SnapShot 249

Hello SnapShotters,

After a "risk-off" weekend, BTC plummeted from its US$73,000 rally to a low of $65,633. Heightened military friction roiled the energy markets, sending Brent crude soaring toward $120.

Oil prices later retreated toward the $90 to $100 range after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the conflict might de-escalate sooner than anticipated. By early Tuesday, Bitcoin diverged; while stocks and gold struggled to find a steady footing, BTC staged a near-5% intraday bounce to reclaim the $70,000 handle.

The newfound resilience was further solidified by February’s CPI report released on Wednesday. Headline inflation arrived at 2.4% year-over-year, exactly matching consensus forecasts and relieving risk-on markets. While sticky categories like shelter (+0.2%) and natural gas (+10.9% YoY) remain pressure points, the in-line data allowed BTC to enter a "FOMO zone”: it rose past $70,400, locking in a double-bottom support base of $60,000 to $63,000 as seen in February.

Institutional behavior is still favoring the "orange coin" over its peers. Spot BTC ETFs recorded a second consecutive week of net inflows, opening the week with $167 million. In contrast, the ETH ETF complex is facing a sustained withdrawal period, with total AUM contracting nearly 65% from its 2025 peak as capital rotates into the perceived safety of BTC.

Here are the week's top stories as the macro data blitz finds the next checkpoint in the FOMC minutes.

Market Spotlight

Note: Market prices captured in USD at the time of sending. Explore more on Crypto‌.com/Price. 

Want more? Get weekly Market and DeFi Updates from Crypto.‌com’s Research Team.

News Snaps

🪙 Bitcoin Supply Hits 20 Million Milestone
The 20 millionth BTC was officially mined on March 9, leaving less than 5% of the total 21 million supply left to be created. While over 95.2% of all BTC is now in circulation, the final 1 million coins won't be fully exhausted until approximately 2140 due to the network's programmatic halving events.

🧾 Crypto.com Launches First-Ever Crypto Native IRAs

Crypto.com IRAs is a first-of-its-kind retirement offering allowing U.S. users to manage both stocks and crypto in tax-advantaged accounts. The service features up to a 5% contribution match, an uncapped 2% match on transfers and rollovers, and zero account fees.*

🛡️ Trump’s Cyber Strategy Includes Crypto
The Trump administration’s new National Cyber Strategy explicitly names cryptocurrency and blockchain security as federal priorities for the first time. The document details decentralized tech, AI, and quantum computing as critical developments, while signaling potential crackdowns on "criminal infrastructure,” including mixers and unregulated off-ramps.

💰 SharpLink Reports 2025 Loss Amid ETH Buying Spree 

Consensys-backed SharpLink is doubling down on its "institutional-grade" Ethereum treasury strategy despite a $734.6 million net loss in 2025. While the firm's stock has retreated 75% from its June highs, its ETH holdings have surged to 868,699 ETH, backed by a $3.2 billion capital raise and a transition into staking programs that generated over 14,000 ETH in rewards.

🪙 Strategy Acquires 5x Weekly BTC Supply 

Michael Saylor’s Strategy added another 17,994 BTC to its reserves last week for $1.28 billion — its largest purchase since January. The acquisition, completed at an average price of $70,946, pushes the firm’s total holdings to 738,731 BTC — roughly 3.7% of the entire circulating supply. This single tranche effectively removed the equivalent of five weeks of global mining output from the market.

What’s Ahead

🗓️ March 17 to 18: Fed Minutes 

The U.S. Federal Reserve is widely projected to hold interest rates steady at the 3.50% to 3.75% range in its upcoming mid-month session. While a pause remains the baseline, focus has shifted toward the central bank’s updated dot plot and economic projections, which will be released against a backdrop of surging oil prices and sticky inflation.

Number of the Week

Source: CoinTelegraph

Chart of the Week

Leverage Flushed, Floor Found?

The speculative froth that defined the market’s late-2025 peak may have been purged, as Bitcoin’s aggregate futures open interest (OI) hit a significant bottom of $43 billion on March 2 — its lowest level since November 2024.

The deleveraging suggests that institutional traders are treading with extreme caution. While last week’s price hike past $73,000 briefly pulled OI back up toward the $50 billion mark, the momentum was short-lived; by March 7, OI had retreated to $45 billion.

This reset in the derivatives market is creating a divergence in market structure. Even as high-risk leverage is being flushed out of the system, underlying demand appears to remain robust based on net inflows into spot ETFs.

As of March 7, 2026

Sources: CryptoQuant, Crypto.com Research

Research & Insights

The Era of the Autonomous Wallet May Be Here

The transition from human-managed DeFi to a machine-native agentic economy is underway in 2026, and the AI-blockchain synergy promises to turn complex financial strategies into "autopilot" experiences for retail investors.

At the heart of this trend is a massive cleanup of the AI "black box”. As of late February, over 49,400 AI agents have already registered for on-chain "passports”, which allow them to build verifiable reputations for yield optimization and risk management. 

A resurgent protocol known as x402 has already processed 162 million transactions. These digital workers can pay for data and compute power in fractions of a cent without needing a human to sign off on every micropayment.

For the average investor, the autopilot portfolio is moving from a distant sci-fi fantasy to a production-ready reality, where the performance history of a portfolio algorithm becomes a tradable asset itself.

🔍 Read the full report here.

Crypto Trivia

South Korea is one of the world's most active crypto markets, but it tends to operate at a different price point than the rest of the world. What exactly is the "Kimchi Premium"?

A) A fermented cabbage subscription for top-tier Bitcoin miners
B) A price gap where crypto trades higher on local Korean exchanges
C) A government-issued stablecoin backed by the Korean won

Find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.

NFT Spotlight

On March 18, shed the limits of humanity in “CYBR,” a post-human world where chrome replaces skin and code is the new DNA.

This latest drop by Graffiti on Grave explores the concept of beauty in a future where biology and technology merge seamlessly. Featuring 101 unique avatars, the collection portrays neo-humans clad in futuristic armor with intricate cybernetic detail.

12 collectors will be selected to win a limited-edition NFT after the drop concludes.

Scan the details of the drop now.

Product Updates

Precious Metals and Rare Earth Minerals Now on Trend Watch

Trend Watch now includes Precious Metals and Rare Earth Minerals. Users can invest in gold ETFs, silver ETFs, and mining companies, or gain exposure to rare earth elements (REEs) essential for electric vehicle manufacturing and advanced electronics. Try it on the Crypto.com App now.

Earn Up to 5% Bonus on Crypto Deposits

Market movement isn't the only way to see growth. Between March 9 and March 23, every eligible deposit made to the Crypto.com App gives users the opportunity to earn up to a 5% bonus in CRO. T&Cs Apply. Available in select jurisdictions. Learn more here.

This is informational content only and should not be considered as an investment recommendation. Some Crypto.com products may not be available in some jurisdictions.

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Security Tips

“Coruna” iOS Exploit Kit Used in Crypto Phishing Attacks

Google has reported an iOS exploit kit called Coruna being used in crypto-related attacks, highlighting how scammers are increasingly targeting mobile devices.

When a user visits a malicious website on a vulnerable iPhone, the exploit kit can activate and attempt to access financial information, including crypto wallets and seed phrases. Researchers say the tool also searches for popular crypto apps such as Uniswap and MetaMask to extract sensitive data.

The discovery highlights a shift toward mobile-focused crypto attacks, as more users manage digital assets directly from their phones.

How to Keep Funds Safe:

• Avoid clicking crypto-related links sent through unsolicited messages or emails
• Only access exchanges or wallets through official apps or websites
• Keep devices and apps updated to patch security vulnerabilities

Crypto Trivia Answer

B) A price gap where crypto trades higher on local Korean exchanges ✅

The "Kimchi Premium" occurs when the price of digital assets like BTC is significantly higher on South Korean exchanges compared to international platforms. This phenomenon is caused by high local demand paired with strict capital controls, which restrict traders from moving fiat currency abroad to arbitrage the price difference.

Historically, this gap reached extremes as high as 55% during periods of intense retail fever.

That's it for this week's SnapShot. Want more? Find out what’s trending in the crypto world.