cryptocurrencies

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan posted on the X platform, stating that institutions are like large oil tankers, which have now adjusted their course to support cryptocurrencies, tokenization, and stablecoins.He believes that this trend will not slow down, regardless of price performance.

According to CNBC, Bitcoin fell to its lowest level since February on Wednesday, hitting a low of $65,385, a decrease of 2.3%. Funds are flowing from the crypto market to other asset classes. QCP stated that the fundamental issue is liquidity rotation. The stock market continues to outperform, attracting the attention of both crypto-native investors and traditional asset managers to a stronger stock narrative, and investors may be shifting funds from Bitcoin to private markets or IPO projects like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic.BTIG technical strategist Jonathan Krinsky believes that Bitcoin needs to hold around $65,000, which is the last support before testing the year-to-date low of $60,000. QCP expects initial support in the range of $63,000 to $64,000, and if it breaks below, attention will turn to $62,000, followed by the psychological level of $60,000, with the next major support level at $58,000.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows: Top five gainers: MemeCore (M) up 11.35%, current price $3.27; Zcash (ZEC) up 7.06%, current price $567.5; Internet Computer (ICP) up 4.65%, current price $2.94; Ondo (ONDO) up 3.79%, current price $0.3607; Worldcoin (WLD) up 3.75%, current price $0.4005.

Driven by optimistic expectations for an extended ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran, the U.S. stock and oil markets continued to strengthen this week. The S&P 500 index rose for the ninth consecutive week, setting the longest winning streak since 2023; Brent crude oil stabilized around $92 per barrel. However, the cryptocurrency market failed to follow the rise of macro risk assets. Over the past week, Bitcoin fell 2.6% to $73,445, Ethereum dropped 2.5% to $2,011, Solana decreased by 2.2%, and TRX saw a decline of 5.6%, making it one of the weakest tokens among the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Market analysts believe that the cooling inflow of funds into spot Bitcoin ETFs is putting pressure on coin prices.In contrast, some small and mid-cap tokens performed remarkably well. Among them, the native token of Hyperliquid, HYPE, surged 19.4% this week to around $65, becoming the biggest highlight in the market. Previously, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) CEO Jeffrey Sprecher referred to Hyperliquid as "a bigger opportunity than Nasdaq" at the Bernstein conference, further boosting market sentiment. Additionally, BNB rose 1.9% this week, XRP increased by 0.7%, and DOGE remained basically flat.On the macro level, U.S. President Trump stated that a final decision on the U.S.-Iran ceasefire memorandum is close, but he still insists on Iran abandoning its nuclear program, handing over its enriched uranium stockpile, and opening the Strait of Hormuz. Market participants believe that due to significant differences between the two sides on key issues, the current rebound in risk assets remains relatively fragile, and any negative news regarding the Iran negotiations could trigger a reversal in market sentiment.

United Texas Bank announced that it has received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to convert its state bank charter into a national bank charter, allowing it to directly access the Federal Reserve payment systems (ACH and Wire) while maintaining FDIC insurance coverage. This will provide a more stable dollar banking channel for cryptocurrency exchanges, OTC desks, and stablecoin-related businesses, addressing the dollar settlement and liquidity issues in the cryptocurrency market.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows:Top five gainers: Stellar (XLM) up 25.3%, current price $0.2001; Hedera (HBAR) up 2.36%, current price $0.08828; Midnight (NIGHT) up 2.26%, current price $0.03505; DeXe (DEXE) up 2.22%, current price $16.84; World Liberty Financial (WLFI) up 1.12%, current price $0.05986.Top five losers: Worldcoin (WLD) down 22.25%, current price $0.2853; Venice Token (VVV) down 16.08%, current price $14.85; Bitcoin Cash (BCH) down 14.52%, current price $295.22; LayerZero (ZRO) down 13%, current price $1.11; Render (RENDER) down 12.31%, current price $1.98.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows:Top five gainers: Worldcoin (WLD) up 30.06%, current price $0.3929; OKB (OKB) up 12.85%, current price $94; Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) up 11.59%, current price $0.2513; Render (RENDER) up 7%, current price $2.35; Celestia (TIA) up 6.12%, current price $0.4793.Top five losers: Zcash (ZEC) down 10.01%, current price $610.14; DeXe (DEXE) down 6.8%, current price $16.23; Quant (QNT) down 5.06%, current price $75.96; Ondo (ONDO) down 4.64%, current price $0.4178; Canton (CC) down 3.99%, current price $0.1608.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows: Top five gainers: NEAR Protocol (NEAR) up 21.14%, current price $2.20; Worldcoin (WLD) up 12.39%, current price $0.2947; Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) up 9.05%, current price $0.2105; Quant (QNT) up 8.76%, current price $79.28; Celestia (TIA) up 8.74%, current price $0.445.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows: Top five gainers: Hyperliquid (HYPE) up 19.58%, current price $61.46; DoubleZero (2Z) up 18.09%, current price $0.115; edgeX (EDGE) up 9.93%, current price $1.48; Mantle (MNT) up 8.04%, current price $0.6814; Worldcoin (WLD) up 6.96%, current price $0.2621.

According to Caixin, the "Global Payments Report 2026" released by global payment technology and software company Global Payments indicates that digital wallets account for more than half of global online transaction volume and one-third of offline transactions. Digital wallets can flexibly integrate different payment methods, including cryptocurrencies. The report predicts that direct cryptocurrency payments will become the fastest-growing online payment method, with a compound annual growth rate of 16% from 2025 to 2030. This means that by 2030, the volume of e-commerce transactions using direct cryptocurrency payments could account for 0.28% of global e-commerce transaction volume, nearly $31 billion.However, despite the global total market value of cryptocurrencies nearing $3.2 trillion by the end of 2025, it remains a relatively marginalized payment method for consumers to merchants. Reports from MRC and Visa show that only 10% of merchants globally accept cryptocurrency payments directly. In 2025, cryptocurrencies will account for only 0.19% of global e-commerce transaction volume, approximately $15 billion.

Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett revealed that U.S. Senator Jack Reed submitted an amendment before the stablecoin bill review this Thursday, aiming to explicitly prohibit cryptocurrencies from being used as legal tender, including banning the payment of taxes with crypto assets.Senator Elizabeth Warren also submitted over 40 amendments, one of which aims to prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing master accounts to cryptocurrency companies. Another amendment jointly submitted by Senators Reed and Smith seeks to include restrictions on banks regarding stablecoin yields in the bill.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows:Top five gainers: siren (SIREN) up 28.8%, current price $1.03; Venice Token (VVV) up 10%, current price $12.49; Ondo (ONDO) up 8.12%, current price $0.3589.

Musk stated during his court hearing in the lawsuit against OpenAI, "Some cryptocurrencies have value, but most are scams." This remark came during the cross-examination phase at the Oakland court in California, where the case involved OpenAI's early consideration of a plan to raise funds through an ICO.In response to related questions during the hearing, Musk pointed out that there is a significant amount of speculation and fraud in the cryptocurrency space, drawing market attention. Notably, Musk's attitude towards the crypto market has shown significant fluctuations over time: during the bull market in 2021, he pushed Tesla to purchase about $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and frequently mentioned Dogecoin publicly, leading to a substantial increase in the prices of related assets. However, Tesla reduced its Bitcoin holdings by 75% in 2022 and recorded an impairment of about $222 million on the remaining holdings in the first quarter of 2026. As of the latest financial report, it still holds approximately 11,509 Bitcoins, with a book value of about $786 million.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows:Top five gainers: Humanity Protocol (H) up 14.53%, current price $0.1639; Binance Life up 9.11%, current price $0.3754; siren (SIREN) up 7.3%, current price $0.7059; Pi (PI) up 5.45%, current price $0.1915; Tezos (XTZ) up 5.34%, current price $0.3842.Top five losers: MemeCore (M) down 9.26%, current price $3.55; DeXe (DEXE) down 6.32%, current price $13.43; Zebec Network (ZBCN) down 6.26%, current price $0.003695; Zcash (ZEC) down 5.7%, current price $334.42; Chiliz (CHZ) down 5.07%, current price $0.04609.

CoinGecko's report on the cryptocurrency industry for the first quarter of 2026 shows that the cryptocurrency market has shifted from a sharp correction to a prolonged "winter," with the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies dropping by 20.4% ($622 billion), ending the first quarter of 2026 at $2.4 trillion, a decrease of about 45% from the peak in October 2025.The report also states that the market capitalization of stablecoins remains unchanged at $309.9 billion, with a decline in USDT supply, marking the first decrease since the second quarter of 2022.Crude oil prices performed the strongest in the first quarter of 2026, rising by 76.9%, while Bitcoin fell by 22.0% alongside the stock market.In the first quarter of 2026, the spot trading volume on centralized exchanges decreased by 39.1% to $2.7 trillion, with March setting a new monthly low of $80 billion.Solana continues to dominate the spot trading volume on decentralized exchanges, expected to hold a 30.6% market share in the first quarter of 2026.Driven by the demand for all-weather oil trading, commodity traders currently account for about 30% of Hyperliquid's open contracts.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows:Top five gainers: RaveDAO (RAVE) up 39.53%, current price $17.06; siren (SIREN) up 37.75%, current price $1.11; MemeCore (M) up 27.84%, current price $3.68; Celestia (TIA) up 25.37%, current price $0.3997; edgeX (EDGE) up 16.31%, current price $1.2.Top five losers: JUST (JST) down 15.44%, current price $0.0597; DeXe (DEXE) down 8.6%, current price $11.16; Venice Token (VVV) down 4.67%, current price $8.48; Dash (DASH) down 4.19%, current price $36.52; Zcash (ZEC) down 3.96%, current price $337.2.

The "2026 Digital Asset Institutional Investor Survey" released by financial giant Nomura Securities shows that nearly 80% of institutional investors plan to allocate 2% - 5% of their total managed assets to the cryptocurrency sector. 65% of the surveyed institutions view cryptocurrencies as a diversification tool on par with stocks, bonds, and commodities.The survey covered institutional investors and family offices managing over $60 billion in assets. In terms of investment direction, more than two-thirds of respondents hope to earn returns through DeFi mechanisms such as staking, 65% are focused on lending and tokenized assets, and 63% are exploring derivatives and stablecoins. Additionally, 63% of respondents believe that stablecoins have practical uses for managing cash, cross-border payments, and investing in tokenized assets, with stablecoins issued by major financial institutions being the most trusted.Nomura Securities stated that regulatory clarity, increased awareness, and improved risk control frameworks are key to expanding investments. Although challenges such as the lack of clear methods for asset valuation and regulatory uncertainties still exist, the development of diversified investment products and improvements in risk management practices are accelerating institutional adoption.

According to Coinmarketcap data, the performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization is as follows, with the top five gainers: RaveDAO (RAVE) up 207.51%, current price $9.94; Venice Token (VVV) up 6.37%, current price $8.47; Aave (AAVE) up 5.46%, current price $94.02; XDC Network (XDC) up 4.59%, current price $0.03129; Canton (CC) up 3.95%, current price $0.1511.The top five losers: Polkadot (DOT) down 4.57%, current price $1.17; Zcash (ZEC) down 4.09%, current price $346.48; Dash (DASH) down 3.6%, current price $40.86; Chiliz (CHZ) down 2.44%, current price $0.0364; Pi (PI) down 2.25%, current price $0.1647.

According to DigitalAsset, the Audit and Inspection Agency of South Korea has released the "Audit Report on the Operation and Management of the Elderly Welfare System," which requires the Minister of Health and Welfare to amend relevant regulations to include digital assets in the property calculation scope for basic pension reviews. The agency pointed out that digital assets have a clear economic value, but the current basic pension law does not include digital assets in its property scope, which may result in individuals holding significant digital assets still being eligible for basic pension benefits.The agency believes that digital assets should be regarded as property with clear economic value, even if their form differs from traditional financial assets, as the value of the property itself is not different. The Ministry of Health and Welfare agrees with this view, stating that it is necessary to prevent relatively high-income individuals in the lower 70% of non-income earners from receiving basic pensions, and agrees that digital assets should be included in the property calculation scope.

The Japanese government has passed an amendment to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act at a cabinet meeting. This amendment regulates cryptocurrency assets (virtual currencies) as financial instruments for the first time and prohibits insider trading and other activities based on undisclosed information. At the same time, it requires cryptocurrency issuers to disclose information annually to improve the healthy market environment. If this bill is passed in the current Diet session, it is expected to be implemented as early as the 2027 fiscal year.Previously, the Financial Services Agency of Japan primarily regulated cryptocurrencies based on their positioning as "means of payment" under the Funds Settlement Act. However, in recent years, the use of cryptocurrencies as investment tools has been increasing, leading to their inclusion in the regulatory framework of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Additionally, the name of registered institutions will change from "cryptocurrency asset exchange operators" to "cryptocurrency asset trading operators."At the same time, the penalties will also be strengthened: for unregistered institutions engaged in sales, the maximum prison sentence will increase from 3 years to 10 years, and the fines will rise from the current maximum of 3 million yen to a maximum of 10 million yen. By increasing penalties, the stance on protecting investors will be further reinforced.