Market Signal Briefing

Japanese and U.S flag flutter in front of Akasaka Palace State Guest House, on the day U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more

CompaniesTOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - The United States and Japan have agreed on the roles they will take in a potential joint nuclear project involving Westinghouse ​and Japanese nuclear power equipment makers, Dan Lipman, president of ‌global business initiatives at Westinghouse, told Reuters on Saturday.

Japan and the U.S. are working to include a nuclear power project in a second round of deals under Japan's $550-billion investment ​package that will involve Westinghouse, sources told Reuters this month.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

The ​momentum for building nuclear power facilities is growing globally as ⁠nations look to add more domestically located energy resources to hedge against ​supply shocks.

The U.S. and Japan governments came to the understanding on their ​roles in the potential deal, including on the supply chain within Japan, Lipman said on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum in Tokyo.

"These ​are very strategic projects that are very critical to Westinghouse and ​to our Japanese partners. We're going to continue to work the transactions until projects ‌are identified ⁠and ready for deployment," he said, adding that further details are yet to be finalised.

Westinghouse, owned by Cameco (CCO.TO), opens new tab and Brookfield (BAM.N), opens new tab, is looking at building pressurised water reactors and small modular reactors for investments of up to $100 ​billion, according to ​a fact sheet ⁠released after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in October.

Japanese firms such as Mitsubishi ​Heavy Industries (7011.T), opens new tab, Toshiba and IHI (7013.T), opens new tab could be involved in ​the projects, ⁠according to the sheet.

"They are critical partners for us, and they'll have an important role," Lipman said, without providing details.

Separately on Saturday, U.S. power equipment ⁠maker ​GE Vernova (GEV.N), opens new tab and Hitachi (6501.T), opens new tab said in a ​joint statement they have agreed to explore opportunities to work on projects using their BWRX-300 small ​modular reactors in Southeast Asia.

Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Tom Hogue

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Rubrik co-founder, chairman and CEO Bipul Sinha discusses stopping hack attempts amid geopolitical unrest on 'The Claman Countdown.' #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #foxbusiness #theclamancountdown #cyber #cybersecurity #technology #tech #hacking #hackers #security #datasecurity #internet #global #politics #war #bipulsinha

EPAM Systems, Inc. (EPAM) Analyst/Investor Day March 12, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Mike Rowshandel - Head of Investor Relations
Balazs Fejes - President, CEO & Director
Elaina Shekhter - Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and SVP
Dmitry Tovpeko
Adam Auerbach
Nir Kaldero
Eli Feldman - Chief Technology Officer of Advanced Technology
Arkadiy Dobkin - Executive Chairman
Aleksey Didik
Sandra Loughlin - Head of Learning Practice
Lawrence Solomon - Senior VP & Chief People Officer
Viktar Dvorkin - Senior VP and Head of Global Engineering, Cloud & Platforms
Amit Singhal - VP & Head of European Delivery
Stepan Mitish
Martin Mendez - Senior VP & Head of Business of Ibero America
Enver Amdiy - Senior VP & Head of European Business
Srinivas Reddy - Senior VP & Head of EPAM India
Jason Peterson - Senior VP, CFO & Treasurer

Conference Call Participants

Larry Fitzpatrick - OneMain Financial Holdings, LLC
Ahmet Tezel - LivaNova PLC
Bryan Bergin - TD Cowen, Research Division
Jason Kupferberg - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
James Faucette - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Bryan Keane - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Puneet Jain - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Christopher Svensson - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division
James Friedman - Susquehanna Financial Group, LLLP, Research Division
Surinder Thind - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Yu Lee - Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Research Division
David Grossman - Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Research Division
Margaret Nolan - William Blair & Company L.L.C., Research Division
Phani Kumar Kanumuri - HSBC Global Investment Research

Conversation

Mike Rowshandel
Head of Investor Relations

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. I'm Mike Rowshandel, Head of Investor Relations. Whether you're joining us live here in Boston or dialed in through the webcast, we appreciate you joining us today. We've been planning and preparing for this day for quite some time now. And I can tell you the energy and the backstage is buzzing. Our entire leadership team is here, eager to take you inside our story, what we've built over the

By You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Wally Skalij/Getty Images 2026-03-14T04:43:04.143Z

Meta is preparing for possible layoffs, with some managers asked to draw up cost-cutting plans. The cuts could come as Meta ramps up spending on AI infrastructure and talent. The potential cuts would underscore how aggressively Big Tech is trimming head count to finance the AI boom. Meta is gearing up for possible layoffs as it pours billions into AI, two senior employees familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

The sources said that some managers have been asked to prepare cost-cutting plans but were not told their scope or timing.

Reuters, which first reported about the potential layoffs on Friday, said that up to 20% of Meta employees could be let go. As of the end of 2025, Meta employed nearly 79,000 people, so a potential cut of 20% would mean roughly 16,000 jobs eliminated. That would be Meta's most significant reduction since 2022, when it cut 11,000 jobs, and 2023, when it cut another 10,000. In January, Meta laid off 1,500 people in its Reality Labs division.

One person familiar with the company's thinking told Business Insider the cuts could come as soon as a month.

"This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told Business Insider.

If Meta moves forward with these cuts, it would signal a broader shift in the tech industry, as companies pour massive amounts of capital into AI infrastructure and talent while trimming the workforces that once powered their growth during the pandemic.

In recent weeks, Atlassian announced plans to cut roughly 1,600 employees, or 10% of its staff, tying the move to AI and a push for efficiency. Block has also slashed jobs, with CEO Jack Dorsey saying new AI tools allow companies to operate with smaller teams and more efficiency. These cuts signal a new strategy in Silicon Valley: as AI becomes more capable, the biggest technology companies are betting they can build faster and cheaper with fewer people.

Meta has said it plans to invest roughly $600 billion to build out data centers by 2028. The company has also offered pay packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars over four years to lure top AI researchers to its new superintelligence team led by former Scale AI CEO Alexnadr Wang. Financing those bets, while satisfying Wall Street, means finding savings elsewhere. Head count is the most obvious lever.

On Meta's January earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors the company is already "elevating individual contributors and flattening teams." He added that he's seeing "projects that used to require big teams now be accomplished by a single, very talented person." Last week, Meta created a brand-new AI engineering organization, where teams will have manager-to-employee ratios of up to 1:50.

Given Meta's size, a 20% reduction at Meta would dwarf many of its Big Tech peercuts in absolute terms, wiping out more jobs than the entire head count of many midsize tech companies.

Meta's urgency around AI comes after a difficult stretch for its in-house model efforts. The company faced criticism that early versions of its Llama 4 models produced misleading benchmark results, and it ultimately shelved the largest version of that model, called Behemoth, which had been due out last summer.

Its Superintelligence team has since been working on a new model called Avocado and Mango, which have reportedly fallen short of internal expectations and been delayed until May.

Have a tip? Contact Pranav Dixit via email at [email protected] or Signal at 1-408-905-9124. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Meta Mark Zuckerberg Layoffs More AI Technology Business

Read next

KLA Corporation (KLAC) Analyst/Investor Day March 12, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Bren Higgins - Executive VP & CFO
Richard Wallace - President, CEO & Executive Director
Ahmad Khan - President of Semiconductor Products & Customers
Brian Lorig - Executive Vice President of KLA Global Services

Conference Call Participants

Atif Malik - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Stacy Rasgon - Bernstein Institutional Services LLC, Research Division
Joseph Quatrochi - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
Christopher Caso - Wolfe Research, LLC
Harlan Sur - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Sreekrishnan Sankarnarayanan - TD Cowen, Research Division
Vivek Arya - BofA Securities, Research Division
Christopher Muse - Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Research Division
Shane Brett - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Yu Shi - Needham & Company, LLC, Research Division
Melissa Weathers - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division

Presentation

Unknown Attendee

Please welcome KLA EVP, CFO and Global Operations, Bren Higgins.

Bren Higgins
Executive VP & CFO

Good morning. Thank you for being here for our 2026 KLA Investor Day. It's great to be back in New York. I'm going to make a few comments. First, I'm going to walk through the agenda overall. So I'll make a few comments, and then I'll transition to our President and CEO, Rick Wallace, who will talk about compounding sustainable outperformance of the company, where we've been and where we're going, some of the dynamics that are driving the ecosystem and how that plays through to opportunities for KLA relevance.

Ahmad Khan, who's the President of our Semiconductor Products and Customers business, will then stand up and talk about process control in the AI era, some of the dynamics that are driving our business, how we're collaborating and engaging with customers that drives our innovation model and ultimately, how we execute. And our strategy is to take advantage of what looks like a very exciting business environment moving forward.

HomeStock IdeasIPO Analysis

SummaryTwo IPOs, one direct listing, and three SPACs came to the market this past week, and one major issuer joined the pipeline.No IPOs are currently scheduled in the week ahead, as ongoing geopolitical uncertainties continue to rattle investors, although some smaller issuers may join the calendar throughout the week.Street research is expected for one company in the week ahead, and three lock-up periods will be expiring. Worawith Ounpeng/iStock via Getty Images

Two IPOs, one direct listing, and three SPACs came to the market this past week, and one major issuer joined the pipeline.

PayPay (PAYP) priced its IPO below the range to raise $880 million

7.42K Followers

Is a regulatory "war on coffee" a real threat to sugary drinks, or just political noise for investors to note and move on? See how potential rules could affect Dutch Bros (BROS 1.81%), its growth story, and investor risk in the video below. 

*This video was published on March 9, 2026.

Asit Sharma, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Jim Gillies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Jim Mueller, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Dutch Bros. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Q4: 2026-03-13 Earnings SummaryEPS of $0.37 beats by $0.05

 |

Revenue of

$321.00M

beats by $21.68M

Kyivstar Group Ltd. (KYIV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call March 13, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Cole Akeson
Oleksandr Komarov - CEO & President
Boris Dolgushin - Chief Financial Officer
Muhterem Terzioglu

Conference Call Participants

Jesse Sobelson - BTIG, LLC, Research Division
Max Findlay - Rothschild & Co Redburn, Research Division
Vincent Fernando
Chris Hoare - New Street Research LLP
Matthew Harrigan - The Benchmark Company, LLC, Research Division
Ahmed Mostafa - Inam FZE, Research Division
Natalia Shpygotska - Dragon Capital, Research Division
Timothy Horan - Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Research Division
Adrian Francis Cundy - Emerging & Frontier Capital Llp
Timothy Savageaux - Northland Capital Markets, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Hello, and welcome to Kyivstar's FY '25 and 4Q '25 Results Presentation. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded today. If you have any objections, please disconnect at this time. Cole Akeson, you may begin.

Cole Akeson

Thank you. Good morning, and good afternoon. Thank you for joining us to discuss Kyivstar Group's or Kyivstar's results for the quarter and year ending December 31, 2025. I am Cole Akeson, Group Director for the Kyivstar Investor Relations team. Please allow me to introduce our senior management in the room today: Mr. Kaan Terzioglu, Chairman of the Board; Mr. Oleksandr Komarov, our CEO and President; Mr. Boris Dolgushin, our CFO; and Mr. Anand Ramachandran, Chief Corporate Development Officer for VEON. Today's presentation will begin with Oleksandr detailing the key highlights and business updates as well as remarks on the financial results from Boris. We will then open the line for your questions.

Before we begin, -- next slide, please. Thank you. Please note that today's presentation may include forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to the company's expected performance, 2026 guidance and outlook, market developments, operational and network investments, and the company's ability to realize its targets and initiatives, among other things. Actual results

HomeETFs and Funds AnalysisETF Analysis

SummaryFT Vest SMID Rising Dividend Achievers Tgt In ETF employs a buy-write strategy on a dividend growth portfolio, generating an 8.25% distribution yield.The fund is well-diversified but overweight in industrials and financials, with risk and return metrics similar to its non-optioned counterpart SDVY.High fees, tax inefficiency compared to SDVY, and historical patterns in similar ETFs like RYLD support a Sell rating.Quantitative Risk & Value members get exclusive access to our real-world portfolio. See all our investments here »8vFanI/iStock via Getty Images

This article updates my review of February 2025 in light of current holdings and recent performance.

SDVD strategy FT Vest SMID Rising Dividend Achievers Target Income ETF (SDVD) is an actively managed options income ETF

16.35K Followers

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Solvonis Therapeutics PLC (LSE:SVNS) CEO Anthony Tennyson talked with Proactive about the company’s decision to select SVN-114 as the lead candidate in its post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) discovery program and the opportunity the therapy could present if successfully developed.

Tennyson explained that the decision followed pharmacological studies conducted by Evotec, which showed that SVN-114 provides balanced modulation across several important neurological systems. According to Tennyson, the compound influences serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline receptors, which are all associated with mood, emotional processing and social behaviour. These systems play a significant role in the brain mechanisms involved in PTSD.

He said the results were reviewed by the company’s scientific advisory committee, led by Professor David Nutt, which agreed that SVN-114 should be progressed as the lead candidate in the program. Tennyson explained that PTSD is a complex disorder involving multiple interconnected brain systems rather than a single pathway.

The CEO highlighted the scale of the market opportunity, noting that PTSD affects more than 20 million people across the US, the UK and key European markets, while treatment options remain limited. Tennyson said: “If compounds like SVN-114 can demonstrate meaningful clinical benefits, then there's obviously a substantial opportunity to improve outcomes for patients and also to create value for the company and very importantly, for shareholders.”

SVN-114 comes from a novel chemical series discovered by Solvonis and is supported by composition-of-matter patents, providing a strong intellectual property foundation for future development. The company is now focused on completing the remaining preclinical work required to support clinical development while pursuing non-dilutive grant funding in the UK and US.

Proactive: Very good morning, Anthony. You've selected SVN-114 as the lead candidate for your PTSD discovery program. What convinced you to select this compound?

Anthony Tennyson: Thank you. Good to talk to you, Stephen. The decision was driven by pharmacological data generated in studies conducted on the company’s behalf by Evotec. SVN-114 demonstrated balanced modulation of the serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline receptors targeted in the program. That profile suggests the compound can influence the brain systems involved in emotional processing and social behaviours, which are essential to the effective treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Following review of these results, the company’s scientific advisory committee, led by Professor David Nutt, agreed to select SVN-114 as the lead candidate for the PTSD program.

Proactive: SVN-114 works across serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline pathways. Why is targeting these systems important when treating PTSD?

Anthony Tennyson: PTSD is a complex brain disorder involving several interconnected brain systems rather than a single pathway. Serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline all play important roles in regulating mood, emotional processing and social behaviour. By modulating these mechanisms, the aim is to help patients process traumatic experiences more effectively and engage more successfully in therapy.

Importantly, SVN-114 emerges from a novel chemical series discovered by Solvonis, which represents a differentiated approach to addressing trauma-related psychiatric disorders.

Proactive: PTSD affects millions of people worldwide but treatment options remain limited. If the program progresses successfully, how significant could the commercial opportunity be?

Anthony Tennyson: PTSD affects more than 20 million people across the US, the UK and key European markets, yet pharmacological treatment options remain limited and outcomes are often inadequate. This creates a significant unmet medical need.

If compounds like SVN-114 demonstrate meaningful clinical benefits, there is a substantial opportunity to improve outcomes for patients and create value for the company and shareholders.

The compound comes from a novel series discovered by Solvonis and the company has filed composition-of-matter patents, providing a strong intellectual property foundation to support future commercial opportunities.

Proactive: Now that you've identified the lead candidate, what are the key steps to move SVN-114 toward clinical trials?

Anthony Tennyson: The focus now is to progress the remaining preclinical work required to support the clinical development of SVN-114. Consistent with the company’s disciplined and capital-efficient R&D model, Solvonis will pursue non-dilutive grant funding in both the UK and the US to help advance the program.

Proactive: Anthony, thank you very much for your time today.

Despite the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, rising oil prices, Billionaire investor Anthony Scaramucci has made a bold long-term prediction for Bitcoin, saying the asset could eventually reach $1.5 million per coin. Speaking on the PBD Podcast, the founder of SkyBridge Capital revealed that Bitcoin remains his largest investment position.

“Bitcoin is my largest position by far… and I’ve added recently,” Scaramucci said during the discussion, signaling continued confidence in the digital asset despite market volatility.

His outlook is rooted in the belief that Bitcoin will gradually become a global store of value, competing directly with traditional assets like gold. 

The $1.5 Million Bitcoin ThesisScaramucci explained that his price target is based on Bitcoin eventually reaching the market capitalization of gold. If Bitcoin were to match gold’s valuation, the cryptocurrency’s total market cap could reach tens of trillions of dollars, implying a price close to $1.5 million per BTC.

However, he stressed that this transformation will take time.

“I think it’s going to be the market capitalization of gold, but I think it’s going to take about 15 years to get there. It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said.

According to Scaramucci, Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million coins makes it uniquely positioned to absorb growing demand as investors look for alternatives to traditional currencies.

Institutional Buying Tightens SupplyMoving on, he also noted that the large institutions are steadily accumulating Bitcoin. Scaramucci pointed to aggressive buying by Michael Saylor and his company, Strategy, as an example of how institutional demand is impacting supply dynamics.

At times, Saylor’s firm has been purchasing more Bitcoin than the network produces daily through mining, tightening the available supply on the market.

Bitcoin mining releases roughly 450 new BTC per day, yet large buyers have been accumulating at even faster rates. This imbalance between supply and demand could become a main driver of future price growth.

Why the Next Generation Could Drive Bitcoin HigherScaramucci also believes the biggest wave of Bitcoin adoption may come from younger investors over the next decade. As wealth transfers to digitally native generations, he expects Bitcoin to become a more widely accepted financial asset.

He argued that declining trust in traditional fiat systems could further strengthen Bitcoin’s role as a decentralized store of value.

In his view, the long-term shift toward digital assets is only beginning, and if adoption continues to grow, Bitcoin could eventually emerge as one of the largest financial assets in the world.

Never Miss a Beat in the Crypto World!Stay ahead with breaking news, expert analysis, and real-time updates on the latest trends in Bitcoin, altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, and more.

FAQsWhy does Scaramucci think Bitcoin can reach $1.5M?

He says Bitcoin’s fixed 21M supply and rising global demand could push its market cap toward gold’s level, potentially driving the price near $1.5M per BTC.

Why should traders track institutional Bitcoin accumulation?

Heavy buying by firms like MicroStrategy and investors such as Michael Saylor can reduce market supply and support bullish momentum.

Why could long-term adoption impact trading opportunities?

Growing adoption among younger investors and institutions may increase liquidity, volatility, and long-term bullish trends in the Bitcoin market.

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.

Cardano’s price [ADA] was trading near $0.2768 at press time after rebounding from the $0.254–$0.260 support band, with the same absorbing selling pressure following February’s sharp drop.

Previously, the price briefly touched $0.2194, marking the cycle low before buyers stepped in. Since then, however, ADA has formed a sequence of higher lows, alluding to gradual accumulation.

Source: TradingView At the time of writing, the price was challenging the $0.287 resistance, while the broader ceiling near $0.302 continued to cap upside attempts. Bollinger Bands revealed tightening volatility, with the price pushing above the middle band around $0.2646 – A sign of strengthening bullish momentum.

Meanwhile, the RSI at 68.55 seemed to be approaching overbought territory, signaling strong buying pressure but possible exhaustion ahead. The MACD was positive, with rising histogram bars supporting upward momentum.

As traders defend the $0.26 support, a breakout above $0.287–$0.302 could attract momentum buyers, while rejection may trigger consolidation back towards $0.254.

Whale supply shift adds uncertainty to ADA’s rebound With Cardano [ADA] approaching the $0.287 resistance zone, whale positioning can add another layer to the market structure.

In fact, Santiment revealed that large wallets holding over 1 million ADA reduced balances from 13.73 billion to about 13.42 billion ADA. This roughly 130 million ADA decline unfolded over the past week, following the previous accumulation of about 454 million ADA during February’s rebound from $0.219.

Source: Alicharts/ X While such a reduction was notable, the broader distribution remains highly concentrated among large holders. At the same time, exchange inflows did not spike, suggesting that these tokens were not aggressively sold on the open market.

Instead, whales appeared to be redistributing liquidity or rotating positions. As ADA tests higher resistance levels, this measured repositioning may reflect profit management rather than a decisive shift towards distribution.

Retail holders accumulate despite market fear ADA has continued to trade near $0.2795, continuing its rebound from the $0.2459 capitulation low, which marked the 100% Fibonacci retracement. From there, buyers reclaimed key levels sequentially.

It first recovered $0.2537 (78.6%) and $0.2617 (50%), before pushing through to $0.2700 (23.6%).

Source: TradingView This steady hike now places ADA directly under the $0.2849 extension resistance, where the next directional test is. Meanwhile, the RSI around 69 hinted at strong bullish momentum. This, despite the overbought reading alluding to potential short-term cooling.

If bulls sustain pressure and secure a close above $0.2849, the structure will open a path to $0.2970. However, if momentum stalls, traders will likely watch $0.2700 as the immediate support that must hold to preserve the recovery structure.

Final Summary Cardano [ADA] has maintained a constructive recovery structure near $0.28 as higher lows and strengthening momentum keep the market focused. Altcoin faces a decisive test where whale liquidity rotation and retail accumulation will likely determine whether the recovery extends towards $0.2970.

TLDR: Boris Johnson labeled Bitcoin a Ponzi scheme in a March 13 Daily Mail opinion column. Michael Saylor argued Bitcoin lacks a central operator, a key requirement of Ponzi schemes. Social posts cited Bitcoin’s $1.42 trillion market cap and roughly $62 billion daily volume. Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said politicians often misunderstand Bitcoin’s fixed supply design. Bitcoin faced renewed political criticism after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson labeled it a Ponzi scheme. 

Johnson shared the view in a March 13 Daily Mail opinion piece discussing digital assets and financial scams. His remarks compared Bitcoin unfavorably to assets such as gold and even collectible Pokémon cards. 

The column quickly circulated across social platforms and triggered a wave of responses from crypto leaders.

Boris Johnson Calls Bitcoin a Ponzi Scheme in Daily Mail Column Johnson’s column described Bitcoin as a system that relies on new investors entering the market. He argued that the cryptocurrency lacks intrinsic value and clear accountability.

The former prime minister illustrated his argument with a personal anecdote from his village. He described a retired man who lost about £20,000 after trusting a stranger promising to double money.

According to the column, the retiree initially handed over £500 in a pub. Over several years he paid repeated fees while expecting a payout that never arrived.

Johnson used the story to argue that Bitcoin encourages speculation and deception. He also compared it with physical assets like gold and collectible items such as Pokémon cards.

The article circulated widely after publication and drew sharp reactions online. A post summarizing the argument attracted millions of views across social media platforms.

Bitcoin Advocates Reject Ponzi Claim as Crypto Debate Intensifies Several prominent crypto figures rejected Johnson’s characterization of Bitcoin. MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor addressed the claim directly on the social platform X.

Saylor argued that a Ponzi scheme requires a central operator promising guaranteed returns. He said Bitcoin operates without an issuer, promoter, or promise of profits.

According to Saylor, Bitcoin functions as an open monetary network driven by code and market demand. He noted that anyone can inspect the public blockchain and verify transactions.

Crypto publication TFTC also disputed the argument in a widely shared thread. The post stated that a scammer stole the retiree’s money rather than the Bitcoin network.

Boris Johnson just wrote that Pokemon cards are a better investment than Bitcoin. This is not satire. This is a real column in the Daily Mail.

His evidence? An elderly man from his village gave £500 to a stranger in a pub who promised to double it. After 3.5 years and £20,000 in… pic.twitter.com/AdzWUXZUGL

— TFTC (@TFTC21) March 13, 2026

The thread added that Bitcoin currently holds a market capitalization of about $1.42 trillion. It also reported roughly $62 billion in daily trading volume across global markets.

Former UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng also weighed in on the debate online. He argued that many politicians misunderstand digital assets and their monetary design.

Kwarteng pointed to Bitcoin’s fixed supply model as a key difference from fiat currencies.
His comments referenced the long-term purchasing power decline of the British pound.

Meanwhile Bitcoin traded near $71,000 during the exchange of arguments. The discussion revived a long-running divide between crypto supporters and traditional finance critics.

📊
No votes yet – Be the first to vote

Bitcoin smashed through $72,000 yesterday. The surge came as Iran tensions ratcheted up across global markets, catching plenty of traders off guard who expected crypto to tank alongside everything else.

March 13 marked a pretty wild day for digital assets. While traditional markets wobbled under geopolitical pressure, Bitcoin basically shrugged off the chaos and kept climbing. The move from around $68,000 just three days earlier shows how fast things can shift in crypto land. Traders who’ve been around long enough remember when geopolitical stress used to crush Bitcoin prices. Not anymore, it seems.

Markets don’t lie about sentiment.

Sarah Klein from Crypto Insights watched the action unfold from her trading desk. “Crossing $72,000 amid such tensions is a statement,” she told reporters yesterday. Klein thinks institutional money might start flowing harder into Bitcoin now that it’s proven it won’t crumble every time global headlines get scary. She’s been tracking institutional flows for months and sees this as a potential inflection point.

The volume numbers back up her theory. Binance and Coinbase both reported massive spikes in trading activity throughout the day. Retail investors jumped in, but the real action came from bigger players moving serious money. Exchange data shows institutional-sized orders hitting the books repeatedly during Bitcoin’s climb past $72,000.

But skeptics aren’t buying the hype yet.

Economist John Mitchell keeps warning about Bitcoin’s wild swings. “While it’s impressive now, Bitcoin’s past performance shows it can be unpredictable,” he said yesterday. Mitchell’s been bearish on crypto for years, so his caution isn’t exactly shocking. Still, his point about volatility resonates with plenty of traditional finance folks who remember Bitcoin’s brutal crashes.

BlackRock dropped a bombshell report on March 12 that probably helped fuel yesterday’s rally. The asset management giant called Bitcoin a potential “digital safe haven” during geopolitical chaos. Coming from BlackRock, that’s huge validation for crypto believers who’ve been making this argument for years. The report specifically mentioned how Bitcoin might offer unique protection compared to bonds or gold during crisis periods. This follows earlier reporting on Bitcoin Shorts Pay Premium as Funding.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange futures told their own story. CME reported a 15% jump in Bitcoin futures contracts compared to last week. Professional traders clearly see something happening here. Futures activity often signals where institutional money thinks prices are heading next.

Mark Cuban jumped on social media to celebrate Bitcoin’s performance. “Bitcoin at $72,000 shows its strength. It’s becoming a critical asset in uncertain times,” he tweeted yesterday afternoon. Cuban’s endorsement carries weight with retail investors who follow his moves closely. The billionaire has been vocal about crypto’s potential during market stress.

JPMorgan analysts weren’t ready to celebrate just yet. Their March 12 note warned investors to stay careful despite Bitcoin’s impressive run. The bank thinks prices could correct hard if Iran tensions cool down suddenly. JPMorgan has flip-flopped on Bitcoin plenty of times, so their caution might not mean much to crypto diehards.

Goldman Sachs released their own analysis yesterday that painted Bitcoin in a more positive light. The investment bank said Bitcoin’s ability to hold above $72,000 during geopolitical stress could attract risk-averse institutional investors. Goldman specifically compared Bitcoin to gold as a crisis hedge, which represents a major shift in how Wall Street views digital assets.

Pantera Capital made some aggressive moves during the rally. CEO Dan Morehead said his hedge fund increased Bitcoin holdings ahead of traditional market volatility. “Bitcoin’s latest price action reinforces our long-term bullish outlook,” he said yesterday. Pantera has been one of crypto’s biggest institutional backers, so their continued buying signals confidence in higher prices ahead. Related coverage: Bitcoin Surges to ,800 as Iran.

Square’s Cash App saw Bitcoin transaction volume surge 20% last quarter according to their latest earnings report. The payment company’s data shows regular consumers are using Bitcoin more for both investing and actual purchases. Square’s numbers often reflect broader retail adoption trends that don’t show up in exchange data right away.

Regulatory silence from Washington adds another layer of uncertainty. The SEC hasn’t commented on whether Bitcoin’s rally changes their approach to crypto oversight. Market participants are basically flying blind on potential policy shifts that could impact prices down the road.

Bitcoin closed yesterday at $72,150, up roughly 6% from Monday’s levels. Trading volume remained elevated into the evening session as Asian markets opened.

Federal Reserve officials have been monitoring Bitcoin’s performance closely, with some board members privately expressing surprise at crypto’s resilience during traditional market stress. The central bank’s March meeting minutes, released last week, contained the first official acknowledgment that digital assets might behave differently than previously assumed during crisis periods.

Meanwhile, pension funds in Canada and Australia have quietly increased their Bitcoin allocations over the past month. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan reportedly added $50 million in Bitcoin exposure through derivatives, while Australia’s Future Fund expanded its crypto holdings by 15% since February.

Post Views: 10

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

Ethereum is currently testing key resistance levels as the broader cryptocurrency market attempts to recover from the recent period of volatility and downward pressure. After weeks of corrective price action, ETH has begun to stabilize, with buyers gradually pushing the asset higher as traders reassess market conditions and liquidity flows across digital assets.

While price action suggests the possibility of a short-term rebound, derivatives market data indicate that bigger structural changes may be unfolding beneath the surface. According to a recent analysis from CryptoQuant analyst Arab Chain, the ETH Binance Futures Smart Money CVD (90D) indicator is beginning to reflect notable shifts in the demand dynamics within Ethereum’s derivatives market on Binance.

The indicator tracks the cumulative difference between aggressive buy orders and aggressive sell orders executed through market orders in the futures market. Because these orders represent traders willing to immediately execute trades, the metric provides valuable insight into real-time demand pressure from more active market participants.

According to the latest data, aggressive buying volume in Ethereum futures on Binance recently reached approximately $4.583 billion, while aggressive selling volume totaled around $4.576 billion. As a result, the daily Taker Delta recorded a positive value of roughly $7.15 million, indicating a slight advantage for buyers during that session as the market attempted to regain momentum.

Smart Money CVD Still Reflects Dominant Selling Pressure Despite the recent session showing a slight advantage for buyers, the broader structure of Ethereum’s derivatives market remains tilted toward selling pressure. According to the analysis, the 90-day rolling Smart Money CVD still registers a negative reading of approximately -$5.71 billion, indicating that aggressive selling activity has outweighed aggressive buying over the past three months.

Ethereum Binance Futures Smart Money CVD | Source: CryptoQuant In practical terms, this means that market participants using market orders have been more willing to sell Ethereum than to accumulate it during that period. Because the CVD tracks the cumulative difference between buy and sell orders executed directly in the market, sustained negative values typically reflect a market environment dominated by sellers closing positions or initiating short trades.

However, analysts note that negative CVD readings do not automatically translate into immediate downward price movement. Market dynamics can sometimes produce a different outcome through a mechanism known as liquidity absorption.

In such situations, large buyers place substantial limit orders in the order book, allowing them to absorb selling pressure without significantly pushing the price higher in the short term. This behavior can create a temporary equilibrium where aggressive sellers continue to hit bids while patient buyers gradually accumulate supply.

If this absorption process persists, it may eventually reduce sell-side pressure and lay the groundwork for a potential shift in market momentum.

Ethereum Tests Long-Term Support Zone After Multi-Month Correction The weekly chart shows Ethereum attempting to stabilize after a prolonged corrective phase that began following its rejection near the $4,800 region in 2025. Since that peak, price action has formed a clear sequence of lower highs and lower lows, confirming a sustained bearish structure across higher timeframes.

ETH consolidates above $2,100 | Source: ETHUSDT chart on TradingView The recent selloff pushed ETH sharply below the $2,400–$2,600 region, which previously acted as an important support area during earlier consolidation phases. The breakdown triggered a rapid decline toward the $1,800 zone, where buyers finally stepped in and produced a short-term rebound.

Currently, Ethereum is trading around the $2,100 level, a price area that appears to be functioning as a temporary equilibrium between buyers and sellers. From a technical perspective, this region now acts as an important pivot level. Sustained price action above this zone could allow ETH to attempt a recovery toward the $2,600 resistance area, where the 100-week moving average is currently trending.

However, the broader structure remains fragile. The 200-week moving average sits slightly below the current price and may serve as a key long-term support level if selling pressure returns.

Volume data also shows elevated activity during the recent decline, suggesting that the market experienced a significant liquidation phase. Whether this represents capitulation or merely a pause in the downtrend will depend on Ethereum’s ability to reclaim higher resistance levels in the coming weeks.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

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.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter! For updates and exclusive offers enter your email.

Sebastian's journey into the world of crypto began four years ago, driven by a fascination with the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize financial systems. His initial exploration focused on understanding the intricacies of various crypto projects, particularly those focused on building innovative financial solutions. Through countless hours of research and learning, Sebastian developed a deep understanding of the underlying technologies, market dynamics, and potential applications of cryptocurrencies. As his knowledge grew, Sebastian felt compelled to share his insights with others. He began actively contributing to online discussions on platforms like X and LinkedIn, focusing on fintech and crypto-related content. His goal was to expose valuable trends and insights to a wider audience, fostering a deeper understanding of the rapidly evolving crypto landscape. Sebastian's contributions quickly gained recognition, and he became a trusted voice in the online crypto community. To further enhance his expertise, Sebastian pursued a UC Berkeley Fintech: Frameworks, Applications, and Strategies certification. This rigorous program equipped him with valuable skills and knowledge regarding Financial Technology, bridging the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). The certification deepened his understanding of the broader financial landscape and its intersection with blockchain technology. Sebastian's passion for finance and writing is evident in his work. He enjoys delving into financial research, analyzing market trends, and exploring the latest developments in the crypto space. In his spare time, Sebastian can often be found immersed in charts, studying 10-K forms, or engaging in thought-provoking discussions about the future of finance. Sebastian's journey as a crypto analyst and investor has been marked by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a dedication to sharing his insights. His ability to navigate the complex world of crypto, combined with his passion for financial research and communication, makes him a valuable asset to the industry. As the crypto landscape continues to evolve, Sebastian remains at the forefront, providing valuable insights and contributing to the growth of this revolutionary technology.

Lekker Capital CIO Quinn Thompson argues on X that collapsing mining economics, combined with a growing shift by public miners toward AI and high-performance compute, could turn corporate BTC treasuries into a fresh source of market supply.

“A large underappreciated headwind for Bitcoin is the disaster that which is mining economics. The only way this heals is through a decline in hashrate, which is being spearheaded by the AI compute first movers like CORZ, WULF, CIFR, IREN, etc.,” Thompson wrote.

The chart Thompson shared, frames the problem visually. It shows aggregate bitcoin holdings across major listed miners climbing sharply through 2024 and 2025 before rolling over in 2026. Thompson’s argument is not that the AI pivot is bearish in structural terms.

On the contrary, lower hashrate and less uneconomic competition could improve mining industry health over time. His point is that the transition itself is expensive, and that capex-heavy AI buildouts may force miners to liquidate BTC that had previously been treated as strategic treasury.

“While helpful to long-term health and sustainability of the network economics, it presents a dilemma for prices in the near-term as Bitcoin miners hold almost 80,000 Bitcoin on their balance sheets. As these companies pivot away from BTC mining, they 1) need capital to fund the AI buildout capex requirements and 2) have no reason to hold any BTC on their balance sheet (not that they should have before either),” he argued.

Bitcoin holdings by public miners | Source: X @qthomp Bitcoin Miners Pivot To AI The 2025 filings and public data make that argument more concrete. Core Scientific’s fourth-quarter results showed the business mix tilting away from mining and toward AI-related infrastructure: self-mining revenue fell to $42.2 million from $79.9 million a year earlier, while colocation revenue rose to $31.3 million from $8.5 million. Management said the decline in hosted mining reflected the “continued strategic shift” to high-density colocation. For full-year 2025, Core generated $402.5 million of proceeds from selling digital assets and ended the year with 2,537 BTC on its balance sheet.

TeraWulf offers an even cleaner read-through. The company said that in 2025 it “solidified HPC hosting as its primary growth engine,” signed more than $12.8 billion in long-term customer contracts, and built a platform with 522 critical IT megawatts under contract. Yet the legacy mining business was still being monetized as that buildout took shape: fourth-quarter digital asset revenue was $26.1 million, versus $9.7 million in HPC lease revenue, and the company’s year-end digital asset rollforward shows 1,496 BTC mined, 1,500 BTC disposed of, and only 3 BTC left on the balance sheet at Dec. 31, 2025.

Cipher and IREN show two other versions of the same trend. Cipher said it increased its focus on HPC in 2025 and signed two HPC tenants for a combined 600 MW of data center capacity. It also sold bitcoin for approximately $214.7 million during the year. By year-end, Cipher had classified $94.9 million of Black Pearl mining rigs as held for sale after signing a sublease to transition the site to an HPC tenant. IREN, by contrast, has already taken the treasury issue largely off the table: with roughly 99,900 GPUs installed or on order as of Dec. 31, 2025, it said it “typically liquidate[s] all the Bitcoin we mine daily” and therefore held no bitcoin on its balance sheet at year-end.

MARA matters for a different reason. It is not yet as far along as Core, TeraWulf, Cipher or IREN in converting mining sites into a full AI/HPC business, though it had deployed its first ten AI racks at Granbury by November 2025 and later announced a Starwood partnership for AI and HPC infrastructure. But MARA is the treasury heavyweight in the group, and its own 2025 disclosures moved in Thompson’s direction: the company said it began selling bitcoin in the second half of 2025, sold about 4,076 BTC for $413.1 million during the year, and still ended 2025 with roughly 53,822 BTC.

That is the tension in Thompson’s thesis. A miner-led shift into AI can reduce hashrate pressure and improve the long-run economics of bitcoin mining. But the bridge from mining to AI is capital-intensive, and the 2025 filings show that bridge is already being funded with BTC sales, miner disposals and site conversions. For bitcoin, that means an industry adjustment that may be constructive later can still look like overhang now.

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $72,322.

Bitcoin must break above $74,500, 1-week chart | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

TLDR: Table of Contents

TLDR:Market Stability Emerges After Earlier DeclineResistance Zone Continues To Limit Upward MovesLiquidation Event Reset Leveraged PositionsDerivatives Activity Remains Concentrated On Major Exchanges ASTER price has remained in a tight consolidation range between $0.67 and $0.74 for over a month despite broader crypto market weakness. A major resistance zone between $0.75 and $0.80 continues to cap upward momentum, with sellers defending the level on multiple attempts. The October 2025 liquidation event wiped out roughly $12.43 million in leveraged positions, largely resetting long exposure in the derivatives market. Binance dominates ASTER futures trading, leading both daily volume and trade count while major exchanges hold significant open interest. ASTER price continues trading in a narrow range after earlier volatility shook leveraged traders. The asset moves sideways while many cryptocurrencies decline, keeping attention on a resistance area near $0.80.

Market Stability Emerges After Earlier Decline The ASTER price entered a consolidation after a sharp decline earlier in the market cycle. That drop triggered forced liquidations and removed a large portion of leveraged long exposure.

Since then, the asset has traded between roughly $0.67 and $0.74. The narrow range has remained intact for more than a month.

Market observers pointed to this behavior in recent commentary online. A widely circulated post stated that the asset outperformed the broader market by simply moving sideways.

The comment came from a tweet published by Nebraskangooner. The post noted that prolonged sideways trading can signal relative strength during weak market conditions.

Resistance Zone Continues To Limit Upward Moves The consolidation range sits directly below a clear technical resistance zone. That area forms between approximately $0.75 and $0.80 on the trading chart.

The region previously provided support before the earlier breakdown. Market structure shifted when that support level turned into overhead resistance.

Price has approached that band several times during the consolidation period. Each attempt was met with resistance as sellers defended the level.

Despite the resistance, the asset has not moved sharply lower. Buyers continue to hold positions near the upper part of the range.

Liquidation Event Reset Leveraged Positions Derivatives market data show a large liquidation event in October 2025. At that time of writing, ASTER price traded near $1.1575 before selling pressure increased.

Total liquidations reached approximately $12.43 million during that period. Long positions accounted for about $10.15 million of those liquidations.

The forced closures triggered a rapid decline in market price. The cascade occurred as leveraged traders failed to meet margin requirements.

Exchange data shows strong participation from major derivatives platforms. Binance and Bybit accounted for a large share of the liquidated positions.

Derivatives Activity Remains Concentrated On Major Exchanges As of writing, derivatives metrics show large open interest across multiple trading platforms. The Aster exchange records the largest open interest near $120.98 million.

Binance follows with open interest close to $84.61 million. Hyperliquid holds the third position with roughly $60.23 million.

Trading activity remains concentrated on a few exchanges. Binance leads daily trading volume with roughly $69.97 million.

Futures trade count also favors the same platform. Binance processes more than 867,000 ASTER futures trades, exceeding activity on other exchanges.

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.

Flare Network cofounder Hugo Philion confirmed that the XRPFi ecosystem is on the verge of a historic breakthrough as the volume of assets in FXRP, which is wrapped XRP on the Flare network, has already come very close to the $200 million mark. 

The goal, however, according to Philion, is more ambitious, as he states that reaching the $1 billion level is a matter of the near future, which literally implies a 500% increase in liquidity within the network.

Why $1 billion milestone is within reach for XRP: Key growth driversMajor developers on Flare, such as Quantic, note that millions of dollars are flowing daily from the XRP Ledger into Flare, raising the main question for builders: how to use this flow effectively. 

HOT Stories

Philion’s forecast that $1 billion will soon be locked in XRP can be supported by several arguments. For example, the fact that FXRP is currently the only possible option for spot trading XRP on the Hyperliquid platform — the main decentralized environment in the crypto industry. 

In addition, FXRP staking integration with the Xaman wallet has been implemented. This allows XRP Ledger users to directly route their assets into Flare for staking and receiving yield in XRP inside the wallet. Major companies, such as VivoPower and Everything Blockchain, have already begun using Flare infrastructure to generate yield on their XRP reserves.

You Might Also Like

Moreover, modular lending protocols Morpho and Mystic allow FXRP holders to use their tokens as collateral, while today it also became known that FXRP received integration with Base, Coinbase’s network, where the total value locked currently stands at $4.2 billion.

The numbers are on Philion's side, and $87 billion in XRP market cap makes this $1 billion prediction much more real than it seems from first glance.

📊
No votes yet – Be the first to vote

Bitcoin Policy Institute wants action fast. The group pushes hard for a de minimis tax exemption that would let people make small Bitcoin purchases without getting hit by taxes, and they’re pretty adamant about getting this done by August, though honestly the timeline looks tight.

Lawmakers from both parties are warming up to the idea, which is kind of surprising given how divided Washington usually gets over crypto stuff. The exemption could make Bitcoin way more practical for everyday purchases – think buying coffee or groceries without worrying about tracking every transaction for tax purposes. BPI keeps hammering home that time’s running out, and they’re not wrong about the urgency here.

Mark Yusko sees major problems ahead. “Delays could stifle innovation,” the crypto veteran said during a recent interview.

The current tax setup basically kills Bitcoin’s usefulness as actual money. Every single purchase, no matter how small, creates a taxable event that users have to track and report. BPI argues this regulatory mess stops people from using Bitcoin like they would cash or credit cards. They want lawmakers to cut through the red tape and make crypto transactions under a certain dollar amount tax-free, similar to how you don’t pay capital gains on spending a twenty-dollar bill.

Analysts think the impact could be huge.

The exemption might finally push Bitcoin into mainstream commerce, with small businesses potentially seeing more crypto payments and consumers not having to stress about tax paperwork every time they buy something. It’s basically trying to treat digital money more like actual money, which seems pretty logical when you think about it.

But August is coming fast, and Congress moves slow. BPI keeps pushing for emergency legislative sessions, noting that the political climate actually looks favorable right now – a rare moment when both sides might agree on something crypto-related. The question is whether lawmakers can actually get their act together in time.

Industry watchers are glued to this fight. The outcome could set the tone for how other digital currencies get treated down the road, and Bitcoin’s sitting right in the spotlight as the test case. If this passes, it might open the door for broader crypto-friendly policies. More on this topic: Bitcoin Faces Quantum Computer Threat as.

Not everyone’s on board though. Some lawmakers worry about lost tax revenue, while others fear creating loopholes that people might abuse. BPI counters that the economic growth from increased Bitcoin adoption would more than make up for any lost tax dollars, but convincing budget hawks won’t be easy.

Gillian Tett called the stakes massive in a recent column. She thinks legislative action here could completely reshape how regulators approach digital currencies going forward.

Senator Cynthia Lummis jumped into the fray on March 10, saying the U.S. needs to simplify crypto taxes to stay competitive globally. “We can’t let regulatory confusion drive innovation offshore,” Lummis said during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. She thinks making small Bitcoin transactions tax-free could boost financial inclusion, especially for people who don’t have traditional banking access.

The Blockchain Association cranked up their lobbying efforts big time. Executive Director Kristin Smith told reporters on March 12 that they’re meeting with lawmakers almost daily now, trying to show hesitant politicians the economic benefits. Smith’s team is basically camping out in congressional offices, armed with data about how the exemption could create jobs and boost economic activity.

House Ways and Means Committee scheduled a hearing for late March. The committee handles all tax legislation, so their blessing is crucial for moving forward. Stakeholders from across the crypto world are preparing testimony, hoping to convince committee members that this change makes sense. The hearing could make or break the proposal’s chances.

Treasury Department stays quiet. Despite multiple requests for comment, they haven’t taken a public position on the exemption yet. Their eventual stance will carry serious weight with lawmakers who might be on the fence. Everyone’s waiting to see which way Treasury leans. This follows earlier reporting on Bitcoin Whales Drive Massive Buying Spree.

Coin Center’s Jerry Brito weighed in March 11, arguing that unclear tax rules are already hurting U.S. competitiveness in digital assets. “Other countries are moving faster on crypto-friendly policies,” Brito said. He sees the de minimis exemption as just the first step toward broader regulatory reforms that could keep America from falling behind.

Senate Finance Committee plans their own discussion for early April. Chairman Ron Wyden said he wants to hear arguments from all sides before making up his mind. Wyden’s support could be crucial, given his influence over tax policy in the upper chamber.

National Taxpayers Union released a report March 9 backing the exemption. They argue that cutting tax burdens on small Bitcoin transactions would reduce paperwork for both taxpayers and the IRS, while encouraging innovation. The group’s support gives the proposal some credibility with fiscal conservatives.

Representative Brad Sherman isn’t buying it. The California Democrat worries about creating new opportunities for tax evasion and wants robust safeguards built into any exemption. Sherman’s opposition shows the proposal still faces real hurdles, even with growing bipartisan support.

The IRS declined to comment on the proposal’s specifics.

Post Views: 1

Dogecoin [DOGE] managed to defend the $0.088 support level despite the heavy selling pressure the memecoin faced recently. It is likely that the Bitcoin [BTC] bounce from $67k helped shore up the memecoin market sentiment.

AMBCrypto reported that DOGE and other memecoins saw heightened social media engagement. It came alongside a high liquidation imbalance and renewed speculative interest lately.

Assessing the Dogecoin bounce Source: DOGE/USDT on TradingView The long-term trend remained bearish, despite the 15% bounce in five days. The revival at the $0.088 support level, which has been critical over the past month, meant DOGE could climb beyond $0.1 once again.

The Moving Averages remained bearish and could act as resistance to DOGE’s rally. The volume indicators also underlined seller dominance.

The A/D indicator continued to trend downward despite the bounce. At press time, the CMF was at -0.1 to show significant capital outflow in this timeframe, further cementing the long-term bearishness.

Meanwhile, the DMI had been showing a downtrend in progress, but this got messier toward the end of February. In the past two weeks, the indicator did not give a clear reading. This gave some faint hope of a trend shift.

Local highs to pull prices higher Source: CoinGlass The 1-month liquidation heatmap pointed out that the $0.10-$0.11 area had a cluster of short liquidations that could pull Dogecoin prices higher. These short liquidations have built up over the past two weeks as DOGE prices made lower highs during the downtrend.

A liquidity sweep to $0.11 may be brewing. However, it won’t break the longer-term downtrend. To do that, the rally must extend beyond $0.127.

Source: DOGE/USDT on TradingView At the time of writing, the local lower high at $0.1 was about to be overcome. The trading volume has been high, showing short-term demand behind the rally. This opened up the possibility of a range formation between $0.088 and $0.105.

Final Summary Even though the short-term DOGE momentum was bullish, traders should be cautious of the longer-term downtrend. The $0.105-$0.11 area had a cluster of short liquidations that could be swept before the next bearish reversal. Disclaimer: The information presented does not constitute financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice and is solely the writer’s opinion.

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

Ethereum is holding a commanding lead over Bitcoin in an interesting adoption indicator, even as its price action continues to face pressure around $2,000 to $2,100. New on-chain data shows that ETH’s network user base has expanded massively over the past decade. 

As it stands, Ethereum now has more than three times as many wallets with balances as Bitcoin, showing that the market might actually be underpricing the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency.

Ethereum’s Holder Base Goes Parabolic On-chain analytics platform Santiment recently highlighted an interesting trend across the crypto market: Ethereum’s holder base has increased far more than that of any other major digital asset.

The data shows that ETH now has about 182.7 million non-empty wallets, compared with roughly 58.5 million for Bitcoin. That places ETH at more than 3.1 times the number of holders held by Bitcoin, and this gap has been widening steadily for years.

The turning point came in February 2019, when Ethereum first surpassed Bitcoin in the total number of addresses holding a balance. Since then, the divergence has increased, with ETH’s wallet growth curving upward while Bitcoin’s line has climbed at a much slower pace.

Source: Chart from Santiment on X Tether, despite its ubiquity as the dominant stablecoin, holds just 12.96 million wallets, making Ethereum’s base more than 14 times larger. Interestingly, other notable altcoins also cannot keep up with ETH, where users are actively adding to positions. The number of non-empty wallets on the XRP Ledger sits at 7.68 million, Dogecoin at 8.22 million, and Cardano at 4.61 million. None comes close to Ethereum.

Price Lags Adoption, But The Rally To $5,000 Is Intact The bullish case for ETH is easy to understand. A network with 182.74 million non-empty wallets has a much deeper base of users, and that kind of adoption can eventually feed into price. However, the disconnect between Ethereum’s on-chain strength and its current price around $2,000 is not lost on market participants.

For instance, crypto analyst Merlijn The Trader used the Ethereum Rainbow Chart to predict a notable rally for the leading altcoin. According to the analyst, the Rainbow Chart has entered its cheap zone for the first time since 2020, the same reading that preceded ETH’s run from $700 to $4,800 in 2021. 

Right now, there are two important levels to watch for Ethereum. A move above $2,500 would unlock the next band on the chart, and this would open up the door to a slow distribution phase to new highs. On the other hand, a drop below $1,900 would push ETH into a steal zone based on the Rainbow model. At the time of writing, ETH is trading at $2,103, up by 2.9% in the past 24 hours.

ETH trading at $2,102 on the 1D chart | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

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.

TL,DR:

Market adjustment: XRP has lost 22% of its value in 2025, trading near $1.43 after moving away from its all-time high of $3.6. Technical supports: Analysts identify the zone between $0.7 and $0.8 as the potential cycle floor, based on the Gaussian Channel indicator. Resistance levels: The $1.80 level has transformed from a solid 400-day support into a critical resistance for recovery. The XRP market is at a technical crossroads after its latest correction erased much of the gains achieved in the last bull cycle. Data from analyst Chart Nerd reveals that the asset could face a drop below the psychological barrier of $1 before consolidating a definitive expansion.

Currently, volume and moving average indicators on two-week timeframes suggest that, although there is short-term relief (a 6.91% rally this week), the price still needs to purge positions. Market capitalization reflects this caution, while the RSI seeks to stabilize after breaking the key $1.80 support in January 2026.

The Gaussian Channel and the Bull Trap XRP’s price history shows that every time the asset leaves a cycle peak and returns to the green zone of the Gaussian Channel, it tends to seek the lower band before a new rally. This pattern was repeated in 2013, 2017, and 2021, reinforcing the theory of a pending correction toward $0.70.

However, there is the possibility of a rally toward the 20 and 50-period exponential moving averages (EMA), located between $1.8 and $2. Nevertheless, experts warn that this movement could be a “dead cat bounce,” a market trap that precedes a deeper fall if the $2.4 level is not recovered with strength.

In summary, the outlook for XRP depends on its ability to transform the $1.80 resistance back into support. Otherwise, investors should prepare for an accumulation phase at lower levels before witnessing the next sustained bull market.

Solana vs XRP Price momentum is drawing renewed attention as both cryptocurrencies show signs of recovery. Solana price climbed about 4% in the past 24 hours and traded near the $90 level. XRP also recorded gains, rising above $1.40 while closely tracking Bitcoin’s latest move higher.

Crypto Market Recovery Lifts Solana and XRP Prices The cryptocurrency market recorded a modest rebound over the past day. BTC price increased to beyond $72,000, which increased confidence in the market. Bitcoin was followed by several large altcoins on the rise. Similar gains were recorded by Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Cardano in the same time frame.

The market was also improved due to institutional capital. The total net inflow in Spot Bitcoin ETFs was 53.8681 million, the fourth day of net inflows. 

On March 12 (ET), spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a total net inflow of $53.8681 million, marking the fourth consecutive day of net inflows. Meanwhile, spot Ethereum ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $72.3677 million, marking the third consecutive day of net inflows. pic.twitter.com/Pq3Oa1i9p5

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 13, 2026

In the meantime, the net inflow of Ethereum ETFs spot funds was $72 million, which is the third day of net inflows. These inflows assisted in raising the liquidity of the crypto market.

The rebound was also favored by macroeconomic developments. A drop in oil prices did ease the inflation fears and made investors more willing to take risks. The sector may also be influenced by political activities. The CLARITY Act in the U.S. Senate closely follows the developments that are being tracked by the investors.

Solana Price Outlook: Can SOL Break $100 and Reclaim Its $294 ATH? Solana reached its ATH of $294 in January 2025. The present price is much lower, but analysts see potential increase. The RSI is at the present position of 66, indicating there is no excessive overbought market. Meanwhile, the Chaikin Money Flow indicator is still positive at 0.08. This reading shows constant capital inflows into the asset.

Source: SOL/USDT 444-hour chart: Tradingview Another possible cup and handle pattern that analysts emphasize is the formation of the same on the monthly chart. This trend is commonly linked to powerful bullish continuation setups.

Analyst tweet The positive outlook is also supported by whale accumulation. A single large investor was reported to have recently bought $17 million of SOL. The presence of large wallet activity is a good indication of future price growth. Such accumulation is seen by many investors as a form of preparing a possible rally.

🚨 JUST IN: WHALE H2oN BOUGHT $17,000,000 OF $SOL

WHALES ARE ACCUMULATING SOLANA #SOLANA ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/hfT1gSt0xM

— curb.sol (@CryptoCurb) March 13, 2026

There is also an increase in institutional interest.  Solana investment products and ETFs are reported to have accumulated over one point $4 billion in assets.

If Future Solana outlook maintains support above $90, analysts expect a possible move toward $95. A decisive breakout above $100 could open the path toward higher resistance zones.

XRP Price Outlook: Will Bulls Push XRP Toward the $2 Target? XRP price has also shown signs of growing bullish momentum. The token recently confirmed a breakout above the important $1.40 resistance level. Trading activity around the token has increased significantly. The daily volume of XRP trading increased by approximately 19.2 to around $4.12 billion.

Source: Coinglass The open interest in the derivatives markets also increased by over 10% to reach about 2.69 billion. Increased open interest is usually an indicator of greater market involvement. The future of the token can also be supported by Ripple growing partnerships. Recently, the company has declared an extended partnership with Mastercard.

Ripple published another significant update to the XRP Ledger. The update contained security vulnerabilities in the reference server software. The XRPL ecosystem keeps on growing with asset tokenization projects on real-world assets and stablecoins. This may enhance utility of networks in the long term.

Solana vs XRP: Which Crypto Could Reach Its Target First? Solana and XRP both have obvious bullish targets, but the distance between them is very different. The latest SOL price surged to $90 while its all-time high stands around $294. Reclaiming that level would require a gain of more than 200%.

XRP’s target appears closer in comparison. From $1.43, the token needs roughly a 40% increase to reach the $2 milestone.

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

Bitcoin is attempting to climb above the $72,000 level as the market searches for direction following weeks of volatile and largely sideways price action. While buyers have recently pushed the asset higher, the $72K zone continues to act as a key resistance level, limiting upward momentum as traders evaluate both macroeconomic conditions and on-chain signals.

Amid this technical battle, new research from CryptoQuant analyst XWIN Research Japan highlights a notable shift in Bitcoin’s long-term valuation metrics. The report focuses on the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio, a widely used on-chain indicator designed to evaluate whether Bitcoin is trading above or below its historical cost basis.

The MVRV ratio compares Bitcoin’s market capitalization with its realized capitalization, which represents the aggregated value of coins based on the price at which they last moved on-chain. By analyzing this relationship, the indicator helps determine whether the average investor is currently holding unrealized profits or losses.

According to the latest data, Bitcoin’s 365-day MVRV ratio has fallen to levels similar to those observed in late 2022 following the collapse of the FTX exchange. During that period, intense market stress pushed many investors into unrealized losses, compressing average returns well below historical norms and marking one of the most difficult phases of the previous market cycle.

MVRV Patterns Suggest Possible Undervaluation Phase The CryptoQuant report notes that previous periods of depressed MVRV readings have often preceded strong recoveries in Bitcoin’s price. After the sharp market stress that followed the FTX collapse in late 2022, Bitcoin entered a similar valuation zone. In the three months that followed, the asset rallied roughly 67%, marking the beginning of a broader recovery phase.

Bitcoin MVRV Ratio | Source: CryptoQuant Historically, such patterns tend to emerge when the MVRV ratio falls significantly below its long-term averages. At those levels, many investors are holding coins at a loss, which often reduces selling pressure as weaker hands have already exited the market. In these environments, long-term investors frequently begin accumulating positions as the perceived risk-reward balance improves.

However, the current market environment differs from the conditions observed in 2022. The previous downturn was largely driven by internal shocks within the crypto industry, including major bankruptcies and liquidity crises. Today, broader macroeconomic forces play a more dominant role, particularly elevated interest rates and tighter global liquidity conditions.

At the same time, the structure of the market has evolved. Institutional participation has increased significantly through the introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs and growing corporate accumulation strategies.

Although MVRV does not guarantee an immediate price reversal, the report suggests the current compression in valuation may represent a critical phase for assessing Bitcoin’s longer-term trajectory.

Bitcoin Tests Resistance Near $72K After February Rebound The chart shows Bitcoin trading around the $72,000 level as the market attempts to recover from the sharp correction that occurred earlier in 2026. After reaching highs above $120,000 during the previous cycle phase, BTC entered a sustained downtrend marked by a sequence of lower highs and increasing selling pressure across several months.

BTC trying to push above resistance | Source: BTCUSDT chart on TradingView The most significant move in the recent structure occurred in early February, when Bitcoin experienced a rapid sell-off that briefly pushed the price toward the $60,000 region. The drop was accompanied by a strong spike in trading volume, suggesting forced liquidations and aggressive selling across the market.

Following that capitulation-like event, Bitcoin began to stabilize and form a short-term recovery structure. Over the past several weeks, the price has gradually moved higher, reclaiming the $70,000 zone and approaching the $72,000 resistance level.

However, the technical structure still shows important challenges ahead. Bitcoin remains below its key moving averages, which continue to slope downward and signal that the broader trend has not yet fully reversed.

The $72,000–$74,000 area now represents a critical resistance range. A successful breakout above this zone could open the door for a broader recovery toward higher levels, while rejection here may lead to renewed consolidation as the market continues searching for directional momentum.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

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.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter! For updates and exclusive offers enter your email.

Sebastian's journey into the world of crypto began four years ago, driven by a fascination with the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize financial systems. His initial exploration focused on understanding the intricacies of various crypto projects, particularly those focused on building innovative financial solutions. Through countless hours of research and learning, Sebastian developed a deep understanding of the underlying technologies, market dynamics, and potential applications of cryptocurrencies. As his knowledge grew, Sebastian felt compelled to share his insights with others. He began actively contributing to online discussions on platforms like X and LinkedIn, focusing on fintech and crypto-related content. His goal was to expose valuable trends and insights to a wider audience, fostering a deeper understanding of the rapidly evolving crypto landscape. Sebastian's contributions quickly gained recognition, and he became a trusted voice in the online crypto community. To further enhance his expertise, Sebastian pursued a UC Berkeley Fintech: Frameworks, Applications, and Strategies certification. This rigorous program equipped him with valuable skills and knowledge regarding Financial Technology, bridging the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). The certification deepened his understanding of the broader financial landscape and its intersection with blockchain technology. Sebastian's passion for finance and writing is evident in his work. He enjoys delving into financial research, analyzing market trends, and exploring the latest developments in the crypto space. In his spare time, Sebastian can often be found immersed in charts, studying 10-K forms, or engaging in thought-provoking discussions about the future of finance. Sebastian's journey as a crypto analyst and investor has been marked by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a dedication to sharing his insights. His ability to navigate the complex world of crypto, combined with his passion for financial research and communication, makes him a valuable asset to the industry. As the crypto landscape continues to evolve, Sebastian remains at the forefront, providing valuable insights and contributing to the growth of this revolutionary technology.

Bitcoin (BTC 0.48%) and Solana (SOL 1.44%) are two very different types of cryptocurrency investments. Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency, but it's also slow and has higher transaction fees than newer coins, so people usually purchase it as a store of value. Solana, on the other hand, is among the fastest blockchains and has sub-$0.01 transaction fees.

One thing they have in common: Both have suffered sizable drops. Over the last six months, Bitcoin is down 37%, and Solana has declined 61% (as of March 10). It's a potential buying opportunity for either one, and the better choice largely depends on your risk tolerance.

Image source: Getty Images.

Solana has more growth potential and use cases. With a $49 billion market cap, it's a fraction of Bitcoin's size, meaning that doubling or tripling in value takes much less money. As a blockchain with smart contract capabilities, Solana provides a platform for decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, all of which are rapidly growing markets.

Bitcoin's utility is more limited. It's often called digital gold, and while that's not a perfect comparison, it gives a good sense of how people use Bitcoin. Retail and institutional investors buy it to diversify into digital assets and hedge against inflation.

The advantage of investing in Bitcoin is that no other cryptocurrency competes with it as a store of value. Bitcoin is the clear leader in that regard, and as such a huge part of the crypto market, it's also less likely to fail than smaller coins. Solana has several competitors, chief among them Ethereum.

Today's Change

(

-0.48

%) $

-340.43

Current Price

$

70817.00

Because it's the safer choice, Bitcoin is the better buy right now. It has led the crypto market since the beginning and recovered from every crash. Solana is worth considering if you want greater growth potential and are willing to hold through significant volatility. Another option is to split your crypto funds between Bitcoin and Solana to get exposure to both.

Lyle Daly has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.