📉 Crypto VC funding hits a 6-year low
💰Venture capital investment in crypto projects dropped to $2.2B in Q1 2026, marking the lowest level in six years.
Most of the funding went to crypto financial services (24%) and DeFi projects (27%), showing investors are still focusing on core infrastructure and financial use cases.
However, seed-stage funding fell sharply to just $166M, roughly the same level seen back in 2020. 😕
The data suggests venture investors are becoming far more cautious, with fewer early-stage bets and a stronger focus on more established sectors of the crypto ecosystem.
💰Venture capital investment in crypto projects dropped to $2.2B in Q1 2026, marking the lowest level in six years.
Most of the funding went to crypto financial services (24%) and DeFi projects (27%), showing investors are still focusing on core infrastructure and financial use cases.
However, seed-stage funding fell sharply to just $166M, roughly the same level seen back in 2020. 😕
The data suggests venture investors are becoming far more cautious, with fewer early-stage bets and a stronger focus on more established sectors of the crypto ecosystem.
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📊 U.S. midterm years = higher market volatility
According to research from Binance Research, years with U.S. midterm elections have historically brought increased volatility to financial markets. 🧐
On average during these periods:
• S&P 500 dropped about 16%
• Bitcoin fell around 56%
However, markets tend to recover strongly once election results are known.
🚀 In the 12 months after midterms, average performance historically shows:
• +19% for the S&P 500
• +54% for Bitcoin
The data suggests that while election cycles can trigger short-term uncertainty and volatility, they have often been followed by solid market recoveries.
According to research from Binance Research, years with U.S. midterm elections have historically brought increased volatility to financial markets. 🧐
On average during these periods:
• S&P 500 dropped about 16%
• Bitcoin fell around 56%
However, markets tend to recover strongly once election results are known.
🚀 In the 12 months after midterms, average performance historically shows:
• +19% for the S&P 500
• +54% for Bitcoin
The data suggests that while election cycles can trigger short-term uncertainty and volatility, they have often been followed by solid market recoveries.
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💻 How quantum computers could impact Bitcoin supply
🕵️ Researchers estimate that potential quantum attacks would affect different parts of the Bitcoin supply in different ways.
Breakdown of BTC exposure:
• 65.4% (~13M BTC) — considered safe under the current address structure.
• 25% (~5M BTC) — potentially vulnerable due to address reuse, but coins can likely be migrated to safer addresses.
• 1% (~200K BTC) — vulnerable because of the address type, yet still likely movable.
• 8.6% (~1.7M BTC) — vulnerable and likely lost, mostly early P2PK addresses, including some of the oldest coins that are practically impossible to move.
In other words, while quantum computing could theoretically threaten part of the network, most BTC is either already safe or can be migrated, with the main risk concentrated in old or lost coins. 🤔
🕵️ Researchers estimate that potential quantum attacks would affect different parts of the Bitcoin supply in different ways.
Breakdown of BTC exposure:
• 65.4% (~13M BTC) — considered safe under the current address structure.
• 25% (~5M BTC) — potentially vulnerable due to address reuse, but coins can likely be migrated to safer addresses.
• 1% (~200K BTC) — vulnerable because of the address type, yet still likely movable.
• 8.6% (~1.7M BTC) — vulnerable and likely lost, mostly early P2PK addresses, including some of the oldest coins that are practically impossible to move.
In other words, while quantum computing could theoretically threaten part of the network, most BTC is either already safe or can be migrated, with the main risk concentrated in old or lost coins. 🤔
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💵 Stablecoin market cap is rising again — a new signal for crypto?
The total market capitalization of stablecoins is recovering quickly, while Bitcoin is still lagging behind.
Historically, growth in stablecoin supply is often seen as a sign of fresh liquidity entering the crypto market, which can later flow into major assets.
However, there’s an important nuance: stablecoin market cap was growing through most of 2025 as well, while BTC’s performance during that period was far from impressive. 🤷
So the key question remains — is this new liquidity preparing for the next market move, or just sitting on the sidelines for now? 💭
The total market capitalization of stablecoins is recovering quickly, while Bitcoin is still lagging behind.
Historically, growth in stablecoin supply is often seen as a sign of fresh liquidity entering the crypto market, which can later flow into major assets.
However, there’s an important nuance: stablecoin market cap was growing through most of 2025 as well, while BTC’s performance during that period was far from impressive. 🤷
So the key question remains — is this new liquidity preparing for the next market move, or just sitting on the sidelines for now? 💭
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⚠️ Address poisoning attacks on Ethereum are surging
🧪 Etherscan reports a sharp increase in address poisoning attacks on Ethereum — a scam where attackers send tiny “dust” transfers from addresses that closely resemble a victim’s previous contacts, hoping users will accidentally copy the wrong address later.
After the Fusaka Upgrade on Dec 3 lowered transaction fees, the number of fake Tether transfers jumped by 612%. 📈
Even though the success rate is below 0.01%, the scale makes it profitable. Between July 2022 and June 2024, there were ~17 million attack attempts, generating more than $79.3M for scammers.
The takeaway: always verify the full wallet address before sending funds, as even tiny dust transactions can be part of a large-scale phishing strategy. 🎣
🧪 Etherscan reports a sharp increase in address poisoning attacks on Ethereum — a scam where attackers send tiny “dust” transfers from addresses that closely resemble a victim’s previous contacts, hoping users will accidentally copy the wrong address later.
After the Fusaka Upgrade on Dec 3 lowered transaction fees, the number of fake Tether transfers jumped by 612%. 📈
Even though the success rate is below 0.01%, the scale makes it profitable. Between July 2022 and June 2024, there were ~17 million attack attempts, generating more than $79.3M for scammers.
The takeaway: always verify the full wallet address before sending funds, as even tiny dust transactions can be part of a large-scale phishing strategy. 🎣
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📈 Leverage is taking over the market
🔎 According to data from CryptoQuant, the futures-to-spot trading ratio on Binance has climbed to ~5.1, the highest level since mid-2023.
In practice, this means that futures markets are now generating more than 5× the trading volume of spot markets. 📊
Such a shift suggests the market is increasingly driven by leveraged speculation rather than spot demand.
The more leverage builds up, the higher the probability of a sharp squeeze — either a massive liquidation cascade up or down.
In other words: the market is turning into a high-stakes leverage game, where one strong move can trigger a chain reaction. 😬
🔎 According to data from CryptoQuant, the futures-to-spot trading ratio on Binance has climbed to ~5.1, the highest level since mid-2023.
In practice, this means that futures markets are now generating more than 5× the trading volume of spot markets. 📊
Such a shift suggests the market is increasingly driven by leveraged speculation rather than spot demand.
The more leverage builds up, the higher the probability of a sharp squeeze — either a massive liquidation cascade up or down.
In other words: the market is turning into a high-stakes leverage game, where one strong move can trigger a chain reaction. 😬
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🐋 Even whales make expensive mistakes
A trader tried to buy AAVE using $50M in Tether, but ended up receiving only 324 AAVE.🙀
According to an engineer from Aave, the issue wasn’t slippage — the user accepted a quote with ~99% price impact. The interface actually showed an estimate of less than 140 AAVE for $50M and displayed a warning before the transaction was confirmed. 🤷
The swap was executed via CoW Swap exactly as designed.
As a result, Titan Builder captured about $34M in profit in ETH, later transferring the funds to Coinbase.
Aave founder Stani Kulechov said the team will try to contact the trader and return around $600K in fees, while also considering additional safety measures to prevent similar incidents.
A trader tried to buy AAVE using $50M in Tether, but ended up receiving only 324 AAVE.🙀
According to an engineer from Aave, the issue wasn’t slippage — the user accepted a quote with ~99% price impact. The interface actually showed an estimate of less than 140 AAVE for $50M and displayed a warning before the transaction was confirmed. 🤷
The swap was executed via CoW Swap exactly as designed.
As a result, Titan Builder captured about $34M in profit in ETH, later transferring the funds to Coinbase.
Aave founder Stani Kulechov said the team will try to contact the trader and return around $600K in fees, while also considering additional safety measures to prevent similar incidents.
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🏦 Spot Bitcoin ETFs turn positive again
Spot ETFs tied to Bitcoin have returned to net inflows, according to the 30-day moving average. This is the first sustained positive trend since November 2025. 🧐
ETF flows are often viewed as a proxy for institutional demand, so the shift suggests that large investors may be slowly returning to the market after months of outflows and weak sentiment.
While it’s too early to confirm a full trend reversal, historically capital returning to spot ETFs has often preceded stronger market phases.
The key question now: is this the first signal that the market bottom is forming? 👀
Spot ETFs tied to Bitcoin have returned to net inflows, according to the 30-day moving average. This is the first sustained positive trend since November 2025. 🧐
ETF flows are often viewed as a proxy for institutional demand, so the shift suggests that large investors may be slowly returning to the market after months of outflows and weak sentiment.
While it’s too early to confirm a full trend reversal, historically capital returning to spot ETFs has often preceded stronger market phases.
The key question now: is this the first signal that the market bottom is forming? 👀
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🚨 FBI shuts down global hacker proxy network
Authorities led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation have dismantled\ a major malicious proxy service called SocksEscort.
👩💻 The network infected home and small-business routers with backdoors, turning them into a global proxy infrastructure that cybercriminals could rent to carry out attacks and fraud.
During the operation, law enforcement seized dozens of servers and domains and froze several million dollars in crypto assets linked to the operation.
The compromised devices were used to mask malicious traffic, enabling activities such as hacking, fraud, and other cyberattacks that caused millions of dollars in damages worldwide. 🌐
Authorities led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation have dismantled\ a major malicious proxy service called SocksEscort.
👩💻 The network infected home and small-business routers with backdoors, turning them into a global proxy infrastructure that cybercriminals could rent to carry out attacks and fraud.
During the operation, law enforcement seized dozens of servers and domains and froze several million dollars in crypto assets linked to the operation.
The compromised devices were used to mask malicious traffic, enabling activities such as hacking, fraud, and other cyberattacks that caused millions of dollars in damages worldwide. 🌐
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🤖 Developers are leaving crypto for AI
Developer activity in blockchain projects has dropped sharply since early 2025, as more engineers shift their focus to AI. 📉
Key metrics show the slowdown:
• Weekly commits across crypto projects fell ~75% — from ~850K to ~210K.
• The number of active developers declined 56%, to about 4,600.
Declines by ecosystem:
• Ethereum — -34% commits
• Solana — -40%
• BNB Chain — -85%
• Aptos — -60%
• Base — -52%
Meanwhile, AI development is booming: GitHub now hosts over 4.3M AI-related repositories, and generative AI projects attract more than 1M developers every month. 🚀
Infrastructure for LLMs and machine learning has become the main magnet for programming talent, pulling developers away from the crypto sector.
Developer activity in blockchain projects has dropped sharply since early 2025, as more engineers shift their focus to AI. 📉
Key metrics show the slowdown:
• Weekly commits across crypto projects fell ~75% — from ~850K to ~210K.
• The number of active developers declined 56%, to about 4,600.
Declines by ecosystem:
• Ethereum — -34% commits
• Solana — -40%
• BNB Chain — -85%
• Aptos — -60%
• Base — -52%
Meanwhile, AI development is booming: GitHub now hosts over 4.3M AI-related repositories, and generative AI projects attract more than 1M developers every month. 🚀
Infrastructure for LLMs and machine learning has become the main magnet for programming talent, pulling developers away from the crypto sector.
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📉➡️📈 Bitcoin may be preparing for a rebound
🔎 Analysts from Matrixport say several signals suggest the crypto market could be approaching a potential bounce.
Current market conditions:
• Sentiment remains weak, with trading volumes near multi-month lows.
• Many traders have shifted attention to traditional safe-haven assets like Gold and Oil.
• Bitcoin has been declining for five consecutive months — a rare historical pattern that has often been followed by rebounds.
At the same time, analysts are noticing stablecoin inflows returning and overall market liquidity increasing, which could provide fuel for a potential recovery if demand starts to pick up. 👀
🔎 Analysts from Matrixport say several signals suggest the crypto market could be approaching a potential bounce.
Current market conditions:
• Sentiment remains weak, with trading volumes near multi-month lows.
• Many traders have shifted attention to traditional safe-haven assets like Gold and Oil.
• Bitcoin has been declining for five consecutive months — a rare historical pattern that has often been followed by rebounds.
At the same time, analysts are noticing stablecoin inflows returning and overall market liquidity increasing, which could provide fuel for a potential recovery if demand starts to pick up. 👀
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📈 Bitcoin hits monthly high above $74K
The price of Bitcoin briefly surged above $74,400, marking its highest level since early February. 🚀
The past week has also been the best weekly performance since November 2024, with BTC gaining about 10.18% over seven days. The only stronger weekly rally in the last year occurred in mid-November 2024 (+11.6%).
At the moment, Bitcoin is trading around $73K, up roughly 2% over the past 24 hours.
Institutional demand is also improving: spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $767M in net inflows last week, marking the third consecutive week of positive flows. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs also saw $161M in inflows, continuing their own three-week streak of positive demand. 💵
The price of Bitcoin briefly surged above $74,400, marking its highest level since early February. 🚀
The past week has also been the best weekly performance since November 2024, with BTC gaining about 10.18% over seven days. The only stronger weekly rally in the last year occurred in mid-November 2024 (+11.6%).
At the moment, Bitcoin is trading around $73K, up roughly 2% over the past 24 hours.
Institutional demand is also improving: spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $767M in net inflows last week, marking the third consecutive week of positive flows. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs also saw $161M in inflows, continuing their own three-week streak of positive demand. 💵
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🤖⚡️ AI vs Bitcoin mining: a new battle for electricity
A growing debate has emerged over whether the AI data center boom could pull miners away from Bitcoin.
👀 Some analysts warn that AI companies are willing to pay much more for electricity, making AI infrastructure far more profitable than mining. Estimates show AI data centers can generate up to 8× more revenue per megawatt than BTC mining.
Several major miners are already pivoting toward AI:
• Core Scientific secured up to $1B for AI hosting
• MARA Holdings signaled a potential shift toward AI compute
• Hut 8 signed a $7B AI infrastructure deal with Google
Critics warn that fewer miners could mean lower hashrate and higher security risks.
However, supporters argue the network would self-correct through difficulty adjustments, restoring profitability and attracting miners back.
In short: AI may compete with Bitcoin for energy — but the protocol is designed to rebalance itself when miners leave.
A growing debate has emerged over whether the AI data center boom could pull miners away from Bitcoin.
👀 Some analysts warn that AI companies are willing to pay much more for electricity, making AI infrastructure far more profitable than mining. Estimates show AI data centers can generate up to 8× more revenue per megawatt than BTC mining.
Several major miners are already pivoting toward AI:
• Core Scientific secured up to $1B for AI hosting
• MARA Holdings signaled a potential shift toward AI compute
• Hut 8 signed a $7B AI infrastructure deal with Google
Critics warn that fewer miners could mean lower hashrate and higher security risks.
However, supporters argue the network would self-correct through difficulty adjustments, restoring profitability and attracting miners back.
In short: AI may compete with Bitcoin for energy — but the protocol is designed to rebalance itself when miners leave.
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💰 Ethereum Foundation sells 5,000 ETH OTC
The Ethereum Foundation announced it sold 5,000 ETH (~$10.2M) to Bitmine via an over-the-counter (OTC) deal at an average price of $2,042.96 per ETH. 💵
According to the foundation, the funds will be used to support its core operations, including:
• Protocol research and development
• Ecosystem growth
• Community grants
• Other initiatives that support the Ethereum network
OTC sales allow large transactions to be completed without directly impacting exchange markets, helping avoid sudden price volatility while securing funding for long-term development. 🧐
The Ethereum Foundation announced it sold 5,000 ETH (~$10.2M) to Bitmine via an over-the-counter (OTC) deal at an average price of $2,042.96 per ETH. 💵
According to the foundation, the funds will be used to support its core operations, including:
• Protocol research and development
• Ecosystem growth
• Community grants
• Other initiatives that support the Ethereum network
OTC sales allow large transactions to be completed without directly impacting exchange markets, helping avoid sudden price volatility while securing funding for long-term development. 🧐
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🐋 Strategy keeps stacking Bitcoin
Strategy has purchased 22,337 more Bitcoin for about $1.57B, at an average price of $70,194 per BTC. 💰
As of March 15, the company now holds 761,068 BTC, acquired for a total of roughly $57.61B, with an average purchase price of about $75,696 per coin.
This means Strategy controls over 3.6% of the total Bitcoin supply, reinforcing its position as the largest corporate holder of BTC and continuing its aggressive accumulation strategy despite market volatility.
Strategy has purchased 22,337 more Bitcoin for about $1.57B, at an average price of $70,194 per BTC. 💰
As of March 15, the company now holds 761,068 BTC, acquired for a total of roughly $57.61B, with an average purchase price of about $75,696 per coin.
This means Strategy controls over 3.6% of the total Bitcoin supply, reinforcing its position as the largest corporate holder of BTC and continuing its aggressive accumulation strategy despite market volatility.
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🔥 Short squeeze or fake breakout?
For the first time in a while, short positions are getting wiped out more than longs. 🧐
In the past 24 hours:
• $330M in shorts liquidated
• $168M in longs liquidated
This happened as Bitcoin spiked above $76K, before pulling back to around $74K.
The shift suggests a short squeeze, where bearish traders are forced to close positions, fueling upward momentum.
Since the start of the month, the market has shown a clear upward trend — but the quick pullback raises questions.
So what is it:
📈 the start of a real breakout
or 🎭 just another trap before the next move?
For the first time in a while, short positions are getting wiped out more than longs. 🧐
In the past 24 hours:
• $330M in shorts liquidated
• $168M in longs liquidated
This happened as Bitcoin spiked above $76K, before pulling back to around $74K.
The shift suggests a short squeeze, where bearish traders are forced to close positions, fueling upward momentum.
Since the start of the month, the market has shown a clear upward trend — but the quick pullback raises questions.
So what is it:
📈 the start of a real breakout
or 🎭 just another trap before the next move?
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💳 Monthly spending via crypto cards has surged to $100M, up from almost zero in 2023!
🚀 This rapid growth highlights increasing real-world adoption of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as users shift from holding to actually spending digital assets.
Crypto cards act as a bridge between Web3 and traditional finance, allowing users to pay in crypto while merchants receive fiat — making everyday usage seamless.
If the trend continues, crypto payments could become a significant part of global transaction flows, not just a niche feature for enthusiasts.
🚀 This rapid growth highlights increasing real-world adoption of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as users shift from holding to actually spending digital assets.
Crypto cards act as a bridge between Web3 and traditional finance, allowing users to pay in crypto while merchants receive fiat — making everyday usage seamless.
If the trend continues, crypto payments could become a significant part of global transaction flows, not just a niche feature for enthusiasts.
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🤔 Altseason… again?
Crypto Twitter is once again calling for an incoming altseason.
On the chart, Bitcoin dominance is forming a classic head and shoulders pattern. If confirmed, BTC dominance could drop to the 52–56% range. 📉
Historically, such moves often signal one thing: 💸 capital rotation from BTC into altcoins
But there’s a catch…
Over the past couple of years, “altseason is coming” has been called dozens of times — and most of them never played out. 🤷
Crypto Twitter is once again calling for an incoming altseason.
On the chart, Bitcoin dominance is forming a classic head and shoulders pattern. If confirmed, BTC dominance could drop to the 52–56% range. 📉
Historically, such moves often signal one thing: 💸 capital rotation from BTC into altcoins
But there’s a catch…
Over the past couple of years, “altseason is coming” has been called dozens of times — and most of them never played out. 🤷
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👀 Strategy vs BlackRock — race for BTC dominance
If Strategy (led by Michael Saylor) continues accumulating Bitcoin at the current pace, it could surpass BlackRock in holdings within weeks. 🙀
This would be a major shift, as BlackRock represents institutional ETF demand, while Strategy reflects a corporate conviction bet on BTC.
The situation highlights an unusual dynamic:
🏢 TradFi giant vs 🚀 ultra-bullish public company
If the trend continues, Strategy may strengthen its position as the largest Bitcoin holder globally, doubling down on one of the most aggressive accumulation strategies in the market. 📊
If Strategy (led by Michael Saylor) continues accumulating Bitcoin at the current pace, it could surpass BlackRock in holdings within weeks. 🙀
This would be a major shift, as BlackRock represents institutional ETF demand, while Strategy reflects a corporate conviction bet on BTC.
The situation highlights an unusual dynamic:
🏢 TradFi giant vs 🚀 ultra-bullish public company
If the trend continues, Strategy may strengthen its position as the largest Bitcoin holder globally, doubling down on one of the most aggressive accumulation strategies in the market. 📊
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SharpLink earns $1M+ weekly from ETH staking 💵
Since launching its corporate ETH treasury, the company has earned 15,464 ETH (~$36M) in staking rewards. 💰
📊 Just last week:
• 493 ETH earned (≈ $1.1M in rewards)
The strategy shows how companies can turn crypto holdings into yield-generating assets, earning passive income while helping secure the Ethereum network.
As institutional adoption grows, staking is becoming a key revenue stream — not just a technical feature.
Since launching its corporate ETH treasury, the company has earned 15,464 ETH (~$36M) in staking rewards. 💰
📊 Just last week:
• 493 ETH earned (≈ $1.1M in rewards)
The strategy shows how companies can turn crypto holdings into yield-generating assets, earning passive income while helping secure the Ethereum network.
As institutional adoption grows, staking is becoming a key revenue stream — not just a technical feature.
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