Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) moved above $71,000 following improved geopolitical sentiment, but on-chain data suggests the market remains cautious rather than fully bullish.

Defensive, Not Panicked

Data from CryptoQuant shows that exchange reserves on major platforms such as Binance and Coinbase remain well below their early 2025 levels — a continued trend of Bitcoin being withdrawn from exchanges rather than positioned for sale.

Coinbase is often viewed as a proxy for U.S. institutional activity and has seen reserves decline from around 980,000 BTC to the mid-860,000 range.

Binance reserves have been more cyclical but also remain below prior highs, with no meaningful rebuild despite recent…

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The Bitcoin Toll System

Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the Financial Times that Iran wants to collect tolling fees from any tanker passing and assess each ship.

“Iran needs to monitor what goes in and out of the strait to ensure these two weeks aren’t used for transferring weapons,” Hosseini said. 

His industry association works closely with the state.

Each tanker must email authorities about its cargo. Iran will then inform them of the toll in digital currencies.

The tariff is $1 per barrel of oil, while empty tankers can pass freely.

“Once the email arrives and Iran completes its assessment, vessels are given a…

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Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) received an Australian Financial Services License to offer retail derivatives trading as COIN tests $170 support zone for the second time since February’s $143 low.

The Australian License

Coinbase announced Tuesday it received the AFSL through its local entity, authorizing the company to offer retail derivatives trading in Australia. 

The license is the first of its kind granted to a crypto exchange in the region.

Coinbase Australia will offer crypto and equity perpetuals to Australian investors, followed by futures and options. 

“We’re going to compete with traditional financial services on stock trading, payments, and other TradFi products with the…

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) surged 5% after the White House announced a two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire, yet ETFs bled $159 million on April 7.

The Ceasefire Rally

Bitcoin briefly rose to $71,700 on Wednesday morning, marking its highest point since March 18. 

The price surge coincided with President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. and Iran agreed to a “double-sided ceasefire” for two weeks. 

Trump previously warned of “complete demolition” of Iran’s power plants and bridges if Iran didn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday.

“The reason for [ceasefire] is that we have already met and exceeded all military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive agreement…

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Bitcoin is up 5% to reclaim the $71,000 level after President Trump overnight announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

Bitcoin ETFs saw $159 million in net outflows on Tuesday, while Ethereum ETFs reported $64.7 million in net outflows.  

Meme coin market capitalization jumped 4% to $34.7 billion over the past 24 hours.

Trader Commentary: 

Trader Lennaert Snyder maintained a bullish outlook, identifying $74,800 as the next key liquidity target. He added that short trades remain possible but should be treated as countertrend given the broader bullish bias.

Ted Pillows said Ethereum has broken above the $2,150 to $2,200 resistance zone, signaling near-term strength. A sustained move above…

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