Bitcoin (BTC) slipped from near three-month highs on Thursday as attention turned to the weekly close.

Key points:

• Bitcoin retraces after its latest trip to its highest levels in several months.
• The upcoming weekly candle close is of particular interest as price eyes its bull market support band.
• A macro lull comes ahead of a deluge of US inflation data next week.

Bitcoin bull market support band returns after six months

Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD dropping to $77,200 prior to the Wall Street open.

The pair hit $79,500 the day prior, marking its highest levels since the last day of January as the $80,000 mark remained narrowly out of reach.

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

“$BTC just keeps taking out the highs, taking out short stops without following through,” trader Jelle commented on the latest price action in a post on X. 

“Been a while since we saw PA like that; usually means liquidity is being generated for a larger position. The question is, when will they step on the gas?”

BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Jelle/X

As Cointelegraph reported, multiple resistance levels remain in play in the current spot price zone, with the 21-week exponential moving average (EMA) proving hard to flip to support. Bitcoin last traded above that trend line in October 2025.

With that, another chart feature finally making a comeback after a six-month absence is Bitcoin’s bull market support band.

Formed by the 21-week EMA and the 20-week simple moving average (SMA), the support band was lost as support soon after Bitcoin’s latest all-time highs.

“$BTC Attempting to break back above the bull market support band,” trader Daan Crypto Trades confirmed. 

“Eyes on the weekly close this weekend, as it will be an important one. Bitcoin has not traded above its bull market support band since October 2025.”

BTC/USD one-week chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/X

Fed policy, oil seen as next crypto catalysts

Macro markets provided little volatility on the day, with few cues from the US-Iran war.

Related: Bitcoin Bull Score hits six-month high as 2022 bear-market fears linger

The coming week was due to see key US macroeconomic data prints released, along with the latest interest-rate announcement from the Federal Reserve.

As Cointelegraph previously noted, markets saw little chance of Fed easing policy until the end of 2027 as geopolitical uncertainty raised the odds of inflation making a comeback.

The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool put the chances of the Fed changing rates at next week’s meeting at practically zero.

“The cleanest tells from here are still oil and policy. Oil below $100 would support the relief case, while clearer Fed signalling would help compress the policy premium,” trading company QCP Capital wrote in its latest “Market Color” analysis on Wednesday. 

“Until then, the broader message remains the same: risk has stepped back from the brink, but the underlying macro and geopolitical overhang has not been cleared.”

Fed target rate probabilities (screenshot). Source: CME Group

This article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. All investments and trades carry risk; readers are encouraged to conduct independent research.

Key Highlights

• Shares of Hims & Hers surged 7% following news of a broadened collaboration with Eli Lilly
• Healthcare providers using the platform can now order Zepbound vials, KwikPen, and Foundayo through LillyDirect fulfillment
• This announcement arrives roughly one month after a comparable agreement with Novo Nordisk for Wegovy distribution
• Leerink Partners analyst Michael Cherny raised concerns about Hims’ function, questioning if it’s merely a “front door” to pharmaceutical products
• CEO Andrew Dudum defended the strategy by drawing parallels to Netflix’s transformation in its formative years

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Shares of Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) jumped 7% during Thursday’s trading session following the company’s announcement of an enhanced partnership allowing healthcare professionals to prescribe Eli Lilly’s weight management products directly through its digital platform.

Hims & Hers Health, Inc., HIMS

Medical professionals utilizing the Hims platform now have the capability to route prescriptions for Zepbound vials, KwikPen delivery devices, and Foundayo to Eli Lilly’s LillyDirect pharmacy service. Patients receive access to self-payment pricing structures, while licensed healthcare providers can facilitate connections between patients and FDA-sanctioned GLP-1 treatment options.

The arrangement provides Hims with what the organization describes as comprehensive access to FDA-cleared GLP-1 medications across its digital ecosystem. The offering integrates clinical oversight and dietary counseling within a subscription-based framework.

This marks the company’s second significant GLP-1 alliance within a two-month span. Last month, Hims finalized an agreement with Novo Nordisk, which agreed to withdraw a patent violation lawsuit in return for Hims’ commitment to distribute branded Ozempic and Wegovy via its digital channels.

The Novo arrangement included specific conditions. Hims scaled back its extensive compounding operations for GLP-1 drugs as a condition of the settlement. The Eli Lilly agreement reflects a similar strategic direction.

Hims had established a substantial presence throughout the 2024 GLP-1 supply crisis, when heightened demand coupled with constrained availability from leading pharmaceutical manufacturers created opportunities for the telehealth provider to expand. Currently, with supply chains stabilized, market conditions have evolved.

Wall Street Analyst Questions Platform Value Proposition

Michael Cherny, an analyst with Leerink Partners, provided a cautious assessment of the development. He recognized that Hims is broadening its service offerings and “functioning as a bridge to generate additional pathways” for patients seeking treatment.

However, Cherny expressed uncertainty, noting it was “difficult to determine what function Hims fulfills beyond serving as the entry point for patients obtaining Lilly medications.” This question grows increasingly relevant as Hims transitions away from its compounding operations.

CEO Draws Streaming Giant Analogy

CEO Andrew Dudum rejected characterizations that these partnerships signal a strategic withdrawal. In his public remarks, he drew comparisons between Hims and Netflix during its transformative period.

“Netflix wasn’t simply distributing DVDs,” Dudum stated. “It was transforming how consumers accessed content by relentlessly emphasizing selection and creating innovative delivery methods for the most sought-after entertainment.”

The organization highlighted its weight management subscription program as proof of a more comprehensive service offering. Subscribers receive round-the-clock access to medical teams, customized dietary guidance, continuous clinical monitoring, and community support through the Hims & Hers Weight Loss network.

The company’s stated objective involves aligning users with therapeutic options tailored to their specific medical backgrounds, personal preferences, and wellness objectives.

Market participants seemed receptive to the CEO’s narrative. HIMS stock maintained gains of 0.4% later in the trading day even as the S&P 500 experienced modest declines. Eli Lilly shares remained relatively unchanged.

The Eli Lilly collaboration represents Hims’ latest strategic initiative to transform its position within the GLP-1 marketplace from a provider of compounded alternatives into a distribution platform facilitating medication access.

Persistent security vulnerabilities and stagnant total value locked (TVL) are weighing on decentralized finance’s (DeFi) institutional appeal, according to Wall Street investment bank JPMorgan (JPM).

TVL refers to the total value of crypto assets deposited in DeFi protocols, and is commonly used as a gauge of the size, usage and overall health of the ecosystem.

The KelpDAO exploit, which the bank said erased about $20 billion in TVL within days, exposed structural risks.

An attacker breached a cross-chain bridge, minted $292 million in unbacked rsETH and used it as collateral to drain lending protocols, leaving roughly $200 million in bad debt. Contagion spread beyond directly affected platforms, underscoring how DeFi’s interconnectedness can amplify shocks.

“Much as traditional investors shift towards cash in uncertain times, crypto participants have responded to recent exploits by seeking refuge in stablecoins,” wrote analysts led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou in the Wednesday report.

Hacks and exploits remain a central risk for crypto because they directly undermine trust in systems that rely on code rather than intermediaries. Smart contract bugs, phishing and cross-chain bridge flaws can expose large pools of locked assets, with attackers often needing to exploit just a single weak point to trigger outsized losses.

These vulnerabilities are amplified by the complexity and interconnectedness of blockchain infrastructure. Cross-chain bridges, for example, expand functionality but also increase the attack surface, and have been responsible for billions of dollars in losses because they rely on complicated designs, shared infrastructure and sometimes weak validation mechanisms.

Beyond the immediate financial damage, repeated exploits erode confidence across the ecosystem. Each major hack can drive users and institutions away, prompt stricter regulation and slow adoption, making security a foundational constraint on crypto’s growth.

The bank’s analysts noted hack losses this year are tracking 2025 levels, with infrastructure and bridge exploits still the primary vulnerability despite gains in smart contract auditing.

Growth also remains muted. While TVL has partially recovered in dollar terms, it is largely unchanged in terms of ether (ETH), suggesting limited organic expansion and raising questions about DeFi’s ability to scale for institutional use, the report said.

In periods of stress, investors continue to rotate into stablecoins. Following the exploit, capital flowed from DeFi lending into Tether’s USDT, which benefits from deeper liquidity and faster off-ramps, reinforcing its role as a preferred flight-to-safety asset, the report said.

Read more: The $292 million Kelp DAO exploit shows why crypto bridges are still one of the industry’s weakest links

In today’s newsletter, Vincent Chok from First Digital unpacks the rise of “agentic finance,” where AI agents are moving beyond advice to execute financial transactions, making crypto the essential financial backend for this machine-driven economy.

Then, in “Ask an Expert,” we posed two questions to three leading AI systems — Grok, Gemini, and Claude — about AI payment use cases and the necessary steps for scalability.

Note: Responses were generated by AI assistants and reflect each model’s perspective. They should not be construed as financial or legal advice.

– Sarah Morton

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AI agents in crypto: what advisors need to know

The explosive growth of AI agents

AI agents have become one of the most trending topics over the last year. A recent PwC survey of over 300 companies found that 79% are already adopting AI agents in some form. This explosive growth reflects a broader shift: AI agents are evolving from advisory roles to execution roles.

Initially deployed to help with chatbot services and copiloting roles, AI systems are now actively planning, deciding and acting on predefined parameters set by humans, including financial transactions. The result is the early formation of “agentic finance.” This is a new primitive wherein AI agents essentially execute financial actions within predefined rules such as limits, permissions and goals.

Breaking down agentic finance

Agentic finance can be understood in three layers. The agentic commerce layer focuses on discovery and decision-making. For example, an AI agent can search for the best hotel deal for an upcoming trip. The agentic payments layer handles execution, where the agent completes a transaction once approved.

Finally, the asset management layer represents the full stack, where the agent can manage portfolios, handle payments and dynamically optimize financial strategies based on real-time market trends. While this may seem as if we are giving AI agents full autonomy, that is not the case. It’s conditional delegation, wherein users retain control through constraints while offloading execution.

Theoretically, AI agents do have a use case in the financial space; however, they don’t neatly fit in with existing traditional financial infrastructure. Structurally, AI agents lack direct access to global banking rails and are designed to operate 24/7. This structural mismatch is where crypto comes into play.

Stablecoins offer AI agents access to programmable, always-on money, blockchains enable instant and global settlement, and crypto wallets provide permissionless access to funds. Essentially, these components form a financial layer that is better suited to machine-driven activity. Crypto is thus increasingly becoming the infrastructure for autonomous systems, rather than only being an asset class.

Use cases of AI agents

Early implementations are already visible. Machine-to-machine payments powered by API access and data providers have made the inter-merchant rails stronger and faster. In the consumer context, autonomous commerce has allowed users to optimize retail research, using agents to get the best deals for travel, subscriptions and shopping.

Meanwhile, in crypto-native environments, trading agents are widely deployed for portfolio management, yield optimization and trading strategies. On the enterprise side, supply chain management and vendor payments have been easily automated via AI agents, cutting down on errors and resource expenditure. At this stage, most activity remains business-to-business and infrastructure-driven, rather than consumer-facing.

Beyond use cases, AI agents also play an integral part in driving new investable categories as well as demand for crypto itself. As AI agents can’t operate on existing infrastructure rails, demand is growing for agent-native wallets, stablecoin payment rails and data or compute marketplaces.

Coinbase, for example, has launched x402, an open payments protocol designed for agent-native transactions. This shift is particularly relevant for micropayments, where high transaction volumes and low value make traditional rails inefficient. For the first time, non-human users are participating in the financial system and driving activity. AI agents have become a new class of ‘user’ for crypto networks.

Risks and future outlook

Despite the momentum, we are still in the early stages, and there are risks and limitations. Security is the primary concern, particularly around rogue or exploited agents executing unintended transactions. Questions around authorisation, liability and regulatory treatment are still under scrutiny and are being actively defined. For widespread adoption, we must build trust for users. This comes through regulatory clarity from all involved stakeholders, so projects can build with clarity and confidence while safeguarding user funds and interests.

Over the next twelve months, this technology will continue to grow and mature. Signals that matter include growth in agent-driven transaction volume, emergence of agent-native wallets and payments protocols, and deeper integration between stablecoins and AI-driven systems. Finally, regulatory clarity will heavily shape the pace and scope of adoption across different industries and fields.

In conclusion

AI agents are not a theoretical concept; they are already executing transactions in limited environments. As the trend develops, crypto is increasingly emerging as the financial backend for machine-driven economies. For now, this is an infrastructure and long-term thematic play; however, that is changing with rising adoption rates. Advisors should track it as a next-wave driver of crypto utility.

– Vincent Chok, CEO and co-founder, First Digital

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Ask an Expert

This week we’re doing something a bit different. Instead of one expert, we have a panel of experts — AI experts. Below, we posed two questions to three leading AI models, asking about the present and future of AI payments. While there were common themes — especially about what’s needed for future growth — there are also some clear differences. We hope you find this experiment as fun and thought-provoking as we have.

Q1: What AI payment use cases are you seeing today?

Q2: What’s needed for AI payments to scale?

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Keep Reading

Key Takeaways

• Sale price: FTX bankruptcy estate sold its 5% Cursor stake for $200,000 in April 2023 – the same price Alameda Research originally paid in April 2022
• Current value: That stake is worth approximately $3 billion at SpaceX’s $60 billion Cursor acquisition valuation announced April 21, 2026
• Return gap: 15,000x difference between realized recovery and current mark – one of the largest single missed recoveries in crypto bankruptcy history
• Original investment: Alameda Research invested $200,000 in Anysphere (Cursor’s parent company) at a $4 million valuation – the estate sold at cost with zero appreciation captured
• SBF’s prison argument: Sam Bankman-Fried, serving a 25-year federal sentence, projected in February 2026 that FTX’s net asset value would have reached $78 billion had the estate held assets through recovery
• Watch item: SpaceX must decide on full $60 billion Cursor acquisition later in 2026 or trigger its $10 billion breakup fee – the outcome sets the final mark on what creditors actually forfeited

Crypto markets sold off broadly on Thursday as traders booked profits after a week-long rally that had pushed Bitcoin back toward $80,000.

Bitcoin is changing hands at $77,955, down 1.1% over the past 24 hours, though still up 4.5% on the week and 9.9% on the month, according to CoinGecko. Ether slipped 2.8% to $2,331, turning its seven-day chart marginally negative.

Among the rest of the top ten, Solana is trading at $86, down 3% on the day, XRP is off 1.9%, and BNB is down 2% at $636. Total crypto market capitalization fell 1.6% to $2.69 trillion.

Strong ETF Bid

Despite Thursday’s red tape, the broader trend in spot ETF flows remains constructive.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $335 million on Tuesday, per Farside, the seventh consecutive session of positive flows. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) accounted for $246.9 million of the total, with Fidelity’s FBTC adding $56.7 million and Bitwise’s BITB contributing $15.4 million. Cumulative flows across all 11 spot Bitcoin products are now back in positive territory for the year, with total AUM above $96.5 billion.

The flows indicate a notable reversal from the first quarter, when sustained outflows tracked alongside Bitcoin’s slide from above $100,000 toward the mid-$70Ks.

Geopolitical Risks Linger

Bitcoin’s failure to push decisively through $80,000 reflects an unresolved geopolitical overhang. Iran reportedly fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, and a U.S. naval blockade in the region remains in place. Although President Trump has framed the current ceasefire as indefinite, peace talks have not progressed, and oil prices remain sensitive to regional headlines.

DeFi Grapples with Kelp Fallout

On-chain markets are still digesting last weekend’s Kelp DAO exploit. LayerZero’s post-mortem attributed the attack to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, which compromised two RPC nodes feeding the bridge’s verifier and minted 116,500 unbacked rsETH before depositing it on Aave as collateral and borrowing real WETH against it.

Aave’s risk service providers have modeled bad debt at between $123.7 million and $230.1 million, depending on how losses are allocated across rsETH holders. The protocol partially unfroze WETH on its Ethereum Core V3 market on Tuesday, and Arbitrum’s Security Council froze roughly $71 million of stolen ETH.

Key Takeaways

• Source: Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.
• Confirmed: The U.S. government currently operates 1 node on the Bitcoin network for cybersecurity testing and network security research.
• Ruled out: The government is not mining Bitcoin – Paparo stated this explicitly.
• Context: INDOPACOM is in an active “experimentation” phase, using Bitcoin’s proof-of-work protocol as a computer science and cryptographic tool, not a financial asset.
• Watch item: Specific details of INDOPACOM’s Bitcoin research programs remain partially classified; follow FY2027 NDAA debates for potential funding expansion of blockchain cybersecurity initiatives.

Key Takeaways

• First-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue reached an all-time high of $1.10 billion, representing 21.2% growth versus prior year
• Company elevated its fiscal 2026 revenue forecast to $4.3 billion while increasing EPS projections to $10.20
• First-quarter order intake totaled $2.3 billion, driving the trailing 12-month backlog 30% higher to an unprecedented $3.3 billion
• Wall Street projects second-quarter earnings of $2.36 per share on $1.03 billion in sales — slightly below Q1 results
• Analyst sentiment remains bullish with three out of four maintaining buy recommendations and an average target of $324.50

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Friday’s second-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results from Moog arrive at a pivotal moment. The aerospace and defense specialist just delivered one of its most impressive performances ever. Now comes the test: can the company sustain this trajectory?

Moog Inc., MOG-A

Analyst consensus calls for earnings of $2.36 per share alongside $1.03 billion in quarterly sales. These figures would mark impressive annual increases of 35% and 10%, respectively. However, they trail the exceptional first-quarter performance when Moog delivered $2.63 per share on $1.10 billion in revenue, surpassing projections by 22% and 12%.

The quarter-over-quarter decline isn’t catching anyone off guard. What really counts is whether leadership can preserve profitability levels and provide fresh insights on the order book situation.

That order book deserves attention. First-quarter bookings reached $2.3 billion, elevating the 12-month backlog by 30% to hit a company-record $3.3 billion. Such long-term revenue visibility stands out in this industry, offering a cushion during periods of softer near-term results.

On the heels of that exceptional quarter, management increased full-year 2026 revenue projections to $4.3 billion while boosting adjusted earnings per share guidance from $10.00 to $10.20. The company maintained its adjusted operating margin forecast at 13.4%.

High-Profile Space Contracts Boost Momentum

A standout development in Moog’s recent timeline unfolded on April 2 with the successful launch of the Artemis II mission. The company provided critical thrust vector control systems, launch abort system actuators, and various fluid control technologies for this mission.

Market participants will be paying close attention to any commentary suggesting this prominent involvement might lead to further NASA partnerships or opportunities in the commercial space sector.

Additionally, the company finalized its $63 million purchase of COTSWORKS, which manufactures ruggedized fiber optic transceivers designed for aerospace and defense applications. This transaction broadens Moog’s portfolio in high-bandwidth digital data processing for compact defense systems, and observers will seek updates on how smoothly the integration is proceeding.

Balanced Expansion Across Business Units

Moog’s diversification throughout aerospace markets has become central to its investment thesis. During fiscal 2025, Space and Defense generated $1.113 billion in revenue, Military Aircraft contributed $888 million, and Commercial Aircraft added $904 million. Each division posted gains — Commercial Aircraft topped the list with 15% growth, while the remaining two segments each expanded 9%.

This balanced, multi-segment expansion helped drive an 84% stock appreciation over the trailing 12 months, bringing shares close to their 52-week peak of $354.20. The stock currently changes hands at $297.45.

With a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 29.69x and anticipated earnings growth of 41%, investor expectations are clearly elevated. Three of four covering analysts maintain buy ratings, with a mean price objective of $324.50 — suggesting approximately 9% potential appreciation from present levels.

Earnings estimates have remained unchanged over both the past week and the past 60 days, indicating stable analyst confidence approaching the release.

The company’s gross profit margin registers at 27.3%, and its capacity to maintain this level while expanding production volume will be closely monitored Friday.

Moog releases its second-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results on Friday, with market watchers focused primarily on margin performance, backlog composition, and potential guidance adjustments.