Crypto World
Bitcoin Opens New Door for Institutions, Says Bitwise CEO
Bitcoin’s slide below $70,000 is dividing market participants, according to Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley. Long-time holders appear uneasy as prices slip, while a fresh class of buyers—institutions—seems to be getting another shot at entry at levels they once believed out of reach. In a CNBC interview on Friday, Horsley noted that the new investor set—institutions—are seeing prices they thought they’d forever missed. The pullback arrives as regulators push for clearer rules and as institutional interest remains visible through inflows to crypto products. The dynamics highlight how price, sentiment, and regulation are intertwining in a single, fast-moving market.
Key takeaways
- Bitcoin priced around $69,635 at publication, down about 22.6% in the last 30 days, signaling persistent downside pressure in a broad bear phase.
- Institutional demand remains robust, with Bitwise reporting more than $100 million in inflows on a single day as Bitcoin hovered near $77,000.
- Long-time holders appear uncertain about the path forward, while new buyers re-enter at elevated levels, underscoring a split between conviction and opportunity.
- Macro assets are moving in tandem with Bitcoin, with gold and silver retreating from their peaks, illustrating a broad risk-off tone across markets.
- Retail curiosity has spiked as searches for “Bitcoin” rose on Google Trends, while mainstream product inflows continued to surface.
Tickers mentioned: $BTC
Sentiment: Bearish
Price impact: Negative. The ongoing bear market and the price retreat imply continued headwinds for near-term momentum.
Market context: The price action comes as regulators pursue clearer rules for digital assets and institutions gradually increase exposure, with Bitcoin correlating with broader liquidity conditions and risk sentiment.
Why it matters
For investors who built positions during the earlier hype around crypto adoption, the current pullback tests the resilience of on- and off-ramp infrastructure and the staying power of institutional interest. The emergence of genuine demand from large buyers at higher price points suggests that the market could still attract capital even as prices soften, potentially laying groundwork for a more durable base if macro conditions stabilize.
From a market structure perspective, the divergence between cautious, long-hold participants and opportunistic institutional entrants could influence price discovery over the medium term. If inflows from institutional vehicles persist, they may counterbalance selling pressure from traders who favor liquidity and quick turns, contributing to a more two-sided market rather than a simple downtrend. This dynamic matters for exchanges, custodians, and other ecosystem participants, as steady liquidity and credible risk controls become critical to sustaining institutional confidence despite ongoing volatility.
What to watch next
- Keep an eye on Bitcoin’s price around the $70,000 level; a sustained hold could invite renewed risk-taking, while a break lower may accelerate exits from leveraged positions.
- Track daily institutional inflows into crypto products and funds, which can indicate whether the current interest is a temporary reentry or a longer-term shift in allocation.
- Monitor regulatory developments in major jurisdictions, as clearer guidelines could unlock additional deployment channels for institutions and funds.
- Watch retail sentiment indicators, including Google Trends data and other search signals, for signs of broader momentum beyond professional buyers.
- Observe ETF and product-flow dynamics into spot BTC offerings; continued inflows would reinforce the thesis of growing mainstream participation.
Sources & verification
- Horsley’s CNBC interview on Feb. 5, 2026, discussing institutional demand and price action.
- Bitcoin price data around $69,635 and the 30-day performance from CoinMarketCap: Bitcoin (BTC) on CoinMarketCap.
- Google Trends data showing heightened search interest for “Bitcoin” in the week starting Feb. 1: Google Trends.
- BlackRock spot Bitcoin ETF inflows reported in coverage from Cointelegraph: Cointelegraph.
- Bitwise fund size and inflows cited by Bitwise communications in the context of institutional demand: over $15 billion in assets under management and more than $100 million in inflows in a single session.
Bitcoin price action shows divergence between holders and new buyers
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) sits near $69,635 after slipping more than 22% over the past month, according to CoinMarketCap, a move that underscores a bear market in which liquidity and macro forces dominate the narrative. The decline arrives as the industry progresses toward regulatory clarity and as institutional interest remains visible in episodic bursts. In a CNBC interview, Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley described a market split: long-time holders grow wary of the pace of downside, while institutions—previously priced out—are re-entering at levels they once believed out of reach, signaling a renewed but cautious appetite for exposure.
The conversation about Bitcoin’s next leg has a longer memory. Geoff Kendrick, head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, had argued in October that Bitcoin wouldn’t likely fall below $100,000 again. That perspective highlights how fast-changing sentiment can reshape benchmark expectations, especially when macro conditions—ranging from liquidity to policy—pose competing forces. Horsley’s account aligns with a broader view: Bitcoin’s price action cannot be divorced from the macro backdrop, and the asset is currently being carried by the same tides that move risk assets in a climate of evolving regulation and central-bank liquidity.
Yet the narrative is not simply about price in isolation. Horsley emphasized ongoing demand from institutions, noting that Bitwise manages more than $15 billion for investors and witnessed well over $100 million in inflows on a single Monday when Bitcoin traded near $77,000. The message is clear: even as headlines and charts point to weakness, a steady stream of capital from sophisticated buyers remains a meaningful counterweight to selling pressure. The market’s liquidity—the ability to absorb a burst of selling without a sharp price collapse—continues to be a defining feature of this cycle, a feature that could ultimately determine whether this pullback establishes a durable base or merely prolongs volatility.
Macro assets offer a complementary lens on the current mood. Gold has retreated about 11.43% from its all-time high of $5,609, trading around $4,968, while silver has dropped roughly 35.95% from its peak of $121.67 to about $77.98. This broad decline across risk-on assets suggests a risk-off stance among investors, even as crypto-specific narratives persist. Google Trends data underscore that retail curiosity remains palpable: searches for “Bitcoin” spiked to a 12-month high during the week when the price dipped toward the $60,000 area, a level not seen since late 2024. At the same time, BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF inflows—around $231.6 million on a single Friday—illustrate how mainstream interest continues to ebb and flow with volatility, underscoring the ongoing process of crypto-market maturation and broader adoption.
Looking ahead, the market appears to be negotiating the tension between momentum and prudence. The convergence of elevated institutional participation with persistent price fluctuations implies that Bitcoin could remain range-bound for a while longer, awaiting clearer catalysts. If macro conditions stabilize and regulatory signals sharpen, the probability of a more decisive move—up or down—could rise as new players re-evaluate risk, liquidity, and the strategic case for crypto exposure. The current data set paints a nuanced picture: a market increasingly steered by institutional conviction, even as price action continues to test the resolve of both bulls and bears.
Binance’s Bitcoin derivatives index has fallen to 0.35, with analysts noting similar readings appeared near past market lows.
Bitcoin (BTC), which was trading nearly 300 bucks around the $69,000 level at the time of this writing, has recorded readings from multiple on-chain indicators that often precede major trend changes, including weakening derivative momentum and falling short-term holder capital.
The signals have come at a time when the flagship cryptocurrency is struggling to hold recent gains, leaving traders divided over whether the current setup hints at a rebound or deeper weakness.
Derivatives Index and Short-Term Holder Capital Draw Attention
In a March 9 update, on-chain analyst Amr Taha wrote that the Binance Bitcoin derivatives market index has dropped to about 0.35. According to the analyst, the reading is close to the levels seen in July and August 2024 and lower than the 0.43 recorded in April 2025. In the past, readings near these levels appeared during major market lows, which were followed by prices going up significantly.
In the same post, the analyst shared a chart tracking the market cap of BTC in the possession of short-term holders, and per that chart, the figure has fallen to about $390 billion, down from around $437 billion recorded on April 7, 2025.
According to Taha, large declines in this metric have often been precursors to major capitulation events among short-term holders. For example, the same situation happened on April 8, 2025 (which is the day after the previous value of $437 billion was recorded), when heavy selling pressure pushed BTC toward $78,000 before it later climbed above $108,000.
Elsewhere, analyst GugaOnChain described the current situation as a “No Traction Engine” diagnosis, pointing to the Network Value to Transaction Value (NVT) ratio, which jumped 77% to reach 41.34.
NVT compares BTC’s market cap to its on-chain transaction volume, and the increase recorded suggests that the price is moving without corresponding network activity.
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According to the expert, STH-MVRV sitting at 0.76 is a confirmation that retail investors are realizing losses, while the Coinbase Premium turning negative at -0.0048 shows that there is institutional selling pressure.
“The ‘No Traction Engine’ diagnosis is a severe warning,” they wrote. “Do not be deceived by momentary stability or rebounds without volume.”
Mixed On-Chain Signals
The indicator convergence described above is happening when Bitcoin is trading in a narrow range, with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East causing it some volatility. The asset briefly reached $74,000 last week, but on March 8, it fell below $66,000 per CoinGecko data before bouncing back to its current level above $68,000.
Meanwhile, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw about $568 million in new money come in last week, making it the second week in a row that there have been positive flows after months of steady withdrawals.
However, daily data showed some choppiness, with strong inflows early in the week giving way to nearly $350 million in outflows last Friday, according to SoSoValue. The pattern suggests that some investors are still being careful, even though new money is coming into the market.
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Strategy disclosed a major Bitcoin purchase in a March 9 filing, adding 17,994 BTC to its balance sheet last week.
Summary
- Strategy purchased 17,994 BTC for $1.28 billion, paying about $70,946 per coin.
- The company’s total bitcoin holdings now stand at 738,731 BTC.
- The purchase was funded mainly through $900 million in common stock sales and $377 million in preferred stock issuance.
The company’s latest filing revealed that the Bitcoin (BTC) was acquired between March 2 and March 8 for about $1.28 billion, with an average purchase price of $70,946 per coin.
Following the purchase, Strategy’s total holdings reached 738,731 BTC, accumulated for roughly $56.04 billion at an average cost of $75,862 per bitcoin.
Stock sales used to fund the purchase
The acquisition was largely financed through equity sales. Strategy sold 6.3 million shares of Class A common stock, generating about $900 million in net proceeds.
The company also issued 3.7 million shares of its Stretch preferred stock (STRC), raising an additional $377 million. Together, the transactions brought in roughly $1.3 billion, which was used to fund the latest bitcoin purchase.
Strategy still has significant room to raise additional capital through its at-the-market programs. The company reported that $6.7 billion remains available for future sales of MSTR shares, along with $20.3 billion tied to its Strike preferred stock (STRK) and $3.2 billion linked to the Stretch preferred series.
Shares of MSTR were slightly higher in pre-market trading following the disclosure.
Long-term Bitcoin strategy continues
Strategy has steadily accumulated Bitcoin since 2020 under the leadership of executive chairman Michael Saylor, who has repeatedly said the company intends to keep buying the asset as part of its long-term treasury strategy.
The firm also updated its Omnibus Sales Agreement with a group of underwriters that includes TD Securities, Barclays Capital, and Morgan Stanley.
The revision allows Strategy to appoint a second sales agent for certain securities during pre-market and after-hours sessions. According to the filing, the change gives the company greater flexibility when executing large transactions outside regular trading hours.
Strategy remains the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin. The company has continued to increase its holdings through a mix of cash reserves, debt offerings, and equity sales.
Nonfungible token platform Gondi said it has disabled the faulty smart contract that allowed a hacker to steal $230,000 worth of NFTs from the protocol, adding it is now in the process of compensating affected customers.
Gondi said in an X post on Monday that the hacker exploited the “Sell & Repay” contract, which lets borrowers sell escrowed NFTs and automatically repay loans on the platform.
Gondi noted that an updated version of that contract was deployed on Feb. 20 but didn’t confirm how the hacker managed to exploit it. Gondi said no other part of the platform was affected by the exploit.
Data from Ethereum block explorer Etherscan shows 78 NFTs were stolen on Monday at about 8:12 am UTC. Blockchain security platform Blockaid estimated the damage to be $230,000.
In an update, Gondi said its “focus has shifted entirely to making affected users whole” and that Blockaid and an independent auditor have since reviewed the platform, concluding it to be safe to use.
That includes repaying, renegotiating, refinancing loans and starting new loans in addition to buying, selling, trading and listing NFTs on the platform.
Gondi said it has not yet deployed a fix to the Sell & Repay contract, which has now been disabled.
Crypto Samaritans help Gondi recover NFTs
While Blockaid said the hacker had started selling some of the stolen NFTs, members of the NFT community managed to recover and return Doodle, Aluminum Gazer, Lil Pudgy and Servant of the Muse NFTs, Gondi noted.
“We are in active conversations on additional items and expect more to follow, including Taxmen.”
Crypto researcher “Tinoch” noted on X that one Gondi user, with wallet address “0x8d1…47051,” lost around $108,000 worth of NFTs, accounting for nearly half of the protocol theft.
Related: Magic Eden winds down EVM, Bitcoin NFT markets to focus on gambling
Gondi said it has already bought “comparable items” from the same NFT collections and transferred them to affected owners, and will continue to do so for any remaining cases.
“While not the exact same piece, we believe this is a fair and meaningful resolution and are coordinating directly with each owner.”
Magazine: What’s a ‘Network State’ and are there real-life examples? Big Questions
Bitcoin pushed back above $70,000 Tuesday morning East Asia time, completing a rapid recovery from a weekend selloff that briefly dragged the largest digital asset down to around $65,000.
The move higher came as volatility in energy markets eased after crude oil surged amid fears of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Bitcoin dipped alongside risk assets during the initial shock but quickly stabilized in the mid $60,000 range — given Wall Street’s insulation from the energy crisis — before climbing again as markets digested the geopolitical headlines.
Market maker Enflux said the cryptocurrency showed notable resilience despite the scale of the energy shock.
“Bitcoin dipped below 66k during the initial risk-off wave yet quickly stabilized back in the 66k to 68k range,” the firm said in a note to CoinDesk. “In relative terms, it held up better than equities and even some traditional hedges.”
Institutional demand has also remained supportive.
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs drew about $568 million in net inflows last week, following $787 million the week prior, according to data from SoSoValue, pushing cumulative net inflows across the products above $55 billion.
Early data from SoSoValue shows that Monday’s U.S. inflows were about $57 million, though not all issuers had reported at the time of publication.
Onchain and derivatives indicators suggest the market is stabilizing after the recent volatility, though conviction has yet to fully return.
“Overall, conditions are stabilizing, with momentum, ETF demand, and profitability metrics improving modestly,” analysts at Glassnode wrote in a recent report. “However, capital flows remain soft, speculative participation is limited, and broader conviction has yet to fully return.”
Prediction markets also flipped more bullish as bitcoin rebounded.
On Polymarket, the odds that BTC will reach $75,000 in March jumped to about 56% on Monday from roughly 34% a day earlier, highlighting how quickly trader expectations shifted as the cryptocurrency reclaimed the $70,000 level.
The Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL), formed by the core engineering and product team that previously built the Zodl wallet under Electric Coin Company, has closed a $25 million funding round led by major crypto investors including a16z Crypto and Coinbase Ventures. The group left ECC in January after a dispute with Bootstrap, the nonprofit that oversees Zcash development, over governance and how the privacy protocol should evolve. ZODL said the round included Paradigm, Winklevoss Capital, Cypherpunk Technologies, Maelstrom, and Chapter One, along with notable backers such as Balaji Srinivasan, David Friedberg and Haseeb Qureshi. The developers say the capital will accelerate engineering and product expansion for the Zodl wallet and related privacy-focused infrastructure within the Zcash ecosystem.
Key takeaways
- ZODL raised about $25 million to scale its open-source Zodl wallet and underlying privacy-focused infrastructure.
- Investors described in the round span a16z Crypto, Coinbase Ventures, Paradigm, Winklevoss Capital, Cypherpunk Technologies, Maelstrom and Chapter One, with additional contributions from high-profile tech figures.
- The fundraising comes after the founders departed from Electric Coin Company in January due to governance and strategic disputes with Bootstrap, the nonprofit overseeing Zcash development.
- The Zodl wallet has become a central piece of Zcash’s ecosystem, handling substantial on-chain activity and contributing to a growing shielded pool since its 2024 launch.
- Market reaction to the news saw Zcash (CRYPTO: ZEC) edge higher, reflecting renewed interest in privacy-preserving crypto networks.
Tickers mentioned: $ZEC
Sentiment: Bullish
Price impact: Positive. The funding news coincided with a price uptick for ZEC, signaling investor enthusiasm for privacy-focused infrastructure.
Trading idea (Not Financial Advice): Hold. The development trajectory and capital backing suggest potential for long-term value if the project sustains momentum and adoption within the Zcash ecosystem.
Market context: The move arrives amid a crypto market backdrop marked by selective interest in privacy-preserving protocols and ongoing scrutiny of crypto governance models. As institutions continue to evaluate risk and compliance considerations, capital flowing toward mature privacy infrastructures signals a continued, if cautious, appetite for privacy-first capabilities within decentralized ecosystems.
Why it matters
At the heart of ZODL’s mission is the Zodl wallet, an open-source project that serves as a cornerstone of Zcash’s privacy narrative. Zcash, known for its shielded transactions that hide sender, receiver and amount, relies on a suite of tools and protocols to maintain user privacy while enabling compliance-friendly interfaces where necessary. By mobilizing a significant funding round, ZODL aims to accelerate feature development, expand the engineering team, and deepen the wallet’s integration with the broader Zcash ecosystem. This is not simply a software upgrade; it is a statement that privacy-focused infrastructure remains a viable, scalable area for investment within crypto markets.
The expansion comes after years of internal debates about how Zcash should balance privacy with governance and ecosystem growth. The departure of the ZODL team from ECC in January followed disagreements with Bootstrap, the nonprofit overseeing Zcash development, over priorities for the protocol’s evolution. With seasoned investors backing the effort, ZODL’s leadership argues that a more aggressive development roadmap can help Zcash remain competitive against other privacy-oriented networks while preserving the core principles that make shielded transactions attractive to users seeking confidentiality and censorship-resistance.
Beyond wallet engineering, the round signals confidence in the broader Zcash ecosystem’s potential. The Zodl wallet has already facilitated substantial activity, with the team noting that more than $600 million in ZEC swaps had traversed the wallet since October 2025. At the same time, the protocol’s shielded pool has grown by more than 400% since its 2024 launch, underscoring sustained user interest in privacy-preserving techniques. These metrics are important markers for developers and investors alike because they reflect real usage and value capture within a privacy-first framework, not merely theoretical appeal.
For users and builders, the funding could translate into faster onboarding for privacy-enabled features, smoother user experiences around shielded transactions, and expanded tooling that makes Zcash more accessible to a broader audience. It may also foster cross-project collaboration within the privacy space, as prominent backers with experience across crypto infrastructure bring additional perspectives on scalability, security, and governance that could shape ZEC’s competitive positioning in the market.
What to watch next
- Timeline for增加 engineering hires and product roadmaps as the ZODL team scales operations.
- Updates on Zodl wallet integrations and new privacy features that could affect user adoption and on-chain privacy guarantees.
- Any formal governance milestones or governance-related decisions within the Zcash ecosystem that could influence development direction.
- Market response to ZEC price movements and any related liquidity changes across exchanges and wallets tied to Zcash.
- Broader regulatory signals affecting privacy-preserving technologies and how exchanges and custodians implement privacy solutions.
Sources & verification
- ZODL funding round and investor roster announced via ZODL’s public communications (X post references and press disclosures).
- ZEC price data and market movement available on CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/zcash
- ZEC price index and market coverage: https://cointelegraph.com/zec-price-index
- Background on Zcash development and the governance disputes surrounding Bootstrap: https://cointelegraph.com/news/zcash-devs-split-from-electric-coin-company-plan-to-create-new-firm
- Details on Bootstrap’s governance-related discussions impacting Zcash wallet development: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bootstrap-board-split-non-profit-zcash-wallet-investment
What the story means for the market
The ZODL funding round underscores a broader trend in crypto where substantial capital continues to flow into privacy-centric infrastructure, even as mainstream markets wobble. Investors appear to be differentiating between speculative trading activity and the long-term utility of protocol-level privacy tools. For Zcash, the emphasis on a robust, open-source wallet and scalable privacy primitives could help sustain usage in a landscape where users seek both confidentiality and control over their funds.
Rewritten article body: ZODL funding accelerates privacy-focused Zcash wallet expansion
In a move that signals ongoing confidence in privacy-preserving crypto networks, the team behind Zcash’s wallet infrastructure has secured a substantial funding round to accelerate development. The Zodl wallet, central to the Zcash ecosystem since its early iterations, is poised to benefit from a fresh influx of capital that investors describe as a vote of confidence in the long-term viability of decentralized, privacy-first finance.
The genesis of ZODL traces back to the Jan. split from Electric Coin Company, when a group of engineers and product managers who built the Zodl wallet chose to launch a dedicated development lab. Their decision followed what they described as governance concerns with Bootstrap, the nonprofit organization responsible for steering Zcash’s broader trajectory. The new lab positions itself as the custodian of a more autonomous development path for Zcash software, including tools that empower users to transact privately while preserving security and auditability for developers and auditors alike.
Leading the round, notable crypto institutions alongside venture groups contributed to the $25 million funding round. Names like a16z Crypto and Coinbase Ventures joined forces with Paradigm, Winklevoss Capital, Cypherpunk Technologies, Maelstrom, and Chapter One. The round also attracted high-profile individuals in technology and entrepreneurship, such as Balaji Srinivasan, David Friedberg, and Haseeb Qureshi, according to ZODL’s communications. The backing is framed by executives as a clear signal that the market still values privacy tech and that reliable, self-custodied wallets are critical to the ecosystem’s growth. A Monday X post from ZODL highlighted the breadth of the investor list and the strategic intent to scale engineering capacity to meet rising demand.
From a product perspective, ZODL’s mandate centers on expanding the Zodl wallet’s capabilities and ensuring its interoperability with Zcash’s privacy protocols. ZEC, the native token for Zcash, recently found renewed attention among traders and holders as liquidity and interest within privacy-first networks recover from broader market volatility. ZEC’s price movement—tracking the latest price metrics from data aggregators—offers a pragmatic signal of market participants’ willingness to support privacy projects during a period of regulatory scrutiny and macro caution. Analysts noted that ZEC rose on the funding news, a reflection of investor appetite for projects that promise tangible user value through enhanced privacy features and stronger development pipelines.
Beyond the wallet itself, the Zcash shielded pool has demonstrated meaningful growth since its 2024 launch, rising by more than 400%. The shielded pool is central to Zcash’s promise of private transactions, enabling participants to conceal the sender, recipient, and amount in on-chain interactions. The scale of activity the Zodl wallet has enabled—over $600 million in ZEC swaps since October 2025—serves as a practical barometer of the ecosystem’s activity and the wallet’s utility. Taken together, these data points suggest that user demand for private-by-default transactions remains a core driver of Zcash’s relevance in a crowded privacy landscape.
Investors’ confidence in ZODL also reflects a belief that governance and product strategy can be aligned with a sustainable, open-source model. While governance debates within the broader Zcash ecosystem sometimes complicate consensus, the new funding provides the resources needed to hire engineers, maintain code quality, and pursue practical features that simplify private transfers, improve tooling for developers, and expand the wallet’s reach to more users. For users who value control over their financial privacy, ZODL’s trajectory could translate into more accessible privacy-preserving workflows and a more resilient privacy toolkit in the crypto toolkit.
As the crypto market evolves, the emphasis on privacy-centric infrastructure is likely to influence both developer activity and investor sentiment. The Zcash project remains among the most visible proponents of shielded transactions, a technology that can mitigate some of the privacy concerns that come with transparent blockchains. The funding round’s success adds to a growing narrative that privacy technologies are not merely niche experiments but components of a larger, interoperable privacy stack that can adapt to regulatory and technical realities without compromising user confidentiality. The coming months will be telling as the ZODL team implements its roadmap, hires additional engineers, and reports on how the wallet’s features translate into real-world usage and broader ecosystem engagement.
A US trade group made up of some of the country’s biggest banks is reportedly considering suing the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), arguing that granting crypto firms bank charters could put Americans and the financial system at risk.
According to a report on Monday by The Guardian, citing a “source familiar with the lobby’s thinking,” the Bank Policy Institute (BPI) is weighing legal options after the OCC failed to heed warnings from banking groups over its reinterpretation of federal licensing rules.
In December, the OCC granted conditional national trust bank charter approvals to several crypto firms, including BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, Ripple and Paxos. A growing number of other crypto companies have followed suit since.
Blockchain infrastructure firm Zerohash submitted an application on Feb. 27. The OCC also issued conditional licenses to Crypto.com, Bridge, and Stripe in February.
The Trump-backed World Liberty Financial also applied for a charter in January to expand the use of its USD1 stablecoin, but is still waiting for a decision.
BPI, which counts major US institutions such as Goldman Sachs, American Express, and JPMorgan among its members, is also concerned that crypto firms with national trust bank charters pose risks to the wider financial system.
A national trust bank charter is a federal license from the OCC that permits a company to operate as a trust bank under federal law and engage in fiduciary activities such as trust services, custody and asset safekeeping.
Banking group hasn’t made the final call yet
According to The Guardian, the BPI has not yet made a final decision on whether to pursue legal action against the OCC. Cointelegraph contacted the Bank Policy Institute for comment.
Related: Bankers push OCC to slow crypto trust charters until GENIUS rules clarified
In October, the BPI released a statement urging the OCC to reject national trust company charter applications from a group of crypto firms, including Ripple and Circle. The BPI argued that granting these charters would result in less oversight than is required for full-service national banks.
The BPI was also among a group of banks and business associations that filed a lawsuit against the Federal Reserve in late 2024 over its stress-testing framework for assessing the health and resilience of the banking sector. The Fed has since agreed to reconsider parts of the framework and the case has been paused.
Magazine: China’s ‘50x’ blockchain boost, Alibaba-linked AI mines Bitcoin: Asia Express
TLDR
- Bitcoin ETF products recorded $1.44 billion in inflows during the first three trading days of the week.
- Investors withdrew $829 million dollars before Friday, which reduced the net weekly total to 619 million dollars.
- Bitcoin attracted $521 million in inflows and led all digital asset funds.
- Ethereum and Solana funds posted gains, while XRP recorded outflows during the same period.
- Bitcoin price rose nearly 11 percent early in the week and later declined about 8%.
Bitcoin exchange-traded funds closed the week with $619 million in net inflows after sharp reversals. Early subscriptions reached $1.44 billion before late withdrawals erased momentum. Oil price volatility and geopolitical tension drove the rapid shift in positioning.
Bitcoin ETF Records $619M net Inflow After Volatile Week
Bitcoin ETF products attracted $1.44 billion during the first three trading days. However, investors withdrew $829 million before Friday and reduced the weekly total. CoinShares reported that Bitcoin led inflows with $521 million during the period.
Bitcoin prices moved in line with fund activity and reflected changing risk appetite. The asset rose nearly 11% from $66,356 to $73,648 between March 1 and 5, according to CoinGecko. It later fell about 8% and traded near $67,777 after Thursday.
Ethereum funds captured fresh capital as investors diversified exposure within digital assets. Solana products also recorded inflows during the early part of the week. In contrast, XRP funds posted outflows while other major assets gained subscriptions.
CoinShares stated that US-based investors drove most of the weekly activity. European and Asian investors showed lower participation during the same period. The report linked early inflows to market reaction following the US strike on Iran.
Nima Beni, founder of Bitlease, described the pattern as routine portfolio management. He said, “Portfolio managers often put on positions early in the week, capture the move, and then trim risk.” He added that the behavior reflects standard capital markets practice.
Oil Surge Pressures Crypto Markets and Trims ETF Demand
Oil prices surged to $119 per barrel after the US attack on Iran. Prices later retreated and stabilized near $102 per barrel by week’s end. Crude had traded near $74 only weeks earlier before the spike.
Market participants reacted as energy costs fed inflation expectations and rate concerns. Higher oil prices weighed on risk assets, including cryptocurrencies and related funds. Bitcoin traded in correlation with broader markets during the period.
Jonatan Randin, senior market analyst at PrimeXBT, cited geopolitical escalation as a driver of outflows. He pointed to activity around the Strait of Hormuz as a source of tension. Iranian officials confirmed developments near the key oil transit route.
About 20% of the global oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption to shipping can impact energy markets and investor positioning. Oil remained near $102 at the close of the reporting period.
Bitcoin ETF products, therefore, ended the week with $619 million in net inflows. The data reflects combined subscriptions and withdrawals recorded through Friday. CoinShares published the figures in its latest weekly report.
TLDR
- Strategy purchased 17,994 Bitcoin for $1.28 billion at an average price of $70,946 per coin.
- The company increased its total holdings to 738,731 BTC at a total cost of $56.04 billion.
- Strategy funded the acquisition through $900 million in common stock sales and $377 million in preferred stock sales.
- The latest purchase marked its largest Bitcoin acquisition since January.
- Strategy’s holdings now represent about 3.7 percent of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy expanded its Bitcoin reserves with a $1.28 billion purchase last week. The company acquired 17,994 BTC at an average price of $70,946 per coin. As a result, total holdings reached 738,731 BTC as Bitcoin traded below $68,000.
Strategy Increases Bitcoin Holdings With $1.28 Billion Acquisition
Strategy confirmed the purchase in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. The company bought 17,994 Bitcoin for $1.28 billion during the reporting period. It paid an average price of $70,946 per coin, according to the filing.
The purchase pushed total holdings to 738,731 BTC at an aggregate cost of $56.04 billion. Strategy reported an overall average acquisition price of $75,862 per Bitcoin. The latest buy came in below that average cost basis.
Strategy funded most of the acquisition through equity sales during the week. The company raised $900 million from common stock sales to support the purchase. It also secured $377 million from sales of its STRC preferred stock series.
The company stated that the purchase marked its largest Bitcoin acquisition since January. In January, Strategy acquired 22,305 BTC for $2.13 billion at $95,284 per coin. The latest transaction occurred while Bitcoin traded near $67,000 for much of the week.
Bitcoin Supply Dynamics and Market Data
Strategy completed five acquisitions during the current below-cost period since Feb. 9. The company bought 25,229 BTC across those transactions during this timeframe. Its average cost basis declined from $76,052 to $75,862 during that period.
During 2022 and 2023, Strategy executed seven smaller purchases in similar below-cost conditions. The company acquired 28,560 BTC across those earlier transactions. This latest purchase exceeded the pace of its prior buying activity.
Market data shows that miners produce about 450 BTC per day. That output equals roughly 3,150 BTC entering circulation each week. Strategy’s purchase equaled nearly five weeks of newly mined Bitcoin supply.
Strategy’s holdings now represent about 3.7% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply. Circulating supply is expected to reach 20 million coins on Monday. At publication, Bitcoin traded at $67,725, up 2.4% over seven days.
Strategy shares rose 0.2% in pre-market trading following the disclosure. Over the past week, MSTR shares gained 3.6% and closed at $133.5 on Friday. The company disclosed the acquisition details in its Monday filing.
The BMNR stock price rose by over 4% on Monday and retested the important resistance level at $20 as Ethereum rebounded and the company continued accumulating.
Summary
- BitMine stock rose on Monday as the company continued buying Ethereum.
- It now holds over 4.5 million ETH tokens worth over $9 billion.
- The stock has formed a falling wedge pattern, pointing to an eventual rebound.
BitMine stock rose to $20, inside a range it has remained in the past few weeks. This price remains much lower than the all-time high of $150.
In a statement, the company said that it continued accumulating Ethereum (ETH) tokens last week, making it the biggest holder in the world. It now holds 4.534 million tokens, which is equivalent to 3.76% of Ethereum’s total supply. Its Ethereum holdings are now worth over $9 billion.
The company hopes to continue accumulating its Ethereum holdings in the coming months. Its goal is to become a 5% owner of Ethereum, a goal it may achieve later this year or in 2026. It has staked 67% of these holdings and generated over $174 million in annualized revenue.
BitMine also owns 195 Bitcoin (BTC), currently worth over $13 million, a $200 million investment in Beast Industries, and $1.2 billion in unencumbered cash.
The company will likely do well, especially when a crypto market rally starts, which is a possibility when the war in Iran ends, which may happen as soon as this month.
BMNR stock price technical analysis
The daily chart shows that the BitMine share price has remained in a narrow range in the past month. It was trading at $20 on Monday, up modestly from the year-to-date low of $16.60.
The stock is along the upper side of the falling wedge pattern, a common bullish reversal sign in technical analysis.
It has formed a bullish divergence pattern as the two lines of the Percentage Price Oscillator have made a bullish crossover and are pointing upwards.
The Relative Strength Index has also moved from the oversold level of 25 in February to the current 43.
Therefore, there is a possibility that the stock will have a strong bullish breakout, potentially to the next key resistance level at 30. The bullish outlook will become invalid if it drops below the year-to-date low of $16.
Anthropic, the creator of the AI software Claude, has sued the Trump administration for what it says is an “unlawful campaign of retaliation” after the company refused to allow the military unrestricted use of its technology.
Anthropic sued multiple government agencies and officials in a California federal court on Monday, asking the court to reverse the Department of Defense’s decision to label the company a “supply chain risk.”
It also seeks to overturn US President Donald Trump’s directive to federal employees to stop using Claude. Anthropic also filed suit in a Washington, D.C., appeals court to challenge the Defense Department’s decision.
“These actions are unprecedented and unlawful,” Anthropic argued. “The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech.”
Claude “never tested” for uses wanted by Pentagon
Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is named in the lawsuit, moved to label Anthropic as a supply chain risk, which was finalized on March 3, meaning any person or business doing business with the military can’t also deal with Anthropic.
It is the first time an American company has been designated a supply chain risk, a label usually reserved for companies tied to foreign adversaries.
The US government and the Pentagon have used Anthropic since 2024, and the company’s technology is the first AI to be deployed for use in classified work.
Anthropic said that Hegseth’s decision came after he demanded the company “discard its usage restrictions altogether,” but Anthropic maintained its technology shouldn’t be used for lethal autonomous warfare and mass surveillance of Americans, clauses that were always part of its government contracts.
“Anthropic has never tested Claude for those uses,” the company said in its lawsuit. “Anthropic currently does not have confidence, for example, that Claude would function reliably or safely if used to support lethal autonomous warfare.”
Related: US military used Anthropic in Iran strike despite ban order by Trump: WSJ
Anthropic’s lawsuit also named the US Treasury and its secretary, Scott Bessent, the State Department, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with 17 other government agencies and officials.
A group of more than 30 AI engineers and scientists from OpenAI and Google, including the latter’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, also filed a legal brief in support of Anthropic on Monday.
“If allowed to proceed, this effort to punish one of the leading U.S. AI companies will undoubtedly have consequences for the United States’ industrial and scientific competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence and beyond,” the group wrote.
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