Bitcoin is beating gold during the Iran war, but its dependence on liquidity cycles keeps the safe haven narrative in question. Before the Iran war broke out, Bitcoin spent months trading sideways while gold rallied to record levels. At the time, gold was seen as the go-to safe haven; inflation concerns remained persistent and geopolitical tensions continued to build, while Bitcoin (BTC) failed to live up to that role. Nearly a month after the US and Israel launched the first strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, that view is being challenged. Bitcoin initially fell to $63,176 on the news of the attacks but has since risen about 12% to $71,012, as of Wednesday. Read more
Bitcoin traders agreed that BTC price action needed to retake $72,000 to open up the odds of further upside as gold and US stocks gained. Bitcoin (BTC) returned to $72,000 on Wednesday as gold continued its rebound from four-month lows. Key points: Bitcoin price performs a support retest of its 50-day moving average before hitting $72,000. Read more
CBDCs bridge the 1.3 billion unbanked cash-digital divide. Governments must actively promote them as trusted, low-cost gateways to formal financial inclusion. Opinion by: Xin Yan, co-founder and CEO of Sign. Financial exclusion remains one of the most persistent challenges for national governments. World Bank data highlights how more than 1.3 billion adults remain unbanked, without access to a financial account. These people rely on cash, creating a ‘cash-digital divide’, which excludes them from the formal economy. To bridge the divide, governments need to promote CBDCs actively. As a trusted, risk-free alternative to physical cash, CBDCs are ideal instruments for the financially excluded demographic. With a seamless entry point to the financial ecosystem, mass adoption of CBDCs is a vital catalyst and a foundational pillar for achieving universal financial inclusion. Read more