Category: Business

Bitcoin price started a recovery wave above the $68,500 zone. $BTC is now consolidating and might aim for more gains above $70,500.

• Bitcoin started a decent recovery wave above the $69,200 zone.
• The price is trading above $68,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average.
• There was a break below a bullish trend line with support at $70,400 on the hourly chart of the $BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken).
• The pair might dip again if it trades below the $69,280 and $68,000 levels.

Bitcoin Price Fails Near Resistance

Bitcoin price remained elevated and extended its increase above the $68,500 level. $BTC climbed above the $69,200 and $70,000 resistance levels.

The bulls pushed the price above the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $74,062 swing high to the $65,646 low. However, the bears are still active below $72,000. The price faced rejection near the $71,600 level and started a downside correction.

There was a break below a bullish trend line with support at $70,400 on the hourly chart of the $BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading above $68,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $68,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $70,250 level.

The first key resistance is near the $70,500 level. A close above the $70,500 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $71,500 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $72,000 level or the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $74,062 swing high to the $65,646 low. The next barrier for the bulls could be $72,650.

More Losses In $BTC?

If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $70,500 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $69,280 level. The first major support is near the $68,500 level.

The next support is now near the $68,000 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $67,250 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $66,500, below which $BTC might struggle to recover in the near term.

Technical indicators:

Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone.

Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for $BTC/USD is now near the 50 level.

Major Support Levels – $68,500, followed by $68,000.

Major Resistance Levels – $70,500 and $72,000.

• Hyperliquid coin price enters a consolidation range between two trendlines, offering dynamic resistance and support.
• Hyperliquid recently recorded a weekend volume milestone close to $720 million.
• The broader crypto market sentiment remains in extreme fear as the sentiment gauge, fear and greed index drops to 13%.

$HYPE, the native token of decentralized perpetuals exchange, Hyperliquid recorded a significant spike of 13% on Monday, to reach $35.1 mark. The primary catalyst behind this surge followed a massive spike in Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 perpetual futures trading volume— associated with WTI crude amid geopolitical tension. Will the Hyperliquid price break the $40 region?

Hyperliquid Benefits From Commodity Market Volatility

On Monday, the Hyperliquid price outperformed a majority of major cryptocurrency with a roughly 13% surge, reaching its trading value of $34.5. Along with broader market uptick, $HYPE witnessed its 24-hours trading volume spike by 196% to $503 million, bolstering its on-chain activity.

The most recent peak occurred on a weekend, when the tradexyz-driven activity boosted volumes to a new peak of about $720 million for non-trading days. This is after previous surges, with prices of silver shooting from $85 to $114 and back during the end of January triggering a surge in interest from retail buyers that saw volumes on weekdays rise to $4.67 billion and on weekends rise to $460 million on the platform.

More recently, the US-Israel-Iran conflict, which began on a Saturday in late February, limited access to conventional crude oil futures. Traders flocked to Hyperliquid’s perpetual contracts for crude, sending weekend volumes of $630 million at the time. As the price of oil surged 80% in the next nine days, last weekend broke a new record at about $720 million.

These episodes showcase how the platform captures demand for assets such as silver and oil in times of volatility or when traditional markets are closed, particularly among users who lack standard financial access. HIP-3 markets led by builders such as tradexyz, have made a significant contribution to overall volume growth, with tokenized traditional assets now making an interesting portion of activity. The resulting fee generation and use of the platform seem to be related to the latest movement for $HYPE in terms of price performance.

$HYPE Enters Consolidation Trend Before Its Next Leap

Over the past three months, the Hyperliquid price showcased a sideways trend below the $36.67 level amid broader market uncertainty. The daily chart highlighted that the consolidation resonated strictly within two rising trendlines, proving dynamic resistance and support to $HYPE price.

The coin price bounced at least twice from each trendline suggests the lack of initiation from buyers to sellers to drive a sustainable move.

With today’s price jump, the Hyperliquid coin managed to reclaim key EMAs (20, 50, 100, and 200) bolstering its position to challenge resistance trendline at $40. A potential breakout from this resistance would accelerate the market buying pressure and push $HYPE to its initial target at $50.

On the contrary, if the supply pressure persists above $36.67 to $40 region, the Hyperliquid could revert lower and prolong its consolidation range. Amid a pessimistic approach, the coin price could breach the bottom trend near $30 and seeks support at $24 level.

The entire financial market spent Tuesday doing its best impression of a doctor’s waiting room. Everyone sat still, no one made eye contact, and the only real activity was nervous fidgeting over what comes next.

US equities barely registered a pulse. The S&P 500 dipped 0.2%, oil prices couldn’t decide whether to surge or collapse, and crypto — somewhat surprisingly — caught a mild bid. Bitcoin edged past $70K, Ethereum held above $2K, and the broader digital asset market drifted higher even as traditional finance stayed frozen in place.

What the numbers actually say

Here’s the scorecard. Bitcoin gained 1.4% over 24 hours and 2.6% on the week, trading just above the $70K level that has become its psychological floor. Ethereum added a modest 1.0% on the day, holding comfortably above $2K. Solana ticked up 0.6%, trading near $86, and $XRP sat around $1.39.

Those are not the kind of moves that make anyone rich overnight. But in context, they’re noteworthy.

The crypto Fear and Greed Index, which measures market sentiment on a scale of 0 to 100, currently reads 15. That’s “Extreme Fear” — the kind of reading you typically see after a major crash or during prolonged uncertainty. Last week it was even lower, at 10.

To put that in perspective, the index hit similar levels during the FTX collapse in November 2022 and the Terra/Luna implosion earlier that year. The fact that Bitcoin is trading near $70K while sentiment sits at crash-era lows is a disconnect worth paying attention to.

In one oddly specific corner of the market, the top-performing crypto category over seven days was US Treasury-backed stablecoins, which surged 39.1%. In English: investors are parking money in the digital equivalent of government bonds. That’s not exactly a vote of confidence in risk-taking.

Why everyone is staring at the CPI report

The Consumer Price Index report is one of the most closely watched economic releases in the US. It measures how fast prices are rising for everyday goods and services — food, rent, gas, the stuff people actually buy.

Why does it matter so much right now? Because the Federal Reserve uses inflation data to decide whether to cut, hold, or raise interest rates. And interest rate expectations drive virtually everything in both traditional and crypto markets.

If CPI comes in hotter than expected, it signals inflation is stickier than hoped. That makes rate cuts less likely, which tends to hurt risk assets like stocks and crypto. The logic is straightforward: higher rates mean money is more expensive to borrow, which means less capital flowing into speculative investments.

If CPI comes in cooler, the calculus flips. Lower inflation gives the Fed room to cut rates, which historically acts like rocket fuel for asset prices across the board. Bitcoin’s biggest rallies have often coincided with periods of monetary easing or the expectation of it.

The market’s paralysis on Tuesday was essentially a collective refusal to place bets before seeing the data. Traders have been burned enough times by surprise inflation prints that they’d rather sit on their hands than guess wrong.

Adding to the tension, geopolitical uncertainty continues to simmer. Oil prices have been swinging between record highs and sharp pullbacks, a pattern that typically injects volatility into inflation expectations. Higher oil means higher transportation and production costs, which can push CPI readings higher even if underlying demand is softening.

What this means for crypto investors

Here’s the thing about crypto trading at these levels during extreme fear: it creates an asymmetric setup. The sentiment is priced for disaster, but the actual price action hasn’t followed suit.

Bitcoin holding above $70K while the Fear and Greed Index reads 15 suggests that the sellers who wanted out have mostly already left. The remaining holders are either long-term believers or institutions with mandates that don’t change based on weekly vibes. That kind of base can be surprisingly resilient.

The risk, of course, is that a hot CPI print triggers a genuine selloff. If the report shows inflation reaccelerating, the market’s rate-cut hopes could evaporate quickly. Bitcoin has historically dropped 5-10% on hawkish surprises from the Fed or unexpectedly high inflation data. From $70K, that would mean a potential test of the $63K-$66K range.

On the flip side, a cool print could be the catalyst that breaks the fear cycle. When sentiment is this depressed, even mildly positive news can trigger outsized moves higher. Markets that are positioned for the worst tend to rip when the worst doesn’t materialize.

The Treasury-backed stablecoin trend is also worth monitoring as a leading indicator. When investors rotate heavily into yield-bearing stablecoins, it often signals they’re waiting on the sidelines with dry powder. That capital doesn’t disappear — it tends to redeploy when conditions shift. Think of it as a coiled spring rather than a permanent exit.

Ethereum’s relative stability above $2K is another data point that matters for the broader ecosystem. ETH often acts as a bellwether for altcoin sentiment. If it holds this level through the CPI release, it could provide a floor for the rest of the market. If it breaks below, expect the pain to cascade through DeFi protocols and Layer 2 tokens.

The competitive dynamic between chains also plays into this. Solana near $86 represents a significant discount from its highs, and its ecosystem activity has remained robust even as price action stagnated. $XRP at $1.39 continues to reflect the market’s ongoing recalibration of Ripple’s position following its partial legal victories.

For investors trying to navigate this environment, the key question isn’t whether inflation will be high or low. It’s whether the market has already priced in the worst-case scenario. With a Fear and Greed reading of 15, the argument that bad news is largely baked in carries some weight — but it’s never a guarantee.

Bottom line: The market is in a holding pattern, and the CPI report will likely break the stalemate one way or another. Crypto’s quiet climb during peak uncertainty and rock-bottom sentiment is either a sign of underlying strength or the calm before a storm. The data drops soon. Until then, everyone waits.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Bitcoin climbed nearly 5% on Tuesday, rising above $71K as risk assets rebounded amid signs that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East may be easing.

The rally followed a sharp reversal in oil markets. Crude prices dropped more than 11% Tuesday, falling to around $83 after surging close to $120 a barrel on Monday following supply disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.

The decline came after reports that the International Energy Agency will hold an emergency meeting of member countries Tuesday to discuss a potential coordinated release of strategic oil reserves to stabilize markets.

The rally followed a sharp reversal in oil markets. Crude prices dropped more than 11% Tuesday, falling to around $83 after surging close to $120 a barrel on Monday following supply disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.

The decline came after reports that the International Energy Agency will hold an emergency meeting of member countries Tuesday to discuss a potential coordinated release of strategic oil reserves to stabilize markets.

As energy prices pulled back, investors rotated back into risk assets. Crypto markets moved higher across the board, with Bitcoin trading near $71.5K, while Ethereum rose to about $2,080 and Solana climbed to roughly $88, both gaining around 4%. XRP outperformed with a roughly 5% rise to about $1.43.

Equities also advanced during the session. The S&P 500 gained about 0.4% while the Nasdaq Composite rose roughly 0.5%.

Crypto related stocks joined the rally. Circle climbed about 7%, while Figure surged around 15%. Japan based Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet gained roughly 8%, and crypto mining company Bitfarms rose about 7%.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Shares of Circle (CRCL), the crypto firm behind the $USDC ($USDC) stablecoin, could add to their recent remarkable surge, according to analysts at brokerage Bernstein.

The team, led by Gautam Chhugani, rate the stock at outperform with a $190 price target, suggesting about 60% upside from current $120 level. And that’s after the stock rallied more than 100% in the past few weeks following an earnings beat, which likely triggered a short squeeze.

Bernstein’s thesis centers on stablecoin adoption increasingly diverging from the broader crypto market.

Circle’s $USDC supply briefly fell after the October liquidity shock in crypto markets but has since rebounded to just shy of its record $78 billion, even as bitcoin BTC$70,816.15 and the broader crypto markets remain well below its highs. The total market for U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins also remained steady at around $270 billion despite the crypto bear market, the report noted.

Transaction activity is accelerating as well, the report noted. Adjusted stablecoin volumes grew more than 90% year-over-year, while transaction velocity — a measure of how frequently tokens change hands — has increased, suggesting stablecoins are increasingly used beyond crypto trading.

Payments adoption is a key driver behind that, Bernstein said, as stablecoins are increasingly getting embedded with traditional card networks, enabling everyday transactions. Visa (V), for example, now supports more than 130 such stablecoin-linked cards across 50 countries, processing roughly $4.6 billion in annualized settlement volume, the report noted.

Circle is also expanding its Circle Payments Network, which allows institutions to send $USDC cross-border and convert it into local currencies through banking partners. The network now includes about 55 institutions, with annualized volumes reaching $5.7 billion earlier this year, the report said.

Looking ahead, Bernstein also highlighted a potential new growth theme: AI-driven “agentic finance.” As autonomous software agents increasingly transact online, stablecoins could become a natural payment rail for micropayments between machines, such as for API calls or automated services.

To support that vision, Circle is building a high-throughput, payments-focused blockchain called Arc, designed for fast, low-cost transactions.

Read more: Why Circle and Stripe (And Many Others) Are Launching Their Own Blockchains

In its latest report, Bank of America stated that persistent shocks in oil prices could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to ease its monetary policy. According to the bank, while markets largely view rising oil prices as a threat to inflation, supply shocks pose risks to both sides of the Fed’s dual mandate.

The report states that monetary policy generally tightens during periods of strong consumer demand and when economic activity is able to withstand supply shocks. This could allow the Fed to prioritize fighting inflation, as it did in 2022 during the Russia-Ukraine war.

However, Bank of America noted that current economic conditions are quite different compared to that period. In 2022, the unemployment rate in the US economy hovered around 4 percent, core PCE inflation was above 5 percent, and non-farm employment was growing by approximately 500,000 per month. Furthermore, consumers had accumulated a significant amount of fiscal stimulus from the pandemic period.

Today, employment growth is slower, inflation is relatively high, and fiscal stimulus is more limited. The bank believes that continued shocks in oil prices could put pressure on economic growth and create conditions for the Fed to adopt a more supportive, or looser, monetary policy.

*This is not investment advice.