Bitcoin fell below 63,000 as investors reacted to dismal US economic data, a weakening stock market and fears of an AI industry bubble. Does data forecast a return to $90,000 by March? Key takeawys: Bitcoin fell below $63,000 as weak US job data and concerns over AI industry investments fueled investor risk aversion. Options markets show a 6% chance of Bitcoin returning to $90,000 by March. Read more
Hong Kong's monetary authority said only a small number of stablecoin issuers will be approved initially, as application reviews near completion. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Hong Kong's financial regulator, is preparing to grant its first stablecoin issuer licenses in March, according to a Reuters report. During a Legislative Council meeting on Monday, HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue reportedly said the regulator’s review of stablecoin license applications was nearing completion. Yue added that the initial approvals will be limited, with only a “very small number” of licenses expected to be issued in the first batch. At a subsequent media briefing, the regulator said the assessments were focused on use cases, risk management, anti-money laundering (AML) controls and the quality of backing assets. Licensed issuers are also expected to comply with Hong Kong’s cross-border activity rules. Read more
Bitcoin may take the lead over gold in 2026 as liquidity expansion and cycle fractals point to a rally that can take BTC price to $144,000. Bitcoin’s (BTC) 52-week correlation with gold reached zero for the first time since mid-2022 and may turn negative by the end of January. Key takeaways: BTC–gold divergence has historically preceded strong Bitcoin rallies. Read more
Bitcoin and crypto market sentiment hit seven-month lows, with the BTC price still above $100,000, while gold and silver received a post-shutdown boost. Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto traders are their most afraid in over six months as BTC price action clings to $100,000. Key points: Bitcoin and altcoins plunge to their deepest “extreme fear” levels since March this year. Read more
After a jury deadlocked on a verdict for two brothers accused of perpetrating a $25 million exploit on Ethereum, prosecutors are looking to retry them in 2026. Anton and James Peraire-Bueno, two brothers indicted for their alleged role in money laundering and fraud involving a $25 million exploit of the Ethereum blockchain, could face a second trial as early as February. In a Monday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, lawyers representing the US government requested a federal judge schedule a retrial for the Peraire-Bueno brothers “as soon as practicable in late February or early March 2026.” The request came about three days after a judge declared a mistrial in the case, following the jurors’ inability to reach a verdict. Read more
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says the SEC lawsuit is “over,” Donald Trump speaks at Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit: Hodler’s Digest The US Securities and Exchange Commissions multi-year enforcement action against Ripple is finally coming to an end, according to the companys CEO. This is it the moment weve been waiting for. The SEC will drop its appeal a resounding victory for Ripple, for crypto, every way you look at it, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse wrote on X on March 19. Im finally able to announce that the case has ended; its over, Garlinghouse said in the video attached to the X post. Read more