Connect with us

Crypto World

Bitcoin ETF holders and treasury firms stack protection against price crash below $60,000, options exchange says

Published

on

Standard Chartered sees bitcoin (BTC) sliding to $50,000, ether (ETH) to $1,400 before recovery

Bitcoin ETF holders and corporate treasuries – the players everyone praises for their long-term vision – are stacking insurance against price crash below $60,000, cryptocurrency exchange Deribit told CoinDesk.

“ETF holders and corporate treasuries are buying 6-month and 1-year puts at $60k or below ($60,000 put, a derivative contract offering protection against potential price slide below that level) as portfolio insurance,” Jean-David Péquignot, chief commercial officer of derivatives exchange Deribit.

This put option works like insurance: It lets buyers sell bitcoin at $60,000 even if the price crashes lower, shielding ETF investors and corporate treasuries with BTC from steeper losses while they hold for the long haul.

Péquignot was responding to questions about surging interest in the $60,000 put. At the time of writing, those contracts had $1.50 billion in open interest – the highest across all strikes and expiries on Deribit. On the exchange, one contract represents one BTC. The platform accounts for nearly 80% of the global crypto options activity.

Advertisement

The surge in interest in $60,000 puts expiring in six months or longer signals deep fears that any price bounce could fizzle fast, paving the way for a sharper drop.

What makes this hedging even more noteworthy is that ETF holders and corporate treasuries own a significant supply of bitcoin.

Investors have poured billions into U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs and similar products worldwide in recent years. The U.S. funds alone have seen inflows of 1.26 million BTC, roughly 6% of bitcoin’s total circulating supply. Meanwhile, publicly listed firms hold about 1.14 million BTC, or 5.7% of BTC’s supply.

Bitcoin has been trading choppy below $70,000, having hit lows near $60,000 early this month, CoinDesk data show. The cryptocurrency has gained nearly 5% since Wednesday to trade near $67,500, but the options market remains unimpressed, with puts continuing to trade at a significant premium to calls or bullish bets.

Advertisement

“While spot price climbed, the 25-delta risk reversal remained stubborn. 30-day puts are still trading at a ~7% volatility premium over calls, signaling that smart money is still paying up for downside protection rather than chasing the pump,” Péquignot said.

He added that volatility may pick up as prices drop below $63,000. That’s because dealers and market makers who create order-book liquidity are “short gamma” at $60,000 or lower.

This means that as prices approach $60,000, these entities may sell more to rebalance their overall exposure to neutral, inadvertently adding to downside volatility.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crypto World

Germany’s AllUnity issues regulated stablecoin tied to safe haven Swiss franc

Published

on

Germany's AllUnity issues regulated stablecoin tied to safe haven Swiss franc

AllUnity, a joint venture between DWS, Galaxy, and Flow Traders, has expanded its stablecoin lineup with a new token pegged to the Swiss franc, which has emerged as a haven darling for major banks and analysts.

The BaFin-regulated e-money institute has unveiled CHFAU, which is backed 1:1 by Swiss franc reserves, in response to institutional demand for regulated digital CHF for payments, settlements, and treasury operations.

It debuts on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token, with plans to expand to other networks later this year.

“In response to strong demand for a compliant digital Swiss Franc, we progressed from concept to launch in a matter of months, demonstrating the strength and scalability of AllUnity’s multicurrency platform,” Alexander Höptner, CEO of AllUnity, said in a press release shared with CoinDesk.

Advertisement

“This milestone is just the start of a broader transformation in how global liquidity moves,” said.

The debut is a sign of growing investor demand for stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies beyond the U.S. dollar. Last year, AllUnity debuted the EUR-stablecoin, while several other firms have issued tokens pegged to other fiat currencies such as JPY.

The debut signals surging demand for stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies beyond the dollar. Last year, AllUnity launched its EUR-pegged token, joining others that have issued JPY-tied alternatives. The stablecoin market has exploded since 2020, hitting $310 billion in combined value, with dollar-pegged tokens in pole position.

Safe haven CHF

Prospects for CHF-linked assets look bright as the currency is gaining notoriety as a better haven currency than the widely popular Japanese yen.

Advertisement

A safe haven currency is a stable, liquid currency that investors seek to hold during periods of economic uncertainty, political turmoil, or market volatility to protect their capital.

“If you’re a fiscal basket case, markets weaken your currency and push up government bond yields. Japan and Switzerland are polar opposites: Japan is a basket case, Switzerland is a massive safe haven,” Economist Robin Brooks said on X, echoing what Bannockburn Global Forex’s Chief Market Strategist Marc Chandler told CoinDesk last year.

Investment banking giant Morgan Stanley has compared the Swiss franc to gold, calling for a 17% appreciation against the U.S. dollar.

“CHF is an overlooked, under appreciated asset safe haven asset that looks set to appreciate more substantially and speedily than investors think and markets anticipate,” the bank said this week.

Advertisement

Goldman and Bank of America revealed a bias for franc over yen as haven currency in September last year.

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Inside Vitalik Buterin’s plan to make Ethereum quantum-resistant

Published

on

Inside Vitalik Buterin’s plan to make Ethereum quantum-resistant

Ethereum is preparing for a future where quantum computers could break much of today’s internet cryptography, as co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a step-by-step “quantum resistance roadmap” targeting the network’s most vulnerable components.

Summary

  • Vitalik Buterin outlined a quantum resistance roadmap targeting Ethereum’s consensus signatures, data availability, wallet cryptography, and ZK proofs.
  • The plan proposes replacing vulnerable BLS and ECDSA systems with hash-based or lattice-based quantum-resistant alternatives, supported by recursive STARK aggregation.
  • While large-scale quantum attacks remain theoretical, Ethereum is proactively engineering long-term defenses to future-proof the network.

Ethereum braces for quantum future as Vitalik Buterin unveils sweeping resistance roadmap

In a detailed post, Buterin identified four key areas exposed to quantum attacks: consensus-layer BLS signatures, data availability mechanisms relying on KZG commitments, externally owned account (EOA) signatures using ECDSA, and application-layer zero-knowledge proofs such as Groth16.

Powerful quantum machines, if realized at scale, could theoretically crack ECDSA and similar elliptic curve systems using Shor’s algorithm, potentially allowing attackers to forge signatures and compromise wallets.

Advertisement

To address this, Ethereum’s roadmap proposes gradually replacing vulnerable cryptography with quantum-resistant alternatives. At the consensus layer, hash-based signatures and STARK-based aggregation could replace BLS signatures.

For EOAs, Buterin points to native account abstraction under EIP-8141, allowing wallets to adopt post-quantum signature schemes once efficient implementations are available.

The shift, however, comes with tradeoffs. Quantum-resistant signatures are significantly larger and more computationally expensive than current standards. Buterin suggests protocol-level recursive proof aggregation as a long-term fix, enabling multiple signatures or proofs to be compressed into a single STARK verification, potentially preventing massive increases in on-chain gas costs.

Advertisement

Ethereum’s data availability stack may also migrate from KZG commitments toward STARK-based constructions, though this would require substantial engineering work.

While large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking modern cryptography may still be years away, Ethereum’s proactive planning signals an effort to future-proof the network. The roadmap does not represent an immediate upgrade, but rather a phased transition designed to ensure Ethereum remains secure in a post-quantum world.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

$0.60 or $31 Next for XRP?

Published

on

XRP Bull Buys the Dip as Ripple's Price Gets Obliterated by 22% in Just 1 Day


Where is XRP heading next? Here are some of the recent predictions and analyses.

Ripple’s cross-border token has often been the object of some wild price predictions, many of which might sound absurd at the time being. However, its infamous volatility has proved that it can produce massive gains (or drop violently) in the span of just weeks and months.

In this article, we will review some of the latest bull and bear cases, one of which was even called precision and not ‘hopium.’

Advertisement

XRP’s Bull Predictions

We will begin with the more ‘modest’ forecast coming from perma-XRP bull John Squire. In a recent post, he outlined some rumors that Ripple’s US national bank license is set for approval. Without providing any further details on the matter, he added that such a “major step for crypto adoption and institutional finance” can instantly send the underlying token to $5.

EGRAG CRYPTO, an analyst also known for their pro-XRP calls, relied on technical analysis to determine the asset’s next targets. They indicated that the long-term XRP chart shows a 814% surge during the first Elliott Wave, which transpired between 2015 and 2018. The subsequent corrective wave 2 took the asset south by over 70% to under $0.12 during the 2020-2022 bear market.

The analyst believes XRP is approaching the third wave, but it still needs to confirm it by reclaiming the wave 1 high of over $3.40 with a strong “weekly close and momentum expansion.” Until that happens, the asset is “still corrective.”

If it does, though, the sky would be the limit for the cross-border token, with EGRAG indicating a massive price target of somewhere between $15 and $31 during wave 3.

Advertisement

You may also like:

Or, Below $1?

In the opposite corner stands Ali Martinez, who, instead of going with the hype and predicting some mind-blowing bull targets, outlined XRP’s most significant support levels in case another correction is to take place. The token has plunged by over 60% since its July 2025 all-time high, and currently struggles to remain above $1.40.

He noted that Ripple’s token could find some support “along the triangle’s hypotenuse between $0.90 and $0.60” if it loses the coveted $1.00 defense level. Recall that XRP dipped to $1.11 on February 6 when the entire market collapsed, but has remained above that line since then.

SPECIAL OFFER (Exclusive)

Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
Advertisement

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

U.S. spot BTC ETFs see $1.1 billion in 3-day inflows, set for biggest week since mid-January

Published

on

U.S. spot BTC ETFs see $1.1 billion in 3-day inflows, set for biggest week since mid-January

U.S. bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are on track to snap a streak of five consecutive weeks of net outflows with their strongest performance since mid-January.

The funds recorded net inflows of $1.1 billion in three straight days, according to data from SoSoValue, leaving them roughly $815 million ahead after Monday’s net outflow is taken into account, the most since adding $1.4 billion in the week ended Jan. 16.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) accounted for more than half of the three-day flow, drawing in roughly $652 million. On Wednesday, Grayscale’s GBTC, which carries the highest fee among the funds, posted its largest single-day inflow since converting from a trust structure to an ETF.

The renewed inflows suggest U.S. demand is returning, an conclusion reinforced by the Coinbase Premium Index turning positive after 40 days in negative territory. The index tracks the price difference between bitcoin on Coinbase (COIN), which is accessible to firms in the world’s largest economy, and the broader global market. It is widely used as a gauge of U.S. institutional flows and sentiment.

Advertisement

Data from Checkonchain shows total bitcoin holdings across U.S. spot ETFs climbed to 1.29 million BTC, putting assets under management (AUM) less than 10% below their October peak.

This comes despite the spot price of bitcoin remaining 45% below its October record. The largest cryptocurrency has continued to consolidate around the mid $60,000 range this week.

Meanwhile, open interest on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has continued to decline, falling to 107,780 BTC, according to Glassnode data. Because CME allows institutions to simultaneously take a long position in spot bitcoin and a short position in futures — a strategy known as a basis trade — the drop in futures can be seen as indicating the ETF inflows are outright long positions.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

VOdds Introduces Advanced Odds Checker Tool to Help Bettors Find the Best Odds

Published

on

VOdds Introduces Advanced Odds Checker Tool to Help Bettors Find the Best Odds

[PRESS RELEASE – Willemstad, Curaçao, February 27th, 2026]

Bookmaker & casino broker VOdds unveiled a new feature, Odds Scanner, a betting intelligence tool designed to compare bookmaker prices across multiple sports markets. The platform puts all the odds data in one place, so users don’t have to search for it manually, and so prices are easier to see. VOdds covers a wide range of sports, including football and other popular sports, and supports major events like the Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup. Vodds’ odds checker is an informational tool that focuses on speed, accuracy, and making it easy to compare markets.

Key Features of VOdds Scanner

According to the company, the VOdds scanner is made with precision, making complicated odds data in a simple, easy-to-read way. It is said that users can quickly find the right markets thanks to filters, sorting options, and easy-to-use navigation. In short words, the odds scanner is good for both new and experienced bettors, simply because it’s focused on the user.

Advertisement

Additionally, the VOdds scanner works in a lot of different sports betting markets, from football and basketball to less popular sports and other types of markets. This wide range of coverage lets people look at odds for different leagues, tournaments, and types of bets all in one place. The tool makes sure that data is always available, whether users are following big international events or smaller regional matches.

Odds Comparison

With the odds scanner by VOdds, users can compare prices for the same outcome from different bookmakers all in one place. This lets users find options with higher prices for the same event. For instance, VOdds might show different odds for a Premier League home win and highlight the best one that is available. This structured comparison strengthens the platform’s position as a best odds checker without any bias from advertising.

Real-Time Odds Collection

Advertisement

As a live odds checker, VOdds collects data from multiple bookmakers at the same time and updates prices in real time. This makes sure that people can get up-to-date market information during big events like the Champions League and the World Cup. Real-time updates lower the risk of using old prices and help Vodds users make smart decisions when using the odds checker.

Alerts and Trends

The VOdds platform keeps an eye on changes in odds and market trends. Users can set up alerts for big changes, like when odds drop, which could mean that the market is changing. These tools help users respond quickly and cut down on the need to constantly check the odds scanner by Vodds.

Sports Coverage

Advertisement

Undoubtedly, VOdds has a lot of sports markets, so bettors can see the odds for all the big global competitions in one place. The odds checker on the platform is set up so that the data is always shown in the same way for all sports. This makes it easy to move between markets without losing clarity or accuracy.

Football Odds Checker

VOdds’s football odds checker covers a lot of football, including both domestic leagues and international tournaments. Users can bet on the Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup, among other competitions, using the same odds checker framework. These markets include 1X2, handicaps, and totals.

Tennis Odds Checker

Advertisement

VOdds’s tennis odds checker covers the ATP and WTA tours, Grand Slams, and Challenger events. Vodds’ odds scanner lets users compare match winners, set handicaps, and game totals, and it sends updates in real time.

Basketball Odds Checker

VOdds also lets users bet on basketball games, like the NBA and EuroLeague. The odds checker app shows bet types like moneylines, spreads, and totals in a standard way, which makes it easier to compare them.

How to Start Using the Best Odds Checker by VOdds

Advertisement

Users first sign up for the VOdds platform and then use the odds checker by Vodds from the dashboard. Users can choose which events to see by sport, competition, and market type using filters. This process makes it easy for Vodds to get to the odds scanner.

“We wanted to make a tool that gives bettors clear access to real-time market data without making things too complicated,” Zak Richardson, VOdds spokesperson. The platform makes it easier for users to find good deals on major sporting events by bringing together all the prices from different bookmakers and updating them right away.

Benefits of Using Odds Scanner by VOdds

VOdds points out some important functional benefits, such as:

  • Finding the Best Odds: Centralised comparison makes it easier to see the best prices for events like Champions League matches because users don’t have to check multiple bookmakers by hand.
  • Making Strategies Work Better: Real-time updates help users quickly react to changes in the market and find arbitrage opportunities with Vodds’ odds scanner.
  • Supporting Bigger Bets: Users can better judge markets before placing bigger bets when they can see liquidity and price stability.

How to Use the VOdds Odds Checker

According to VOdds, the main purpose of the VOdds Odds Checker is to compare bookmaker odds in real time so players always place bets at the most profitable price.

Advertisement

For example, users want to bet on Manchester City to win:

  • Bookmaker A: 1.72
  • Bookmaker B: 1.80
  • Bookmaker C: 1.75

VOdds instantly highlights 1.80 as the best available price.

About VOdds

VOdds is a crypto gambling site where people can place bets with cryptocurrency and use a set of data-driven betting tools. VOdds wants to make sports betting more open, efficient, and available to people all over the world by combining digital asset payments with advanced analytics. By collecting and displaying bookmaker data in a clear, easy-to-use way, the platform helps bettors compare prices across different markets, which helps open up the market. VOdds helps users find value opportunities, compare odds in real time, and make better betting decisions while fully participating in the crypto betting ecosystem. It does this with its own odds checker tools.

For more information about the company, users can visit VOdds website or reach out to their contact info below.

Advertisement
SPECIAL OFFER (Exclusive)

Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

Hedera price eyes bullish crossover as stablecoin activity fires up, will it break out?

Published

on

Hedera price is forming a bullish SMA crossover on the daily chart.

Hedera price rallied over 8% this week amid a notable jump in the stablecoin supply held on the network.

Summary

  • Hedera price rebounded 8% this week amid an uptick in network activity.
  • HBAR price action is close to confirming a bullish crossover on the daily chart.

According to data from crypto.news, Hedera (HBAR) price rallied 8.7% over this week amid a broader crypto market rebound largely fueled by Bitcoin reclaiming key support levels and improved investor appetite for risk assets amid a surge in tech stocks.

The token’s rally also gained support from a jump in stablecoin supply held on the network. Data from DeFiLlama show that its stablecoin supply has surged nearly 17% over the past seven days, driven largely by USDC, which accounts for about 99.8% of the total supply.

Advertisement

A surge in stablecoin means more users are transacting, deploying capital, or seeking yield on the network. Such activities tend to support retail sentiment.

Demand from derivative traders also provided an impetus to HBAR’s rally. Notably, Hedera futures open interest has increased by 3% in the past 24 hours, while its weighted funding rate has also turned positive.

A positive funding rate means more traders are entering the market with bullish bets, which in turn is improving overall market sentiment.

Advertisement

On the daily chart, Hedera price has broken above a descending trendline that had been acting as a dynamic resistance, capping price movement since late October last year. When an asset breaks out of such a descending trendline resistance, it is typically a sign of a trend reversal, with dominance shifting to the hands of bulls.

Hedera price is forming a bullish SMA crossover on the daily chart.
Hedera price is forming a bullish SMA crossover on the daily chart — Feb. 27 | Source: crypto.news

The 20-day SMA appears close to moving above the 50-day SMA, forming what traders term a short-term bullish crossover. When such crossovers are confirmed, cryptocurrencies have often sparked sharp rallies.

Adding to the bullish outlook, the MACD lines have also pointed upwards and are close to moving above the zero line.

Hence, the price outlook for Hedera appears to be bullish for now, with the token most likely to target $0.12 next, which aligns with the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level.

On the contrary, if bears can push the price below the 20-day SMA of $0.097, Hedera could enter a downtrend. 

Advertisement

However, the lackluster demand for Hedera spot ETFs could become a bottleneck for any upside move, especially since other assets like XRP and Solana ETFs have continued to outpace HBAR in both net daily inflows and total assets under management (AUM).

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

ETH, XRP, ADA, BNB, and HYPE

Published

on

eth_price_chart_2702261

This Friday, we examine Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid in greater detail.

Ethereum (ETH)

After weeks of bearish price action, Ethereum has finally found support at the $1,800 level, where buyers have shown interest. This allowed ETH to close the week 5% higher, reaching $2,000, which is currently being contested.

If the bulls manage to hold the price above $2,000 and turn this level into a key support, then the cryptocurrency has a good shot at moving much higher and towards $2,400, which is the next resistance on the chart.

Looking ahead, ETH may be entering a relief rally that could take it as high as $2,800. Once there, sellers could step up the pressure again.

Advertisement
eth_price_chart_2702261
Source: TradingView

Ripple (XRP)

XRP has been flat over the past week and has not made any gains. Nevertheless, there are signs the price wants to move higher since sellers have failed to make lower lows.

This pause in price action could be interpreted as bullish because sellers have lost the initiative, which opens the door for buyers to return and push XRP to the next key level at $1.6. This becomes likely if the current support at $1.4 continues to hold.

Looking ahead, a bounce higher can be expected, but sellers could return at $1.6. Only if that level is broken can bulls hope to reclaim $2 or higher.

xrp_price_chart_2702261
Source: TradingView

Cardano (ADA)

ADA had a good week, closing with a 7% gain. This is the first time in months that ADA is managing to look bullish after a prolonged correction. To consolidate the current gains, buyers will have to push this cryptocurrency above 30 cents, which acts as a resistance.

If 30 cents falls, then the next key target will be found at 36 cents, which is likely to be defended by sellers quite aggressively based on the past price action.

Looking ahead, Cardano may be forming a bottom here, which would be in line with the past. If so, this is an attractive area for buyers, especially since this downtrend lasted for over a year and a reversal is overdue.

Advertisement
ada_price_chart_2702261
Source: TradingView

Binance Coin (BNB)

Binance Coin closed the week 4% higher and found strong support around $600. It seems sellers ran out of steam and were unable to break lower and hold the price there. Because of this a bounce here is likely.

Should buyers become more active in the days to come, their first target is found at $690. If that level is reclaimed, then they will look at $900 next.

Looking ahead, BNB wants to recover some of the recent losses, and considering most altcoins are turning bullish, it would not be surprising to see this cryptocurrency also make steady gains in the coming days and weeks.

bnb_price_chart_2702261
Source: TradingView

Hype (HYPE)

HYPE is flat on the weekly chart and is trying to return above $30. So far, buyers will need at least one more push to be successful, but sellers may be waiting for that move before they return.

With momentum building up behind bulls across the market, HYPE has a good shot at a breakout beyond $30, especially if the recent test of the $26 support is confirmed as a higher low.

Looking ahead, HYPE has a real chance to rally if the $30 is turned into support. Watch the price action in the next few days, as it will be decisive to where this cryptocurrency goes next.

Advertisement
hype_price_chart_2702261
Source: TradingView
SPECIAL OFFER (Exclusive)

Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

MARA Bitcoin miner posts $1.7B quarterly loss as BTC slumps

Published

on

Crypto Breaking News

In its latest quarterly update, MARA Holdings confronted a stark reality: even as its bitcoin mining fleet generated fewer coins, the company’s balance sheet was weighed down by falling crypto valuations and a strategic pivot away from pure mining. MARA reported a fourth-quarter 2025 net loss of $1.71 billion, or $4.52 per diluted share, compared with a year-earlier net income of $528.3 million. Revenue slipped 6% year over year to $202.3 million, as a softer Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price offset a higher hashrate. For the full year, the firm posted a net loss of $1.31 billion on revenue of $907.1 million, reversing 2024’s $541 million profit.

Key takeaways

  • MARA’s Q4 2025 net loss was $1.71 billion and revenue was $202.3 million, with earnings pressured by the decline in BTC prices despite a higher mining hashrate.
  • For the full year 2025, the company recorded a net loss of $1.31 billion on $907.1 million in revenue, reversing 2024’s profit as crypto prices remained volatile.
  • A $1.5 billion negative adjustment to the fair value of digital assets and receivables contributed to the quarterly loss, reflecting BTC price declines from around $114,300 on Sept. 30 to $88,800 on Dec. 31 (per CoinGecko).
  • MAR A’s BTC holdings at year-end totaled 53,822, with 15,315 pledged or loaned, and the balance-sheet BTC carried a roughly $4.7 billion value at quarter-end prices.
  • The company unveiled a strategic pivot into AI and high-performance compute, including a joint venture with Starwood Digital Ventures to build data centers at power-rich sites, initially targeting more than 1 GW of IT capacity and potentially expanding to 2.5 GW.
  • In February, MARA acquired a 64% stake in Exaion to pursue sovereign-grade and enterprise AI deployments as part of the broader diversification plan.

Tickers mentioned: $BTC, $MARA

Sentiment: Bearish

Price impact: Negative. MARA’s stock has fallen about 46% over the past six months as results and strategic pivots weigh on investor sentiment.

Trading idea (Not Financial Advice): Hold. While the transition toward AI/HPC is notable, near-term investors should watch project execution and BTC price stability before reassessing risk/reward.

Advertisement

Market context: The results come amid a broader crypto downturn where mining economics remain sensitive to BTC price swings, regulator signals, and capital allocation shifts among miners pursuing diversified revenue streams rather than pure hodling or mining.

Why it matters

The quarterly and annual figures underscore a pivotal moment for MARA as it moves beyond a pure-play bitcoin miner toward an energy and digital infrastructure company. The heavy accounting hit from the fair value of digital assets illustrates how price volatility can disproportionately affect mining-focused models, even when production levels hold steady or improve. By contrast, the balance sheet remains robust in crypto terms, with a substantial BTC stash that, on paper, still carries significant value given the ongoing, albeit uneven, interest in asset-backed mining operations.

Beyond the numbers, the strategic pivot is the centerpiece. MARA’s collaboration with Starwood Digital Ventures aims to unlock a significant AI/HPC footprint on existing energy-rich sites, a move that could open new revenue channels independent of BTC cycles. The plan envisions more than 1 gigawatt of IT capacity in the initial phase, with a roadmap to exceed 2.5 GW over time. Crucially, MARA retains the option to invest up to 50% in individual projects, while continuing to mine where power remains economical. This hybrid model reflects a broader industry trend: miners seeking to hedge against crypto price volatility by anchoring operations in data centers and AI workloads that can generate steady, long-term demand.

Additionally, the February acquisition of a 64% stake in Exaion signals a concrete push into AI deployments that could leverage MARA’s grid-scale energy footprint. Exaion’s focus on sovereign-grade and enterprise AI deployments aligns with the growing demand for specialized compute resources, particularly at the intersection of crypto mining infrastructure and high-performance compute networks. As more miners explore blended business models, MARA’s approach stands out for attempting to formalize AI-centric data center capacity alongside mining operations.

Advertisement

In comparison, peers are testing similar pivots with varying degrees of commitment. Some miners are leaning into large AI data-center leases, while others continue to emphasize a combined strategy of mining and hoarding BTC to preserve, and potentially grow, crypto exposure. The sector’s direction remains dependent on macro conditions, including BTC price trajectories, energy costs, and regulatory developments that could influence the economics of large-scale mining and data-center deployments alike.

The financials also hint at the balancing act between growth investments and shareholder value. If the Starwood joint venture and Exaion initiatives deliver on capacity and utilization, MARA could unlock a multi-year path toward diversified cash flows. Yet the immediate picture is clouded by historical volatility in the crypto markets and the challenge of turning large capex programs into near-term profits. Investors will be watching how the company manages capital deployment, debt, and any potential tranche financing to accelerate its AI/HPC push while supporting ongoing mining operations.

The company’s overall strategy, while ambitious, mirrors a broader move within the crypto hardware space toward building resilient, diversified platforms. As data centers become a more common anchor for crypto firms, MARA’s ability to translate capacity into meaningful revenue streams will be a key test for the model’s sustainability in a market where price signals for BTC remain bifurcated and often unpredictable.

What to watch next

  • Progress updates on the Starwood Digital Ventures AI/HPC data-center partnership, including projected milestones for the initial >1 GW capacity and any expansions toward 2.5 GW.
  • Operational and financial details on Exaion deployments and contracts, particularly any sovereign-grade AI projects and enterprise compute commitments.
  • Bitcoin price movements and realized/batched mining yields as MARA advances its hybrid strategy, plus any changes to the company’s balance-sheet BTC position or collateral arrangements.
  • Any capital-raising efforts, debt restructurings, or financing agreements tied to the new AI/HPC initiatives and data-center builds.
  • Regulatory developments affecting crypto mining, energy use, and AI infrastructure deployments that could impact project economics or timelines.

Sources & verification

  • MARA Holdings Q4 2025 shareholder letter filed with the SEC (SEC: q425shareholderletter.htm).
  • Bitcoin price data used for the fair value discussion (CoinGecko: bitcoin).
  • Company updates and stock performance coverage (Yahoo Finance: MARA).
  • Exaion stake and AI/HPC deployments referenced in MARA communications (Cointelegraph article on Exaion stake).

Key figures and next steps

What the announcement changes

The fourth quarter reports reveal a company navigating a difficult macro environment for mining while actively pursuing a structural shift toward AI-enabled data centers. If successful, the Starwood JV and Exaion partnerships could provide MARA with nonmining revenue streams that weather BTC price cycles. The path forward will hinge on project execution, the pace of capacity buildup, and the ability to translate compute demand into sustained profitability.

Sources & verification

  • SEC filing: q425shareholderletter.htm
  • CoinGecko data: bitcoin
  • Yahoo Finance: MARA
  • Exaion stake coverage: Cointelegraph

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Ethereum price outlook as foundation unveils “Strawmap” for network upgrades

Published

on

Ethereum price outlook as foundation unveils "Strawmap" for network upgrades - 1

Ethereum is attempting to stabilize above the $2,000 level as fresh details around the network’s long-term scaling roadmap, dubbed the “Strawmap,” inject renewed fundamental optimism into the market.

Summary

  • Ethereum is holding above $2,000 as the Ethereum Foundation unveils its “Strawmap,” a roadmap aimed at faster slot times and improved transaction finality.
  • ETH is consolidating between $1,900 and $2,100 after a sharp January–February sell-off, with $2,100 acting as key breakout resistance.
  • Momentum indicators, including the Aroon Oscillator and Bull-Bear Power, are turning positive, suggesting early-stage accumulation but confirmation requires a decisive move above range highs.

The proposal, outlined by Vitalik Buterin and backed by the Ethereum Foundation, sketches a path toward significantly faster slot times and improved transaction finality.

The plan envisions reducing block times and tightening confirmation latency, a move that could materially enhance user experience, rollup efficiency, and DeFi execution speeds.

Advertisement

While the Strawmap remains a directional framework rather than a finalized upgrade schedule, its focus on faster slots and stronger finality reinforces Ethereum’s commitment to long-term scalability, a narrative that may help underpin price recovery after weeks of heavy selling pressure.

Ethereum price analysis: Can bulls reclaim $2,100?

On the daily ETH/USDT chart, Ethereum is trading around $2,035 after rebounding from a sharp early-February sell-off that briefly pushed the price below $1,900.

The broader structure shows that ETH fell aggressively from the $3,200–$3,300 region in January before finding demand near the $1,850 zone. Since that capitulation-style move, price action has shifted into consolidation, forming a range between approximately $1,900 and $2,100.

Advertisement
Ethereum price outlook as foundation unveils "Strawmap" for network upgrades - 1
Ethereum price analysis | Source: Crypto.News

This sideways structure suggests the market is attempting to build a base following weeks of heavy distribution.

The $2,100 level now stands as immediate resistance and represents the upper boundary of the current range. A decisive daily close above this area would mark the first meaningful higher high on the daily timeframe and could open the path toward $2,300, where prior breakdown momentum accelerated.

Beyond that, $2,500 remains a major resistance zone, having previously acted as structural support before the January collapse.

On the downside, $1,900 continues to serve as critical short-term support. A break below that level would expose the $1,800 area, the site of the February wick low, as the next major demand zone.

Momentum indicators are beginning to show early signs of improvement. The Aroon Oscillator has flipped back into positive territory after an extended period of negative readings, indicating that bearish dominance is weakening.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Bull-Bear Power has shifted from deeply negative levels to printing green histogram bars above the zero line, suggesting that buying pressure is gradually returning.

Together, these signals point to a transition from capitulation to accumulation. However, confirmation of a trend reversal requires a clean breakout above $2,100 and sustained follow-through. Until then, Ethereum remains in a consolidation phase, balancing improving technical momentum against overhead resistance.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

TeraWulf Reports $35.8M Q4 Revenue Amid Mining Losses

Published

on

TeraWulf Reports $35.8M Q4 Revenue Amid Mining Losses

TeraWulf, a publicly listed US digital infrastructure company, missed fourth-quarter earnings estimates as its mining revenue dropped amid falling Bitcoin prices in late 2025.

TeraWulf (WULF) released 2025 earnings on Thursday, reporting a fourth-quarter loss of $1.66 per share, compared with a loss of $0.21 per share a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance had expected a $0.16 loss.

Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 totaled $35.8 million, including $26.1 million from digital assets and $9.7 million from high-performance computing (HPC), down from $50.6 million in the third quarter. Analysts had expected an average of $44.1 million.

For the full year, Terawulf’s revenue rose from $140.1 million in 2024 to $168.5 million, expecting further growth in 2026 with $12.8 billion in signed AI and HPC contracts.

Advertisement

“We are advancing build schedules and optimizing design to support next‑generation AI workloads at scale,” TeraWulf’s chief technology officer Nazar Khan said.

TeraWulf plans to double total capacity with Kentucky and Maryland sites

TeraWulf plans to expand its infrastructure in 2026 with the acquisition of a site in Kentucky (MISO) and a planned acquisition in Maryland (PJM).

The company expects these acquisitions to add 1.5 gigawatts (GW) to its platform, more than doubling its current capacity and bringing total owned platform capacity to approximately 2.8 GW across five sites.

Source: TeraWulf

Together, the sites form a multi-year development path capable of supporting 250-500 megawatts (MW) of critical IT capacity annually, allowing TeraWulf to scale with growing AI demand while maintaining disciplined capital deployment and credit-backed contracts.

“We enter 2026 with 522 critical IT MW of contracted HPC capacity and a gross 2.9-GW multi-regional platform designed for long-term expansion,” CEO Paul Prager said.

Advertisement

Related: Bitcoin miner MARA posts $1.7B quarterly loss on BTC slump

Bitcoin mining companies have struggled as the cryptocurrency’s price fell from around $125,000 in early October to nearly $60,000 by February 2026, according to TradingView.

At $67,982 at the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading well below the estimated average cost to mine one coin, $87,310, according to MacroMicro.

The decline has intensified pressure on miners to pivot into AI and HPC, fueling a broader rush into data center operations.

Advertisement

Magazine: Bitdeer sells all Bitcoin, Metaplanet rejects misconduct claims: Asia Express