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B2B Stablecoin Payments Grew Over 730% YoY in 2025

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From windmills to auto parts, small to medium-sized are leading the way with stablecoin adoption, per a new report from Stablecon and Artemis.

Business-to-business (B2B) stablecoin payments ballooned over 730% year-over-year in 2025, according to a new report by Artemis and Stablecon.

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Monthly stablecoin volume in billions USD across countries. Source: Artemis

For cross-border payments, the United States received the largest stablecoin flows into the country, with nearly $127 billion monthly. China emerged as the second-largest country for receiving stablecoin payments from international senders, processing nearly $71 billion per month on average, followed by Hong Kong with almost $51 billion.

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Stablecoin payments by type. Source: Artemis

The report estimates that total annual stablecoin payments soared to $390 billion, more than double 2024 levels, with B2B transactions accounting for roughly 60% of the total.

Though they represent a relatively small slice of stablecoin payment types, card-linked stablecoin transactions saw massive growth last year as well, surging 840% year-over-year.

Speaking with The Defiant, Andrew Van Aken, data scientist at Artemis, clarified that, contrary to popular belief, the top countries for stablecoin usage tend to be those with the highest payment volumes, and developed economies are also increasingly adopting new payment methods.

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“I think the most important angle is that the top stablecoin countries tend to be the countries with the highest payment volumes. While the narrative is often that stablecoins are used in emerging countries, developed countries are also looking for new and innovative payment methods,” Van Aken said.

Van Aken also specified that on the B2B side, adoption is concentrated among small and medium-sized businesses — from windmills to scarf makers to auto part companies — seeking to decrease payment times.

“We can’t explicitly shed light on specifics, but it tends to be a lot of small to medium-sized businesses, often tech forward businesses that are looking to decrease payment times,” he added.

As the report itself also notes, the rise in stablecoin use may be linked to their ability to speed up cross-border payments and reduce the extra steps of traditional banking.

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3 AI Stocks That Can Outperform Nvidia in March

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NVIDIA Price Analysis

NVIDIA dominates the AI chip market. But dominance doesn’t always mean the best risk-reward. With institutional money flow turning cautious, tariff headwinds on Taiwan-made chips, and a valuation demanding 60%+ sustained growth — smart money is looking at other AI stocks.

Here are three AI stocks that could offer a sharper setup, both technical and fundamental, heading into March 2026. And watch out for a high risk, honorary pick, right at the end.

How is Nvidia (NVDA) Looking?

NVIDIA, the largest holding in the Technology sector (XLK) at 15.79% weightage at press time, reports its Q4 FY2026 earnings on February 25, post-market close.

Wall Street expects high numbers, but recent history shows that hasn’t been enough. After Q3’s $57 billion beat, the stock barely moved and has traded sideways since.

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Despite being up over 50% year-on-year, NVIDIA’s chart has been trading inside a descending channel since late October. At press time, the price appears to be breaking out of this channel — but the breakout needs confirmation.

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A sustained hold above $195, followed by a move through $203 and $212, would flip the structure bullish.

However, if the breakout fails, the $190 and $179 zones have acted as near-term support, with deeper downside risk below that.
The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) — which tracks whether institutional money is flowing into or out of a stock — remains a concern.

The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator has remained below the zero line since mid-January, indicating net money continues to leave despite the price recovery.

If CMF fails to flip positive (like mid-January), the price recovery loses its institutional backing, and the descending channel could reassert itself.

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NVIDIA Price Analysis
NVIDIA Price Analysis: TradingView

On the fundamental side, NVIDIA manufactures 100% of its GPUs through TSMC in Taiwan. This fully exposes it to Section 232 semiconductor import tariffs, raising chip costs.

China’s revenue has collapsed under US export restrictions, cutting off the world’s second-largest AI market.

And at 35x EV/EBITDA (a measure of how expensive a stock is relative to its earnings power), NVIDIA needs 60%+ sustained growth just to justify its current price. With these risks in play, three other AI stocks may offer a sharper setup into March.

Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM)

TSMC (TSM), the first stock on the list, is up nearly 100% year-on-year. That outpaces even NVIDIA’s 50% gain and the reason is straightforward. TSMC manufactures over 90% of the world’s most advanced chips.

Every NVIDIA GPU, Broadcom ASIC, and AMD processor runs on TSMC fabrication. It doesn’t matter who wins the AI chip race. TSMC builds for all of them.

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Here’s what most investors miss. TSMC controls NVIDIA’s cost structure. It raised prices 10-20% on advanced chips recently. Customers paid without hesitation as no alternative exists.

Intel is generations behind, and Samsung has yield problems. When TSMC raises prices, its margins expand. When NVIDIA pays those prices, its margins shrink.

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And unlike NVIDIA, TSMC doesn’t pay import tariffs. Tariffs hit the importer, not the exporter. TSMC exports. NVIDIA imports. Plus, TSMC’s new Arizona fabs produce US-made chips — completely tariff-free.

At 18x EV/EBITDA — a measure of price relative to core earnings — TSMC costs nearly half of NVIDIA’s 35x. Last quarter, 1,945 institutions opened new positions, worth $49 billion, one of the highest inflows among AI stocks.

On the chart, TSM trades inside an ascending channel since mid-December. A breakout, which is almost there, could target $470 — over 20% upside, starting in March itself.

CMF reads 0.21, above zero, confirming steady institutional inflow. A push past 0.28 would strengthen the breakout signal.

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TSM Price Analysis
TSM Price Analysis: TradingView

On the downside, $386 is critical support. A correction, likely triggered by the Taiwan-specific geopolitical tensions, could test $362 or $346. Only a sustained break below $346 turns the structure neutral.

Alphabet (GOOGL)

This AI stock might throw a surprise. On the daily chart, Alphabet looks weak. It’s mostly flat year-to-date. Down 7% over the past month. The price is forming a head and shoulders pattern with a downward sloping neckline. But here’s the interesting part.

Since hitting the right shoulder on February 23, the price has tried to rebound. It now sits near the right shoulder level. A break above $319 would weaken the bearish pattern. It turns the structure neutral.

Above $349, the short-term bearish thesis gets completely invalidated.

The CMF tells a different story than the price. While NVIDIA’s CMF remains negative — showing institutional money leaving — Alphabet’s CMF has turned positive at 0.09.

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Similar to TSM, money is flowing in despite the weak price action. A sustained move above 0.19 would confirm institutional accumulation is carrying into Q1 2026.

GOOGL Price Analysis
GOOGL Price Analysis: TradingView

Even in the last quarter, 520 institutions opened new positions averaging $74 million each.

The fundamental edge is unique. Google doesn’t just use AI — it sells cheaper AI infrastructure to NVIDIA’s own customers. Its Ironwood TPUs cost roughly $15,000. NVIDIA’s GPUs cost $30,000-$40,000.

Google Cloud grew 48% last quarter. Operating margin jumped from 17.5% to 30.1% in one year.

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And as a software and services company, Alphabet has zero tariff exposure — unlike NVIDIA’s 100%.

If the price breaks below $286, the bearish pattern confirms. That could push prices toward $276 and lower levels — likely triggered by broader tech selling or disappointing Cloud growth guidance.

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But the CMF divergence and institutional flows suggest smart money is positioning for a reversal, not a breakdown.

Last on the list but not the least. This AI stock is up 64% year-on-year but flat over the last seven days.

An inverse head and shoulders pattern is forming now. This is a classic reversal structure, which can change the short-term weakness. The AVGO price is now moving toward the neckline at $350.

A breakout above that level opens the path for a near 20% move — potentially pushing AVGO close to $420. That breakout window aligns with early March, right around its Q1 FY2026 earnings on March 4. A beat-and-raise on March 4 could be the trigger that cracks the neckline of the bullish pattern.

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AVGO Price Analysis:
AVGO Price Analysis: TradingView

Here’s what makes Broadcom a direct NVIDIA challenger. AI is shifting from the training phase to inference — running models at scale for millions of users. NVIDIA GPUs dominate training. But for inference, custom ASICs are 3-5x more energy-efficient and cost way less.

Broadcom designs these ASICs for Google, Meta, ByteDance, and now OpenAI. As inference scales, Broadcom is positioned for the bigger phase ahead, courtesy of this AI shift.

The Money Flow Index (MFI) — which measures buying and selling pressure using both price and volume — confirms accumulation on dips.

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Since February 10, while prices trended lower, MFI has trended higher. And that’s a bullish divergence. MFI currently sits around 67, still below the overheated 80 threshold. Room to run. This means, possibly retail is picking up AVGO shares at a clip.

On the downside, $314 is critical. A break below would weaken the bullish setup. Under $295, the inverse head and shoulders invalidates entirely. A broader AI spending slowdown or weaker-than-expected March 4 guidance could trigger that scenario.

Honorable Mention: Palantir Technologies (PLTR) — The Risky Bet

Palantir didn’t make the main list of AI stocks, courtesy of the high valuation risk.

But the chart is flashing reversal signals worth watching. Between February 5 and 24, the price made a lower low, yet the relative strength index (RSI), a momentum indicator, made a higher low. That’s a classic bullish divergence.

The CMF confirms it. Between February 9 and 25, prices trended down while CMF trended up. Two separate indicators pointing toward bullishness.

If $126 holds as a base, the first target is $143. Beyond that, $170 — a strong resistance from early January — becomes the key level.

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PLTR Price Analysis
PLTR Price Analysis: TradingView

Fundamentally, Palantir is one of the few AI companies turning AI into real revenue. Last quarter delivered $1.41 billion — up 70% year-on-year. It carries zero debt, $4 billion in cash, and like the three main picks, zero tariff exposure. Pure software.

Here’s the catch. PLTR trades at over 200x P/E — meaning investors are paying $200 for every $1 the company earns. That’s a price tag that assumes everything goes perfectly.

Any stumble in growth, and the stock could fall hard. Moreover, losing $126 invalidates the entire setup.

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Is The Bull Market Back?

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Is The Bull Market Back?

Key points:

  • Bitcoin bulls have pushed the price above $69,000, signaling solid dip buying at lower levels.

  • Several major altcoins have turned up sharply, suggesting that selling pressure is reducing.

Bitcoin (BTC) bulls purchased Tuesday’s dip and are attempting to sustain the price above $69,000 on Wednesday. According to SoSoValue data, BTC exchange-traded funds recorded net inflows of $257.7 million on Tuesday, the largest inflows since Feb. 6. That suggests investors are viewing the dips near $60,000 as a buying opportunity.

Santiment said in a post on X that BTC’s correlation with stocks has broken down in the past six months. The S&P 500 rose 7% during the period, while BTC fell 43%. However, the on-chain data provider added that the disconnection is unlikely to stay forever. If BTC follows its historical pattern of tracking equities during economic expansions, then “it may have significant room to catch up.”

Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView

Not everyone is bullish on BTC’s prospects in the short term. Glassnode said in a post on X that BTC’s realized profit/loss ratio (90-day moving average) slipped below 1. Historically, breaks below 1 have resulted in at least six months of loss realization before the level was reclaimed. 

Could BTC and select major altcoins break above their overhead resistance levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

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Bitcoin price prediction

BTC has risen sharply from the $62,510 level on Tuesday, indicating that the bulls are vigorously defending the $60,000 level.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers will attempt to thrust the Bitcoin price above the 20-day exponential moving average ($69,375). If they succeed, the BTC/USDT pair may rally to the breakdown level of $74,508, where the bears are again expected to mount a strong defense.

Sellers will have to successfully defend the 20-day EMA if they want to retain the advantage. If the price turns down sharply from the 20-day EMA, the $60,000 support may be at risk of breaking down. If that happens, the pair may plummet to $52,500.

Ether price prediction

Ether (ETH) turned up from the $1,800 level on Tuesday, indicating that the bulls are attempting to retain the price inside the $1,750 to $2,111 range.

ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The relief rally is expected to face selling at the $2,111 level. If the Ether price turns down sharply from $2,111, the ETH/USDT pair may extend its stay inside the range for a few more days.

Alternatively, if buyers propel the price above the $2,111 level, it suggests that the bears are losing their grip. The pair may then surge to the 50-day SMA ($2,540), where the bears are again expected to step in.

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XRP price prediction

XRP (XRP) turned up sharply and has reached the 20-day EMA ($1.46), indicating that the bulls are attempting a comeback.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If the XRP price closes above the 20-day EMA, the XRP/USDT pair may rally to the 50-day SMA ($1.70) and eventually to the downtrend line. Buyers will have to clear the hurdle at the downtrend line to signal a potential trend change.

Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will attempt to defend the moving averages and pull the price below the support line. If they can pull it off, the pair may nosedive to the Feb. 6 low of $1.11 and then $1.

BNB price prediction

BNB (BNB) has risen sharply from $577, indicating that the bulls are aggressively defending the $570 level.

BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers will have to swiftly drive the price above the 20-day EMA ($641) to strengthen their position. If they manage to do that, the BNB/USDT pair may rise to $669 and eventually to $730.

Contrary to this assumption, if the BNB price turns down and breaks below $570, it indicates that the bears are in control. The pair may then resume the downtrend toward the psychological level at $500.

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Solana price prediction

Solana (SOL) dipped below the $76 support on Tuesday, but the bears could not maintain the lower levels.

SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The SOL/USDT pair is attempting a recovery, which is expected to face selling at the 20-day EMA ($87). If the price turns down sharply from the 20-day EMA, the possibility of a break below the $76 level increases. The Solana price may then tumble to the Feb. 6 low of $67.

Instead, if bulls push the price above the 20-day EMA, the relief rally may reach the $95 level. This is a crucial level to watch out for, as a close above $95 suggests that the bulls are back in the game. The pair may then rally toward $117.

Dogecoin price prediction

Dogecoin (DOGE) turned up sharply from the $0.09 level, and the bulls are attempting to drive the price above the 20-day EMA ($0.10).

DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Sellers are unlikely to give up easily and will strive to defend the 20-day EMA. If the Dogecoin price turns down from the 20-day EMA, it increases the likelihood of a drop to the $0.08 support. Buyers are expected to fiercely defend the $0.08 level, as a close below it may start the next leg of the downtrend to the $0.06 level.

Buyers will have to maintain the price above the 20-day EMA to indicate that the bears are losing their grip. The DOGE/USDT pair may then march toward the breakdown level of $0.12.

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Bitcoin Cash price prediction

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) turned down sharply from the 50-day SMA ($564) and fell below the $500 support on Monday.

BCH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 20-day EMA has started to turn down, and the RSI is in the negative territory, indicating an advantage to the bears. That suggests the relief rally to the 20-day EMA is likely to be sold into. If the Bitcoin Cash price turns down from the 20-day EMA, the possibility of a drop to the $443 level increases.

The first sign of strength will be a close above the moving averages. The BCH/USDT pair may then rise to $580 and subsequently to $600.

Related: Bitcoin price climbs 3% as gold divergence signals ‘significant upside’

Hyperliquid price prediction

Hyperliquid (HYPE) fell below the 50-day SMA ($28.10) on Monday, indicating that the bears are attempting to take charge. 

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HYPE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers are striving to push the price back above the moving averages but are likely to face stiff resistance from the bears. If the Hyperliquid price turns down from the moving averages, the HYPE/USDT pair may drop to the solid support at $20.82.

Contrarily, if the price closes above the 20-day EMA ($29.31), it suggests buying at lower levels. The pair may then ascend to $32.50 and later to the stiff resistance at $36.77. The next trending move is expected to begin on a close above $36.77 or below $20.82.

Cardano price prediction

The bears failed to pull Cardano (ADA) to the support line of the descending channel pattern, indicating a lack of selling at lower levels.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The buyers are attempting to make a comeback by sustaining the Cardano price above the 20-day EMA ($0.28). If they manage to do that, the ADA/USDT pair might rally to the downtrend line. 

If the price turns down sharply from the downtrend line and breaks below the 20-day EMA, it suggests that the pair may remain inside the channel for a while. The bulls will have to secure a close above the downtrend line to gain the upper hand.

Monero price prediction

Monero (XMR) fell below the immediate support at $309 on Monday, but the bears could not sustain the lower levels.

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XMR/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The bulls are attempting a relief rally, which is expected to face selling at the 20-day EMA ($346) and then at the breakdown level of $360. If the Monero price turns down from the overhead resistance, it suggests a range-bound action between $360 and $300 for some time.

The advantage will tilt in favor of the bulls if they push and maintain the XMR/USDT pair above the $360 level. If they do that, the pair may surge toward the 50-day SMA ($435).