Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Crypto World

One of the biggest bitcoin (BTC) sellers this year is a tiny Asian country

Published

on

(Arkham/CoinDesk)

Bhutan has sold a part of its BTC stash again, and the pace is accelerating.

The Royal Government of Bhutan moved 519.707 BTC worth $36.75 million on Wednesday to an external address, according to Arkham Intelligence data. The transfer continues a drawdown that has intensified sharply over the past two weeks, with approximately $152 million in total outflows in 2026 alone.

The week before Wednesday’s move was the most active period in the kingdom’s bitcoin history. Arkham’s outflow data shows a cluster of transfers totaling roughly $72 million in a single week, headlined by a 595.848 BTC transfer worth $44.44 million, the largest single move of the year.

That was followed by 205.53 BTC ($15.14 million) and 150.047 BTC ($11.14 million) sent to external addresses, plus 20.506 BTC ($1.52 million) to QCP Capital’s merchant deposit address.

Advertisement
(Arkham/CoinDesk)

In January, Bhutan moved 184 BTC ($14.09 million) to an external wallet, sent 100.818 BTC ($8.31 million) to QCP Capital, and transferred $1.5 million in USDT to a Binance hot wallet. In February, another 100 BTC ($6.77 million) went to QCP. Two weeks ago, 175 BTC ($11.85 million) went out. Then last week’s $72 million burst. Then Wednesday’s $36.75 million.

The pattern shifted from $5-15 million clips in January and February to $35-45 million transfers in March.

QCP Capital has been the most consistent counterparty, receiving three separate transfers totaling roughly $16.6 million this year. The Singapore-based trading firm’s repeated appearance as a destination suggests an OTC relationship for structured selling rather than ad hoc liquidations.

Bhutan’s stack peaked at roughly 13,000 BTC in late 2024, built over several years through state-backed hydroelectric mining where the cost basis is effectively zero.

(CoinDesk)

Every coin sold is profit for the country, whose economy depends heavily on hydroelectric exports to India.

The drawdown began after October 2024 and has been steep. Current holdings sit at 4,453 BTC worth $315 million, a 66% reduction in coins from peak. The Arkham balance chart shows the portfolio value peaked near $1.88 billion and now sits at $315 million, hit on both sides by the selling and bitcoin’s decline from $119,000 to $70,000.

Advertisement

In December, Bhutan unveiled a Bitcoin Development Pledge committing up to 10,000 BTC to fund Gelephu Mindfulness City. At the time that was worth roughly $860 million. The government now holds fewer than 4,500 coins. The pledge in its original form is mathematically impossible to fulfill without reversing the drawdown entirely.

CoinDesk has reached out to Druk Holding & Investments, the government’s commercial arm, for comment on the recent transfers and whether the Gelephu commitment remains active.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Crypto World

Canton coin jumps as Visa joins network: will CC price rally next?

Published

on

Canton coin jumps as Visa joins network: will CC price rally next?
  • Visa has joined Canton Network as a super validator.
  • The payments giant brings privacy-preserving payments to Canton.
  • Canton price hovered near $0.14 on Thursday.

Canton (CC) trades around $0.14, just in the green on the day as the broader cryptocurrency sell-off pressure continues to hinder buyers.

The token’s value has dropped by more than 12% in the past month, with the Iran war and macro headwinds key downside factors.

But analysts are bullish long term, and this outlook could strengthen as Visa boosts adoption by bringing privacy payments to the Canton Network. The global payments giant has joined Canton as a Super Validator.

The partnership extends Visa’s expertise in secure payment processing to blockchain validation.

Why does this matter?

Visa’s entry as a Super Validator on the Canton Network marks a pivotal moment for blockchain adoption in traditional finance.

Advertisement

Potentially, this means momentum for Canton’s native token amid rising institutional interest.

As one of 40 Super Validators, Visa will support banks and financial entities in deploying new on-chain payment flows.

By securing operations on the Canton, Visa aims to bridge traditional finance with decentralized infrastructure, facilitating seamless integration for institutions already reliant on its global network.

Notably, Visa will apply its rigorous standards to Canton operations, allowing banks to explore stablecoin payments, settlement, and treasury functions.

Advertisement

According to Visa, financial institutions can tap into on-chain rails while maintaining existing risk management, compliance, and operational protocols.

That’s because the network’s privacy features address a core barrier for institutions hesitant to adopt public blockchains.

“Many banks see the lack of privacy as a dealbreaker for moving meaningful activity on-chain,” said Rubail Birwadker, global head of growth and partnerships at Visa.

Birwadker added:

“By operating as a Super Validator on Canton Network, we’re bringing Visa-grade trust, governance and operational rigor that define Visa’s global network to privacy‑preserving blockchain infrastructure, so regulated FIs can bring payments on-chain without having to rethink how they operate.”

Canton price outlook

Canton has already achieved broad adoption in capital markets, underpinning tokenized asset issuance and trading for major players.

Advertisement

Visa’s involvement solidifies the path to greater integration of blockchain payments, and for CC, it could be a bullish signal for network utility and token demand.

Canton’s token, which powers network fees, staking, and governance, could benefit from this.

While the token saw muted price action following the news, social chatter is largely optimistic. However, sellers dominate the current market.

From a technical perspective, current prices align with the resistance zone around the 50-day EMA.

Advertisement

Gains could see CC target $0.20, the all-time high reached amid the recent swing high. Yet prices have moved lower since this peak in early February 2026.

This suggests potential downward momentum before oversold conditions. Primary support levels lie around $0.10.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Some indicators are still going the wrong way, challenging the bullish $70,000 holdout narrative

Published

on

Some indicators are still going the wrong way, challenging the bullish $70,000 holdout narrative

What do you call a market that consistently shrugs off headlines that usually send it tumbling? You call it resilient with a strong underlying demand support.

That’s the bitcoin story in recent weeks, as it the cryptocurrency held firm around $70,000 even as the Iran war rages, oil prices surge, and Fed rate-cut bets evaporate. This kind of defiance screams bullishness.

But hang on, some key indicators are still heading the wrong way, throwing a wrench into that bullish interpretation.

The first indicator is the Coinbase Premium, which measures the price difference between bitcoin on Coinbase, a Nasdaq-listed Exchange, and on the offshore giant Binance. Typically, a strong positive premium means U.S. institutional investors are bidding more aggressively than their global counterparts. A strong Coinbase premium has regularly featured during bull runs, including bitcoin’s first run to $100,000 in late 2024.

Advertisement

But right now, the Coinbase Premium is at its most negative in over a month, according to data source Coinglass. In other words, BTC trades at a discount on Coinbase, indicating a relatively softer demand from U.S. investors. The discount reappeared on March 19 and has been growing since.

Another key indicator – bitcoin ETF inflows, also a proxy for institutional demand – has been underwhelming lately.

The 11 U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs saw $1.53 billion in net inflows this month, ending a three-month streak of outflows, per SoSoValue. But nearly $1.3 billion arrived in the first half, with the pace slowing considerably to just $195 million since. Analysts have repeatedly stressed that consistent, strong inflows are crucial for Bitcoin prices to gain bullish momentum.

Vikram Subburaj, CEO of India-based Giottus Exchange, put it best: “The signal here is that institutional demand has not disappeared. However, it is selective and less linear than in the strongest accumulation phases.”

Advertisement

As of writing, bitcoin changed hands at around $70,000, according to CoinDesk data.

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Swan Bitcoin Seeks Subpoena For Howard Lutnick

Published

on

Swan Bitcoin Seeks Subpoena For Howard Lutnick

Bitcoin financial services firm Swan Bitcoin has filed an ex parte application in moves to subpoena Cantor Fitzgerald and its former CEO, Howard Lutnick, seeking discovery tied to a failed mining venture involving former employees. 

Swan sued several ex-staff in September 2024, alleging that they stole confidential documents, resigned, and then founded “counterfeit competitor” firm Proton Management days later while convincing Tether, one of Swan’s funding partners at the time, to cut ties with Swan and work with them instead. The ex-staff allegedly referred to this as the “rain and hellfire” plan.

Swan’s application for a subpoena, filed in the Southern District of New York on Monday, targets Cantor Fitzgerald and Lutnick because Swan believes they are in possession of key documents relevant to Swan’s failed mining venture with Tether, 2040 Energy, in addition to the coordinated employee exodus and alleged data exfiltration.

The subpoena application against Lutnick, who now serves as US secretary of commerce, comes as Democratic senators like Elizabeth Warren continue to press him over potential conflicts of interest tied to Tether.

Advertisement
Source: Cory Klippsten

Cantor Fitzgerald is Tether’s investment banker and has advised the stablecoin issuer with its push into the Bitcoin mining industry, Swan noted in the filing.

Due to this link, Swan alleged that Cantor Fitzgerald likely knew about the undervalued sale of Swan’s crypto mining assets to a Tether subsidiary.

Swan alleges that Cantor ghosted them after a meeting

Swan said its CEO, Cory Klippsten, met with Lutnick in June 2024, before the alleged events took place, as Swan was considering an initial public offering and Cantor Fitzgerald was interested in being Swan’s lead investment banker.

During those discussions, Swan said it shared a “highly confidential and proprietary slide deck” with Cantor Fitzgerald and showed them its mining facilities.

“After the mass resignations and asset diversion, Cantor broke off contact with Swan without explanation,” Klippsten said on X.

Advertisement