Key Takeaways

• Bitcoin retests $70K but struggles to hold gains
• US PMI data sparks short-term crypto rebound
• ETF inflows support BTC amid global tensions
• On-chain data still signals bear market phase
• Analysts warn of potential bull trap scenario

Bitcoin retested $70,000 this week before pulling back to $68,306. The move followed stronger-than-expected US manufacturing data. However, on-chain indicators still point to a bear market backdrop.

BTC traded within a tight $64,000 to $70,000 range throughout the week. Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows and regulatory progress supported sentiment. Meanwhile, rising geopolitical tensions added uncertainty to global markets.

The US dollar index climbed to 98.72 amid inflation concerns. Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran pressured risk assets. As a result, traders assessed whether the rebound marks a bottom or a temporary rally.

Bitcoin Holds Range as Macro Data Drives Momentum

Bitcoin currently trades at $68,306 after briefly touching $70,000. The rally followed the latest US ISM Manufacturing PMI release. The index came in at 52.4 for February 2026, beating expectations of 51.8.

Although the reading slipped from January’s 52.6, it signaled continued expansion. New orders increased at a slower pace due to tariffs and elevated costs. Nevertheless, markets reacted positively to the stronger data.

Crypto-related stocks advanced sharply during the session. Strategy, Marathon Digital, Coinbase, and Robinhood gained between 5% and 7%. Circle jumped 15%, while Bitmine rose 7.48% to close at $20.40.

ETF inflows also strengthened short-term sentiment. Rising institutional participation supported spot demand for Bitcoin. However, derivatives data showed that futures activity remained subdued.

Trading volume stayed elevated as market participants awaited new economic reports. The ISM Services PMI and Nonfarm Payrolls data could influence rate expectations. Consequently, Bitcoin remains sensitive to macroeconomic signals.

Ethereum Follows Bitcoin Higher Amid Sector Rebound

Ethereum traded at $1,952, posting moderate gains during the broader rally. The asset moved in line with Bitcoin after the PMI data release. Improved risk appetite lifted large-cap digital assets across the board.

Ethereum benefited from stronger spot market activity. Additionally, ETF-related flows supported sentiment around major cryptocurrencies. Yet, derivatives positioning reflected restrained leverage in the market.

On-chain activity showed signs of stabilization. Network usage and transaction metrics improved compared to prior weeks. Even so, broader cycle indicators still suggested structural weakness.

CryptoQuant’s Bull-Bear Market Cycle Indicator remained below zero. The reading also stayed under its 365-day moving average. This configuration historically aligns with bear market conditions.

Market analysts compared current conditions to early 2022. During that period, Bitcoin rallied sharply after geopolitical shocks. However, prices later resumed their broader correction.

Bitcoin’s retest of $70,000 reignited optimism across the sector. Yet, on-chain indicators and macro risks temper expectations. For now, the crypto market remains in a correction within a fragile environment.

Market pumped yesterday and majority of traders started calling 72k and 80k for $BTC
While OI (Open Interest) was expanding aggressively there was heavy absorption at the highs $BTC swept pwH liquidity…expecting a sweep of this level again for round 2 short
Also, we had large… pic.twitter.com/aDtaeZzI6h

— Simbaland (@PipsAlpha) March 3, 2026

Tomi’s Daily BTC Thread:
$BTC consolidating ~$68.5k–$69k after yesterday’s +5–6% bounce from $65k lows. Hit $70k+ resistance but rejected hard – shorts squeezed, but macro caution lingers. Breakout or more chop? Dive in 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/83fJbWkNhz

— Tomi Point (@tomipoint) March 3, 2026

After four weeks of redemptions, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF products snap back with a $458m daily surge and renewed institutional demand.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs are quietly back in accumulation mode, and the tape looks more like the start of a second leg than a dead‑cat bounce. Weekly data shows Bitcoin ETF products pulling in about $787.3m in net inflows in the seven days to Feb. 27, ending a four‑week outflow streak that had drained roughly $2.48b from the complex. A single three‑day burst added around $1.02b, including a $506.5m peak day, as issuers such as BlackRock and Fidelity saw flows reverse sharply after a bruising February. For a deeper breakdown of that shift, crypto.news highlighted how “weekly Bitcoin ETFs flow remain positive with BTC back above $66K,” framing it as the first decisive sign that redemptions have been absorbed.

That turn set the stage for March’s opening jolt of demand. Fresh figures show about $458.2m in net inflows into U.S. Bitcoin ETFs on Mar. 2, marking the first positive day of the month and immediately easing fears of another protracted bleed. BlackRock’s IBIT vehicle captured roughly $263.2m, more than half of the total, while Fidelity’s FBTC drew about $94.8m and Bitwise’s BITB added around $36.4m. As one flow recap put it, “March kicked off on a positive note as investors collectively put $458.2 million into the different Bitcoin ETF products,” a sharp contrast with the $27.5m in redemptions that had closed February.

Institutional confidence returns as ETF breadth widens

For analysts, this looks less like noise and more like confirmation of a structural bid from wealth platforms and pensions. A recent crypto.news analysis noted that “Bitcoin ETFs recorded $787.31 million in net inflows for the week… ending four red weeks,” adding that it was “the first positive week since late January” and a sign that sidelined capital steps back in quickly when macro fears fade. A separate research piece on ETF adoption argued that spot products have become a “cornerstone of institutional investment strategies,” estimating that U.S. funds held around 1.5m BTC, or roughly 7% of maximum supply, by late 2025.ainvest+1
Price is starting to reflect that flow regime. Bitcoin (BTC) trades around $67,000–$68,000, up roughly 1–2% over the last 24 hours, after ranging between about $63,000 and $67,000 during the latest ETF‑driven reversal. Ethereum (ETH) is changing hands near $2,000, with 24‑hour volumes in the low tens of billions as it lags Bitcoin’s ETF story but remains tightly correlated to broader risk sentiment. Solana (SOL) sits in the mid‑$80s, little changed on the day, yet increasingly tethered to the same flows as traders position for potential multi‑asset products.

Key Takeaways

• Bitcoin jumps 3.5% as ETF inflows reach $458M
• Ethereum climbs near $1,966 amid market rebound
• XRP trades at $1.36 despite regional tensions
• Crypto cap hits $2.33T during oil route crisis
• ETF demand boosts BTC, ETH, and XRP prices

Crypto markets rebounded sharply as geopolitical tensions escalated in the Middle East. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP posted solid gains despite disruptions in global oil routes. The total crypto market cap rose to $2.33 trillion, signaling renewed market strength.

Bitcoin Extends Gains as ETF Inflows Strengthen Demand

Bitcoin trades at $68,106 after gaining 3.5% in the past 24 hours. The asset has climbed nearly 8% this week despite a 13% monthly decline. This recovery aligns with strong institutional flows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

Farside Investors data shows that Bitcoin ETFs recorded $458 million in inflows on March 2, 2026. These inflows supported price stability during heightened global uncertainty. Institutional demand absorbed selling pressure and strengthened market structure.

Bitcoin ETFs inflows helped stabilise prices amid a backdrop of global uncertainty. The ETF market’s ongoing interest underscored strong demand from institutional investors.

$BTC is back at the $67,000 level.

Middle East situation is still escalating, which is bad for risk-on assets.

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As long as Bitcoin holds the $66,000 zone, there’s a good chance of a pump towards the $72,000-$74,000 zone. pic.twitter.com/qTnMGNGXaT

— Ted (@TedPillows) March 3, 2026

Ethereum Rises as Market Cap Expands

Ethereum trades at $1,966 after posting a 9.8% weekly increase. The token gained momentum even though it remains down 17% over the past month. The broader market rebound contributed to Ethereum’s short-term recovery.

The crypto market cap increased by 2.01% within 24 hours. This growth reflects renewed participation across major digital assets. Ethereum benefited from improved sentiment and steady capital rotation into large-cap tokens.

At the same time, regulatory developments supported the market outlook. Speculation around the potential passage of the CLARITY Act added momentum. Policy clarity expectations helped offset geopolitical pressure from the US-Iran conflict.

XRP Advances Despite Ongoing Regional Conflict

XRP trades at $1.36 after gaining 1.15% in the past day. The token also recorded a 2.4% increase over the week. However, XRP remains down roughly 17% over the past month.

The rebound occurred even as global trade faced disruption risks. Iran’s reported control over the Strait of Hormuz raised fears of oil price spikes. Energy supply concerns intensified after officials warned of blocking exports.

Despite these developments, XRP followed the broader market trend. Strong Bitcoin ETF inflows created a spillover effect across major cryptocurrencies. Consequently, XRP sustained moderate gains during the market-wide recovery.

Geopolitical tensions escalated after Iran reportedly tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf to global shipping lanes. It carries nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Energy markets reacted to the potential disruption of supply routes. Oil price forecasts pointed toward possible spikes if restrictions continued. However, crypto assets diverged from traditional risk patterns during the same period.

Market participants shifted capital back into digital assets as ETF inflows accelerated. Institutional allocation supported liquidity and improved short-term stability. As a result, major cryptocurrencies regained ground despite external shocks.

The recent price action highlights the growing maturity of the crypto market. Large-cap assets demonstrated resilience during macroeconomic stress. Institutional flows and regulatory expectations reinforced upward pressure across leading tokens.

Overall, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP delivered coordinated gains during a volatile global backdrop. ETF demand, expanding market capitalization, and policy optimism drove the recovery. The market maintained strength even as geopolitical tensions remained unresolved.

Analysts say the ETF-driven liquidity could sustain momentum.

Decentralized finance has a reputation for fast money, explosive yields, and dramatic price swings. Social feeds amplify entry signals, token calls, and screenshots of 10x gains. But beneath the noise lies something far more consistent — and far less glamorous.

The real edge in DeFi trading isn’t a secret indicator.

It’s an understanding structure.

DeFi Is a System of Incentives

Unlike traditional markets, decentralized finance runs on programmable incentives. Protocols aren’t just marketplaces — they are engineered ecosystems designed to attract, direct, and reward capital.

Capital flows based on:

When emissions are high, liquidity floods in. When rewards decline, capital rotates out. Price movements often follow these structural changes more than narratives or social sentiment.

In other words, DeFi participants — especially yield farmers — respond to return optimization, not brand loyalty.

If you track incentives, you track liquidity migration.

Liquidity Is More Important Than Price

Most retail traders focus on price charts. But in DeFi, liquidity is often the more critical variable.

Liquidity determines:

• Slippage severity

• Volatility intensity

• Liquidation cascades

• Manipulation risk

Thin liquidity environments amplify volatility. Large trades move markets aggressively. Stop losses get hunted. Liquidations cascade faster.

Deep liquidity environments, on the other hand:

Experienced traders look for liquidity pockets, not just price patterns. Because large players target liquidity zones — that’s where capital can enter or exit efficiently.

Volatility Is Often Engineered

In decentralized finance, volatility isn’t always organic. It is frequently linked to:

A major unlock can introduce supply pressure. A change in staking yield can alter token demand. A governance proposal can shift long-term value capture assumptions.

When traders understand these structural drivers, they can anticipate moves before charts fully reflect them.

The Role of Automated Systems

In DeFi, you are not trading against human emotion alone. You are interacting with:

• Automated Market Makers (AMMs)

• Liquidation bots

• MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) searchers

• Arbitrage algorithms

• Yield optimization strategies

These systems operate on logic, not feelings. They react instantly to mispricings and inefficiencies.

If you do not understand how automated liquidity pools price assets or how liquidations are triggered, you are exposed to risks invisible on a standard chart.

Studying protocol mechanics often provides more edge than studying technical indicators.

Tokenomics Over Hype

Many DeFi tokens struggle not because the product fails, but because the token design is misaligned.

Critical factors include:

High emissions with low utility create sales pressure. Weak value capture models disconnect the token price from protocol revenue.

Understanding tokenomics helps determine whether appreciation is structurally supported — or temporarily subsidized.

Risk Management: The Unpopular Advantage

The most consistent performers in DeFi often rely on fundamentals that are not exciting:

• Strict position sizing

• Diversification across protocols

• Tracking unlock calendars

• Monitoring treasury and whale wallets

• Entering during forced selling events

• Exiting during peak incentive periods

DeFi markets can reward boldness, but they punish recklessness.

Volatility can multiply gains — or erase capital quickly. Sustainable trading requires structure, not adrenaline.

The Real “Hidden Secret”

There is no mystical alpha channel.

The consistent edge in decentralized finance comes from understanding:

DeFi is programmable finance. Its behavior is shaped by design.

Traders who study the architecture — not just the candles — operate with informational clarity. Those who trade only momentum often become liquidity for those who understand the system.

In the end, decentralized finance rewards structural awareness more than prediction.

And that’s the closest thing to a secret it has.

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Cryptocurrency exchange software has spent the past decade optimizing liquidity, matching engines, and trading interfaces, yet the most critical bottleneck, the wallet layer, sits outside. Externally owned accounts (EOAs), controlled by a user’s private key, underpin most crypto wallets today but were never actually built for high-frequency trading or mainstream usability. Users need to manually manage seed phrases, approve tokens, hold native gas tokens, and sign multiple transactions before executing a single trade. End users gain exposure to low-level blockchain mechanics and a fragmented flow that TradFi platforms eliminated years ago.

Account abstraction changes this model by moving transaction logic, fee handling, and authorization rules into programmable smart accounts. Instead of users adapting to blockchain constraints, the cryptocurrency exchange software can define how accounts behave by sponsoring fees, batching actions, delegating permissions, and enabling flexible authentication. The result is a trading experience that approaches Web2 simplicity while preserving self-custody at the settlement layer.

How Does Wallet Friction Break Crypto Exchange UX?

As stated earlier, the constraint is not liquidity or matching speed but the execution control. When trading relies on EOA-based execution, cryptocurrency exchange software cannot abstract gas management, approval logic, or transaction sequencing. Every trade inherits the blockchain-level constraints. 

• Gas Fees as a Trading Blocker

Exchanges that don’t implement account abstraction require users to

• • Maintain native tokens (e.g., ETH) for execution
  • Monitor gas balances before trading
  • Absorb gas price volatility
  • Face failed transactions when balances are insufficient

This places a critical part of trade execution outside the control of the crypto exchange software. 

Business impact:

Gas dependency increases onboarding friction and introduces failure points during the first trade. Users who encounter gas-related errors early are less likely to complete activation, reducing onboarding completion and first-trade conversion rates. Users’ confidence in the cryptocurrency exchange software also declines.

• Fragmented Trade Execution Model

EOA-based trading converts a single user intent into multiple independent blockchain actions. A simple trade may, therefore, involve:

• • Token approval
  • Trade submission
  • Separate gas payments
  • Waiting for on-chain confirmations

What appears as a single action in the UI becomes a sequence of protocol-level operations, increasing cognitive load and execution latency. 

Business impact:

When wallet setup introduces additional steps before trading begins, abandonment increases. Each layer of required configuration, including gas funding, approvals, and transaction confirmation, raises entry friction for non-technical users. For active traders, it slows execution velocity and affects retention.

• Approval Loops and Signature Fatigue

In an EOA-based model, validation occurs one transaction at a time. 

• • As said earlier, a single trade will involve a token approval, trade execution, and multiple gas payments. Each step will also demand a separate wallet confirmation.
  • Even when approvals are reused, every trade still requires a manual signature and gas confirmation since execution cannot be batched. For users, this creates an interruption at the exact moment when speed matters most. 

Business impact:

Repeated confirmations reduce execution continuity for high-frequency traders and degrade overall crypto exchange software platform stickiness. Over time, this leads to lowered active trader retention.

•  Private Key Responsibility in Crypto Trading Environment

EOAs expose users to complexity and operational risks, including:

• • Key storage and recovery
  • Irreversible loss exposure
  • Manual confirmation for every action

This transaction model is structurally incompatible with high-frequency trading, automated strategies, and mobile-first interfaces.

Business impact:

Wallet setup complexity increases onboarding drop-off, and recovery anxiety reduces user confidence in cryptocurrency exchange software. Support tickets related to lost keys, pending transactions, and gas confusion ultimately increase operational overhead.

How Account Abstraction Restructures Crypto Exchange Software Architecture and UX ?

Account abstraction shifts execution control from user-managed execution to programmable smart accounts. Instead of relying on EOAs that execute one signed transaction at a time, crypto exchanges integrating account abstraction operate through smart accounts that embed rules, validation logic, and fee policies directly into the account layer. It is a structural redesign of how transactions are authorized, validated, and executed within cryptocurrency exchange software.

• Smart Accounts Replace Static EOAs

Under traditional EOA architecture:

• • Each user controls an EOA via a private key.
  • The account can only validate signatures.
  • Each transaction is confirmed independently
  • It cannot enforce custom rules or automate multi-step logic.

Also, each intent requires token approval, trade execution, separate confirmations, and gas payments, with each step requiring separate validation.

With account abstraction implemented in cryptocurrency exchange development:

• • Each user operates through a smart contract-based account.
  • The account can define validation rules beyond a simple private key signature.
  • Execution logic can bundle multiple actions into a single atomic transaction.

Instead of signing multiple blockchain transactions, the user signs only once. This allows cryptocurrency exchange software to define how accounts behave without taking custody of assets.

UX Outcome For Crypto Exchange Software:
A trade that previously required approval + execution + separate confirmations can execute as a single action after cryptocurrency exchange development implements account abstraction. This leads to:

• • One-click trades
  • Reduced signature fatigue
  • Faster execution perception
  • Lower slippage risk in volatile markets

Users experience intent-based trading instead of transaction-based signing. 

• User Operation Flow Enables Programmable Execution

In an EOA model:

• • The user signs a transaction.
  • The transaction is broadcast to the network.
  • The user pays gas directly.

In an account abstraction based cryptocurrency exchange development:

• • The user signs a User Operation which is an instruction object, not a direct transaction.
  • A bundler aggregates multiple User Operations.
  • The bundled transaction is submitted on-chain.
  • A paymaster can sponsor or manage gas payment.

This way, the user no longer interacts with raw blockchain transactions. Execution becomes purely programmable and policy-driven. 

UX Outcome For Crypto Exchange Software
By integrating account abstraction into crypto exchange development, trading platforms can therefore abstract gas fees. Users no longer need to hold native tokens or manually manage fee volatility. Trade execution becomes predictable for users.

• Fee Handling Becomes Platform-Controlled

EOAs require users to:

• • Hold native gas tokens
  • Estimate and manage gas costs
  • Accept failed transactions due to insufficient gas

Account abstraction enabled smart accounts in cryptocurrency exchange software allow:

• • Sponsored gas
  • Stable coin-denominated fee deduction
  • Gas fee abstraction at the infrastructure layer

UX Outcome For Crypto Exchange Development:
Since the user-managed gas fee model is eliminated and platforms abstract gas volatility for the users entirely, it results in reduced onboarding friction, higher first-trade success, and simplified mobile trading flows.

• Authorization Becomes Policy-Based, Not Key-Based

In an EOA model, a transaction is valid if the private key signs it. Authorization is binary as it is either full approval or rejection.

Smart accounts powered by account abstraction introduce conditional validation. An action can be executed only if predefined rules are satisfied, such as:

• • Multi-signature authentication
  • Spending limits
  • Time-bound permissions
  • Role-specific access (trade allowed, withdrawal restricted)
  • Delegated bot or API permissions
  • Device-scoped authentication

Validation shifts from “Who signed this?” to “Does this action satisfy defined policy constraints?”

UX Outcome For Crypto Exchange Software:

• • Session-based trading without repeated confirmations
  • Controlled automation for bots and APIs
  • Flexible recovery without custodial compromise or requiring users to confirm every transaction manually 

This enables high-frequency trading and mobile-first interaction without degrading security posture.

Under EOA-based execution, users adapt to blockchain mechanics.

Under account abstraction based cryptocurrency exchange development, blockchain mechanics adapt to user intent. The exchange defines:

• • Transaction sequencing
  • Fee logic
  • Authorization boundaries
  • Execution batching

The user interacts with a trading interface where the platform manages the protocol complexity itself.

Top Account Abstraction Implementations 2025-2026

Security and Implementation Considerations Fpr Account Abstraction-Based Crypto Exchange Development

Account abstraction improves execution control, but it also shifts responsibility to smart account logic and platform infrastructure. The UX gains are meaningful only if risk boundaries are clearly defined and enforced during account abstraction-based cryptocurrency exchange development.

Below are the core security dimensions that cryptocurrency exchanges must address while implementing account abstraction:

1. Smart Account Contract Risk

Unlike EOAs, smart accounts are programmable contracts. That introduces:

• • Contract-level vulnerabilities
  • Logic flaws in validation rules
  • Upgradeability risks
  • Dependency risks from third-party libraries

If the account contract contains a flaw, the impact can span across all users using that implementation.

Mitigation Requirements:

• • Independent smart contract audits
  • Formal verification for validation logic
  • Strict upgrade governance
  • Minimal external dependency design

The wallet layer in crypto exchange software becomes protocol infrastructure. It must be treated accordingly.

2. Paymaster Abuse and Fee Sponsorship Risk

Gas sponsorship introduces a new attack surface that must be protected. Potential risks include:

• • Spam UserOperations draining sponsored gas
  • Transaction replay attempts
  • Fee griefing attacks
  • Exploitation of fee validation logic

If paymaster validation rules are weak, the cryptocurrency exchange software absorbs cost exposure.

Mitigation Requirements:

• • Rate limiting per account
  • Pre-execution validation checks
  • Transaction simulation before sponsorship
  • Spending caps per user or session

Fee abstraction should not mean unlimited liability. So, entrepreneurs must protect the paymaster and fee sponsorship contracts along with other vulnerabilities in crypto exchange software.

3. Session Key and Delegated Permission Controls

Session keys enable smoother trading but expand the authorization surface, exposing the cryptocurrency exchange to te following risks:

• Compromised session keys
• Overly broad permission scopes
• Infinite-duration trading access
• Delegated bot misuse

Without strict boundaries applied during account abstraction-based crypto exchange development, automation can bypass user safeguards.

Mitigation Requirements:

• Time-bound session keys
• Spending and frequency limits
• Explicit scope constraints
• Immediate revocation capability

Authorization must be granular, not binary.

4. Recovery Logic and Identity Boundaries

Flexible authentication improves UX, but recovery flows can introduce vulnerabilities if poorly designed. Primary risk areas include:

• Social recovery collusion
• Centralized override mechanisms
• Weak multi-signature thresholds
• Off-chain identity spoofing

If recovery mechanisms are easier to exploit than private keys, the security of crypto exchange software regresses.

Mitigation Requirements:

• Transparent recovery policy design
• On-chain enforcement of recovery thresholds
• No hidden administrative overrides
• Clear separation between the UX layer and the control layer

5. Operational and Infrastructure Dependencies

Account abstraction introduces additional components to crypto exchange development, including:

• Bundlers
• Paymasters
• Relayer infrastructure
• Transaction simulation systems

If these components fail or are centralized without redundancy, execution reliability degrades.

Mitigation Requirements:

• Redundant bundler architecture
• Failover infrastructure
• Clear monitoring and alerting systems
• On-chain transparency of execution rules

Execution control must not create invisible trust assumptions.

Where Account Abstraction Creates the Most UX Value for Crypto Exchange Software?

Strategic Takeaway

Account abstraction shifts wallet behavior from static key validation to programmable execution logic. For crypto exchange development, this means:

• Control over transaction sequencing
• Control over fee abstraction
• Control over authorization boundaries
• Control over execution experience

Cryptocurrency exchanges are no longer fighting over liquidity depth or interface design but claiming the execution layer.

Exchanges that continue combating while they still rely on EOA mechanics inherit blockchain-level constraints, while those adopting account abstraction will design trading experiences around user intent.

Antier builds exchange infrastructures that integrate account abstraction at the protocol and execution layers, enabling gas abstraction, delegated trading logic, and policy-driven security within production-ready architectures.

Share your requirements with the best crypto exchange development company today!

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.

The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 1924.9, down 3.3% (-66.23) since 4 p.m. ET on Monday.

One of the 20 assets are trading higher.

Leaders: NEAR (+1.3%) and CRO (-1.6%).

Laggards: AAVE (-10.0%) and ADA (-5.9%).

The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.

Justin Sun, the creator and face of TRON, went public with a company called TRON Inc. last year. Since then, its price has tumbled from a high of $12.80 to a recent close of $1.36 — a fall of nearly 90% in eight months.

But what exactly does TRON Inc. do and why is it fairing so poorly?

A toy company with a TRON treasury

TRON Inc. “specialize[s] in creating imaginative, high-quality toys and products that celebrate the world’s most beloved characters.”

These beloved characters include The Smurfs, Zoonicorns, and ICEE. However, TRON doesn’t control the intellectual property for these brands; instead it produces related merchandise, including, but not limited to, plushies, backpacks, and dinnerware.

Read more: ‘Biggest NFT trading platform on TRON,’ AINFT, has $6 in volume

For some reason, it also purchased the rights to the film The Kid, starring Ethan Hawke, Chris Pratt, and Vincent D’Onofrio (RottenTomatoes: 43%, IMDb: 5.9/10).

Importantly, however, that’s not everything. There’s also TRX.

The company calls the TRX token “an attractive digital asset which can create long-term value for… shareholders.”

It claims, “Our TRX token strategy generally involves from time to time… (i) issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase TRK tokens, and (ii) acquiring TRX tokens with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements.”

What TRON Inc. is engaging in is akin to the Strategy Bitcoin Treasury concept, but with fewer guardrails, a very small product line outside of the TRX token treasury, and a just as significant dependence on unrealized gains.

A family company failing miserably

While TRON Inc. is now basically a penny stock, barely sitting above the $1/share price, Sun has built up a strange board of directors.

This board includes his father Weike Sun, who’s being paid in private investment in public equity (PIPE) offerings and warrants, and a 27-year-old blockchain investor and Chinese national named Zi Yang, who also works for Tronscan (the barely functional explorer that’s supposed to allow TRX users to view wallet addresses and transactions on the blockchain).

The executive leadership and board of directors have collectively been able to accumulate millions of shares of TRON Inc. through these PIPE offerings and warrants (Weike Sun isn’t listed as an insider).

Left to right: TRON Inc. CEO Douglas McKinnon, TRON founder Justin Sun, and Sun’s father Weike Sun on July 24, 2025.

No real path to profitability

Outside issuing debt to fund more TRX purchases, TRON Inc.’s 10-Q from September points to a company that’s completely unprofitable, with no path toward a way of making money.

Its merchandising business, when coupled with operating expenses and the cost of sales, is a net loser for the company, and without the unrealized gains from TRX tokens and the unrealized gains from staking TRX tokens, it bled over $5 million last year.

Read more: CHART: Strategy and TRON Inc. down bad compared to bitcoin this year

How TRON Inc. is able to profit from the unrealized gains of its crypto treasury is unclear. However, what’s more understandable is that it’s essentially become a vehicle for Justin Sun to purchase hundreds of millions of TRX tokens to prop up the price of his personal cryptocurrency.

Since Sun rang the opening bell on Nasdaq, TRON Inc. is down ~90%, but TRX is down only 9%, in stark contrast to bitcoin which is down more than 43% over the same period.

Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Global payment giant Visa is expanding its stablecoin card partnership with Stripe-owned Bridge, expanding the rollout of stablecoin-linked Visa cards worldwide and testing onchain settlement.

Visa and Bridge are expanding their joint card program to 18 countries, with plans to reach more than 100 across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East by the end of the year, according to a Tuesday announcement.

The expansion follows the program’s initial launch in April 2025, which first supported markets in Latin America, including Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Chile.

In addition to the expansion, the companies are testing stablecoin settlement through Visa’s pilot program, enabling issuers and acquirers to settle transactions using stablecoins rather than fiat.

The move highlights the ongoing stablecoin race in the payments industry, with Mastercard recently enabling stablecoin card spending in the US via the self-custodial crypto wallet MetaMask.

Onchain support enabled through Bridge’s partnership with Lead Bank

When the card program launched in 2025, transactions were processed by Bridge, deducting funds from the customer’s stablecoin balance and converting them into fiat, allowing merchants to receive payment in local currency like any other card transaction.

Under the new collaboration, enabled by independent commercial bank Lead Bank, settlement is now set to occur directly in stablecoins.

“Now, through Bridge’s partnership with Lead Bank, these card transactions can be settled onchain with Visa,” the announcement noted.

“Visa is committed to meeting businesses where they operate, and increasingly, that’s onchain,” Visa’s head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield said. “Expanding our work with Bridge gives us one more way to bring the speed, transparency and programmability of stablecoins directly into the settlement process,” he added.

Related: Stripe considers acquiring some or all of PayPal: Report

Additionally, Visa is evaluating potential support for Bridge-issued assets, or stablecoins created and managed using Bridge’s infrastructure platform. Unlike major stablecoins such as Tether’s USDt (USDT) or Circle’s USDC (USDC), Bridge-issued stablecoins are created programmatically by businesses rather than a third-party issuer.

“This expansion of our work with Visa will enable businesses launching their own custom stablecoins to use them seamlessly within their card programs,” Bridge co-founder and CEO Zach Abrams said.

Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns