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Bitcoin price outlook: Citigroup predicts $112K despite regulatory roadblocks

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Bitcoin price outlook: buy signals appear
Bitcoin nears $74K as Citi cuts target to $112K. Regulatory delays and market risks shape the crypto outlook now.
  • Citigroup forecasts Bitcoin at $112,000 despite slow US crypto legislation.
  • Bitcoin price ranges show cautious momentum with potential volatility ahead.
  • Institutional demand remains key amid regulatory uncertainty.

Bitcoin has been steadily climbing over the past week, with its price now sitting around $74,000.

This marks a 6.5% increase over the last seven days, showing renewed momentum after several months of sideways movement.

Citigroup, in its latest update, adjusted its 12-month price forecast for Bitcoin to $112,000, from its previous target of around $143,000.

Citi’s move reflects a cautious optimism shaped by both market dynamics and regulatory developments.

Regulatory headwinds weigh heavily

One of the main reasons for Citigroup’s revised forecast is the slow progress on US cryptocurrency legislation. Lawmakers have yet to finalize clear rules on key issues like stablecoins and decentralized finance.

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This lack of clarity is affecting institutional adoption.

Investment firms and hedge funds are hesitant to increase exposure without clear regulatory guidance. The window for passing meaningful crypto laws in the Senate is narrowing.

Internal political divisions are slowing the process further.

Without these legislative catalysts, the market may continue to trade in ranges despite overall optimism.

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Citigroup notes that this legislative uncertainty could act as a ceiling for Bitcoin in the near term. Even with strong demand from retail and institutional investors, clear rules are needed to support sustained growth.

What traders should watch out for

Ethereum, Bitcoin’s closest competitor, is also experiencing slower growth due to similar challenges.

Citigroup lowered Ethereum’s 12-month target to $3,175, down from over $4,000. Both cryptocurrencies are influenced by network activity and investor demand, which have shown signs of weakening.

Currently, Bitcoin is trading within a 24-hour range of $73,500 to $74,800, showing relatively stable momentum.

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Over the past week, it has moved between $69,000 and $75,600, indicating that volatility is still present.

Citigroup outlines several potential scenarios for Bitcoin’s trajectory. In a bear case, a broader economic downturn or continued regulatory delays could push the price toward $58,000.

On the other hand, strong investor interest and institutional flows could drive it up to $165,000.

These scenarios suggest a wide range of outcomes, highlighting the risks and opportunities for traders.

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Even in the base case, Bitcoin is expected to trade around $112,000 within 12 months if adoption trends continue and market confidence improves.

This makes it an attractive, though still volatile, asset for those looking to participate in the cryptocurrency market.

The road ahead is clearly influenced by policy decisions, investor sentiment, and market activity, and traders will need to watch for both regulatory developments and demand signals to navigate this landscape successfully.

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Shiba Inu price outlook turns bearish as SHIB struggles below $0.0000060

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Shiba Inu price outlook turns bearish as SHIB struggles below $0.0000060
  • Shiba Inu (SHIB) faces selling pressure amid rising exchange inflows.
  • The SHIB price remains stuck below the key $0.0000060 resistance.
  • Breakdown below the support at $0.0000053 may trigger a drop below $0.0000050.

The price outlook for Shiba Inu (SHIB) is starting to tilt bearish as the token continues to struggle below the $0.0000060 level.

Recent price action shows that despite a brief attempt to push higher, momentum has faded quickly, leaving SHIB trading near $0.0000058.

Over the past 24 hours, SHIB has declined by around 3%, underperforming a weak crypto market.

While the broader crypto market pullback has played a role, the weakness in SHIB appears more pronounced, suggesting that internal factors are also driving the decline.

Selling pressure and fading confidence weigh on SHIB

One of the clearest signals behind SHIB’s weakness is the sharp drop in derivatives activity.

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Shiba Inu’s Open interest has fallen significantly from its earlier highs, pointing to a steady exit of traders from leveraged positions.

SHIB OI
Source: Coinglass

At the same time, on-chain activity shows a noticeable increase in tokens moving onto exchanges.

This trend is typically associated with selling intentions, as traders transfer assets to trading platforms when they plan to liquidate positions.

The combination of falling open interest and rising exchange inflows creates a strong bearish undertone.

This shift in behaviour suggests that the market is gradually leaning toward distribution. Without a reversal in these flows, it becomes difficult for the price to sustain any meaningful upside.

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Broader market weakness adds to downside risk

The performance of Bitcoin has also played a role in SHIB’s recent decline. As the leading cryptocurrency edges lower, risk appetite across the market has weakened.

As a result, speculative assets like Shiba Inu (SHIB) tend to face greater pressure.

There is also clear evidence of capital rotating away from altcoins. Traders appear to be moving into more stable assets or stepping away from the market altogether.

This shift has hit meme coins particularly hard, as they rely heavily on strong sentiment and active participation.

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As a result, SHIB is not just dealing with its own internal challenges but also navigating a less supportive macro environment.

Resistance holds firm as price struggles to break higher

Technically, SHIB remains trapped below a key resistance zone between $0.0000060 and $0.0000063.

Several attempts to push above this range have failed, with sellers consistently stepping in to cap gains.

A closer look at the price structure shows that SHIB is currently consolidating within a narrow band.

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Support is forming around $0.0000052–$0.0000053, while resistance remains firmly overhead.

This range has tightened in recent sessions, reflecting a market that is waiting for a decisive move.

Shiba Inu struggles below $0.0000060
Source: TradingView

Notably, the inability to reclaim $0.0000060 is particularly important. This level has acted as a short-term barrier, and until it is flipped into support, any upward movement is likely to remain limited.

For now, the balance of risks appears tilted to the downside.

The ongoing selling pressure, combined with weakening market participation, suggests that SHIB may continue to struggle unless conditions change.

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CME Group Plans to Launch Avalanche and Sui Futures

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CME Group Plans to Launch Avalanche and Sui Futures

CME Group expanded is looking to expand its crypto derivatives offerings with new futures contracts for Avalanche and Sui, pending regulatory approval.

CME Group announced its plans to launch Avalanche and Sui futures contracts in a press release on Tuesday, April 7. Pending regulatory review, the contracts will be available in both larger and micro sizes, designed to provide capital efficiency and strategic flexibility for traders.

The addition expands CME Group’s existing crypto product suite — which consists of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP futures, per its website — and follows the exchange’s broader push into digital asset derivatives. Micro contracts typically require lower margin requirements, enabling greater accessibility for retail and institutional participants.

Source: CME Group

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This article was generated automatically by The Defiant’s AI news system from publicly available sources.

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Your crypto strategy should be about how much pain you can handle, not how much money you’ll make, Schwab finds

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Your crypto strategy should be about how much pain you can handle, not how much money you'll make, Schwab finds

Charles Schwab’s latest research on digital assets argues that cryptocurrencies’ place in a portfolio hinges less on return forecasts and more on how much risk an investor is willing to take.

The report frames bitcoin and ether (ETH) as high-volatility assets that can quickly reshape a portfolio’s risk profile. “Any allocation to cryptocurrency is likely to increase a portfolio’s volatility,” Schwab writes, pointing to sharp historical swings in both assets. Bitcoin and ether have each suffered drawdowns of more than 70% in past cycles, far exceeding typical declines in stocks or bonds.

Because of that volatility, even small allocations can have an outsized effect. Schwab finds that just a low single-digit percentage in crypto can account for a meaningful share of total portfolio risk. In some cases, allocations as small as 1% to 3% can materially change how a portfolio behaves during market stress.

The report outlines two common approaches to adding crypto exposure. The first follows traditional portfolio theory, where allocations depend on expected returns, volatility, and correlations. But Schwab highlights a key weakness: assumptions about crypto returns vary widely among investors.

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“Our research suggests that cryptocurrencies may not offer a large enough risk-adjusted return to justify a meaningful allocation if return expectations are less than 10%, even for an aggressive investor,” the report states. That makes portfolio outcomes highly sensitive to subjective forecasts. A modest change in expected returns can lead to large swings in recommended allocation.

The second method focuses on risk budgeting. Instead of guessing returns, investors decide how much total portfolio risk they want crypto to contribute. This approach shifts the conversation from performance to tolerance. Still, Schwab cautions that crypto’s volatility can exceed expectations, even within a defined risk budget.

“There is no ‘correct’ allocation to cryptocurrencies, and we believe the decision is largely a personal one,” the report notes. Factors such as investment horizon, familiarity with digital assets, and capacity for loss all play a role.

The firm also stresses that crypto remains a speculative investment. “Cryptocurrencies and crypto-related products are not suitable for everyone,” Schwab writes, citing risks including illiquidity, theft, and fraud. It can offer diversification and the potential for higher returns, but it behaves more like a high-risk satellite holding than a core allocation, the report concluded.

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Anthropic Hits $30 Billion Run Rate as Enterprise Demand and Compute Deals Reshape AI Race

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR:

  • Anthropic’s annualized revenue jumped from $9B at end-2025 to over $30B by early April 2026, a near-vertical climb.
  • Enterprise clients spending $1M+ annually doubled from 500 to 1,000 in under two months following the Series G raise.
  • Anthropic secured multiple gigawatts of next-gen TPU capacity through a three-way deal with Google and Broadcom for 2027.
  • Claude is now the only frontier AI model available across AWS Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, and Microsoft Azure Foundry.

Anthropic’s annualized revenue has crossed $30 billion in early April 2026, marking a dramatic acceleration from just $9 billion at the end of 2025.

The AI company has also secured a landmark compute agreement with Google and Broadcom for multiple gigawatts of next-generation TPU capacity.

Enterprise adoption of Claude has doubled in under two months. The company is now positioned as a critical infrastructure provider for some of the world’s largest corporations.

Enterprise Growth Drives Revenue Surge

Anthropic’s revenue growth has followed a nearly vertical trajectory over the past year. The company reported roughly $1 billion in annualized revenue in late 2024. That figure climbed to $9 billion by year-end 2025, then jumped to $14 billion just two months ago.

Today, the run rate stands above $30 billion before the second quarter has even begun. Earlier internal forecasts projected $18 billion for all of 2026, a target the company has already surpassed as a run rate.

When Anthropic closed its Series G round in February at a $380 billion valuation, it reported 500 business customers each spending over $1 million annually. That number has since doubled to more than 1,000 enterprise customers at the same spending threshold.

Eight of the Fortune 10 companies are currently running critical workloads on Claude. That level of penetration among the world’s most powerful corporations reflects growing institutional trust in the platform.

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Compute Strategy Expands Across Platforms

Anthropic announced a new agreement with Google and Broadcom for multiple gigawatts of next-generation TPU capacity expected online starting in 2027. The company published a statement noting the deal represents its most substantial compute commitment to date.

Anthropic trains and runs Claude across AWS Trainium chips via Project Rainier, Google TPUs manufactured by Broadcom, and NVIDIA GPUs across multiple data centers.

Claude is currently the only frontier AI model available on all three of the largest cloud platforms — Amazon Web Services Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, and Microsoft Azure Foundry.

This multi-chip approach allows Anthropic to match workloads to the most suitable hardware, reducing bottlenecks and improving resilience. The strategy also protects against supply chain disruptions that have affected other AI providers.

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Back in December, Broadcom’s CEO revealed that a mystery customer had placed a $10 billion custom chip order, later disclosed to be Anthropic.

That was followed almost immediately by another $11 billion order in the same quarter. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan has since projected close to $100 billion in AI chip revenue for 2027, with Anthropic cited as a primary driver.

Anthropic’s internal forecast for 2027 had called for $55 billion in annual revenue. Given the current growth rate, that projection no longer appears far-fetched.

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Bitcoin steadies above $68K as Iran tensions keep markets on edge

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A bearish Bitcoin PA
A bearish Bitcoin PA

Key takeaways

  • Bitcoin is holding near $69K as Iran-related geopolitical tensions keep markets cautious.
  • Rising oil prices and inflation concerns are limiting upside, but strong ETF inflows and institutional support are helping BTC stay resilient.

Bitcoin is trading sideways near the $69,000 mark as investors remain cautious amid escalating geopolitical tensions tied to the conflict in Iran.

The leading cryptocurrency briefly pushed above $70,000 on Monday—its first move past that level since March—but failed to sustain momentum. 

Geopolitics dominate market sentiment

The ongoing situation in Iran continues to shape global risk appetite. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of severe consequences if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is not reached by the Tuesday 20:00 ET deadline.

Iran has rejected a proposed 45-day ceasefire, instead calling for a permanent end to hostilities alongside the removal of sanctions.

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For Bitcoin, this macro backdrop is significant—higher oil prices tend to support inflation, push Treasury yields higher, and reinforce expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates elevated for longer.

Despite the current situation, Bitcoin has held up better than some traditional markets. While it has not staged a breakout, its ability to maintain levels above $65,000 suggests underlying support from positioning and institutional demand.

Meanwhile, Gold has lost more than 10% of its value as investors scale back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year.

Flows into spot Bitcoin ETFs have been a key factor. After four consecutive months of outflows, March saw $1.2 billion in net inflows. Momentum has continued into April, with spot ETFs recording $471.3 million in inflows in a single day—the largest since February.

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These inflows have helped keep Bitcoin’s price, although resistance near $76,000 continues to cap upside.

For Bitcoin to break higher, a clear catalyst is likely required. A confirmed ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran could be pivotal, particularly if it drives oil prices below $100 per barrel and alleviates inflation concerns.

Technical forecast: Bitcoin eyes the $70k resistance once again

The BTC/USD 4-hour chart remains bearish and efficient as Bitcoin continues to defend the $65,000 support level. 

The price has recovered from this low and is testing resistance around 69k, the 50-day EMA, and the lower band of the rising channel. 

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The RSI of 61 on the 4-hour chart is above the neutral level, indicating a growing bullish bias. The MACD lines are also above the zero line, adding further confluence to the bullish narrative. 

Buyers will need to rise above $69,000 to bring $74,000 into focus, the mid-point of the rising channel and the falling trendline resistance dating back to October’s $126,000 record high. 

BTC/USD 4H Chart

A surge above the $74,000 resistance level would allow BTC to test the March high of $76,000 in the near term. 

However, failure to rally higher would see the bears push the price towards the $65,000 support level once again.

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XRP Captures $119M as Digital Asset Funds Post $224M Weekly Inflows

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

Key Highlights

  • XRP attracts record $119M, dominating weekly digital asset investment flows

  • Ethereum suffers continued decline with $52M withdrawal amid policy concerns

  • Bitcoin records $107M inflows while bearish positioning expands significantly

  • Swiss markets dominate global flows as American investor appetite weakens

  • Economic data triggers late-week reversal in cryptocurrency investment momentum

Cryptocurrency investment products attracted $224 million in fresh capital over the past week, representing a short-lived bounce following previous withdrawals. However, macroeconomic headwinds dampened enthusiasm as the week concluded. XRP emerged as the clear winner while Ethereum’s outflow streak extended.

XRP Commands Investment Flows with Record Weekly Performance

[[LINK_START_0]]XRP[[LINK_END_0]] captured the lion’s share of investment activity, pulling in $119.6 million during the week. This represented the digital asset’s most impressive showing since late December 2025. The momentum persisted even as broader cryptocurrency markets displayed vulnerability. Year-to-date, XRP has accumulated $159 million in net inflows.

The impressive performance followed sustained investor interest after the introduction of spot XRP exchange-traded products in American markets. These investment vehicles enhanced accessibility and facilitated continuous capital movement into the asset. Consequently, XRP now represents approximately seven percent of aggregate assets managed across cryptocurrency funds.

European financial centers played a significant role in driving XRP’s success. Switzerland emerged as the top contributor with more than $157 million in capital inflows, while Germany and Canada also participated strongly. This geographic distribution indicated evolving capital deployment strategies across international cryptocurrency markets.

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Bitcoin Displays Conflicting Trends as Investor Sentiment Splits

Bitcoin attracted $107.3 million in new investments, demonstrating modest revival following earlier capital withdrawals. However, monthly performance remained in negative territory, with cumulative outflows reaching $145 million. This divergence underscored persistent indecision regarding the asset’s trajectory.

Inverse bitcoin products drew $16 million in capital, revealing heightened pessimistic positioning among certain market participants. Simultaneously, American spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds contributed minimally to overall flows. These contradictory indicators exposed a fundamental divide in investor outlook.

Meanwhile, Solana accumulated $34.9 million in inflows, extending its positive momentum throughout the current year. Its aggregate inflows now constitute roughly ten percent of total managed assets. This reliable performance reinforced broader portfolio diversification trends within digital asset investment products.

Ethereum Suffers Substantial Withdrawals Amid Legislative Uncertainty

Ethereum maintained its negative trajectory, experiencing $52.8 million in weekly capital flight. This followed an even larger $222 million exodus the preceding week. The asset’s year-to-date outflows have now reached $327 million.

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Legislative ambiguity surrounding the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act continued exerting downward pressure on Ethereum-focused investment vehicles. The proposed legislation remained gridlocked in the Senate due to disputes regarding stablecoin yield components. This impasse negatively impacted sentiment toward Ethereum’s ecosystem positioning.

Ethereum’s fundamental importance to stablecoin infrastructure heightened its vulnerability to regulatory developments. This strategic exposure amplified pressure on capital movements during periods of policy ambiguity. Ethereum stood out as the poorest performer among leading cryptocurrency assets.

Broader economic conditions also shaped overall investment product activity throughout the period. Robust American retail sales figures reinforced projections of continued restrictive monetary policy. This evolution diminished risk tolerance and prompted modest withdrawals as the week closed.

Simultaneously, rising crude oil valuations and receding interest rate reduction expectations intensified market headwinds. These dynamics interrupted early-week positive momentum across digital asset investment vehicles. Ultimately, the weekly recovery proved incomplete and varied substantially across geographic regions and individual assets.

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DATs Need Liquid Staking to Outperform ETH Staking ETFs: Lido Exec

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DATs Need Liquid Staking to Outperform ETH Staking ETFs: Lido Exec

Ether treasury companies may need to use liquid staking and other active yield strategies if they want to offer investors something beyond the staking rewards already available through listed Ether products, Kean Gilbert, head of institutional relations at Lido, told Cointelegraph at ETHCC 2026.

Liquid staking lets Ether (ETH) holders stake their tokens while receiving a transferable token that can still be deployed elsewhere in decentralized finance (DeFi).

Gilbert said strategies such as posting ETH as collateral and borrowing against it could help treasury companies generate higher returns than passive staking products.

US-listed staked ETH products now include the REX-Osprey ETH + Staking ETF, launched in September 2025, Grayscale’s Ethereum Staking ETF and Ethereum Staking Mini ETF, and BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, introduced on March 12.

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Issuer disclosures show different staking economics across Ether products, making direct yield comparisons difficult. Grayscale’s ETHE page showed 2.26% net staking rewards as of April 6, while Grayscale’s ETH page showed 2.56% as of April 2. Native ETH staking was yielding about 2.72% annually, according to Staking Rewards.

Related: Bitmine paper loss nears $8.8B as Ether slump tests cyclical thesis

Still, Jimmy Xue, co-founder and chief operating officer of quantitative yield platform Axis, said Ether treasury companies do not necessarily need to beat staked Ether products on headline yield because they are different investment vehicles.

“A staked ETH ETF is a passive vehicle. A DAT trading at a meaningful mNAV premium is promising something a passive ETF structurally cannot deliver, which is active, dynamic deployment of spot inventory across opportunities as they arise.”

“The mNAV premium investors pay reflects confidence in management’s ability to put that treasury to work,” Xue said, adding that basis trading is a major yield source for treasury companies.

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Kean Gilbert, head of institutional relations at Lido Finance, interviewed by Cointelegraph at ETHcc. Source: Cointelegraph

Public filings show liquid staking adoption

Public disclosures show several Ether treasury firms using staking or liquid-staking-related strategies, though the level of detail varies by company.

Sharplink Gaming, the second-largest corporate Ether holder, has generated 14,516 ETH (around $30.8 million) in staking rewards as of March. It derived 33% of these rewards from liquid staking and 66% from native staking, according to a March 1 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sharplink reported a $734 million net loss for 2025, largely driven by the sharp crypto market downturn in the second half of the year.

BTCS Inc. SEC filing. Source: SEC.gov

BTCS Inc., the 10th-largest Ether treasury company by returns, has also staked a part of its Ether holdings through the liquid staking protocol Rocket Pool. Out of its total 29,122 ETH holdings, the company has liquid staked 4,160 ETH ($8.8 million) through Rocket Pool nodes, according to a July 2025 SEC filing.

Cointelegraph has approached BitMine, SharpLink and The Ether Machine for comment on the role of liquid staking in their strategies.

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Magazine: Sharplink exec shocked by level of BTC and ETH ETF hodling — Joseph Chalom