Crypto World
Donald Trump Blasts Banks, Urges CLARITY Act Passage
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse backed President Trump’s remarks, saying they were aligned with public interest.
U.S. President Donald Trump has accused the traditional banking lobby of undermining the GENIUS Act and holding the CLARITY Act “hostage” to protect their profits, injecting himself directly into the legislative battle over stablecoin yields.
The intervention marks a significant escalation in the fight over whether crypto platforms can offer interest-like rewards on stablecoins, a practice banks argue will trigger a mass exodus from traditional deposit accounts.
Trump Fires Back at Banks Over Stablecoin Standoff
In a post on Truth Social, Trump framed the dispute as an existential threat to American innovation.
“The Genius Act is being threatened and undermined by the Banks, and that is unacceptable — We are not going to allow it,” he wrote. “The U.S. needs to get Market Structure done, ASAP. Americans should earn more money on their money.”
The GENIUS Act, signed into law in July 2025, created the first federal framework for stablecoins but barred issuers from paying interest directly to holders. It left a critical question unanswered: whether third-party platforms like Coinbase could pass yield on to customers.
Banks have since lobbied aggressively to close this “loophole” in the CLARITY Act, the broader market structure bill that would establish clear jurisdiction for digital assets.
Their stance led to disagreement with some players in the crypto industry, which reached a boiling point in January when Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support for the bill ahead of a scheduled Senate markup, citing proposed amendments that would ban passive yield on stablecoins.
The White House set a deadline of March 1 for stakeholders to resolve their differences, yet no public compromise had emerged by that date.
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“The Banks should not be trying to undercut The Genius Act or hold The Clarity Act hostage,” Trump posted. “They need to make a good deal with the Crypto Industry because that’s what’s in best interest of the American People.”
Earlier in the year, Geoff Kendrick, global head of crypto research at Standard Chartered, warned that stablecoins could pull as much as $500 billion in deposits from banks by 2028, with U.S. regional lenders most exposed.
Industry Cheers While Banks Face a Cartel Accusation
Trump’s remarks drew immediate praise from crypto leaders, with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse calling it “an extremely pointed message… about what’s in the best interest of the American people.”
Senator Cynthia Lummis echoed the urgency, urging Congress to move quickly to pass the act. Meanwhile, Eric Trump, the president’s son and a World Liberty Financial co-founder, accused big banks of “mass panic” over losing the “digital finance race.”
However, some, like Charles Hoskinson, have slammed the legislation, with the Cardano founder describing it as a “horrific, trash bill,” and warning that its “security by default” framework would trap new projects under SEC jurisdiction and “destroy all future American cryptocurrency projects.”
He argued that while legacy tokens like Cardano might be grandfathered in, future innovation would be forced overseas. This puts him at odds with Garlinghouse, who has argued that “clarity beats chaos” and that the industry cannot let “perfection be the enemy of progress.”
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PI bulls have managed to defend their recent gains as they aim higher.
PI Network (PI) Price Predictions: Analysis
Key support levels: $0.15
Key resistance levels: $0.20
PI Breakout Continues
After the PI price broke above its downtrend, buyers managed to defend the price above $0.15 and push it higher despite a recent pullback. This shows bulls are determined to stop the downtrend and begin recovering some of the most recent losses.
As long as the support at 15 cents holds, PI’s price action is bullish, which opens the way to test the resistance at 20 cents. If that breaks later as well, the price could spike higher fast and aim for 30 cents next.
Pullback was Succesful
The recent pullback bounced exactly off the breakout trendline, confirming a bullish bias. Moreover, PI has been green in the past two weeks, which increases confidence in the continuation of this price action.
Since sellers dominated for months in a row, it would not be surprising to see this cryptocurrency finally have a sustained relief rally as it aims to reclaim a price above 20 cents and beyond.
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Spike in Buy Volume Confirms Reversal
The spike in buy volume on 15th February was significant and confirmed a major bullish reversal. The fact that this was followed by sustained buy pressure and higher lows demonstrates that bulls are returning. The only unknown is how long they can sustain this.
For this reason, watch closely how the price reacts at the 20-cent resistance, since that will be a decisive level for where PI goes next. Hopefully, buyers can turn it into a support that will allow them to aim much higher.
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South Korea’s government and ruling party have reportedly agreed on a plan to cap the ownership stakes of major shareholders in domestic crypto exchanges at 20%.
The Democratic Party of Korea’s digital asset task force and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) agreed to set the maximum shareholding limit at 20% after discussions, according to a Wednesday report by local media outlet Herald Economy.
However, regulators may allow exceptions of up to 34% for new businesses through an enforcement decree. The threshold references the Commercial Act’s 33.3% veto threshold in general shareholders’ meetings, per the report.
Under the proposal, exchanges would reportedly have three years from the law’s enforcement to adjust their ownership structures. Smaller exchanges may receive an additional three-year grace period. Larger platforms like Upbit and Bithumb, which together control roughly 90% of the local market, would be required to reduce major shareholder stakes within the initial three-year period.
Related: Korea halts trading as key indexes drop 10% on Middle East crisis
Major Korean exchanges exceed proposed ownership cap
Current ownership levels across South Korea’s major exchanges exceed the proposed cap. Upbit chairman Song Chi-hyung holds about 25.52%, while Bithumb Holdings owns roughly 73.56% of Bithumb. Coinone chairman Cha Myung-hoon controls about 53.44%, Mirae Asset Consulting is set to hold around 92.06% of Korbit following an acquisition, and Binance owns about 67.45% of GOPAX.
The proposal, which has received some backing among regulators, faces a lengthy legislative process. A member of the National Assembly is expected to introduce the bill, though the sponsor has not yet been determined. Passage may prove challenging, as some lawmakers, including members of the ruling party, have raised concerns about restricting ownership in the sector.
An industry insider warned that the measure could have broader implications for competition. “This is unprecedented worldwide and has low global consistency. If it is excessively introduced, it could have serious negative effects such as limited competition, slowed innovation, and strengthened barriers to entry,” they reportedly told the outlet.
Related: South Korea orders cross-agency probe after repeated crypto custody failures
South Korea tightens crypto licensing rules
In late January, South Korea’s National Assembly approved changes to the country’s crypto licensing framework, introducing stricter entry requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASPs). The updated rules allow authorities to examine executives and major shareholders for a wider range of potential violations, including drug trafficking, tax evasion, fair-trade breaches and serious economic crimes.
In February, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won also announced plans to draft amendments to the Capital Market and Financial Investment Business Act and the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users that would mandate disclosure from individuals who provide investment advice or encourage trading of financial products or virtual assets.
Magazine: Bitcoin may take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author
Quick Overview
- Bank of America upgraded Tesla from Hold to Buy, setting a $460 price target.
- Analysts describe Tesla as “the current leader in consumer autonomy.”
- BofA estimates Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot division at more than $30 billion and its Energy division at $90 billion.
- Analyst sentiment remains cautious: just 44% rate Tesla as a Buy, trailing the 55% S&P 500 average.
- Shares gained 2% in early Wednesday trading but still trade 13% below year-to-date levels.
Tesla (TSLA) shares climbed during early Wednesday trading after Bank of America resumed coverage with a Buy recommendation and established a $460 price objective, pushing shares approximately 2% higher to $400.27.
The positive call follows a challenging period for the electric vehicle maker. Following a strong fourth-quarter earnings report on January 28, Tesla shares had declined 9%, and entered Wednesday’s trading down 13% year-to-date.
Analyst Alex Perry from BofA identified Tesla as “the current leader in consumer autonomy,” highlighting the company’s Full Self-Driving technology as the cornerstone for what analysts anticipate will evolve into a robotaxi operation.
Tesla’s FSD subscription costs $99 monthly and can manage the majority of everyday driving tasks for vehicle owners. Bank of America views this consumer technology as the stepping stone toward a comprehensive autonomous transportation network.
The company rolled out robotaxi service in Austin, Texas last June, with expansion planned for nine additional cities during the first half of 2026.
Wall Street’s consensus price target for Tesla stands at $427. Bank of America’s $460 forecast exceeds this average, indicating a more optimistic outlook compared to broader analyst sentiment.
Despite the recent upgrade, overall analyst opinion on Tesla remains divided. Only 44% of analysts tracking the stock maintain Buy ratings — significantly lower than the approximately 55% Buy-rating average across S&P 500 constituents.
Tesla trades at a P/E multiple of 363, and InvestingPro’s Fair Value model indicates the shares appear overvalued at present prices. Nevertheless, five analysts have recently increased their earnings projections for the next reporting period.
Humanoid Robotics and Energy Divisions Command Substantial Valuations
Bank of America provided a detailed breakdown of Tesla’s business segments. The investment bank assigns a valuation exceeding $30 billion to Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot division, representing approximately 2% of the company’s $1.47 trillion market capitalization.
Optimus robots are projected to initially serve manufacturing environments, with potential to displace a portion of the roughly 13 million manufacturing positions in the United States, before eventually entering residential markets.
The Energy division, encompassing residential Powerwall battery systems and Megapack installations for utilities and data centers, received a $90 billion valuation from BofA, constituting 6% of Tesla’s overall enterprise value.
Latest Company Developments to Monitor
Not all recent news has favored Tesla. GLJ Research maintained its Sell recommendation, expressing skepticism regarding the commercial feasibility of the Optimus initiative.
Additionally, a federal judge denied Tesla’s motion to reverse a $243 million jury award connected to a fatal 2019 Autopilot accident, determining that evidence strongly validated the jury’s initial conclusion.
On a more positive note, Tesla recorded a 55% year-over-year increase in French vehicle registrations, suggesting some market stabilization in Europe following two consecutive years of declining sales. Norwegian markets also demonstrated growth.
Heading into Wednesday’s session, Tesla shares had gained 44% over the trailing twelve months, despite facing downward pressure throughout the current year.
- Solana price touched $90 as Bitcoin broke to above $71,000 on Wednesday.
- Bulls could eye $100 and higher if BTC explodes further.
- Solana’s outlook hinges on sustained ETF inflows and resolution in geopolitical tensions.
Solana is trading above $90 as of March 4, 2026, with the price seeing slight gains amid an impressive intraday bounce for Bitcoin (BTC).
As BTC trades above $71,000, broader optimism across crypto suggests the psychological $100 level is likely for SOL.
Momentum has currently put the altcoin on the cusp of a key pattern breakout, with Solana’s resilience across the ETFs market crucial to buy-side appeal.
Solana gains amid BTC, ETH uptick
Solana’s price action has closely aligned with gains in leading cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
On Wednesday, Bitcoin retested recent highs above $71k, bolstered by sustained institutional interest despite the war in Iran.
Ethereum also pushed higher, with slight gains putting bulls above the $2,000 mark.
Meanwhile, the Solana price rose 6% to hit intraday highs above the $90 mark.
SOL has not traded above $100 since breaking below the psychological level in early February.
Renewed bearishness amid the Iran war threatened to send bulls bleeding below recent support levels.
However, Bitcoin has sprung above its key supply wall as buyers resurface, and optimism in the cryptocurrency market sees SOL trade in the same direction.
Could an upward breakout take prices past the $100 mark?
Solana price outlook: what next for bulls?
Technically, SOL continues to trade in a downward channel formed since its September 2025 peak above $250.
However, price is tracking an ascending triangle pattern on the daily chart formed since the bounce from the low of $67 on February 6, 2026.
Buyers have found it difficult to break above a key resistance line around $90-$92.
If the altcoin sees a decisive breakout above this mark, it could pave the way for bulls to target $100 and potentially higher.
Momentum indicators like the Relative Strength Index and Moving Average Convergence Divergence support the bullish setup.
The RSI hovers around 50 on the daily chart, suggesting bulls may have room for additional gains, while the MACD continues to signal upside momentum with an expanding histogram.
If bulls negotiate immediate resistance and break higher, the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) at $101 and the 100-day SMA at $116 will be the next hurdles before a potential retest of $150.
However, upside potential remains constrained by the broader descending resistance line tracing back from Solana’s peak in 2025.
A failure to breach $100 might see SOL retrace to major year-to-date support near $77.
The last time Solana traded below $80 was in December 2023 when it was trading in the $60-$105 range.
South Korea’s benchmark stock index posted its steepest single-day decline on record, as geopolitical tensions from the widening US-Israel-Iran conflict rattled markets.
Despite the dip in equities, traders focused on fresh crypto exchange listings, with newly listed tokens posting double-digit gains even as broader market sentiment deteriorated sharply.
Korean Stock Market Under Pressure Amid Geopolitical Tensions
According to Google Finance data, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunged more than 12% on Wednesday. In addition, Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) saw losses exceeding 10%.
“Seoul KOSPI officially ends down 12.06%, biggest daily percentage loss on record,” market analyst David Scutt posted.
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Channel News Asia reported that the Korean Stock Exchange imposed a temporary trading halt on Wednesday morning after both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ indices dropped by more than 8%.
Besides South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and China’s stock markets dipped on Wednesday, driven largely by escalating global tensions. The ongoing crisis has led to a sharp spike in oil prices. Meanwhile, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has further heightened concerns.
Asian economies are especially vulnerable to disruptions in energy supplies from the Middle East. Many of them rely heavily on crude oil imports from Gulf states.
Japan and South Korea are particularly exposed. 87% of Japan’s and 81% of South Korea’s total energy consumption comes from imported fossil fuels.
Why KOSPI’s Performance Matters For Crypto
The latest decline in the KOSPI follows a 7.2% drop on Tuesday, marking its worst two-day performance in decades. The index is now approaching the 5,000 level, a threshold that carries symbolic significance beyond being just a round number.
During this election, President Lee Jae-myung outlined his “KOSPI 5,000” vision and pledged to boost the stock market.
“I don’t think Kospi 5000 is that difficult. If you believe in me, you should take a greater interest in the stock market,” he said.
Notably, on the final trading day before the June 3 presidential election, the KOSPI closed at 2,698.97. Over the next eight months, it surged by approximately 85%, crossing the 5,000 mark for the first time in January 2026.
The stock market rally had real consequences for crypto. As equities rose, liquidity from Korean retail investors shifted away from crypto, with many moving their funds into stocks.
BeInCrypto reported in November that crypto trading volumes had dropped by over 80%. Moreover, according to the Bank of Korea’s Financial Stability Report, the turnover in Korea’s crypto market reached 157%, compared to the global figure of 112%, as retail investors increasingly sought short-term profits.
Crypto Listings Defy Broader Market Turmoil
This drop in equities sharply contrasts with developments in South Korea’s digital asset sector. While stocks fell, new altcoins on South Korean exchanges saw strong demand.
CoinGecko highlighted that Definitive Finance’s EDGE token posted strong gains after its Upbit listing.
Furthermore, Centrifuge’s CFG token rallied 21.6% following its listing on Bithumb. The performance of these tokens suggests South Korean crypto investors may still have an appetite for digital assets, even when traditional markets suffer.
However, it remains unclear if this enthusiasm is sustainable. Exchange listings often drive initial excitement and volume that can inflate prices, regardless of broader market sentiment.
The main question is whether these gains reflect a true shift from stocks to crypto, or if they’re simply driven by short-term speculation. Moreover, if the KOSPI selloff deepens and Korean retail sentiment turns decisively negative, capital that had rotated into equities may not automatically return to crypto. A sustained risk-off mood could suppress inflows across both asset classes.
Ripple Prime, also known as Hidden Road Partners CIV and now a wholly owned subsidiary of Ripple, appeared in a directory of a DTCC subsidiary with a “first trade date” of March 2. Mistaken members of the XRP community quickly declared the listing as proof that massive settlement volumes are migrating to the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
They haven’t.
The Depository Trust Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has approximately $100 trillion in assets under custody and processes $4 quadrillion worth of annual transaction settlements.
Its numbers were so impressive that they fooled fans of Ripple into thinking that its blockchain could benefit from these financial flows.
Even XRPL co-creator David Schwartz praised the news.
Instead, the DTCC subsidiary National Securities Clearing Corporation’s (NSCC) listing of Ripple Prime in its Market Participant Identifier (MPID) directory simply means that a very mundane authorization has been granted that doesn’t involve the XRPL settling DTCC transactions.
The DTCC notice assigns Hidden Road the executing broker MPID “HRFI” under clearing broker “PERS” with numeric code “0443.” That code belongs to Pershing LLC, the BNY Mellon subsidiary that handles custody, settlement, and clearing for hundreds of smaller broker-dealers.
By order of operations, Ripple Prime/Hidden Road executes OTC trades, then Pershing clears and settles them through NSCC. XRPL plays no role in those clearing or settlement transactions.
Moreover, the execution approval covers OTC products eligible for NSCC which are, as its name suggests, National Securities Clearing transactions. The DTCC notice shows OTC approval only for Ripple Prime and shows no checkmarks for standard corporates, municipals, or unit investment trusts.
Dozens of firms go through this exact onboarding process every month. On the same notice, NSCC added directory updates for Paralel Distributors, US Bancorp Fund Services, and several others alongside Ripple Prime.
What Ripple actually said versus what fans heard
When Ripple announced its $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road in April 2025, the press release stated, “Hidden Road will, in turn, migrate its post-trade activity across XRPL to streamline operations and lower costs.”
The future tense of the verb “will” indicated aspiration, not a current operation.
That deal closed in October 2025, and although Hidden Road has rebranded to Ripple Prime and gained an enviable directory listing with NSCC, it’s not yet settling any DTCC trades on XRPL.
Moreover, it doesn’t have that authorization.
Ten months later, Hidden Road’s own website still describes the company as a “global credit network for institutions” offering prime brokerage, clearing, and financing across traditional and digital assets.
Aside from a single mention on its Ripple acquisition press release, its website otherwise makes zero mention of XRPL on its website.
Read more: Years of hype but still no deal: SWIFT sidesteps XRP again
Wild exaggerations about the role of XRPL with the DTCC
An XRP influencer with more than 270,000 followers posted that “Ripple Prime’s role in bridging TradFi and DeFi will likely move post-trade volume to the XRPL,” earning 580,000 impressions.
Crypto outlets including CoinGape, CryptoNinjas, and others ran headlines declaring Ripple Prime would “move post-trade activity to XRPL via NSCC link.”
Hidden Road will process “quadrillions” through DTCC, wrote several mistaken XRP fans.
Unfortunately, a directory listing is not an on-chain milestone.
In summary, a soon-to-be Ripple subsidiary has FINRA broker-dealer approval and now shows up in the NSCC MPID directory to execute OTC trades with Pershing as its clearing broker.
Although Ripple Prime has the regulatory scaffolding to operate as an executing broker in US securities markets, that doesn’t mean that any transactions from DTCC will necessarily create demand for ledger space on the XRPL.
The timeline from Ripple for actually routing Ripple Prime’s post-trade flows onto permanent ledgers in the XRPL blockchain remains conveniently unspecified.
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Vitalik Buterin has sparked debate within the crypto community after outlining a vision for Ethereum as part of a broader ecosystem of what he calls “sanctuary technologies,” open-source systems designed to preserve freedom, privacy and resilience in an increasingly unstable world.
Summary
- Buterin argues Ethereum should focus on shaping structural digital infrastructure, not taking positions on specific political events.
- His praise of Starlink as a “liberating technology” sparked criticism but was framed as support for pluralistic alternatives, not centralized control.
- The debate underscores growing tension over whether Ethereum should remain neutral infrastructure or adopt a more activist posture.
Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin faces backlash over vision for ‘sanctuary tech’
In a series of posts on X, Buterin acknowledged growing concerns about government and corporate surveillance, geopolitical conflict, social media degradation, and the concentration of power in artificial intelligence systems.
He also admitted that Ethereum has played only a limited role in meaningfully improving people’s lives on those fronts.
Rather than pivoting Ethereum toward direct political engagement, Buterin argued the network should focus on building neutral digital infrastructure, a shared, ownerless “space” where people can coordinate, transact and organize without centralized control.
He described Ethereum’s role as shaping the structural properties of the digital world, not intervening in specific political disputes.
After one user accused him of contradicting earlier comments about keeping Ethereum independent of his personal politics, Buterin clarified that he sees two ways of influencing global events: altering systemic structures in ways that promote broadly desirable outcomes, and taking positions on specific real-world situations.
He argued that Ethereum as a community should focus on the former, while individual contributors remain free to hold personal views.
The discussion intensified when Buterin listed Starlink among examples of liberating technologies, alongside encrypted messaging platform Signal and community-driven moderation systems. Critics questioned whether praising a company linked to Elon Musk conflicted with crypto’s decentralization ethos.
Buterin responded that the goal is not to oppose Starlink, but to encourage the creation of many alternative systems — ideally open-source and interoperable — to prevent any single entity from holding dominant control.
“The answer is being pro ten more orgs building their own Starlink-like systems,” he wrote.
The exchange highlights a broader tension within Ethereum: whether it should remain a neutral financial and coordination layer, or adopt a more explicit political posture amid global instability. Buterin rejected the idea that Ethereum should “hunker down” and focus solely on finance, arguing that financial sovereignty alone cannot address deeper societal concerns.
Instead, he framed Ethereum as one component of a larger resilience stack, an infrastructure that reduces the risk of “total victory” by any centralized power. The objective, he said, is not world domination through blockchain, but “de-totalization”: building digital islands of stability in a chaotic era.
Head of Product Nikita Bier announced that X is revising its Creator Revenue Sharing policies to penalize users who post AI-generated videos depicting armed conflict without clear disclosure.
Summary
- X will suspend creators from revenue sharing for 90 days if they post AI-generated war videos without disclosure.
- Repeat violations will lead to permanent removal from the monetization program.
- Enforcement may be triggered through Community Notes or AI-detection signals embedded in content metadata.
Post AI war videos without a label? X will cut your pay
In a post on the platform, Bier said that effective immediately, creators who share AI-generated war-related videos without labeling them as synthetic will be suspended from the revenue-sharing program for 90 days.
Repeat violations will result in permanent removal from monetization eligibility.
The move comes amid heightened global tensions and growing concerns about the use of generative AI tools to create realistic but misleading battlefield footage. Bier said that during times of war, access to authentic information is critical, and that AI technologies now make it “trivial” to produce deceptive content that can distort public understanding.
Under the updated policy, enforcement will be triggered if a post receives a Community Note identifying it as AI-generated, or if metadata and other technical signals indicate the use of generative AI tools. The company said it will continue refining its detection systems and moderation policies to maintain trust on the platform.
The announcement reflects a broader industry struggle to balance open expression with the risks posed by increasingly sophisticated AI media tools. Platforms worldwide have faced pressure from governments and civil society groups to prevent manipulated war footage and deepfakes from spreading during geopolitical crises.
X’s updated monetization rules focus specifically on revenue eligibility rather than account bans, signaling an effort to deter misleading content by targeting financial incentives tied to virality and engagement.
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial.
If DeFi and TradFi truly converge, the pressure point will be on and off-ramps. Few things, other than secure custody, are more critical than having a low-friction way to convert digital tokens into the fiat currency people use every day. For years, that conversion layer was crypto’s weakest link, slowing down mass adoption.
Summary
- Off-ramps are crypto’s real bottleneck: Without fast, low-cost fiat exits, trillions in on-chain value remain operationally trapped and disconnected from the real economy.
- Institutional rails are changing the game: Integrations with Visa Direct and real-time payment networks turn crypto into spendable money, not just tradable assets.
- Infrastructure drives adoption, not narratives: Seamless on- and off-ramps determine whether web3 stays parallel to finance — or becomes embedded within it.
When the age of cryptocurrency first began, off-ramping was clunky, slow, and often expensive. Converting digital tokens into dollars or euros typically requires multiple intermediaries, exchange accounts, manual bank transfers, and waiting periods that could stretch for days. Fees were opaque. Settlement times were inconsistent. In many jurisdictions, reliable withdrawal rails barely existed. This friction did more than frustrate users. It held the industry back.
Liquidity trapped inside exchanges limited crypto’s usefulness as a medium of exchange. Businesses hesitated to integrate digital assets into their operations because accessing fiat capital was operationally complex. Freelancers paid in crypto often waited days before funds became spendable. For many users, difficulty exiting positions reduced confidence in entering them in the first place. Crypto built a powerful on-chain infrastructure, but without efficient exit rails, digital value could not fully connect back to the real economy. That bottleneck is now being addressed.
Earlier this year, Mercuryo integrated off-ramp services with Visa Direct, enabling users to convert crypto balances directly to a credit or debit Visa card. The service provides fast, low-cost conversion into fiat spendable at more than 150 million Visa-accepting merchant locations worldwide. The difference is not incremental. It is structural. When digital assets can move onto global card rails in near real time, they begin to function as usable money.
More users, higher standards
Global crypto ownership continues to climb. According to Crypto.com’s 2025 Global Crypto Market Sizing Report, the number of crypto owners reached 741 million worldwide by December 2025, marking a substantial increase in global participation. But raw growth in user numbers does not mean frictionless access into or out of cryptocurrency. Consumers increasingly expect real-time, intuitive payment experiences.
Traditional and fintech payment networks have invested heavily in instant settlement rails. McKinsey’s 2025 Global Payments Report highlights a payments industry handling trillions of transactions and generating $2.5 trillion in revenue, underscoring how mainstream finance operates at scale with speed and seamless UX as a baseline expectation. Web3 must also meet these standards or risk remaining disconnected from everyday financial life.
Stablecoins are now foundational to transaction volume
Stablecoins have grown into a structural part of the digital asset ecosystem. Andreessen Horowitz’s 2025 State of Crypto report estimates that stablecoins processed approximately $46 trillion in on-chain transaction volume in 2025. That scale reflects growing use beyond trading.
Stablecoins increasingly power remittances, cross-border payroll, treasury operations, and tokenized settlement flows. Yet on-chain transaction volume does not create real-world utility. Stablecoins become practical financial tools only when they can be converted into local fiat quickly and predictably. Without reliable off-ramps, even trillions in digital settlements remain operationally constrained.
Off-ramps are migrating to institutional rails
Over the past 12 months, off-ramping has shifted toward established financial infrastructure. Real-time payment platforms such as Visa Direct, which processes high-speed payouts to credit and debit cards in more than 190 markets, provide a low-touch means of converting digital tokens to fiat currency. This shift bridges the liquidity gap between digital and traditional finance.
When users or businesses can receive fiat via familiar payment paths in minutes rather than days, digital assets function as usable money. Faster access reduces operational delays and exposure to volatility, which is important for freelancers, cross-border businesses, and consumers alike.
On-ramps are becoming native to UX
If off-ramps determine how users exit crypto, on-ramps can help shape who enters. In the past year, major wallet providers and exchanges have deepened integrations with mainstream payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. These integrations enable one-tap onboarding experiences that mirror everyday mobile transactions, dramatically reducing friction compared to traditional bank transfers.
This trend matters because consumer expectations are now anchored in the world of mobile wallets and instant digital payments, as highlighted by industry reports such as the FIS Global Payments Report 2025, which shows digital wallets dominating e-commerce and point-of-sale value flows. When buying crypto feels like buying a coffee, adoption expands beyond early adopters into broader user bases.
Embedded crypto is accelerating
Beyond basic ramp UX, crypto capabilities are increasingly embedded within fintech and consumer platforms. Integrating crypto buying and selling directly into apps, from payment platforms to online marketplaces, requires a reliable payment ramp infrastructure that works globally and meets regulatory standards. This is similar to how embedded finance transformed lending, payments, and savings, where infrastructure became invisible, and the functionality worked seamlessly within the context users already understood. Web3 faces the same requirement.
Emerging markets show what’s at stake
Remittances remain one of the largest and most resilient financial flows globally. According to the World Bank’s latest available data, global remittance flows reached an estimated $905 billion in 2024, continuing a strong upward trend from 2023, with $656 billion flowing to low and middle-income countries. Yet the average cost of sending $200 remained above 6%, more than double the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%.
Crypto payments, particularly when routed through stablecoins, offer a pathway to lower-cost, faster cross-border transfers. But without reliable fiat off-ramps, digital transfers remain trapped as on-chain balances rather than functioning as practical money in local economies. Efficient off-ramps connected to domestic banking systems or widely accepted card rails are essential if crypto is to fulfill its promise as a border-agnostic financial medium.
Infrastructure will define the next cycle
Narratives in web3 will continue to rotate, and markets will cycle between fear and greed. But at the end of the day, what determines adoption is payment infrastructure. When entering and exiting crypto feels as seamless as any mobile wallet transaction, digital assets shift from speculative holdings to functional tools. Liquidity flows more freely. Businesses integrate blockchain settlement into operational workflows. Consumers stop drawing lines between “crypto money” and “money.”
On and off-ramps may not always make the headlines, but they determine whether web3 remains parallel to global finance or embedded within it, opening up crypto services to hundreds of millions of users. The bridge between fiat and crypto is strengthening. The faster it disappears into the background, the faster web3 scales.
By Omkar Godbole (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)
Bitcoin rose to just short of $72,000, hitting a one-month high and lifting the broader crypto market even as the war in the Middle East wreaks havoc on traditional markets.
The outperformance stems from several factors, including relative positioning, rising odds of the passage of the U.S.’s long‑debated Clarity Act aimed at legalizing stablecoins and hopes that conflict with Iran will end soon.
Bitcoin, down nearly 50% from its record high in October, was oversold before hostilities began Saturday. So as traditional assets tumbled, BTC held up well. That has likely revived investor interest in the largest cryptocurrency, drawing institutions back to the spot ETFs.
As noted on Monday, bitcoin stands to gain because the war will only worsen government finances worldwide, leading to more “fiat debasement.“
Meanwhile, the New York Times put out an interesting report that likely aided the price bounce, according to Bloomberg. The report said that the day after the attacks began, operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence contacted the CIA to discuss terms for ending the war. While the U.S. ignored the overture, the outreach suggests backchannels are still active and could be used again, potentially leading to a ceasefire.
Lastly, there’s the possibility the Clarity Act could be passed soon.
“There was speculation circulating in the U.S. that the Clarity Act was close to being signed into law. This helped lift many altcoins relative to major assets, as they are expected to be among the biggest long-term beneficiaries of the legislation,” Paul Howard, director at trading firm Wincent, said in an email.
However, he added that there is currently no strong evidence that a large pool of sidelined money is waiting to flood into digital assets, and any rotation is still relatively small or gradual.
Looking ahead, traders expect volatility to persist, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-supply chokepoint, remains closed and oil prices continue to surge.
“We expect continued volatility, but if the disruption persists, pressure to reopen Hormuz is likely to build. Bitcoin has held up better than broader risk, and bears watching as an early signal of stabilizing sentiment,” QCP Capital’s market insight team said. 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
- Macro
- March 4, 8:15 a.m.: U.S. ADP employment change for February (Prev. 22K)
- March 4, 10:00 a.m.: U.S. ISM services PMI for February (Prev. 53.8)
- March 4, 2:00 p.m.: U.S. Fed Beige Book
- Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)
Token Events
For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.
- Governance votes & calls
- Uniswap DAO is voting across two linked proposals to expand v2 and v3 protocol fees to eight layer-2 networks and enable a new tier-based fee system across all v3 pools. Voting ends March 4 & 5.
- ENS DAO is voting to replace three DNSSEC oracle algorithms to patch a critical RSA signature forgery vulnerability and significantly reduce gas costs. Voting ends March 4.
- Unlocks
- Token Launches
- March 4: Block Street (BSB) to list on Binance Alpha, Bybit, others.
Conferences
For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.
Market Movements
- BTC is up 4.49% from 4 p.m. ET Wednesday at $71,283.58 (24hrs: +6.65%)
- ETH is up 5.19% at $2,068.65 (24hrs: +5.64%)
- CoinDesk 20 is up 4.31% at 3,086.55 (24hrs: +5.45%)
- Ether CESR Composite Staking Rate is down 1 bps at 2.85%
- BTC funding rate is at 0.0051% (5.6119% annualized) on Binance
- DXY is down 0.25% at 98.81
- Gold futures are up 1.70% at $5,194.10
- Silver futures are up 4.00% at $86.24
- Nikkei 225 closed down 3.61% at 54,245.54
- Hang Seng closed down 2.01% at 25,249.48
- FTSE 100 is up 0.18% at 10,502.97
- Euro Stoxx 50 is up 0.70% at 5,812.08
- DJIA closed on Tuesday down 0.83% at 48,501.27
- S&P 500 closed down 0.94% at 6,816.63
- Nasdaq Composite closed down 1.02% at 22,516.69
- S&P/TSX Composite closed down 2.19% at 33,784.90
- S&P 40 Latin America closed down 4.95% at 3,539.33
- U.S. 10-Year Treasury rate is up 1 bps at 4.06%
- E-mini S&P 500 futures are unchanged at 6,825.00
- E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are unchanged at 24,762.00
- E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are down 0.12% at 48,501.00
Bitcoin Stats
- BTC Dominance: 59.61% (+0.81%)
- Ether-bitcoin ratio: 0.02909 (0.26%)
- Hashrate (seven-day moving average): 1,025 EH/s
- Hashprice (spot): $31.26
- Total fees: 2.71 BTC / $183,733
- CME Futures Open Interest: 101,620 BTC
- BTC priced in gold: 13.7 oz.
- BTC vs gold market cap: 4.77%
Technical Analysis
- The chart shows bitcoin’s weekly price swings in candlestick format from early 2024.
- The bounce above $71,000 has renewed focus on the $74,000 level, which acted as resistance, an area where buyers tapped out in March 2024 and later as support, where selling stalled last April.
- This level, therefore, represents an area of significant historical economic activity and could now serve as a key inflection zone: A break and hold above $74,000 may open the door to a push toward higher levels, while repeated failure there could reignite selling pressure.
Crypto Equities
- Coinbase Global (COIN): closed on Tuesday at $182.36 (–1.55%), +6.66% at $194.51 in pre-market
- Galaxy Digital (GLXY): closed at $20.68 (–4.83%), +4.01% at $21.51
- MARA Holdings (MARA): closed at $8.66 (–8.36%), +6.47% at $9.22
- Riot Platforms (RIOT): closed at $15.29 (–6.94%), +3.53% at $15.83
- Core Scientific (CORZ): closed at $15.30 (–7.22%), +2.55% at $15.69
- CleanSpark (CLSK): closed at $9.89 (–6.26%), +4.25% at $10.31
- Exodus Movement (EXOD): closed at $10.83 (+3.44%), +0.65% at $10.90
- CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (WGMI): closed at $37.88 (–6.31%), +4.67% at $39.65
- Circle Internet Group (CRCL): closed at $99.63 (+3.63%), +6.15% at $105.76
- Bullish (BLSH): closed at $33.12 (–2.04%), +2.93% at $34.09
Crypto Treasury Companies
- Strategy (MSTR): closed at $132.68 (–3.61%), +7.70% at $142.89
- Upexi (UPXI): closed at $0.79 (–10.80%), +14.65% at $0.90
- Lite Strategy (LITS): closed at $1.15 (+2.68%)
- Sharplink (SBET): closed at $7.26 (–1.76%), +4.68% at $7.60
ETF Flows
Spot BTC ETFs
- Daily net flows: $225.2 million
- Cumulative net flows: $55.47 billion
- Total BTC holdings ~1.28 million
Spot ETH ETFs
- Daily net flows: -$10.8 million
- Cumulative net flows: $11.66 billion
- Total ETH holdings ~5.71 million
Source: Farside Investors
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