Market Signal Briefing

TLDR Table of Contents

TLDRModerna Resolves Patent Litigation for $950MGitLab and Horizon Decline on Disappointing ForecastsGet 3 Free Stock Ebooks Bitcoin surged approximately 5% to reach $71,418, propelling cryptocurrency stocks higher including Strategy (+8%), Coinbase (+7%), and Riot Platforms (+4%) Moderna resolved a patent dispute worth $950M related to its COVID-19 vaccine technology, below market concerns Ross Stores exceeded fourth-quarter projections and upgraded its outlook, sending shares up as much as 7.5% GitLab declined roughly 9% even after surpassing Q4 expectations, due to disappointing full-year revenue projections Horizon Technology Finance tumbled 10% following total investment income of $20.7M versus the $23.9M consensus Wednesday witnessed a significant Bitcoin recovery, with the cryptocurrency advancing approximately 5% to settle near $71,418. This upward momentum created a ripple effect throughout crypto-linked equities.

Strategy climbed 8%, while Coinbase experienced gains of roughly 7%, and MARA Holdings advanced 7%. Meanwhile, Riot Platforms, Robinhood Markets, Galaxy Digital, and Hut 8 each registered increases ranging from 4% to 5%. Circle Internet Group posted a 6% advance.

Coinbase Global, Inc., COIN

The cryptocurrency market rebound followed a recent downturn connected to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Market participants appeared to regain appetite for risk assets as conditions began normalizing.

Precious metal mining companies also experienced gains Wednesday. Newmont advanced 2.8% while Freeport-McMoRan increased 1.9%, as Middle Eastern instability drove certain investors toward traditional safe-haven commodities like gold.

Moderna Resolves Patent Litigation for $950M Moderna finalized a $950 million agreement with Arbutus Biopharma and Genevant Sciences. The litigation centered on intellectual property claims related to its coronavirus and RSV vaccine platforms.

Investors welcomed the settlement as favorable news, given expectations for a substantially higher payout. Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine has produced revenue ranging from $45 billion to $50 billion.

The company will make the payment during the third quarter while recording it as a first-quarter expense. Following this settlement, Moderna anticipates finishing the year with cash reserves between $4.5 billion and $5 billion.

Moderna plans to continue its appeal with the U.S. Federal Circuit. A positive outcome could eliminate any further financial obligation, while an unfavorable verdict might require an additional payment of up to $1.3 billion within 90 days.

Ross Stores delivered impressive performance, climbing as high as 7.5% during premarket hours. The discount retailer surpassed fourth-quarter projections and provided first-quarter guidance significantly exceeding Street estimates.

For the first quarter, Ross anticipates comparable store sales growth between 7% and 8%, compared to analyst projections of approximately 3.7%. The retailer also announced a 10% dividend increase.

GitLab and Horizon Decline on Disappointing Forecasts GitLab retreated between 8.5% and 9% despite delivering better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The software company’s annual revenue forecast of $1.099 billion to $1.118 billion fell short of the $1.13 billion consensus estimate.

Chief Executive Bill Staples acknowledged dissatisfaction with the revenue outlook and presented a five-point strategy to accelerate expansion.

Horizon Technology Finance plunged 10% after disclosing total investment income of $20.7 million, missing the $23.9 million forecast. The company’s net asset value per share also declined slightly during the period.

CrowdStrike inched up 1.1% following fourth-quarter results that exceeded both earnings and revenue projections. Box rallied 6.2% after outperforming Wall Street estimates and providing encouraging guidance for the ongoing quarter.

Broadcom gained 1% in anticipation of its fiscal first-quarter earnings release scheduled after market close, with industry watchers projecting semiconductor revenue growth of 51% on a year-over-year basis.

The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry a high degree of risk. Always conduct your own research.

Bitcoin price clears the $70,000 psychological barrier as rising Middle East tensions drive investors toward decentralized assets and "digital gold" narratives.

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Published: 03/04/2026

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2 min read

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Categories: Bitcoin

Bitcoin Reclaims $70,000 Amid Global Uncertainty$Bitcoin has successfully breached the $70,000 mark, marking a significant recovery in the face of escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. As of March 4, 2026, the leading cryptocurrency surged over 5% within a 24-hour window, decoupling from traditional risk assets that have struggled under the weight of military escalations involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran.

This move marks a dramatic shift from the "extreme fear" sentiment observed earlier in the week. While global equities remain volatile due to energy supply concerns, Bitcoin is increasingly being utilized as a 24/7 liquidity hedge, allowing investors to reposition capital while traditional markets are closed.

Market Context: Why BTC is Surging NowThe primary catalyst for this breakout appears to be a "flight to sovereignty." Unlike the early February crash where $BTC mirrored the Nasdaq's decline, the current price action suggests a return to the "digital gold" thesis.

Geopolitical Trigger: Following military strikes in the region, investors have sought assets outside the traditional banking perimeter.Liquidation Squeeze: Data indicates that over $1.2 billion in short positions were liquidated as Bitcoin surged from $63,000 to the current $70,000+ levels.Institutional Inflows: Spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded three consecutive days of net positive inflows, suggesting that institutional players are "buying the dip" despite the macro-economic uncertainty.Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Path to $77,000The below BTC/USD chart reveals a classic V-shaped recovery. After bottoming near the $63,000 support zone, the price action cleared the 50-period moving average on the 4-hour timeframe, a move that historically precedes extended bullish momentum.

Key Levels to WatchAccording to recent market analysis, the following technical barriers are now in play:

Immediate Support ($70,000): Consolidating above this psychological level is crucial to invalidate the previous "bear flag" structure.Major Resistance ($77,000): This aligns with the 200-day moving average. A clean break here could open the doors for a retest of the $85,000 supply zone.Downside Protection ($64,000): Should tensions de-escalate or profit-taking ensue, this remains the critical floor to maintain the current bullish bias.Expert Insight: "Bitcoin is acting as a macro hedge in the acute first stage of this geopolitical shock," noted analysts from Bloomberg. "The 24/7 nature of crypto markets makes them the 'first responders' to global events."

Bitcoin hits one-month high near $72,000 as haven demand risesBTC jumped to $71,800 as investors turned to haven assets in light of the escalating Middle East conflict and renewed strength in altcoins. Mar 4, 2026, 11:37 a.m.

Bitcoin hits one-month high (Midjourney modified by CoinDesk)What to know: Bitcoin climbed to a one-month high of $71,800, approaching the $72,000 level that triggered a rejection in early February.The rally coincided with gains in traditional safe havens, with gold up 1.8% and silver up 5.3% since midnight UTC.Altcoins outperformed majors as risk appetite returned slightly, with tokens like KITE, AERO and TAO posting double-digit gains.Bitcoin BTC$71,150.61 rallied to a one-month high of $71,800, effectively dismissing the risk-off sentiment that has restricted upside in U.S. equities over the past week.

The largest cryptocurrency stalled just below $72,000, a level it last reached on Feb. 8 before sliding back to $65,000.

Precious metals also rallied on Wednesday, with gold and silver up 1.8% and 5.3%, respectively, since midnight UTC. Bitcoin is up by 4.8% over the same period.

The move to haven assets comes as war continues to rage in the Middle East, with Israel saying it hit several security headquarters across Iran while Iran attacked U.S. sites in Dubai and Qatar.

Equities are little changed since midnight, lagging the broader crypto market.

Derivatives positioning Over the past 24 hours, global crypto futures open interest (OI) has increased by 8% to nearly $103 billion. Trading volume also rose, albeit by less than OI, indicating renewed interest in holding positions rather than trading in and out. That adds credibility to the price bounce.Open interest in futures tied to the top 10 tokens rose. DOGE led with a 10% increase. Perpetual funding rates and cumulative volume delta for most major cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and ether, are positive, a sign of buying pressure building up in another hint of a continued price recovery. Bitcoin and ether's (ETH) 30-day implied volatility indexes remain steady at levels seen before the start of the Middle East conflict, a sign there is no panic in the market. On Deribit, BTC and ETH puts still trade notably pricier than calls in a sign of lingering downside fears. The $125,000 strike call expiring end-March, a bet that prices will surge beyond that level in four weeks, is the most traded option of the past 24 hours. Deribit said that the bulk of the activity represents the closing of existing short positions rather than fresh purchases (bullish bets).Block flows featured demand for bitcoin call spreads and call ratio spreads, a sign of moderate bullish sentiment. In ETH's case, traders chased both call and put spreads. Token talkThe altcoin market is beginning to show signs of strength after almost a month of consolidation. Ether (ETH) rose by 5% since midnight UTC, with daily trading volume remaining consistent at $25 billion.But it was the lower-liquidity, lower-market-cap tokens that outperformed the majors; KITE, AERO, and TAO all increased by double digits in the past 24 hours, while the likes of PUMP and DCR have rallied by around 6% since midnight UTC.The crypto Fear and Greed index has risen from multi-year lows of 5/100 in February to 19/100, suggesting a measure of optimism is entering the broader crypto market.The CoinDesk Computing Select Index (CPUS) was the best-performing benchmark over the past 24 hours, rising by 7% while the BTC-weighted CoinDesk 20 (CD20) increased by around 5% over the same period.More For You

CoinDesk Research looks into how Pudgy Penguins disrupts traditional toys market via a phygital model. With 2M+ units sold, they scale via global partnerships and events.

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Disrupting a Stagnant Market: Pudgy Penguins is utilizing a "Negative CAC" model to challenge the traditional $31.7B licensed toy industry by treating physical merchandise as a profitable user acquisition tool rather than just a final product.More For You

Strategy’s STRC stock signals 1,000 BTC purchase in biggest-one day issuance since debut

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Surging trading volume in STRC suggests strong bitcoin buying by the largest publicly traded holder of the cryptocurrency.

What to know:

STRC trading activity implies Strategy bought around 1,000 BTC on Tuesday, the largest one-day accumulation since the preferred stock's debut.STRC recorded $198.7 million in trading volume, above the $123.3 million 30-day average.Around 763 BTC estimated purchased on Monday, bringing the two-day total to roughly 1,762 BTC.Top Stories

Key Highlights Table of Contents

Key HighlightsComprehensive Payment Infrastructure Merges Traditional and Digital FinanceXRP Functions as Bridge Currency Within Payment InfrastructureRLUSD Stablecoin Anchors Ripple’s Digital Asset Offerings Ripple consolidates traditional and digital currency payments into unified enterprise infrastructure. Direct integration of RLUSD stablecoin with settlement and liquidity infrastructure. Infrastructure handles $100B+ in volume with connectivity to 60+ international payout markets. Strategic purchases of Palisade and Rail enhance custody services and automated payment collection. Companies can now consolidate payment operations, regulatory compliance, and liquidity management. Ripple has transformed its payment infrastructure into a comprehensive solution supporting both traditional currencies and digital assets. The company now offers integrated custody services, automated collections, liquidity management, and global payout capabilities through a single licensed platform. This strategic shift establishes Ripple as an all-in-one provider for corporate clients managing both conventional and blockchain-based financial transactions.

Ripple has unified diverse payment capabilities into one enterprise-grade platform serving international businesses. This integrated system enables organizations to receive, store, convert, and transmit both traditional currencies and stablecoins seamlessly. Companies can now eliminate the complexity of managing multiple service providers across different geographic markets and currency types.

This transformation builds upon Ripple’s strategic acquisitions of Palisade and Rail. The Palisade acquisition enhances the platform’s custody capabilities and treasury automation features. Meanwhile, Rail contributes named virtual account functionality and automated collection systems designed for international payment processing.

Ripple connects these newly acquired capabilities with its established liquidity infrastructure and global payment networks. Financial technology companies can therefore oversee complete payment workflows through a single integration point. This architectural approach minimizes operational complexity and streamlines regulatory compliance procedures.

XRP Functions as Bridge Currency Within Payment Infrastructure Ripple maintains XRP’s role as a liquidity bridge within its expanded payment ecosystem. The digital asset facilitates liquidity provisioning and international settlement operations across various payment corridors. The underlying payment infrastructure operates autonomously from fluctuations in token valuation.

According to Ripple’s figures, the platform has facilitated transactions exceeding $100 billion in cumulative volume. The infrastructure supports fund disbursements across more than 60 countries and interfaces with numerous instant payment systems. This extensive network enables financial institutions to complete international transfers in minutes rather than days.

Stablecoin adoption has surged throughout international financial markets over recent months. Market research indicates annual stablecoin transaction throughput has reached $33 trillion. These digital dollar equivalents now represent approximately 30 percent of all blockchain-based transaction activity globally.

RLUSD Stablecoin Anchors Ripple’s Digital Asset Offerings Ripple introduced RLUSD to strengthen its stablecoin capabilities within regulated financial services. The digital currency exceeded $1 billion in total market value during its inaugural year. Ripple embeds RLUSD functionality directly within its liquidity provisioning and transaction settlement infrastructure.

The company maintains more than 75 regulatory licenses globally, including authorization as a New York-chartered trust company. This extensive regulatory framework enables Ripple to facilitate fund transfers on behalf of institutional clients across major financial jurisdictions. Banks and fintech companies can therefore leverage digital asset capabilities while remaining within existing regulatory parameters.

Ripple emphasizes that corporate clients demand infrastructure meeting traditional banking sector standards. The unified platform merges custody operations, virtual account systems, liquidity tools, and disbursement networks into a seamless workflow. Through this comprehensive expansion, Ripple positions itself as foundational infrastructure supporting both conventional currency and stablecoin payment systems on a global scale.

Oliver Dale

Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]

Bitcoin trades at $71,286, up nearly 7% in the last 24 hours and more than 9% over the last 7 days. Despite escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, the king crypto continues to hold its ground. 

That stability raises an important question: are investors beginning to treat Bitcoin as a true safe-haven asset?

As the conflict evolves, capital flows inside Iran suggest a shift in behavior. According to data cited by Coincodex, nearly $10.3 million in Bitcoin outflows moved from Iranian exchanges as fighting intensified. Investors appear to move funds into self-custody wallets. That pattern often signals a desire for protection rather than speculation.

When traditional systems face stress, where does money go? In this case, it seems to flow into decentralized networks.

Self-Custody Surge Signals Changing PerceptionOn-chain data shows a clear increase in withdrawals during peak conflict headlines. Investors inside Iran appear to prioritize asset control amid uncertainty surrounding banks and cross-border transactions.

This behavior adds another layer to Bitcoin’s evolving narrative. For years, market participants debated whether BTC functions as digital gold or remains a volatile risk asset. Moments like this test that thesis in real time.

Meanwhile, broader global markets show strain. Oil and gas flows face complications, European gas prices have surged sharply, and South Korean equities have recorded double-digit losses. Against that, Bitcoin has pushed higher instead of lower. That divergence stands out.

Source: Ember via X

Is this a temporary reaction, or does it mark a deeper structural shift in how Bitcoin trades during geopolitical shocks?

Institutional Money Steps InWall Street activity backs up the momentum. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.45 billion in net inflows over five trading days through March 2, followed by another $225 million early on March 3. That steady demand suggests institutions continue to accumulate during volatility.

Source: X

Combined ETF inflows now total roughly $1.75 billion in recent sessions. The aggressive selling wave that weighed on prices in previous weeks appears to ease as buy and sell flows move toward balance.

VanEck, which manages approximately $181 billion in assets, described the recent rebound as a “sign of life” for Bitcoin. The firm referenced historical supply cycles and the halving mechanism that reduces miner rewards every four years. While 2026 aligns with a historical down-cycle year, analysts argue that current price action indicates a potential bottom formation.

That commentary aligns with renewed activity in derivatives markets.

Buyers are quietly Regaining ControlOn Binance, the Taker Buy Sell Ratio reached 1.18, the highest level this year. That metric measures aggressive buying versus selling in order books. A reading above 1 indicates stronger buy-side pressure.

Source: CryptoQuant via X

At several points today, taker buy volume exceeded $1 billion per hour. Those bursts of activity pushed Bitcoin back above $71,000 after earlier consolidation near $67,000. Buyers appear willing to defend key levels.

What are the technicals ppinting out? The one-hour chart shows Bitcoin testing resistance within an ascending channel. If price breaks above the current resistance zone, momentum could accelerate high and beyond 75K. However, if rejection occurs at this level, selling pressure may reemerge.

Source: TradingView via X

So what comes next? ETF inflows continue. Derivatives traders show conviction. On-chain data signals self-custody demand in conflict zones. Bitcoin now trades at a key level, both technically and fundamentally. New developments in the coming sessions will point out where we head to in the short term and long term.

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Paraguay’s state power utility ANDE has signed a memorandum of understanding with crypto infrastructure firm Morphware, setting up a formal cooperation framework that explicitly includes exploring Bitcoin mining as a national-level opportunity tied to the country’s energy and digital infrastructure strategy. The move matters because it signals a shift from Paraguay merely hosting private miners to the state evaluating a more direct, utility-controlled model.

Morphware framed the MoU as a starting point for “analysis and development of initiatives related to digital assets, advanced processing infrastructure, and strategic energy driven technology opportunities in Paraguay,” with Bitcoin mining positioned as one candidate use case inside that broader mandate.

The company said the agreement creates an “official path” for technical evaluation and project development “under Paraguay’s legal and regulatory framework,” language that reads less like a one-off pilot announcement and more like a governmental process being put on rails.

In Morphware CEO Kenso Trabing’s telling, the economic logic is straightforward: put stranded or underutilized electricity to work, and keep the deployment inside regulated sites controlled by the utility.

“ANDE has unlocked a powerful new asset, and Morphware is here to turn that asset into a new revenue engine for Paraguay. By redeploying Bitcoin miners on regulated, utility controlled sites, we can transform unused electricity into productive compute that serves both the Bitcoin network and the global AI economy,” Trabing wrote. “This is what the future of midstream electricity looks like: grids that do not just deliver power, but own a stake in the digital infrastructure they enable.”

The reference to “midstream electricity” and “productive compute” is doing double duty. It links Bitcoin mining to a more general pitch: high-density power-to-compute infrastructure that can, in theory, flex between mining and adjacent workloads, particularly as the “AI data center” narrative continues to bleed into the public-market mining story globally.

Seized Bitcoin Miners Enter The Conversation While Morphware’s statement did not publish deployment numbers, the MoU language about “redeploying” miners arrives amid an enforcement backdrop: Paraguay has been seizing ASIC hardware tied to alleged illegal operations. Trabing told Bitcoin Magazine that ANDE is exploring turning seized equipment into Paraguay’s first government-run Bitcoin operation in partnership with Morphware.

According to Trabing, the Paraguayan government is currently holding around 30,000 seized Bitcoin miners, many of them taken from facilities accused of electricity theft or tariff fraud.

“They’re literally stacked to the ceiling,” Trabing told Bitcoin Magazine, describing government warehouses filled with idle ASIC machines. “They have no experience mining Bitcoin. Our role is an advisory role.”

Morphware’s proposal, now formalized in the memorandum with ANDE, is to redeploy those machines at utility-controlled sites rather than leaving them idle. The initial phase would reportedly involve around 1,500 confiscated miners, installed near existing electrical substations where infrastructure already exists to handle large energy loads.

Under the structure being discussed, ANDE would retain ownership of the machines and operate the sites directly, while Morphware would provide technical guidance and training for utility staff. The company’s role, according to Trabing, is primarily operational support rather than revenue participation. “This is about regulated, utility-controlled sites,” he said. “Not people hiding in the countryside.”

At press time, BTC traded at $68,644.

BTC must close above the 200-week EMA, 1-week chart | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

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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.

XRP has suffered a dip in trading activity on the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. As per a recent update shared by a chartist, Steph is Crypto, XRP’s 30-day liquidity index on Binance has dropped to 0.097 from over 3 points during the 2022-2024 trading cycles.

XRP whale activity could decide price directionNotably, a sharp drop in the liquidity index signals thinner order books and leaves an asset’s price prone to volatility. That is, there are fewer buy and sell orders, and the market depth is thinner than in previous market cycles.

The continued volatility of XRP’s price has triggered caution among traders. This has left fewer participants in the market space that are actively trading the coin. This development places XRP in a pivotal position for a possible uptick in price.

Generally, when liquidity is high, large orders get absorbed easily, and price movement is slower and more gradual. However, with XRP’s liquidity index on Binance far below 1 point, a large buy order can quickly accommodate the existing sell order.

This can lead to a price spike, and XRP can witness a positive shift in price momentum. In order for this to happen, XRP whales need to step in and accumulate a large amount of XRP at the current reduced price. It is only then that the coin could rapidly gain in price.

JUST IN: $XRP liquidity on Binance just collapsed.

The 30-day liquidity index fell to 0.097, down from 3+ during the 2022–2024 trading cycles.

Less XRP is being traded — which means big buyers can move the price much faster. pic.twitter.com/opCUVQcH0Q

— STEPH IS CRYPTO (@Steph_iscrypto) March 4, 2026 On the flip side, if these large holders choose to sell, the price could crash faster than usual, as there is not much resistance in the order book.  

XRP price action and volume signal market cautionXRP has been in the red and down by 13.71% over the last 30 days. However, in the last 24 hours, the coin has moved from a daily low of $1.34 to a peak of $1.38. As of this writing, XRP exchanges hands at $1.37, which reflects a 1.68% increase within the time frame.

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Investors remain cautious, as signaled by the low trading volume of XRP. In the last 24 hours, volume has declined by 13.34% to $2.83 billion despite the light price uptick.

This is likely due to the on-chain activity on Binance within the last 72 hours. There have been 470 million XRP deposited on the exchange within this period, suggesting a possible sell-off move shaping up. If these large holders decide to dump on the market, XRP’s price could threaten the $1.15 support level.

A lot depends on the next move by whales and institutional holders. XRP could either climb or continue its downward momentum based on its action.

According to Santiment, XRP’s biggest whales are consolidating control in a historic accumulation wave. 

Wallets holding 10–100 million XRP now command 17.04% of the circulating supply, up sharply from 12.21% in October 2025, signaling aggressive positioning by top-tier investors that could significantly influence the token’s next move.

Data from Santiment shows that since October 2025, XRP whales have aggressively expanded their holdings, increasing from 7.89 billion to 11.06 billion tokens, a 3.17 billion XRP surge worth roughly $4.5 billion at current prices.

Crucially, this accumulation occurred amid heightened volatility, signaling a deliberate buy-the-dip strategy rather than impulsive speculation.

When large holders build positions during downturns, it typically reflects strong long-term conviction. By absorbing supply as retail sentiment weakens, these whales tighten exchange liquidity, a dynamic that can magnify upside momentum if demand rebounds.

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Record Whale Accumulation Meets Historic Capitulation Signal On the other hand, XRP has just recorded its largest surge in on-chain realized losses since 2022, a clear sign of capitulation. 

Source: Santiment Realized losses spike when investors sell below their purchase price, locking in losses. Such sharp increases typically signal panic-driven exits, where fear overwhelms conviction and traders rush to cut exposure.

Historically, extreme realized losses have often signaled major inflection points. The last time XRP posted a weekly realized loss of -$1.93 billion about 39 months ago, the altcoin rallied 114% over the next eight months. While history doesn’t always repeat, such capitulation events frequently mark the exhaustion of selling pressure.

What’s unfolding now appears to be a classic supply reset: weaker hands are exiting in fear, while whales accumulate at scale. If forced selling is largely complete, downward momentum could fade, laying the groundwork for a potential recovery phase.

Therefore, XRP stands at a pivotal crossroads, as record whale accumulation is rising even as realized losses peak. While sentiment remains shaky, this divergence hints at a quietly strengthening foundation beneath the volatility.

On the other hand, new research also points to a potential major catalyst tied to XRP and RLUSD, suggesting the next decisive move may be driven by deeper structural shifts rather than short-term price swings.

Bitcoin (BTC) miner Core Scientific plans to sell a large part of its holdings for about $170 million at the current market value. The sale will fund its pivot to Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing in the coming months. Several crypto miners have courted similar moves, citing the growth of AI data centers and the need to diversify operations.

Crashing BTC Price Sparks Sale In its latest financial report, Core Scientific hinted at a plan to sell the majority of its Bitcoin holdings, marking a shift in its long-term strategy. Most sales will take effect in Q1 2026 while keeping tabs on market trends.

The company highlighted efforts to monetize a substantial portion of its holdings, about 2,500 BTC. This follows a clear trend of miners jumping ship amid crashing crypto prices. Last year, Core Scientific and other miners halted sales and began accumulating assets following the market momentum.

Bitcoin swiftly settled above the $100k mark after President Trump’s inauguration and surged to an all-time high of $125k. Institutional investors were critical to this jump as acquisitions came from crypto and traditional finance firms.

As a result, miners’ holdings became positive after long periods of sideways trading. A bullish market sets the time for miners and larger corporations to amass huge amounts of assets, leading to rising paper profits. On the other hand, flash sales or sustained price declines will see miners diversify holdings or hedge assets to stay afloat. 

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A typical example was the 2022 bear cycle after the fall of Terra Network and Bankman-Fried’s FTX. Throughout the year, more sales are expected as competition for AI data centers surges.

“We are already halfway through our current projects and are expanding our colocation platform to a 1.5 GW pipeline ready for lease. With a presence in multiple regions and proven expertise, we are accelerating the deployment of facilities to ensure sustainable growth for the company.”

According to the report, the miner held 2,537 BTC in December 2025, a significant jump from 256 BTC the previous year. With an anticipated decline in mining revenues, most analysts say such decisions are consistent with projections.

Other publicly traded crypto miners have steered a similar path this year. Bitdeer sold its BTC holdings to focus on AI data center development, while Cango offloaded 4,451 BTC for approximately $305 million.

Leopold Aschenbrenner has built a US stock portfolio heavily concentrated in companies that supply the power and infrastructure behind the artificial intelligence boom.

The former OpenAI researcher, who left the lab’s superalignment team to launch San Francisco-based hedge fund Situational Awareness LP, has expanded it from $383 million in assets in early 2025 to a reported $5.52 billion in equity positions in its latest 13F filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The fund’s 13F filing for Q4 2025 shows a highly concentrated portfolio built around betting that the real winners of the AI boom won’t be chatbots, but the power plants and data centers that feed them. Situational Awareness reported $5.52 billion in US equity positions across 29 holdings, with a large share of that value clustered in a handful of AI infrastructure names.

Those include graphics processing unit (GPU) cloud provider CoreWeave, fuel cell and power specialist Bloom Energy, Intel, optics maker Lumentum and Bitcoin (BTC) miner-turned-AI infrastructure play Core Scientific. 

Aschenbrenner first drew attention as a precocious AI thinker after publishing a widely read “Situational Awareness” manifesto on the race to advanced AI, then quickly parlayed that profile into capital. His San Francisco-based AI hedge fund now manages more than $1.5 billion, backed by prominent tech founders, family offices and institutions.

Situational Awareness 13F Filing, Q4, 2025. Source: 13f.infoAschenbrenner has been a substantial net buyer quarter-on-quarter, with Situational Awareness’ 13-F reported US equity and options portfolio increasing from about $254 million in Q4 2024 to more than $5.5 billion by Q4 2025. Over that period, the fund built sizable positions in Bitcoin miners and related energy infrastructure firms including IREN, Cipher Mining, Riot Platforms, Bitdeer and Applied Digital.

Bitcoin miners pivot from hashrate to horsepowerThe bet aligns with a broader shift already reshaping Bitcoin mining. After the latest halving squeezed block rewards, large miners have started repurposing their high-density, power-rich sites as AI hosting hubs, treating megawatts and data center space as scarce assets in the new compute economy rather than just hashrate.

Core Scientific, for example, has signed a series of 12-year high-performance computing hosting contracts with AI cloud firm CoreWeave, while MARA acquired a 64% stake in French computing infrastructure operator Exaion, expanding into AI and cloud services.

Situational Awareness disclosed a 9.4% stake in Core Scientific via an amended Schedule 13D, representing 28,756,478 shares with shared voting and disposition power, effectively giving the fund a levered bet on CoreWeave’s expansion and the miner’s pivot from pure Bitcoin to AI and high-performance computing.

At the same time, the fund has taken aim at the other side of the AI transition with a short position in Indian IT giant Infosys, a wager that large language models and AI coding tools will pressure the traditional outsourced software services model.

AI Eye: IronClaw rivals OpenClaw, Olas launches bots for Polymarket

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Solana price prediction discussions are intensifying as short term consolidation meets long term channel projections. Analysts are now watching both a four hour breakout level and a weekly upper channel target for the next decisive move.

Solana Holds Tight 4 Hour Range as Traders Watch $90.68 Breakout LevelSolana traded inside a defined range on the four hour chart, with resistance at $90.68 and support at $76.66, according to market analyst Ali Martinez, known as Ali Charts on X. The structure shows repeated swings between those two levels, with price recently hovering near $83.40, close to the middle of the range.

Solana 4 Hour Range Chart. Source: Ali Charts on X (@alicharts)

The chart highlights multiple rejections near $90.68, where sellers stepped in and pushed price lower. At the same time, buyers defended the $76.66 zone on several occasions, preventing deeper declines. As a result, the market formed what the analyst described as a “clean range,” with clear horizontal boundaries and no confirmed breakout.

Price action over the past several sessions reflects consolidation rather than trend expansion. Each move toward resistance failed to produce follow through, while rebounds from support stalled before retesting the upper boundary. Consequently, momentum remains neutral until either side of the range gives way.

Ali Charts stated that he is not interested in trading inside the range and is instead focused on a breakout. A move above $90.68 would signal a potential shift toward upside continuation, while a breakdown below $76.66 could open the door for further downside. Until then, Solana remains confined between well defined support and resistance levels on the four hour timeframe.

Solana Weekly Chart Shows Rising Channel as Analyst Flags $3,500 Cycle Top ZoneSolana remains inside a long running rising price channel on the weekly chart, as market commentator CW8900 on X pointed to an upper band target for the current cycle. In a TradingView chart shared March 2, CW8900 said he expects Solana’s cycle top to form near the middle of the channel’s upper range, around $3,500.

Solana Weekly Rising Channel Chart. Source: CW8900 on X

The chart maps Solana’s multi year advance within two upward sloping boundary lines that have contained major swings since 2020. After a sharp run into 2021 and a deep 2022 drawdown, the price action later rebuilt and pushed back toward the channel’s mid zone, while staying above the lower trendline that has acted as support during pullbacks.

CW8900’s projection highlights the upper channel as the reference area for a potential cycle peak, with the midpoint of that upper band used as the target zone rather than the top boundary itself. The visual also includes a dashed internal guide line and a large upward arrow, signaling the analyst’s expectation for continuation within the structure, while the channel lines frame where resistance could tighten if the move extends.

Ethereum Price Shows Bullish Momentum Amid Major Market ShiftingThe $Ethereum price has entered a critical phase of price discovery in early March 2026. Following a period of consolidation, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap is currently testing the psychological and technical barrier of $2,100. This move comes at a time of significant institutional movement, most notably the high-profile rotation from Bitcoin into Ethereum by major endowments.

As of today, March 4, 2026, ETH is trading at approximately $2,082, marking a recovery from the recent local lows near $1,800. This analysis explores the technical indicators and fundamental drivers that could propel the Ethereum price toward the $2,200 mark or trigger a retracement to established support zones.

Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH Coin Battles the $2,100 CeilingThe current 2-hour chart for ETH/USD reveals a series of higher lows, suggesting a gradual buildup of bullish pressure. After a sharp rejection at the $2,150 level in late February, Ethereum found solid ground at the $1,900 support zone.

Key Technical IndicatorsSupport Levels: The green horizontal line at $1,900 remains the primary defensive line for bulls. A secondary, deeper support exists at $1,800, which has historically been a "buy the dip" zone for whales.Resistance Levels: The immediate hurdle is the $2,100 zone. A sustained candle close above this level is required to open the door for a retest of the red resistance line at $2,200.Relative Strength Index (RSI): The RSI is currently hovering around 67.74. While this indicates strong upward momentum, it is approaching the "overbought" threshold of 70. This suggests that while the trend is bullish, a short-term cooling period or minor consolidation might occur before the next leg up.Institutional Catalyst: The "Harvard Effect"One of the most significant fundamental drivers for the current Ethereum price action is the recent disclosure regarding institutional portfolios. Reports indicate that Harvard University’s $57 billion endowment has significantly trimmed its Bitcoin ETF exposure to rotate capital into the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA).

This $86.8 million entry by one of the world's most prestigious academic institutions signals a shift in sentiment. While $Bitcoin remains the primary macro asset, Ethereum is increasingly viewed as the essential "growth layer" of the digital economy. This institutional validation often precedes long-term price appreciation as other funds look to mirror the strategies of top-tier endowments.

"The rotation from BTC to ETH by entities like Harvard suggests that the market is beginning to value Ethereum's utility and staking yields as a distinct investment thesis from Bitcoin's 'digital gold' narrative." — Market Analyst Insight

Network Growth and Roadmap MilestonesBeyond the charts, the Ethereum network continues to evolve. The recent introduction of EIP-8141 by Vitalik Buterin, aimed at bringing native Account Abstraction to the base layer, has bolstered long-term investor confidence. This upgrade is expected to simplify the user experience significantly, potentially driving mass adoption by removing the need for users to hold ETH for gas fees through the use of "Payment Frames."

Furthermore, on-chain data shows that companies like BitMine have been aggressively accumulating. BitMine recently added over 50,000 ETH to its treasury, bringing its total holdings to over 4.4 million ETH. This corporate "HODLing" reduces the circulating supply, creating a supply-side liquidity crunch that can exacerbate price moves to the upside.

What’s Next for Ethereum?If the Ethereum price can flip the $2,100 resistance into support, the path to $2,200 is relatively clear. However, traders should remain cautious of the RSI levels. A failure to break $2,100 on the current attempt could lead to a healthy retest of the $2,000 psychological level or the $1,900 technical support.

Today, 4 March 2026, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading near $71,000, after a massive $1.1 billion capital injection into US spot Bitcoin ETFs over the last week. Meanwhile, Strategy Chair Michael Saylor has authorized another strategic purchase, effectively absorbing 3,015 BTC from the supply.

JUST IN: $71,000 Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/k6XYgf3MY3

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) March 4, 2026

After a significant period of retrenchment, marked by a five-week streak of net outflows that dampened sentiment, US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded approximately $1.1 billion in net inflows across recent trading sessions. This reversal signals that institutional allocators are positioning for a recovery.

Institutional ETF Accumulation: The Data Breakdown On March 3, IBIT captured over 50% of the $458.2 million in daily inflows. This shows that liquidity continues to consolidate around the largest issuers. This volume of buying effectively removes coins from the liquid circulating supply, transferring them into deep cold storage custody.

The sudden resurgence in Bitcoin ETF demand suggests that the “smart money” cohort views the recent dip to $60,000 as a value area. However, unlike retail-driven rallies, this institutional accumulation is executed via algorithmic time-weighted average price (TWAP) orders designed to minimize price impact, potentially masking the true depth of the current demand.

Total net inflow of Bitcoin spot ETFs yesterday was $562 million, the highest net inflow in 7 days.

Gensler’s skepticism isn’t stopping the institutional machine. pic.twitter.com/exampleLink

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 4, 2024

Strategy’s Bitcoin Treasury: Corporate Conviction Parallel to the ETF inflows, Strategy continued its aggressive corporate treasury allocation. Chairman Michael Saylor announced that the firm acquired an additional 3,015 BTC for approximately $201 million.

Strategy has acquired 3,015 BTC for ~$204.1 million at ~$67,700 per bitcoin. As of 3/1/2026, we hodl 720,737 $BTC acquired for ~$54.77 billion at ~$75,985 per bitcoin. $MSTR $STRC https://t.co/rqDIhlUDNx

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) March 2, 2026

This latest acquisition brings Strategy’s total holdings to 720,737 BTC, acquired at an aggregate cost of roughly $54 billion and an average price of $75,985. As Strategy continues its streak of accumulation, it effectively acts as a sink for available coin supply, permanently removing these assets from the active trading float.

Saylor’s conviction highlights a broader trend of institutional crypto adoption where corporate treasuries view Bitcoin not as a speculative trade, but as a long-duration reserve asset.

Bitcoin Reclaims $71,000 Bulls have reclaimed the $71,000 resistance level to invalidate the lower-high structure forming on the daily chart. A clean break above this ceiling, accompanied by sustained volume, would likely trigger a momentum-driven move toward new all-time highs.

DISCOVER: Top Crypto Exchanges for 2024

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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Daniel Frances is a technical writer and Web3 educator specializing in macroeconomics and DeFi mechanics. A crypto native since 2017, Daniel leverages his background in on-chain analytics to author evidence-based reports and deep-dive guides. He holds certifications from The Blockchain Council, and is dedicated to providing "information gain" that cuts through market hype to find real-world blockchain utility.

Cover image via www.freepik.com 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.

TL;DR

XRP jumps 3.83% and breaks above the daily Bollinger Band midpoint, opening a path toward $1.50 and potentially $1.92.Bitcoin returns above $71,000 as short liquidations exceed $250 million during the rally.Cardano whales redistribute 230 million ADA, easing selling pressure as the price rebounds.XRP on rise: Bollinger Bands point to $1.92 as price targetThe midweek crypto market is unfolding unexpectedly green, with XRP's price suddenly surging 3.83% today. This marks the largest intraday rise during this period, allowing the token's price to surpass the crucial middle Bollinger Band on the daily time frame on the TradingView chart.

For those unfamiliar with this indicator, it is based on the 20-day moving average, with two deviations above and below it. These deviations divide the asset's price range and indicate whether the bias is bullish or bearish.

HOT Stories

Considering that the XRP price moved above the upper boundary, it is possible to conclude that the medium-term bias for XRP has turned bullish. However, consolidation in this price range is lacking, as is confirmation that this is not a false breakout.

XRP/USD Weekly Chart with Bollinger Bands, Source: TradingViewIf the bull case is confirmed, targets are quite optimistic. On the daily time frame, the target is $1.50 per token, corresponding to the upper boundary of the Bollinger Bands' range for this time frame. On the weekly chart, one could aim for the middle band at $1.92 for XRP. This would be an excellent test and would erase the decline since the beginning of 2026.

At the same time, XRP would remain at the lower boundary of the Bollinger Bands corridor on the weekly time frame. This means that a full change in medium-term bias to bullish may not occur, but the price could still rise 36% from current levels.

Bitcoin back to $71,000 with over quarter-billion in short liquidationsToday's report continues with the resumption of Bitcoin’s growth. At first, the market received a teaser at the beginning of this week. However, that impulse expanded, and now, midway through the week, Bitcoin is demonstrating truly bullish dynamics. It has added more than 4.5% since the opening today and, most importantly, has returned to the level of $71,000 per token.

Currently, the cryptocurrency is trading even higher, approaching $72,000 per BTC, as visible on the TradingView chart.

While analysts speculate about the next price resistance level for BTC, CoinGlass's liquidation heat map reveals that short positions on cryptocurrency derivatives exceeded $285 million in the last 24 hours.

Liquidation Heatmap by CoinGlassFor comparison, long liquidations amounted to only $166.66 million. The total amount over 24 hours reached $452 million.

Interestingly, more than a third of these liquidations occurred in the last four hours, and the data diverges further. While long liquidations amounted to $9.1 million, liquidations of short positions on cryptocurrency derivatives reached $156.92 million.

Could this be a short squeeze? Partly. It is more about a full rally with spot purchases. These were observed on Coinbase, the largest American cryptocurrency exchange, where the premium remained in the positive zone all week. This means that these were spot market purchases by American buyers, ETF flows or retail — it does not matter.

As a result, we are seeing not a leverage-driven move but rather a full pump of Bitcoin.

Cardano whales redistribute 230 million ADAThe final story in this report was an on-chain event related to the Cardano token.

According to Ali Martinez's data, whales redistributed 230 million Cardano tokens over the past week.  What this means is that large holders of ADA sold nearly a quarter of a billion Cardano tokens from Feb. 26 to March 3.

This caused a short-term decline in price. During this period, ADA lost 5% in value.

ADA/USD Daily Chart, Source: TradingViewHowever, against the backdrop of the current relief rally on the cryptocurrency market, Cardano's price has risen 4% since then, almost neutralizing the effects of the redistribution.

More importantly, the redistribution happened on a fairly large scale. Although it is less than $100 million in dollar terms, a certain part of the selling pressure has been absorbed, and ADA is rising.

Therefore, resistance to growth is smaller now than it was a week ago, when these 230 million tokens were still sitting on "whale" addresses.

Crypto market outlook: XRP, BTC, ADA and Fed Beige BookThe Federal Reserve Beige Book is among the important events in focus today. It will set the tone for expectations regarding the Fed rate and overall monetary rhetoric.

However, this event takes place in the evening, near the end of trading sessions on financial markets. This leaves room for maneuver not only for cryptocurrencies but also for markets overall. Prices can rise, and if the Beige Book is less critical than usual, the upward trend can continue into the after-hours session.

Levels to watch:

XRP: Currently, attention is focused on the $1.41 to $1.50 range, representing the upper corridor on the daily Bollinger Bands chart. If the price consolidates here on the daily time frame, a move toward the middle Bollinger Band on the weekly chart at $1.92 becomes more likely. A drop below $1.41 per XRP would almost completely cancel out the medium-term growth scenarios.Bitcoin (BTC): The main focus here is on how Bitcoin will behave above the $71,000 level. The $67,600 level remains an important support level, but it would be undesirable to test it again if Bitcoin has ambitions to move higher in the near future.Cardano (ADA): On the daily time frame, the price has not yet moved out of the lower Bollinger Bands corridor. It is worth paying attention to its behavior near the key resistance level of $0.28 per ADA. You Might Also Like

Frontier artificial intelligence models across six major developers showed a consistent preference for bitcoin as a long-term store of value and stablecoins for everyday payments when presented with open-ended monetary scenarios, according to a study published by the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

The research, which the institute describes as "nonpartisan," tested 36 models from Anthropic, DeepSeek, Google, MiniMax, OpenAI, and xAI across 9,072 scenarios designed with no suggested currencies or predetermined answers. Models were asked to make monetary decisions across four economic functions: store of value, unit of account, medium of exchange, and settlement.

Bitcoin accounted for 48.3% of all responses, or 4,378 of 9,072 total selections, making it the most-chosen monetary instrument overall. Stablecoins followed at 33.2%, with 3,013 responses, while traditional fiat currencies captured 8.9%, according to the study.

The preference for bitcoin strengthened considerably in scenarios focused on long-term value preservation. In store-of-value questions spanning multi-year horizons, bitcoin captured 79.1% of responses — 1,794 of 2,268 selections — representing the strongest consensus on any single question, the research shows. Stablecoins placed a distant second at 6.7%, followed by fiat at 6%. 

Notably, bitcoin preference varied significantly by model developer. Anthropic models averaged 68% bitcoin preference, with its Claude Opus 4.5 reaching 91.3% individually, the highest of any model tested. DeepSeek averaged 52%, followed by Google at 43% and xAI at 39%. OpenAI models averaged 26% bitcoin preference, with its GPT-5.2 ranking bitcoin at 18.3%, per the study. 

Payment scenarios  For payment scenarios involving services, micropayments, and cross-border transfers, stablecoins led with 53.2% of responses compared with bitcoin at 36%. Fiat trailed at 5.1%. The pattern held across all providers, model sizes, and output settings, according to the research. 

This trend mirrors observed human behavior in a separate global study, where, among freelancers and sellers, approximately 35% of annual earnings are now paid in stablecoins. Nearly three-quarters of respondents report that stablecoin payments have improved their ability to work internationally.

Overall, BPI’s study found that 90.8% of substantive responses favored digitally native instruments, including bitcoin, stablecoins, other crypto assets, tokenized real-world assets, and compute units, over traditional fiat, which accounted for 9.2%. None of the 36 models ranked fiat as their top overall preference.

“Without any prompting, AI models converged on a two-tier monetary system — bitcoin for savings, stablecoins for spending — that mirrors how hard money and liquid instruments have functioned throughout history. As AI agents gain economic autonomy, these preferences carry direct policy implications,” BPI wrote a statement.

The study also recorded 86 instances in which models independently proposed energy or compute-denominated units, such as kilowatt-hours and GPU-hours, as a preferred unit of account. All 86 responses occurred in unit-of-account scenarios, and none were prompted by the study design, BPI stated.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Bitcoin held inside a tight range while a liquidation heatmap showed heavy liquidity stacked near $69,000 to $70,000 and another pocket forming around $62,000. On the daily chart, BTC also printed a breakout and retest from a tightening triangle, with $70,000 marked as the next level to clear.

Bitcoin Liquidity Heatmap Shows Key Levels Around $69K and $62KA Bitcoin liquidation heatmap shared by analyst Columbus on X shows BTC trading inside a compressed range while liquidity clusters build above and below the current structure. The four hour BTCUSD chart overlays price action with the MMT heatmap, which highlights areas where large liquidation pools may form.

Bitcoin Liquidation Heatmap Range Structure. Source: Columbus

The chart indicates that liquidity remains concentrated near the $69,000 to $70,000 region. These bands appear as brighter zones on the heatmap, suggesting a higher concentration of potential liquidations if price moves upward into that area. According to the analyst’s commentary, this zone could trigger a short squeeze if traders leaning short are forced to close positions.

Meanwhile, the heatmap also shows a developing liquidity pocket near the $62,000 area. That region sits below the mid range where BTC has been consolidating during recent sessions. If price loses the middle section of the range and momentum shifts lower, the liquidity cluster near $62,000 could act as a potential draw for price.

Recent candles on the chart show Bitcoin moving sideways within the range rather than establishing a directional breakout. Each downward push has met buying activity, while upward attempts have stalled near overhead resistance. As a result, the market continues to compress between the upper liquidity band and the lower pocket.

According to the analyst, the next directional move may emerge once price reaches either liquidity cluster. A move above the upper zone could accelerate momentum through short liquidations, while a drop below the mid range could shift attention toward the lower liquidity pocket.

Bitcoin Daily Chart Shows Breakout and Retest From Triangle CompressionMeanwhile, a daily Bitcoin chart shared by SuperBitcoinBro on X shows BTC breaking above a tightening triangle and then retesting the former resistance line. The chart marks the sequence as “breakout” and “retest,” with the next move framed as a possible continuation if price holds above the reclaimed trendline.

Bitcoin Daily Triangle Breakout and Retest. Source: SuperBitcoinBro

Before the triangle formed, the chart shows a steep selloff that pushed Bitcoin below two labeled reference levels, the November low near $80,524 and the April low near $74,421. After that drop, candles began compressing into a wedge, with lower highs pressing down and higher lows pushing up toward an apex.

The highlighted retest appears after price pushed through the upper boundary of the triangle and then revisited that line. In the same view, the post points to $70,000 as the next level to clear for follow through, while the triangle’s upper trendline now acts as the nearby structure the market is trying to defend.

TLDR: Predict.fun has recorded $1.5 billion in trading volume since launching in December 2025 on BNB Chain. The acquisition brings Probable’s team in-house to accelerate protocol and market architecture development. Probable users get a 2x refund on USDT trading fees and a 1:2 conversion of Probable Points to Predict Points. Predict.fun gains access to Probable’s engaged Asian user base, expanding its geographic reach significantly. Predict.fun, the fastest-growing onchain prediction market on BNB Chain, has finalized its strategic acquisition of Probable. Probable was originally incubated by PancakeSwap and YZi Labs before the deal.

Since its launch in December 2025, Predict.fun has processed $1.5 billion in cumulative trading volume. The platform has also surpassed 120,000 users and logged more than 3.3 million transactions.

This acquisition targets stronger technology, improved market structure, and greater capital efficiency across its operations.

Strengthening Technology and Expanding Market Design The acquisition brings the Probable team directly into Predict.fun’s core development pipeline. This move is expected to accelerate progress across the platform’s existing technology stack.

Work will concentrate on market architecture, execution efficiency, and capital optimization. The deal also positions Predict.fun for deeper integration within the broader BNB DeFi ecosystem.

A key area of development is the expansion of DeFi-derived yield on open positions. Predict.fun plans to evolve this into a multi-source, dynamically routed yield engine.

The engine is designed to materially improve capital efficiency and composability across the platform. Stronger composability also supports more sophisticated market architecture over time.

Dingaling, founder of Predict.fun, shared his remarks on the strategic purpose of the acquisition. “Prediction markets live or die by their liquidity architecture and market design,” he stated.

His comment, posted publicly, reflects the core priority that drove the deal forward. The acquisition, he added, accelerates Predict.fun’s path toward capital-efficient forecasting infrastructure.

Probable’s team also shared its position on joining Predict.fun. “Our vision has always been to push forward market design innovation,” the Probable team stated.

Joining Predict.fun gives the team the distribution, liquidity, and execution layer needed to scale that vision. Both teams see the merger as a foundation for advancing prediction market design.

Transition Process and Rewards for Probable Users Existing Probable.markets users will receive guidance for a streamlined migration to Predict.fun. No immediate changes to user accounts or open positions are expected in the early phase.

Users can expect detailed claiming instructions to be released shortly after the announcement. The transition is designed to be as seamless as possible for current participants.

As part of the deal, Probable users will receive rewards for their early participation. All USDT trading fees paid on Probable as of March 3rd, 2026 will be returned at a 2x value. This refund applies to fees accumulated up to that specific date.

Moreover, Probable Points will convert to Predict Points at a 1:2 ratio. One Probable Point will equal two Predict Points under this arrangement. This conversion rewards those who contributed to the Probable platform from the beginning.

Beyond rewards, the acquisition also extends Predict.fun’s geographic reach. Probable had built a highly engaged user base across key Asian markets prior to the deal.

Absorbing these communities strengthens Predict.fun’s position in Asia’s growing prediction market space. The combined user base adds further depth to trading activity and overall platform liquidity.

Oil benchmarks were up again following a brief reprieve linked to comments from President Donald Trump.

Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon Price John reveals how she transformed the iconic mall-based toy retailer into a multi-platform brand. From a struggling stuffed animal store to a thriving intellectual property company, Price John shares the leadership strategies and creative vision that helped Build-A-Bear's stock soar over the past five years.

Endava plc (DAVA) Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 March 3, 2026 7:50 PM EST

Company Participants

John Cotterell - Founder, CEO & Director
Alastair Lukies - Chair of Global Advisory Board & Chief Engagement Officer
Mark Thurston - CFO & Director

Conference Call Participants

James Faucette - Morgan Stanley, Research Division

Presentation

James Faucette
Morgan Stanley, Research Division

Thanks for joining us here as we are wrapping up the -- about to wrap up. We still have a keynote after this presentation here at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference for 2026 on Tuesday, so the second of 4 days. Very thankful to the Endava management team for joining us. Before we get started with them, I'm James Faucette, senior IT services analyst here at Morgan Stanley. And we're very pleased today to have co-CEOs of Endava, John Cotterell and Alastair Lukies. We also have Mark Thurston, CFO.

Before we get started with the team, though, I do have an important disclosure to read. Please see the Morgan Stanley Research Disclosures website at morganstanley.com/researchdisclosures. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Morgan Stanley sales representative.

Question-and-Answer Session

James Faucette
Morgan Stanley, Research Division

So I guess with that, I'll just kind of open it up. I'm sure you've gotten the same question multiple times as have we. And it starts with, hey, the recent commentary that you gave coming into the calendar year was actually really encouraging. And I'm wondering if you can walk us through the key factors behind that change. And in particular, what are the things you're looking at that inspires confidence in a stronger fourth quarter pipeline conversion rate?

John Cotterell
Founder, CEO & Director

Sure. I mean we've been, as I've articulated fairly frequently over the last year or so, on a strategic focus

Vistry Group PLC shares tumbled 16% on Wednesday, leading the housebuilding sector lower, as it signalled it will prioritise sales growth and cash generation over margins in the early part of this year.

The company’s full-year results for 2025 were broadly in line with expectations, with adjusted profit before tax rising 2% to £268.8 million despite a 9% drop in completions. The improvement was helped by a shift towards higher-margin sites.

However, investors focused on the outlook. Vistry said sales in the open market (as opposed to via its partnership arm) so far in the new year were up over 40% on last year, "primarily reflecting the success of the targeted pricing initiatives", ie offering pricing incentives to attract buyers.

Analysts at Stifel said the strategy is likely to reduce margins in the near term and could push down consensus profit forecasts by about 5-10%.

The broker said the move should support volumes but warned the immediate effect would be weaker profitability, prompting investors to mark the shares lower.

Vistry also announced that its executive chairman Greg Fitzgerald will retire as chair at the company’s annual meeting in May and will step down from the chief executive role within 12 months.

Barratt Redrow fell 1.6% after it also announced that its boss is retiring after 11 years in the role. 

Bellway fell 1.6%, while Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey also slipped about 1%, and Berkeley was slightly below flat.

Murphy Oil capitalizes on less competitive, high-quality opportunities left by super majors. MUR's strategy prioritizes profitability over smooth growth. The company's production can decline between major discoveries.

Metro Bank Holdings PLC (LSE:MTRO) has reported its highest-ever annual profit, with underlying earnings before tax reaching 98 million pounds in 2025, sending shares up as much as 5% in early trading.

The challenger bank, which came close to collapse in 2023 before a rescue refinancing, has been executing a deliberate shift toward higher-margin business. Net interest income rose 22% year on year, driving a 16% increase in underlying revenue. Its net interest margin, a key measure of lending profitability, exited the year at 3.17%, in line with guidance.

The sharpest growth came in corporate and SME lending, which increased 67% to a record 2 billion pounds. The bank also cut operating costs by 7%, ahead of its own guidance of 4 to 5%, and expanded its store network with new openings in Chester, Salford and Gateshead.

A regulatory reclassification under the MREL regime, which governs how banks hold loss-absorbing capital, has freed up additional capacity for lending growth, something the bank's management flagged as a meaningful operational unlock.

Chief executive Daniel Frumkin said Metro Bank expects to more than double its return on tangible equity during the fourth quarter of 2026 and nearly triple it to above 18% by 2028.

The bank's current RoTE stands at 6.4%. Reaching 18% would place it among the stronger performers on the UK high street.

After the initial burst, the share settled at 116.2p, up 1.8%.

Costco Wholesale (COST +0.50%) has always been a reliable market beater, even in challenging times. But it's experiencing some rare underperformance, and the stock is roughly flat over the past year, even though the business is performing beautifully.

Can Costco stock break out of this cycle? Let's see where it might be in another year from now.

Image source: Getty Images.

Members can't get enough of Costco Costco has a unique membership model that stands out in retail. Although there is competition, including BJ's Wholesale and Walmart's Sam's Club, Costco is the largest of its kind, with nearly 1,000 stores worldwide and $280 billion in trailing 12-month sales.

Essentially, what Costco sells is the membership, which trickles down to the bottom line. Its retail merchandise is marked up with razor-thin margins to just cover associated costs, and membership drives high volume as customers aim to make the most of their annual fees.

There are several metrics that track customer satisfaction. Renewal rates are routinely very high, at around 90% or higher, and more members continue to upgrade to the executive membership, which costs double the $65 annual fee. Executive members are highly engaged, accounting for just under half of total members but 74% of total sales.

Membership upgrades are just one growth avenue for the retail giant. Costco is still opening new stores, both in the U.S. and globally, and it has several other levers to pull, such as its recent $5 annual fee hike and attracting new members. It's embracing digital and e-commerce, which is one of its biggest growth drivers today. Digital signups are now an integral part of its business, and it's drawing younger members to the program.

Sales increased 8.2% year over year in the fiscal 2026 first quarter (ended Nov. 23, 2025), with a 14% increase in fee income (including the fee hike) and a 5.2% increase in membership. These are standard increases for Costco, and high inflation hasn't stopped it.

Costco often does well when the economy is pressured, since customers are more likely to shop at discount stores. I would expect the trend to continue over the next year. This reliability is one of the reasons investors love Costco stock.

Today's Change

(

0.50

%) $

5.00

Current Price

$

1007.77

A hefty price tag In the near term, the market seems to be concerned about how long Costco can keep up sales growth in the face of inflation, and a slight dip in renewal rates, which management attributes to higher digital signups.

But what's driving that is the Costco stock's premium valuation. It's generally more expensive than other retail stocks, since it's so reliable for growth. But it doesn't have a lot of room for error, and if there are any worries, the stock is likely to fall. That seems to be what's happening with Costco stock. Costco stock trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 54, well above the three-year average of 49, which is already expensive. There's a lot built into that price.

If Costco has a flawless year, its stock can rise. However, at this price, there may not be a high upside in the short term. In a year from now, Costco stock may not demonstrate a lot of upward movement unless growth accelerates, and if there are any problems, the stock could fall.

March 4, 2026

CE Marked and 510(k) pending, Rembra’s advanced image reconstruction technology delivers up to 106 images per second [1] and a high throughput of up to 270 patients per day [2] to support faster diagnosis by making scans available in near-real timeWith the largest-in-class 85 cm bore, Rembra accommodates challenging patient types, providing more access for complex interventions, bariatric imaging and trauma, helping to improve comfort for complex patients and may reduce the need for rescansNext-generation NanoPanel Precise XD detector with AI is built for dose-efficient, high-resolution imaging to support clear visualization and delineation of anatomical structures Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Vienna, Austria – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today introduced Rembra [3], its next-generation radiology CT system designed for the realities of acute and high-demand imaging. Rembra will be showcased publicly for the first time at ECR 2026 in Vienna.

Healthcare systems worldwide are under unprecedented pressure. Rising patient volumes, increasing clinical complexity and workforce shortages are pushing frontline, high-acuity and high-demand imaging to its limits. Rembra was engineered from the ground up to meet these challenges, bringing together advanced detector technology, ultra-fast scan and reconstruction speeds and streamlined workflows in a system built for speed, consistency and long-term value.

“Rembra is built for the realities that clinicians face every day,” said Dan Xu, Business Leader for Computed Tomography at Philips. “By combining our most advanced detector technology with AI-powered workflows and industry-leading speed, Rembra represents a significant step forward for high-acuity imaging, delivering speed, access and diagnostic confidence when it matters most.”

Industry-leading speed [1] to support timely clinical decisions
In emergency, trauma and other high-demand settings, delays in image reconstruction can slow diagnosis and impact outcomes. Rembra addresses this challenge with an industry-leading reconstruction speed – up to 106 images per second [1]. This speed is designed to help radiologists and clinicians access images quickly in stroke, trauma and other urgent cases. It may support smoother workflows and timely clinical decisions in busy emergency departments.

Designed for high-demand environments, Rembra can support 270 exams per day [2], helping imaging departments manage growing volumes without compromising speed or confidence.

Optimized patient positioning and access
With the largest-in-class 85 cm bore, Rembra is designed to help facilitate patient access and positioning, and may help improve comfort for trauma, bariatric and interventional cases.

Rembra features a 60 cm standard field of view (sFOV) and an 85 cm extended field of view (eFOV), both the largest in their class of frontline radiology CT systems [4], enabling full anatomical visualization in a single scan. Rembra also features a high-performance patient table with Philips’ best-in-class scan range of up to 2.3 meters and gantry-to-tablespace of 46 cm to support flexible patient positioning.

“In interventional and high acuity settings, precise access and efficient positioning are essential,” said Professor Olivier Rouvière, MD, PhD, Head of Department at Hospices Civils de Lyon (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lyon). “Rembra’s 85 cm bore supports improved access as well as faster and safer positioning of long needles and instruments in complex procedures.”

Clinical performance without compromise
At the heart of Rembra is Philips’ newest NanoPanel Precise XD, a high-density detector designed from the outset to work hand-in-hand with AI. It delivers high dose-efficiency, high-resolution imaging at the source and is designed to support overall image quality and diagnostic confidence.

The detector offers exceptional in-plane spatial resolution of 23 line pairs per cm, enabling sharp detail and visualization of fine anatomical structures down to 0.25 mm. A 2D anti-scatter grid provides strong scatter rejection to help preserve image clarity in challenging patient types, supporting consistently high image quality across patient sizes and clinical scenarios.

AI-designed for productivity, predictability and long-term value
Integrated AI-enabled smart workflows can help automate routine steps and simplify certain operations. These features are intended to support workflow efficiency for consistent results.

Built for operations at high-altitude environments up to 5000m, Rembra is engineered for reliability, durability and long-term performance, supporting a system lifetime of up to 20 years with required maintenance and upgrades. Philips’ industry-first Tube for Life [5] service program further enhances cost predictability by covering tube replacement costs for up to 10 years.

Advancing spectral CT leadership
Also making its European debut at ECR 2026 is Verida, the world’s first detector-based spectral CT powered by AI. Verida integrates AI across the entire imaging chain. First introduced at RSNA 2025, Verida delivers exceptional spectral image quality while helping to accelerate workflows and reduce dose, further reinforcing Philips’ leadership in spectral CT innovation [6,7]. For more information about Verida, please visit the Verida spectral-detector CT scanner page.

[1] Based on publicly available manufacturer specifications for leading radiology CT systems as of March 2026 on reconstruction speed in this class of scanners and bore size.
[2] Based on a sixteen-hour day, with throughput testing with 203 patient scans/ 12 hours for Rembra with typical radiological profiles and protocols.
[3] Pending 510(k) - not available for sale in the USA
[4] The Extended Field of View (EFOV) of 85 cm is intended solely for use in treatment preparation and the planning/simulation of radiation therapy. It cannot be used for diagnostic purposes. The water equivalent material external contour deviation of body system phantom positioned (partially) outside scan FOV with phantom edge adjacent to bore cover shall be within 1mm in terms of mean Hausdorff distance compared to the true external contour.
[5] Tube for Life guarantee availability varies by country. Please contact your local Philips sales representative for details
[6] Andersen MB et al. Impact of spectral body imaging in patients suspected for occult cancer: a prospective study of 503 patients. Eur Radiol2020. doi.org/10.1007/s00330-020-06878-7
[7] Andersen MB et al. Economic impact of spectral body imaging in the diagnosis of patients suspected of occult cancer. Insights into Imaging 2021. doi.org/10.1186/s13244-021-01116-0. Results of customer testimonies are not predictive of results in other cases, where results may vary.

For further information, please contact:
Jayme Maniatis 
Philips Global External Relations  
Tel.: +1 617 804 8368
E-mail: [email protected]

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2025 sales of EUR 18 billion and employs approximately 64,800 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Philips unveils Rembra CT at ECR 2026 Philips Rembra, a next-generation radiology CT system designed for the realities of acute and high-demand imaging

Philips unveils Rembra CT at ECR 2026 Philips unveils Rembra CT at ECR 2026 Philips Rembra, a next-generation radiology CT system designed for the realities of acute and high-d... Philips Rembra, a next-generation radiology CT system designed for the realities of acute and high-d...