SnapShot 251

Hello SnapShotters,

Bitcoin’s return to $70,000 in the past week continued to chart a diverging path from TradFi asset classes.

While the S&P 500 and gold faced sell-offs amid rising tensions in the Middle East, BTC’s 0.8% weekly drawdown showed relative strength as a non-correlated hedge in the current period. The recovery from the $68,000 low was primarily driven by a de-escalation of geopolitical risk following a five-day pause on military strikes.

The price floor was supported by a return of the institutional bid. U.S. spot BTC ETFs recorded $88.06 million in net inflows early in the week, marking their fourth consecutive day of growth. However, this appetite remains bifurcated; while BTC and SOL continue to attract capital — with SOL ETFs nearing a historic $1 billion cumulative inflow milestone — the ETH front recorded its fourth straight day of withdrawals, seeing a $6.49 million net outflow.

XRP ETF flows stagnated across the same period, but attention turned to the token’s market cap as it pipped BNB to reclaim the fourth position in global cryptocurrency rankings. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly projected a 90% probability that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act will pass by late April 2026.

Here are the other top stories as crypto prepares to march into the second quarter of 2026.

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 Mining Difficulty Sees 7.8% Slump

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty saw the second-largest negative adjustment of 2026, as major miners pivot operations toward AI and high-performance computing (HPC) for more stable margins.

⚖️ NYSE Exchanges Remove Position Caps on Crypto ETF Options

NYSE Arca and NYSE American have officially scrapped the 25,000-contract limit on spot BTC and ETH ETF options, bringing these products in line with traditional commodity-based ETFs. 

🏛️ Strategy and BitMine Double Down on Treasury Plays

Institutional giants are moving aggressively despite a fear-heavy market sentiment. Strategy (MSTR) unveiled a $44 billion equity plan to support future Bitcoin purchases, while BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) solidified its lead as the top ETH treasury holder.

🛡️ Tether to Undergo First Full Audit

After years of point-in-time attestations, Tether has formally signed an undisclosed "Big Four" accounting firm to conduct a full independent financial audit of its $184 billion USDT reserves.

🤖 Solana Pivots to the "Agentic" Internet

The Solana Foundation is repositioning the network as the main settlement layer for AI agents, moving beyond human-centric commerce. It has reportedly already processed 15 million on-chain agent payments.

What’s Ahead

📅 CME Bitcoin Futures Expiration (March 2026)

March BTC futures contracts on the CME are set to expire on March 27. This will be one of the final major expirations under the legacy schedule before the CME switches to 24/7 continuous trading in May.

Number of the Week

Source: CoinTelegraph

Chart of the Week

The Miner’s Dilemma

With hashprice hitting a floor of $32/PH/s/day and production costs ($88,000) far outstripping market price ($69,000), miners are losing about 21% per block.

This “death spiral" is forcing a treasury sell-off as high-cost operators surrender their hashrate to more efficient AI data centers.

Get the details in the week’s Market Pulse.

As of March 23, 2026

Sources: Hashrateindex, Crypto.com Research

Crypto Trivia

In August 2025, ETH reached a massive milestone by surpassing the market cap of which global payment giant, becoming the world’s 22nd largest asset?

A) Visa

B) Mastercard

C) PayPal

Find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.

NFT Spotlight

Following a successful Valentine’s Day drop, digital artist morysetta is back with “Celestial Signs” on April 1, a cosmic series that explores strength in its various forms.

This latest drop expands on her previous “Sinful Thoughts” collection and features 12 unique artworks inspired by the zodiac. Each NFT represents a distinct quality associated with its sign.

Collectors can earn a unique NFT and win limited-edition prints.

Reveal your inner truth and get all the details before the drop!

Product Updates

IPO Early Bird Now Available for Crypto.com IRAs

You can now use your retirement account to submit orders for the most anticipated IPO opportunities before public trading begins. Lock in your IPO orders up to three weeks in advance, and we’ll handle the execution on opening day. Explore IPOs for Crypto.com IRAs now.

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.

Byte Sized

You may not have been alive for the first dollar transaction, but you probably were for crypto’s. Don’t miss the next chapter of finance.

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Security Tips

Hong Kong Victims Lose $4.8 Million in Crypto Scams

Two Hong Kong victims lost a combined US$4.8 million to crypto scams, highlighting how fraudsters use trust, relationships, and repeated targeting to drain funds.

In one case, a woman lost $3.955 million after a scammer posing as a tenant built a romantic relationship over WhatsApp. He later introduced a fake crypto investment platform and convinced her to send multiple large transfers to bank accounts and crypto wallets.

In another case, a retiree lost $842,567 after being scammed three times. First, a fake “crypto expert” promised guaranteed returns. After losing funds, the victim was targeted again by “recovery experts” who demanded deposits — only to disappear each time.

Authorities note that once someone is scammed, they often become a repeat target, especially for “recovery” schemes.

How to Keep Funds Safe:

• Be cautious of online relationships that shift into investment advice or opportunities
• Avoid anyone promising guaranteed returns or asking for upfront fees to recover funds
• Verify platforms and individuals independently before sending funds

Crypto Trivia Answer

B) Mastercard  ✅

On August 10, 2025, ETH’s market cap reached more than $520 billion, officially overtaking Mastercard. While ETH briefly flickered past JPMorgan and Visa in 2021, the 2025 flip was seen as more structural, driven by the approval of ETH ETF staking and its role as the settlement layer for the global stablecoin market.

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