The crypto market rebounded 1.2% on Monday to $2.4 trillion in a relief rally amidst signs of potential de-escalation of the ongoing U.S. and Iran war in the Middle East.

Bitcoin (BTC) rose 1.4% to back above $67,600 after dropping to a 4-week low around $65,000 earlier today. Ethereum (ETH) was up 2.2% to over $2,000, while major crypto assets such as XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Dogecoin (DOGE) posted gains between 1 and 2% each.

Despite a rebound in spot crypto prices, significant volatility was observed across crypto derivatives markets. Data from Coinglass shows that over the past 24 hours, nearly $350 million worth of positions were liquidated from the market, with the brunt of the liquidations coming from trades that held long positions.

Meanwhile, the crypto fear and greed index jumped 4 points to 27,, suggesting some easing, although overall sentiment remains shaky.

The crypto market took a breather on Monday after reports emerged that Pakistan is preparing to host peace talks between the U.S. and Iran to end their war in the Middle East region after diplomats from both sides agreed to meet.

The news seemed to have calmed investor nerves as the war entered its fifth week, with both nations going back and forth against each other’s energy and military infrastructure.

The two-day talks in the Pakistani capital that began on Sunday are being led by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar over possible ways to bring an end to the war in the region as well as the blockade in Islamabad.

This came after Iran allowed 20 Pakistani commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, easing a naval blockade that has stifled regional trade.

Elsewhere, U.S. President Donald Trump has recently instructed the Pentagon to pause strikes on Iranian power and energy infrastructure for five days to allow for these productive talks.

Concerns remain

Meanwhile, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has dismissed the proposed talks in Islamabad as a tactical distraction after the arrival of thousands of U.S. troops in the Middle East, stating that Iran was ready to retaliate if necessary. 

Earlier, Trump had announced that the U.S. would deploy 10,000 additional troops to expand its military options in the region.

Amidst the ongoing tension, traditional safe-haven assets such as gold and precious metals continued their march. Gold rose by 1.1% over the day to $4,544, while Silver gained by 1.5%.

Against this backdrop, oil prices across the globe have surged back above $100. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil was trading at $100.7, up 1% over the day, while Brent crude was up 2.2% to $115. 

This trend could further dampen investor sentiment, as rising crude oil prices tend to fuel fears of persistent inflation. Such inflationary pressure could, in turn, motivate the Federal Reserve to delay highly anticipated rate cuts, keeping borrowing costs higher for longer.

At press time, the odds of the Fed holding interest rates steady at 3.5% to 3.75% stood at 96.4% while only 3.6% of market participants held out hope for a 25bps reduction.

Key Highlights

• The premier DeFi lending platform Aave has deployed to X Layer, the Ethereum Layer 2 network developed by OKX
• Users of OKX Wallet gain immediate access to lending and borrowing functionality without cross-chain asset transfers
• Available assets on X Layer include USDT0, xBTC, xETH, xSOL, with loan-to-value ratios reaching 88% for certain liquid staking token pairs
• With $23.5 billion in TVL, Aave recently achieved the milestone of $1 trillion in aggregate lending volume
• This marks Aave’s 21st blockchain deployment, expanding beyond networks like Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Base

The world’s leading decentralized lending platform, Aave, has officially deployed on X Layer, OKX’s Ethereum Layer 2 solution. This integration provides OKX Wallet users with seamless access to onchain financial services without requiring external wallets or asset bridging between networks.

The cryptocurrency exchange OKX confirmed the integration on Monday. Through the native wallet interface, users can now deposit assets, take out collateralized loans, and generate auto-compounding returns.

“The deployment to X Layer delivers proven, reliable infrastructure to OKX’s Layer 2 environment—fully permissionless, self-custodial, and integrated directly within OKX Wallet,” the exchange stated in an official announcement.

Stani Kulechov, who founded Aave Labs, shared his perspective on the deployment. “This expansion to X Layer bridges Aave’s deep liquidity with an emerging network of users and decentralized applications, simplifying the process of earning yields, borrowing funds, and developing on the platform,” Kulechov explained.

The deployment supports multiple digital assets including USDT0, USDG, GHO, xBTC, xETH, xSOL, xBETH, and xOKSOL. The platform operates without traditional credit verification or centralized intermediaries.

X Layer’s Expanding DeFi Infrastructure

X Layer went live in May 2024. The network currently maintains approximately $25 million in total value locked. Transaction costs average just $0.0005, with blocks produced every second.

Several established DeFi platforms have already integrated with X Layer, including Uniswap, Chainlink, and Stargate. Aave represents the most significant protocol integration thus far.

The Layer 2 network has implemented six specialized “eModes” optimized for its asset composition. These configurations enable loan-to-value percentages as high as 88% for specific liquid staking token combinations.

This development aligns with OKX’s strategic initiative to incorporate DeFi capabilities directly into its wallet infrastructure, mirroring approaches from rivals such as Coinbase and Binance. Last November, OKX introduced integrated DEX trading functionality for Base, Solana, and X Layer within its wallet.

Aave’s Performance Metrics and Growth

Aave maintains approximately $23.5 billion in total value locked distributed across over 20 different blockchain networks. This figure exceeds its nearest rival, Morpho, by more than three times—Morpho currently holds around $10 billion.

In late February, the protocol achieved a historic milestone by surpassing $1 trillion in total lending volume, becoming the first DeFi platform to reach this benchmark.

Revenue generation for Aave topped $6.2 million over the past 30 days, outpacing Morpho’s earnings by more than five times during the identical timeframe.

Cumulative net deposits across Aave exceed $40.4 billion. X Layer represents the protocol’s 21st blockchain integration.

This launch follows an overwhelmingly positive Aave DAO governance vote approving the Version 4 mainnet roadmap, demonstrating ongoing development momentum throughout the protocol ecosystem.

Quick Overview

• XRP serves primarily as a payments and cross-border transaction solution, creating a specialized but limited application
• Solana functions as a versatile blockchain platform supporting DeFi, NFTs, gaming, stablecoins, and Web3 applications, providing diverse expansion opportunities
• Ripple’s substantial XRP reserves continue raising questions among investors monitoring long-term token distribution
• Solana demonstrates superior developer engagement, typically indicating healthier long-term ecosystem vitality
• Both assets involve risk factors, though Solana’s diversified ecosystem provides additional avenues for sustainable growth

When evaluating long-term cryptocurrency investments, XRP and Solana consistently emerge as two of the most discussed assets. Each boasts substantial communities, practical applications, and significant growth potential. However, their fundamental architectures serve distinctly different objectives, making this distinction critical for investors planning three to five-year positions.

Ripple developed XRP specifically for facilitating rapid, cost-effective international money transfers. Conversely, Solana emerged as a comprehensive blockchain infrastructure supporting applications, decentralized finance, trading platforms, and digital asset creation. This fundamental distinction influences every aspect of their respective long-term performance trajectories.

XRP’s primary advantage lies in its focused mission. Ripple has dedicated years cultivating partnerships with banking institutions and payment service providers. This strategic positioning gives XRP legitimate utility within the cross-border finance sector.

Should blockchain-based settlement systems gain widespread adoption among financial institutions, XRP stands positioned to capture significant value. This represents a credible scenario driving many investors’ continued confidence in the asset.

The limitation, however, centers on XRP’s dependence on this singular growth corridor. Should institutional adoption proceed slower than anticipated, investor returns may fall short of expectations.

Solana’s Multi-Faceted Ecosystem Strategy

Unlike XRP’s specialized focus, Solana isn’t confined to a single application. The platform accommodates decentralized financial protocols, stablecoin infrastructure, NFT marketplaces, blockchain gaming, consumer-facing applications, and tokenized traditional assets.

This diversification creates multiple parallel growth trajectories. When activity decreases in one vertical, momentum in alternative sectors can sustain network demand and token value.

Developer engagement represents another domain where Solana demonstrates competitive superiority. Blockchains maintaining robust builder communities typically sustain relevance longer, as developers generate the applications attracting end users.

Elevated developer activity frequently serves as a predictive indicator of sustained platform viability. Measured against this criterion, Solana currently maintains a noticeable advantage over XRP.

Supply Economics and Investment Considerations

XRP employs a transparent supply mechanism. The token doesn’t utilize mining-based inflation, and minuscule amounts of XRP are destroyed with every transaction.

Nevertheless, Ripple’s substantial XRP treasury represents a persistent consideration for certain investors. This lingering supply overhang can constrain confidence regarding long-term price appreciation potential.

Solana incorporates inflationary mechanics into its economic design. However, this inflation receives partial counterbalancing through staking incentives and expanding on-chain economic activity.

As network utilization accelerates, organic demand for Solana can increase through transaction fees and ecosystem expansion. This dynamic provides more fundamental support for the token’s valuation over extended timeframes.

XRP’s primary uncertainties revolve around corporate adoption rates and regulatory framework development. Solana’s challenges relate more to technical execution and network stability, areas that have historically presented concerns.

Solana has recently maintained ecosystem momentum through additional stablecoin partnerships and consumer-oriented product launches, sustaining developer interest as 2025 approaches.

Investment Perspective

For investors prioritizing long-term positioning, Solana presents the more compelling platform investment thesis. While XRP maintains legitimate value within payments and settlement infrastructure, Solana’s expansive ecosystem architecture provides substantially more pathways for sustainable growth.

Key Takeaways

• ETH maintains position near $2,000 following rejection from $2,372 peak recorded earlier this month.
• Long/short ratio reaches 2.4, creating potential squeeze risk as price action remains stagnant.
• Ethereum ETFs listed in the U.S. experienced $92.5 million in withdrawals on March 26.
• Market volatility increased following $14.16 billion Bitcoin options expiration and heightened geopolitical concerns.
• Critical resistance zone positioned at $2,138–$2,151, while breach below $1,980 may trigger deeper corrections.

Ethereum currently changes hands around $2,048 as market participants attempt to defend the psychologically significant $2,000 threshold. Following a rally earlier this month, the cryptocurrency encountered strong resistance approaching $2,372. Subsequently, ETH has remained confined within a consolidation range spanning $1,900 to $2,200.

The asset trades beneath its 50-day exponential moving average positioned at approximately $2,160 and significantly under the 100-day EMA hovering near $2,420. This positioning reinforces a prevailing bearish technical structure.

Daily chart analysis reveals the RSI hovering around 44, registering below the neutral threshold of 50. Meanwhile, the MACD indicator remains beneath its signal line while drifting toward the zero mark. These technical signals collectively suggest diminishing bullish momentum.

Market observers are paying particular attention to the long/short ratio, which has escalated to approximately 2.4. This metric indicates that traders are predominantly positioning for upward movement. However, price action has failed to confirm this sentiment.

An accumulation of long positions without corresponding price appreciation often generates what market participants refer to as a “crowded trade.” Such conditions frequently precipitate a long squeeze scenario, wherein abrupt downward movement compels leveraged long holders to liquidate positions, amplifying downside momentum.

Institutional Withdrawals and Broader Market Dynamics

Data from March 26 shows U.S.-listed Ethereum ETFs registering $92.5 million in net withdrawals. These redemptions occurred within a broader pattern of outflows affecting cryptocurrency exchange-traded products.

According to SoSoValue data, on March 27 (ET), U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a total net outflow of $225 million. Meanwhile, Ethereum spot ETFs saw a total net outflow of $48.54 million, marking an eight-day streak of net outflows. pic.twitter.com/ell1RDmAqI

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 28, 2026

The preceding day witnessed a historic $14.16 billion in Bitcoin options reaching expiration on March 27. Substantial options expiry events frequently introduce volatility into cryptocurrency markets, and this occurrence contributed additional selling momentum across digital assets.

Macroeconomic and geopolitical developments further influenced market sentiment. Escalating crude oil valuations, connected to Iran’s warnings regarding a critical shipping corridor, intensified inflation anxieties. Such conditions typically create headwinds for risk-oriented assets including Ethereum.

Critical Price Thresholds for Traders

Examining resistance levels, $2,138 represents the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement calculated from the $3,402 peak down to the $1,747 trough. The Ichimoku Kijun indicator establishes another barrier at $2,151, with market participants monitoring a decisive close above this region as a potential catalyst for advancement toward $2,380.

Regarding support zones, initial downside defense stands at $1,990. Beneath this threshold, the channel bottom resides near $1,748. A confirmed breakdown through this area could accelerate bearish momentum.

Technical projections suggest ETH will likely consolidate between $1,980 and $2,170 throughout the upcoming five-session period, with probability calculations indicating less than 20% likelihood of upward price movement.

Ethereum $ETH faces a major test at $1,800! pic.twitter.com/7Jv5c8gTI3

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) March 30, 2026

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Market analyst Ali Charts communicated via X that Ethereum confronts a “major test at $1,800,” indicating certain technical observers anticipate the possibility of substantially lower price levels should current support structures fail.

Separately, analyst Tom Lee has projected Ethereum could ultimately achieve $62,000, although this long-term forecast lacks a specific timeframe for realization.

With Ethereum ETF withdrawals reaching $92.5 million on March 26, ETH remains anchored near $2,000 while technical indicators continue signaling near-term vulnerability.

Walmart-owned OnePay has added more than a dozen crypto tokens to its platform in response to growing demand from its customers.

In an announcement shared with crypto media, OnePay said its offering now includes tokens such as SUI (SUI), Polygon (POL), and Arbitrum (ARB), just days after listing Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and PAX Gold (PAXG).

As previously reported by crypto.news, OnePay first announced plans to expand into digital assets last year in a bid to position itself within the emerging “super app” model. The platform subsequently launched in January this year with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as its initial offerings.

“We plan on continuing to expand thoughtfully, prioritizing assets that meet a high bar: demand, liquidity, regulatory clarity and long-term utility,” Ron Rojany, OnePay’s general manager, said in a statement.

According to Rojany, the company intends to focus on building a curated set of assets that aligns with how customers use and manage their money, rather than chasing short-term trends.

OnePay currently offers a digital wallet that customers can use at checkout in Walmart stores and on the company’s website, alongside a broader suite of financial services.

Besides OnePay, a number of other financial and technology giants are racing to develop their own “everything” superapp that would integrate several financial services, including trading, banking, and social networking, into a single platform.

For instance, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong recently said that the company was prioritizing the creation of an “everything exchange.” By leveraging its Base network, Coinbase intends to serve as both a consumer-facing gateway and the underlying infrastructure for the broader on-chain economy.

Similarly, Startale Group has launched a super app on Ethereum’s Layer 2 infrastructure to serve as a unified entry point for Sony’s Soneium ecosystem, enabling users to participate in token generation events, airdrops, and reward programs through a single platform.

Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), may decline 40% to $1,200 in the coming weeks, according to a fractal setup shared by analyst Leshka.eth.

Key takeaways:

Ethereum setup flashes bull trap warning

Ethereum’s $1,200 downside target comes from a Supertrend setup on the daily chart, where two earlier bullish flips failed and led to steep breakdowns.

The Supertrend is a simple trend-following line plotted directly on the price chart. It changes color to show the current market direction: green when the trend is rising and red when the trend is falling.

ETH flashed similar bullish flips in October 2025 and January 2026, but neither held.

In both cases, the price moved above the Supertrend’s upper band, which then started acting as support. Once ETH lost that support, the recovery unraveled and the price dropped 45% and 48%, respectively.

“Now the same setup is forming at $1,990,” said Leshka.eth, adding:

“If that level breaks, the next target is the $1,200 zone.”

That aligns with the measured downside target of Ethereum’s prevailing bear flag pattern, as shown below.

The bearish setups are taking shape as Ethereum gives back its March gains against a worsening macro backdrop.

Related: Ether traders see ‘further decline’ as ETH price slips below $2K

Risk appetite has weakened alongside the US–Israel and Iran war, recession fears have risen, and bond traders no longer expect the Fed to cut rates before December 2027.

ETH has fallen more than 17% from its monthly high from over two weeks ago. US spot Ether ETFs have seen roughly $300 million in net outflows over the same stretch.

The apparent demand for Ethereum has also slipped to its lowest in 16 months.

ETH holder accumulation remains weak

Ethereum’s latest rebound has not triggered broad-based accumulation across major wallet cohorts, Glassnode data shows.

For instance, the number of mega-whale wallets holding more than 10,000 ETH has flattened after peaking in late 2025, while the 30-day change has only just crawled back toward neutral after months of decline.

In other words, the biggest holders have not been accumulating aggressively.

The picture looks similar among smaller wallet cohorts.

Ethereum whales holding 1,000 to 10,000 ETH remain below their late-2025 highs, with the 30-day change hovering around flat to slightly negative levels.

Shark addresses holding 100 to 1,000 ETH also continue to trend well below last year’s peaks, suggesting that mid-sized and smaller large holders have not returned as strong buyers either.

Taken together, the data suggest ongoing distribution and weak conviction across key ETH holder cohorts, reinforcing the risk of a deeper drop if $1,990 breaks.

As Cointelegraph reported, one of the few bullish signs for Ethereum include the increasing amount of Ether staked and supply on exchanges falling to ten-year lows.