Exhausted sellers may be giving Bitcoin some breathing room — but analysts say 
that&#8217;s a long way from a recovery. Related Reading: SEC Vs. Justin Sun Case 
Ends In $10M Settlement, Traders Eye TRX Price Reaction US Buyers Return, 
Pushing Prices Off Multi-Week Lows Data from on-chain analytics firm 
CryptoQuant shows the Coinbase Bitcoin Premium — a measure of US-based buying 
demand — has flipped from its most negative readings in early February to its 
highest point since October. That shift helped carry Bitcoin to a one-month 
high of $74,000 on Thursday, briefly touching the 50-day exponential moving 
average. It didn&#8217;t last. By Friday morning, the price had dropped more than 
$3,000, sliding back below $71,000 as momentum faded almost as fast as it 
built. The rally came alongside a wave of ETF inflows and what Nick Ruck, 
director of LVRG Research, called &#8220;renewed risk appetite.&#8221; But even as buyers 
stepped in, the broader conditions hadn&#8217;t changed. Ruck said that the advance 
&#8220;quickly faced headwinds,&#8221; with macro uncertainty and softer economic signals 
pulling the market back down. Bitcoin is still in a bear market despite the 
recent rally. Our Bull Score Index remains at 10/100, deep in bearish 
territory. The current move is likely just a relief rally, not the start of a 
new bull phase. pic.twitter.com/bh4O6jQPD6 — CryptoQuant.com 
(@cryptoquant_com) March 5, 2026 Bear Market Indicators Remain At Historic 
Lows CryptoQuant&#8217;s Bull Score Index — a composite reading of Bitcoin&#8217;s 
technical and fundamental health — sits at just 10 out of 100. That places it, 
by the firm&#8217;s own assessment, deep in negative territory. Reports from the 
firm say the number hasn&#8217;t moved despite the recent price action. &#8220;Even after 
the recent price rally, fundamental and technical indicators still point to a 
bear market environment,&#8221; CryptoQuant stated Thursday. The firm was blunt 
about what the brief climb likely represents: a short-term release of 
pressure, not a turning point. Unrealized losses among traders and long-term 
holders had reached levels last seen in July 2022 before the recent easing. 
That kind of exhaustion can slow a slide without reversing it. One signal 
pointing to easing pressure emerged Friday, when analysts said market momentum 
appears to be approaching a “critical shift.” According to their assessment, 
Bitcoin may be moving out of a phase marked by peak negative momentum — a 
stage that has often preceded broader changes in market direction. What 
follows that shift, and how quickly it unfolds, remains uncertain. Related 
Reading: Solana Stablecoins Hit $650 Billion In Monthly Transactions Macro 
Headwinds Keep A Lid On Any Optimism February nonfarm payrolls data, expected 
to show a slowdown, loomed as an added weight on sentiment. Analysts pointed 
to those &#8220;softer macro signals&#8221; as a reason cryptocurrencies remain open to 
fresh downside. Liquidity conditions had been supportive enough to spark the 
relief move, but not strong enough to sustain it. Bitcoin&#8217;s brief climb above 
$74,000 drew attention. The pullback drew more. With the Bull Score Index 
anchored near the floor and macro conditions still unsettled, analysts are 
watching for whether US buying demand holds — or fades just like the rally 
did. Featured image from Defenders of Wildlife, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin’s Brief Rally Isn’t The End Of The Bear Market, Analysts Say

A global crackdown dismantles Tycoon 2FA, a phishing platform that bypassed 
multi-factor authentication and fueled massive cyberattacks, as Coinbase, 
Microsoft, and Europol coordinate a sweeping effort to disrupt infrastructure 
behind widespread credential theft. Coinbase, Microsoft, Europol Coordinate 
Crackdown as Tycoon 2FA Sends Millions of Phishing Emails Monthly 
International coordination between technology firms and law enforcement […]

Coinbase, Microsoft, Europol Disrupt Major Phishing Platform, 330 Domains Taken Down

Kalshi and Polymarket discuss new funding rounds that could value each 
prediction market platform near $20 billion.
The post Kalshi and Polymarket weigh funding rounds at $20B valuations 
appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Kalshi and Polymarket weigh funding rounds at $20B valuations

Bitcoin’s price volatility tends to scare off buyers, but data shows investors 
who hold for at least three years have a higher chance of locking in 
significant returns.

When buying Bitcoin, don’t expect profit for at least 3 years: Data

A new outlook from market analyst Luke Suther shows a long-term valuation path 
for the XRP price, stretching from its current value of under $1.5 to over 
$18, $100, $500, and even $10,000 per coin. The projection ties price to real- 
world adoption and institutional use rather than speculation, highlighting how 
XRP’s value could grow as payment infrastructure integrates blockchain 
settlement. XRP Price Ladder From $2 To $100 In his post on X, Suther laid out 
a detailed price ladder for XRP, arguing that the cryptocurrency’s progress 
toward major milestones reflects real-world utility and institutional 
adoption. At the $2 mark, the framework begins with early-adopter corridors 
opening and pilot programs demonstrating genuine bank participation. In this 
stage, financial institutions begin experimenting with XRP, testing whether 
blockchain-based settlement can improve speed and reduce cost compared to 
traditional banking systems. Related Reading: Analyst Predicts 1,500% XRP 
Price Increase To $15 If This Is A Wave 2 From there, the path to $18 is built 
on the scaling of cross-border payments, with activity expected to expand 
significantly. This target is also supported by improvements in regulatory 
clarity that enable financial flows to move more freely and give institutions 
confidence in the legal framework surrounding XRP. The next major milestone 
arrives at $100. At this level, Suther expects XRP to serve as a core bridge 
asset for global payments, meaning it would be regularly used to convert value 
between different national currencies during international transactions. In 
such a scenario, liquidity becomes the driving force behind the price rally. 
As more institutions tap into the XRP Ledger (XRPL), deeper pools of XRP would 
be needed to ensure that payments move instantly across corridors connecting 
banks and financial markets. XRP Price Expansion From $500 To Over $10,000 
Following its projected price rally to $100, Suther has set $500 as XRP’s next 
ambitious target. The analyst has stated that for XRP to reach this level, the 
asset would need to support deep liquidity pools capable of handling multi- 
trillion dollar flows. At this stage, he says the network effect would also 
become a powerful growth driver. Related Reading: Pundit Says XRP Price At 
$100 Is Not Insane If You Understand This The next target after the $500 
target is $1000. By this level, the analyst stated that systemic reliance on 
XRP would begin to form. In that environment, banks, multinational 
corporations, and payment providers would conduct routine financial operations 
directly on rails powered by XRP’s liquidity. Such reliance would mean XRP 
would no longer be treated as a speculative token but a digital asset 
supporting real economic activity. For his final and most dramatic target, 
Suther predicts an explosive surge above $10,000. In this stage, XRP is 
expected to serve as a global settlement backbone used across international 
financial systems. He stressed that the cryptocurrency’s price growth would 
not be based on hype or market excitement. Instead, it would reflect 
structural demand that highlights the scale of utility underpinning the XRPL 
network. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Cryptocurrency price in USD