Market Signal Briefing

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Given that both price action and derivatives metrics indicate an increase in short-term speculation, XRP is exhibiting signs of renewed activity. The asset has finally staged a local rebound, rising back toward the $1.35-$1.40 range, while attempting to stabilize above a short-term ascending support line following weeks of downward pressure and a protracted bearish structure visible on the daily chart.

XRP moves belowTechnically speaking, XRP is still below its major moving averages, indicating that the overall trend is still skewed downward. The 100-day and 50-day averages serve as overhead resistance as they keep sloping downward. The most recent pricing structure, however, indicates that sellers are losing their immediate momentum.

XRP/USDT Chart by TradingViewFollowing weeks of low trading activity, volume has also increased during the rebound, indicating a return to participation. The derivatives market is the source of the more aggressive signal.

HOT Stories

The more than 130% increase in XRP futures flow indicates a significant rise in capital flowing into leveraged positions. Because they make prices more susceptible to liquidations and abrupt shifts in sentiment, such inflows frequently occur before periods of high volatility.

You Might Also Like

Both long and short positioning are still active, according to the data, which means that if one side is squeezed, price swings in either direction may quicken. Measures of short-term market performance lend credence to this theory.

Open interest is keyAdditionally, open interest and futures trading activity indicate that traders are actively shifting their positions around the $1.5 level, which is currently serving as a technical and psychological target zone.

Sharp pullbacks are still very much a possibility. Markets often become unstable when futures inflows grow this rapidly, particularly if the price is unable to decisively break important resistance levels.

This implies that XRP’s upcoming sessions might be characterized more by quick directional changes brought on by leveraged trading pressure than by consistent growth. Overall, the price of XRP is balancing between the recovery momentum and the wider bearish structure that is still evident on higher time frames as it enters a volatility phase where futures activity may serve as the main driver.

In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, Bitcoin fell to $63,062 before recovering following explosive strikes in Tehran amid U.S.-Israel operations and Iranian retaliatory missiles.

Summary

Bitcoin fell to $63K on Tehran strike news before rebounding above $66K. DOJ arrested Goliath Ventures founder over alleged $328M Ponzi scheme. MetaMask launched its self-custodial crypto card across the U.S. In other prominent news, federal authorities arrested Goliath Ventures founder Christopher Alexander Delgado on charges related to an alleged $328 million Ponzi scheme, and MetaMask partnered with Mastercard to launch its self-custodial payment card across the United States.

Cryptocurrency markets react to Middle East conflict Bitcoin (BTC) declined to $63,062 before rebounding to $66,201 following reports of large explosions in Tehran as the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran. Ethereum (ETH) dropped to $1,837 before recovering to $1,940 during the volatility spike as Iran launched retaliatory missiles at multiple locations including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Federal prosecutors charge crypto Ponzi operator The Department of Justice announced the arrest of Christopher Alexander Delgado, 34, founder and CEO of Goliath Ventures, on federal charges tied to an alleged $328 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. Delgado was taken into custody in Apopka, Florida, on a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida charging wire fraud and money laundering. MetaMask expands crypto card to U.S. market MetaMask and Mastercard have officially launched the MetaMask Card in the United States. The self-custodial crypto payment card is now available in 49 U.S. states, including New York for the first time. Magic Eden narrows platform focus to Solana The prominent NFT marketplace announced plans to close its Bitcoin and EVM-based trading platforms in early March 2026 while discontinuing support for its multi-chain wallet. The platform will continue supporting Solana-based assets exclusively. MoonPay introduces AI agent wallet access The crypto payments platform launched February 24 a new product providing artificial intelligence systems direct access to digital wallets and on-chain transactions. MoonPay Agents, a non-custodial software layer, enables AI agents to create wallets, manage funds, and trade on behalf of verified users. Morgan Stanley plans multiple Bitcoin products The banking giant has intentions to offer various Bitcoin-related product offerings according to digital assets strategy head Amy Oldenburg. These planned products would expand Morgan Stanley’s cryptocurrency exposure beyond its current limited offerings. AI security tool identifies critical XRP vulnerability An autonomous AI security tool discovered a bug in the XRP Ledger that could have aided attackers to steal funds from any network account without accessing private keys. XRPL Labs disclosed Thursday the vulnerability existed in signature-validation logic of the Batch amendment. This was a pending upgrade allowing multiple transactions to be bundled and executed together. Barclays explores blockchain payment platform The multinational bank is examining creation of a blockchain platform for payments and other processes according to reports The London-based financial services giant is consulting with prospective technology providers to develop infrastructure rivaling JPMorgan and others using decentralized technology for banking services. Kalshi penalizes insider trading violations The prediction market firm disclosed catching and penalizing two users for insider-trading activity, including an editor for social media star MrBeast. The company stated it has over a dozen active insider-trading cases among 200 investigated, with Wednesday disclosures detailing two resolved matters including action against Artem Kaptur, identified as working for James Donaldson’s MrBeast persona.

Polygon will activate the Lisovo hardfork on mainnet before block 83,756,500. The upgrade is expected around 14:00 UTC on March 4, 2026. The announcement comes as POL trades near $0.106 to $0.11 after a recent recovery. At press time, the POL price was trading at $0.1069, a 3.68% surge in the last 24 hours.

The Polygon Foundation stated, “The Lisovo hardfork will be released on Polygon mainnet before block number 83756500, at approximately 2pm UTC on Mar 4.” Market participants are now tracking both the network changes and short-term price levels.

Polygon Lisovo Hardfork Details and Network ChangesThe Lisovo upgrade introduces subsidized gas costs for agent-to-agent payments under PIP-82. This aims to support automated transactions and AI-driven activity on-chain. The network is also improving smart contract compatibility through the Count Leading Zeros opcode update.

In addition, the upgrade enhances support for passkey-based wallets. It also introduces a more flexible fee adjustment system. These changes are designed to improve transaction delivery and validation reliability.

Node operators are required to upgrade their software before activation. The foundation advised operators to update Bor to version v2.6.0 or Erigon to v3.4.0. This step is required to maintain synchronization after the hardfork.

Polygon continues to advance its Gigagas roadmap, which targets 100,000 transactions per second. The network recently reported $3.28 billion in stablecoins, marking a new high. Moreover, as we reported, Polygon Brazil’s largest foreign exchange bank expanded its BBRL stablecoin to Polygon (POLY).

Polygon On-Chain Metrics Show Mixed SignalsExchange reserve data shows early signs of stabilization. Reserves have started to flatten, which suggests that large deposits to exchanges may be slowing. Lower reserves often indicate reduced short-term selling pressure.

At the same time, the number of withdrawing addresses has declined. Fewer withdrawals suggest that holders are not actively moving tokens. This may reflect a wait-and-see approach before the hardfork.

Source: CryptoQuant

Mean exchange inflows also dropped over the past 24 hours. Lower inflows can reduce immediate sell pressure. However, reduced activity can also signal weaker demand.

These metrics present mixed signals as the hardfork approaches. Traders are therefore focusing on price structure and technical indicators for direction.

POL Price Technical Analysis The POL price printed a strong rally in early January and peaked near $0.18 to $0.19. After that, the token entered a corrective phase with lower highs and lower lows. Price later formed a base around $0.09 to $0.10 and then moved into a sideways range.

Currently, POL trades within a horizontal range between $0.09 support and $0.12 resistance. The $0.10 level remains a key psychological support. Immediate resistance stands at $0.115 to $0.12, which previously acted as a rejection zone.

Source: TradingView

The Chaikin Money Flow indicator is near zero. This suggests neutral capital flows and no strong accumulation trend. The MACD indicator is also near the zero line, and the histogram has turned slightly positive.

If the POL price closes above $0.12 with sustained momentum, upside targets include $0.14 and $0.15. A move toward $0.18 may follow if buying pressure continues. On the downside, a break below $0.10 could lead to a retest of $0.095 and $0.09.

With its price up by 158% over the last five years, and an entire slate of upgrades planned for its network, XRP (XRP +4.94%) is on the cusp of a period that's likely to be quite exciting for its holders.

A gradual $2,500 investment over the next few months would be apt, provided this is capital you won’t need for emergencies or day-to-day expenses, and you’re prepared to hold it through early 2031, about five years out. Here are four reasons why you should consider taking advantage of these developments. .

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Confidential transfers are coming Most blockchains are effectively glass houses. Anyone can inspect anyone else's transaction history and their balances. That's a fact of life for casual crypto users, but it's somewhere between awkward and a dealbreaker for financial institutions or businesses that treat their positions and payments as sensitive information. And those are the exact demographics the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is trying to attract.

To address that problem, XRPL's development roadmap for the first half of 2026 calls for implementing a confidential transfers feature that uses advanced cryptography to hide transaction amounts while still supporting selective data disclosure for audit and regulatory compliance purposes. Importantly, the new confidentiality functions will also work with tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) like stocks and bonds parked on the XRPL.

Today's Change

(

4.94

%) $

0.06

Current Price

$

1.36

Tokenization simply means representing asset ownership using on-chain tokens. Confidentiality with those assets is a critical wrinkle, as managing those tokenized assets and appealing to financial organizations that seek to use or issue them is going to be a major growth driver for the coin over the coming years.

Thus, if confidential transfers launch as planned, they'll expand the list of things that institutions can plausibly do on-chain without broadcasting their business to competitors, which will encourage them to adopt XRP and thereby boost its price.

2. Compliance tooling is becoming the main product The hard part with tokenized assets isn't the technical process of minting a token. The hard part is enforcing the rules about who can hold it, move it, or freeze it, claw back its transfer, or delete it if necessary. Which is to say, the hard part is implementing the regulatory compliance features financial operators are legally mandated to have.

To ease that obstacle, the XRPL is focusing on building the controls that regulated actors tend to demand as a precondition for doing business. It's building out more and more compliance tooling and becoming a better and better place to manage tokenized assets as a result. And that's going to help the coin to grow over time, as financial institutions pick which technologies they want to use to manage their tokenized capital.

3. Tokenized commodities are surging Tokenized commodities are having a moment across crypto, with their market cap surging by 20% over the 30-day period ending on Feb. 20 to reach $7 billion. The XRPL currently acts as a record-keeping layer for more than $1 billion of those commodities, thanks to its compliance features as well as its automated market maker (AMM), which helps to ensure price stability for traders.

Over the next five years, it'll be implementing the feature set it needs to onboard even more tokenized commodity capital, which in turn will stimulate more demand for XRP.

4. Stablecoin depth is improving quickly Today, $430 million in stablecoins are parked on the XRPL, most of which are the chain's native stablecoin, RLUSD. That's plenty of capital for institutional financial users to tap for liquidity.

But over the coming years, the network's stablecoin base is only going to grow. Even over the last 30 days, it's up by more than 7%. When prospective users or app developers see that capital is pooling and waiting to find a yield on the XRPL, it'll incentivize them to deploy their own capital (or launch their own financial service) and engage in economically useful activities on the network.

Given that any activity on the ledger requires using XRP, the growing stablecoin supply is yet another reason to be bullish about this coin's future and consider investing $2,500 in it with the intention of holding for the next five years.

One year after launching its Open Network, Pi Network is navigating a challenging phase.

While the project recently celebrated its first Open Network anniversary, Pi Coin is trading near historic lows, raising concerns among investors who had anticipated faster gains.

At the time of writing, Pi Coin is priced around $0.1622, below its reported all-time high of $2.98 recorded on February 26, 2025. The token remains down more than 94% from that peak, though it has recovered roughly 28% from its recent all-time low of $0.1312 earlier this month.

“Price Is Driven More by Liquidity Than Utility”In an interview with Coinpedia, crypto analyst Dr Altcoin addressed investor concerns about Pi Network’s current price performance.

“Many investors expected immediate upside, but Pi entered open trading after years in an enclosed ecosystem,” he said.

He explained that early post-launch trading dynamics tend to be dominated by short-term forces rather than long-term fundamentals.

“At this stage, price is driven more by liquidity conditions, supply unlocking, and short-term speculation than by fully developed utility.”

According to him, this pattern is not unique to Pi Network. Many blockchain projects experience early volatility before stronger fundamentals begin to influence valuation.

Explaining the Gap Between All-Time High and Current PriceDr Altcoin also discussed the significant difference between Pi Coin’s early all-time high and its present trading levels.

“Early all-time highs were formed under conditions of thin liquidity, hype, and, in some cases, confusion caused by IOU pricing before real market depth developed.”

He said that early expectations may have priced Pi as a fully matured ecosystem, whereas the current valuation reflects a project still building infrastructure and real-world use cases.

“This gap highlights that early expectations priced Pi as a finished product, while the current price reflects a network still actively building real-world usage and infrastructure.”

Still Ranked Among Top ProjectsDespite the price decline, Pi Network has managed to maintain a top-50 ranking on CoinMarketCap, even without listings on major tier-1 centralized exchanges.

This signals resilience rather than failure, suggesting that the project’s long-term relevance will depend on ecosystem growth rather than short-term speculation.

As Pi Network moves into its second year of Open Network operations, the focus now shifts to development progress, adoption metrics, and whether utility can eventually support stronger price stability.

Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.

Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.

Sponsored and Advertisements:Sponsored content and affiliate links may appear on our site. Advertisements are marked clearly, and our editorial content remains entirely independent from our ad partners.

For the better part of the last two years, spot Bitcoin ETFs were treated like a one-way door. They took Bitcoin out of keys and operational hassle and turned it into a ticker that fit inside every normal portfolio. Money came in, shares got created, and Bitcoin had a steady, legitimate source of demand.

Across five straight weeks leading into late February, investors pulled close to $3.8 billion from US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs, the longest weekly outflow run since early 2025. Bitcoin stayed pinned around the mid-$60,000s through much of that stretch, with recent trading near $68,000 while markets tried to regain balance.

The size of these outflows is huge, and it matters a lot, but the timing matters more here. The outflow run landed as tariff policy uncertainty seeped into rates, equities, and commodities, turning the macro tape jumpy again.

Since Feb. 20, however, the flow picture has shifted, at least temporarily.

Between Feb. 20 and Feb. 27, U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded approximately $875.5 million in net inflows, including several consecutive strong creation days. That doesn’t erase the prior five-week bleed, but it does complicate the narrative.

What looked like a one-way de-risking cycle may instead be transitioning into a reset, with institutional demand tentatively reappearing even as macro uncertainty lingers.

What did ETFs actually do to Bitcoin’s market?A spot ETF sits inside a creation and redemption system. When demand for ETF shares rises, authorized participants create new shares by delivering value into the fund. When demand fades and shares get redeemed, the system shrinks. That process connects stock-market buying and selling to Bitcoin exposure in the background, which is why ETF flow prints became a daily scorecard for Bitcoin.

This got more concrete after the SEC approved orders that allow in-kind creations and redemptions for certain crypto ETP shares, meaning APs can exchange shares for the underlying asset instead of routing everything through cash. The SEC’s framing leaned on efficiency and lower costs.

But even when day-to-day execution still leans cash-heavy, the core point stays the same: ETF flows are one of the cleanest bridges between institutions and the Bitcoin market.

Here's a useful way to hold it in your head.

On an inflow day, the ETF complex expands as shares get created and exposure grows. The market feels a buyer that doesn't need a fresh catalyst every morning.

On an outflow day, the ETF complex contracts as shares get redeemed and exposure shrinks. The market loses that default buyer, and it has to pick up the extra selling pressure.

Why do five straight weeks land differently than one ugly week?A single rough week is easy to discount. There are always calendar effects, rebalancing, or a temporary mood shift. Five straight weeks is a different animal because it lasts long enough to chew through all of the short-term causes and start telling you something about positioning.

The cumulative five-week pull sat at around $3.8 billion at the time of writing, a record outflow streak for the recent cycle. A stretch of weekly outflows this long hasn't shown up since early 2025.
The macro backdrop is what gives it weight.

Chart showing the weekly net flows for spot Bitcoin ETFs from Nov. 24, 2025, to Feb. 23, 2026 (Source: Glassnode)Trade policy has again begun influencing the crypto market. Uncertainty around tariffs has created a kind of headline-driven environment where a sudden repricing in one asset quickly affects everything else.

In circumstances like these, portfolios tend to get managed with much tighter guardrails. When volatility increases, managers cut what they can cut fast, creating a negative feedback loop that leads to even lower prices and outflows. The fact that they often tend to get back to the assets they cut first to reevaluate the strategy does little to calm the outflows.

Like it or not, Bitcoin lives in that “cut it fast” bucket, and ETF flows are one of the first places you see that decision show up.

The other comparison that keeps haunting this period is to gold. Gold has drawn safe-haven demand due to tariff uncertainty, with recent dollar weakness and geopolitical risk only increasing it.

But it doesn't mean Bitcoin has failed in this cycle. The market is obviously sorting assets by behavior, and Bitcoin has been behaving more like a risk position than a shelter.

When the ETF pipe stops buying, what replaces it?To understand this, we need to drop the grand narratives and ask one question:

When Bitcoin drops 3% in a day, who shows up as the buyer that does not need persuasion?

In 2024, ETFs gave the market a clear answer. Inflows served as the default demand. They didn't require leverage, memes, or perfect sentiment, just a committee decision and a brokerage implementation.

But when that lane narrows, two concrete things happen.

First, the dip gets lonelier.

Without persistent ETF inflows, price discovery leans more on discretionary spot buyers and on liquidity providers who demand more compensation for taking the other side. That's why drawdowns feel sharper and recoveries can feel more reluctant, even when the news doesn't look that dramatic at all.

Second, outflows can carry real market force.

CryptoSlate Daily Brief

Daily signals, zero noise.Market-moving headlines and context delivered every morning in one tight read.

5-minute digest 100k+ readers

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

You’re subscribed. Welcome aboard.

Redemptions aren't a reflection of the market's vibe; they're a mechanical shrinkage of institutional positions. Depending on how the product is structured and how participants hedge, a redemption can translate into actual Bitcoin being sold, hedges being adjusted, and basis positions being unwound.

The consequence looks the same from the outside: less support, more supply, and a weaker bounce.

We can tie Bitcoin’s rough patch to a broader cooling of US institutional participation, and say it was exacerbated by ETF outflows and an overall lighter positioning in regulated venues. You can disagree with the tone and framing of this, but it matches what the ETF tape is already saying.

This breaks the misconception that ETFs serve as a floor for Bitcoin. A floor requires a buyer who keeps buying. A buyer that exits for five consecutive weeks is a buyer who was always conditional.

What to watch?To fully understand the implications of this, you need to look for four tells, and you need to know what each one means.

Watch the weekly net flow print. One positive week is a pulse, but two or three in a row is a channel reopening. If the weekly print turns consistently positive again, that suggests the institutional pipe is reopening. If it slips back into sustained negatives, rallies will likely feel like they're climbing without a handrail because the cleanest institutional pipe is still shrinking.

Watch how Bitcoin behaves on macro-red days. In a tariff-driven tape, equities move on headlines, rates reprice, and volatility jumps. When that happens, Bitcoin either holds up like a scarce asset or trades like risk beta.

Watch whether the price can rise without ETF inflows. If Bitcoin starts pushing higher while ETF flows are flat-to-negative, that tells you another buyer has taken the baton. Sometimes it's derivatives positioning resetting, and sometimes it's crypto-native spot demand returning. Either way, that is the moment it stops being purely about ETFs.

Watch the shape of the outflows. A slow drip is different from a sudden flush. A slow drip is allocation trimming, but a flush usually means forced selling or fast de-risking.

None of this will predict price, but it'll tell you whether the market’s biggest demand engine is running, idling, or reversing.

So what happens from here?The answer is no longer as one-sided as it looked a week ago.

The five-week, $3.8 billion outflow streak marked a clear contraction in institutional positioning. But the tape since Feb. 20 has introduced a new variable: nearly $875.5 million in net inflows in just over a week.

That doesn’t negate the prior unwind, but it does suggest the institutional pipe isn’t broken, it may simply have been pressure-tested.

There are now three realistic paths forward.

The first is confirmation. If inflows continue for multiple weeks and begin stacking consistently, the five-week outflow run will look more like a positioning reset than a structural exit. In that scenario, ETFs resume acting as a steady allocation channel, Bitcoin holds up better during macro stress, and the recent wobble gets reframed as a volatility shakeout rather than a demand collapse.The second path is fragility. A brief inflow bounce followed by renewed outflows would imply that last week’s creations were tactical rather than strategic, fast money reacting to price levels rather than long-horizon capital rebuilding exposure. If that happens, rallies may continue to feel heavy, especially in a tariff-sensitive macro environment where managers are quick to trim risk.The third path is stabilization without acceleration. Flows flatten near zero, the extremes on both sides fade, and Bitcoin trades in a compression phase while positioning quietly rebuilds. That kind of sideways repair can be less dramatic but often more constructive, because it removes forced flows from the equation and allows price discovery to normalize.The key shift is this: the market is no longer dealing with a one-directional ETF bleed. It is now testing whether the institutional demand engine is restarting.

The $3.8 billion drawdown was attention-grabbing. The more important question today is whether the marginal buyer has returned, and whether those buyers are early allocators rebuilding exposure, or simply traders stepping in front of a perceived floor.

ETF flows won’t predict price. But they will continue to signal whether Bitcoin’s cleanest institutional bid is expanding, idling, or slipping back into reverse. That’s the pipe that matters most when macro uncertainty turns the tape jumpy.

Mentioned in this articlePosted in

The answers from the popular AI chatbot might be quite shocking to some.

Gold pricing shifts onto blockchain networks once US futures markets close for the weekend, according to Iggy Ioppe, former chief investment officer at Credit Suisse and now chief investment officer (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. During that interval, regulated futures markets are inactive and most remaining activity occurs through private over-the-counter deals in Asia that are not publicly reported. As a result, tokenized gold assets such as PAX Gold (PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUt) become the only continuously available trading venues.

“In terms of publicly visible price formation, onchain markets are responsible for virtually 100% of weekend price discovery,” Ioppe told Cointelegraph.

He added that when futures trading resumes, prices often align with movements that already occurred on blockchain markets. “We are seeing weekend moves reflected when CME reopens,” he said.

Tokenized gold market cap jumps to $4.4 billionThe shift comes amid rising trading volume for tokenized gold. As Cointelegraph reported, tokenized gold expanded rapidly over the past year, adding nearly $2.8 billion in value and growing from about $1.6 billion to $4.4 billion in market capitalization.

The sector’s market cap rose 177%, far outpacing the broader gold market and most major spot gold ETFs, while the number of holders nearly tripled with more than 115,000 new wallets. The growth represented roughly a quarter of all net inflows into the real-world asset (RWA) sector and exceeded the combined expansion of tokenized stocks, corporate bonds and non-US Treasurys.

Tokenized gold market cap rises. Source: Cex.io Trading activity also surged, with tokenized gold recording about $178 billion in 2025 volume and peaking above $126 billion in the fourth quarter. That level would make it the second-largest gold investment product globally by trading volume after SPDR Gold Shares.

Ioppe said that market makers and cross-venue liquidity providers dominate participation, arbitraging price differences between digital and traditional markets. Crypto-native macro traders also play a major role, using tokenized gold not only for exposure to bullion prices but also for collateral, hedging and yield strategies during periods of geopolitical or macroeconomic uncertainty.

“Some institutions are monitoring weekend onchain gold markets, particularly macro and cross-asset desks that track gap risk ahead of the CME reopen,” he said, noting that most institutions treat the signal as informational rather than a basis for active positioning.

24/7 tokenized gold trading lets investors manage riskTokenized gold markets allow for continuous trading, which offers a practical risk management advantage. If a geopolitical event occurs while futures markets are closed, traditional participants cannot adjust positions. Tokenized markets allow immediate rebalancing.

On Saturday, tokenized gold rallied as geopolitical tensions escalated following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with investors moving into XAUT and PAXG while Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) fell. XAUT briefly climbed above $5,450 and PAXG neared $5,536 during the day before trimming gains, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

PAXG surges on Saturday. Source: CoinMarketCapHowever, Ioppe said adoption still faces obstacles. Liquidity remains smaller than in futures or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), making large trades harder to execute without moving prices. “Regulatory clarity is improving, but fragmentation across jurisdictions slows institutional deployment. Custody, accounting, and capital rules still vary widely,” he said.

For now, tokenized gold is expected to operate alongside traditional products rather than replace them. “The most likely near-term evolution is that of tokenized and traditional markets existing in parallel, each serving a different function,” Ioppe concluded.

Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘biggest bull catalyst’ would be Saylor’s liquidation — Santiment founder

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Bitcoin has reacted as expected to the conflict between the United States and Iran, continuing a pattern that has always appeared during previous geopolitical escalations. Crypto prices are digesting the latest developments, and analysts are comparing the current price structure to similar moments in 2022 and 2023, when Bitcoin initially sold off before staging strong recoveries.

War Headlines And The 20%-40% Rally Pattern Recent geopolitical tensions are coming at an already fragile period for the crypto market. Bitcoin is already down 48% from its all-time high and is on track to close its fifth consecutive red monthly candle. The leading cryptocurrency has also recorded its worst start to the first two months of a year, falling 24% since January. February closed 14.8% below its open, making it the third-worst February in Bitcoin’s history. The only weaker Februarys were in 2025, when Bitcoin closed 17.5% below its open and in 2014, when the monthly close was 33% below its open.

Crypto analyst Ted Pillows shared a weekly chart depicting how Bitcoin behaved during previous diplomatic escalations. In February 2022, when Russia attacked Ukraine, Bitcoin dropped before rallying approximately 40% in the months that followed. In June 2025, after Israel attacked Iran, Bitcoin was initially sold off again, but it later recovered about 25%.

Now, following US strikes on Iran on Saturday, Bitcoin has once again reacted to the downside. The question raised by Pillows is whether the same post-shock recovery pattern will play out again.

Bitcoin Price Chart. Source: @TedPillows On X

Another analyst, Sherlock, focused on shorter-term reactions. He noted that during past US or Israeli strikes on Iran, Bitcoin typically fell sharply over the weekend and recovered within 24 to 48 hours.

In April 2024, after Iran struck Israel, Bitcoin dropped 8% overnight and recovered within two days. In October 2024, a 3% drop was erased within 24 hours.

BTCUSD now trading at $66,553. Chart: TradingView In June 2025, US strikes led to a 6% decline that was recovered by Sunday, followed by a 62% rally over the next two months to new all-time highs in October. Interestingly, the initial move lower in each case occurred before traditional financial markets reopened.

Market Already Deeply Corrected It is important to note that the current setup is different from prior episodes because Bitcoin was already in a strong uptrend during the 2025 geopolitical shock. Today’s market structure looks very different, as Bitcoin has been in a prolonged drawdown for five months.

Bitcoin’s weekly RSI is currently at the lowest level in its history. The Fear & Greed Index has also been in extreme fear for 22 consecutive days. Furthermore, leveraged positions have been heavily reduced, with open interest at low readings.

Panic selling in previous instances followed the geopolitical event itself. This time, however, much of the forced selling and deleveraging appears to have occurred before the strike. Based on this caveat, weak hands have largely exited and excess leverage has already been cleared. Therefore, Bitcoin may not sustain prolonged downside from the tensions and could stabilize sooner than in previous episodes.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Vitalik Buterin Signals Major Ethereum Wallet Overhaul Prefer us on Google

Vitalik Buterin said Ethereum may be nearing a long-planned shift to account abstraction, potentially enabled by the Hegota fork.The design would make wallets programmable so they can batch actions, support multisig and new signature schemes.The Ethereum co-founder also pointed out that the plan seeks to bake privacy and parallel processing into the protocol's core.Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said a long-discussed plan to make the blockchain network’s accounts more flexible may finally be close to implementation.

On February 28, Buterin outlined a design built around account abstraction that could become possible with the network’s Hegota fork.

How EIP-8141 Could Make Ethereum Wallets More FlexibleButerin described EIP-8141 as the proposal’s centerpiece, an omnibus design that addresses the remaining challenges of account abstraction.

Now, account abstraction.

We have been talking about account abstraction ever since early 2016, see the original EIP-86: https://t.co/HYLSTLHgWH

Now, we finally have EIP-8141 ( https://t.co/jYqeS55j6P ), an omnibus that wraps up and solves every remaining problem that AA was…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 28, 2026 The goal is to transform wallets into programmable accounts that can batch actions, change signature schemes, and support multisig controls. This shift also enables the separation of transaction authorization from the underlying gas payment.

Most Ethereum users today rely on externally owned accounts (EOAs), which they control with private keys and typically fund with ETH to pay gas fees.

Under Buterin’s proposed design, transactions would be organized as “Frame Transactions.”

This is a structure that breaks activity into a series of calls that can validate a sender, authorize a gas payer, and execute one or more actions.

“The concept, ‘Frame Transactions’, is about as simple as you can get while still being highly general purpose. A transaction is N calls, which can read each other’s calldata, and which have the ability to authorize a sender and authorize a gas payer. At the protocol layer, that’s it,” he explained.

In practical terms, a transaction could include separate frames for validation and execution. For more complex flows, a deployment frame could be added for accounts that do not yet exist on-chain.

It also means that batch operations, such as approving and then spending a token in a single atomic sequence, could become easier to execute as a first-class transaction type.

Buterin highlighted the role of “paymaster” contracts, which could allow users to pay transaction fees in assets other than ETH. These contracts would also enable applications to sponsor those user fees directly.

In one example, he described a paymaster that could accept RAI, provide ETH for gas in real time, and refund unused value at the end of the transaction.

He argued that the approach would preserve the functionality of existing sponsored transaction systems while reducing reliance on intermediaries.

“Intermediary minimization is a core principle of non-ugly cypherpunk ethereum: maximize what you can do even if all the world’s infrastructure except the ethereum chain itself goes down,” he explained.

The New Model Could Strengthen Privacy ToolsMeanwhile, the proposal also has implications for privacy tools on the blockchain network.

Buterin said paymasters could be designed to verify zero-knowledge proofs and pay gas if those proofs are valid.

He also pointed to “2D nonces” as a way for an individual account to receive transactions in parallel from many users. This could potentially improve how privacy-preserving systems operate.

However, Buterin noted that the design’s primary challenge may lie in the mempool—where transactions propagate before entering a block—rather than at the blockchain level itself.

According to him, some highly complex validation logic may be unsafe to broadcast widely. This means that the initial mempool rules would likely need to be conservative before expanding over time.

He added that account abstraction would complement FOCIL, a separate proposal aimed at improving inclusion guarantees for transactions.

Buterin pointed out that developers are also discussing compatibility for existing accounts to ensure they can eventually access the new framework.

This inclusion would enable traditional wallets to benefit from advanced features such as batch operations and gas sponsorship.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

A federal judge in Manhattan denied Binance’s motion to compel arbitration in a class action. The lawsuit alleges the exchange sold unregistered digital tokens to U.S. investors. The decision allows the case to proceed in open court rather than private arbitration.

Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. ruled that Binance failed to properly notify users about changes to its Terms of Use. The exchange added an arbitration clause and class action waiver in February 2019. However, the plaintiffs created their accounts between September 2017 and April 2018.

The court found that posting updated terms online without direct notice was insufficient. The ruling cited precedent that users are not required to check for unilateral contract changes. As a result, the arbitration clause cannot apply to earlier claims.

The class action traces back to lawsuits filed in April 2020. The case was dismissed in 2022 but revived in 2024 by the Second Circuit. The appellate court held that U.S. securities laws could apply to Binance. The Supreme Court declined to review that ruling in January 2025.

Court Rejects Arbitration and Class Action WaiverBinance argued that its 2019 terms governed all disputes. However, the court rejected that position. It stated that unilateral modifications silent on accrued claims face limits under California law.

The judge also addressed the class action waiver. Although a section referenced a “CLASS ACTION WAIVER,” the body did not define its terms. The court described the language as ambiguous. It interpreted the adhesion contract against Binance as the drafter.

The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed claims arising after February 2019. This narrowed the case to conduct before the arbitration clause existed. Therefore, the dispute now focuses on earlier token sales. The ruling comes amid changes in Binance’s regulatory landscape. The SEC moved to dismiss its enforcement action last May. Meanwhile, the private class action continues.

Concurrently, Binance is also facing renewed political scrutiny in Washington. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal raised concerns about alleged exposure to $1.7 billion in transactions linked to Iran. However, as we reported, the crypto exchange has denied the claims and said it will share findings from an internal review with the U.S. Department of Justice.

BNB Price Prediction and Technical OutlookFollowing the court decision, attention turned to the BNB price prediction. Market analysts note that BNB trades nearly 60% below its all time high within four months. The asset maintains a lower high and lower low structure.

Crypto analyst Crypto Patel stated that BNB remains inside a bearish flag channel. He noted that $570 acts as key support. If the price breaks below that level, he expects another decline toward $450.

He identified a breakdown target between $445 and $450. According to his analysis, no bullish divergence has appeared on major timeframes. Therefore, the bearish bias remains until the structure shifts.

Source: X

BNB price currently faces both legal and technical pressure. The court decision may not directly affect exchange operations. However, prolonged litigation could weigh on investor sentiment.

Traders now monitor whether support levels hold. A sustained move below $570 could confirm the bearish setup. Conversely, a structural shift would require higher highs and renewed demand. However, despite the challenges faced by Binance, the token has been in the green zone despite the current bearish trend in the market. At press time, the BNB price was trading at $617.27, a 1.07% surge from the 24 hour low.

Ethereum bounced back after a sharp dip, shifting trader focus to nearby resistance levels. Analysts on X pointed to $2,100 and a $2,125 sell wall as the next major tests for the rebound.

Ethereum Rebounds Toward $2,000 as Traders Eye $2,100 ReclaimEthereum traded near the $2,000 level after recovering from a sharp selloff, with market commentator Ted Pillows saying the token had “fully recovered from yesterday's dump.” On the daily Binance chart shared on X, ETH rebounded from a recent low near the mid $1,800 range and climbed back toward the $2,000 mark. The move erased most of the prior session’s losses and brought price back into a key horizontal zone that previously acted as support and resistance.

Ethereum/TetherUS Daily Chart. Source: Ted Pillows on X (@TedPillows)

The chart highlights $2,100 as the next level traders are watching. According to Ted, Ethereum needs to reclaim that area to strengthen the short term structure. The $2,100 zone aligns with a red resistance band on the chart, while $2,400 stands above as the next major supply area. Earlier breakdowns show ETH losing the $2,400 region before accelerating lower, which turned that level into overhead resistance.

At the same time, the chart outlines lower support bands near $1,720 and $1,540. These areas marked prior demand during past consolidations. For now, Ethereum holds above the upper green support zone, while testing the lower edge of the $2,100 resistance region. A sustained move above that barrier could open the path toward $2,400, while failure to reclaim it would keep price inside the broader consolidation range.

Ethereum Faces $2,125 Sell Wall as Traders Watch for BreakoutEthereum is approaching a sell wall near $2,125, a level that market commentator CW8900 said could act as resistance. In a post on X, he stated that $ETH will soon reach the $2,125 zone, describing it as a barrier that sellers may defend. The four hour Binance chart shared by the analyst shows a red resistance block positioned just above recent swing highs.

Ethereum/TetherUS 4 Hour Chart. Source: CW8900 on X (@CW8900)

The chart outlines a broader downtrend from late January, followed by a period of consolidation. After a sharp drop, Ethereum formed a base and then staged a rebound toward the highlighted resistance area. The $2,125 zone aligns with prior breakdown levels, where price previously failed to sustain upward momentum.

According to CW8900, a breakout above $2,125 is essential for further upward movement. If buyers push through that resistance and hold above it, the next supply region sits higher near the mid $2,400 area. However, if the sell wall holds, Ethereum could face renewed pressure and remain inside the broader range marked by lower support zones.

Journalist

Posted: March 1, 2026

Hyperliquid [HYPE] exhibited bullish strength in recent trading days. Last week, HYPE dropped to a low of $25.63 on Monday, the 23rd of February. Since then, the DEX token has rallied by 19.73%.

AMBCrypto had reported that the pullback to the $25 demand zone was a buying opportunity.

A move below $23.4 and $20 would be the warning signs to exit long positions. These levels remain untouched by the bears, showing HYPE strength.

The underlying market fundamentals were strong, and the longer-term Hyperliquid price action had a bullish bias. Here’s what traders can expect the following week.

Mapping the HYPE short-term price trends

Source: HYPE/USDT on TradingView

The 1-day chart saw a bullish swing structure shift (orange) toward the end of January. The subsequent retracement reached the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level. From this support, the internal structure break (green) occurred.

The price action was aligning with the bulls. It was the time to buy, though the daily timeframe indicators reflected a neutral bias or even bearishness.

The CMF was at 0 (zero), while the A/D indicator was unable to reach new highs. Together, the volume indicators signaled a lack of buying strength. Meanwhile, the Awesome Oscillator was moving below the zero line.

Yet, traders should remember that the price action leads while most indicators follow, or lag.

Traders’ call to action – Buy!

Source: HYPE/USDT on TradingView

Though maybe not immediately. The H1 swing structure was bullish, and the price was receding from the $31 local highs.

The golden pocket from $27.27 to $28.17 was mapped using the lower timeframe’s swing move.

A retest of this region would present an ideal buying opportunity. The next price targets were $38 and $42.

For the upcoming week, a retracement into the Fibonacci golden pocket and a bullish price reaction are expected for HYPE. On the other hand, a drop below $26.1 would invalidate the short-term bullish setup.

Final Summary Hyperliquid has a bullish market structure across the higher and lower timeframe price charts. A pullback below $28 over the next week could present a buying opportunity for traders. Disclaimer: The information presented does not constitute financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice and is solely the writer’s opinion.

14h05 ▪ 3 min read ▪ by Eddy S.

Summarize this article with:

The crypto market is holding its breath. After reaching its lowest level since 2021, Ethereum holders retention is finally showing signs of rebound! A key indicator that could mark a turning point for ETH in 2026.

In brief Ethereum holders retention reached a 4-year low at 92.4%, reflecting a loss of confidence among crypto investors. The recent rebound of Ethereum holders is explained by improved capital flows (positive CMF), whale accumulation, and technical innovations. This rebound of Ethereum holders could signal a recovery for ETH, but its sustainability will depend on the network’s capacity. Why has Ethereum holders retention dropped? Ethereum holders retention recently hit a historic floor at 92.4%, a level unprecedented since September 2021, i.e., 4 years ago. Several factors explain this drop:

First, the decline in the number of new active addresses, which dropped by 36% in 48 hours; Second, an unfavorable macroeconomic context marked by high interest rates and persistent inflation; Moreover, increased competition among blockchains, with alternatives like Solana or Cardano gaining popularity; Finally, selling pressure, fueled by crypto investors’ caution after the 2022 crises, has intensified this trend. As a result, a direct correlation between this retention drop and ETH’s mixed price performance in recent months.

Ethereum holders retention. Ethereum: what explains the recent rebound in holders retention? Several positive signals explain this unexpected rebound in Ethereum holders retention. Indeed, the CMF has entered positive territory, indicating a return of capital inflows to the Ethereum network. This change suggests an improvement in confidence among crypto investors, notably institutional ones. Additionally, ETH whales have started accumulating massively, thus reinforcing market stability.

Ethereum CMF has entered positive territory. Technical innovations also play a key role. The recent Dencun upgrade, which lowered transaction fees, reignited interest in decentralized applications (DeFi and NFT) on Ethereum. Finally, the anticipation of regulated financial products, such as crypto ETFs, has renewed hope for sustainable growth. These combined elements explain why long-term holders remain loyal despite recent turbulence.

Crypto: finally the ETH bull run? This rebound in Ethereum holders retention opens several perspectives. In the short term, ETH could test the resistance at 2,165 dollars, a key level to confirm an uptrend. However, a break below 1,816 dollars would invalidate this scenario, plunging the crypto market back into uncertainty.

In the longer term, this rebound could signal renewed confidence in Ethereum, especially if the network continues to innovate and attract major projects. Experts highlight that Ethereum’s dominance in the smart contract market will depend on its ability to maintain this momentum.

The rebound in Ethereum holders retention is a strong signal for the crypto market, but its sustainability will depend on the coming months. Between hope for recovery and caution, one question remains: does this rebound mark the start of a new bullish cycle or just a temporary respite, in your opinion?

Maximize your Cointribune experience with our "Read to Earn" program! For every article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start earning benefits.

Join the program

A

A

Lien copié

Eddy S.

The world is evolving and adaptation is the best weapon to survive in this undulating universe. Originally a crypto community manager, I am interested in anything that is directly or indirectly related to blockchain and its derivatives. To share my experience and promote a field that I am passionate about, nothing is better than writing informative and relaxed articles.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

One of the most popular AI models gives a shocking answer to a pressing question regarding PI's price at the end of this month.

It goes without saying that the clock is officially ticking. We’re already in March, meaning that the close of the first quarterly window is upon us, and millions of people holding the native token of Pi Network are wondering: what will the PI price be?

Well, we’ve produced countless reports based on the thoughts of prominent and well-known analysts in the space, but for this one, we turned to Gemini – one of the most popular AI models out there.

After all, if AI is the future, why not try seeing the reasoning and justification of a price model? So, we asked it directly – what will the price of PI be at the end of this month? The answer is very interesting.

Generating PI Price Predictions for Various Scenarios First things first, Gemini went on to describe three scenarios for the PI price this month, somewhat expectedly covering all angles. The model called them “The Doomsday Bot,” “The Boring Realist,” and “The Hopium Generator.” Clearly, its crypto slang is somewhat stuck in 2021, but let’s ignore that for now.

The first scenario predicts PI’s price to dump to $0.14 or lower by the end of the month. The reasoning is that impatient early adopters will aggressively dump their bags the second they get a shred of liquidity following more KYC migration unlocks.

The second one predicts a chop – a sideways price action, where the “Pi Core team continues its notoriously methodical and slow approach.” Gemini says the token could continue trading in a relatively narrow range between $0.17 and $0.20.

Last but not least, we have the bullish take, which sees the price shooting above $0.50 – a 3x increase in what the AI calculates as the “perfect storm scenario.” This would require the network to successfully bridge millions of users into spending participants and surprise major exchange listings.

You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Plunges Before the FOMC Meeting, Pi Network (PI) Soars by 15%: Market Watch So, up until now, the AI model doesn’t take any chances and covers pretty much any scenario – from bearish, to sideways, to positive. Sounds an awful lot like a veteran analyst, right?

But here’s the twist.

Gemini’s Reality Check In its last paragraph, Gemini set its foot firmly on the ground, saying:

“Before you go financing a Lambo based on the Hopium Generator, let’s look at the facts. With PI sitting around $0.17 and an estimated circulating supply of over 9.4 billion tokens, jumping to $0.5, let alone the wild $314,159 numbers you see on X – would require billions of dollars in actual capital to enter the ecosystem.”

The model urges users to keep their expectations in check as the end of the quarter closes in.

Tags:

Bitcoin traded at $66,424 on March 1, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. EST, consolidating inside a defined $63,886 to $68,043 intraday range as the broader structure remained under pressure. While short-term charts show range stabilization, moving averages and momentum metrics continue to lean defensive across time frames.

Eli Lilly (LLY +2.93%) is growing very quickly right now thanks to Mounjaro and Zepbound, its two GLP-1 drugs, the latter of which is approved for weight loss. Mounjaro's sales rose 99% in 2025, and Zepbound's sales were up a shocking 175%.

But these two drugs accounted for almost all of Lilly's top-line growth last year. That's a problem in the making -- and why you might want to consider an out-of-favor alternative like high-yielding Pfizer (PFE +1.94%).

Image source: Getty Images.

Eli Lilly is priced for perfection It's great news that Eli Lilly is leading the pack in the newly developed GLP-1 drug niche. However, the company has very quickly become a one-trick pony. As noted, Mounjaro (used to treat diabetes) and Zepbound are the company's primary growth drivers right now. And those two drugs accounted for 56% of the top line in 2025, which is a bit troubling.

Given the nature of the drug space, Mounjaro and Zepbound will eventually face generic competition. When that happens, their revenue and profits will materially decline. There's time before that happens, but don't count out Lilly's competitors. Many of its peers are looking for GLP-1 drugs that can unseat their dominant rival.

Today's Change

(

2.93

%) $

29.97

Current Price

$

1051.99

Meanwhile, Wall Street has bid Eli Lilly's shares up to the point where the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is a lofty 45, and the dividend yield is a paltry 0.6%. If the company's GLP-1 dominance falls short of perfection, there could be material downside risk.

Pfizer might be a better option for you Pfizer's internally developed GLP-1 drug failed to work out. Drug failures aren't uncommon in the pharmaceutical sector. But that misstep, coupled with upcoming patent expirations, has investors deeply worried about Pfizer's future.

On the other hand, the company recently stated that it plans to support the dividend at its current level as it works through its headwinds. The stock currently offers a lofty 6.3% yield, and (compared to Lilly) has a far more reasonable P/E ratio of around 20.

Today's Change

(

1.94

%) $

0.53

Current Price

$

27.63

That said, the real reason to buy Pfizer is what happened after its GLP-1 drug setback. The company quickly acquired a biotech with a promising GLP-1 drug candidate, and then inked a distribution partnership with another pharma company developing a GLP-1 pill.

Essentially, Pfizer is proving it has the wherewithal to survive and thrive over the long term. Given that and the statement made in support of the dividend, long-term income investors should probably take the time to research this unloved pharma stock today. If history is any guide, Pfizer will eventually get back into Wall Street's good graces.

Over the last few years, just a handful of companies have come to dominate the market. Eleven stocks now trade on U.S. exchanges with market caps exceeding $1 trillion, as of this writing. Analysts expect the trend of the big getting bigger to continue in 2026, with price targets for most of the members of the trillion-dollar club implying well above-average returns.

But one stock stands out among the rest. The median analyst price target for this titan is about 55% above the current stock price following a recent sell-off. Here's why it makes sense to stay bullish on Microsoft (MSFT 2.17%).

Image source: Getty Images.

What's weighing on Microsoft Shares of Microsoft are down 25% since the end of October due to a multitude of events changing investor sentiment on the stock.

First, it's spending heavily on Azure, its cloud computing segment. The company spent $34.9 billion on capital expenditures in its first quarter and $37.5 billion in the second quarter. That's a significant step-up in spending from the first half of fiscal 2025, but it's not out of line with what other hyperscale cloud computing providers are spending this year.

Investors may be concerned that the step-up in spending hasn't led to a meaningful acceleration in Azure revenue. Azure is already growing quickly, up 39% in the most recent quarter. Growth would have been higher, but Microsoft remains capacity-constrained, and it strategically shifted some of its compute to its own software to grow its own AI efforts.

Today's Change

(

-2.17

%) $

-8.72

Current Price

$

393.00

Moreover, investors might be worried about how generative AI platforms could disrupt Microsoft's enterprise software business. The entire software sector has sold off since the start of the year, and Microsoft hasn't been able to avoid it. But with its Windows operating system and Microsoft 365 suite sitting at the center of many enterprises' operations, it's hard to see AI displacing it. High-margin software remains a key cash cow for Microsoft, so any threat to the business could threaten its ability to invest in AI compute.

Most recently, Microsoft's stock may be facing pressure after OpenAI revised its long-term spending plans. After signing contracts to spend around $1.4 trillion over the next eight years, OpenAI now plans to spend $600 billion on compute by 2030. The AI lab notably has a $250 billion deal with Microsoft for compute. Additionally, Microsoft owns 27% of OpenAI, so its financial results can have a meaningful impact on how investors value Microsoft.

Despite those pressures, Microsoft looks poised to continue delivering strong operating results in 2026 and beyond, and the stock is a bargain right now.

The dual AI growth engine Microsoft is benefiting from generative AI development across both its cloud computing segment and its enterprise software business. The latter grew 14% on a constant-currency basis last quarter, fueled by the adoption of its Copilot AI assistant. It now counts over 15 million Copilot users across its Microsoft 365 corporate customers. Considering it has over 400 million total users across the enterprise and consumer versions of the software, there's still plenty of room for that to grow.

Azure remains the biggest growth driver for Microsoft. Its revenue climbed 39% last quarter, and it's on pace to surpass a $100 billion run rate this year.

Combined, Microsoft has a backlog of $625 billion in remaining performance obligations across its cloud computing contracts and enterprise software deals. Of that, $250 billion came from the OpenAI deal struck in October, but Microsoft is seeing fairly strong growth even without OpenAI's commitment. Management noted that its backlog would have grown 28% year over year without the OpenAI contract. Additionally, 25% of that $625 billion will be recognized over the next year, an amount 39% higher than at the start of 2025.

As a result, Microsoft should be able to produce solid revenue growth. And with higher pricing for Microsoft 365 contracts with Copilot and operating efficiencies gained as Azure scales, it should be able to deliver even better earnings-per-share (EPS) growth. Indeed, analysts expect EPS growth to accelerate over the next few years from a mid-teens level to the 20% range in 2028. However, shares now trade for just 23 times forward earnings expectations. That's severely undervalued based on the outlook for Microsoft, and it's no wonder analysts see more than 50% upside to the stock on average.

If one turns on the news, MercadoLibre (MELI +1.01%) stock may look more like a sell than a buy. Cartel violence in Mexico or high inflation in Argentina call into question the stability of the business environment the company operates in, and indeed, the stock has sold off amid rising competition and an increase in bad loans.

However, investors should remember that the stock is up by around 6,000% since its initial public offering (IPO) in 2007. Amid those gains, the retail stock is likely not done rising, and three reasons explain why.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. MercadoLibre thrives despite (and because of) regional adversity Despite the aforementioned issues, MercadoLibre has a history of thriving amid Latin America's problems, not merely in spite of them. This began when the company formed Mercado Pago to help its cash-based customers buy online.

Now, Mercado Pago also sells fintech services to other businesses and helps individuals with personal finances. For example, the company helped people cope with the aforementioned inflation in Argentina by turning its digital wallets into money markets that paid interest.

MercadoLibre also dealt with logistics challenges by forming Mercado Envios. This helps customers who sell online fulfill and ship orders. It also brought same-day or next-day shipping to Latin America, something that was previously not widely available in that part of the world.

Such innovations shield people from economic and political turmoil, thereby making MercadoLibre essential to the region's survival and improvement.

2. MercadoLibre continues to grow Amid such transformation, the company continues to look more like an underground growth stock. In 2025, revenue of $25 billon increased by 36% compared to year-ago levels.

Admittedly, that did not translate into higher profit growth, as its $2 billion in net income for 2025 rose by only 5%. Part of that was the rise in sales and marketing spend to address rising competition and higher income tax expenses.

As previously mentioned, an increased number of non-performing loans has also slowed growth. However, the company has begun addressing the bad loans by using AI to evaluate potential loans. It has also imposed more limits on borrowed amounts to limit the potential for bad loans.

Additionally, even as e-commerce competition intensifies, business conditions have improved in key markets. Although Argentina's inflation has stopped falling recently, the triple-digit inflation appears to have ended, and inflation is at the lowest levels since 2017, which takes some pressure off consumers.

Furthermore, regime change in Venezuela appears to be reviving the economy in that country. Although the improvements may take some time, the higher incomes will almost certainly mean that customers will buy more from MercadoLibre.

3. Its valuation is reasonable Admittedly, investors are slow to see those benefits as recent troubles have overshadowed the stock. Consequently, it is down by around 22% over the last year. Fortunately, its valuation has become more attractive given its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 42. Indeed, that may seem high given the S&P 500 average of 30.

Today's Change

(

1.01

%) $

17.61

Current Price

$

1758.49

Still, long-term investors may recall that Amazon sold at a P/E ratio of 50 (and sometimes one above 100) in previous years. Hence, its earnings multiple appears to be consistent with its peer north of the border.

Moreover, the stock's forward P/E of 29 comes close to the market average. Given the continued rapid growth, one could argue that MercadoLibre's valuation is attractive for new investors.

Owning MercadoLibre stock Ultimately, MercadoLibre gives investors three compelling reasons to buy the stock like there is no tomorrow.

Admittedly, it operates in a region constantly dealing with economic and political volatility. Nonetheless, it has turned the region's challenges into economic opportunities in many cases.

Additionally, revenue growth remains rapid, and its valuation is reminiscent of Amazon when it was a smaller company. Such conditions make the decline over the last year a likely anomaly, creating an increasingly attractive opportunity for investors to buy MercadoLibre stock.

News over the weekend brought a fresh jolt of geopolitical uncertainty for investors to digest as the first trading week of March kicks off.

On Saturday, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint military strike on Iran, and U.S. President Donald Trump called on Iranians to overthrow their government. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel and Gulf nations. Investors will likely be watching for more developments and their impact in the coming days.

Investors will also be watching for employment data from the government's jobs report for February on Friday. The labor market showed signs of improvement in January after a shaky end to 2025. Retail sales data for January are due Friday as well. Consumers pulled back on spending to close out last year.

Apple has teased a “big week" of new product launches, and several noteworthy tech firms are scheduled to report earnings this week, including chipmaker Broadcom and cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike. A handful of prominent retailers are also on the calendar, including warehouse retailer Costco, Target, and electronics seller Best Buy. 

Read to the bottom for our calendar of key events—and one more thing.

Jobs Report Comes As Investors Watch for Momentum in Labor Market Will U.S. employers surprise economists again in February? The jobs report release on Friday comes after surprisingly strong job gains in January potentially signaled positive developments in a labor market that was flashing warning signs at the end of 2025. U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in the year’s first month, more than double the amount forecasted by economists. But the same report also contained downward revisions to jobs data from earlier months, showing that hiring in 2025 was weaker than expected. Investors will also be eyeing the private-sector ADP jobs report released on Wednesday.

The Census Bureau is still playing catch-up on data releases following last year’s government shutdown, so the delayed retail sales report for January arrives this week. The December data showed that retail sales stalled at the end of the year, with economists pointing to weak labor market growth as a contributing factor to slower consumer spending. 

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book will describe economic conditions around the country in advance of the central bank’s next meeting on March 17-18. Meanwhile, manufacturing and services sector survey data for February will also be in focus. 

Broadcom, Marvell, and Retailer Earnings Could Highlight Corporate Calendar, Along With New Apple Products Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased “a big week ahead" for the iPhone maker, starting on Monday morning. The company is expected to announce a handful of new products, which could include the iPhone 17 and a lower-cost MacBook, over the course of several days, culminating in a “special Apple experience" event on Wednesday.

Following last week’s earnings from AI juggernaut Nvidia, more tech-focused earnings will also be in focus this week. Semiconductor designer Broadcom is set to release its latest quarterly results Wednesday. In December, the company projected its AI-related revenue would double in the quarter. Marvell Technology's earnings report is set to follow Thursday.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike is reporting earnings during a period of pressure for software stocks, which have been rattled recently by fears of AI-driven disruption. Though some analysts see AI as an opportunity for many cybersecurity firms, including CrowdStrike. Investors will also be following reports from database software maker MongoDB, insurance software provider Guidewire, and Internet of Things firm Samsara. 

Several noteworthy retailers are also on this week’s earnings calendar, including Target, which saw new CEO Michael Fiddelke take the helm last month. The retailer's shares have been on the rise this year after slumping in 2025. Investors will also hear from Costco, which is also seeing improvement in its stock price this year after a downbeat 2025. Electronics big box chain Best Buy and discount retailer Ross Stores report this week as well. 

Quick Links: Recap Last Week’s Trading | Read Investopedia’s Latest News

This Week’s Calendar Monday, March 2

ISM manufacturing PMI (February) More Data to Watch: S&P Global U.S. manufacturing PMI (February) Key Earnings: EchoStar (SATS), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), MongoDB (MDB) Apple (AAPL) kicks off its first product launches of the year Tuesday, March 3

Federal Reserve Officials Speaking: New York Fed President John Williams, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari Key Earnings: CrowdStrike (CRWD), Ross Stores (ROST), AutoZone (AZO), Target (TGT), Viking Holdings (VIK), On Holding (ONON), Best Buy (BBY) Wednesday, March 4

ADP National Employment Report (February) More Data to Watch: S&P Global U.S. services PMI (February), ISM services PMI (February), Fed Beige Book Key Earnings: Broadcom (AVGO), Veeva Systems (VEEV), Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B), Okta (OKTA) Thursday, March 5

Initial jobless claims (Week ending Feb. 28) More Data to Watch: U.S. productivity (Q4), Import price index (January) Key Earnings: Costco (COST), Marvell Technology (MRVL), Kroger (KR), JD.com (JD), Burlington Stores (BURL), Samsara (IOT), Guidewire Software (GWRE), Gap (GAP) Friday, March 6

U.S. employment report (February) More Data to Watch: Consumer credit (January), Retail sales (January), Business inventories (December) Key Earnings: Genesco (GCO) One More Thing Have you given up on the idea of home ownership? Investopedia’s Terry Lane has more on a study that found renters who stop believing they'll ever be able to own a home end up spending more and working less, while those who are planning to buy exhibit better financial discipline.

Do you have a news tip for Investopedia reporters? Please email us at

[email protected]

Listen on the go! A daily podcast of Wall Street Breakfast will be available by 8:00 a.m.

Kontoor Brands remains a 'hold' as recent revenue gains are offset by declining profitability and cash flow post-Helly Hansen acquisition. KTB's Wrangler brand shows robust growth and market share gains, but Lee's revenues are falling, with 2026 expected to be a transition year. Helly Hansen's integration has boosted revenue but delivered minimal profitability, with segment margins at just 1.5% versus Wrangler's 23%.

NEW YORK, March 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit against Ardent Health, Inc. (NYSE:ARDT) and certain of the Company’s senior executives for securities fraud after a significant stock drop resulting from potential violations of the federal securities laws.

If you invested in Ardent Health, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/ardent-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit.

Key Details of the Ardent Health ($ARDT) Class Action:

Filing Law Firm: BFA LawLead Plaintiff Deadline: March 9, 2026Alleged Misconduct: Misrepresenting its receivables by delaying recognition of uncollectable accounts and misrepresenting its collection practicesStock Decline: November 13, 2025 – 33% Stock DropCourt: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of TennesseeAction: Contact BFA Law to discuss your rights Investors have until March 9, 2026, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in Ardent Health securities. The class action is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. It is captioned Postiwala v. Ardent Health, Inc., et al., No. 3:26-cv-00022.

Why is Ardent Health Being Sued for Securities Fraud?

Ardent Health and its affiliates operate acute care hospitals and other healthcare facilities. A critical aspect of Ardent Health’s operations is the collection of accounts receivable and the framework by which Ardent Health determines the collectability of such accounts. According to the lawsuit, Ardent Health stated that it employed an active monitoring process to determine the collectability of its accounts receivable, and that this process included “detailed reviews of historical collections” as a “primary source of information.”

As alleged, in truth, Ardent Health did not primarily rely on “detailed reviews of historical collections” in determining collectability of accounts receivable, but instead “utilized a 180-day cliff at which time an account became fully reserved.” This allowed Ardent Health to report higher amounts of accounts receivable during the Class Period, and delay recognizing losses on uncollectable accounts. The lawsuit alleges that Ardent Health’s purported misrepresentations are a violation of the federal securities laws.

Why did Ardent Health’s Stock Drop?

On November 12, 2025, after market hours, Ardent Health revealed it had completed “hindsight evaluations of historical collection trends” that resulted in a $43 million decrease in revenue for the quarter. Ardent Health also revealed that it increased its professional liability reserves by $54 million because of “adverse prior period claim developments” resulting from a set of claims between 2019 and 2022 “as well as consideration of broader industry trends.”

This news caused the price of Ardent Health stock to drop $4.75 per share, or more than 33%, from a closing price of $14.05 per share on November 12, 2025, to $9.30 per share on November 13, 2025.

Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/ardent-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit.

What Can You Do?

If you invested in Ardent Health, you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis; there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.

Submit your information by visiting:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/ardent-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit

Or contact:
Adam McCall
[email protected]
212.789.3619

Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?

BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named “Elite Trial Lawyers” by the National Law Journal, “Litigation Stars” by Benchmark Litigation, among the top “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers” by Lawdragon, “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” by Law360 and “SuperLawyers” by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.

For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/ardent-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit

Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

A securities fraud class action has been filed against NuScale executives alleging misrepresentations about ENTRA1 leading to a 12.4% stock plunge.

NEW YORK, March 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) and certain of the Company’s senior executives for securities fraud after a significant stock drop resulting from the potential violations of the federal securities laws.

If you invested in NuScale, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/nuscale-class-action-lawsuit.

Key Details of the NuScale ($SMR) Class Action:

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: April 20, 2026Alleged Misconduct: Misrepresenting the experience and capabilities of ENTRA1 and its role in developing and commercializing NuScale’s nuclear power modulesLargest Alleged Stock Decline: November 10, 2025 – 12.4% Stock DropCourt: U.S. District Court for the District of OregonAction: Contact BFA Law to discuss your rights
Investors have until April 20, 2026 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in NuScale Class A common stock. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and is captioned Truedson v. NuScale Power Corporation, et al., No. 3:26-cv-00328.

Why is NuScale Being Sued for Securities Fraud?

NuScale is a nuclear technology company. Its core technology is the NuScale Power Module (“NPM”), a small modular nuclear reactor (“SMR”) designed to generate energy within a broader power plant. Prior to the start of the Class Period, NuScale established a partnership with ENTRA1 Energy LLC. Under this agreement, ENTRA1 was responsible for constructing power generation facilities incorporating NuScale’s NPMs and managing the financing, development, and initial operations of the facilities utilizing the NPMs.

NuScale allegedly touted ENTRA1’s purported wide-ranging capabilities and deep experience developing power plants. According to NuScale, ENTRA1 is an “independent power plant development platform,” “led by an executive team of energy, infrastructure, and finance sector veterans,” with the type of experience that is “exactly what is required” to commercialize and deploy NuScale’s NPMs.

As alleged, in truth, ENTRA1 had never built, financed, or operated any significant project, let alone a project in the complex field of nuclear power generation. Moreover, in contrast to NuScale’s representations, ENTRA1 had been organized primarily to support the work of one individual, its principal Wadie Habboush, an investor and entrepreneur.

Why did NuScale’s Stock Drop?

On November 6, 2025, NuScale disclosed that its general and administrative expenses had increased from $17 million in the prior year period, to $519 million during 3Q 2025, due largely to NuScale’s payment of $495 million to ENTRA1 for its services. Also on November 6, 2025, under pressure from investment analysts, NuScale acknowledged that ENTRA1 did not have any significant experience building nuclear power projects and admitted that ENTRA1 would not actually be “out there building the power plants” but would serve “to coordinate projects, to bring in partners, to get deals and the partners they bring in that can execute.”

Following this news, analysts with Guggenheim Securities, LLC published a report stating that ENTRA1 is a “3-year old company that has never built, financed or operated anything” and had just “3 employees and 1 investor,” and stated a “more accurate description of ENTRA1 would be that it is an entity supporting the activities of a single individual, specifically Mr. Habboush.” This news caused the price of NuScale stock to drop $4.03 per share over two trading days, or more than 12.4%, from a closing price of $32.46 per share on November 6, 2025, to $28.43 per share on November 10, 2025.

Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/nuscale-class-action-lawsuit.

What Can You Do?

If you invested in NuScale, you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis; there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.

Submit your information by visiting:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/nuscale-class-action-lawsuit

Or contact:
Adam McCall
[email protected]
212.789.3619

Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?

BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named “Elite Trial Lawyers” by the National Law Journal, “Litigation Stars” by Benchmark Litigation, among the top “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers” by Lawdragon, “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” by Law360 and “SuperLawyers” by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.

For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/nuscale-class-action-lawsuit

Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

NEW YORK, March 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into Mister Car Wash, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: MCW) board of directors and its controlling stockholder, LGP, for potential breaches of their fiduciary duties to shareholders in connection with a potential take-private sale of Mister Car Wash that would cash out every public stockholder for $7 per share.

If you are a current shareholder of Mister Car Wash, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/mister-car-wash-investigation.

Key Details of the Mister Car Wash ($MCW) Investigation:

Acquiring Company: Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (“LGP”)Offer Price: $7.00 per share in cashAlleged Misconduct: Potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the board of directors and LGP, including possible conflicts of interest and an unfairly low buyout price for public shareholdersAction: Contact BFA Law to discuss your rights Why is Mister Car Wash being Investigated?

On February 18, 2026, Mister Car Wash announced that it had agreed to be acquired by Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (“LGP”) for $7.00 per share. This price may represent an unfairly low price being paid to Mister Car Wash’s stockholders and may be the result of conflicts of interest between Mister Car Wash’s board of directors and LGP.

LGP is the largest owner of Mister Car Wash stock, owning over 66% of the company’s common stock. As Mister Car Wash noted in its most recent annual report (SEC Form 10-K) “[f]or as long as LGP owns more than 50% of [Mister Car Wash’s] common stock it will be able to exert a controlling influence over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the nomination and election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our Company or its assets.” As the controlling stockholder of Mister Car Wash, LGP owes fiduciary duties to the public stockholders of Mister Car Wash.

LGP has already used its shares to give stockholder approval to the take-private sale, and the company does not plan to solicit any further votes from public stockholders. With the ability to approve the sale of Mister Car Wash to itself, needing only its own votes, LGP is incentivized to execute the deal as cheaply as possible.

BFA Law is investigating Mister Car Wash’s board of directors and LGP to ascertain whether they have breached fiduciary duties to Mister Car Wash’s stockholders in connection with the contemplated transaction.

Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/mister-car-wash-investigation

What Can You Do?

If you are a current holder of Mister Car Wash stock you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.

All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.

Submit your information by visiting:

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/mister-car-wash-investigation

Or contact:
Adam McCall
[email protected]
212.789.3619

Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?

BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named “Elite Trial Lawyers” by the National Law Journal, “Litigation Stars” by Benchmark Litigation, among the top “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers” by Lawdragon, “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” by Law360 and “SuperLawyers” by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.

For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.

https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/mister-car-wash-investigation

Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.