Crypto World
Why are NEAR, Virtuals, and Morpho surging?
NEAR Protocol, Virtuals, and Morpho crypto stood as some of the best performers on Tuesday amid a broader market rebound back above the $2.4 trillion mark.
Summary
- NEAR Protocol, Virtuals and Morpho led altcoin gains with double-digit rallies on Tuesday.
- NEAR, VIRTUALS benefited from positive developments across the AI sector alongside project-specific catalysts.
- Morpho rallied following the launch of the OKX Onchain Earn product on the protocol.
According to data from CoinGecko, the global crypto market rose 5% to $2.45 trillion before stabilizing around $2.4 trillion at press time. The market recovery was largely fueled by Bitcoin, the bellwether’s rally on Monday with the flagship crypto jumping from intraday lows near $65,000 to over $69,800 in a matter of hours.
Besides this, investor appetite for risk assets also returned after U.S. manufacturing data exceeded market expectations, fueling optimism surrounding Fed rate cuts this year.
The crypto market recovery triggered a short squeeze across major crypto assets. Data from CoinGlass shows nearly $202 million worth of short positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours, out of the total $331 million liquidated from both sides across leveraged markets.
Amidst this volatility, NEAR Protocol, Virtuals, and Morpho emerged as the standout winners. These assets capitalized on the easing market sentiment to post double-digit gains.
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) was the strongest gainer of the day with its 24% rally to a 5-week high of $1.45 on Monday. The surge extended its weekly gains to over 50%.
The AI token’s gains follow AI chip-making giant Nvidia announcing a multiyear strategic partnership with Coherent Corp, a global leader in photonics and networking, to advance its optical interconnect technology.
As part of the agreement, Nvidia would be investing $2 billion in Coherent to support research and development, along with expanding manufacturing capacity.
NVIDIA shares rose by 2.93% shortly after the announcement, sparking a broader rally in AI-focused cryptocurrencies. The partnership also comes just days after the chip giant revealed bullish quarterly earnings, easing fears of a slowdown in AI spending.
As Nvidia is the market bellwether for artificial intelligence, its bullish earnings and stock rally serve as a major impetus for related assets such as NEAR Protocol.
Project-specific catalysts, including the launch of Near FM and Near Intents has also supported the recent rally.
Virtuals Protocol
Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) rose over 15% today to $0.79, its highest price since late January this year. The gains followed after it broke out of a consolidation from the $0.60-$0.75 range it had been stuck within over the past week.
Besides sharing the AI market hype surrounding Nvidia news and its stock gains, the agentic AI coin also benefited from strengthening fundamentals supporting it.
In a recent X post, the Virtuals Protocol team revealed that agent transactions on the network soared by around 128% over the past two weeks, as 3,421 agents competed in Epoch 2 of its AI revenue incentives program. Agent-to-agent revenue reached $2.8 million during the period, with roughly $200,000 distributed to builders.
The team also outlined upgrades for Epoch 3 aimed at tightening reward quality and making it materially harder to manufacture artificial signal, with a stronger focus on genuine demand and sustained utility.
Morpho
Morpho (MORPHO) rose 11% on the day to $1.97, extending its weekly gains to around 25%.
Morpho’s gains today can be largely attributed to a surge in network activity following the launch of the OKX Onchain Earn product on the Morpho protocol. The event includes a 65 million KAT (Katana Network) reward pool for users staking USDT on the protocol.
At the same time, there’s also noticeable chatter around Apollo Global’s recent commitment to the protocol, which has provided a strong fundamental backstop for the current price action. Under a newly established four-year cooperation agreement, the $940 billion asset manager is authorized to acquire up to 90 million MORPHO tokens, representing roughly 9% of the total supply.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
By Francisco Rodrigues (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)
Bitcoin fell more than 3.5% to below $67,000 as escalating tensions in the Middle East drove investors out of risk assets and into the U.S. dollar.
As the conflict escalates, Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil supply.
Shipping rates for crude and liquefied natural gas tankers surged after vessels were targeted in the region and several operators suspended activity. Brent crude climbed more than 13% in the past five days, while freight costs for large oil tankers reached record levels.
The shock is hitting financial markets. The dollar index (DXY) is up nearly 1% and U.S. Treasury yields moved higher as investors move away from risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, reflecting expectations that central banks may face renewed inflation pressure from rising fuel costs.
Bitcoin had briefly approached $70,000 earlier in the week but reversed course as the conflict erupted. Cryptocurrency prices have nevertheless remained range-bound despite the escalation.
The initial U.S. strike on Iran over the weekend pushed bitcoin and ether lower, triggering about $300 million in long liquidations, but QCP Capital analysts described the deleveraging as orderly compared with previous episodes earlier this year.
The analysts added that options markets showed a brief spike in short-term volatility, though positioning suggests traders were prepared for weekend risk.
“If we recall the previous U.S. strike on Iran last June (also a weekend), BTC broke below $100,000 as the news broke only to trade back above on Monday, and subsequently rallied to a high of $123k a few weeks later,” QCP Capital analysts wrote. “While the scale of this attack is far greater than last year’s, price action could be hinting at early signs of history repeating itself.”
Options flows show buyers are positioning themselves for a potential rally beyond the $70,000 mark. That suggests investors are looking for a rebound this month after the market’s severe downturn.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the standoff, with conflicting statements from Iranian and U.S. officials over whether the waterway is closed. U.S. President Donald Trump has said the war is expected to last “four to five weeks.” Stay alert!
Read more: For analysis of today’s activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today
What to Watch
For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.
- Crypto
- March 3: SolCex mobile app to launch on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
- Macro
- March 3, 5:00 a.m.: Eurozone inflation rate YoY flash for February (Prev. 1.7%); Core YoY (Prev. 2.2%)
- Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)
- March 3: Antalpha Platform Holdings (ANTA), pre-market, $0.19
Token Events
For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.
- Governance votes & calls
- ShapeShift DAO is voting to appoint PTT as the Tokenomics Workstream Leader for a 6-month term, compensated entirely in FOX tokens to eliminate stablecoin costs. Voting ends March 3.
- Decentraland DAO is voting to explore the automatic execution of approved proposals and soft term limits for signer keys while maintaining emergency oversight. Voting ends March 3.
- Unlocks
- Token Launches
Conferences
For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.
Market Movements
- BTC is down 3% from 4 p.m. ET Monday at $66,918.56 (24hrs: +0.57%)
- ETH is down 4.04% at $1,959.34 (24hrs: unchanged)
- CoinDesk 20 is down 3.45% at 1,927.49 (24hrs: +0.59%)
- Ether CESR Composite Staking Rate is up 1 bps at 2.86%
- BTC funding rate is at -0.0009% (-1.0162% annualized) on Binance
- DXY is up 0.89% at 99.25
- Gold futures are down 0.30% at $5,278.60
- Silver futures are down 4.65% at $84.18
- Nikkei 225 closed down 3.06% at 56,279.05
- Hang Seng closed down 1.12% at 25,768.08
- FTSE 100 is down 2.76% at 10,478.54
- Euro Stoxx 50 is down 3.49% at 5,777.18
- DJIA closed on Monday down 0.15% at 48,904.78
- S&P 500 closed unchanged at 6,881.62
- Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.36% at 22,748.86
- S&P/TSX Composite closed up 0.59% at 34,541.30
- S&P 40 Latin America closed down 0.82% at 3,741.78
- U.S. 10-Year Treasury rate is up 9 bps at 4.05%
- E-mini S&P 500 futures are down 1.83% at 6,762.25
- E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are down 2.30% at 24,448.00
- E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are down 1.74% at 48,104.00
Bitcoin Stats
- BTC Dominance: 58.81%
- Ether to bitcoin ratio: 0.029284
- Hashrate (seven-day moving average): 977 EH/s
- Hashprice (spot): $29.14
- Total Fees: 2.65 BTC / $179,647
- CME Futures Open Interest: 104,220 BTC
- BTC priced in gold: 15.8 oz
- BTC vs gold market cap: 4.46%
Technical Analysis
- BTC/USD weekly remains technically constrained below the 200-week EMA, with a weekly relative strength index (RSI) of 27.89 and a lack of bullish divergence confirming a sideways grind between $65,000 and $70,000.
Crypto Equities
- Coinbase Global (COIN): closed on Monday at $185.24 (+5.34%), –5.64% at $174.80 in pre-market
- Galaxy Digital (GLXY): closed at $21.73 (+5.54%), –5.66% at $20.50
- MARA Holdings (MARA): closed at $9.45 (+5.70%), –4.97% at $8.98
- Riot Platforms (RIOT): closed at $16.43 (+0.86%), –5.11% at $15.59
- Core Scientific (CORZ): closed at $16.49 (–2.83%), –3.76% at $15.87
- CleanSpark (CLSK): closed at $10.55 (+6.03%), –4.83% at $10.04
- Exodus Movement (EXOD): closed at $10.47 (+2.65%)
- CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (WGMI): closed at $40.43 (+1.38%), –4.23% at $38.72
- Circle Internet Group (CRCL): closed at $96.14 (+15.22%), –6.57% at $89.82
- Bullish (BLSH): closed at $33.81 (+7.71%), –2.69% at $32.90
Crypto Treasury Companies
- Strategy (MSTR): closed at $137.65 (+6.29%), –4.42% at $131.56
- Strive Asset Management (ASST): closed at $8.73 (+9.95%), –4.24% at $8.36
- Sharplink (SBET): closed at $7.39 (+8.36%), –5.41% at $6.99
- Upexi (UPXI): closed at $0.88 (+32.73%)
- Lite Strategy (LITS): closed at $1.12 (–0.88%)
ETF Flows
Spot BTC ETFs
- Daily net flow: $458.2 million
- Cumulative net flows: $55.24 billion
- Total BTC holdings ~ 1.27 million
Spot ETH ETFs
- Daily net flow: $38.7 million
- Cumulative net flows: $11.67 billion
- Total ETH holdings ~ 5.67 million
Source: Farside Investors
While You Were Sleeping
Japan prime minister Sanae Takaichi disavows Solana meme coin after it crashes by 75% (CoinDesk): Japan’s prime minister says she has no knowledge of or involvement in a Solana-based meme token that briefly reached a $27.7 million market cap before tumbling.
Iran war live: Israel strikes Tehran and Beirut; drones hit US embassy in Riyadh (Reuters): Explosions tore through Tehran and Beirut and financial markets worldwide crumbled at the prospect of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies from U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
U.S. closes 2 Gulf embassies as Iran steps up retaliation (The New York Times): The U.S. closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after drone attacks and urged Americans to depart immediately from 14 Middle East countries, as Iran expanded its retaliatory strikes.
Dow futures fall; oil prices rise (The Wall Street Journal): Futures for the three main U.S. indexes dropped at least 1.4%. Stocks in Europe and Asia skidded, and oil prices rose, as the Middle East conflict showed signs of escalating on its fourth day.
A cryptocurrency using the name of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi briefly surged to a market value of about $27.7 million before sliding sharply after Takaichi publicly denied any connection to the token.
In a statement posted on X, Takaichi said she had no knowledge of the “Sanae Token,” adding that neither she nor her office had granted any approval related to it. She said the clarification was issued to prevent public misunderstanding.
“Due to the name, it seems there are various misunderstandings, but regarding this token, I have absolutely no knowledge of it, nor has my office been informed about what this token entails,” she wrote.
According to crypto data tracker Gmgn, the Solana-based crypto token briefly reached a market capitalization of $27.7 million on Feb. 25. Following Takaichi’s denial, its price and market cap declined sharply. At the time of writing, the token’s market capitalization stood at about $7 million.
FSA considers investigating the token
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is reportedly considering investigating parties involved in the token’s issuance.
According to Kyodo News on Tuesday, the regulator is weighing a probe into related operators to confirm the relevant facts. The FSA has not publicly announced a formal investigation.
Related: Bank of Japan testing blockchain settlement for bank deposits in new sandbox
The report said the company involved may lack the registration required to issue crypto assets in Japan.
Under Japan’s Payment Services Act, crypto asset exchange service providers must register with the FSA. Operating without proper registration can draw regulatory scrutiny, particularly where consumer protection concerns arise.
Political-name tokens draw scrutiny globally
Tokens referencing public figures have surfaced in multiple jurisdictions during recent speculative market cycles.
In the US, tokens referencing President Donald Trump have periodically gained traction before the president announced an official token.
On Jan. 17, 2025, Trump’s team announced the launch of an official Trump memecoin. The token briefly rose to about $73 before declining sharply. At the time of writing, it trades around $3.40, roughly 95% below its peak.
In Argentina, the Solana-based Libra token sparked an international scandal in February 2025 after President Javier Milei promoted it on X shortly after launch.
On Feb. 18, 2025, the token surged above $4.50 within minutes before crashing below $0.20 within hours, prompting allegations of a pump-and-dump scheme.
Magazine: Telegram avoids Philippines ban, yen carry trade going onchain: Asia Express
AI Summary
- The blog post discusses how blockchain-powered tokenization is transforming the United States real estate market by converting property assets into digital securities.
- Real estate tokenization allows investors to own fractional interests in properties, providing liquidity and borderless participation.
- The post outlines the key steps involved in real estate tokenization, such as asset structuring, regulatory compliance, smart contract development, and investor onboarding.
- It also highlights some of the top real estate tokenization companies in the US, including Antier, Brickken, RealT, Tokeny, Alpharive, InvestaX, SettleMint, Spydra, Securitize, and Rapid Innovation.
- These companies offer services ranging from compliance-focused consultation to asset digitization dashboards and investor management modules.
The United States real estate market, valued in the trillions, has long been considered one of the most stable yet illiquid asset classes. High capital requirements, lengthy transaction cycles, and limited accessibility have traditionally restricted participation. Today, blockchain-powered tokenization is reshaping this landscape by converting tangible property assets into compliant digital securities. As institutional capital increasingly flows toward real-world assets (RWAs), the demand for real estate tokenization development services is accelerating across commercial, residential, and mixed-use property segments.
What is Real Estate Tokenization?
Real estate tokenization is the process of turning real estate ownership interests in physical real estate into a digital blockchain token – these tokens are known on the blockchain as fractional equity interests, profit-sharing interests, or cash flow interests attached to an underlying real estate asset.
Instead of buying all of the buildings/structures, or putting money into a traditional REIT structure, investors now have the opportunity to own a digital fractional interest (fractional token) in these types of real estate investment opportunities via a legally determined way to hold/hold these interests in an entity.
On a structure basis, tokenization uses legal engineering and blockchain (distributed ledger) technology to provide investors with a way to digitize their interest in a real estate asset AND still comply with applicable laws. Commonly, the underlying real estate asset will have been acquired through a special purpose vehicle (SPV). Each token represents a unique economic right associated with that particular SPV.
Key characteristics of tokenized real estate include:
- Fractional ownership access
- Automated compliance via smart contracts
- Transparent blockchain-based ownership records
- Potential secondary liquidity
- Borderless participation frameworks
Given the regulatory and technical complexity involved, partnering with a specialized real estate tokenization development company is often essential to ensure compliant structuring, smart contract security, and scalable platform architecture.
Take a deep dive into Top Real Estate Tokenization Trends shaping property investment in 2026
How Does Tokenization Work in Real Estate?
The tokenization of real estate represents a multi-stage procedure that entails asset structuring, regulatory alignment, blockchain development, and investor management systems. Tokenization is achieved by merely issuing tokens, rather than creating a fully compliant digital securities framework; identified in the lifecycle stages below.
1. Asset Identification & Structuring
Properties are selected and legally structured through an SPV or other means, isolating liabilities and defining ownership.
2. Regulatory Compliance
Issuance of tokens must comply with SEC regulations; specifically, under Reg D, Reg A+, or Reg CF, to qualify as a compliant digital token security.
3. Smart Contract Development
Deploy smart contracts to represent ownership, enforce transfer restrictions and automate dividend distributions.
4. Investor Onboarding
Issuance platform should integrate means of verifying investor identity (KYC/AML requirements) as well as vetting the accreditation of any interested investor prior to being issued a token.
5. Primary Token Offering
Tokens should be offered to investors, in a manner compliant with available fundraising regulations, as a means of completing the initial token distribution phase of the overall tokenization process.
6. Secondary Market Liquidity
Tokens should be issued to investors under a compliant fundraising framework and subsequently listed on regulated digital markets (where applicable) in order to facilitate liquidity.
Companies that provide end-to-end real estate tokenization development services often manage the entire tokenization lifecycle (legal coordination, support, post-launch investor management, etc.), which, in turn; reduce operational friction for asset owners.
Explore a Strategic Guide to Real Estate Tokenization
Best Real Estate Tokenization Companies in US
The following organizations are frequently recognized among the real estate tokenization companies USA contributing to the growth of compliant digital property markets. As institutional adoption accelerates, many of these firms are projected to rank among the best real estate tokenization companies 2026 due to their regulatory depth, infrastructure capabilities, and scalability.
1. Antier
Antier is a technology-forward and human-centric real estate tokenization development company delivering enterprise-grade infrastructure for asset digitization. Recognized among leading property tokenization companies in the US, Antier integrates blockchain engineering with AI-driven intelligence to build scalable property tokenization ecosystems.
To demonstrate the advantages of their services, Antier provides full-spectrum project management tokenization infrastructure, compliant smart contracts and streamlined solutions for creating the second marketplace that can be customized according to client requirements. This combines both automation and investor-first design methodologies to help further establish Antier as one of the premier developers of real estate tokenization technology in the USA.
- End-to-end tokenization platform development
- AI-powered asset intelligence modules
- Regulatory-aligned smart contract architecture
- Investor onboarding & compliance integration
- Secondary marketplace enablement
Book a Compliance-Focused Consultation with the Experts
2. Brickken
Brickken’s Tokenization Framework allows for real estate owners to issue digital assets with minimal complexity through a series of streamlined issuance tools utilizing smart contracts to manage the lifecycle of the assets. This platform will make it easier for property sponsors to raise money through digital fundraising because it has regulatory compliant smart contracts.
The infrastructure of Brickken has been built to make token issuance simpler, thus keeping it aligned to compliance needs. By offering cap table automation and digital subscription management tools, Brickken makes the process simpler for issuers. Within the broader ecosystem of real estate tokenization firms USA, Brickken supports cross-border projects seeking structured asset digitization models.
- Token lifecycle management tools
- Compliance-ready smart contracts
- Asset digitization dashboards
- Cap table automation
- Investor management modules
3. RealT
RealT has been identified as one of the early leaders in the space for fractional blockchain-based real estate ownership, specifically within the United States. Their business model has been centered on the tokenization of rental properties, with the aim of providing fractional ownership via blockchain tokens for investors across the globe.
This has been achieved by providing the opportunity for smaller investment sizes, which has been a major factor for the democratization of real estate ownership within the United States.
This business model combines traditional property management with digital asset infrastructure, providing rental income distribution via blockchain technology, which has been a major factor for the prominent real estate tokenization companies USA.
- Property-level tokenization
- Automated rental income distribution
- Transparent on-chain ownership
- Retail-focused accessibility
- Investor-friendly dashboards
4. Tokeny
Tokeny is a provider of enterprise-level digital securities infrastructure that can be easily customized for different real estate tokenization applications. The company’s unique approach to compliance incorporates regulatory logic directly into its token standards. This is accomplished through the use of rule-based restrictions on the transfer of tokens and criteria for determining eligibility to invest.
The company’s technical rigor and regulatory alignment make it relevant among leading property tokenization companies US serving institutional markets. Its architecture supports issuance, identity verification, and lifecycle asset management within structured frameworks.
- ERC-3643 compliant token standard
- On-chain identity integration
- Institutional compliance modules
- Transfer restriction enforcement
- Lifecycle asset management
5. Alpharive
Alpharive is focused on structured real estate tokenization through the use of SPV structures. This is helpful in ensuring the modernization of the capital raise process for property developers and fund managers.
The structured approach is helpful in ensuring the strengthening of credibility for tokenization companies in the USA, especially in projects which require the use of investor accreditation processes.
- SPV-based token issuance
- Accredited investor onboarding
- Digital subscription management
- Cap table automation
- Investor reporting tools
6. InvestaX
InvestaX is a regulated digital securities platform that operates on an established system, allowing for property-backed tokens to be issued (with the capability of being integrated into a marketplace). Its cross-border nature enables capital from all over the world to participate in structured product offerings.
By combining issuance frameworks with exchange-grade systems, InvestaX contributes to the expanding global dimension of real estate tokenization firms USA engaging foreign investor bases.
- Licensed digital securities infrastructure
- Exchange integration
- Cross-border investor participation
- Custody partnerships
- Asset lifecycle management
7. SettleMint
SettleMint is a company that offers enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure that has the capability for customization for specific property tokenization ecosystems. Instead of a specific platform for issuing tokens, it allows enterprises to develop their own internal digital asset systems that conform to existing ERP and regulatory systems.
This model, which is based on infrastructure, allows enterprises that want to develop specific real estate tokenization development services frameworks within institutional systems.
- Low-code blockchain deployment
- Multi-chain compatibility
- Enterprise integration APIs
- Permissioned blockchain options
- Scalable backend systems
8. Spydra
Spydra is dedicated to providing enterprises with a secure, permissioned blockchain for tokenization. Its goal is to address major institutional concerns such as control of assets, compliance with regulations, and protecting the privacy of data.
By offering private network deployments and compliance-integrated smart contracts, Spydra strengthens enterprise adoption pathways among top real estate tokenization companies in the USA supporting regulated markets.
- Private blockchain deployment
- Compliance-oriented smart contracts
- Asset lifecycle automation
- Identity-integrated frameworks
- Enterprise-grade security
9. Securitize
Securitize, a leading regulated digital securities platform specifically designed for the issuer of Tokenized Assets, such as Property-Backed Instruments, in the USA, is also a registered transfer agent that provides seamless issuance and trading capabilities.
By integrating transfer agent services with digital marketplace functionality, Securitize delivers a comprehensive lifecycle ecosystem, positioning it among influential real estate tokenization companies USA shaping institutional adoption trends.
10. Rapid Innovation
Through its team-based approach to custom-built solutions for real estate tokenization, Rapid Innovation positions itself as both a technology provider and consultant to firms looking to capitalize on emerging technologies such as blockchain. It also specializes in developing tokenomics frameworks and providing access to creating secure smart contracts, which are critical components of any successful tokenization project.
Rapid Innovation continues to support other real estate tokenization firms USA throughout the United States by enabling them to collaborate with existing regulated issuance platforms and helping them bring their vision into fruition through technological support for their respective clients.
- Custom security token development
- Smart contract engineering
- Platform architecture design
- Blockchain advisory services
- Integration and deployment support
Future Outlook of Tokenized US Real Estate Ecosystem
The tokenized real estate industry in the United States continues to advance towards the widespread adoption of tokenized real property within the mainstream financial markets. As the regulatory landscape becomes more defined and the infrastructure supporting digital securities continues to advance, tokenized real property will become a vital part of the modern capital markets.
The best real estate tokenization companies 2026 will be those that offer depth in regulatory compliance, infrastructure, and intelligent systems within the real estate tokenization Development Services.
Antier is well positioned to meet the needs of the tokenized real property markets because the company offers a human-centric approach to real estate tokenization solutions that integrate intelligent systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
01. What is real estate tokenization?
Real estate tokenization is the process of converting ownership interests in physical real estate into digital blockchain tokens, allowing investors to own fractional interests in real estate assets.
02. What are the benefits of tokenized real estate?
Benefits of tokenized real estate include fractional ownership access, automated compliance through smart contracts, transparent ownership records on the blockchain, potential secondary liquidity, and borderless participation.
03. Why is partnering with a specialized real estate tokenization development company important?
Partnering with a specialized company is crucial to ensure compliant structuring, smart contract security, and scalable platform architecture due to the regulatory and technical complexities involved in tokenization.
Bitcoin (BTC) is flashing a fresh “death cross” on its three-day chart, marking the bearish signal’s first appearance since June 2022.
Key takeaways:
Past BTC death crosses preceded 35% drops
A death cross pattern appears when the short-term 50-period moving average crosses below the longer-term 200-period moving average, and it has at times presaged further near-term weakness.
In 2022, for example, Bitcoin’s 50–200 MA crossover on the three-day chart came before a steep slide of about 50%, with BTC eventually bottoming near $15,480.
In total, BTC has formed a death cross three times before 2026. The average returns over the following one, three, and 12 months were around –35%, –20%, +30%, respectively.
Bitcoin averaged a drawdown of roughly 80% from its peak in those three cycles. As of March 2026, BTC had already dropped by about 50% since its record high of around $126,270 five months ago.
Related: Bitcoin slide slowing, but bear market still in play: Analysts
It suggests BTC is now entering “the most brutal part of the bear market,” per analyst Mister Crypto.
That view echoes market commentators who see Bitcoin eventually carving a bottom in the $30,000–$45,000 range.
Bitcoin ETFs attract $458.20 million despite Middle East turmoil
US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $458.20 million in net inflows on Monday, signaling that dip-buying has returned after weeks of outflows.
The inflows came as Bitcoin volatility spiked following a sharp escalation in the Middle East.
After US and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, Iran said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and warned it would attack ships attempting to pass, raising fresh concerns about energy prices, supply chain stability, and shipping routes.
However, Arthur Hayes, the former BitMEX CEO, argued that this may eventually boost Bitcoin prices.
In a recent essay, Hayes said that prolonged US involvement could eventually push policymakers toward easier money.
He wrote that the longer US President Donald Trump engages in costly “Iranian nation-building,” the higher the chance the Fed “lowers the price and increases the quantity of money.”
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
Although it has been around for over half a decade in one form or another, and its Open Network was officially released over a year ago, Pi Network continues to be the center of tons of controversy related to its KYC procedures, as users are quite vocal about their failed migration processes.
Now, though, Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis, one of the project’s co-founders, spoke about some key details, including what could be next for Pi.
Pi’s KYC System
The exec began by explaining that the Pi Network community had “spent years collectively building Pi KYC solution.” They have created a system that allows people from all over the world to interact while keeping their privacy safe, he added. Because Pioneers are located worldwide, the KYC system had to achieve broad geographic coverage and scalability.
In addition to regular identity verification, the solution also integrates sanction screening and compliance checks in a single system. He outlined several reasons why the Core Team had decided to invest “so heavily” into building a robust KYC system:
“From Pi Network’s perspective, it is foundational to the integrity and authenticity of the network. We also wanted to mitigate the need for Pioneers to pay out of pocket in order to verify their identity and thereby ensure accessibility to the entire community.”
He said the team sees KYC as a critical but unsolved problem in Web3. Consequently, they decided to build their system in-house rather than outsource it.
KYC’s Next Stage
Dr. Kokkalis further explained that the next phases of Pi’s KYC solution would be to treat it as a service, not just an internal system. Now, any transfer of funds or information begs the question of the identities of the sides involved in the move.
Being a project that has internally created its own KYC solution, the co-founder said Pi Network will offer their tech and product (not the data itself) as a service to other projects in Web3 or traditional businesses. He explained that Pi’s KYC approach is distinctive in several ways from other similar solutions:
- Global coverage
- Scalabity
- A hybrid model that combines AI and human verification
- Completed solution
He said the team is also working on adding additional safety steps, such as fingerprint verifications, to ensure no user information is lost or compromised. Lastly, he believes this step will allow the onboarding of non-Pi users to the Pi Network ecosystem.
The user comments below the official post on X were split on the matter. Some were supportive, indicating that if Pi KYC becomes a “true platform capability, that could be a major step toward real-world utility.” Others continue to be dismissive about Pi’s potential, saying, “What you are doing right now is preventing people who have been mining Pi Coin for 6 years from claiming their Pi coins, out of fear that the price might drop even further.”
The post Pi Network Co-Founder Shares Key KYC Updates Pioneers Must Know appeared first on CryptoPotato.
The European Central Bank said rising stablecoin use can pull money out of bank deposits and weaken the way monetary policy flows through to lending, according to a new ECB working paper published Tuesday.
Growing adoption of stablecoins, which are digital assets often pegged to currencies such as the US dollar or euro, is expected to draw funds away from traditional bank deposits, the ECB said in its latest working paper series, “Stablecoins and Monetary Policy Transmission,” released Tuesday.
“Our analysis shows that rising interest in stablecoins is linked to a measurable decline in retail bank deposits and a reduction in lending to firms,” the report said, noting that stablecoins can reduce the amount of credit banks provide to the real economy.
The ECB noted that the effects are nonlinear and vary depending on the scale of stablecoin adoption, their design features, and how they are regulated.
The report is part of the ECB’s ongoing efforts to monitor stablecoins, whose market capitalization has more than doubled over the past three years to $312 billion and is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2028.
Stablecoin impact: Banks, monetary policy and why currency matters
In assessing the impact of growing stablecoin adoption on banks, the ECB highlighted a deposit-substitution effect, where households and firms move funds from retail bank deposits to digital assets.
“Banks rely heavily on deposits as a stable and low-cost source of funding to support lending to households and businesses,” the study said.
“When deposits decline, banks may be forced to rely more on wholesale or market-based funding, which is typically more expensive and less stable,” it added.
The report also finds that stablecoins can change how policy interest rates affect bank funding costs and lending, with impacts varying by adoption scale, design and regulation.
“We find that stablecoin adoption interferes with multiple monetary policy transmission channels, potentially weakening the predictability of policy actions,” the ECB said.
Related: ECB targets 2027 digital euro pilot as provider selection begins in Q1 2026
The central bank warned that foreign-currency stablecoins could further weaken the connection between domestic monetary policy and bank lending, with risks amplified when the market is dominated by non-euro-denominated tokens.
The study reiterated that US dollar-backed stablecoins make up the vast majority of the stablecoin market. Data from CoinGecko shows these dollar-pegged tokens are valued at $301 billion, representing 97% of total stablecoin market capitalization at publishing time.
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[PRESS RELEASE – Toronto, Canada, March 3rd, 2026]
Paradex has announced that the Token Generation Event for its native token, $DIME, is expected to take place soon. The launch represents the next phase in the exchange’s development.
Institutional Background and Market Growth
Paradex was developed by the team behind Paradigm, an institutional crypto derivatives liquidity network that has processed more than $1 trillion in trading volume. That background is reflected in Paradex’s focus on execution quality, capital efficiency, and market structure.
Since launching their on-chain perpetuals exchange, Paradex has recorded:
- Over $250 billion in cumulative trading volume
- Approximately $550 million in open interest
- More than 75,000 users
- Peak daily trading volume above $3 billion
The exchange operates with an off-chain central limit order book (CLOB) for matching, and settles transactions through a high-throughput Layer 2 appchain secured by zk-STARK proofs on Ethereum.
Focus on Market Structure and Privacy
A key differentiator for Paradex is its approach to information exposure. On transparent blockchains, position sizes and liquidation levels can often be observed publicly. Paradex encrypts sensitive state data prior to settlement while using zero-knowledge proofs to maintain validity. Access to detailed account information is restricted to verified users.
In addition, the exchange incorporates:
- Zero trading fees for retail participants
- Retail Price Improvement flow segmentation
- A no auto-deleveraging risk model
- On-chain vault infrastructure for yield strategies
These features are designed to reduce execution friction and mitigate structural risks that have historically limited institutional participation in decentralized derivatives markets.
$DIME and Network Alignment
According to Messari’s research coverage, $DIME will launch on Paradex’s spot market and will serve as the native gas token of Paradex Chain.
Messari notes that the token is structured to reduce the traditional conflict of interest between equity holders and tokenholders by directing economic value accrual to the $DIME token itself. Rather than implementing automatic buyback formulas, Paradex intends to conduct buybacks on a discretionary basis, with decisions guided by market conditions and ecosystem considerations.
Token Allocation Overview
Messari outlines the following allocation structure for $DIME:
- 25.1 percent Core Contributors
- 25.0 percent Community Airdrop
- 20.0 percent to Season 2 XP holders
- 5.0 percent to Pre-Season and Season 1 XP holders
- Fully unlocked at launch
- 21.6 percent Ongoing Community Rewards
- 13.4 percent Paradigm Shareholders
- 10.4 percent preferred equity investors subject to a 12-month linear unlock beginning one month after listing
- 1.0 percent common equity holders
- 2.0 percent reserved for Paradigm’s balance sheet
- 6.0 percent Foundation Budget
- 5.0 percent Liquidity Programs
- 3.9 percent Future Core Contributors and Advisors
80% of the tokens allocated to Core Contributors and Paradigm shareholders are subject to performance-based unlock conditions. The remaining 20 percent follows a time-based vesting schedule, with 25 percent unlocking one year after listing and the remainder vesting monthly over the following 36 months.
This structure is intended to align long-term incentives between contributors and the broader community.
Looking Ahead
Paradex has stated that it plans to expand beyond perpetual futures into spot markets, options, real-world asset products, and more. The $DIME TGE represents a shift toward a network model in which the token underpins economic coordination and value accrual across the platform.
With measurable trading activity, defined tokenomics, and a focus on privacy-preserving infrastructure, the upcoming launch of $DIME will provide a clearer view into how Paradex intends to scale its on-chain derivatives model over the long term.
Further details regarding timing and listing specifics are expected to be released in the coming days. Users can check Paradex’s socials for more information.
About Paradex
Paradex is a privacy-focused decentralized perpetual futures exchange built on its own high-performance Layer 2 appchain using the Starknet stack. The platform combines an off-chain central limit order book for execution with zk-STARK-secured on-chain settlement to deliver centralized-level efficiency within a self-custodial framework.
Developed by the team behind Paradigm, an institutional crypto derivatives liquidity network that has processed over $1 trillion in trading volume, Paradex emphasizes market structure, capital efficiency, and position confidentiality. The exchange currently supports more than 100 markets and integrates features such as Retail Price Improvement flow segmentation, a no auto-deleveraging risk model, and on-chain vault infrastructure.
Paradex aims to expand its ecosystem beyond perpetual futures into spot markets, options, real-world asset products, and more, positioning itself as a broader on-chain financial infrastructure platform.
For more information, users can visit Paradex’s official website and social channels.
The post Paradex Signals Upcoming $DIME Token Generation Event appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Key Takeaways
- Drone strikes directly impacted two AWS facilities in the UAE, with a third location in Bahrain suffering collateral damage.
- Critical cloud services like EC2, S3, and DynamoDB reported increased error rates and reduced performance.
- While AWS has brought the Management Console partially back online, full recovery is expected to take considerable time due to infrastructure damage.
- Customers received guidance from Amazon to shift their operations to alternative AWS regions across the United States, Europe, or Asia Pacific.
- Shares of AMZN declined more than 2% during Tuesday’s pre-market session after the incident was disclosed.
Amazon (AMZN) shares experienced a decline exceeding 2% in pre-market hours on Tuesday after Amazon Web Services disclosed that military drone attacks connected to escalating Middle East tensions had inflicted damage on its infrastructure in the UAE and Bahrain.
The attacks occurred early Sunday morning according to local time zones. AWS initially communicated through its health status dashboard that unidentified “objects” had impacted UAE-based facilities, resulting in “sparks and fire.”
Later on Monday evening, AWS provided more detailed information. Two facilities located in the UAE sustained “direct strikes,” while a third installation in Bahrain went offline following a nearby strike that caused substantial physical infrastructure damage.
“These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,” AWS said in a statement.
The resulting damage caused significant disruptions to multiple critical services within the affected geographic zones. EC2 compute instances, S3 storage solutions, and DynamoDB — AWS’s managed NoSQL database platform — all experienced higher-than-normal error rates and diminished performance.
According to AWS, DynamoDB error rates “remain elevated” with no “meaningful improvement” observed as of their latest update. Additional services including Lambda, Kinesis, and CloudWatch also “remain degraded.”
One bright spot: AWS successfully brought its Management Console back to partial functionality, allowing customers to access the web-based interface for managing their cloud resources. However, the restoration remains incomplete, with certain console pages continuing to generate error responses.
Extended Recovery Expected
AWS indicated that the recovery process will be “prolonged given the nature of the physical damage involved.” Engineering teams continue to evaluate the complete scope of infrastructure damage while making worker safety their top priority.
The cloud provider noted that certain data retrieval capabilities and service functionality can be brought back online without requiring complete facility restoration — and those efforts are currently in progress.
AWS holds the position as the global leader in cloud infrastructure services, meaning that even geographically limited outages can affect a substantial customer base.
The tech giant recommended that customers operating workloads in Middle Eastern regions implement data backup procedures and evaluate migrating their resources to alternative AWS regions spanning the United States, Europe, or Asia Pacific territories.
AWS also cautioned that the continuing instability throughout the Middle East region could lead to “unpredictable” operational conditions in the foreseeable future.
Effects on Amazon’s Broader Operations
The disruption extended beyond cloud infrastructure to impact Amazon’s e-commerce operations throughout the region. The company posted advisory notices across its online marketplaces in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE alerting customers to expect “extended delivery time in your area.”
The drone attacks coincided with Iran’s launch of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles targeting Israel and facilities associated with U.S. interests throughout the Gulf region, representing retaliation for coordinated U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iranian positions.
Amazon acknowledged the connection between the service disruptions and the regional military conflict in its Monday evening communication — marking the first official confirmation linking the infrastructure damage to the geopolitical escalation.
According to the most recent status update, conditions at the UAE-based facility “remain largely unchanged,” with technical teams continuing efforts to achieve complete infrastructure restoration.
Financial analysts on Wall Street continue to rate AMZN as a Strong Buy, with 40 Buy recommendations and 3 Hold ratings issued over the preceding three-month period. The consensus price target stands at $282.21, suggesting approximately 35% potential upside from present trading levels.
Bitcoin’s price exploded on Monday by several grand, reaching a new multi-week peak of just over $70,000, only to be rejected and driven south by $3,000.
Most larger-cap alts experienced similar volatility but have stalled and now sit at essentially the same levels as yesterday. HYPE is among the few gainers from the larger caps, while XMR is deep in the red.
BTC Stopped at $70K
The primary cryptocurrency’s intense volatile ride began on Saturday morning when the US and Israel attacked Iran with numerous strikes. BTC dipped immediately from $67,000 to $63,000. Iran retaliated against several nations in its region, but bitcoin remained relatively unfazed. Moreover, it bounced to just over $68,000 after reports emerged that Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed during the attacks.
It dipped further after the legacy financial markets opened, but managed to remain above $65,000. Then came an unexpected rally that shook the bears. In just under an hour, bitcoin skyrocketed by roughly five grand, going from $65,200 to a multi-week peak of $70,150 (on Bistamp).
This came ahead of Trump’s speech on the Iranian situation, in which he claimed the US has complete control but warned that the war could last weeks. BTC was stopped once again at $70,000 as it happened last week, and driven south to $68,500. Minutes ago, it began to nosedive once again, and now trades below $66,500.
Its market cap is down to $1.330 trillion, while its dominance over the alts stands tall at 56.4% on CG.
NEAR Rockets
Ethereum flew past $2,000 yesterday, only to be rejected once again at that level, and is now down to $1,950. BNB was stopped ahead of $650, while XRP dropped from $1.45 to $1.35 as of now. On a daily scale, ADA, XMR, DOGE, HBAR, and XLM have lost the most value from the larger caps, while HYPE is up by almost 5% to nearly $32.
NEAR has charted the most substantial gains, soaring by over 15% to $1.37. MORPHO and ENA are next, while M has dropped by 9%.
The total crypto market cap is down by almost $100 billion since yesterday’s peak to $2.360 trillion on CG.
The post NEAR Skyrockets 15% Daily, BTC Price Plummets Below $67K: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Cardano’s native token was among the few larger-cap alts that failed to chart a new all-time high during the late 2024/2025 bull run. Its upward move was capped at around $1.30, and it couldn’t break through.
However, its subsequent correction has been quite painful. ADA currently trades at around $0.26, which means that it’s lost over 80% of its value since its 2024/2025 peak. Moreover, it’s down by 91.4% since its all-time high marked in early September 2021.
Popular crypto analyst, Ali Martinez, outlined in a recent post ADA’s most significant support levels. The first is closeby at $0.245, which, if broken, could lead to a more profound nosedive to $0.112.
In case such a 60% decline also takes place if the crypto winter worsens, ADA’s next line of defense could be at $0.051. These levels might seem nearly impossible for the Cardano bulls, but the asset has produced numerous corrections of more than 60% in its past.
3 support levels for Cardano $ADA:
• $0.245
• $0.112
• $0.051 pic.twitter.com/ofHqqLWugn— Ali Charts (@alicharts) March 3, 2026
X User Mentor also weighed in on Cardano’s future price performance and brought up a level close to the first support line from Ali Martinez. They made a bold claim that ADA will never go below $0.25 again, and even forecasted a massive surge to $1.00.
The post These Are ADA’s Most Important Support Levels as Cardano’s Price Drops 11% Monthly appeared first on CryptoPotato.
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