Price analysis 3/31: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, TON
Bitcoin (BTC) fell 4.29% last week, but the bulls started a recovery by pushing the price back above $83,500 on March 31. However, traders are likely to remain on edge until April 2, when new US trade tariffs are set to kick in. The event could trigger a sharp, knee-jerk reaction on either side of the market.Traders remain cautious in the near term, but a minor positive is that lower levels are attracting buyers. Cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs) witnessed modest inflows of $226 million last week, CoinShares reported on March 31. Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360Strategy took advantage of the pullback in Bitcoin by adding 22,048 Bitcoin for $1.92 billion at an average price of $86,969. After the latest purchase, the company holds 528,185 Bitcoin bought for roughly $35.63 billion.Could Bitcoin break above the stiff overhead resistance, pulling select altcoins higher? Let’s analyze the charts to find out.S&P 500 Index price analysisThe S&P 500 Index (SPX) broke above the 20-day exponential moving average (5,706) on March 24, but that proved to be a bull trap.SPX daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe price turned down sharply on March 26 and broke below the 5,600 support. Both moving averages are sloping down, and the relative strength index (RSI) is in the negative territory, indicating an advantage to sellers. There is solid support at 5,500, but if the level breaks down, the index could tumble to 5,400 and subsequently to 5,100.This negative view will be invalidated if the price turns up from the current level and breaks above 5,800. Such a move suggests that the index may have bottomed out in the near term.US Dollar Index price analysisThe US Dollar Index (DXY) has been trading below the 20-day EMA (104.46), indicating that the sentiment remains negative.DXY daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bears will try to sink the index to 103.37, which is a critical level to watch out for. Buyers are expected to defend the 103.37 level with all their might because if they fail in their endeavor, the index could plunge to 101.Contrarily, a break and close above the 20-day EMA suggests that the bulls are trying to make a comeback. The index may rise to 105.42 and then to the 50-day simple moving average (106.09).Bitcoin price analysisBitcoin remains under pressure as bears are trying to sink the price to the critical support at $80,000. A minor positive in favor of the bulls is that they are attempting to arrest the decline at $81,100.BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bulls will try to push the price to the resistance line, which is likely to attract strong selling by the bears. If the price turns down from the resistance line, the likelihood of a break below $80,000 increases. The BTC/USDT pair could slump to $76,606 and eventually to $73,777.On the contrary, a break and close above the resistance line suggests that the bears are losing their grip. The pair could pick up momentum above $89,000 and rally toward $95,000.Ether price analysisEther (ETH) has reached the vital support at $1,754, from where the bulls are trying to start a relief rally.ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bears will try to halt the recovery attempt at the 20-day EMA ($1,980). If the price turns down sharply from the 20-day EMA, it increases the possibility of a break below $1,754. That could sink the ETH/USDT pair to $1,550.The first sign of strength will be a break and close above the breakdown level of $2,111. The pair will then complete a bullish double-bottom pattern, which has a target objective of $2,468.XRP price analysisXRP (XRP) has dropped to the critical $2 support, which is likely to attract solid buying by the bulls. XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewAny bounce is expected to face selling at the moving averages. If the price turns down from the moving averages, it heightens the risk of a break below $2. If that happens, the XRP/USDT pair will complete a bearish head-and-shoulders pattern. There is minor support at $1.77, but if the level gets taken out, the pair could collapse to $1.27.Time is running out for the bulls. If they want to prevent the downside, they will have to quickly drive the price above the moving averages. The pair may then travel to the resistance line.BNB price analysisBNB’s (BNB) narrow range resolved to the downside with a break and close below the moving averages on March 29.BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe BNB/USDT pair has support at the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level of $591 and then at the 50% retracement level of $575. If the price rebounds off the support, the bulls will try to propel the pair above the moving averages and the $644 resistance. If they manage to do that, the pair could rally to $686.Contrarily, a break and close below $575 could sink the pair to the 61.8% retracement level of $559. A deeper pullback is likely to delay the next leg of the up move.Solana price analysisSolana (SOL) is finding support near $120, indicating that the buyers are fiercely defending the level.SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe first sign of strength will be a break and close above the 20-day EMA ($133). That opens the doors for a rise to the 50-day SMA ($148), which may again act as a stiff resistance. However, if buyers pierce the resistance, the SOL/USDT pair could rally to $180.If sellers want to strengthen their position, they will have to pull the price below the $120 to $110 support zone. If they manage to do that, the pair could start the next leg of the downtrend toward $80.Related: XRP bulls in ‘denial’ as price trend mirrors previous 75-90% crashesDogecoin price analysisDogecoin (DOGE) is trying to take support at the $0.16 support, but a weak bounce suggests a lack of demand from the bulls.DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe DOGE/USDT pair could skid to $0.14, where the buyers are expected to step in. Any bounce-off of $0.14 is expected to face selling at the moving averages. If the price turns down from the moving averages, it increases the possibility of a break below $0.14. If that happens, the pair could plummet to $0.10.Buyers will have to push and maintain the price above $0.20 to suggest that the pair may have formed a floor at $0.14. The pair may then ascend to $0.24.Cardano price analysisCardano (ADA) has slipped to the uptrend line, which is an important near-term support to watch out for.ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe downsloping 20-day EMA ($0.71) and the RSI in the negative territory signal a slight advantage to the bears. A close below the uptrend line could start a downward move toward $0.50.On the other hand, a bounce off the uptrend line could push the ADA/USDT pair toward the moving averages. Buyers will be back in control after they propel and maintain the price above the 50-day SMA ($0.75).Toncoin price analysisToncoin (TON) is getting squeezed between the 20-day EMA ($3.63) and the overhead resistance at $4.14.TON/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe upsloping 20-day EMA and the RSI in the positive territory suggest the path of least resistance is to the upside. If buyers drive the price above $4.14, the TON/USDT pair is likely to pick up momentum and climb to $5 and later to $5.65.This positive view will be invalidated in the near term if the price turns down from the overhead resistance and breaks below the 50-day SMA ($3.46). That could sink the pair to $3.30 and later to $2.81.This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Trump’s focus on cartels highlights new risks for digital assets
Opinion by: Genny Ngai and Will Roth of Morrison Cohen LLPSince taking office, the Trump administration has designated several drug and violent cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). US President Donald Trump has also called for the “total elimination” of these cartels and the like. These executive directives are not good developments for the cryptocurrency industry. On their face, these mandates appear focused only on criminal cartels. Make no mistake: These executive actions will cause unforeseen collateral damage to the digital asset community. Crypto actors, including software developers and investors, may very well get caught in the crosshairs of aggressive anti-terrorism prosecutions and follow-on civil lawsuits.Increased threat of criminal anti-terrorism investigations The biggest threat stemming from Trump’s executive order on cartels is the Department of Justice (DOJ). Almost immediately after President Trump called for the designation of cartels as terrorists, the DOJ issued a memo directing federal prosecutors to use “the most serious and broad charges,” including anti-terrorism charges, against cartels and transnational criminal organizations.This is a new and serious development for prosecutors. Now that cartels are designated as terrorist organizations, prosecutors can go beyond the traditional drug and money-laundering statutes and rely on criminal anti-terrorism statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 2339B — the material-support statute — to investigate cartels and anyone who they believe “knowingly provides material support or resources” to the designated cartels. Why should the crypto industry be concerned with these developments? Because “material support or resources” is not just limited to providing physical weapons to terrorists. “Material support or resources” is broadly defined as “any property, tangible or intangible, or service.” Anyone who knowingly provides anything of value to a designated cartel could now conceivably violate § 2339B. Even though cryptocurrency platforms are not financial institutions and never take custody of users’ assets, aggressive prosecutors may take the hardline view that software developers who design crypto platforms — and those who fund these protocols — are providing “material support or resources” to terrorists and launch harmful investigations against them.This is not some abstract possibility. The government has already demonstrated a willingness to take this aggressive position against the crypto industry. For example, the DOJ indicted the developers of the blockchain-based software protocol Tornado Cash on money laundering and sanction charges and accused them of operating a large-scale money laundering operation that laundered at least $1 billion in criminal proceeds for cybercriminals, including a sanctioned North Korean hacking group.Recent: Crypto crime in 2024 likely exceeded $51B, far higher than reported: ChainalysisMoreover, the government already believes that cartels use cryptocurrency to launder drug proceeds and has brought numerous cases charging individuals for laundering drug proceeds through cryptocurrency on behalf of Mexican and Colombian drug cartels. TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence company that helps detect crypto crime, has even identified how the Sinaloa drug cartel — a recently designated FTO/SDGT — has used cryptocurrency platforms to launder drug proceeds.The digital asset community faces real risks here. Putting aside the reputational damage and costs that come from defending criminal anti-terrorism investigations, violations of § 2339B impose a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years (or life if a death occurred) and monetary penalties. Anti-terrorism statutes also have extraterritorial reach, so crypto companies outside the US are not immune to investigation or prosecution.Civil anti-terrorism lawsuits will escalate The designation of cartels as FTOs/SDGTs will also increase the rate at which crypto companies will be sued under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Under the ATA, private citizens, or their representatives, can sue terrorists for their injuries, and anyone “who aids and abets, by knowingly providing substantial assistance, or who conspires with the person who committed such an act of international terrorism.” Aggressive plaintiffs’ counsel have already relied on the ATA to sue cryptocurrency companies in court. After Binance and its founder pled guilty to criminal charges in late 2023, US victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel sued Binance and its founder under the ATA, alleging that the defendants knowingly provided a “mechanism for Hamas and other terrorist groups to raise funds and transact illicit business in support of terrorist activities” and that Binance processed nearly $60 million in crypto transactions for these terrorists. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, which was granted in part and denied in part. For now, the district court permits the Ranaan plaintiffs to proceed against Binance with their aiding-and-abetting theory. Crypto companies should expect to see more ATA lawsuits now that drug cartels are on the official terrorist list. Vigilance is key Crypto companies may think that Trump’s war against cartels has nothing to do with them. The reality is, however, that the effects of this war will be widespread, and crypto companies may be unwittingly drawn into the crossfire. Now is not the time for the digital asset community to relax internal compliance measures. With anti-terrorism statutes in play, crypto companies must ensure that transactions with all FTOs/SDGTs are identified and blocked, monitor for new terrorist designations, and understand areas of new geographical risks.Opinion by: Genny Ngai and Will Roth of Morrison Cohen LLP. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
XRP funding rate flips negative — Will smart traders flip long or short?
On March 19, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced that the company had been cleared by the US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding an alleged $1.3 billion unregistered securities offering. Following the news, XRP (XRP) surged to $2.59, but the gains gradually faded as the cryptocurrency experienced a 22% correction, dropping to $2.02 by March 31.Investors worry that a deeper price correction is imminent, as XRP is trading 39% below its all-time high of $3.40 from Jan. 16. Additionally, XRP perpetual futures (inverse swaps) indicate strong demand for leveraged bearish bets. Demand for bearish bets increased amid XRP’s declineThe funding rate turns positive when longs (buyers) seek more leverage and negative when demand for shorts (sellers) dominates. In neutral markets, it typically fluctuates between 0.1% and 0.3% per seven days to offset exchange risks and capital costs. Conversely, negative funding rates are considered strong bearish signals.XRP futures 8-hour funding rate. Source: Laevitas.chCurrently, the XRP funding rate stands at -0.14% per eight hours, translating to a 0.3% weekly cost. This indicates that bearish traders are paying for leverage, reflecting weak investor confidence in XRP. However, traders should also assess XRP margin demand to determine whether the bearish sentiment extends beyond futures markets.Unlike derivative contracts, which always require both a buyer and a seller, margin markets let traders borrow stablecoins to buy spot XRP. Likewise, bearish traders can borrow XRP to open short positions, anticipating a price drop.XRP margin long-to-short ratio at OKX. Source: OKXThe XRP long-to-short margin ratio at OKX stands at 2x in favor of longs (buyers), near its lowest level in over six months. Historically, extreme confidence has pushed this metric above 40x, while readings below 5x favoring longs are typically seen as bearish signals.President Trump boosted XRP awareness, paving the way for future price gainsBoth XRP derivatives and margin markets signal bearish momentum, even as the cryptocurrency gains mainstream media attention. Notably, on March 2, US President Donald Trump mentioned XRP, along with Solana (SOL) and Cardano (ADA), as potential candidates for the country’s digital asset strategic reserves.Google search trends for XRP and BTC. Source: GoogleTrends / CointelegraphFor a brief period, Google search trends for XRP outpaced those of BTC between March 2 and March 3. A similar spike occurred on March 19 following Ripple CEO Garlinghouse’s comments on the anticipated SEC ruling. As the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization (excluding stablecoins), XRP benefits from its early adoption and high liquidity.Related: Is XRP price around $2 an opportunity or the bull market’s end? Analysts weigh inInteractive Brokers, a global traditional finance brokerage, announced on March 26 its expansion of cryptocurrency offerings to include SOL, ADA, XRP, and Dogecoin (DOGE). Since 2021, the platform has supported trading in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) pairs.The wider adoption by traditional intermediaries, combined with rising Google search trends, further reinforces XRP’s position as a leading altcoin. It also sets the stage for increased inflows once macroeconomic conditions improve and retail investors actively seek altcoins with strong marketing appeal as alternatives to traditional finance, such as Ripple.This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
Bitcoin trader issues 'overbought' warning as BTC price eyes $84K
Bitcoin (BTC) ticked higher at the March 31 Wall Street open as traders stayed risk-averse on the short-term BTC price outlook.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin RSI teases bearish continuationData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed local highs of $83,914 on Bitstamp, with BTC/USD up 1.5% on the day.With hours to go until the quarterly candle close, Bitcoin saw some much-needed relief, even as US stocks opened lower.Market momentum remained tied to upcoming US trade tariffs set to go live on April 2, with gold also slipping after touching fresh all-time highs of $3,128 per ounce.XAU/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewCommenting on BTC price action, many market participants nonetheless favored caution.“Retesting our 84k area of interest,” popular trader Roman wrote in his latest X analysis of the 4-hour BTC/USD chart. Roman referenced the relative strength index (RSI) while forecasting a return to levels closer to the $80,000 mark.“To me it looks like we should begin to head lower as we have a break down and bearish retest on LTF,” he continued. “RSI also retesting the 50 area with stoch overbought. HTF still leans bearish as well.”BTC/USD 4-hour chart with RSI data. Source: Roman/XPopular trader and analyst Rekt Capital went further on RSI signals, revealing a support retest on daily timeframes after a key breakout from a multimonth downtrend.“The $BTC RSI is trying to retest its Downtrend as support. Meanwhile BTC’s price action is also facing a Downtrend,” he summarized to X followers.“If the RSI successfully retests its Downtrend… That would display emerging strength & price would be able to break its own Downtrend.”BTC/USD 1-day chart with RSI data. Source: Rekt Capital/XEarlier, Cointelegraph reported on various BTC price metrics combining to produce a lackluster picture of the current phase of the bull market, hinting that the correction would continue.BTC price targets, meanwhile, now extend to $65,000, with prediction platforms seeing even lower.BTC price analysis draws comparisons to late 2024Both March and Q1 performance thus left much to be desired.Related: Worst Q1 for BTC price since 2018: 5 things to know in Bitcoin this weekAmid a broad lack of upside catalysts, BTC/USD traded down 10.8% year-to-date at the time of writing and 1.1% lower for March, per data from monitoring resource CoinGlass.BTC/USD monthly returns (screenshot). Source: CoinGlassIn its latest analytics report, “Bitfinex Alpha,” released on March 31, crypto exchange Bitfinex acknowledged that 2025 was Bitcoin’s worst first quarter in years.“Any buying momentum is currently being capped at the $89,000 level—coinciding with the previous range lows seen in December 2024, and acting as a firm resistance level to further gains,” contributors observed. “This resistance is also coinciding with further downside in equities, with the S&P 500 closing the week 1.5 percent lower.”BTC/USD 1-week chart (screenshot). Source: BitfinexThe report highlighted the growing correlation between Bitcoin and US stocks.“Despite the turbulence, price action in recent weeks appears to have carved out a consolidation range between $78,000 and $88,000. Notably, signs of capitulation are easing, with fewer reactive sellers present and long-term holders beginning to accumulate once more,” it added.This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
‘Contrary to popular belief,’ regulation isn’t slowing tokenization — Prometheum CEO
The market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) is growing by the day, but contrary to belief, the biggest hurdle to broader adoption isn’t regulation, but a lack of dedicated secondary markets for buying and selling tokenized securities, according to Prometheum founder and co-CEO Aaron Kaplan. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Kaplan drew attention to ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood’s recent appearance at the Digital Asset Summit in New York, where she said that a lack of regulatory clarity is preventing her company from tokenizing its funds.“Contrary to popular belief, however, the hurdle isn’t ambiguous regulation,” said Kaplan, who noted that the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) special purpose broker-dealer framework and Alternative Trading System (ATS) licensing “already provide a regulated pathway for issuing blockchain-native funds that offer efficiency advantages over traditional issuances.”“The real bottleneck lies in the limited market infrastructure for delivering tokenized securities trading to a broad investor base,” he said.Excluding stablecoins, the value of tokenized RWAs has increased by nearly 8% to $19.5 billion over the past 30 days, according to industry data. Private credit and US Treasury debt remain the two largest use cases. The value of tokenized RWAs has grown rapidly over the past year. Source: RWA.xyz“These assets currently sit on a handful of blockchains, but there is still no fully public secondary market where institutional and retail investors can buy, sell, and trade them, as they do with traditional securities on Nasdaq or through a brokerage account like Fidelity,” said Kaplan, who identified two general approaches for building out these platforms. The first is building tokenized securities markets using decentralized finance (DeFi) frameworks, much like what Ondo Finance, Ethena Labs and Securitize are doing.Related: Ethena Labs, Securitize launch blockchain for DeFi and tokenized assetsThe second approach involves integrating tokenization protocols into existing brokerage platforms that operate under SEC-registered entities and are subject to federal securities laws. “Legacy crypto and fintech platforms are already accustomed to facilitating cryptocurrency trading, so you would expect them to seek to broaden their offerings to include tokenized securities,” said Kaplan.While many in the latter camp do not operate digitally, they “won’t cede market share without a fight,” said Kaplan. “Many are already investing in their own tokenization initiatives, or partnering with fintech and crypto firms, to remain competitive.”“What’s at stake is the next wave of users onboarding into the digital asset space […] The question is then, will the brokerage industry enter the digital asset space, or will crypto platforms build the next gen markets for investors to buy and sell digital securities?” As a digital asset trading and custody firm, Prometheum is attempting to bridge the infrastructure gap by building a full-service digital asset securities marketplace. The company claims that securities traded on Prometheum have reduced fees, faster settlement times and increased efficiency.Related: CME Group taps Google Cloud for pilot asset tokenization programInvestors want ‘digital native’ versions of assets they’ve always knownPerhaps the biggest demand driver for tokenized assets among traditional investors is that they want to access “digital native versions of all assets, in addition to crypto tokens, through a single ecosystem they are comfortably using […] to meet a range of financial goals,” said Kaplan.One area where tokenization appears to be gaining traction is in real estate. As Cointelegraph recently reported, luxury and commercial properties are being tokenized all over North America and secondary markets are being established to enable the trading of tokenized shares. A 2024 report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) called tokenization a “game-changing blockchain use case in financial services” due to its scalability and near-instant transactions. According to BCG managing director and senior partner Sean Park, tokenization could boost investors’ annual returns by roughly $100 billion while increasing the revenue streams of financial institutions. Tokenized RWAs as an investable asset class reached an “inflection point” in 2023. Source: Boston Consulting GroupThe potential of tokenization has even been flagged by the World Economic Forum in a recent article published by Digital Asset co-founder and CEO Yuvan Rooz. In the article, Rooz showed that roughly 10% of the $230 trillion global securities market is eligible for use as collateral. “Tokenization, which improves collateral mobility and capital efficiency, could unlock this untapped capital and optimize intraday liquidity so that funds can be accessed and moved within the same trading day to meet payment and settlement obligations,” said Rooz.Magazine: Block by block: Blockchain technology is transforming the real estate market
Bitcoin’s ‘digital gold’ claim challenged as traders move into bonds and gold hits new highs
April 2 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in global trade policy. US President Donald Trump has dubbed it “Liberation Day,” in reference to when new tariffs—exceeding 20%—will hit imports from over 25 countries. According to The Wall Street Journal, the administration is also weighing “broader and higher tariffs” beyond this initial wave, meaning that April 2nd is unlikely to be the end of economic uncertainty.Markets reacted negatively over the past week, with the S&P 500 dropping 3.5%, while the Nasdaq 100 slid 5%, underscoring investor anxiety. At the same time, gold surged 4%, reaching a record high above $3,150 per ounce. The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped to 4.2%, even as recent inflation data showed an uptick in some of the core components. The markets’ is a classic sign of a risk-off environment—one that often precedes economic contraction.Throughout the volatility, Bitcoin (BTC) dropped 6%—relatively modest compared to its historical volatility, but this does not make it a reliable hedge just yet, although its growing role as a reserve asset suggests this could shift over time.Bonds and gold lead the flight to safety.In periods of macroeconomic and geopolitical instability, investors typically seek yield-bearing and historically stable assets. Both US government bonds’ decreasing yield and gold prices’ increase signal an increasing demand for these types of assets.Gold is having a standout moment. Over the past two months, gold funds have attracted more than $12 billion in net inflows, according to Bloomberg—marking the largest surge of capital into the asset since 2020.Gold funds monthly inflows. Source: BloombergSince the beginning of the year, gold prices have been up nearly +17%, while the S&P 500 has been down 5%. This shows a precarious state of the economy, further confirmed by a sharp drop in the US consumer sentiment, which has fallen around 20 points to reach levels not seen since 2008. In March, just 37.4% of Americans expected stock prices to rise over the next year—down nearly 10 points from February and 20 points below the peak in November 2024.As The Kobeissi Letter put it, “An economic slowdown has clearly begun.”Bitcoin: digital gold or tech proxy?A Matrixport chart shows that BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) is now 70% correlated with the Nasdaq 100—a level reached only twice before. This suggests that macro forces are still shaping Bitcoin’s short-term moves, much like tech stocks.IBIT BTC ETF vs Nasdaq – 30-day correlation. Source: MatrixportThe ETF data supports this trend. After a strong week of inflows, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a net outflow of $93 million on March 28, according to CoinGlass. The total Bitcoin ETP assets under management have dropped to $114.5 billion, the lowest in 2025.The numbers show that Bitcoin is still perceived more as a speculative tech proxy and is yet to enter a new phase of market behavior. However, some signs of this potential transition are already apparent.Related: Worst Q1 for BTC price since 2018: 5 things to know in Bitcoin this weekBitcoin is on the path to becoming a reserve assetBeneath the volatility, a structural shift is underway. Companies are increasingly using Bitcoin and its ETFs to diversify their balance sheets.According to Tipranks, 80.8% of BlackRock’s IBIT shares are owned by public companies and individual investors. Furthermore, in Feb. 2025, BlackRock incorporated a 1% to 2% allocation of IBIT into its target allocation portfolios, reflecting growing institutional adoption.Data from BitcoinTreasuries shows that publicly listed companies currently hold 665,618 BTC, and private firms hold 424,130 BTC. Together, that’s 1,089,748 BTC—roughly 5.5% of the total supply (excluding lost coins). These figures underscore the growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. What’s more, some experts predict that holding BTC in corporate treasury will become a standard practice by the end of the decade. Elliot Chun, a partner at the crypto-focused M&A firm Architect Partners, said in a March 28 blog post:“I anticipate that by 2030, a quarter of the S&P 500 will have BTC somewhere on their balance sheets as a long-term asset.”The character of any asset is defined by the attitude of those who own it. As more corporations adopt Bitcoin for treasury diversification—and as sovereign entities begin experimenting with Bitcoin reserves—the cryptocurrency’s profile is shifting. The US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, as imperfect as it is, contributes to this trend.It’s too early to call Bitcoin a full-fledged hedge. Its price is still primarily driven by short-term speculation. But the transition is underway. As adoption grows across countries, companies, and individuals, Bitcoin’s volatility will likely decrease, and its utility as a partial hedge will increase.For now, the safe haven label may be aspirational. But if current trends continue, it might not be for long.This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
March 2025 in charts: Trump trade war hits Bitcoin, $22M in DeFi hacks
March was a rough month for markets — US President Donald Trump’s uncertain tariff policies created volatility in Bitcoin and crypto markets; meanwhile, decentralized finance (DeFi) struggled with security concerns.Retaliatory tariffs on US goods in China and the European Union hit markets on March 10 and 12, respectively. Amid the tête-à-tête between the United States and its largest trade partners, Bitcoin managed to recover on March 24 to $88,0000 before slumping down again to around $82,000 at the time of writing.A number of state legislatures are considering Bitcoin- and crypto-related legislation, from bills that would establish a Bitcoin reserve to crypto tax forces and exploring pension fund investment. Such bills moved forward, either in voting or in committee, in 13 US states this month. The cool-down in memecoin markets has major revenue implications for Solana. After reaching eye-watering highs of $34 billion in January, Solana volumes on decentralized exchanges fell drastically. In March, volumes rarely exceeded $1 billion. Here’s March in numbers.Trump’s trade war sees Bitcoin down 5% on the monthThe first month of Trump’s administration saw a number of reversals on controversial trade policies that seemed to confuse and exasperate even the president’s political allies.After a month of delay, tariffs went live on March 4 — 25% on Mexican and Canadian goods, 10$ on Canadian energy and 20% on Chinese goods. Just one day later, Trump’s administration delayed tariffs for auto-makers; on March 6, it announced delays on most Canadian and Mexican goods. Retaliatory tariffs from China raised the temperature, and on March 12, Trump announced a 24% tariff on aluminum and steel. By March 18, the US Treasury, part of the presidential administration, announced the possibility of negotiable tariff rates per country.Bitcoin price, along with major stock indexes in the US, were hit as the estimated effects of tariffs changed by the week. On March 24, Bitcoin managed to recover to $85,000, putting it briefly above where it started the month. The trade war has affected the Trump family’s own crypto investments via World Liberty Financial (WLFI). The fund saw a mixed bag in March, with many of the altcoins in its portfolio, like Mint (MNT) and Tron (TRX), trading at or below where they started the month. Crypto and traditional financial have been on a downward trend at the end of March as traders brace for “Liberation Day” on April 2, when Trump has promised to levy dollar-for-dollar tariffs on all countries that have tariffs on US goods.Crypto legislation enacted in two statesTwo US states, Utah and Kentucky, enacted legislation in March regarding crypto. Both laws provide definitions for different aspects of digital assets and blockchain technology. They also provide zoning definitions and protections for cryptocurrency miners and create guidelines for businesses to accept cryptocurrencies. In March, various crypto bills have moved ahead in 13 other states. Three states, Texas, Georgia and Illinois, have introduced new bills in their respective legislatures. The Illinois act would establish regulations for the industry as well as consumer protections, while Georgia senators seek to create a senate study committee on digital assets and AI. Texas has been busy. In March alone, it introduced three separate bills that would create an oil-backed stablecoin, allow state officials to invest state funds in crypto and set up a blockchain pilot program for the state’s Department of Information Resources. Solana ecosystem faces 99% decrease in revenueA number of high-profile scandals, including one involving the President of Argentia Javier Milei, have begun to scare investors out of the memecoin space. With most issuances happening on the Solana network, this exodus of traders has seen a 99% decrease in revenues from their high of $15 million on Jan. 19, to just $119,000 at publishing time. March also saw a continued downtrend in decentralized exchange volume generated onchain and daily active addresses. DEX volumes in March have steadily declined from $3.9 billion on March 2 to $782 million at publishing time. Magazine: Memecoins are ded — But Solana ‘100x better’ despite revenue plungeAt the end of February, Messari analyst Sunny Shi highlighted the “memecoin economy” composing much of the Solana ecosystem’s value. He added that “a deep contraction in memecoin volumes could cause a cascade of revenue declines.”The future of memecoins remains uncertain, but Sythnetix founder Kain Warwick told Cointelegraph Magazine that the network is better off for them. “One of the cool things about the memecoin speculation is it drove a huge investment in infrastructure on Solana,” said Warwick. “Solana as a chain is 100 times better than it was pre-memecoin.”$22 million in DeFi hacks as analysts raise red flags over securityFebruary saw the largest DeFi hack of all time, with the North Korean state-affiliated Lazarus Group nabbing $1.4 billion from Bybit. March pales in comparison — $22 million was stolen across four hacks (note these are not the same as exploits or short squeezes). Continuing the Bybit saga, hackers were reportedly able to funnel “100%” of the funds successfully — primarily through THORChain — according to blockchain security firm Lookonchain.The continued proliferation of expensive DeFi hacks led blockchain sleuth ZachXBT to post on his Telegram channel on March 18 that DeFi “is unbelievably cooked when it comes to exploits/hacks and sadly idk if the industry is going to fix this itself unless the government forcibly passes regulations that hurt our entire industry.”He said that many protocols have had “nearly 100%” of the monthly fees or volumes derived from Lazarus and “refuse to take any accountability.”Related: Top 15 crypto conferences to mark your calendar in 2025Concerns over security and macroeconomic factors aside, the crypto industry has continued to build and congregate at international conferences. March saw six major international crypto conferences in Europe and North America.On the whole, March was a rocky month. Major coins traded sideways or saw significant losses — Ether (ETH) is down 18% on the month — and economic uncertainty defined the space with the introduction of new tariffs from China and the European Union. Markets will be put to the test in April as Trump introduces mass tariffs on April 2, dubbed “Liberation Day.” However, past reversals or flip-flops on tariffs mean the effect may not be as pronounced as predicted. The next month will also see a debate on the US stablecoin law in the House Financial Services Committee. Many in the industry regard the bill as the green light crypto needs to grow in the US. On April 18, Avraham Eisenberg, who was convicted of fraud and market manipulation in connection with the exploit of the Mango Markets DEX, will face sentencing. Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23 – 29
Memecoins 2.0: The market crashed, but the billion-dollar circus rolls on
Opinion by: Igor Zemtsov, chief technology officer at TBCCFollowing “Libragate,” memecoin prices crashed, with their market cap falling nearly 60% from 2025’s highs. But meme tokens, dead? They’ve got more lives than a cat on caffeine.Despite the chaos, memecoins were still holding a $47.9-billion market cap as of March 10. It’s not exactly spare change. Meanwhile, degens are still out here “buying the dip” like it’s a Black Friday sale, convinced that absurdly named tokens like Unicorn Fart Dust, Fartcoin and Buttcoin will print them a 100x profit before year’s end.Some call it irrational. Others call it degeneracy. But when has that ever stopped anyone in crypto?Down bad, but not dead yetSure, memecoins aren’t exactly outshining Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) or Solana (SOL) right now. They’ve been getting absolutely obliterated. Prices have tanked, liquidity has dried up, and traders who thought they’d be sipping cocktails on a yacht by now are busy coping in Telegram groups.Let’s not pretend this is the first time memecoins have been pronounced dead. Every time the world writes them off, they somehow claw their way back — sometimes with an even more absurd rally than before.After all, logic has never been crypto’s strong suit. If it were, we wouldn’t have seen billion-dollar valuations for fart-themed tokens in the first place. And if human nature tells us anything, it’s that people will always chase the next big hype cycle — especially when it comes wrapped in humor and the promise of overnight riches.Memecoins are down bad right now. But dead? Not a chance. The moment another ridiculous trend takes hold, the money will come flooding back. Because in crypto, what goes down eventually goes way back up — often in the most unexpected, meme-fueled ways.Better marketing than serious crypto startupsForget white papers, roadmaps or security audits. Memecoins don’t need any of that. All it takes is a viral meme on X, a 10-minute token launch, and within a few weeks, it could be sitting at a $50-million market cap. Meanwhile, legitimate projects spend years developing products, hiring developers and raising funds, only to watch their tokens struggle to gain traction.Recent: Solana revenue slumps 93% from January high after memecoin bubble burstsFor memecoins, community is everything. The bigger it is, the better the pump. It’s not just the kind that retweets project updates 10 times daily, but one that fully embraces the joke. These communities don’t just speculate — they believe. And when enough people buy the meme, the token pumps.Shiba Inu (SHIB) built a cult following as the so-called Dogecoin (DOGE) killer. It never killed DOGE, but it evolved into a $9-billion token with its own blockchain. Others took an even weirder approach. Fartcoin turned flatulence into finance. Unicorn Fart Dust captured the magic of completely nonsensical branding. And Buttcoin, a 2013 meme mocking Bitcoin, made a comeback to troll the entire industry. The formula is obvious: The more absurd the name, the bigger the hype. Sometimes, “it’s funny” is the only investment thesis you need.Sure, the crash wiped out some gains, but let’s not act like memecoins vanished. They didn’t go to zero, which, in crypto terms, makes them survivors. A strong community, relentless memes and top-tier shitposting can keep even the most ridiculous assets alive.Memecoins are a rebellion against traditional financePeople are investing money in Dogecoin instead of Apple stock, and for good reason. Well, sort of. Crypto has become the go-to escape hatch for those fed up with traditional finance. Banks freeze accounts. Regulators add more red tape. Insider trading runs rampant. Meanwhile, memecoins are a free-for-all, where anyone can win big or lose everything. No middlemen. No rules. Just vibes.The same Buttcoin proves that people will pump anything just for fun. What started as a joke now has a dedicated community trying to make it the next Bitcoin. It’s complete insanity, which is precisely why it works.If the world has gone mad, why not profit from the chaos? With financial markets becoming more centralized, restrictive and controlled, memecoins offer an anarchic alternative. They represent the financial Wild West, where anything goes; even the most absurd assets can see billion-dollar valuations.Memecoins as internet cultureMemecoins have been around since 2013, when Dogecoin launched as a joke about speculative trading. No one — not even its creators — took it seriously until Elon Musk got involved and became its unofficial CEO.That same year, Buttcoin was born from a YouTube video. It wasn’t a token back then, just a meme. But years later, the community decided to turn the joke into an actual cryptocurrency. It exploded because people love jokes — and some believe it could be the next Bitcoin.Each new wave of memecoins pushes the absurdity even further — first DOGE, then Shiba, then Bonk (BONK). Now we have an entire market of tokens inspired by farts, crap and butts. And somehow, they keep outperforming serious projects.As long as people love memes, memecoins will have a place in crypto. It is internet culture that has turned into an asset class.Are memecoins here to stay?Most memecoins start as a joke, but some have found actual use cases. DOGE is already accepted for payments by Tesla, AMC and GameStop. SHIB holders can shop at Gucci, Nordstrom and Whole Foods. Even newer projects like Solcat are launching games to expand their ecosystems.Memecoins aren’t just memes anymore. They’re shaping a new financial reality where virality, speculation and internet culture define value. But let’s address the obvious: The recent crash has slashed valuations, leaving many wondering what’s next.Are they here to stay, or are we watching them fade into irrelevance? If history tells us anything, it’s that memecoins are like cockroaches — resilient, unpredictable and always resurfacing. Investors should brace for more chaos because these tokens are as volatile as ever.Memecoins may not be running the show right now, but let’s be honest: The next big meme token is probably already brewing in a Telegram group, just waiting for its moment to explode (or implode).Opinion by: Igor Zemtsov, chief technology officer at TBCC.This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.