<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <rss version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Bitcoin Today - Bitcoin News Curated and Powered by AI</title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app</link> <description>Get daily updates on Bitcoin's price, market trends, analysis, and breaking news curated and powered by AI - all digestible in minutes. Make BitcoinToday.app your one-stop shop for staying informed in the fast-paced world of Bitcoin.</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:20:44 GMT</lastBuildDate> <docs>https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html</docs> <generator>https://github.com/jpmonette/feed</generator> <language>en</language> <image> <title>Bitcoin Today - Bitcoin News Curated and Powered by AI</title> <url>https://www.bitcointoday.app/images/logo-512.png</url> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app</link> </image> <copyright>All rights reserved 2024, BitcoinToday.app</copyright> <category>Bitcoin News</category> <item> <title><![CDATA[Bitcoin Defies Market Chaos: Crypto Gains as Gulf States Enter Iran Conflict]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/bitcoin-defies-market-chaos-crypto-gains-as-gulf-states-enter-iran-conflict</link> <guid>bitcoin-defies-market-chaos-crypto-gains-as-gulf-states-enter-iran-conflict</guid> <pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:01:11 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[## Crypto Recovery Amid Geopolitical Escalation Crypto markets showed surprising resilience on Tuesday morning, recovering even as Monday's relief rally unraveled across traditional markets. This occurred as oil prices jumped 4% on reports that **Saudi Arabia and the UAE** are moving to join the Iran conflict. ### Market Movements Monday's ceasefire trade lasted only about 18 hours before geopolitical tensions escalated again. **Bitcoin climbed 3.1% to $70,352** on Tuesday morning, recovering from the weekend's slide below $68,000. Other major cryptocurrencies followed suit, with **ether (ETH), solana's SOL, dogecoin, and XRP gaining between 2-4%**. ### Geopolitical Developments The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that **Saudi Arabia has agreed to give the U.S. military access to King Fahd Air Base**, reversing its earlier position that its bases couldn't be used to attack Iran. The UAE has taken similar steps. This development is significant because **Gulf states joining the war directly would transform the conflict** from a U.S.-Israel operation into a broader regional coalition. This represents a **significant escalation** from what markets had been pricing. ### Traditional Market Reaction Traditional markets responded immediately to the news: - **S&P 500 futures fell 0.5%** - European shares were set to drop 0.8% at the open - **Brent crude jumped 4% to about $104** - The dollar strengthened 0.3% - **Gold fell 1.5%**, extending what is now its longest daily losing streak on record ### The Gold Conundrum The **gold collapse continues to be the most disorienting signal** in global markets. A safe-haven asset falling to record losing streaks during an active and widening war breaks every historical precedent. The most likely explanation is **forced selling by funds facing margin calls** across other positions, with gold being the most liquid asset to sell. But whatever the cause, it makes **bitcoin's relative stability even more notable**. The token that's supposed to be the volatile one is holding a range while the one that's supposed to be steady is in freefall. ### Changing Calculus The five-day window Trump gave Iran expires Saturday, but **Saudi Arabia joining the conflict changes the calculus entirely**. A regional coalition fighting Iran is a different war from a U.S.-Israel air campaign, and it puts **oil infrastructure on both sides of the Gulf at risk**. ### Bitcoin's Position **Bitcoin is holding $70,000** on a Tuesday morning where everything else is deteriorating. Whether that's resilience or just the market waiting for the next headline to react to is the question the rest of the week will answer. ![Bonds, Treasury Bond. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock)](https://www.coindesk.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fs3y3vcno%2Fproduction%2F218b09e3fe7d18e57c9ff3eb6a51e1b6cd767fd8-1080x1080.jpg%3Fauto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75) *Related: Treasury yields and swap spreads could eventually pressure the Trump administration to moderate the conflict, analysts argue.*]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>bitcoin</category> <category>geopolitics</category> <category>markets</category> <category>crypto</category> <category>oil</category> <enclosure url="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/s3y3vcno/production/5f3bcfdc4772c4a6849b2285739d8434c1edaa94-1920x1280.jpg?auto=format&w=960&h=540&crop=focalpoint&fit=clip&q=75&fm=jpg" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Coinbase Stock Plummets 8%: Is This a Golden Buying Opportunity?]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/coinbase-stock-plummets-8-is-this-a-golden-buying-opportunity</link> <guid>coinbase-stock-plummets-8-is-this-a-golden-buying-opportunity</guid> <pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:01:28 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[**Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN)** shares are under pressure today, falling about 8% as investors digest a policy shift emerging from Washington that could reshape one of the company’s most important revenue streams. The latest draft tied to ongoing discussions around the **CLARITY Act** proposes banning yield on stablecoins, including any structure considered economically equivalent to interest, a move that directly challenges how platforms like Coinbase monetize digital dollar balances. This development carries tangible implications for Coinbase’s business model because the company generates meaningful economics through its relationship with **USDC**, the stablecoin it co-developed alongside Circle, benefiting from interest earned on reserves as well as user engagement tied to yield-driven products. Removing that incentive could reduce balances, weaken platform activity, and pressure a segment that has helped support profitability during periods of softer trading volumes, while also introducing regulatory uncertainty that may evolve further as definitions are finalized. Against that backdrop, **Citi analyst Peter Christiansen** is taking a more constructive view of the broader Coinbase story, arguing that the current setup still offers solid upside tied to the evolution of the digital asset ecosystem. Christiansen continues to view Coinbase as a leveraged play on regulatory clarity, writing that COIN is a **“beta play on CLARITY,”** while pointing to multiple avenues for expansion as the platform builds out its offerings across payments, derivatives, tokenization, and its Base ecosystem. At the same time, Christiansen does not ignore the near-term pressures showing up in the numbers. The analyst points to **“retail spread compression on rising user/subscriber mix”** as an incremental negative, explaining that a higher mix of Coinbase One subscribers is weighing on reported spreads. However, he adds an important counterbalance, noting that **“comparative per unit economics…remained positive vs. the 13bps QoQ retail spread compression,”** which suggests the underlying economics are holding up better than surface-level metrics might imply. Christiansen also emphasizes that Coinbase has delivered **“9 straight quarters of native unit growth,”** reinforcing the idea that user engagement and platform activity continue to move in the right direction. Looking further out, Christiansen continues to view Coinbase as a category leader with strong positioning as onchain infrastructure expands, particularly if traditional finance integration accelerates. To this end, the Citi analyst assigns COIN shares a **Buy rating and a $400 price target**, implying no less than 118% upside over the next 12 months. While Christiansen is leaning constructive, the broader Street is also generally positive on Coinbase’s longer-term setup, though with a more balanced tone. The stock carries a **Moderate Buy consensus rating** based on 24 analyst reviews, with 18 Buys, 5 Holds, and just 1 Sell. The average price target sits at $266.15, pointing to 45% upside from current levels. ![COIN stock forecast](https://blog.tipranks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-2448-1024x546.png) *Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.*]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>coinbase</category> <category>stablecoins</category> <category>regulation</category> <category>stockmarket</category> <category>cryptocurrency</category> <enclosure url="https://blog.tipranks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COIN-0324-750x406.jpg" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[How This AI Startup Just Raised $16.5M to Solve the 'Tacit Knowledge' Crisis in Enterprises]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/how-this-ai-startup-just-raised-165m-to-solve-the-tacit-knowledge-crisis-in-enterprises</link> <guid>how-this-ai-startup-just-raised-165m-to-solve-the-tacit-knowledge-crisis-in-enterprises</guid> <pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:01:26 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[**Tacit knowledge**—the unspoken expertise that experts carry but can't fully articulate—is a major bottleneck for AI agents in large enterprises. According to Interloom's CEO, up to **70% of operational decisions are undocumented**, making automation challenging. Interloom, a Munich-based startup, has raised **$16.5 million in venture capital** to tackle this issue. The funding round was led by DN Capital, with participation from Bek Ventures and existing investor Air Street Capital. This follows a $3 million seed round announced in March 2024, though the company's valuation remains undisclosed. ### The Problem: AI Agents Lack Corporate Memory Fabian Jakobi, Interloom's founder and CEO, explains that when a complex support ticket arrives, veteran staffers know the workarounds and resolutions from experience, not manuals. "The most important person at the bank is the person who knows whether the documentation is right or not," Jakobi told Fortune. "They're often the lowest paid. But they determine quality." ### Interloom's Solution: Building a 'Context Graph' Interloom's approach involves ingesting millions of operational records—such as support emails, service tickets, and call transcripts—to create a **'context graph'**. This continuously updated map shows how problems are actually resolved within an organization, similar to how Google Maps learns optimal routes from traffic data. It guides AI agents and new employees by mapping the paths experts take. ### Real-World Applications and Success Stories Interloom's software is already live with several large European enterprises: - At **Commerzbank**, it analyzed millions of customer support emails and reduced the gap between documented and actual operational knowledge from about 50% to 5%. - At **Volkswagen**, it processes customer support tickets. - At **Zurich Insurance**, Interloom won a company-wide AI competition for an underwriting use case, beating out 2,000 other AI-native startups. Jakobi emphasizes that underwriting decisions reflect a company's specific risk appetite and institutional knowledge, which general-purpose AI models lack. "The Zurich underwriter knows how their broker chat underwriting works much better than Accenture does," he said, targeting large consulting firms. ### Investor Confidence and Market Timing Investors back Interloom's thesis. Guy Ward Thomas of DN Capital stated, "an agent is only as good as the expert decisions it can rely on." Mehmet Atici of Bek Ventures, who previously backed UiPath, noted that AI is unlocking a new wave of enterprise automation adoption. Timing is key: the **'Great Retirement'** sees about 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring daily in the U.S., taking decades of institutional knowledge with them—just as companies scale AI deployment. ### Competitive Landscape and Future Plans Jakobi sees inertia as the biggest rival, with enterprises assuming operations will continue unchanged. Interloom's next product is a **'Chief of Staff'** layer for real-time visibility into AI agent performance, including version control for processes. While companies like OpenAI, ServiceNow, and Microsoft work on similar AI agent management layers, Jakobi believes Interloom's context graph provides a distinct advantage by offering insight across entire complex processes.]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>ai</category> <category>startup</category> <category>venturecapital</category> <category>automation</category> <category>enterprise</category> <enclosure url="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fabian-Portrait-March-e1774028541644.jpg?resize=1200,600" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Bitcoin's Resilience Shines: Outperforming Stocks Amid Oil Shock and Geopolitical Tensions]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/bitcoins-resilience-shines-outperforming-stocks-amid-oil-shock-and-geopolitical-tensions</link> <guid>bitcoins-resilience-shines-outperforming-stocks-amid-oil-shock-and-geopolitical-tensions</guid> <pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:01:08 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[**Bitcoin has demonstrated remarkable stability compared to traditional risk assets during recent market turmoil, driven by geopolitical tensions and an oil shock.** **In brief** - Oil prices are climbing back toward $100 a barrel as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz escalate. - Bitcoin remains range-bound after months of deleveraging earlier this year. - Analysts say this week’s flash PMI data could shape expectations for interest rates and risk assets. Bitcoin has fallen over the past week, but its declines have been less severe than the broader equity drawdown since the Iran conflict began on February 28. The world’s largest crypto traded around $68,000 on Sunday, down roughly 2% over the past 24 hours and about 6% over the past seven days, according to CoinGecko data. The move comes as the Iran war entered its fourth week, pushing crude prices higher and contributing to a broader pullback in risk assets by Friday. That geopolitical backdrop worsened over the weekend after U.S. President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face U.S. strikes on Iranian power plants, prompting Tehran to threaten to completely shut the vital oil shipping route and target U.S.-linked energy infrastructure across the region. U.S. stocks have fallen for four consecutive weeks, with the S&P 500 last week breaking below its 200-day moving average, a key technical level closely watched by institutional investors, for the first time since March of last year. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are down about 4% to 5% this month, according to Google Finance data. Energy has been the only major sector to rise during the period as oil prices begin climbing back toward $100 a barrel. Still, Bitcoin’s monthly decline has been more modest than the drop in equities, posting a loss of just 0.2%, a shift some market participants attribute to earlier deleveraging in the crypto market and continued institutional participation. **Bitcoin Trails Money Supply Growth as Energy Costs and Rates Bite** Bitcoin is trading at a steep discount to global liquidity trends, according to new analysis from CF Benchmarks, even as macro headwinds tied to energy prices and monetary policy complicate the outlook for risk assets and economic growth. Global M2 money supply has risen about 12% since mid-2025, while Bitcoin has fallen roughly 35% over the same period, the Kraken-owned index provider said. One model cited in its report, published Thursday, implies a “fair value” of about $136,000, compared w... “After undergoing several rounds of deleveraging in recent months, Bitcoin has materially outperformed traditional assets on a risk-adjusted basis since the start of the Iran war,” John O’Loghlen, managing director for APAC at Coinbase, told Decrypt. He added that as oil becomes “an active transmission channel for global inflation,” the firm is seeing rising institutional inflows into crypto assets and U.S. Bitcoin ETFs. “There are early signs the crypto market might now be past peak pessimism,” O’Loghlen said. “However, stronger participation will be required for a more durable rally.” While macro conditions are driving broader market sentiment, experts say the crypto market itself is flashing signs of resilience rather than heavy distribution. “The crypto market is in a steady consolidation phase, with clear signs of institutional strength and accumulation,” Nischal Shetty, founder of WazirX, told Decrypt. He added that Bitcoin has been holding support near the lower end of its recent range while facing resistance near recent highs, signalling buyers remain active despite macro uncertainty. A mid-March ChainCheck report from VanEck found that long-term holder selling has slowed, with transfer volume declining across older coins, a sign that experienced investors are reducing distribution pressure. Analysts say the next move for Bitcoin will likely depend on macroeconomic data in the coming week, including flash PMI readings from major economies and further moves in oil prices, which are increasingly shaping expectations for inflation and interest rates.]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>bitcoin</category> <category>marketanalysis</category> <category>geopolitics</category> <category>oilprices</category> <category>institutionalinvestment</category> <enclosure url="https://cdn.decrypt.co/resize/1024/height/512/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Iran-Bitcoin-1-gID_7.jpg" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Ethereum's Critical Crossroads: Scaling, Quantum Threats, and AI Ambitions Collide in 2026]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/ethereums-critical-crossroads-scaling-quantum-threats-and-ai-ambitions-collide-in-2026</link> <guid>ethereums-critical-crossroads-scaling-quantum-threats-and-ai-ambitions-collide-in-2026</guid> <pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:01:08 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[The first few months of 2026 have forced the Ethereum community into deep introspection—moving beyond price movements and technical upgrades to question the network's fundamental purpose. Even before this year, there was a sense that Ethereum was entering a new growth phase, driven not by crypto-native users but by institutions and technology. Neobanks were expected to onboard millions by abstracting away wallet complexity and gas fees. In this vision, Ethereum would operate invisibly beneath the surface, powering a new financial stack that looked nothing like traditional crypto. This vision has been shaped by years of upgrades aimed at improving user experience and reducing costs. Innovations like **proto-danksharding**, introduced in the Dencun upgrade, significantly lowered fees for layer 2 networks by increasing data availability for transactions. Ongoing base-layer improvements have made transactions more efficient, moving Ethereum closer to a model where users interact with applications without understanding the underlying infrastructure. But this narrative shifted dramatically in early 2026, refocusing attention on Ethereum's core roadmap. ## The L2 Debate: Scaling or Fragmenting? Earlier this year, Ethereum co-founder **Vitalik Buterin** delivered a sharp reality check: "You are not scaling Ethereum." This comment cut through what had been a largely celebratory conversation around rollups—layer-2 (L2) networks that process transactions off-chain before bundling them back onto Ethereum's main chain. Buterin's critique went beyond general progress concerns. He argued that many current L2 designs are drifting away from Ethereum's core model, relying on **centralized components** and **siloed environments** that don't fully inherit the base chain's guarantees. The concern wasn't that L2s exist, but that their current form may not deliver the scaling Ethereum was meant to achieve. This highlighted growing unease about **fragmentation across L2s**, inconsistent security assumptions, and reliance on centralized components—issues that were beginning to look less like temporary trade-offs and more like structural risks. Ethereum, in trying to scale outward, risked losing the very properties that made it valuable: **strong security**, **decentralization**, and its role as a shared, neutral settlement layer. L2 teams responded by recalibrating rather than pushing back. Some acknowledged the critique and leaned into specialization—privacy, consumer apps, or unique execution environments—rather than simply acting as cheaper Ethereum clones. Others defended their role more forcefully, arguing that high-throughput environments remain essential. Ethereum's base layer has made incremental progress too. Recent upgrades like December's **Fusaka hard fork** increased data capacity and efficiency, allowing more transactions to be processed while lowering costs. ![Ethereum's daily transaction spike (Etherscan.io)](https://www.coindesk.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fs3y3vcno%2Fproduction%2F89fc2db2ab636f70f27640ae84da9e759e3803a6-1200x1100.png%3Fauto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75) This tense episode established that Ethereum's path forward requires a delicate balance between base-layer upgrades and specialized rollups that can grow the ecosystem without breaking its foundational security. According to 21shares, "The year ahead is likely to mark Ethereum's **L2 consolidation**: a leaner, more resilient layer anchored by ETH-aligned, exchange-backed, and high-performance networks." ## The Quantum Threat: From Distant Concern to Urgent Priority Simultaneously, another issue moved up the priority list: **Quantum Computing**. The Ethereum Foundation signaled a shift in posture, elevating efforts like 'LeanVM' and post-quantum signature schemes. What was once treated as a distant, academic concern is now being folded into near-term planning. The implication is clear: Ethereum is no longer just building for the next market cycle, but for threats that could fundamentally break its cryptographic assumptions. The foundation has established dedicated research efforts focused specifically on **post-quantum security**, and Vitalik Buterin has outlined a roadmap to protect the blockchain from quantum computer risks. ## Internal Shakeup: Leadership Changes Signal Broader Recalibration If scaling exposed cracks in Ethereum's present and quantum risk cast a shadow over its future, internal changes added another layer of complexity. The departure of **Tomasz Stańczak** as co-executive director of the Ethereum Foundation marked more than a leadership reshuffle. At a moment when the network faces technical, strategic, and philosophical reevaluations, even subtle shifts at the top signal broader recalibration. The move came as a surprise in an ecosystem that favors continuity. Stańczak had only stepped into the role about a year earlier, following Aya Miyaguchi's long-standing tenure. The rapid turnover hinted at deeper internal reassessment as the foundation reevaluates priorities amid growing demands for scaling, security, and Ethereum's potential role in new frontiers like artificial intelligence. ## Ethereum as AI's 'Trust Layer' AI has become impossible to ignore, shaping a separate line of thinking for Ethereum. Buterin outlined how Ethereum could play a foundational role in artificial intelligence's future—extending beyond payments or DeFi into a world where Ethereum acts as a **coordination layer for decentralized AI systems**, enabling verifiable outputs, trust-minimized data sharing, and machine-to-machine economic activity. This push didn't emerge overnight. Early last year, the foundation spun up a dedicated decentralized AI research unit (dAI) exploring how the network could support autonomous agents and machine-to-machine economies. What felt experimental then has accelerated into something more deliberate in 2026, with the foundation increasingly framing Ethereum as a potential **"trust layer" for AI**: a system for verifying outputs, coordinating agents, and anchoring an ecosystem largely controlled by centralized players. This represents an ambitious expansion of scope, placing Ethereum at the intersection of two of today's most consequential technologies. The first three months of 2026 suggest that Ethereum no longer has the luxury of tackling these questions in isolation—they're converging. The network is being pulled in multiple directions, each with its own urgency, and the balancing act is becoming harder to ignore. Unlike previous cycles where narratives shifted with prices, current issues feel deeper—less about momentum and more about structure. These tensions will continue shaping Ethereum's trajectory in the months ahead. In the immediate term, focus remains on scaling the base layer, with the upcoming **Glamsterdam upgrade** expected to accelerate that effort. This upgrade will likely become a litmus test for Ethereum's ability to evolve into a robust, quantum-secure "trust layer" capable of anchoring the global AI economy.]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>ethereum</category> <category>layer2</category> <category>quantumsecurity</category> <category>artificialintelligence</category> <category>blockchain</category> <enclosure url="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/s3y3vcno/production/85b88a463a5eff9214ed505f64e45606efd09a61-3641x2427.jpg?auto=format&w=960&h=540&crop=focalpoint&fit=clip&q=75&fm=jpg" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Kalshi Hits $22 Billion Valuation, Outpacing Rival Polymarket in the Prediction Market Race]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/kalshi-hits-22-billion-valuation-outpacing-rival-polymarket-in-the-prediction-market-race</link> <guid>kalshi-hits-22-billion-valuation-outpacing-rival-polymarket-in-the-prediction-market-race</guid> <pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 08:01:09 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[**Kalshi**, the largest prediction market in the U.S., has secured a **$22 billion valuation**, edging ahead of its main competitor **Polymarket**. This valuation comes from a **$1 billion investment round** led by Coatue Management, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Kalshi's valuation has doubled in about two months, highlighting rapid growth in the prediction market sector. ### Intense Rivalry with Polymarket Kalshi and Polymarket are locked in a **heavyweight duel** for dominance. Earlier in March, both companies were eyeing valuations around $20 billion each. Recently, Polymarket made headlines by announcing an exclusive partnership with the MLB, just in time for the new baseball season. The competition has sparked **novel promotions**: Kalshi offered free groceries to New Yorkers in February, prompting Polymarket to open a pop-up grocery store a week later. ### Regulatory Background and Popularity Kalshi's success is partly due to a **2020 Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) decision** granting it approval. It gained significant popularity in January 2025 by introducing **sports wagers**. In contrast, Polymarket was banned from operating in the U.S. in 2022 after the CFTC found it offered event contracts without approval. The FBI raided CEO Shayne Coplan's apartment in 2024, but in 2025, the CFTC approved Polymarket's return to the U.S. ### Controversies and Legal Challenges The rise of prediction markets has not been without issues. Arizona recently filed **criminal charges against Kalshi** for illegal gambling, and the company faces over 20 lawsuits regarding its legal status. Concerns about **insider trading** have also emerged, such as a Polymarket trader making over $400,000 on bets related to Nicolás Maduro's ouster. This dynamic landscape underscores the **high-stakes competition** and regulatory hurdles shaping the future of prediction markets.]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>kalshi</category> <category>polymarket</category> <category>predictionmarkets</category> <category>valuation</category> <category>cftc</category> <enclosure url="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2237779170-e1774041338104.jpg?resize=1200,600" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[Fed Rate Hikes vs. Bitcoin: Could Stagflation Spark a Crypto Surge?]]></title> <link>https://www.bitcointoday.app/article/fed-rate-hikes-vs-bitcoin-could-stagflation-spark-a-crypto-surge</link> <guid>fed-rate-hikes-vs-bitcoin-could-stagflation-spark-a-crypto-surge</guid> <pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 21:01:09 GMT</pubDate> <description><![CDATA[## The Fed's Dilemma: Rate Hikes on the Horizon? Bank of America economists have outlined **three conditions** that could force the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates, despite the current expectation of cuts. These conditions include: - Fed Chair Jerome Powell's tenure extending longer than expected - Unemployment remaining below 4.5% - **Energy price pressures spreading** to other parts of the economy With West Texas Intermediate oil recently jumping as high as $116 per barrel due to Middle East conflicts, and shipping costs for fertilizer and aluminum surging, these conditions are becoming more plausible. ## Bitcoin's Initial Reaction: Short-Term Pressure Experts warn that if the Fed does hike rates, **risk assets like Bitcoin and stocks would face immediate pressure**. James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares, noted that crypto ETFs have already seen consecutive days of outflows following Powell's recent comments about economic uncertainty. "The initial reaction to Bitcoin would not be great," Butterfill told Decrypt. Bitcoin recently traded below $70,000 after touching a 45-day high of $75,600 earlier in the week. ## The Stagflation Scenario: Bitcoin as a Hedge However, the narrative could quickly shift. Butterfill added: "I think it would actually turn around and do quite well as people realize we could easily be in a **stagflation environment**." This mirrors the sentiment expressed by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in October, who highlighted **crypto and gold as 'assets of fear'** amid currency debasement concerns. A combination of high inflation, stagnant growth, and high unemployment could drive investors toward Bitcoin as a hedge. ## Institutional Adoption Continues Unabated Gerry O'Shea, head of global markets insights at Hashdex, argued that **macroeconomic headwinds are unlikely to slow institutional adoption**. "You have a lot of investment advisors who have been doing their due diligence," he said. "Given their mandate, they're seeing this as an opportunity to get their clients exposure." ## The Inflation Picture Bank of America economists noted that **core inflation is already uncomfortably high** at 2.8% in January, well above the Fed's 2% target. While the Fed typically looks through volatile food and energy costs, sustained price increases in these areas could force their hand. Zach Pandl, head of research at Grayscale, offered a more cautious view: "We are still a long way off from Fed rate hikes. Unless the increase in oil prices starts to feed into longer-term inflation expectations, Fed officials will likely consider it transitory." ## Bitcoin's Resilience Despite the uncertainty, **Bitcoin has shown remarkable resilience** since the start of the Iran conflict. Pandl attributed this to "oversold conditions and continued positive fundamental news related to stablecoins and tokenization." ## The Powell Factor Powell's term as chair is slated to end in May, but he indicated he would continue serving until his successor is confirmed. Bank of America economists noted that Powell "isn't nearly as dovish" as his likely successor, former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, **bolstering the possibility of a rate hike**. "This is important because we view June as the earliest meeting at which the Fed can start to hike rates," they added. ## Market Predictions On prediction market Myriad, traders foresaw a 67% chance that Brent crude would pump to $120 per barrel before dumping to $55. Meanwhile, CME FedWatch shows traders aren't expecting hikes until mid-2027. ![Oil price chart](https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/crude-oil) <iframe src="https://myriad.markets/markets/crude-oil-s-next-move-pump-to-120-or-dump-to-55" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>]]></description> <author>contact@bitcointoday.app (BitcoinToday.app)</author> <category>bitcoin</category> <category>federalreserve</category> <category>interestrates</category> <category>stagflation</category> <category>inflation</category> <enclosure url="https://cdn.decrypt.co/resize/1024/height/512/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/bank-of-america-decrypt-style-01-gID_7.jpg" length="0" type="image/jpg"/> </item> </channel> </rss>