MARA Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:MARA) shares are trading lower amid broader market weakness. The company on Thursday provided a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) production and mining operation update for March.
What Happened: MARA Holdings said it mined 829 bitcoin in March, up 17% month-over-month from 706 bitcoin mined in February.
Total bitcoin holdings grew to 47,531 as of the end of the month. The company’s energized hashrate increased 1% to 54.3 EH/s as …
Bitcoin (BTC) price has been consolidating in a wide range between $80,000 to $88,500 since March 12.
Data suggests that Bitcoin’s consolidation may continue for some time, with onchain indicators pointing to the continuation of the “broader downtrend.” The key question that remains is when Bitcoin’s consolidation will end.
BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
One of the clearest signs that there is more choppy price action ahead for Bitcoin is the presence of muted funding rates in the BTC futures markets.
Key points:
Funding rates are periodic payments made between long and short traders in perpetual futures contracts to keep prices aligned with the spot market.
When this metric turns negative, it means short sellers are paying long holders, indicating that bearish sentiment dominates.
BTC funding rates have been oscillating around 0% since late February, indicating indecisiveness dominates the market.
BTC perpetual futures funding rates across all exchanges. Source: Glassnode
When funding rates are zero, the cost of holding positions is minimal, reducing pressure on traders to exit longs or shorts and leading to price consolidation.
Commenting on the funding rate, crypto analyst Axel Adler Junior said that Bitcoin’s average funding rate on major exchanges “has dropped into negative territory,” currently sitting just above zero.
“In this cycle, in four similar instances, it ended with a price increase and once with a decline.”
According to the analyst, positive signals from the US Federal Reserve and the Trump administration could renew fresh inflows into the market, “potentially triggering the start of a new rally.”
Several onchain metrics suggest Bitcoin’s April 2 rally to $87,500 was just a “relief rally within a broader downtrend rather than the beginning of a sustained reversal,” according to market intelligence firm Glassnode.
In its latest market report, Glassnode found that the 90-day simple moving average of Bitcoin’s Realized Profit/Loss Ratio had declined significantly since January, despite repeated rallies in the $76,000–$80,000 range.
These brief profit-driven surges have failed to end the ongoing consolidation, suggesting that the “macro picture remains one of generally weaker liquidity and deteriorating investor profitability,” it said.
“So far, there is little evidence suggesting a structural bullish shift in momentum is underway.”
Bitcoin: Realized profit and loss ratio. Source: Glassnode
An accompanying chart shows data from the onchain volume-weighted prices metric, which calculates a price level weighted by the volume of coins moved onchain over a specific timeframe.
Using this, Glassnode can compare when and how much capital was actually moved in the last 1 month compared to the last 6 months, giving a direct reflection of market trends.
The recent cross-over of the short-term 1-month average below the long-term 6-month price indicates an onchain “death cross,” Glassnode said.
“This pattern has historically preceded 3–6 month-long bearish trends. If this cycle follows suit, it suggests the market may still be working through a period of weakness before the bulls can reestablish a robust uptrend.”
Bitcoin: Realized price inter-cycle cohort age. Source: Glassnode
Anticipation of a breakout in BTC price lingers in the background, as suggested by Bitcoin’s volatility indicator.
Key points:
Tightening Bollinger Bands conditions indicate that a breakout might be very close.
The weekly Bollinger Bandwidth is at an extremely oversold level, touching its lower green line.
The width of the Bollinger Bands is as tight as it was between July 2024 and November 2024 when it consolidated between $55,000 and $69,000, the 2021 all-time high.
BTC/USD then rallied 60% from $67,500 in October 2026 to its previous high of $106,000 reached in December 2024.
The indicator was also this tight between July 2023 and October 2023, preceding a 176% rally in BTC price from $24,400 to $73,800 on March 14, 2024.
BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
If history repeats itself, Bitcoin could soon break out of consolidation to stage a massive upward move over the next few weeks.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
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Lawmakers in the US Senate Banking Committee confirmed the nomination of Paul Atkins to be a member of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), paving the way for a full floor vote in the chamber.
In an April 3 executive session of the banking committee, lawmakers voted 13-11 to confirm Atkins for two consecutive terms as an SEC commissioner, taking over former Chair Gary Gensler’s term and another term ending in 2031.
Atkins’ nomination will soon go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a full floor vote, where many experts suggest he is also likely to be confirmed.
Before calling for a vote, committee chair Tim Scott said Atkins would bring “much-needed clarity for digital assets.” Ranking member Elizabeth Warren reiterated earlier concerns about Trump’s SEC pick helping “billionaire scammers” like former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and Tesla CEO Elon Musk “actively trying to destroy” federal agencies.
This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
A growing number of financial and crypto industry leaders are openly questioning the long-term future of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency—while pointing to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) as an increasingly credible alternative in a rapidly shifting monetary landscape.
What Happened: The debate resurfaced after BlackRock (NASDAQ:BLK) CEO Larry Fink warned that rising U.S. deficits and unsustainable government debt could undermine confidence in the dollar.
In his annual letter to shareholders, Fink noted that Bitcoin and other digital assets could gain ground if current fiscal trends remain unchecked. “The dollar’s position as the global reserve currency is not guaranteed,” he wrote.
According to Adrian Blake, co-founder of predictive analytics firm Predictūm, Bitcoin is already moving toward reserve-like status—though not in the traditional sense. “It’s more realistic than ever, but not as a full replacement,” Blake said. “Bitcoin is becoming a non-sovereign collateral layer for a fragmented global system.”
Blake suggests that nations facing geopolitical headwinds or seeking to diversify away from the dollar may gradually adopt Bitcoin as a hedge.
This wouldn’t involve immediate or universal adoption, he explained, but …
JPMorgan analysts say investor confidence is shifting away from Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) toward gold, as the precious metal gains momentum as the preferred inflation hedge amid growing economic uncertainty.
What Happened: In a recent note led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, the bank’s team of strategists pointed to Bitcoin’s high volatility and its increasing correlation with equities as weakening its long-touted “digital gold” status, The Block reported on Thursday.
“The sharp rise in gold prices highlights a stronger investor appetite for traditional safe havens,” the report noted, with gold surpassing $3,100 per ounce this year.
The move is being driven by what analysts call the “debasement trade,” a …
Bitcoin’s (BTC) journey from a radical experiment to a trillion-dollar asset has been fueled by grand narratives: Digital gold, decentralized money and an alternative financial system. Beyond the hype, how does Bitcoin remain true to its core values?
That’s the central theme of the latest episode of The Clear Crypto Podcast, where hosts Nathan Jeffay and Gareth Jenkinson are joined by Charlie Spears, co-founder of Blockspace Media, to unpack Bitcoin’s evolving role in the global financial system.
From the outset, Bitcoin was designed as a decentralized alternative to traditional money.
But as adoption has surged, so too has the debate over its scalability and usability. Jenkinson began the conversation by explaining the origins of the original cryptocurrency and how that has shifted over time:
“It started out as digital gold and electronic money, and it was supposed to be that. And this is why there is that shift towards scaling and different transactional capabilities that people are looking to bring onto the network.”
The discussion underscores the growing importance of layer-2 solutions like the Lightning Network, which aim to make Bitcoin practical for everyday transactions by enabling users to transact in satoshis — the smallest unit of Bitcoin — rather than traditional currencies.
Related: 4 key Bitcoin metrics suggest $80K BTC price is a discount
Debates over Bitcoin’s direction often center on its philosophical roots. Some purists argue that any modification risks altering the essence of what makes Bitcoin unique.
Others see thoughtful updates as a way to reinforce its role as a global financial system. Spears compares this to interpreting historical texts:
“Reading what Satoshi wrote years ago is like analyzing the words of the Founding Fathers. The world changes, and we have to decide what that means for Bitcoin today.”
The discussion highlights how some proposed upgrades aren’t new but were initially removed as a precaution. Now, with Bitcoin’s maturity, developers are considering reinstating them to improve functionality.
“Bitcoin is in the hands of its users,” Spears emphasizes. “We get to decide what it should be, just as much as those who were there 15 years ago.”
As Bitcoin continues to evolve, The Clear Crypto Podcast cuts through the noise to deliver insightful conversations about where it’s headed next.
To hear the full conversation on The Clear Crypto Podcast, listen to the full episode on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows!
Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is down 13% in a week but retail demand surging and active addresses hitting new highs may signal a reversal in the medium term.
| Cryptocurrency | Price | Market Cap | 24-Hour Trend | 7-Day Trend |
| XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) | $2.03 | $118.4 billion | -3.7% | -12.9% |
| Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) | $0.1602 | $23.8 billion | -6.3% | -17.3% |
| Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) | $0.00001210 | $7.1 billion | -1.5% | -14.9% |
Trader Notes: Ali Martinez says XRP is setting up for a rebound, pointing to the TD Sequential buy signal as a sign of a potential reversal.
