Bitcoin dropped below $71,000, but the market’s tilt toward bulls holds as 
spot ETF inflows and BTC buying from Strategy boost investor sentiment.

Bitcoin falls under $71K but data shows BTC’s bullish momentum holding

Crypto ETF options are rapidly being folded into mainstream derivatives 
markets as U.S. exchanges abandon fixed caps, unlocking larger positions and 
reshaping how institutional capital can access bitcoin and ethereum exposure. 
NYSE American Expands Crypto ETF Options With Flexible Limit Framework The 
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a notice on March 18, 
2026, […]

NYSE, Nasdaq, Cboe Align Crypto ETF Options With Liquidity Driven Limits

A key price level is giving Bitcoin trouble — and on-chain data may explain 
why. Related Reading: XRP Moves Into ‘Scarce Zone’ As Exchange Supply Dries Up 
Realized Price Puts A Ceiling On The Rally The $75,000 mark is not just a 
round number for Bitcoin traders. It sits at the lower band of what analysts 
call the &#8220;traders&#8217; on-chain Realized Price&#8221; — a metric that tracks the average 
price at which active market participants last moved their coins. According to 
CryptoQuant head of research Julio Moreno, that band has historically acted as 
a ceiling during bear markets, and it appears to be doing the same thing now. 
Bitcoin tested the $75,000 level three times on Coinbase in a single 24-hour 
stretch and was turned back each time. The rally itself has been real. Bitcoin 
climbed roughly 12% in March, touching a six-week high of around $76,000 on 
March 17. But momentum has stalled right where analysts warned it might. Large 
Deposits Flood Into Exchanges What makes the stall more significant is what&#8217;s 
happening behind the scenes. On March 16, hourly Bitcoin inflows to 
centralized exchanges surged to 6,100 BTC — the highest single-hour reading 
since February 20. Data shows that large deposits made up over 60% of that 
total, the biggest share since mid-October 2025. When traders move Bitcoin 
onto exchanges, it usually means one thing: they&#8217;re getting ready to sell. 
Moreno said that historically, spikes in large exchange deposits have been 
tied to rising selling pressure. The timing — right as Bitcoin ran into 
resistance — is hard to ignore. The question now is whether that selling 
pressure will be enough to push prices back down, or whether buyers will 
absorb it and push through the $75,000 wall. Fed Decision Adds To Market 
Uncertainty Broader financial conditions are adding another layer of 
complexity. The Federal Reserve is set to announce its rate decision 
Wednesday, and based on CME futures, traders are pricing in a 98.9% chance 
that rates stay where they are — with just a 1.1% chance of a hike. But 
holding rates steady may not be the most market-moving part of the 
announcement. Reports indicate the Federal Reserve could signal that no rate 
cuts are coming at all in 2026, citing ongoing inflation concerns and the 
fallout from the US-Iran war. That kind of guidance tends to weigh on risk 
assets. Related Reading: Another Bitcoin Buy Coming? Saylor Sparks Speculation 
With ‘Orange Dots’ Post The Harder Wall Still Lies Ahead Even if Bitcoin 
manages to clear $75,000 with enough conviction to hold, there is another 
obstacle waiting higher up. The full Realized Price — which reflects the 
average break-even level for active traders — currently sits near $84,700. 
That figure acted as resistance in both October and January. Clearing $75,000 
would be a start. Getting to $84,700 would be a different challenge entirely. 
Featured image from West Coast Trial Lawyers, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin Stalls Near $75K As Traders Move Coins To Exchanges

Bitcoin miners are ditching hashpower for hyperscale as multibillion-dollar 
artificial intelligence (AI) contracts outpay mining by a wide margin, forcing 
a rethink of the industry that secures the world’s largest cryptocurrency. 
Bitcoin Mining Economics Struggle as AI Offers Higher Returns Per Megawatt 
What started as a side hustle has turned into a full-blown identity crisis […]

AI Data Centers Outpay Bitcoin Mining, Triggering Major Industry Shift

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has crossed the 760,000 Bitcoin threshold 
with its latest purchase, bringing its total holdings to 761,068 BTC as of 
March 16, 2026. The market intelligence company continues to purchase BTC, 
despite broader market downtrends and ongoing volatility. Against this 
backdrop, AI analysis is now shedding light on how long it could take for 
Strategy to reach the 1 million BTC milestone, with different models 
projecting varying timelines. Grok AI Predicts When Strategy Hits 1 Million 
BTC Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings have surpassed 761,000 BTC after its record 
weekly purchase of 22,3337 BTC for approximately $1.57 billion. The company&#8217;s 
aggressive accumulation strategy, led by CEO Michael Saylor, is accelerated by 
its ambition to grow its Bitcoin treasury as substantially as possible, with 
some analysts projecting it could reach a million BTC cap by the end of 2026. 
Related Reading: Here’s How Much Saylor’s Strategy Makes Every Time Bitcoin 
Goes Up By $1,000 However, according to projections from Grok, the AI platform 
created by xAI and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Strategy could realistically 
reach the one million BTC milestone as early as September 2026. Grok’s 
forecast is based on the company’s recent purchase velocity, which has 
increased significantly over the past few years. In the three weeks leading up 
to mid-March, Strategy acquired between 3,015 and 22,337 BTC per week, 
averaging roughly 14,450 BTC. If the company can maintain this pace, Grok 
predicts that it could mathematically reach the one million BTC mark by early 
July this year. However, maintaining such aggressive weekly acquisitions would 
require continuous capital raises exceeding $1 billion per week, which Grok 
notes is unlikely. The AI platform noted that the company currently needs an 
additional 238,932 BTC from its holdings to reach its official target. A more 
sustainable pace, accounting for historical averages of roughly 2,500 BTC per 
week with the STRC preferred stock funding program, points to a more realistic 
timeline around September 2026. This projection takes into account market 
liquidity, sustainable fundraising, dilution concerns, market volatility, and 
other key factors. ChatGPT Forecasts Strategy’s 1 Million Bitcoin Timeline 
ChatGPT AI projects a slightly more conservative scenario based on historical 
buying trends, capital capacity, and market conditions. According to the AI 
platform, Strategy would need approximately 5,550 BTC each week to hit 1 
million BTC by December 2026, about 50-100% above its recent weekly averages. 
Related Reading: Bitcoin Is Still Bearish And Price Is Headed Below $50,000; 
Analyst While this goal is ambitious, the AI suggests it could realistically 
be achieved by 2027. Its analysis indicates that if Strategy ramps up 
purchases through equity issuance and STRC funding, the 1 million BTC target 
could be recalibrated to late December 2026. However, factors such as market 
liquidity, price volatility, and uneven weekly acquisitions make it more 
plausible that the goal could slip into early January 2027. The AI platform 
noted that delays beyond this window are unlikely, given the company’s 
historically strong commitment to BTC accumulation and its funding resources. 
Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Cryptocurrency price in ZAR