Crypto World
ETH funding rate turns negative: Are ETH bears back in control?
Ether’s price trajectory has remained tepid as institutional interest wavered and on-chain activity cooled, even as Ethereum developers push forward with upgrades designed to improve scalability and wallet security. Over the last month, the asset has struggled to sustain above $2,100, with a brief 7% uptick overshadowed by renewed selling pressure. Net outflows from spot ETFs reached roughly $225 million, underscoring dampened demand from traditional finance investors just as staking yields lag behind competing crypto yields. In parallel, on-chain metrics show a cooling in activity—base-layer fees averaged about $2.3 million weekly, down sharply from an early February peak near $8 million—while daily transaction counts hovered around 14 million.
Key takeaways
- Ether price faces resistance to clear sustained gains above the $2,100 level, despite a temporary 7% rise in one session and signs that traders are paring leverage rather than building bullish bets.
- ETF-related flows point to fragile institutional demand, with $225 million in net outflows versus prior inflows, as staking yields fail to outpace stablecoin alternatives.
- Derivatives activity shows a nuanced picture: perpetual futures have trended negative, suggesting appetite for downside protection, while the 30-day options delta skew remains near neutral, indicating a cautious stance from option buyers.
- On-chain fundamentals reveal a softer near-term environment: weekly base-layer fees around $2.3 million and a still sizeable but evolving TVL of roughly $56 billion.
- Ethereum roadmap progress—account abstraction and the Hegota upgrades—reflects continued innovation, including plans to pay gas in non-ETH tokens and to streamline finality, though these developments have not yet sparked a meaningful uplift in demand for Ether (CRYPTO: ETH).
Ether (ETH) has traded in a narrow range after retaking a push above $2,000 and then failing to hold gains, with a persistent risk-off mood weighing on risk assets. The broader market context remains fragile, as investors weigh the appeal of staking rewards against yields available from competing crypto products. The recent ETF flows offer an imperfect gauge of institutional appetite: while some weeks show inflows, overall the trend has tilted toward net withdrawals, pressuring Ether bids on spot markets.
In the derivatives space, ETH perpetual futures dipped into negative territory on Tuesday, signaling a tilt toward bearish positioning. This metric has lingered below its neutral range of roughly 6%–12% annualized funding for the better part of a month, hinting at a lack of conviction for a sustained breakout. By contrast, the ETH options risk gauge held near the neutral zone (-6% to +6%), with puts trading at a modest premium to calls—an indication that some market participants are seeking downside protection even as broader sentiment remains unsettled. Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) stands at about $56 billion, a figure that underscores the chain’s retained mainstream appeal even as demand ebbs and flows.
From an on-chain operations perspective, activity on the base layer has cooled. Average weekly fees settled around $2.3 million after spiking to around $8 million in early February, suggesting traders are paring activity or seeking efficiency through layer-2 solutions rather than increasing on-chain transactions in native Ether. Transaction counts over the past week hovered around 14 million, a sign that interest is not converging on a rapid upcycle at current price levels. Layer-2 rollups are central to the upgrade narrative, but the expected uplift in native Ether demand has yet to materialize in a meaningful way.
Another facet of the narrative is the evolving perception of Ethereum’s roadmap. Vitalik Buterin has indicated that account abstraction—a shift toward smart accounts that could improve user experience and security—will likely arrive within a year, after more than a decade of development. The associated Hegota fork, which introduces gas payments in non-ETH tokens via specialized DEXs, alongside a “general-purpose public mempool” and removals of certain privacy platforms’ public broadcasters, could alter how users pay for transactions and how data is organized on-chain. These changes, if implemented smoothly, may gradually reduce bottlenecks and enhance privacy, but they have not yet translated into a decisive pickup in Ether demand.
Market participants also weigh the health of the Ethereum treasury and governance-related developments. Sharplink (SBET US), the treasury vehicle linked to Ethereum insiders and chaired by a figure closely tied to the ecosystem, reported a net loss of $735 million in 2025. The setback underscores the risk profile of on-chain treasuries and the potential liquidity challenges that can accompany large-scale treasury management operations in a bear market environment. While this is not a direct price driver, it does color investors’ confidence in Ethereum’s ecosystem funding and long-term sustainability.
Beyond upgrades and funding dynamics, the slow pace of native-chain scalability improvements has tempered enthusiasm for Ether. The market has been watching for concrete progress on account abstraction and related scalability shims, while also keeping an eye on gas economics within cross-chain constructs. In this environment, Ether’s momentum has remained constrained, with the broader crypto market wrestling with risk sentiment and macro considerations that influence ETF inflows, staking yields, and liquidity conditions across the sector.
The confluence of tepid price action, cautious ETF flows, and evolving protocol upgrades suggests Ether is navigating a transitional period: the anticipation of structural improvements is real, but immediate demand catalysts have not yet arrived. The absence of a strong directional breakout—despite some positive signals around network upgrades and security improvements—points to a market that is waiting for clearer catalysts or a shift in macro liquidity to re-energize bids for Ether.
Why it matters
For investors, the current environment highlights the importance of differentiating between short-term price momentum and long-run network value. Ethereum remains the dominant platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications, with TVL and developer activity continuing to anchor the ecosystem—even as near-term demand indicators show fragility. The ongoing upgrades, particularly around account abstraction and gas-payment innovations, could, if fully realized, lower friction for users and merchants and help rebuild confidence in Ethereum’s on-chain utility.
From a builder’s perspective, the roadmap emphasizes security, efficiency, and privacy enhancements that could unlock new use cases and improve end-user experience. The Hegota upgrade, with its approach to gas payments and mempool management, signals a willingness to rethink fundamental economics and data flows on the network. If governance and implementation proceed smoothly, developers could accelerate rollouts of scalable dApps, which in turn may attract new capital and spur renewed demand for Ether.
For the market as a whole, Ethereum’s trajectory continues to influence how investors evaluate layer-1 chains and the broader risk appetite in crypto markets. ETF dynamics, staking options, and on-chain metrics will remain intertwined with macro cycles, regulatory developments, and the pace at which scalability improvements translate into tangible user adoption. In this environment, ETH’s performance will depend on a mix of technical progress, product-market fit for layer-2 solutions, and the capacity of institutional participants to translate macro liquidity into constructive demand rather than speculative positions alone.
What to watch next
- Follow updates on the US ETF staking pathway and any subsequent inflows or outflows in the coming quarters to gauge institutional appetite for Ether exposure.
- Monitor progress on account abstraction finality and the timeline for the Hegota fork, including any security or privacy-related milestones.
- Track layer-2 adoption metrics, including transaction throughput and fee dynamics, to assess whether these solutions effectively translate into higher on-chain activity for Ether.
- Observe changes in staking reward economics relative to competing yield sources, and any shifts in stablecoin yields that influence capital allocation within crypto treasuries.
- Watch governance and treasury developments surrounding Sharplink and other ecosystem vehicles for potential spillovers into market sentiment and long-term funding models.
Sources & verification
- Laevitas.ch data on ETH perpetual futures funding rates and the associated market dynamics referenced in the discussion of negative territory.
- Laevitas.ch ETH 30-day options delta skew data used to illustrate risk sentiment and option market positioning.
- Stablecoin yield comparisons, particularly Sky Lending (formerly MakerDAO), with yields around 3.75% versus staking at roughly 2.8%.
- Reported 2025 net loss of Sharplink (SBET US) at $735 million, as noted in the article’s references to ecosystem treasury performance.
Ethereum market reaction and key details
Ether (CRYPTO: ETH) has faced a challenging backdrop in recent weeks as ETF outflows and a cautious risk appetite converge with ongoing protocol evolution. The ongoing debate over how best to price and pay gas — including considerations around non-ETH payment options and the potential for a public mempool—frames investors’ expectations for near-term catalysts. While the fundamentals point to a robust long-term role for Ethereum in decentralized finance and smart contracts, the near-term price action suggests traders are prioritizing risk management over aggressive exposure. For now, the market is awaiting clearer signals from upgrades, regulatory movements, and institutional flows before committing to a sustained bid higher than the current range around the $2,000s to $2,200s band.
Market participants should continue to monitor the evolving relationship between staking economics and competing yields, as well as the degree to which Layer-2 ecosystems translate on-chain activity into meaningful Ether demand. In addition, the health of the Ethereum treasury and governance actions surrounding major ecosystem initiatives will be important for assessing long-term resilience and strategic direction. The next steps for Ethereum hinge on delivering scalable, secure, and user-friendly improvements that can convert optimism about upgrades into tangible use cases and capital inflows.
This article was originally published as ETH funding rate turns negative: Are ETH bears back in control? on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.
Bitcoin touched $71,612 on Tuesday evening before settling back to $70,036 by Wednesday’s Asian session, as oil price slide revved up risk sentiment.
A key catalyst was a Wall Street Journal report that the International Energy Agency had proposed the largest crude reserve release in its history, exceeding the 182 million barrels released in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The proposal responds to Persian Gulf production cuts that have removed roughly 6% of global oil output since the Iran war began, sending jet fuel and cooking gas prices soaring worldwide.
Brent crude dropped below $90 per barrel on Wednesday after plunging 11% in the prior session. That matters for crypto because oil has been the transmission mechanism connecting the Middle East conflict to every risk asset on the planet. Higher oil means stickier inflation, which means no rate cuts, which means tighter liquidity and further pressure for risk assets.
Bitcoin was trading at $70,036 on Wednesday morning after reaching as high as $71,612 on Tuesday evening, up 2.5% on the week. The move from Monday’s low near $66,000 to Tuesday’s high amounts to roughly 8.5% in two days, though the overnight pullback gave back some of those gains.
“Bitcoin trading above $70,000 tells you buyers are trying to push this market out of consolidation, but it still has to prove it can hold,” said Daniel Reis-Faria, CEO of ZeroStack, said in a mail. “The difference this time is that leverage had cooled off a bit before the move higher, which gives it a more stable setup.”
“Now it comes down to whether Bitcoin can stay above $70,000 and build from there, or whether it slips back into the same pattern we’ve been in for weeks,” he added.
Elsewhere, FxPro analysts noted that bitcoin is forming a series of higher local lows since the end of February, the first structural sign of buyers gaining confidence within the range.
But they flagged $73,000 as the level that matters, where last week’s peak and the 50-day moving average sit together.
The broader market was calm. Ether held at $2,034, down 0.3% on the day but up 2.8% on the week. BNB was flat at $643. XRP edged up 0.3% to $1.38 with a 1.7% weekly gain. Solana added 0.2% to $86.42 but remains down 0.8% over seven days, still the weakest major on a weekly basis.
Dogecoin was up 1% to $0.093, holding onto some of Tuesday’s Musk-driven gains.
The Fed meeting on March 17-18 remains the next major event. With oil potentially easing on the IEA reserve release, the stagflation scenario that had been pricing into markets last week looks slightly less severe.
If crude stays below $90, the argument for rate cuts later this year gets marginally stronger. Bitcoin’s 90-day correlation with the S&P 500 is still at 0.78. Whatever the Fed signals, crypto will trade it.
Ripple announced plans on Wednesday to secure an Australian Financial Services License through the proposed acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, per a release shared with CoinDesk.
The acquisition, which is still subject to completion, would allow Ripple to offer its full payments stack in Australia, covering onboarding, compliance, funding, foreign exchange, liquidity management, and payout through a single integration.
Australian customers currently using Ripple Payments include Hai Ha Money Transfer, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments, and Independent Reserve.
“Australia is a key market for Ripple, and an AFSL strengthens our ability to scale Ripple Payments across the region,” said Fiona Murray, managing director for Asia Pacific, in a statement.
The regional numbers back up the push. Ripple said its APAC payments volume nearly doubled year-on-year in 2025, though it didn’t disclose specific figures.
That growth sits alongside the $100 billion in total processed volume the company reported last week when it announced managed custody, virtual account collections, and stablecoin settlement capabilities across 60 markets.
Ripple also said it is participating in Project Acacia, an initiative led by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre focused on digital asset infrastructure.
The licensing approach is notable. Rather than applying for an AFSL directly, Ripple is acquiring a company that already holds one. That’s a faster path to market but means the license is contingent on the deal closing, which hasn’t happened yet.
XRP was trading at $1.38, up 0.3% on the day and 1.7% on the week.
Bitcoin price is stabilizing near $70,000 as declining derivatives leverage and falling retail inflows hint at a possible base forming in the market.
Summary
- Bitcoin is trading near $70,000, close to the upper end of its weekly range.
- Retail inflows to Binance have dropped sharply while open interest across exchanges continues to trend lower, signaling reduced leverage.
- Technical indicators show BTC consolidating between $67K and $71K as volatility tightens ahead of a potential breakout.
At press time, Bitcoin (BTC) was trading at $70,718, up 4.2% over the past 24 hours. The asset is now near the top of its recent weekly range thanks to the move.
Following February’s volatility, Bitcoin has shown signs of consolidation over the last seven days, trading between $65,962 and $73,669. The cryptocurrency is still 46% below its October 2025 all-time high of $127,080 despite the recent upswing.
Alongside the price increase, market activity has increased. With a 49% rise and a 24-hour trading volume of $53.8 billion for BTC, traders appear to be returning to the market.
Derivatives data also shows rising activity. According to CoinGlass data, Bitcoin futures trading volume increased 13% to $76 billion, while open interest climbed 5.72% to $46 billion.
Despite the short-term increase, longer-term data show that leverage across exchanges has been trending lower.
Retail flows and leverage show cooling market conditions
A Mar. 10 report from CryptoQuant contributor Amr Taha points to a sharp decline in retail Bitcoin inflows to Binance over the past month.
The analysis tracks cumulative Bitcoin deposits to the exchange over 30 days, separating activity from smaller investors and large holders. According to the data, retail inflows to Binance dropped significantly between Feb. 6 and Mar. 10.
During that period, retail deposits fell from around $14.1 billion to roughly $6.3 billion, a drop of about $7.8 billion. The current level is the lowest recorded since mid-May 2024, suggesting smaller investors are sending fewer coins to exchanges.
Open interest across derivatives markets has also been declining. The report notes that several major exchanges have seen a reduction in futures positioning in recent weeks.
Bitcoin open interest on Binance was $3.45 billion on March 10, down from the $3.8 billion level noted on April 7, 2025. That earlier reading coincided with a period when Bitcoin formed a major market bottom.
According to Taha, widespread drops in open interest often signify a reduction in traders’ leverage. Once excessive speculation is removed from the market, periods of deleveraging can occasionally result in more stable price action.
Bitcoin price technical analysis
From a technical standpoint, Bitcoin is still recovering from the sharp decline seen in February. The price is still below the 20-day moving average, which is the midline of the Bollinger Bands. This level often acts as resistance when markets are trying to recover from a downtrend.
At the same time, the chart shows that Bitcoin is moving sideways between $67,000 and $71,000, indicating that the market may be establishing a base following the recent sell-off. Several recent candles have longer wicks and smaller bodies, which shows hesitancy among traders.
Volatility has also started to contract. Bollinger Bands are gradually narrowing, a pattern that comes before a more significant shift in either direction.
Momentum indicators show a slight improvement. The relative strength index is now hovering around 50, a neutral reading, having recovered from oversold levels near 20–30 during February’s decline.
$66,000 to $67,000 continues to be the crucial support range for Bitcoin in the near future. Holding this level could help maintain the current consolidation structure.
On the upside, $71,000 to $72,000 stands as the next resistance area. A break above that range could signal stronger recovery momentum, while rejection there may keep Bitcoin trading sideways in the near term.
Ripple has announced plans to secure an Australian financial services license by acquiring a local payments firm in the country.
Summary
- Ripple plans to obtain an Australian Financial Services License through the acquisition of BC Payments Australia.
- New regulations set to take effect by June 30, 2026, would require crypto companies operating in Australia to obtain a license.
Ripple said it will obtain the AFSL license through the acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, a payments company linked to the European Banking Circle Group. A deal is still underway and is expected to close on April 1 after the standard closing process is finalized.
“Australia is a key market for Ripple,” Ripple’s APAC Managing Director Fiona Murray said in an accompanying statement, adding that it will help Ripple Payments “manage the full lifecycle of a transaction, from onboarding and compliance through funding, FX, liquidity management, and final payout, while integrating both traditional banking rails and digital assets.”
Ripple’s decision to pursue the license comes as Australia’s financial regulator has unveiled updated regulations for the country’s crypto sector.
Starting June 30, 2026, crypto firms operating in Australia would be required to obtain an Australian Financial Services License before they are allowed to offer certain financial services to local customers.
Over the past years, Ripple has expanded its global regulatory footprint by focusing on securing licenses across key markets around the world.
In 2025 alone, Ripple managed to secure payment licenses in Singapore, the UAE, and the UK. The company was also granted conditional approval for a national trust banking charter by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency alongside a handful of other firms.
Securing these regulatory approvals has helped Ripple strengthen its push for broader institutional adoption of the XRP (XRP) ecosystem and its flagship stablecoin RLUSD.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Ripple became one of the world’s top most valuable private companies, with its valuation reaching roughly $50 billion.
Blockchain and crypto are technologies performing the same functions as existing financial infrastructure, so they shouldn’t be treated as separate asset classes when crafting legislation, according to the fintech chief of Australia’s securities regulator.
In a paper presented at the Melbourne Money & Finance Conference on Wednesday, Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC’s) head of fintech, Rhys Bollen, said crypto should be regulated on “economic substance rather than technological form.”
Tokenized securities should fall within securities laws, and stablecoins should trigger payment services legislation, Bollen said, while noting that other elements of crypto may be subject to consumer protection laws.
Bollen’s approach contrasts with crypto-specific regulatory frameworks in other countries, such as the CLARITY Act in the US and the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation framework in Europe.
Bollen argued that the three main financial functions — capital allocation, payments and risk management — have evolved with technological advancements and that distributed ledger technologies, such as blockchain, shouldn’t be treated differently:
“Digital assets largely represent new technological instances of longstanding financial activities. While the mechanisms of issuance, transfer and record-keeping have changed, the underlying economic functions served by these instruments have not.”
“Regulatory systems have repeatedly adapted to technological change – from paper instruments to electronic records – without abandoning foundational principles such as consumer protection, market integrity and systemic stability,” Bollen added.
Australia isn’t crafting one big crypto bill
Australia is already starting to adopt this approach, with the main piece of crypto legislation, the Digital Asset Framework bill, seeking to merely amend parts of the Corporations Act, Bollen said.
“The Bill does not abandon the existing financial services framework. Instead, it introduces tailored amendments that integrate digital asset platforms into the established regulatory architecture.”
The Australian crypto market has also been given guidance through ASIC Information Sheet 225, which states that existing definitions of “financial product” and “financial service” under the Corporations Act can apply to digital assets.
“ASIC’s guidance explicitly rejects the notion that digital assets constitute a discrete asset class for regulatory purposes,” Bollen said. “Instead, it confirms that a digital asset may fall within the regulatory perimeter where it functions as a security, derivative, managed investment scheme interest or non-cash payment facility.”
Bollen said a focus on “economic characteristics rather than technological labels” would enable regulators to provide clearer rules to market participants while reducing “opportunities for regulatory arbitrage.”
Related: Ripple targets April for Australian financial license via acquisition
ASIC Information Sheet 225 is also focused on the regulation of intermediaries rather than tokens, with Bollen noting that most consumer harm in the digital asset industry has stemmed from the conduct of crypto platforms offering custody, trading, lending or yield services.
Decentralized offerings still tricky to regulate
Bollen acknowledged that classification issues may arise with decentralized products or services, though he said legal analysis should focus on practical control and benefit, rather than formal claims of decentralization:
“Where identifiable parties exercise influence over protocol design, governance, or economic outcomes, regulatory obligations can and should attach.”
Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns
Artificial intelligence is being reframed as a fundamental utility rather than a purely productivity unlock, according to Jensen Huang, the founder of Nvidia. In a blog post this week, Huang portrays AI as essential infrastructure on par with electricity and the internet. He argues the facilities that design chips, operate data centers, and deploy AI applications represent the largest infrastructure buildout in human history. The sentiment is tempered by the recognition that the job of constructing and maintaining this ecosystem will be enormous, spanning a wide array of skilled trades. The analysis arrives as Nvidia (NVDA) continues to benefit from surging demand for AI hardware, a cycle that has propelled its stock higher in the past 18 months. (EXCHANGE: NVDA)
Huang’s “five-layer cake” concept frames AI infrastructure as a stacked, interdependent system. In his view, energy supplies the base; AI chips drive computation; the underlying infrastructure enables services and platforms; AI models provide reasoning and intelligence; and applications translate capabilities into real-world use cases. The blog argues that the architecture must be rebuilt almost from scratch to accommodate autonomous reasoning, real-time inference, and on-demand intelligence, rather than merely following stored instructions. This restructuring implies not only new factories and fabs but also a reimagining of operational workflows across industries. The five-layer framework has quickly become a touchstone for executives and policymakers contemplating how to allocate capital and talent in the AI era.
AI isn’t a single model. It’s a full stack.
Energy. Chips. Infrastructure. Models. Applications.
That’s the five-layer cake powering the largest industrial buildout in history — and the jobs, factories and AI applications rising with it. pic.twitter.com/rwxO6fdTnE — NVIDIA Newsroom
Huang notes that much of this infrastructure has yet to exist and requires a workforce that is still in short supply. The emerging demand for AI data centers—capable of housing powerful GPUs, high-speed networks, and robust cooling—will demand electricians, plumbers, steelworkers, network technicians, and operators. These are not entry-level roles; they require specialized training and experience, aligning with a broader push for skilled labor across advanced manufacturing and digital-enabled services. As the AI buildout accelerates, Huang argues, the scale of the opportunity will extend beyond any single country or sector, touching a wide spectrum of industries and geographies.
The AI boom’s corporate beneficiaries have become a focal point for investors. Nvidia, already a dominant supplier of AI accelerators, has emerged as one of the biggest winners in the current cycle. Its shares have surged more than 1,300% since 2023, a rally that followed the public release of ChatGPT and the ensuing AI race. The company’s role at the center of both the hardware ecosystem and the software-enabled AI pipeline has reinforced its status as a core proxy for AI demand, even as critics argue the cycle may be tempered by regulatory scrutiny, supply chain constraints, and macro headwinds. (EXCHANGE: NVDA)
Within this broader narrative, Huang’s comments echo a larger industry trend: the AI data-center expansion is reshaping employment patterns and wage prospects in specialized trades. A recent wave of corporate restructurings—at Block, Pinterest, and Dow—has highlighted how AI-enabled efficiency and automation are influencing staffing decisions. Block, Inc. announced a large-scale workforce reduction, a move its co-founder attributed in part to AI-enabled restructuring. Pinterest and Dow also cited AI as a driver for workforce reductions, underscoring a common theme: automation and AI adoption can compress roles while intensifying demand for high-skilled positions in AI hardware, data-center operations, and software engineering. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have characterized AI-driven layoffs as visible but modest, suggesting the macro impact on unemployment might be gradual even as the technology accelerates. (EXCHANGE: SQ)
The story also intersects with broader market dynamics. Nvidia’s ascent underscores the hardware supply chain’s centrality to AI-enabled growth, a trend that has implications for other technology equities and for sectors linked to data-center energy consumption. The AI infrastructure cycle is a reminder that the push into AI is not merely a software upgrade; it is a capital-intensive, global effort that requires policy alignment, capital allocation, and a capable workforce. As capital continues to flow into data centers, chip manufacturing, and related services, the demand for skilled labor, reliable power, and resilient networks is likely to remain a core feature of the investment landscape. (EXCHANGE: NVDA)
AI’s footprint in the economy is expanding rapidly, and Huang’s framework suggests a multi-decade horizon for the buildout. AI data centers will need not only hardware but also the operational expertise to install, maintain, and secure complex systems. The labor market for skilled trades—traditionally insulated from pure software cycles—could see persistent demand for technicians who can design, install, and upgrade AI-ready infrastructure. This reality may influence everything from wage dynamics to vocational training programs, and it could even shape incentives for crypto mining and other power-intensive activities that rely on cost-effective, scalable AI-capable hardware and energy platforms. The net effect is a gradual, rather than explosive, reallocation of resources toward AI-enabled capabilities across industries. (EXCHANGE: PINS; EXCHANGE: DOW)
As the AI narrative matures, investors and policymakers will be watching how the five-layer cake translates into real-world deployments and jobs. Huang’s estimate that “hundreds of billions” have already been invested, with trillions more to come, highlights the scale of the opportunity—and the risk of bottlenecks in supply chains, talent, and regulatory frameworks. In parallel, financial markets will assess whether the AI infrastructure cycle can sustain a broader earnings and growth trajectory for hardware suppliers, cloud providers, and software developers delivering AI-powered services. The cross-currents—tech capex, energy demand, labor shortages, and macro risk sentiment—will continue to shape how this AI era unfolds. (EXCHANGE: NVDA; EXCHANGE: SQ; EXCHANGE: PINS; EXCHANGE: DOW)
Why it matters
For investors, Huang’s framework reframes AI from a short-term optimization trend to a structural, capital-intensive expansion that will require a steady inflow of funding and a highly skilled workforce. The implied long horizon for infrastructure expenditure could sustain demand for AI accelerators, data-center gear, and software ecosystems for years, potentially supporting a more durable equity narrative for hardware-centric players and cloud providers. For builders and operators, the emphasis on a multi-layer stack underscores the importance of resilient, scalable energy, cooling, and networking capabilities. It also highlights the need for training pipelines that can deliver electricians, technicians, engineers, and operators who understand AI workloads from edge to core. For policy and macro participants, the discussion points to the macroeconomic implications of a large-scale industrial transition that could influence employment, wage dynamics, and regional competitiveness as nations compete to attract investment in AI-enabled infrastructure.
From a market-structure perspective, the AI infrastructure wave intersects with broader sectoral trends, including data-center consolidation, hyperscale capacity expansion, and the ongoing evolution of industrial tech. While the short-term price moves in any given stock or token can be volatile, the longer-term signal is one of sustained, capital-intensive growth in a space that sits at the convergence of compute, energy, and human capital. Crypto markets, which have historically been sensitive to energy pricing, risk sentiment, and technology cycles, may experience indirect effects as AI-driven optimization and automation influence energy demand, hardware pricing, and risk-off/ risk-on dynamics across tech-heavy equities. The net takeaway is a cycle that rewards suppliers of AI hardware, creators of AI software, and the labor ecosystem that will build and maintain the infrastructure of the AI era.
What to watch next
- Capital expenditure plans from Nvidia and peers to expand AI data-center capacity, with quarterly updates and guidance.
- Trends in skilled-labor supply for AI infrastructure, including training program developments and wage indicators for electricians, network technicians, and operators.
- Regulatory developments affecting AI deployment, energy efficiency standards, and data-center permitting in key markets.
- Announcements of new AI-enabled products or services from leading cloud providers and hardware suppliers, including integration of AI models into enterprise workflows.
Sources & verification
- Jensen Huang’s blog post outlining the “five-layer cake” framework: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-5-layer-cake/
- Article discussing AI data centers and bitcoin mining considerations: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-data-centers-local-resistance-bitcoin-mining
- NVIDIA becomes a leading AI boom beneficiary (AI hardware dominance): https://cointelegraph.com/news/nvidia-becomes-first-4t-market-cap-company-on-ai-boom
- Block, Inc. layoffs attributed to AI-driven restructuring: https://cointelegraph.com/news/jack-dorsey-block-cuts-4000-jobs-ai-restructuring
- Pinterest and Dow announcements linking AI to workforce reductions: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-use-work-causing-brain-fry-say-researchers
- Goldman Sachs analysis on AI-driven layoffs and unemployment trends: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-sachs-warns-ai-fueled-layoffs-could-raise-the-unemployment-rate-this-year-chart-154251740.html
What the story means for the market
The trajectory Huang sketches positions AI infrastructure as a multiyear, capital-intensive cycle that could recalibrate how investors value hardware suppliers, cloud platforms, and enterprise software tied to AI workloads. As the industry navigates talent shortages, energy considerations, and macro uncertainties, the sector’s performance will hinge on the pace of data-center expansion, the efficiency of AI training and inference pipelines, and the alignment of policy with rapid technology adoption.
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Crypto World
Can XRP break $100 in a single day? Retail investors are searching for passive income opportunities
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Rising interest in XRP is pushing investors to explore passive income strategies, with platforms like NOW DeFi gaining attention for cloud mining and automated crypto earnings.
Summary
- Many XRP investors are looking for passive income options such as staking, DeFi yields, and cloud mining.
- Platforms allow users to participate in Bitcoin mining without hardware by renting hash power remotely.
- NOW DeFi offers features like free hash power rewards, AI mining optimization, and renewable-energy mining infrastructure.
As sentiment in the cryptocurrency market begins to recover, XRP has once again become one of the focal points for investors. Discussions surrounding XRP’s future price potential have intensified in recent weeks, with some analysts even speculating whether the asset could see a sharp surge in a very short period if market momentum continues to strengthen.
While the idea of XRP reaching $100 within a single day remains largely speculative, a more practical trend is becoming clear: an increasing number of retail investors are no longer focusing solely on price movements but are also searching for cryptocurrency investment methods that can generate consistent income.
Amid rising market volatility, passive income, automated earnings strategies, and low-barrier participation models are becoming new areas of interest. Particularly as popular assets like XRP regain market attention, some investors are turning their focus toward cloud mining, DeFi yield products, and automated digital asset platforms.
What passive income opportunities are XRP investors exploring?
In the current market environment, many investors are increasingly looking for opportunities that offer:
- Income models that do not rely on frequent trading
- Participation methods that require little technical expertise
- Platform-based services that can grow alongside the crypto market
Among these options, cloud mining is re-emerging as a popular choice among investors.
Compared with traditional hardware-based mining, cloud mining eliminates the need to purchase expensive mining machines or manage electricity, cooling, and maintenance costs. Users simply register on a platform and select a contract to participate in cryptocurrency mining through remote computing power.
For retail investors who are watching XRP’s price action while also seeking passive income opportunities, this model is becoming increasingly attractive.
Five passive income strategies XRP investors are paying attention to
1. Digital Asset Staking
Staking is one of the most common passive income strategies. By locking certain digital assets, users can earn rewards distributed by platforms or blockchain protocols.
This method is relatively easy to use, though returns are often closely tied to the volatility of the underlying asset.
2. DeFi Yield Protocols
DeFi protocols allow users to generate returns through liquidity provision, lending, or yield aggregation.
While flexible, these strategies often require a higher level of risk awareness and understanding.
3. Automated Trading Strategies
Some platforms offer quantitative or automated trading strategies designed to capture opportunities in volatile markets.
However, such products can be more complex and rely heavily on the platform’s trading algorithms.
4. Cloud Mining Platforms
Cloud mining is increasingly viewed as an alternative to traditional cryptocurrency mining.
Instead of purchasing hardware, users can access mining power through cloud-based platforms and participate in the mining rewards of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
For investors seeking a lower technical barrier and more automated income generation, this approach is gaining traction.
5. Platforms Combining Cloud Mining and DeFi
As more platforms integrate infrastructure with yield mechanisms, services that combine cloud mining with DeFi features are attracting a new wave of crypto users.
These platforms typically emphasize simplified registration, automated reward distribution, and streamlined user experiences.
Why NOW DeFi is attracting attention from XRP and crypto investors
Among the many platforms available today, NOW DeFi is gradually becoming a topic of discussion within the market.
For investors looking to shift from pure price speculation toward passive income strategies, NOW DeFi offers a more direct entry point. The platform combines cloud mining infrastructure with DeFi-based reward mechanisms while simplifying the participation process.
For many users who have previously focused on trading assets such as XRP, BTC, or ETH, platforms like NOW DeFi are increasingly seen as a potential “second income curve” within the crypto ecosystem.
Key features of NOW DeFi include:
Free Hash Power Rewards
New users can claim a free mining reward upon registration to experience the platform’s mining services.
Daily Earnings Settlement
The platform supports automated daily reward distribution, reducing the need for manual management.
AI Hash Power Optimization Technology
Dynamic resource allocation helps improve overall mining efficiency.
Renewable Energy Mining Infrastructure
The platform’s mining operations are located in regions rich in renewable energy resources.
According to platform information, its mining infrastructure is primarily distributed across:
- Norway
- Canada
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
These regions offer relatively low energy costs and stable renewable energy supplies, supporting efficient mining operations.
Example mining plans
| Plan | Investment | Contract Duration | Estimated Daily Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Plan | $100 | 2 Days | ~$4 |
| Mid-Tier Plan | $10,000 | Varies by plan | ~$165 |
| Advanced Plan | $50,000 | Varies by plan | ~$955 |
It is important to note that actual returns may vary depending on market conditions, network difficulty changes, and platform policies.
Why These Platforms Are Attracting More XRP Investors
XRP investors are typically highly sensitive to market trends and are often willing to explore new opportunities when the market becomes active.
When popular assets regain attention, investors often begin searching for answers to questions such as:
- Which platforms can provide passive income?
- Which strategies do not require constant trading?
- Which services are suitable for beginners?
As a result, during periods of heightened market interest, cloud mining platforms and automated yield services tend to gain additional visibility.
Conclusion
Whether XRP can truly reach $100 within a single day remains uncertain, but one clear trend is emerging across the cryptocurrency industry: investors are increasingly shifting their focus from single price movements toward more sustainable income models.
From staking and DeFi to cloud mining and automated yield services, passive income strategies are becoming an important consideration for retail investors managing digital asset portfolios.
For users interested in exploring alternative income opportunities beyond XRP price speculation, NOW DeFi offers a relatively simple way to participate. Users can register by visiting the official NOW DeFi website or downloading the mobile application. After registration, new users can claim the platform’s free hash power reward and begin participating in cloud mining without purchasing mining hardware.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
Elon Musk said late Tuesday that the payments features on social application X will go live next month.
Dubbed X Money, the feature turns X into a fintech app with peer-to-peer transfers, bank deposits, a debit card, cashback re
The platform is licensed in over 40 U.S. states through subsidiary X Payments and has Visa as a partner for account funding.
Dogecoin rallied as much as 8%, before reversing gains, after the annoucement despite it containing zero references to crypto. It hit nearly $0.10 over the past day before settling around $0.093, making it the best-performing major crypto over both 24-hour and seven-day periods.
The reflexive move reflects a pattern that has played out multiple times since 2021. Musk says something about X payments, and DOGE pumps on speculation he’ll integrate it.
Musk has called dogecoin his “favorite cryptocurrency” and Tesla accepted DOGE for merchandise in 2022. But X Money as described is a pure fiat product, with peer-to-peer transfers, bank linking, debit card. That’s closer to Venmo with a social media app attached, not a crypto wallet.
As such, X’s head of product Nikita Bier said in February that crypto trading tools would come to X through Smart Cashtags, but clarified the platform wouldn’t execute trades or act as a brokerage.
It would provide data and links that redirect users to exchanges. Musk recently reposted a third-party forecast of X Money’s future features that included “crypto integration,” but the company hasn’t confirmed anything.
The more interesting question for crypto markets isn’t whether DOGE gets added. It’s the 6% yield.
Six percent on a balance inside a social media app used by hundreds of millions of people is higher than virtually every U.S. savings account and competitive with money market funds. Whether it’s subsidized by X to drive adoption, generated by lending deposits, or backed by some other mechanism matters enormously for how regulators view it.
The timing collides with Congress fighting over the CLARITY Act, which would set rules for yield-bearing stablecoin products.
The Senate Banking Committee is targeting mid-to-late March for markup. The core policy question is whether non-bank platforms should be allowed to offer deposit-like yields to consumers.
X Money isn’t a stablecoin product, but it’s targeting the exact same consumer demand, people looking for better returns than their bank offers, through a different regulatory path.
If X Money launches at scale with 6% APY before the CLARITY Act passes, it creates an awkward comparison. A fiat fintech product inside a social media app gets to offer yields that crypto stablecoin products are being legislated out of.
Ethereum’s network activity has surged to all-time highs across multiple metrics, but the growth has failed to lift ether’s price or boost fee generation at the base layer.
A weekly report from analytics firm CryptoQuant published March 10 found that daily active addresses on Ethereum approached 2 million in February 2026, exceeding peaks seen during the 2021 bull market. Active addresses are unique blockchain wallet addresses that have sent or received a transaction within a specific timeframe, like the past 24 hours
Smart contract calls, or codes on blockchain telling it to do something specific, topped 40 million per day, and token transfers driven by internal contract interactions also set records. The findings point to broad adoption across DeFi, stablecoins and automated protocol activity, even as investment demand for ether has weakened.
Record network user activity typically bodes well for the market value of the blockchain’ native token. But that’s not the case with Ethereum.
It’s native token ether is down roughly 30% over the last six months, and the one-year change in Ethereum’s realized capitalization has turned negative, indicating net capital outflows from the market.
Exchange flow data from CryptoQuant shows ether moving to trading venues at a faster rate relative to bitcoin, a pattern consistent with elevated selling pressure.
Focus on capital flows
CryptoQuant argued that capital flows, rather than network activity, now explain ETH price dynamics more effectively.
In prior cycles, particularly 2018 and 2021, rising on-chain activity coincided with price rallies. That relationship has weakened. The firm’s scatter analysis showed recent observations clustering at high activity levels but relatively low prices, suggesting incremental usage growth now has less explanatory power for ether’s valuation.
The fee picture reinforces the disconnect. Data from DefiLlama shows Ethereum generated roughly $10.3 million in transaction fees over the past 30 days, placing it third behind Tron at nearly $25 million and Solana at about $20 million.
On a revenue basis, the gap widens further. Ethereum ranked fifth in 30-day protocol revenue at $1.22 million, trailing Tron as well as Polygon, Base and Solana. Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network built by Coinbase, generated roughly three times Ethereum’s protocol revenue over the same period.
The disparity reflects the growing role of Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem. Networks such as Base and Polygon process large volumes of transactions while paying relatively small settlement costs back to the base chain, distributing economic activity across the broader Ethereum ecosystem rather than concentrating it on the base layer.
Stablecoins remain a bright spot for adoption. Ethereum hosts approximately $162 billion in stablecoin supply, roughly 52% of the global market, according to DefiLlama. Yet that activity has not translated into proportional value capture for ether itself.
Ethereum may be busier than ever, but the blockchain’s native asset is capturing less of the value created on top of it.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest public holder of Bitcoin, sold a record amount of its perpetual preferred equity, Stretch (STRC), after amending its sales rules on Monday.
Strategy is estimated to have bought 1,420 Bitcoin (BTC) in a single day after selling roughly 2.4 million STRC shares through its at-the-market (ATM) program, according to data from STRC.live. The amount marks the largest estimated daily issuance of STRC and BTC purchases, surpassing the previous record of 1,069 BTC, according to a Monday X post from STRC.live.
Strategy announced a major rule change to its at-the-market (ATM) share sales program on Monday, allowing a second agent to sell the securities before the US market opens and after it closes, easing a prior restriction limiting such sales to one agent per trading day.
STRC is one of the major pillars of Strategy’s Bitcoin buying
STRC is Strategy’s variable-rate perpetual preferred stock, launched in July 2025 as one of several securities the company uses to help fund its Bitcoin treasury strategy, alongside other ATM programs such as Stride (STRD), Strife (STRF), Strike (STRK) and common stock (MSTR). Strategy says the stock pays monthly variable cash dividends, with the annualized rate for March set at 11.5%.
Some market observers said the updated sales structure could make it easier for Strategy to issue stock more efficiently during premarket and after-hours trading, potentially accelerating future capital raises tied to Bitcoin purchases.
“A lot more capital will be raised, and a lot more Bitcoin will be purchased,” market observer Ragnar said.
According to STRC.live, last week’s estimate suggested STRC proceeds would fund a weekly purchase of approximately 4,300 BTC ($303 million). However, the actual purchase exceeded expectations, as Strategy reported selling around $378 million in STRC in its filing with the SEC on Monday.
Related: Oil tumbles, crypto gains as Trump sends mixed signals over Iran war
The company reported a massive $1.3 billion BTC purchase, marking one of its largest Bitcoin acquisitions on record. Common stock MSTR accounted for the largest proceeds in reported sales, generating nearly $900 million in proceeds.
The results for STRC underscore ongoing rapid acceleration in investor interest, despite the Bitcoin price trading below Strategy’s reported average cost basis of $75,862.
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