Bitcoin Surges 7%, But The March Rally May Just Be A Textbook Bull Trap

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has surged 7% since the start of the month as macro analyst Benjamin Cowen warned this mirrors the “bull trap” pattern that preceded massive sell-offs in every prior midterm cycle.

The Midterm Bear Market Playbook

Bitcoin is trading roughly 15% below its $87,500 yearly open, hitting the exact mathematical target for an early March relief rally. 

Cowen argues Bitcoin’s 2026 price action identically mirrors the post-halving patterns of 2014, 2018, and 2022.

The structural pattern repeats across cycles: Bitcoin peaks in Q4 of the post-halving year (late 2025 this cycle). 

The asset grinds down to establish local lows in early and late February. This cycle, BTC…

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‘Bitcoin Senator’ Lummis Touts Kraken’s Fed Access As Progress, But Not Everyone Agrees

Wyoming GOP Senator Cynthia Lummis, a vocal advocate for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), praised Kraken getting access to the Fedwire payment system as a breakthrough for integrating digital assets with traditional finance.

Lummis said in a CNBC interview on Wednesday that Kraken qualified under Wyoming’s Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) framework, a regulatory structure designed specifically for crypto-focused financial institutions.

According to Lummis, the approval creates a new pathway for direct integration between fiat dollars and digital assets, allowing Americans easier access to crypto-related financial services.

She also criticized the Biden administration, saying earlier…

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Morgan Stanley Files Bitcoin ETF, Backs Core Scientific With $500M

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) filed an amended Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) ETF with the SEC on March 4 and provided a $500 million loan facility to Core Scientific (NASDAQ:CORZ) with option to extend to $1 billion, signaling aggressive crypto expansion across products and mining infrastructure.

The Bitcoin ETF Filing

Morgan Stanley submitted an updated S-1 filing naming Coinbase Custody and Bank of New York Mellon as custody partners, combining crypto security with traditional banking infrastructure. 

The Trust will be a passive product that simply tracks Bitcoin’s price rather than actively trading it.

The filing makes clear that Morgan Stanley Investment Management will not sell Bitcoin at market…

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U.S. Contractor Arrested In $46M Theft Of Government Crypto

John Daghita, an alleged U.S. government contractor accused of stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), was arrested last night on the island of Saint Martin in a coordinated operation between the FBI and French authorities. 

The arrest, confirmed via tweet by FBI Director Kash Patel, involved the French Gendarmerie’s elite tactical unit and the International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit.

“Thanks to the International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit of the French Gendarmerie National in Saint Martin, and the Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale of Guadeloupe for the outstanding coordination,” Patel…

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American Bitcoin Adds BTC As Eric Trump Blasts Big Banks’ Crypto Lobbying

American Bitcoin, a bitcoin mining company backed by the Trump family, has expanded its corporate treasury to more than 6,500 bitcoin, placing the firm among the largest publicly traded holders of the digital asset as it continues to scale its mining operations.

The company disclosed the updated holdings this week, with co-founder and chief strategy officer Eric Trump stating that the firm accumulated over 500 BTC during the past 21 days. At current market prices, the treasury stands near $470 million.

Data from Bitcoin Treasuries shows the miner now ranks about 17th among public companies that hold BTC on their balance sheets. The firm sits behind companies including Galaxy…

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NYSE Parent Company ICE Invests In Crypto Exchange OKX

Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, has made a strategic investment in crypto exchange OKX, valuing the platform at $25 billion, marking one of the most significant partnerships between a global exchange operator and a crypto trading firm.

The investment, announced Thursday, forms part of a broader collaboration between Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and OKX aimed at connecting traditional financial markets with blockchain-based infrastructure. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though ICE will take a seat on OKX’s board as part of the arrangement.

The partnership reflects a growing effort by established market…

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How To Position Through A Shooting War

We’re At War With Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. Chips rallied 5%. Bitcoin ripped past $73K. And nonfarm payrolls drop Friday.

THE RUNDOWN

WAR › U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran are now in their fourth day. Iran partially closed the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 13 million barrels of oil per day. A container ship was struck at the Strait today. Qatar halted LNG production. Saudi Arabia’s biggest refinery went offline after drone attacks. Trump said the Navy will escort tankers “if necessary” and told reporters alongside Germany’s Merz: “Everything’s been knocked out in Iran.” Oil spiked above $77 on Monday, pulled back to $74 on Wednesday after…

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‘Ripple Is Next For Fed Access,’ XRP Commentator Says—But Is That True?

Journalist and crypto commentator Paul Barron argues Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP) is next in line for Federal Reserve master account access after Kraken secured approval, but critics point out Kraken applied in 2020 while Ripple applied in 2025, suggesting years-long wait.

The Kraken Precedent

Kraken Financial received approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City for a limited-purpose account granting direct access to Fedwire, the core payment infrastructure used by thousands of U.S. banks. 

The approval makes Kraken the first crypto company in U.S. history to secure Fed master account access.

Kraken first applied in 2020, spending more than five years in the queue as regulators under the…

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Virtune AB (Publ) (“Virtune”) has completed the monthly rebalancing for February 2026 of its Virtune Crypto Top 10 Index ETP – the first crypto index ETP in the Nordics

Stockholm, 5th of March 2026 – Virtune today announces the completion of the monthly rebalancing for the Virtune Crypto Top 10 Index ETP, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm for both the SEK-denominated (ISIN code SE0020052207, ticker name VIR10SEK) and the EUR-denominated (ISIN code SE0020052215, ticker name VIR10EUR) ETP.

In addition to the Virtune Crypto Top 10 Index ETP, Virtune’s product portfolio includes:Virtune Bitcoin ETPVirtune Stellar ETPVirtune Staked Ethereum ETPVirtune Staked Solana ETPVirtune Staked Polkadot ETPVirtune XRP ETPVirtune Avalanche ETPVirtune Litecoin ETPVirtune Chainlink ETPVirtune Arbitrum ETPVirtune Staked Polygon ETP Virtune Staked Cardano ETPVirtune Crypto Altcoin…

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