War is burning across the Middle East. Oil prices are climbing. Stock markets in Asia have taken a hit. And yet, Bitcoin is still standing above $66,000 — a fact that has caught the attention of analysts keeping a close eye on the market. Related Reading: Crypto’s Quietest Month In Nearly A Year — But Hackers Haven’t Gone Away Calm Where There Should Be Panic The group most closely watched during moments of market stress is what analysts call short-term holders — people who bought Bitcoin recently and are most likely to sell fast when things go wrong. Based on reports from on-chain data platform CryptoQuant, that group has stayed unusually quiet. When Bitcoin slipped into the $63,000 to $64,000 range on Feb. 28, exchange inflows from recent buyers barely moved. No major wave of selling followed. No spike in coins being rushed to exchanges at a loss. That was not the case earlier in February. Reports say that on Feb. 5-6, short-term holders sent 89,000 BTC to exchanges at a loss within a single 24-hour window. It was a clear panic event. Since then, those kinds of loss-driven transfers have been falling steadily — and the Iran escalation did not reverse that trend. CryptoQuant analyst Moreno, who tracked the data, says this matters because markets tend to find their footing once the most nervous sellers have already exited. If exchange inflows from short-term holders remain low, it could point to seller exhaustion and set the stage for a price recovery. A sudden jump in those inflows, however, would suggest the selling is not done. What History Says About War And Bitcoin This is not the first time Bitcoin has been tested by armed conflict. According to market analyst Ted Pillows, the pattern has played out twice before. When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Bitcoin dropped — then surged 40%. When Israel struck Iran in June 2025, Bitcoin dipped again before gaining 25%. Feb 2022: Russia attacked Ukraine. ▫️ $BTC dumped first and then rallied 40%. June 2025: Israel attacked Iran. ▫️ Bitcoin dumped first and then rallied 25%. Feb 2026: US attacked Iran. Will a similar pattern follow again? pic.twitter.com/b8FLF4aR9p — Ted (@TedPillows) February 28, 2026 Now, following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February 2026, Bitcoin has once again pulled back. Pillows is now asking whether that same rebound pattern could follow a third time. The current conflict is far larger than those earlier flashpoints. Reports say US-Israeli forces struck more than 2,000 targets across 131 Iranian cities and provinces, hitting nuclear sites, missile systems, and senior military figures, including Iran’s Supreme Leader. Related Reading: Wall Street Giant JPMorgan Sees Clarity Act Driving Second-Half Upside Bitcoin Price Action Iran fired back with missiles and drones aimed at Israel, US bases, and multiple Gulf states. The war has dragged in Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Cyprus, and a UK military base. Bitcoin has dropped 3.5% since Feb. 26, bringing its price to $65,540. It briefly touched $63,030 on Feb. 28 before climbing back above $65,000. Given the scale of what is happening on the ground, that kind of price movement is relatively contained. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, says creators posting AI-generated war videos without disclosure will lose access to X’s revenue-sharing program.
Indiana has become the first state in the US to legalize the inclusion of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies into state-managed retirement and savings plans. On March 3, Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed this into law underHouse Bill 1042, titled “Regulation and Investment of Cryptocurrency.” Henceforth, state-managed retirement and savings plans are mandated to provide at …
The dispute centers on whether crypto firms should be allowed to offer stablecoin yield, an issue that has stalled key negotiations.
Trump took a side on the ongoing debate over stablecoin yield that is holding up the passage of broad crypto market structure legislation.
Super PACs backed by the crypto industry are expected to spend millions of dollars in the 2026 midterm elections after many of their chosen candidates won in 2024.
Joe Burnett, VP of Bitcoin Strategy at Strive (Nasdaq: ASST), is arguing that bitcoin could reach $11 million by the first quarter of 2036, not because it replaces the financial system, but because it becomes the dominant long-duration savings asset in an economy reshaped by AI-led deflation and repeated monetary expansion. His thesis, laid out in a March 2 Substack note, frames bitcoin less as a speculative trade and more as the asset most likely to absorb excess liquidity in a world of falling production costs and chronic policy intervention. Burnett’s base case implies a bitcoin network value of roughly $230 trillion by 2036. He sets that against a global financial asset base that he estimates could grow from more than $1 quadrillion today to about $1.97 quadrillion over the next decade, assuming 7% annual compounding. In that framework, bitcoin would account for around 12% of global financial assets. “That outcome reflects a measured repricing of global wealth toward the only monetary asset with absolute scarcity,” Burnett wrote. “Bitcoin does not need to replace all currencies. It does not need universal daily transactional use. It only needs to become the primary long-duration savings asset in a world defined by monetary expansion and technology deflation.” The Bitcoin 2036 AI-Deflation Thesis At the center of the argument is what Burnett calls the “AI deflation engine.” His view is that artificial intelligence will compress labor costs, speed up output and intensify competition across both digital and physical industries, creating sustained downward pressure on prices. He compares the shift to the automobile’s displacement of horses, but argues that this time the target is white-collar labor. AI, he wrote, is already drafting contracts, analyzing financials, writing code and handling research once performed by junior professionals, while robotics continue pushing into logistics, manufacturing and agriculture. Related Reading: Bitcoin Prints Fifth Straight Red Month; Previous Streak Was Followed By 300% Surge In a neutral monetary system, he argues, that kind of productivity boom would simply raise real purchasing power. In a debt-based fiat system, it becomes destabilizing. Falling wages, weaker asset prices and fixed nominal liabilities do not mix well. “As AI drives real-economy deflation, central banks and fiscal authorities expand liquidity to prevent a deflationary spiral,” Burnett wrote. “The more effective AI becomes at reducing costs, the more aggressive the monetary response becomes to prevent debt deflation.” That policy reflex is the bridge to bitcoin. Burnett argues that every deflationary shock begins with a move into cash and sovereign bonds, but that phase tends to give way to rate cuts, balance-sheet expansion, credit support and fiscal transfers. He points to earlier episodes in 1987, 2001, 2008, 2020 and 2022 as evidence that policymakers do not tolerate sustained deflation. In his telling, the long-run result is persistent productivity deflation paired with persistent monetary expansion, a mix that leaves capital searching for an asset whose supply cannot be politically expanded. From there, Burnett widens the lens. Equities, in his view, are increasingly exposed to AI-driven creative destruction. Real estate retains scarcity value, but technology could accelerate design, permitting and construction, limiting long-run upside. Sovereign bonds, meanwhile, offer nominal stability while remaining tied to currencies subject to ongoing dilution. Bitcoin, he argues, sits in a different category because its supply cap, divisibility, portability and verifiability make it uniquely suited to absorb global liquidity over time. He also ties that thesis to a newer market structure he calls “Digital Credit” — income-generating securities backed by large bitcoin balance sheets. Burnett cites publicly traded instruments such as STRC and SATA as examples of vehicles that offer dollar income to credit investors while channeling capital into additional bitcoin accumulation. That, he argues, could create a reflexive loop between global yield demand and bitcoin buying. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sentiment On Wall Street Has Turned Negative, Galaxy’s Thorn Says The note leans heavily on scarcity math. Burnett writes that by 2036, fewer than 41,000 new BTC will be issued over the entire year. If global financial assets reach roughly $2 quadrillion and only 1% of one year’s incremental capital formation seeks monetary preservation in bitcoin, that would still amount to $1.4 trillion competing for that limited new supply — or roughly $34 million of demand per newly issued coin. “The path will not be smooth, but the conclusion will become increasingly obvious,” Burnett wrote. “Bitcoin’s trajectory toward eight-figure price levels reflects structural monetary conditions rather than speculative enthusiasm and ‘belief.’ As liquidity continues expanding within a technologically deflationary world, capital will concentrate into assets capable of preserving value across time.” His closing point is less about straight-line appreciation than timing. Markets, he argues, still price bitcoin as a volatile cyclical asset. The next decade, in his view, will increasingly price it as monetary infrastructure. Whether that transition plays out anywhere near his $11 million target, Burnett’s thesis is clear: if AI keeps driving abundance and policymakers keep offsetting it with liquidity, bitcoin may be where a growing share of global capital ends up. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $66,958. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
In an interview with Natalie Brunell on Coin Stories, Masie described Bitcoin as functional currency in parts of Africa amid rapid inflation and currency debasement.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the banking industry is trying to undermine the stablecoin bill he signed into law last year.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says the Iran attack weekend showed how onchain markets like Hyperliquid are becoming key venues for global trading.
The post Bitwise CIO says weekend Iran strike exposed advantage of 24/7 markets like Hyperliquid appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Michael Selig addressed market structure, prediction markets and perpetual futures at a Tuesday event.
MARA has "fact checked" claims it adopted a Bitcoin sell-off strategy, clarifying its filing allows flexible sales but does not signal a majority liquidation.
Top Republican Rep. French Hill has some advice for his colleagues in the Senate on how to unstick its stablecoin yield problem.
Ethereum could help with “de-totalization;” fending off the possibility that any single actor achieves total control.
Google launches Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, a fast low cost AI model for developers with improved speed, benchmarks and scalable API pricing.
The post Google launches Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite as fastest and cheapest Gemini 3 model appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
OpenAI releases GPT-5.3 Instant for ChatGPT with fewer refusals, improved web answers, and reduced hallucinations across major benchmarks.
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Vitalik Buterin urges Ethereum to expand beyond finance and help build open technologies that protect privacy and digital coordination.
The post Vitalik Buterin urges Ethereum to focus on sanctuary technologies beyond finance appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
A16z added the NovaBlindFold folding scheme to the open-source Jolt zkVM, “rendering it suitable for privacy applications.”
Dimon argued stablecoin issuers paying interest should meet bank standards as talks continue in Washington about the CLARITY Act.
The Bitcoin market appears to be entering a decisive holding phase, with on-chain data signaling a steady contraction in active supply. Rather than aggressive selling or speculative rotation, a growing portion of circulating BTC is moving into long-term storage, reducing the amount readily available for trading. This tightening liquidity dynamic reflects rising investor conviction, as holders choose accumulation over distribution. How Volatility Compression Tightens Bitcoin’s Range In a recent post on X, Joao Wedson, the founder and CEO of Alphractal, noted that the Bitcoin 30-Day active supply has dropped sharply in recent weeks, which is a clear signal that fewer BTC have moved across the network over the past month. Due to this BTC drop, active participation has decreased, and the market has become quieter, with fewer units changing hands in the short to medium term. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Turbulent Ride: How BTC’s Price Has Fared With Escalating Mid-East Conflicts Wedson explains that when this 30-day active supply indicator spikes higher, it typically reflects that short-term holders and retail investors are experiencing strong emotions. The high peaks in the 30-day active supply often coincide with strong retail moments driven by euphoria or panic. This is when more coins return to circulation, whether driven by FOMO during rallies or capitulation during sharp corrections. Thus, when the indicator declines downward, it generally signals the volatility compression, low supply rotation, and market participants appear more patient. In simple terms, the high 30-day active supply would show emotion, rotation, and active retail engagement. Meanwhile, the low 30-day active supply would show apathy, holding behavior, and tighter market structural conditions. This 30-day active supply is an excellent metric for capturing the market’s monthly behavioral pulse. BTC Enters A Decision Level With Statistical Significance The Bitcoin price action is approaching its next pivot on the 3rd, a level that has historically produced meaningful reactions. According to a crypto trader known as LP on X, reviewing the last eight pivot occurrences, five have resulted in local lows. Statistically, that move gives the current Low-Time Frame (LTF) pivot a slight tendency to form a bottom, but the context matters. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Explodes Higher, $70K Level Faces Fresh Bullish Assault However, if the price sells off into a pivot, the probability of it acting as the local low increases. Then, if the price rallies into the pivot, the odds would shift toward marking a local high. Over the past several days, the price has been volatile but generally has been grinding higher into the upcoming pivot, slightly increasing the risk of a level that could form a high. Historically, reactions from this pivot have led to moves in the 7% and 9% range, suggesting that whichever direction is confirmed could result in a meaningful expansion. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
The rollout enables banks and fintechs in 30 European markets to embed licensed custody, payments on- and off-ramps and trading through API-based infrastructure.
US Dollar Index strength, fear that BTC miners may liquidate their reserves and Bitcoin’s performance compared to stocks raise concerns among investors.
Mizuho said shifting Fed expectations may matter more for Circle’s valuation multiple than for near-term revenue.
"To us, the banks will eventually lose on this issue politically as they are arguing against consumers getting paid money."
OpenAI's latest ChatGPT update targets tone and accuracy, aiming to make everyday AI conversations smoother and more useful.
Citizens of Iran are heavily purchasing Bitcoin (BTC) and directing it to self-custody wallets. A 2026 report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis showed an uptick in Iran’s crypto system valuation from $7.4 billion in 2024 to $7.8 billion in 2025. The report also highlighted that users withdrew roughly $10.3 million worth of cryptocurrencies from major …
Last year, Coinbase relaunched the noncustodial Base App with social features like Creator Coins that have since been phased out.
Washington’s push for a federal crypto rulebook reignited a long-running industry debate over what “regulatory clarity” actually delivers and who it helps. At the center of the debate is H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, a bill that supporters present as a long-awaited replacement for years of regulation by enforcement. The […]
The post White House stablecoin deadline slips as Hoskinson warns CLARITY Act could push US crypto founders offshore appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The upgrade integrates custody, treasury automation and settlement tools as Ripple pushes deeper into institutional cross-border payments.
As major tech firms from traditional finance focus on building closed artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the BNB Chain is now releasing production-ready “skills” designed specifically for autonomous AI agents, enabling them to operate directly on blockchain infrastructure rather than through centralized intermediaries. These newly deployed capabilities allow AI agents to access live on-chain data, execute real transactions, manage wallets independently, and establish permanent on-chain identities using the ERC-8004 standard, or “Trustless Agents.” BNB Chain Advances Agent Economy With these Ethereum-standard tools, AI agents can implement automated trading strategies, rebalance portfolios, participate in decentralized governance, and conduct continuous data analysis. In practice, this means agents can execute tasks such as swapping 100 USDT for BNB on PancakeSwap when a specific price threshold is reached — completing the transaction securely and autonomously, without human involvement. Related Reading: Bitcoin Prints Fifth Straight Red Month; Previous Streak Was Followed By 300% Surge BNB Chain has increasingly become a preferred execution environment for this type of development. Several structural characteristics contribute to that momentum, including comparatively low transaction fees, faster block times, and access to deep liquidity. The introduction of agent-oriented standards such as ERC-8004 has further strengthened the network’s appeal by providing a framework for persistent, verifiable on-chain identities tailored to AI entities. At the same time, ecosystem support and builder acceleration programs are encouraging teams to experiment and deploy agent-native applications. Agent-Focused Projects Grow The infrastructure is already operational across widely used AI development environments, including Cursor, Claude Desktop, OpenClaw, and other MCP-compatible platforms. Initiatives such as OpenClaw have reportedly attracted more than 600 builders and supported over 200 projects centered on agent-focused infrastructure, reflecting growing developer interest in the concept. Related Reading: Bitcoin Slides Again as Iran War Jitters Hit BTC, Risk Assets Proponents describe the agent economy as a major emerging narrative within crypto. In this vision, autonomous agents operate around the clock, managing DeFi strategies, coordinating NFT launches, participating in DAO governance, providing automated customer support, and even conducting cross-chain arbitrage. For AI developers, the shift represents a move from experimental prototypes to fully operational agents capable of handling real value on-chain. BNB Chain is actively supporting this transition by funding and accelerating ecosystem teams that are building and open-sourcing early versions of agent skills. At the time of writing, Binance Coin (BNB), crypto exchange Binance’s native token, is trading at $635. This represents a slight 1% drop for the cryptocurrency, which failed to surpass its nearest resistance wall at $640 on Monday. According to CoinGecko data, such price action has left Binance Coin 53% below its all-time high of $1,369, reached last year, with further losses of 16% on the monthly time frame, mirroring the broader bearish conditions seen in the rest of the market. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com