Shiba Inu shows improving momentum as stabilizing indicators support a fresh rebound test near key resistance.
Notably, Shiba Inu (SHIB) is posting a modest intraday recovery, rising 4.1% over 24 hours to trade around $0.000005943. The price action is now holding near the upper end of its daily range after a steady climb from early-session lows.
The chart shows a sharp upward push during the first half of the session, followed by a period of consolidation as SHIB gave back part of its peak at $0.00000603. This pattern points to improving short-term momentum, although the token still faces pressure from a weak broader trend.
This reflects in its 14-day dip and flat performance over the past month. The current setup suggests traders are watching whether this rebound can develop into a stronger breakout.
Can Shiba Inu Pose a Stronger Rebound?
Shiba Inu’s daily chart shows early signs of stabilization, but the indicator mix still leans cautious. The Average True Range sits near 0.0000003489 and continues to trend lower, which signals fading volatility and a quieter trading environment after recent swings.
Shiba Inu 1D Chart
At the same time, the Awesome Oscillator (AO) remains below the zero line at about -0.0000002367, confirming that bearish momentum has not fully disappeared. However, the histogram has been improving with smaller negative bars and more positive ones.
Price has also started to print a short sequence of green candles, suggesting buyers are attempting to regain control near the $0.00000595 area. Taken together, these indicators point to a tentative recovery phase rather than a confirmed breakout.
Ultimately, SHIB needs stronger momentum and a move above the resistance at $0.0000070 to shift the short-term outlook more decisively bullish.
SHIB Beginning to Look Interesting
Elsewhere, on social media, Crypto Tony said Shiba Inu is starting to “look interesting.” The chart supports that view as price rebounds toward the key $0.000005900 area after a prolonged downtrend.
Shiba Inu Prediction
Per Crypto Tony, a clear break and sustained hold above $0.000005900 would suggest buyers are regaining control and could open the door to a stronger relief rally.
XRP commentator Mason Versluis recently described XRP as “hyper liquid,” suggesting that those who understand the concept may already be ahead of most market participants.
In a recent post on X, Versluis wrote that “XRP = hyper liquid” and added that anyone who truly understands the implication is “ahead of 99%.”
The short statement has since sparked conversation in the community, given XRP’s evolving role in institutional liquidity.
X user Luffy agrees with Versluis’s framing, saying it is the reason XRP is “called institutional liquidity”. The commenter went on to add that it is also the reason XRP is measured in drops, describing it as “water for a burning world.”
Key Points
Mason Versluis calls XRP “hyper liquid,” saying those who understand its role may be ahead of 99% of the market.
The remark highlights XRP’s potential role in global liquidity and institutional finance.
Ripple Prime’s integration with Hyperliquid could expand institutional access to on-chain derivatives markets.
Supporters say XRP could help connect traditional finance, crypto markets, and decentralized trading venues.
Possible Link to Hyperliquid’s Rise in Crypto Markets
Meanwhile, Versluis’s statement connects to the rapid growth of Hyperliquid, a decentralized derivatives platform gaining traction on the global stage.
In the past week, an oil-linked perpetual futures contract tracking West Texas Intermediate crude oil on Hyperliquid saw a surge in activity. It generated more than $1.2 billion in daily trading volume. Remarkably, Hyperliquid briefly became the exchange’s second-most traded market after Bitcoin.
The increase in trading followed rising tensions in the Middle East that pushed oil prices close to $120 per barrel. Because Hyperliquid runs 24/7 and settles trades in USDC, traders could react to the news even with traditional exchanges closed.
This constant trading access supports the idea that decentralized exchanges could provide round-the-clock liquidity for global markets, changing how commodities and financial assets operate.
Meanwhile, a February 2026 development involving Ripple also ties into Versluis’s “hyper liquid” narrative. The company announced that its institutional platform, Ripple Prime, has integrated support for Hyperliquid.
Notably, the integration allows institutional clients to access liquidity in on-chain derivatives through Hyperliquid. They can also manage their exposure alongside other assets such as digital assets, foreign exchange, fixed income, and OTC derivatives within the same brokerage environment. Through this setup, institutions can tap decentralized liquidity pools.
For XRP supporters, the development reinforces the idea that XRP could play a central role in moving liquidity between traditional finance and decentralized markets. In this view, the term “hyper liquid” suggests that XRP infrastructure could help connect different asset classes and trading venues within one system.
Essentially, Versluis’s remark draws on the growing link between Ripple’s institutional tools and emerging DeFi liquidity hubs. Supporters believe this could lead to a future where liquidity moves easily across traditional finance, crypto markets, and decentralized trading platforms, giving early observers a potential advantage.
The Shiba Inu chart is starting to look “interesting,” as SHIB has begun knocking at a resistance trendline that has capped its upside since late February.
Amid the ongoing recovery push from the broader crypto market, Shiba Inu (SHIB) has engineered a rebound effort, taking advantage of the market’s bullish momentum. With this campaign, SHIB has now begun retesting a crucial resistance trendline that may determine its next direction.
Key Points
The latest recovery campaign has resulted in four consecutive bullish Shiba Inu daily candlesticks for the first time since September 2025.
Within this period, SHIB has gained nearly 13%, as it looks to reclaim the $0.000006 psychological mark for the first time this month.
Market data shows that Shiba Inu’s upward push has now led to a retest of an important resistance trendline that has capped its upside potential since late February.
While Shiba Inu has already broken above this trendline, it needs to hold this breakout for the trend to decisively shift in favor of bulls.
The break above the resistance trendline also aligns with a breakout from a falling parallel channel that had guided SHIB’s price action throughout this year.
Shiba Inu’s Latest Recovery Effort
Market analyst Crypto Tony identified this bullish positioning in one of his latest analyses, as SHIB looks to regain some of the losses of the past few weeks. Notably, after a turbulent weekend, SHIB began this week on a bullish note and has maintained this trend throughout the week.
As a result, Shiba Inu has recorded four consecutive bullish intraday candlesticks for the first time since September 2025, indicating that the uptrend has not faded prematurely like previous ones. Within this period, SHIB has gained almost 13%, on track to record a fifth straight intraday gain.
SHIB Retests Crucial Resistance Trendline
Due to the ongoing momentum, Shiba Inu appears to be retesting a crucial resistance trendline that has capped its upside momentum for over two weeks. Specifically, this resistance trendline sits at the $0.0000059 area, and acted as a support region for SHIB until the meme coin broke below it on Feb. 27, a day before the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.
Shiba Inu 1D Chart | Crypto Tony
From that point, Shiba Inu had traded below the trendline, and attempts to break above it on March 1 and 4 met resistance from the bearsand subsequent pullbacks. At the time of Tony’s analysis, SHIB was already attempting another breakout, changing hands at $0.000005809.
As a result, the analyst suggested that the Shiba Inu chart was starting to “look interesting.” He emphasized that SHIB would have to reclaim the $0.0000059 level and hold above it for a “good start,” implying that this could mark the start of a potentially bullish trend flip for the short-term.
Shiba Inu Breaches Resistance Trendline and Falling Channel
At press time, Shiba Inu has already reclaimed the $0.0000059 area, effectively breaking above the resistance trendline. The meme coin now trades for $0.000005974, up 0.65% on the day. With the latest feat, the next task for SHIB is to hold above this $0.0000059 area, as highlighted by Tony.
Interestingly, data shows that the breach above the resistance trendline also aligned with a breakout from a multi-month descending channel that had dominated the daily chart throughout this year.
Shiba Inu Breakout
Specifically, the channel started forming after Shiba Inu dropped from the $0.00001 psychologically important mark on Jan. 5 following an impressive run early in the year.After this drop, SHIB recorded lower highs and lower lows, leading to the formation of the descending channel. The rally above $0.0000059 has now broken above the channel. SHIB must now hold above this breakout.
New regulatory filings show that several major Wall Street institutions have begun accumulating XRP through spot ETFs.
These products have already attracted more than $1.2 billion in cumulative inflows, highlighting sustained investor demand despite recent market volatility.
In total, the filings reveal over $210 million in XRP ETF exposure across the top 30 institutions. Interestingly, Goldman Sachs accounts for the majority of the disclosed capital.
The development has sparked discussions within the XRP community. Some proponents interpret the move as Wall Street quietly building exposure to the fifth-largest cryptocurrency through regulated investment vehicles.
Key Points
New regulatory filings show that over 30 institutions hold positions in XRP ETFs worth $210 million.
Goldman Sachs leads the group with $153.81 million in exposure, equivalent to about 83.63 million XRP tokens.
Other notable participants include Millennium Management, Logan Stone Capital, Jane Street, and DRW Securities, each holding millions of dollars in XRP ETF exposure.
Total XRP ETF assets stand at about $967 million, while cumulative inflows have reached $1.21 billion.
Goldman Sachs Tops List of XRP ETF Buyers
Data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, based on U.S. SEC 13F filings, has circulated widely among XRP observers. The data shows that at least 30 institutional firms currently hold positions in XRP ETFs, signaling growing interest among traditional financial players in regulated XRP investment products.
The filings show more than $210 million in total XRP ETF exposure among these institutions. Leading the list is Goldman Sachs, which holds over $153.81 million in XRP ETF exposure, equivalent to roughly 83.63 million XRP tokens. As a result, the bank alone accounts for the majority of all disclosed institutional holdings in these funds.
Other Notable Institutional XRP ETF Buyers
Trailing far behind is Millennium Management, which reported $23.07 million in XRP ETF exposure. This allocation represents approximately 12.54 million XRP, positioning the hedge fund as the second-largest institutional holder on the list.
Logan Stone Capital ranks third with $5.29 million in exposure. Meanwhile, Citadel Advisors follows closely with about $4.52 million. Other notable institutions include Jain Global, with approximately $3.39 million in exposure, and Marex Group, with roughly $3.37 million.
In addition, several other firms maintain moderate positions, including Gallacher Capital Management, DRW Securities, Jane Street, and Flow Traders, with exposures of about $2.56 million, $2.41 million, and $1.99 million, respectively.
Beyond these names, several trading firms, hedge funds, and wealth managers also reported smaller allocations to XRP ETFs.
Growing Institutional Comfort With XRP
The presence of major firms such as Goldman Sachs, Citadel Advisors, and Millennium Management suggests that traditional finance is becoming increasingly comfortable gaining exposure to XRP through regulated products.
However, despite the high-profile participants, their ownership still represents a relatively small share of total ETF assets. At press time, the five U.S. spot XRP ETFs collectively hold about $967 million in assets, according to SoSoValue data.
Meanwhile, cumulative inflows stand at approximately $1.21 billion. Since March 5, the funds have largely recorded consecutive outflows, except on March 11 when flows remained neutral.
Yesterday, roughly $6.08 million exited the funds, led by withdrawals from the 21Shares and Franklin Templeton ETFs, which posted $3.09 million and $2.99 million in outflows, respectively.
The XRP Ledger may have begun building the privacy layer that banks need for blockchain adoption with the introduction of Confidential MPTs.
The XRP Ledger developer committee is working to introduce the Confidential MPT standard (XLS-0096), which would bring transaction privacy to issued tokens on the network. The standard builds on the existing XLS-33 MPT protocol, but includes EC-ElGamal encryption and ZKPs to hide individual balances and transfer amounts.
Notably, the standard could represent an important step toward attracting banks and financial institutions to the XRP Ledger, as it addresses the conflict between blockchain’s radical transparency and the privacy that banks require.
Key Points
The XRP Ledger developer committee is introducing a new standard that would allow users to transfer and hold issued tokens, hiding individual balances and transaction amounts from public view.
The standard could attract banks and financial institutions, which have avoided public blockchains because of the radical transparency that allows anyone to see the transactions and balances of other users.
Issuers retain full control under the new standard, including the ability to freeze accounts and forcibly recover tokens from holders where necessary.
The Confidential MPT standard comes after the XRPL already enabled Permissioned Domains and Permissioned DEX last month, continuing a pattern of building tools to meet the compliance and privacy demands of traditional finance.
A New Standard for Confidential Tokens
Notably, the Confidential MPT specification, designated XLS-0096, was authored by XRPL contributor Shawn Xie last week under the title “Confidential Transfers for Multi-Purpose Tokens.”
The standard matters for institutional adoption because there has always been a conflict between what banks need and what blockchain offers. Specifically, blockchain runs on radical transparency, allowing anyone to see the transactions and balances of other users, which is something most banks are deeply uncomfortable with.
The standard builds on XLS-33, the existing Multi-Purpose Token framework, and adds encrypted balances and confidential transfers through EC-ElGamal encryption and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), but maintains the accounting rules and supply controls of XLS-33.
The Motivation Behind Confidential MPTs
XLS-33 already supports flexible tokenization on the XRP Ledger, but every balance and every transfer under this protocol stays fully visible to the public.
Xie stressed that this level of transparency has held back adoption in institutional and privacy-sensitive settings. He expects Confidential MPTs to address this by bringing encrypted balances and confidential transfers without abandoning the XLS-33 system.
Notably, the standard ensures that even though individual balances remain hidden, the overall token supply stays visible and auditable. Moreover, the MaxAmount (MA) field continues to cap the total supply, giving validators what they need to enforce the rule that says OutstandingAmount (OA) must be less than or equal to MA.
Four Properties from the Confidential Token Standard
Data from GitHub confirms that the design introduces four major properties. Specifically, the first is confidentiality, as the standard encrypts individual balances and transfer amounts so that validators and outside observers cannot see them. XRPL validator Vet spotlighted this in a recent post on X.
With XLS-96 we going to encrypt issued asset balances and sending amounts on XRP.
For the second property, the standard introduces public auditability, which makes sure that the existing rule of OutstandingAmount being less than or equal to MaxAmount stays publicly enforceable without anyone needing to decrypt confidential balances.
The third property is selective disclosure and view keys, which the standard supports through two separate models. The first model is a trust-minimized, on-chain auditor approach. However, the second is a simpler model where the issuer controls the view keys and can disclose information on demand.
Meanwhile, the design includes compatibility as the fourth property. Here, public and confidential balances can exist side by side for the same token, and the system treats a designated issuer second account the same as any other non-issuer holder. Notably, this maintains XLS-33 issuance rules.
Issuer controls also carry over to confidential balances, covering freezing and clawback to the issuer’s reserve. The standard keeps OutstandingAmount as the total of all non-issuer balances.
What This Means for Banks and Institutional Adoption
XRP proponents believe this standard represents a move toward making the XRP Ledger genuinely attractive to financial institutions, particularly banks. Notably, most banks want their transactions kept private, and the Confidential MPT standard makes this possible for issued tokens.Note that the standard does not involve XRP, only issued tokens.
Interestingly, the XRPL developer community has now focused on this standard after enabling Permissioned Domains and Permissioned DEX last month, two compliance tools that allow banks and financial institutions to adopt the XRPL within an environment that complies with global regulatory demands.
At press time, the Confidential MPT standard remains a proposition under active discussion on GitHuband has not yet made its way to the XRPL validator poll as an amendment.
Network activity on Ethereum is climbing to record levels, yet the asset’s market value continues to struggle.
Analysts at CryptoQuant say this unusual disconnect could signal additional downside for ETH if broader market conditions remain weak. The research firm describes the trend as an “adoption paradox.” In simple terms, Ethereum usage is rising while investor demand weakens.
According to Julio Moreno, Ethereum could fall toward $1,500 if the current bear market continues. He noted that such a move could occur by the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter this year unless capital flows improve.
As of this writing, Ethereum traded near $2,110, gaining more than 4% over the past 24 hours.
Key Points
Ethereum usage continues to rise, with daily active addresses and smart contract activity reaching all-time highs.
Despite growing on-chain activity, ETH has lost more than 50% from its most recent cycle high.
CryptoQuant analysts warn that the divergence between network growth and price could indicate further downside, potentially toward $1,500 by late 2026.
Rising Network Activity Fails to Support Price
Recent blockchain data shows that Ethereum usage continues to expand. CryptoQuant reports that daily active addresses reached a new record last month, surpassing levels seen during the 2021 bull market.
Under typical market conditions, such growth would help support higher prices. However, Ethereum’s market performance has moved in the opposite direction. The asset has declined more than 50% from its latest cycle high.
Analysts say this divergence reflects the core of the adoption paradox: activity is increasing while price trends remain weak, suggesting that the historical relationship between network growth and asset value is weakening.
Number of Active Addresses on the ETH Network
Smart Contracts Fuel Ecosystem Growth
The surge in activity is linked to automated blockchain processes. Smart contracts are generating a large share of transactions.
CryptoQuant reported that internal contract calls reached record levels last month. These calls occur when smart contracts automatically execute actions within decentralized applications.
Several expanding sectors are fueling this trend. These include decentralized finance platforms, stablecoins, and Layer-2 scaling networks built on Ethereum.
Even so, stronger usage has not translated into price momentum. In earlier cycles, increased smart contract activity often coincided with rising ETH prices.
Today, that link appears less reliable. According to CryptoQuant, the relationship between contract-driven activity and price growth has weakened noticeably.
Exchange Flows Offer Clearer Market Signals
Because network metrics are no longer closely aligned with price trends, analysts are increasingly watching exchange flows for signs of market sentiment.
Exchange inflows represent assets moving to trading platforms, where they are more likely to be sold.
CryptoQuant data show that Ethereum’s exchange inflows remain relatively high compared with Bitcoin, suggesting stronger selling pressure on ETH. Consequently, this dynamic may help explain Ethereum’s recent underperformance against Bitcoin.
BTC and ETH Total Exchange Volume
Capital Outflows Add to Bearish Pressure
Beyond exchange activity, investment flows also point to weakening demand.
CryptoQuant notes that the one-year change in Ethereum’s realized capitalization, a measure tracking net capital entering or leaving the network, has recently turned negative. Such readings indicate that capital is flowing out of the asset, a trend that can weigh on prices even as on-chain activity rises.
Moreno said Ethereum will need clear signs of renewed investment to reverse the current trend. Specifically, he highlighted two key conditions:
First, capital inflows must return to the market.
Second, exchange inflows should decline, reducing potential selling pressure.
Until those shifts occur, analysts warn that Ethereum could remain under pressure as the broader crypto bear market continues.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has highlighted a historic milestone for the ecosystem as Midnight becomes the first Cardano Native Token (CNT) to list on Binance.
He described the development as a breakthrough that validates Cardano-based assets and could open the door for more CNTs to gain exposure on major global exchanges.
Key Points
Binance launched a NIGHT token airdrop for BNB holders and subsequently listed the token for trading on its platform.
Charles Hoskinson celebrated the development, emphasizing that NIGHT is the first native token from the Cardano ecosystem to be listed on Binance.
He noted that the milestone could pave the way for other Cardano native tokens to secure major exchange listings.
NIGHT has attracted renewed market attention, with its price rising more than 10% over the past 24 hours.
Binance Lists NIGHT
In a recent commentary, Hoskinson celebrated Midnight’s listing on Binance and described it as a defining moment for the Cardano ecosystem. For context, Binance Alpha first listed NIGHT for trading in December 2025.
More recently, the exchange confirmed that NIGHT was featured as the 61st project on its HODLer Airdrops page. Through the program, users who subscribed their BNB to eligible yield products during the February snapshot period were eligible to receive NIGHT tokens.
Subsequently, Binance launched spot trading for NIGHT on its main platform on March 11, opening trading pairs against BNB, USDT, USDC, and TRY.
Cardano Founder Hoskinson Highlights Significance of the Milestone
Reacting to the announcement, Hoskinson emphasized that Midnight has become the first Cardano-native token to secure a listing on the world’s largest crypto exchange. He described the achievement as a major step that could pave the way for other Cardano-based assets seeking broader market access.
Moreover, Hoskinson stressed that securing a Binance listing remains a high bar for most crypto projects. Given that the exchange dominates global altcoin trading and serves over 300 million users, he argued that the development represents more than a routine token launch.
Midnight’s Strong Performance
Meanwhile, NIGHT has delivered an impressive performance since its launch in December 2025. Shortly after debuting, the token surged to a billion-dollar market cap after securing listings on major exchanges, including Bybit, OKX, KuCoin, MEXC, and Gate.io.
Within a few months, the asset also emerged as one of the most widely held tokens in the Cardano ecosystem. It currently boasts 57,079 unique wallets, representing a 4.38% increase from the 54,682 wallets recorded on March 10. This date coincides with the launch of Midnight Thaw 2, which enabled users to redeem NIGHT tokens from Cardano’s Glacier Drop airdrop.
Furthermore, the rapid growth in unique wallets signals rising interest in the token ahead of its mainnet launch scheduled for later this month. The renewed demand has also been reflected in its market performance. At press time, NIGHT is up 10.08% over the past 24 hours, trading at $0.05406 per token.
Veteran Bitcoin investor Pumpius has described Ripple’s latest corporate move as a powerful signal for the future of XRP.
He argues that the company’s strategy could significantly strengthen its long-term position in the digital asset ecosystem.
The reaction follows reports that Ripple has launched a major share buyback program that values the company at roughly $50 billion. The firm is seeking to buy back approximately $750 million in shares from employees and investors via a tender offer that runs until April.
Key Points
Veteran investor Pumpius calls Ripple’s $750M share buyback the “ultimate power move” that could strengthen XRP’s long-term outlook.
Ripple plans to repurchase shares through April, valuing the company near $50B and reinforcing its position in crypto.
The valuation marks a 25% jump from Ripple’s $40B round, even as XRP has fallen more than 60% since the October peak.
Critics argue Ripple’s rising valuation may not directly benefit XRP holders, fueling debate across the crypto community.
Investor Calls Ripple’s Buyback a “Power Move”
In his tweet, Pumpius framed the buyback as a strategic move that could benefit XRP holders. According to the investor, the buyback highlights Ripple’s confidence in its long-term control and influence over the XRP ecosystem.
In his view, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to buy back equity signals that the company believes its exposure to the digital asset could be worth far more in the future.
Pumpius described the strategy as the “ultimate power move” for XRP supporters. He argues that Ripple sees greater long-term upside in maintaining influence over XRP rather than liquidating large portions of its holdings.
The program also locks in a significantly higher corporate valuation for the company. This also reinforces its position among the most valuable firms in the crypto industry.
Valuation Climbs Despite Crypto Market Slump
The buyback represents a 25% jump in valuation from the $40 billion Ripple attained in its last November funding round. That round raised $500 million from major financial firms, including Pantera Capital, Brevan Howard, Galaxy Digital, and Marshall Wace.
The higher valuation is notable given the broader market downturn. Since the October market peak, XRP has experienced steep declines of over 60%.
Even so, Ripple continues to expand its business aggressively. The company recently acquired the prime brokerage platform Hidden Road and the treasury management firm GTreasury as it builds institutional infrastructure for digital assets.
Critics Question Whether XRP Holders Benefit
Despite the optimism from some investors, the buyback announcement has sparked debate within the crypto community.
Critics claim the company could be selling XRP to fund corporate expansion or equity buybacks, allowing institutional investors to benefit through company shares while retail traders provide liquidity in the token market.
Ripple recently moved 200 million XRP, worth roughly $280 million, shortly after unlocking 1 billion XRP from escrow earlier in the month. Although some of these transfers are internal movements, they frequently trigger speculation about potential token sales.
As Ripple expands its financial infrastructure and corporate position, the key question is whether that growth will directly increase XRP’s value. Supporters see the buyback as confidence in XRP’s long-term ecosystem. Meanwhile, critics say the link between Ripple’s success and XRP’s price remains unclear.
Crypto analyst IncomeSharks believes shares of Strategy (MSTR) could see a major rebound this year after their historic price collapse.
He argued for a potential move toward $200 in what the analyst describes as a ‘worst-case scenario.’
According to the analysis shared on X, the stock appears to be forming a base after a prolonged downtrend. For context, MSTR traded as high as $457 in July 2025. With the price at $134 today, it has fallen by more than 70% from its peak.
Key Points
Analyst IncomeSharks says Strategy (MSTR) could rebound toward $200 as the stock attempts to stabilize after a steep decline.
MSTR has fallen over 70% from its $457 peak in July 2025, but strong support around the $110–$120 range remains intact.
The analyst believes a Bitcoin rebound toward $80K could improve sentiment and trigger a sharp recovery in MSTR shares.
If momentum returns, MSTR could rally toward the $230–$240 resistance zone, implying roughly 70% upside.
Strategy (MSTR) Recovery Prospects
IncomeSharks’ chart highlights a key support zone near the $110–$120 range, where the price bounced in August 2024. The rebound from that level sent MSTR to its 2025 all-time high. Notably, the price touched the $110 range in early February 2026 before slightly recovering to its current position around $134.
Specifically, a move back to $200 from there, as IncomeSharks projects, would represent a sizable recovery of nearly 50% for the Bitcoin-focused company.
Key Resistance Around $235
The chart also points to a major resistance area near $230–$240, marked by a blue horizontal line. IncomeSharks suggested that if momentum returns, MSTR could rally toward that level, which would represent roughly 70% upside from the current price region.
This level previously acted as support during earlier consolidation phases in 2025 before the stock broke down during the broader crypto market decline.
Bitcoin Recovery Could Drive the Move
The analyst tied the potential recovery largely to the outlook for Bitcoin. If Bitcoin rebounds toward $80,000, sentiment around crypto-linked equities such as Strategy could improve quickly.
Strategy is widely viewed as a proxy for Bitcoin exposure because the company holds a large amount of BTC on its balance sheet under the leadership of Michael Saylor. Notably, the company holds 738,731 BTC as of today, worth over $51.42 billion.
At press time, Bitcoin trades at $70,010, and a recovery to $80,000 would require just over a 14% price increase.
Notably, like MSTR, Bitcoin is also trading at a steep discount from its 2025 peak. After falling 44%, market watchers believe a rebound is possible, but ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could delay that prospect.
Regulatory Developments Also in Focus
IncomeSharks also referenced the possibility of the Crypto Clarity Act passing in the United States. Clearer regulatory rules could boost institutional confidence in the crypto sector and increase discussion around initiatives such as a Bitcoin strategic reserve.
The analyst speculated that if regulatory clarity arrives and Bitcoin recovers, the probability of such a reserve concept emerging could rise to around 50% by 2027.
Ultimately, the chart suggests that MSTR may be attempting to stabilize after months of decline, with the $200 level seen as a realistic upside target if crypto market momentum returns.
The founder of Into The Cryptoverse has revealed features that define a typical Bitcoin bear market and explained why BTC is already in one.
Bitcoin has kept sliding in 2026, now sitting 45% below its all-time high of $126,000 and down 20.5% for the year as it trades around $69,500.
Despite the declines, most analysts insist that this is simply a pullback within a continuing bull market. However, Benjamin Cowen, founder of Into The Cryptoverse (ITC), disagrees, suggesting that Bitcoin has entered a full bear market.
Key Points
Bitcoin has dropped 45% from its all-time high of $126,000 and is down 20.5% in 2026, currently trading around $69,500.
Despite the downturn, most analysts believe Bitcoin is facing a drawdown within a bull market, but Benjamin Cowen disagrees.
According to Cowen, during bear markets, Bitcoin typically spends more time trending upward, but when it drops within a short period, the drop is more powerful.
From the November 2025 low, Bitcoin climbed 21.6% over 54 days before crashing 38.8% in just 23 days to a new low in February 2026.
Cowen identified late March to April as the typical window of weakness for Bitcoin in midterm years, suggesting the current rally will likely break down within the next couple of months.
February lows in past bear market cycles never marked the macro bottom, and Cowen believes the same could be true for the current $59,930 February 2026 low.
How Bear Markets Actually Behave
The market analyst shared these details during a recent analysis. One of the most surprising things Cowen pointed out about Bitcoin bear markets is that the price actually spends more time going up than going down.
In bear markets, Bitcoin will often spend more time going up than going down.
When it does go down, it goes down very quickly, sets a low, then trends up for a few weeks/months before going lower.
For months at a time, Bitcoin will slowly climb higher before suddenly crashing to a new low within just one or two weeks. During the sharp drops, panic takes over, while those who turned bullish near the top keep telling investors to buy the dip. Notably, this pattern repeats until a new low forms and eventually gives way to something even lower.
Cowen used the low Bitcoin set on November 21, 2025, at $80,537 as an example. From that low, Bitcoin climbed for about 54 days and reached a local high of $97,939 on Jan. 14, 2026, gaining 21.6% along the way.
Then, in just 23 days, it crashed 38.8% to a new low of $59,930 on Feb. 6, 2026, wiping out everything gained during those 54 days and falling an extra 25% below the November 2025 low. Cowen pointed out that Bitcoin moved up for more than twice as long as it moved down, yet still ended up at a lower price.
Bitcoin Cheerleaders Against Market Analysts
Speaking further, the ITC founder then identified the difference between people he calls price cheerleaders and those who actually try to read the market and manage risk.
He suggested that price cheerleaders stay bullish no matter what, and many people mistake that constant optimism for real analysis. According to him, there is nothing necessarily wrong with being a long-term Bitcoin bull, and that buying during the depths of a bear market and holding through the recovery is a perfectly reasonable approach.
The problem is when people fail to recognize that a bear market has arrived, and others trust their cheerleading as though it were sound financial analysis.
To support his concern, Cowen pointed out that measured against gold, Bitcoin today sits at the same valuation it held back in December 2017, at the 14-ounce-of-gold mark that was one of the highs of that period.
He noted that someone who bought Bitcoin in 2017 and simply held all the way to 2026, nearly a decade, has essentially broken even relative to gold, while those who sold at the end of post-halving years came out ahead.
Why The Bitcoin Structure Points to an Ongoing Bear Market
Moreover, Cowen revealed why he believes the current Bitcoin structure resembles a bear market. Specifically, Bitcoin set a low near $80,000 in November 2025, trended up for roughly two months, then broke down and found support near $60,000 in February 2026.
Since hitting that $60,000 level, Bitcoin has been climbing again, which Cowen says is the same pattern playing out. He believes this current rally will likely break down within the next couple of months, with the period around late March to April typically being the window of weakness for Bitcoin in midterm years.
He then showed how this was different from the bull market structure that played out from 2023 to 2025, where Bitcoin would repeatedly drift lower before shooting up to new highs, the complete opposite of what is happening now.
Citing historical data, Cowen also argued that the $59,000 low in February may not have marked the macro bottom. Notably, BTC saw lows of $34,000 in February 2022, $5,921 in February 2018, and $400 in February 2014. In every one of those cases, the February low was not the macro bottom, and Bitcoin went on to fall even lower later in the cycle.
