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Bitcoin fell more than 3% on Friday to around $65,000 after briefly topping $69,000 earlier in the week, leaving it trading at roughly half its all-time high of $126,080. The decline came as US equities weakened, with the S&P 500 down 0.7% and the Nasdaq slipping 1.15% by Friday morning, while gold rose 1.4% to $5,268 as investors sought safer assets. After a turbulent start to the week marked by a sell-off and renewed volatility following President Donald Trump’s 10% global tariff coming into effect, a short-lived boost from strong Nvidia earnings steadied markets before momentum faded once Bitcoin approached the $70,000 level.
Other major cryptocurrencies tracked Bitcoin lower, with Ethereum dropping more than 5% to $1,918, XRP falling about 4% to $1.35 and Solana sliding over 5% to $81.50. Crypto-related stocks were hit harder than the broader indices, with CoreWeave plunging 21% to $76.92 after Macquarie cut its price target from $115 to $90, citing earnings misses and heavy investment needs, while BitMine Immersion Technologies fell 7.3% and Sharplink declined 6.7% amid weakness in Ethereum treasury firms. In contrast, Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc rose nearly 15% after announcing it would cut 40% of its workforce in a shift towards greater reliance on AI. Source
Ethereum continues to attract institutional capital despite the rise of faster and cheaper blockchains, largely because it hosts the deepest pools of liquidity, stablecoins and decentralised finance activity. Kevin Lepsoe, founder of ETHGas and a former Morgan Stanley derivatives executive, argues that while high transactions per second figures excite engineers, traditional financial institutions prioritise where capital is already concentrated. Ethereum holds the largest stablecoin market capitalisation at $160.4 billion and remains the leading network for real-world assets, including BlackRock’s tokenised Treasury fund BUIDL, more than 30% of which sits on Ethereum. For large asset managers and fund issuers, operating in the deepest market ensures tighter spreads, lower slippage and the ability to move significant sums without distorting prices.
Although rivals such as Solana have marketed themselves as high-speed alternatives and attracted waves of retail activity, Ethereum’s liquidity advantage has proved more durable. Layer-2 rollups helped reduce high transaction fees on the main chain, even if they temporarily fragmented liquidity, and Ethereum is now refocusing on scaling its base layer, with the planned Glamsterdam fork in 2026 set to raise the block gas limit significantly and pave the way towards 10,000 transactions per second over time. Developers and infrastructure providers are also working on efficiency improvements, while co-founder Vitalik Buterin has signalled a reassessment of the current layer-2 model. Despite institutions also exploring networks such as Solana and Canton for specific features like privacy, Ethereum’s long track record and entrenched liquidity position continue to anchor it as the primary destination for institutional blockchain activity. Source
A packed week on the United States economic calendar comes as markets absorb the fallout from US-Israeli strikes on Iran and renewed geopolitical tension in the Middle East. Volatility is expected as US stock futures react to the weekend developments, while crypto markets, which were relatively flat on Sunday, have resumed their typical Monday pullback. President Donald Trump outlined details of Operation Epic Fury, vowing continued military action, though market commentators noted that oil prices have already pared back much of their initial surge, US stock futures are only slightly lower and gold has risen, suggesting investors are cautious but not panicking.
Attention now turns to a series of key economic releases between March 2 and 6, particularly labour market data closely watched by the Federal Reserve. The week begins with February’s ISM Manufacturing PMI, followed by the ADP Employment report on Wednesday, Initial Jobless Claims on Thursday and the February Jobs Report on Friday, which will also include January retail sales data and is expected to show an increase of 60,000 jobs. In crypto markets, total capitalisation has slipped back to $2.35 trillion, Bitcoin has retreated to around $66,300 after repeated rejections at $67,000, and Ether has fallen below $2,000 to $1,950, with major altcoins such as XRP, Solana, Cardano, Canton and Stellar also posting losses. Source
Ethereum’s long-discussed account abstraction, also known as smart accounts, is set to be introduced with the Hegota upgrade within a year, according to co-founder Vitalik Buterin. He said developers have been working on the concept since 2016 and that EIP-8141 now consolidates and resolves the remaining issues the proposal was designed to address. The upgrade will introduce a system of frame transactions, allowing a single transaction to be broken into multiple frames that can reference each other’s data and separately handle authorisation and gas payments, making the structure more flexible while remaining general purpose.
Buterin described intermediary minimisation as a core principle of Ethereum’s cypherpunk ethos, highlighting that smart accounts would enable features such as multi-signature wallets, quantum-resistant accounts and the ability to pay gas fees in non-ETH tokens through paymaster contracts or specialised decentralised exchanges without relying on centralised broadcasters. The changes are also expected to benefit privacy tools by removing the need for public broadcasters and replacing them with a general-purpose public mempool. Alongside account abstraction, Buterin has outlined a broader quantum-resistance roadmap addressing validator signatures, data storage, user accounts and zero-knowledge proofs, as well as longer-term plans to reduce slot and finality times as part of Ethereum’s scaling strategy. Source
South Korea’s finance minister, Koo Yun-cheol, has pledged sweeping reforms to the way government agencies handle digital assets after a series of high-profile failures exposed weaknesses in the custody and oversight of seized crypto. Speaking as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, he said authorities would urgently review how digital assets are held and managed across public institutions, working with bodies such as the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service. The review follows revelations that police and tax authorities mishandled confiscated crypto, prompting concerns about the security practices in place.
The pledge comes after police in Seoul’s Gangnam district lost access to 22 Bitcoin, worth about $1.4 million at the time, when officers relied on a third-party custodian and failed to retain control of the private keys. The incident, which occurred in 2022, has led to arrests and a prosecutorial investigation into possible bribery, and has intensified scrutiny of the public sector’s ability to manage digital assets securely. The case adds to broader criticism of regulatory oversight in South Korea, highlighting the operational risks governments face when dealing with technically complex crypto assets. Source
Tokenised gold markets such as PAXG and XAUt are increasingly responsible for gold price discovery when CME futures close for the weekend, according to Iggy Ioppe, former chief investment officer at Credit Suisse and now CIO at liquidity infrastructure firm Theo. CME gold futures stop trading at 5:00 pm ET on Friday and reopen at 6:00 pm ET on Sunday, leaving a gap in regulated market activity during which most remaining trades take place privately over the counter in Asia. In that window, blockchain-based gold tokens become the main publicly visible instruments referencing bullion prices, with Ioppe saying onchain markets account for virtually all weekend price formation and that movements are often reflected once CME trading resumes.
The rise in influence comes as the tokenised gold sector has expanded sharply, with market capitalisation climbing from about $1.6 billion to $4.4 billion over the past year, a 177% increase, alongside surging trading volumes that reached around $178 billion in 2025. Activity is largely driven by market makers, cross-venue liquidity providers and crypto-native macro traders using tokenised gold for exposure, collateral and hedging during geopolitical or macroeconomic uncertainty. Weekend trading has offered investors a way to manage risk when traditional markets are shut, as seen when prices rallied amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran while Bitcoin and Ether fell, though liquidity constraints and regulatory fragmentation continue to limit broader institutional adoption. Source
Magic Eden is ending support for Ethereum-compatible and Bitcoin-based assets, bringing its multi-chain strategy to a close as it refocuses on Solana. Co-founder and chief executive Jack Lu said users will no longer be able to trade assets tied to Ethereum, including those on scaling networks such as Polygon and Base, or Bitcoin-based Ordinals and Runes, within the next two weeks. The company’s self-custodial wallet will also drop support for those assets from early April, while continuing to operate within the Solana ecosystem where the marketplace first launched in 2021. The shift marks a significant departure from the approach that helped Magic Eden become the largest NFT marketplace by trading volume, particularly through early backing of Bitcoin Ordinals.
The company is now orienting itself towards iGaming, following its acquisition of Slingshot Finance and the launch of its crypto casino and sportsbook, Dicey, in January as part of a push to capitalise on what Lu described as a speculation supercycle. As part of the overhaul, Magic Eden will halt NFT buybacks and refine the utility of its ME token, which recently traded at around 12 cents, down 97% from its $5.63 peak after debuting in December 2024. Despite having raised $140 million in funding, including a $130 million Series B round in 2022 that valued the firm at $1.6 billion, the platform’s Bitcoin-based trading activity has dwindled, with just $121,000 in volume last month compared with $576 million overall, mostly on Solana. Source
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Markethive presents itself as a fully integrated digital marketing ecosystem designed to give entrepreneurs complete organic reach and unfiltered engagement. Unlike mainstream social media platforms, it states that all posts are delivered to 100% of friends and group members without algorithmic filtering, content suppression or shadow banning. At the centre of its strategy are three core pillars: The Push, The Boost and The Lift, a framework intended to replace fragmented marketing tactics with a unified system that maximises visibility, engagement and long-term growth. The Push targets new member onboarding by placing messages directly in front of users as soon as they join, ensuring immediate exposure and early brand connection within the platform.
The Boost focusses on guaranteed distribution across the entire membership base, bypassing algorithmic barriers to deliver content directly into users’ feeds and increase readership, engagement and action, while The Lift is a subscription-based service dedicated to reviving high-performing archived content to extend its lifespan and return on investment. Together, these tools are positioned as a coordinated methodology in which The Push drives initial exposure, The Boost amplifies reach and impact, and The Lift sustains long-term authority and engagement by recycling valuable content. Integrated directly into the platform’s navigation system, the three features are designed to work in tandem, enabling members to build immediate traction while establishing durable market presence and continued organic growth. Source
Trump Media & Technology Group is considering spinning off its flagship platform, Truth Social, into a separate publicly traded company as it sharpens its focus on cryptocurrency and fintech ventures. The company is in discussions with energy fusion startup TAE Technologies and special purpose acquisition company Texas Ventures Acquisition III about a potential deal that would see the social media business placed into a new entity, tentatively called SpinCo, before merging with Texas Ventures III. Shares in the new company would be distributed to existing Trump Media shareholders. The talks build on a merger agreement reached with TAE Technologies in December valued at more than $6 billion.
The move comes amid a rapid expansion into digital assets throughout 2025, including the launch of its fintech brand Truth.Fi, the creation of a Bitcoin treasury holding more than 11,500 BTC, and filings for several Truth Social-branded crypto exchange-traded funds covering Bitcoin, Ether and Cronos, linked to partnerships with Crypto.com and Yorkville Acquisition. The company has also been increasing its presence in the energy sector through fusion technology aimed at meeting the growing power needs of artificial intelligence data centres. Despite reporting a net loss of $712.3 million in 2025, largely due to unrealised crypto-related losses, Trump Media ended the year with around $2.5 billion in assets, more than triple its 2024 cash and short-term investment position. Source
Publicly traded banking group Barclays is reportedly exploring a move into crypto payments and deposits, according to Bloomberg. The UK-based lender has requested information from technology suppliers as it assesses how blockchain infrastructure could support tokenised deposits and stablecoin-based payments. Earlier this year, Barclays invested in stablecoin settlement startup Ubyx and had previously been identified among major international banks examining the joint issuance of a stablecoin, signalling a growing interest in digital asset integration.
If Barclays proceeds, it would join other large institutions already expanding into the sector. JPMorgan Chase recently launched its tokenised deposit token, JPMD, on Base and later expanded it to the Canton Network, while also working on frameworks allowing clients to use Bitcoin and Ethereum as loan collateral. US Bank has been testing its own stablecoin on Stellar, and Citi and Bank of America have also shown interest in the space. Barclays shares were down nearly 4% on Friday amid a broader market decline, though the stock remains around 54% higher over the past year. Source
Social media platform X has lifted its global ban on paid crypto and gambling promotions under a new labelling policy, though such ads remain prohibited in regions with stricter financial promotion rules, including the UK, the European Union, and Australia. Influencers and content creators must ensure that paid crypto partnerships are not visible in these restricted markets. The update allows users to flag content as a paid partnership, helping maintain transparency while enabling monetisation, but X continues to bar commercial promotions for sex products, alcohol, dating platforms, recreational and prescription drugs, health supplements, tobacco, and weapons, as well as political and social content.
The policy changes coincide with plans to expand X’s financial features, including the upcoming limited beta launch of X Money, a payments system designed to integrate social networking, messaging, and financial services into a single platform. It remains unclear whether crypto will be incorporated into X Money. Additionally, X will introduce Smart Cashtags, allowing users to trade stocks and crypto directly on the platform, reflecting the company’s broader ambitions to become an “everything app” under owner Elon Musk. Source
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has released a 376-page proposal outlining how it intends to implement the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act, including potential restrictions on certain stablecoin rewards programs. The rules would limit arrangements in which third parties pass yield onto stablecoin holders, a model currently used by Coinbase and USDC issuer Circle, which offers users around 4% yield on USDC deposits. While some crypto policy experts warn that Coinbase’s rewards program could be affected, others note the rules are still open to public comment, subject to revision, and may allow workarounds that preserve major stablecoin yield offerings.
The proposed rules have sparked debate within the crypto and banking sectors, with some executives describing them as regressive while others, including Circle’s leadership, support the framework as advancing U.S. economic innovation. The banking lobby continues to push for permanent legal limits on stablecoin yields, citing concerns about competition with traditional low-yield bank accounts. Analysts emphasise that the OCC’s proposal does not settle the ongoing negotiations over stablecoin regulations, which remain part of broader discussions on crypto market structure and are likely to evolve before any final implementation. Source
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has suggested that artificial intelligence could significantly accelerate the development of the blockchain’s roadmap, potentially finishing it much faster than expected. He highlighted an experiment where AI was used to prototype Ethereum’s roadmap out to 2030 in just a few weeks, describing the process as “vibe coding” where AI generates the code for an application, allowing developers to create software rapidly. While the experiment shows promise, Buterin emphasised that the AI-generated code still has “massive caveats” and almost certainly contains critical bugs or incomplete implementations. Despite these limitations, he noted that the trend indicates a major shift in coding speed and efficiency that was previously unimaginable.
Buterin stressed that security should remain a priority over sheer speed, advising that AI’s benefits be split between accelerating development and improving safety. He proposed using AI to generate more test cases, formally verify code, and create multiple implementations to reduce the risk of errors, suggesting that bug-free code may soon become a realistic expectation rather than an idealistic goal. He also commented on the Ethereum Foundation’s recent “Strawmap” roadmap, reaffirming that smart accounts or account abstraction could be implemented within a year, and continued to advocate for future-proofing Ethereum, including making it quantum-resistant. Source
Backpack is introducing a token-to-equity conversion program designed to allow users who stake its upcoming token to earn equity in the exchange, while navigating complex U.S. securities regulations. The program links equity rights to a VIP membership rather than the token itself, requiring users to trade on the exchange and stake tokens for an extended period. By structuring it this way, Backpack aims to separate the token from a direct claim on the company’s success, reducing the likelihood that regulators classify it as a security. The initiative forms part of the exchange’s broader expansion plans in the U.S. and comes amid preparations for a potential $50 million funding round at a $1 billion valuation, attracting interest from SPACs and bankers for a public listing.
Co-founder Can Sun, who previously served as general counsel at FTX, emphasised that the legal framework is designed to minimise regulatory risk, but the company has a fallback option to register the tokens as securities during a future IPO if required. The approach reflects lessons from Coinbase’s aborted attempt to issue tokenized shares in 2020, showing how strategic legal structuring can allow crypto firms to innovate while staying compliant. Backpack’s plan highlights the growing sophistication of token-based incentives and the evolving U.S. regulatory environment, with the company aiming to offer a new form of user engagement that ties platform participation directly to ownership. Source
Bitcoin could benefit from the economic effects of artificial intelligence, particularly if AI adoption disrupts labour markets or triggers volatility that leads central banks to adopt looser monetary policy. Greg Cipolaro, research lead at NYDIG, argued that AI may act as a “general-purpose technology” similar to electricity, with widespread implications for employment, growth, and risk appetite. If AI-driven growth coincides with expanding liquidity and low real interest rates, it could create a supportive environment for Bitcoin. Conversely, stronger growth that increases real yields and tightens monetary policy could create headwinds for the cryptocurrency.
The transition to AI is expected to be uneven and potentially disruptive, requiring companies to redesign workflows and workers to develop new skills. Examples such as Block cutting 40% of its staff highlight the labour impact, while broader adoption may still follow the historical pattern of technological integration rather than obsolescence. Cipolaro also noted that AI is expanding within the crypto sector, with tools like Coinbase’s Payments MCP enabling AI agents to interact with on-chain financial systems, illustrating both opportunities and new risks for the industry. Source
Hyperliquid’s HYPE token surged around 6% over the weekend as traders turned to the always-on decentralised perpetuals platform to respond to escalating tensions in Iran while many traditional markets remained closed. The platform absorbed early trading volume and allowed users to speculate on geopolitical risk, with Bitcoin and other risk assets falling while oil and gold rose amid broader market uncertainty. HYPE had previously fallen to about $26.2 at the end of February but spiked to roughly $32 as volatility increased, reflecting a 25% gain year to date despite remaining well below its September peak near $58. The surge highlights how decentralised exchanges can provide liquidity and pricing mechanisms during off-hours or market closures.
Experts note that Hyperliquid’s always-on infrastructure positions it as a first-response venue for geopolitical shocks, attracting both retail traders and institutions seeking to hedge risk before conventional markets reopen. The platform’s tokenomics, including HYPE staking and fee-driven buybacks, directly link trading activity to demand for the token, potentially creating a structural advantage during volatile periods. While deeper order book liquidity is needed to fully onboard institutional participants, the weekend’s spike demonstrates how decentralised perpetuals can capture early risk pricing and fee revenue, offering a recurring tailwind for the exchange and its token. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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