Eric Trump’s American Bitcoin Expands Mining By 12% But ABTC Plunges 7% – American Bitcoin (NASDAQ:ABTC)

American Bitcoin (NASDAQ:ABTC) purchased 11,298 ASIC miners adding 3.05 exahash per second to expand owned capacity by 12% to 28.1 EH/s, but the stock plunged 7%, breaking below the critical $1 psychological level.

The 12% Capacity Expansion

The new machines are more efficient at 13.5 joules per terahash compared to the fleet average of 16 J/TH. Lower joule ratings mean less electricity cost per Bitcoin mined. 

The equipment will be deployed in March 2026 at the Drumheller site in Alberta.

Once operational, the company will run 58,999 miners at roughly 25 EH/s. The difference between owned capacity (28.1 EH/s) and operational capacity (25 EH/s) exists because some machines are not yet…

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Paraguay Eyes Seized Miners For Government Bitcoin Project

Paraguay’s state-owned electricity monopoly, Administración Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Morphware, setting the stage for a government-led Bitcoin mining program built around thousands of seized mining machines and unused hydroelectric power.

The agreement formalizes cooperation between ANDE and Morphware, positioning Morphware as a technical and advisory partner for regulated Bitcoin mining operations in Paraguay. 

At the center of the deal is a growing stockpile of confiscated bitcoin miners that Paraguayan authorities have seized from illegal operations across the country.

According to Morphware founder and CEO…

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Forget Iran, Bitcoin’s 2026 Path Will Be Determined By These 2 Factors, Jan Van Eck Says

Jan Van Eck argues that current volatility isn’t just about Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) but reflects a broader move across the entire crypto ecosystem, including large-cap names like Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Circle (NYSE:CRCL).

Why 2026 Is A Bearish Year For Bitcoin

Speaking on CNBC on Monday, Van Eck said geopolitical tensions involving Iran are prompting crypto users to think more seriously about how capital moves globally, particularly as crypto-friendly hubs like Dubai gain importance.

Addressing concerns that stablecoins could make Bitcoin less relevant, especially with BTC still roughly 50% below its October highs, Van Eck highlighted two enduring fundamentals:

Bitcoin’s fixed… Read more on Benzinga

Iran’s Bitcoin Usage Surges After US-Israel Airstrikes

On February 28, 2026, U.S.-Israeli airstrikes struck key targets across Tehran, including nuclear facilities, missile sites, and the Pasteur district, where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei resided. 

Hours later, reports confirmed Khamenei’s death and the deaths of other senior officials. Amid the shock, Iranians turned to bitcoin as a channel for preserving value and moving funds outside the country’s collapsing financial infrastructure.

On-chain data compiled by Chainalysis shows a sharp surge in cryptoactivity from major Iranian exchanges in the hours following the strikes. 

Between February 28 and March 2, roughly $10.3 million in crypto assets flowed out of…

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Tether And Lugano Launch Plan ₿ Phase II, Targeting Global Leadership In Digital Infrastructure

Stablecoin-issuer Tether and the City of Lugano today announced the launch of Plan ₿ Phase II (2026–2030), marking an expansion of the city’s initiative to integrate digital assets and decentralized technologies into public and economic infrastructure. 

Building on the pilot projects of the original Plan ₿ launched in 2022, Phase II emphasizes structural development, technological resilience, and long-term digital sovereignty.

Over the past four years, Lugano has emerged as a European leader in real-world adoption of digital assets. More than 400 local merchants now accept Bitcoin, Tether’s USDT stablecoin, and the city’s own LVGA token.

Municipal services have…

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Trump-Linked American Bitcoin (ABTC) Expands Mining Fleet

American Bitcoin Corp. has announced a major expansion of its Bitcoin mining operations, adding 11,298 new miners that will increase the company’s total owned capacity by roughly 3.05 exahash per second (EH/s). 

This move raises the company’s total mining fleet to approximately 28.1 EH/s across 89,242 miners, with an average efficiency of 16 joules per terahash (J/TH).

The new machines, operating at ~13.5 J/TH, are expected to be delivered and deployed at the Drumheller site in March 2026, the company said. Once energized, the operational fleet will consist of 58,999 miners running at an estimated 25 EH/s with an efficiency of ~14.1 J/TH.

American Bitcoin’s strategy…

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These Two Bitcoin Miners Are Getting Ready To Sell Bitcoin

For miners that once championed a ‘never sell’ ethos, the calculus is shifting as MARA Holdings disclosed in its latest annual filing that it would allow the sale of its bitcoin.

MARA said in a filing that they expanded their crypto management strategy for 2026 to permit sales of bitcoin held on its balance sheet. This shift builds on the company’s 2025 policy that allowed sales only from newly mined production, marking a break from the long-standing practice of treating mined bitcoin as a long-term treasury reserve.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, MARA held 53,822 bitcoin valued at about $4.7 billion based on a year-end spot price of $87,498. During the year, the company recorded a…

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Bitcoin Stable As US-Iran Conflict Continues, But Here’s Why That May Not Last

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has rebounded to around $67,000 even as geopolitical tensions increase uncertainty across asset classes.

Crypto Under Pressure As High-Beta Risk Asset

With the conflict in the Middle East entering day 3, macro uncertainty is intensifying.

Oil and gold are climbing while equities slide, raising concerns that sustained energy disruption could fuel inflation and delay Federal Reserve rate cuts.

That backdrop is weighing on crypto, which continues to trade as a high-beta risk asset.

Altcoins reflect typical bear market behaviour, with short-lived rallies and limited follow-through.

Broader structural headwinds, including AI-driven disruption, deglobalization, and energy…

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Is Bitcoin Still A Hedge In Times of War? Gold And Treasuries Tell a Different Story – SPDR Gold Shares (ARCA:GLD)

When geopolitical risk flares up, markets tend to reach for familiar shelters. Gold usually catches a bid. U.S. Treasuries often rally as investors seek safety and liquidity. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), born out of the 2008 financial crisis and long marketed as an alternative to government money, is supposed to fit into that same category.

But the latest bout of conflict in the Middle East has reopened an uncomfortable question for crypto investors. When fear hits the market, does Bitcoin really behave like a hedge, or does it still trade like a high-octane risk asset?

To get an answer, it helps to look at how Bitcoin moved compared with gold and U.S. Treasuries during the most recent shock.

The… Read more on Benzinga

‘Seems Important,’ Ripple Exec Says About This Development—But XRP Disagrees

Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP) CTO David Schwartz on Tuesday said Hidden Road going live on DTCC’s National Securities Clearing Corporation directory March 2 and connecting Ripple Prime’s infrastructure to traditional finance settlement “seems important.”

The DTCC Integration

The deployment allows Ripple Prime to bridge traditional finance and decentralized finance through recognized clearing and settlement infrastructure.

Institutions don’t migrate balance sheets overnight. They add controlled corridors first with a prime brokerage layer that can face clients, manage collateral, and connect into recognized infrastructure. 

This approach lowers the switching cost and perceived operational…

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