition. The letter allows Phantom to serve as the consumer interface for regulated derivatives without registering as an introducing […]
The post Regulatory red tape ripped away from crypto wallets, granting direct access to derivatives appeared first on CryptoSlate.
A proposal in Washington could alter one of the basic rhythms of US markets: how often public companies have to publish quarterly reports. The SEC is reportedly preparing a proposal that would make quarterly reporting optional, letting companies file financial updates twice a year instead of four times. Backers say the current system feeds short-term […]
The post SEC to reduce Wall Street transparency as public blockchains are gaining an institutional foothold appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Early Ethereum whale thomasg.eth is rebuilding his position with a $19.5 million ETH purchase this week, as BitMine's Tom Lee calls the end of “crypto winter.”
According to Santiment, the XRP Ledger is seeing steady growth, with millions of wallets joining the network. Most holders, about 5.66 million, own less than 100 XRP, showing strong participation from small investors. Around 2.01 million wallets hold between 100 and 100,000 XRP, while a smaller group of 32,054 wallets holds over 100,000 XRP. This …
Gold is trading at $4,491 this week, down 10.52% – its worst weekly performance since 1982 -despite a backdrop that would historically have driven the precious metal sharply higher. A war is ongoing in the Middle East, oil refineries are under attack, three US warships are deployed, and inflation is rising. In every prior cycle …
For the first time in nearly two months, the Bitcoin price had a sustained run above the psychological $70,000 level over the past week. However, the increased likelihood of potential interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve on Friday, March 20, seems to have elevated market apprehension. Interestingly, an on-chain evaluation suggests that the Bitcoin price was always destined for another round of downside movement — this time below the $50,000 level. Is BTC Price Preparing For Another Leg Down? In a Friday post on the X platform, crypto analyst Ali Martinez shared an on-chain insight into the potential bottom of the BTC price in the current bear cycle. According to the market pundit, the price of Bitcoin appears to be headed to the $43,000 level before starting the next bull cycle. Related Reading: Bitcoin Holds At $69,000— Glassnode Data Shows What To Expect Through Late March This projection is based on the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) pricing bands, which show the different profitability levels of the premier cryptocurrency. These pricing bands also function as dynamic support and resistance levels, as they compare the current market price to the average realized value (average cost basis) of all investors. As shown in the chart above, MVRV pricing bands have proven, in past cycles, to be quite effective in predicting market tops and bottoms. Using the on-chain metric, Martinez has identified the 0.8 MVRV band as the potential bottom of the Bitcoin price in the ongoing bear market. Martinez revealed that over the past decade, the price of BTC has always rebounded from this 0.8 MVRV band, marking the start of a fresh bull cycle. The highlighted chart shows the flagship cryptocurrency bouncing back to a new high after hitting its cycle low — around this band in 2018, 2020, and 2022. According to data from Glassnode, the 0.8 MVRV band currently lies around the $43,647 region, putting the potential bottom of this cycle nearly 40% away from the current price. If history were to repeat itself, this on-chain evaluation suggests that the Bitcoin price could be at risk of further downside in the coming months. It is important to mention that while the 0.8 MVRV band is currently at $43,647, it is liable to change with further movements in price. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $70,477, reflecting a 0.6% increase in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Pundit Shares Everything To Understand About Bitcoin, ‘This Cycle IS Different’ Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Prominent asset manager Grayscale has moved to launch a HYPE exchange-traded fund (ETF) following a recent application with the SEC. This development means Grayscale joins a list of growing asset managers with the intention to add an HYPE fund to their portfolio. Related Reading: Bitcoin Just Got A $1 Million Nudge, But Will Morgan Stanley’s MSBT ETF Really Move The Needle? About The Grayscale HYPE ETF According to filings on March 20, Grayscale has now submitted an S-1 registration form for the Grayscale HYPE ETF with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The proposed fund is expected to trade on the NASDAQ exchange under the GHYP symbol. For context, HYPE represents the native token of Hyperliquid, a layer one blockchain designed to enhance the efficiency of decentralized finance applications. One prominent feature of Hyperliquid is its ability to facilitate direct perpetual futures trading, eliminating the need for gas fees in transactions. Hyperliquid was launched in 2023, with HYPE token making its debut in 2024. Since then, the altcoin has experienced impressive traction, resulting in a market cap of $10.23 billion, making it the 10th largest cryptocurrency in the world, according to data from CoinMarketCap. In relation to the Grayscale HYPE ETF, Delaware Trust Company will be the designated trustee, while the Bank of New York Mellon is the transfer agent, and will serve alongside the co-transfer agent Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. In addition, the Coinbase Custody Trust LLC will serve as custodian of the fund, as practiced with other Grayscale ETFs. The fund’s prospectus also states there is the possibility of engaging in staking in the future. However, this would only occur after the staking condition has been satisfied. Alongside Grayscale, other asset managers looking to launch a HYPE ETF include 21Shares and Bitwise. Notably, the SEC under Chairman Paul Atkins has been granting approval to a series of crypto-related ETFs in line with advancing President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto agenda. This includes spot ETFs related to XRP, Solana, Dogecoin, Chainlink, Avalanche, and Litecoin. Related Reading: XRP Still In Danger Zone Without This Key Breakout: Analyst HYPE Price Overview At the time of writing, HYPE is trading at $39.44 after a minor 1.18% decline in 24 hours. Meanwhile, altcoin has recorded a 38.29% gain in the last month, emerging as one of the standout performers in the crypto market. Notably, Coincodex analysts predict HYPE is positioned to hit a $88.34 price by year’s end, representing 124.11% gain on present market prices. Featured image from Hyperliquid, chart from Tradingview
Bitcoin (BTC) is showing early signs of a prolonged decline after peaking in October 2025. Historical patterns highlighted by a crypto analyst suggest that the world’s largest cryptocurrency has not yet reached its macro bear market bottom, despite recent major declines. Analysis of historical patterns from past cycles suggests the current market crash may persist for many more months, and the analyst urges investors and traders to adjust their expectations accordingly. Related Reading: Bitcoin Gains Ground On Gold Even As Both Assets Slide Bitcoin Historical Correlation Points To Further Crash Crypto market expert Greeny shared a new technical analysis on X, noting that Bitcoin has consistently followed a pattern of peaks and bottoms across every major cycle over the past decade. Historical data from the analyst’s chart shows that from 2013 to 2015, Bitcoin took roughly 410 days to reach a low. Similarly, the 2017 to 2018 cycle lasted about 363 days, while the decline from the 2021 peak extended around 376 days. The average across these three cycles is approximately 383 days, roughly over a year. In this cycle, the analyst notes that the market is about five months past its October peak, suggesting that the current downtrend is far from over. Greeny has also noted that historical drawdowns during past cycles have been severe. In 2011, Bitcoin crashed by a whopping 93% before hitting a bottom. Later in 2015, the cryptocurrency fell from its peak, marking an 85% slump, while it dropped by 77% again in 2022 following the 2021 bull market rally. According to the analyst, Bitcoin is currently trading 42% below its all-time high of over $126,000 in this cycle, further reinforcing his belief that the market still has significant room for more losses. While Greeny acknowledged that institutional demand may prevent a crash as deep as previous cycles, he believes the timing of this bear market’s bottom is consistent with historical trends. Beyond bear market durations and crash depths, Greeny also highlighted Bitcoin’s post-decline accumulation phases for each cycle. He noted that in 2015, Bitcoin spent 15 months trading sideways before a new uptrend emerged. Similarly, both 2018 and 2022 saw roughly 18 months of choppy trading before a market shift occurred. Greeny strongly believes that the current market cycle is mirroring historical patterns. He expects the ongoing market crash to continue, with a meaningful accumulation phase still a long time off. This further supports the view that Bitcoin remains in the early stages of its bear market. What To Expect In The Current Market Cycle Greeny suggested that the average macro bear market bottom has historically appeared around 363 days after its cycle peak, placing a potential bottom near late 2026 or beyond. He explained that while Bitcoin has already started its price dump, its broader weakness is still ongoing. Related Reading: Over Half A Billion Dollars Wiped Out As Bitcoin Locks In At $70,000 The analyst warned that traders hoping for a quick “V-recovery” may be disappointed, as such rebounds have never occurred in Bitcoin’s history. He added that after BTC reaches a price floor, its accumulation phase is expected to last 12 to 16 months before any trend shift is confirmed. Greeny noted that the recent sharp drop in February may slightly shorten this phase, but a full trend shift is unlikely before 2027. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin price remains rocky, and BTC and equities ETF outflows soar as the US and Israel-Iran war enters a fourth week.
As XRP attempts to defend a crucial support level, an analyst has called for a 30%-40% rally in the coming weeks, suggesting that the altcoin could see short-term relief before it reaches its “critical inflection point.” Related Reading: Analyst Says Dogecoin At $2 Is ‘Inevitable’ As Elon Musk Revives ‘Dogefather’ Meme XRP Defends Its ‘Lifeline’ On Friday, XRP saw a 2.5% intraday retrace to retest the $1.43 area before bouncing above the crucial $1.40 level. The altcoin has been hovering between $1.34-$1.50 over the past month, recently attempting to break out of the range’s upper boundary. During this week’s market rally, the cryptocurrency surged 15% from the weekend lows, reaching a one-month high of $1.60 on Tuesday. However, broader market volatility has pulled XRP back into its local range, leading the altcoin to retest a crucial area. Analyst ChardNerd affirmed that the altcoin is “currently defending a lifeline as it clings to support” and that he expects continuation to what he believes will be its “critical inflection point” in the coming weeks. XRP has been trading around its 200-Week Exponential Moving Average (EMA), currently at $1.41, with multiple closes below it and a bullish reclaim above this level in the latest weekly candle. As he explained, this is the key guardrail that the cryptocurrency must defend as the end of the week approaches, as it would set the stage for a new retest and potential reclaim of its $1.50 resistance and a relief rally toward two crucial levels above, the 20 EMA and 50 EMA. “So, what I’m trying to say is XRP could potentially have some sort of relief in the coming months, up towards these EMAs, which sit between $1.80 and $2.00. And if it gets this relief, that will mark a very critical inflection point.” He further emphasized that XRP must defend and hold the 200 EMA, as it has reclaimed the critical support level in the weekly timeframe and pushed the price toward its recent local highs. Why An April Rally Is Likely Diving deeper into the potential upcoming relief rally, the analyst observed that in previous cycles, XRP also had a “very interestingly unfolding price action.” He noted that after peaking in 2021, the altcoin fell to the 200 EMA, saw a relief rally toward the 20 and 50 EMA before being rejected and ultimately dropping to its bear market lows. Now, the cryptocurrency has done “exactly what we did in the prior cycle peak in 2021,” significantly retracing from its July 2025 peak and falling back to the 200 EMA. Notably, the altcoin saw around three months of relief after the successful back test, which could signal that “this is where we could see the next sort of few months, if Bitcoin behaves.” Related Reading: Solana Eyes ‘Clear Path’ Towards $115 Amid SEC Guidance, SOL ETFs Demand Moreover, the previous relief rally took place around March 2022, ChardNerd asserted, noting that “It doesn’t have to repeat the exact same way.” If the March relief rally doesn’t retest the $1.80-$2.00 in the next week, the analyst suggested that “there is a possibility that it lasts a bit longer than it did the prior cycle” and continues into April or May. “So, this is why there’s still the potential, I think, to get the push to $2 and then XRP comes back to $0.80 to $0.70,” he concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
On-chain data shows the Bitcoin sharks and whales have seen their population grow during the last three months, despite the price witnessing an overall downtrend in this window. Bitcoin Sharks & Whales Saw A 3.9% Jump In Address Count Over Last 3 Months In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has discussed the latest trend in the Supply Distribution of the Bitcoin sharks and whales. The “Supply Distribution” here refers to an indicator that tells us, among other things, the number of wallets that belong to a given coin range. For example, the Supply Distribution of the 1 to 10 coins cohort measures the number of addresses that are holding between 1 and 10 tokens of the asset. In the context of the current topic, the range of interest is the 100+ BTC one (with the upper bound at infinity). At the current exchange rate, the cutoff for the range converts to $6.9 million. Thus, only the investors with a significant amount of capital would be able to qualify for it. Such holders are collectively known as the sharks and whales. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bearish Positioning Persists As Funding Rates Hold Negative Traders of this size can carry some degree of influence in the market, so their behavior can often be worth keeping an eye on. It doesn’t always correlate with the asset’s trajectory, but it can still contain information about the sentiment among the key hands. Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the Bitcoin Supply Distribution for the sharks and whales over the last few months: As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin sharks and whales have seen their Supply Distribution go through a notable rise over the last few months, indicating the number of investors falling inside these groups has gone up. More specifically, sharks and whales have seen their combined count jump by 753 since December 19th, representing an increase of 3.9% over a three-month period. From the chart, it’s visible that this surge in the Supply Distribution of the 100+ BTC holders has come while the cryptocurrency’s spot price has gone through a downtrend. This means that instead of pulling back during the market decline, more big-money investors have joined the network. “This is just one of many bullish divergences showing in our on-chain data currently while short-term prices continue their volatility,” noted the analytics firm. Related Reading: Bitcoin Demand Heats Up: Coinbase Premium Green For 25 Straight Days The indicator has also climbed on the yearly scale, being up 2,148 addresses or 12% compared to March 19th, 2025. During this window, BTC went through a bull run, so large investors had a profitable opportunity to exit, but it seems that they chose to stick around instead. BTC Price Bitcoin has slipped under the $70,000 level following its latest pullback. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
Gold is also being impacted by rising anticipation that the US Federal Reserve won’t cut interest rates this year, while Fed chair Jerome Powell said inflation would rise.
Grayscale is making a case for Zcash as the most credible challenger to Bitcoin’s dominance in the digital currency segment, arguing that a relatively small shift in market share could translate into outsized upside for the privacy-focused asset. In a March 18 research note, Zach Pandl, Grayscale’s Head of Research, frames the opportunity in stark terms. Bitcoin still accounts for roughly 90% of the “Currencies Crypto Sector,” a segment the firm estimates at $1.6 trillion across fifteen assets. Zcash, by comparison, represents just a fraction of that total. But Pandl suggests that the gap may not be structural. Related Reading: Zcash Is Crypto’s Most Mispriced Asset, Cypherpunk CIO Says “Bitcoin was the first decentralized digital currency and is still by far the largest as measured by market capitalization,” he writes. “But there are other blockchains with a ‘digital currency’ use case.” Within that competitive set, Grayscale sees Zcash as uniquely positioned to gain ground over time. Grayscale Says Zcash Has 18x Upside The core of the thesis rests on a capability Bitcoin fundamentally lacks. While Bitcoin transactions remain fully transparent on a public ledger, Zcash offers shielded transactions that obscure the sender, receiver, and transaction amount. Pandl argues this distinction is not merely technical, but market-defining. “Zcash offers shielded transactions that hide senders, receivers, and balances,” he notes, adding that “privacy will be essential, in our view, for certain types of users and transactions, and Bitcoin cannot meet this demand.” The implication is clear: if demand for private, censorship-resistant payments increases, whether driven by individuals, institutions, or specific jurisdictions, Zcash operates in a segment where Bitcoin is structurally limited. Rather than competing head-on across all use cases, it targets a subset of transactions where transparency becomes a constraint rather than a feature. Grayscale’s second pillar is less about design and more about trajectory. Zcash, now approaching a decade in operation, is described as entering a new phase marked by rising adoption of its privacy features and renewed capital inflows. “Zcash is almost 10 years old but seems to be entering a new chapter,” Pandl writes. “Use of its shielding technology is picking up, underscoring market interest for privacy-preserving digital currencies. And new capital is entering the ecosystem to support wallet development and Zcash mining.” The valuation argument follows directly from those two dynamics. Zcash’s ZEC token currently sits at around $4 billion in market capitalization, representing approximately 0.3% of the broader digital currency segment. Related Reading: Zcash Is The Last Possible 1000x In Crypto, Venture Capitalist Says Grayscale’s scenario is deliberately conservative in its assumptions but aggressive in its implications. If Zcash were to capture just 5% of that same segment, its valuation would increase roughly eighteenfold. The math hinges less on absolute growth in crypto markets and more on relative positioning within the existing category. Pandl is explicit about the trade-offs. Zcash, he notes, is “smaller and more volatile than Bitcoin and therefore has a higher risk profile.” The upside case is tied to a reallocation of market share, not a guaranteed expansion of demand. That view is not isolated. Several prominent figures have recently outlined similarly asymmetric scenarios for Zcash. Cypherpunk Technologies CIO Will McEvoy has described Zcash as “crypto’s most mispriced asset,” while Alliance DAO co-founder Qiao Wang has called ZEC the “last 1000x in crypto.” BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has forecast ZEC reaching $1,000 as a “first stop,” with a longer-term target of $10,000. At press time, ZEC traded at $232.93. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin (BTC) has settled back into the familiar consolidation band between roughly $65,000 and $74,000 after a short-lived attempt to clear higher resistance walls at around $76,000 earlier in the week failed. Trading around $69,000 at the time of writing, on-chain analytics from Glassnode and market commentary from analysts suggest the market is likely to remain in an accumulation phase through the end of March, with several indicators pointing to lower near-term volatility but heightened defensive positioning. Rising Demand For Downside Protection Glassnode’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) highlight record-high positioning in derivatives markets: options open interest reached a new all-time high ahead of the current quarter’s expiry. That elevated positioning may still reflect short-term hedging rather than directional conviction, and the firm noted that the picture of refreshed positioning and sentiment should become clearer after the March 27 expiry. Volatility metrics are showing signs of normalization. At-the-money implied volatility (1‑week ATM IV) has cooled from about 70% to 53%, and longer-dated maturities have fallen roughly 10 vols from recent highs. This drop in implied volatility indicates traders are expecting less dramatic price swings in the immediate term. Related Reading: AI Model Ranks Bitcoin, XRP, And ETH For 2026: Expected Returns And Price Targets Despite falling IV, skew measures have widened back toward the downside. After the failed breakout to $75,000, demand for downside protection reemerged, and 25‑delta skew moved into the 15–20% range. The renewed premium for put options reflects caution among participants who are seeking protection against a reversal. That caution shows up in flow dynamics. Glassnode reported that the put/call ratio flagged limited momentum to sustain a push above $75,000. On the way up, flows were dominated by put buying above $72,000—a classic sign that the market was fading the breakout—while the pullback was accompanied by a brief surge in call purchases. In the most recent 24‑hour tape, put buys led the way with a 30.7% share of activity, and calls lagged at roughly 10%, underscoring a defensive tilt after the rejection at $75,000. Consolidation Rather Than Immediate Breakout Gamma positioning has also been adjusted. For the Q1 expiry, short gamma exposure around the 75,000 strike contracted from $3.9 billion to $2.4 billion in under two days, a $1.5 billion unwind as prices moved away from that level. Lower gamma exposure reduces the need for dealers to dynamically hedge, which in turn can dampen directional flows and help explain part of the pullback. Relatedly, the volatility risk premium (VRP) has reset. Over the past week, short-gamma positions had been profitable because implied volatility exceeded realized volatility, but realized volatility increased during the selloff, compressing the VRP. With VRP near equilibrium, option prices now look more fairly valued—another indicator that the market may be settling into a consolidation range rather than preparing for an immediate breakout. Bitcoin Nears Key Multi‑Year Support When it comes to full price analysis, market expert Ali Martinez recently flagged a longer-term technical backdrop that may be constructive. He noted Bitcoin is approaching a multi-year trendline that has supported major advances in previous cycles. Related Reading: BTQ Unveils First Bitcoin Upgrade Testnet Designed To Thwart Quantum Attacks The expert asserted that every touch of this foundational support over the past nine years has preceded significant rallies: the 2017 parabolic run, the 2020 rebound from the COVID crash, and the 2022 recovery after the FTX collapse. That trendline now lives between roughly $60,000 and $56,000; if it holds, Martinez believes the area could become more than just a bounce zone and serve as a potential launchpad for the next sustained bull phase. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com