Crypto World
Western Union Partners with Crossmint to Support USDPT Stablecoin on Solana
Crossmint has partnered with Western Union to support the launch of the remittance company’s USDPT stablecoin and its new Digital Asset Network on the Solana blockchain.
Wednesday’s announcement said the collaboration will integrate Crossmint’s wallet and payment APIs with Western Union’s infrastructure, allowing fintech platforms to move funds using the stablecoin and connect to Western Union’s global payout network.
That Digital Asset Network is intended to link stablecoins with the company’s existing payout infrastructure, enabling users to convert digital dollars into local currency through its network of more than 360,000 cash pickup locations worldwide.
The USDPT stablecoin will be issued on the Solana (SOL) blockchain, according to the announcement. Crossmint said its infrastructure will allow developers and fintech companies using its platform to access the token through existing wallet and payment integrations.
Crossmint said its platform is used by more than 40,000 clients and includes services such as smart wallets, on- and offramps, and cross-chain stablecoin management.
Western Union, which is known for completing the first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861, today operates a global money transfer network spanning more than 200 countries and territories and supports payments across more than 130 currencies through a network of retail locations, bank accounts and digital wallets.
The company first announced plans for the USDPT stablecoin in October 2025, saying the Solana-based token would launch in the first half of 2026.
Related: Locals prefer satoshis to dollars, says Africa Bitcoin chair Stafford Masie
Stablecoins gain in cross-border remittances
Western Union’s core business is remittances, enabling people to send money across borders to family members and recipients in their home countries. Through traditional payment rails, these transfers can take days to settle, often carry fees of several percentage points and typically do not process on weekends or holidays.
According to World Bank estimates, global remittances totaled about $905 billion in 2024, while the average cost of sending $200 internationally remained around 6% of the transaction amount.
Stablecoins are increasingly being explored as an alternative settlement rail because they allow dollar-denominated value to move across blockchain networks with near-instant settlement and lower transaction costs.
According to Chainalysis, in Latin America, stablecoins account for more than half of crypto purchases made with the Argentine peso, Brazilian real and Colombian peso on major exchanges, The company’s October 2025 report attributed the trend to demand for dollar-pegged assets in economies facing inflation and currency volatility.
Other countries seeing strong crypto adoption include Nigeria and Turkey, as well as Asian markets such as the Philippines and Vietnam, which rank among the world’s top countries for grassroots crypto usage, according to Chainalysis.
At a World Economic Forum panel in Davos on Jan. 23, former UN under-secretary-general Vera Songwe said stablecoins are gaining traction across Africa as an alternative for remittances, noting that remittance flows have become more significant for the continent than foreign aid.
Magazine: Bitcoin may face hard fork over any attempt to freeze Satoshi’s coins
Key Takeaways
- NTGR opened at $24.75 on Tuesday and traded near $25.15 — marking a 15.9% increase
- The FCC instituted restrictions on new consumer router models produced outside the United States due to security vulnerabilities
- Approximately 60% of U.S. routers are believed to originate from Chinese manufacturing facilities
- While NETGEAR produces devices abroad, the company may pursue Conditional Approval through the DoW or DHS to market new products domestically
- Stifel Nicolaus maintains a Buy recommendation on NTGR with a $36 target, suggesting potential upside exceeding 63%
Shares of NETGEAR experienced a remarkable Tuesday session, climbing almost 16% following the Federal Communications Commission’s declaration that it would restrict new consumer routers produced outside American borders. This policy shift created ripples throughout the networking industry and drove investors toward NTGR.
The regulatory agency cited escalating cyberattack incidents targeting American consumers and small enterprises since 2024 as justification for the restriction. The FCC highlighted vulnerabilities associated with internationally-manufactured routers, emphasizing that roughly 60% of U.S. routers originate from China.
The restriction applies exclusively to newly introduced router models. Products already carrying FCC authorization — regardless of their manufacturing origin — retain permission for domestic sales.
NETGEAR develops its technology within the United States but relies on international facilities for production. This business model means its upcoming products would technically fall within the ban’s scope. Nevertheless, the company maintains the option to pursue Conditional Approval through the Department of War or Department of Homeland Security, which would permit continued sales of foreign-manufactured routers domestically.
It bears mentioning that no major networking manufacturers currently produce consumer routers on American soil — placing NETGEAR in the same boat as its competitors.
Market enthusiasm for NTGR seemed rooted in two primary assumptions: international competitors will encounter heightened barriers to the U.S. market, and NETGEAR might ultimately relocate production domestically to circumvent the restriction altogether.
Tuesday’s advance followed a 5.85% gain during the prior session, indicating upward momentum had already begun developing before the FCC’s policy announcement.
Latest Financial Performance
NETGEAR’s latest quarterly earnings provided additional momentum for the stock. The company delivered earnings per share of $0.26, significantly surpassing the $0.05 consensus projection. Revenue reached $182.47 million, outperforming analyst expectations of $177.26 million.
Despite exceeding estimates, the overall financial health presents challenges. NETGEAR operates with a negative net margin of 2.56% and a P/E ratio of -41.24. Market watchers currently project full-year EPS of -1.84.
The stock’s 50-day moving average rests at $21.19, with the 200-day average positioned at $25.82. Tuesday’s closing price of $25.15 returned NTGR to proximity of its long-term average.
Wall Street Perspective
Analyst coverage for NTGR remains sparse. During the previous three months, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Tore Svanberg assigned a Buy rating with a $36 price target — indicating potential appreciation exceeding 63% from present levels.
The overall analyst consensus includes two Buy recommendations, one Hold rating, and one Sell rating, with a mean price target of $36.00. Zacks recently upgraded the security from “strong sell” to “hold” in early March, while Wall Street Zen reversed course, downgrading to “sell” at the month’s beginning.
Institutional stakeholders control approximately 82.97% of NTGR shares. Insider ownership represents 2.3%, though insider Pramod Badjate divested 3,000 shares in early February at $20.97 per share.
For the year-to-date period, NTGR continues trading down 10.07%, and has declined 11.05% across the trailing twelve months despite Tuesday’s substantial gain.
Vienna-based crypto broker Bitpanda is launching a new blockchain network aimed at bringing tokenized assets into Europe’s regulated financial system, as institutions look to move toward always-on markets.
The company said Wednesday that its “Vision Chain,” built with the Vision Web3 Foundation and Optimism , will provide infrastructure for banks and fintechs to issue and settle tokenized assets under EU rules such as MiCA and MiFID II.
The network uses compliant euro-denominated stablecoins for transaction fees to avoid the volatility tied to typical crypto payments on public chains. It also relies on Optimism’s Ethereum-based infrastructure to handle settlement and scaling.
The move comes as firms across global finance push deeper into tokenization to upgrade market plumbing for around-the-clock trading. The technology is widely seen as a way to streamline how assets are issued, traded and recorded, cutting reliance on fragmented legacy systems. It’s potentially a massive market: tokenized assets could grow 53% a year, reaching $18.9 trillion by 2033 across asset classes, a joint report by Boston Consulting Group and Ripple estimated.
The initiative reflects a wider race among financial firms. Rival digital broker Robinhood (HOOD) is currently testing its proprietary blockchain dubbed Robinhood Chain, built specifically for tokenized stocks trading and connecting to decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Wall Street behemoths such as Nasdaq and NYSE also work on their blockchain platforms for tokenized securities, merging crypto rails with the same compliance and safeguards as for traditional systems.
Bitpanda’s chain fits into the firms broader strategy to bridge crypto rails and traditional finance, offering banks and financial institutions blockchain plumbing to provide digital asset services to their customers.
“Tokenization is expected to redefine capital markets,” Lukas Enzersdorfer-Konrad, CEO of Bitpanda, said in a statement. “European financial institutions have been ready for this shift for years, but the infrastructure has been missing.
“With Vision Chain, we are building a public blockchain designed around Europe’s regulatory standards, combining the openness of public networks with the reliability institutions require,” he added.
Read more: Crypto broker Bitpanda bets on banks and tokenization to expand globally ahead of IPO plans
Irish authorities said they have gained access to one Bitcoin wallet tied to convicted drug dealer Clifton Collins, years after the recovery phrase was believed lost.
Summary
- Irish authorities accessed a lost Bitcoin wallet tied to Clifton Collins with Europol’s technical support.
- The seized wallet held 500 Bitcoin and formed part of Collins’ larger 6,000 Bitcoin stash.
- Blockchain data showed the recovered wallet moved funds to Coinbase Prime after years of silence.
The wallet held 500 Bitcoin, and the seizure followed support from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre.
Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau said on Tuesday that it had “gained access to and seized a cryptocurrency wallet” linked to an earlier criminal case. The bureau said the wallet contained 500 Bitcoin, valued at more than $35 million at current market prices.
The agency said Europol supported the operation through meetings in The Hague and by providing technical help. CAB said Europol offered “highly complex technical expertise and decryption resources vital to the success of the operation.” Authorities did not explain how they gained access to the wallet.
The Irish Times reported that the recovered wallet was one of 12 wallets once linked to Collins. Those wallets reportedly held a combined 6,000 Bitcoin bought in late 2011 and early 2012 using proceeds from a cannabis operation.
According to earlier reports, Collins stored the wallet keys on a single sheet of A4 paper. He hid that paper inside the aluminum cap of a fishing rod case kept at his rented home. The paper later went missing, and access to the Bitcoin was widely believed to be gone.
Moreover, blockchain intelligence platform Arkham labeled one wallet “Clifton Collins: Lost Keys.” On Tuesday, that wallet moved 500 Bitcoin to Coinbase Prime, more than a decade after the coins were first deposited.
Arkham also lists Collins as controlling 14 addresses with total holdings of about 5,500 Bitcoin. Based on current prices, those holdings are worth more than $391 million. Cointelegraph said it contacted CAB and An Garda Síochána for more details on the recovery.
Case dates back to Collins arrest in 2017
The Guardian reported that police arrested Collins in 2017 after searching his car and finding cannabis. He was later sentenced to five years in prison for growing and selling the drug.
After the arrest, Collins said the fishing rod case had been stolen before his landlord cleared out the rental property. Authorities, however, later lost access to the wallets after the printed codes disappeared. The newly seized 500 Bitcoin wallet now marks a rare case where law enforcement recovered access to funds once thought unreachable.
Crypto World
There’s a huge $14 billion bitcoin options expiry this Friday and it points to $75,000 as price magnet
On Friday, bitcoin options or derivative contracts worth billions will expire on crypto exchange Deribit. Traders might want to note that the dynamics of the expiry are such that BTC’s market price could be lifted toward a very specific point: $75,000.
Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange, will settle bitcoin options contracts worth $14.16 billion on Friday at 08:00 UTC. This means nearly 40% of all open interest – the dollar value of all active contracts on the exchange – ware set to expire in roughly 48 hours. On Deribit, one options contract represents one BTC.
Options are contracts that let you bet on whether the price of an asset, such as BTC, will go up or down. A call option is a bet that the price will go up, and a put option is a bet that it will go down. Traders buy options to try to profit from price swings, or write (short) options to earn income while taking on the risk that prices move in favor of the buyer.
Here’s why the expiry matters
According to Deribit’s data, the ‘max pain’ price — the level where the most contracts would expire worthless (lottery tickets that don’t win) — sits right at $75,000.
As such, this level could act as a magnet, according to Deribit’s Chief Commerical Officer Jean-David Péquignot.
“With Bitcoin currently trading near $71k, the $75k Max Pain price represents a gravitational pull. Historically, this encourages delta-hedging by market makers that can drive prices toward the strike where the most options expire worthless,” Péquignot told CoinDesk.
Here’s how it works. As per the max pain theory, option writers — typically large funds, institutions, or market makers with ample capital — control or influence the spot price toward the pain point to limit payouts to buyers and thereby inflict maximum damage on them. This happens through normal trading in the spot or futures markets, rather than as a guaranteed manipulation.
This mechanical buying and selling often pulls the spot price closer to the max pain level, which is $75,000 in bitcoin’s case.
While max pain is well-known in traditional markets, its influence on crypto remains debated. Deribit, however, flags the level as a potential magnet. Adding to the intrigue, several analysts have identified $75,000 as key resistance, above which bitcoin could go into a full-bull mode.
Controlled expiry
Quarterly expiries typically spark massive position adjustments and hedging flows. Still, the impending expiry is likely unfold normally, without an outsized volatility surge.
That’s evident from the decline in the implied volatility index.
“Over the last sessions, we have witnessed an implied volatility (IV) compression, with both BTC and ETH DVOL dropping by ~6 points. This suggests the market is pricing in a controlled expiry rather than an immediate explosion in volatility,” Péquignot said.
He added that the market data suggests that traders aren’t chasing a breakout as geopolitical uncertainty in the form of Iran war lingers. He specifically pointed to call writing by institutions at higher strikes (levels above going spot price) as the evidence of measured bullish sentiment. Traders typically write overhead calls to collect premiums on top of their spot market holdings.
“The Put/Call ratio for Bitcoin options remains healthy (0.63), but the concentration of sell-side calls suggests a ceiling of institutional resistance as traders have been overwriting their positions to bank premium while waiting for the geopolitical clock to run out,” he noted.
All in all, the big expiry with $75,000 acting as a magnet comes at an intriguing juncture: bitcoin has held up remarkably well through the Iran war turbulence, maintaining strength even as equities wobble and energy markets remain fickle.
TLDR:
- Saudi Arabia lost $300 billion in stock market value within 25 days of Gulf conflict escalating regionally.
- Brent crude trading at $90–$110 per barrel turns infrastructure losses into net windfall revenue for Riyadh.
- Saudi’s Red Sea bypass pipeline positions the kingdom as the dominant exporter while Hormuz stays closed.
- MBS continues lobbying Washington for Iran strikes despite Iranian drones hitting Saudi refineries each night.
Saudi Arabia has lost $300 billion in stock market value across 25 days of Gulf conflict. The Tadawul index fell 12 percent in the opening week.
Iranian drone strikes shut down Ras Tanura, the kingdom’s largest refinery, which processes 550,000 barrels daily. Regional output losses reached 10 million barrels per day by March 12.
Despite this damage, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues pushing Washington for more action against Tehran. The kingdom now serves as the conflict’s victim, beneficiary, and accelerant at once.
Saudi Arabia Bears the Costs While Oil Revenue Climbs
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 megaprojects are currently under formal government review. Capital outflows have risen, and investor confidence has declined sharply in recent weeks.
The Crown Prince spent a decade building the very infrastructure now absorbing nightly drone strikes. Eastern Province oil fields have also taken direct hits alongside the Ras Tanura shutdown.
Analyst Shanaka Anslem Perera described the situation on X with pointed directness. He wrote that Saudi Arabia is “simultaneously the war’s victim, its beneficiary, and its accelerant.”
Interceptor stockpiles defending Saudi airspace are drawing down at a steady pace. Each successful Iranian strike raises fresh questions about the kingdom’s long-term air defense capacity.
Meanwhile, Brent crude is trading between $90 and $110 per barrel on global markets. Saudi Arabia’s national budget was originally calculated on oil at $65 to $70 per barrel.
Every barrel sold above that level adds windfall revenue to the Saudi treasury. At $110 Brent, the kingdom earns a surplus on every barrel it can still export.
Goldman Sachs had forecast a widening fiscal gap before the conflict began. At $80 Brent, that deficit narrows to between 3 and 3.5 percent of GDP.
The war damaging Saudi refineries is simultaneously pushing oil prices well above budget assumptions. Both the losses and the gains appear on the same national balance sheet at once.
Saudi Arabia Gains Structural Ground as Hormuz Stays Contested
Saudi Arabia holds between 2 and 3 million barrels per day of spare production capacity. It also operates an East-West pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz entirely.
That pipeline routes crude directly to the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea. Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar have no comparable alternative export infrastructure available.
Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility cannot be rebuilt or restored for at least five years. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea route has become the most critical active export pipeline in the world.
The New York Times reported that MBS sees a “historic opportunity to remake the region.” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister has also publicly stated that the kingdom’s patience is “not unlimited.”
MBS has called Trump multiple times, lobbying for continued military pressure on Iran. Each American strike generates fresh Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy infrastructure in response.
That retaliation pushes oil prices higher, which funds the next Saudi lobbying push in Washington. This cycle has no exit point while MBS continues treating the conflict as strategic opportunity.
Saudi Arabia is positioned to dominate the post-war energy market as regional rivals weaken. A diminished Iran cuts OPEC competition for Riyadh directly going forward.
Qatar’s delayed North Field expansion benefits Saudi gas over the medium term. Every producer dependent on Hormuz concedes further competitive ground to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea route.
Irish authorities have recovered a portion of a long-dormant Bitcoin stash tied to a convicted drug dealer, signaling a rare success in unlocking a decades-old cryptographic puzzle. The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) announced on Tuesday that it had gained access to and seized a cryptocurrency wallet containing 500 BTC, valued at more than $35 million, with crucial assistance from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre.
Cabinet-level cooperation appears to have been pivotal. Europol reportedly hosted operational briefings at its headquarters in The Hague and supplied specialized technical expertise and decryption resources that supported CAB investigators and analysts in bringing the operation to fruition.
The wallet is part of a cluster of 12 addresses holding a total of about 6,000 BTC once linked to Clifton Collins, a drug dealer who received a five-year prison sentence for cannabis cultivation and distribution. The keys to these wallets were believed to be irretrievable after the paper containing them vanished from a fishing-rod case at Collins’ rental home.
“CAB gained access to and seized a cryptocurrency wallet” containing 500 BTC, the agency said, with support from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre.
The disclosure underscores the evolving landscape of crypto asset recovery, where authorities increasingly combine off-chain investigations with on-chain tracing to locate and recover illicit funds long after their acquisition.
Key takeaways
- A 500 BTC wallet, one of 12 tied to Clifton Collins, has been seized by Irish authorities with Europol’s help, valued at over $35 million.
- The broader stash comprises about 6,000 BTC spread across 12 wallets, deposited by Collins in 2011–2012 and guarded by a paper key hidden in a fishing-rod case.
- Blockchain analytics firm Arkham has linked a wallet labeled “Clifton Collins: Lost Keys” to recent movement in the wallet cluster, including a transfer to Coinbase Prime.
- Arkham’s data indicate Collins controls 14 addresses with a total of roughly 5,500 BTC, valued at more than $391 million, highlighting the persistence and scale of his holdings despite prior legal actions.
- The case illustrates how cross-border law enforcement collaboration and decryptive capabilities can unlock “lost” crypto memories that were once deemed inaccessible.
Tracing a decade-old stash and its implications
The seizure traces back to a long-running narrative of how crime proceeds were converted into Bitcoin more than a decade ago. The 6,000 BTC in question reportedly flowed to multiple wallets in late 2011 and early 2012. Police describe the storage as an audacious yet ultimately fragile arrangement: private keys scattered across 12 wallets, and crucially, paper-based credentials hidden inside an aluminum cap within a fishing-rod case. When Collins was arrested in 2017, authorities say the landlord cleared out the rental home and discarded many belongings, complicating any effort to recover the keys.
While this story has a long tail in public reporting, the latest development shows that some of those “lost keys” can still unlock real value under the right circumstances. The Guardian’s coverage of Collins’ case provides the background on the criminal operation and the 2017 arrest, underscoring how a single possession—an apparently ordinary fishing-rod case—could become a cryptographic Achilles’ heel decades later.
Fresh on-chain activity and what it signals
Beyond the 500 BTC seizure, on-chain observers have noted movements linked to the Clifton Collins wallet cluster. Arkham, a blockchain analytics platform, traces a transfer of 500 BTC to Coinbase Prime from a wallet labeled “Clifton Collins: Lost Keys” on a recent Tuesday. Arkham’s explorer shows Collins as the controller of 14 addresses holding a combined 5,500 BTC, currently valued at more than $391 million.
The development has several practical implications. For investors and fund managers, it highlights that even “cold” assets tied to past criminal activity can re-enter the market or be moved to regulated custodians, potentially affecting liquidity and spot availability in sensitive coins. For traders and risk managers, it underscores the ongoing risk of asset provenance concerns—an issue that can influence compliance checks, KYC/AML workflows, and the perception of who ultimately controls large, long-dormant holdings.
Context and what to watch next
The case sits at the intersection of criminal finance, digital asset forensics, and international enforcement. It underscores the growing role of institutional-grade assistance in crypto asset recovery, including decryption resources and cross-border coordination. While only a portion of Collins’ original stash has been recovered to date, authorities have signaled that the collaboration with Europol will continue to pursue the remaining wallets where possible.
Readers should monitor further updates from the CAB and Europol as the investigation unfolds. The Arkham disclosures also warrant attention, as additional wallets in the cluster could surface new movements that shed light on the ultimate disposition of the roughly 6,000 BTC tied to Collins’ operations. The broader takeaway is clear: the line between traditional crime and digital assets is continually being redrawn as investigators apply both on-chain analytics and cooperative legal channels to recover illicit proceeds.
In the coming weeks, observers should watch for any additional wallet recoveries, updates on the status of the 12-wallet cluster, and whether more of Collins’ holdings surface in public or institutional custody. The episode serves as a reminder that even long-standing crypto hoards can be traced, unlocked, and, in some cases, repurposed for asset recovery and restitution.
Ripple is moving ahead with new payment plans tied to its RLUSD stablecoin as it targets faster cross-border trade settlement.
Summary
- Ripple and Unloq are testing RLUSD in Singapore to automate trade payments on XRP Ledger.
- BLOOM gives Ripple a regulated sandbox to test settlement tied to shipment verification and financing.
- The pilot adds to Ripple’s broader payments expansion in Asia and planned Australian licensing push.
According to the announcement, the company is working with supply chain finance firm Unloq to test a trade finance model on the XRP Ledger through BLOOM, a sandbox run by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Meanwhile, the pilot will examine whether RLUSD can replace manual payment steps that have slowed trade finance for years. Ripple and Unloq said the system can release payments “automatically when predefined conditions are met, such as shipment verification.”
Ripple plans to use RLUSD as the settlement asset in a pilot built with Unloq’s SC+ platform. The project aims to combine trade obligations, settlement rules, and financing workflows in one execution layer on the XRP Ledger.
The companies said current trade finance still depends on manual checks, documentary credits, and correspondent banking links that often take days or weeks to complete. They said the new model seeks to reduce delays by automating payment release once agreed trade conditions are verified.
The pilot will run inside BLOOM, which stands for Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency. MAS launched the initiative in October 2025 to expand settlement options for tokenized bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins.
Ripple said the test will focus on whether RLUSD can replace manual processes that have “slowed cross-border trade for decades.” The companies also said the model could give firms better visibility into settlement risk while helping smaller businesses access trade-finance services.
RLUSD growth supports Ripple’s wider payments plan
Ripple launched RLUSD in December 2024 with institutional use as its main target. The stablecoin has grown to a market value near $1.5 billion, placing it among the largest stablecoins by market capitalization.
The BLOOM pilot comes less than four months after Ripple said MAS approved an expanded scope of payment activities for Ripple Markets APAC in December 2025. That approval added to Ripple’s push to deepen its role in regulated payment infrastructure in Asia.
As previously reported, Ripple has also outlined plans to expand in Australia through an Australian Financial Services License. The company said it aims to obtain that license by acquiring BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd., subject to the final completion process.
- Bitcoin price rebounds above $71,000 amid cautious market sentiment.
- Exchange outflows suggest long-term accumulation by investors.
- Geopolitical signals and Bitcoin transfers shape near-term trends.
Bitcoin has bounced back above $71,000 after a week of mixed signals in the market.
The move comes as investors closely watch geopolitical developments, particularly efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East.
Notably, a peace proposal between the United States and Iran has sparked cautious optimism, lifting risk assets and sending Bitcoin higher.
Despite the rebound, sentiment remains cautious, with the Fear & Greed Index at 35, signalling that investors are still in the “Fear” zone.
This suggests that while the price has recovered, many market participants are hesitant to commit fully, waiting for clearer direction.
Exchange outflows signal an accumulation phase
Recent on-chain data shows that more bitcoins have been leaving crypto exchanges than entering them.
This trend is often interpreted as a sign of accumulation.
Investors appear to be moving coins into private wallets for long-term holding rather than selling immediately.
The persistent outflows indicate confidence in Bitcoin’s fundamentals and a willingness to weather short-term price swings.
This accumulation behaviour can help reduce selling pressure in the market.
When coins leave exchanges, fewer are available for immediate trading, which often supports the price even during periods of uncertainty.
Bhutan Government moves $37 BTC
Adding another layer to the market dynamic, the Royal Government of Bhutan recently moved roughly $37 million worth of Bitcoin from government-controlled wallets, according to Arkham Intelligence data.
Analysts see this as a structured transfer rather than a sudden liquidation, suggesting careful treasury management.
While the exact motives are not fully public, such large-scale movements highlight that governments and large holders can influence liquidity.
These actions can affect market psychology, especially when combined with broader investor accumulation trends.
Bitcoin price forecast for the coming days
Overall, the market is in a consolidation phase, seeking a catalyst to define the next sustained move.
Exchange outflows, government movements, and geopolitical developments are all factors that could influence the next direction.
The recent Bitcoin price movements suggest that it may have recently hit bottom around $67,500, even though the broader picture is still uncertain.
But whether the current recovery signals a true bottom or just a temporary rebound remains to be seen, although the combination of accumulation behaviour, controlled government movements, and cautious optimism on geopolitical developments has created an environment where Bitcoin can maintain support and potentially build momentum.
A daily close above $73,000 could signal strength and potentially push the price toward $75,000, according to analysts.
Conversely, a break below $70,000 might prompt a retest of $67,500 support, marking a critical line for short-term investors.
European currencies are trading without a clear direction against the US dollar, remaining in a consolidation phase following the earlier decline driven by USD strength. At the start of the week, both EUR/USD and GBP/USD attempted a recovery, but the upside proved limited, and the pairs are now testing the upper boundaries of their short-term trading ranges.
Market participants are adopting a wait-and-see approach ahead of the release of key macroeconomic data, which could determine the next direction for the dollar and major currency pairs. Geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East remains an additional factor weighing on sentiment. Reports of ongoing tensions and risks to energy supply disruptions continue to support elevated oil prices, fuelling inflation expectations and prompting investors to reassess the outlook for central bank policy.
Today, the focus is on business activity and inflation data from Europe and the UK, as well as housing market and consumer activity figures from the US. These releases could significantly impact interest rate expectations, prompting traders to refrain from opening large positions ahead of the data.
EUR/USD
At the start of the week, EUR/USD tested key support near 1.1480 before rebounding above 1.1600. Technical analysis suggests a range-bound market: a rejection from the key resistance level at 1.1640 could lead to a renewed test of recent lows in the 1.1420–1.1480 area. Conversely, a firm break above 1.1640 and a move out of the range could open the way for further gains towards 1.1680–1.1710.
Key events for EUR/USD:
- Today at 11:00 (GMT+2): Germany business expectations index
- Today at 13:00 (GMT+2): Bundesbank monthly report
- Today at 14:30 (GMT+2): US current account balance
GBP/USD
GBP/USD is also trading within a range. Following last week’s Bank of England meeting, the pair strengthened towards 1.3480 but failed to sustain upward momentum, retreating to 1.3250 on Monday. Technical analysis points to the potential for a retest of the recent high; however, in the event of weak UK data, a move lower towards the 1.3350–1.3250 area is equally possible.
Key events for GBP/USD:
- Today at 09:00 (GMT+2): UK Consumer Price Index (CPI)
- Today at 11:30 (GMT+2): UK house price index
- Tomorrow at 11:30 (GMT+2): Speech by Bank of England Financial Policy Committee member Sarah Breeden
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Crypto World
Cardano (ADA) Price: Historic Bullish Indicators Emerge as Token Tests Key Support Level
TLDR
- The 365-day MVRV metric for Cardano has plummeted to -43%, entering what market analysts identify as an accumulation zone
- ADA funding rates on Binance have hit their lowest point since June 2023, indicating extreme bearish positioning
- Total Value Locked on Cardano increased 3% over 24 hours to reach 525.44 million ADA, signaling sustained network activity
- Both metrics last converged at these levels in mid-2023, preceding an approximate 300% price increase over the next year and a half
- Current ADA price stands around $0.26, reflecting a weekly decline of 7% and a 71% drop from September highs
Cardano is currently exchanging hands near the $0.26 mark following a 4% intraday recovery on Monday. A combination of two historically significant indicators from on-chain analytics and derivatives markets has simultaneously activated, mirroring conditions that previously signaled major price reversals.
The 365-day Market Value to Realized Value metric for Cardano has declined to -43%. This negative reading indicates that network participants who have been active over the previous 12 months are currently experiencing unrealized losses averaging 43%. Blockchain analytics provider Santiment categorizes this territory as the “opportunity zone.” Historical data suggests that when MVRV reaches such deeply negative values, the majority of weak-handed sellers have typically already capitulated.
The MVRV indicator measures the average profit or loss position of market participants across a defined timeframe and has historically demonstrated mean-reversion characteristics. When this metric falls significantly below zero, the remaining holders typically consist of long-term believers or investors who have already reconciled themselves to current losses. This dynamic substantially reduces the probability of additional capitulation events.
Concurrently, Binance’s weekly average funding rate for ADA perpetual futures has plunged to its most bearish level since June 2023. Funding rates in perpetual swap markets represent the cost exchange between long and short position holders. An extremely negative funding rate indicates that short sellers dominate the market and must compensate long position holders to maintain their bearish bets.
Why Short Crowding Matters
When bearish positioning reaches such extreme concentration levels, even modest upward price movements can catalyze cascading liquidations. Short positions get forcibly closed, requiring traders to purchase the underlying asset to cover their exposure, which subsequently drives prices higher and triggers additional liquidation events.
Market participants refer to this phenomenon as a short squeeze. For Cardano specifically, periods of extremely negative funding rates have more frequently preceded sharp upward price movements rather than continued downward trends.
The previous instance when both the MVRV indicator and funding rate metrics converged at comparable extreme levels occurred in mid-2023. At that juncture, ADA was trading near $0.25 before subsequently appreciating approximately 300% throughout the subsequent 18-month period.
According to DeFiLlama analytics, Cardano’s Total Value Locked experienced a 3% increase within a 24-hour window, climbing to 525.44 million ADA. The TVL measurement has exhibited a predominantly upward trajectory since the market correction that began in September.
Technical Levels to Watch
From a technical perspective, ADA continues to defend the $0.2436 support threshold, which previously served as a testing point on February 5. The upper boundary of the current range is established at $0.2991, last contacted on February 26.
Cardano remains positioned beneath its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages, all of which maintain bearish downward trajectories. The Relative Strength Index registers at 45, marginally below the 50-level neutral threshold. The MACD indicator has crossed back underneath its signal line.
ADA has depreciated approximately 71% from its September zenith and trades roughly 7% lower across the weekly timeframe.
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