Billionaire investor Ray Dalio told the All-In Podcast on Tuesday that Bitcoin should not be relied on as a long-term store of value or safe-haven, stressing that central banks overwhelmingly favor gold. He questioned Bitcoin's privacy, its vulnerability to future quantum computing, and its correlation with tech stocks, while reiterating gold's role as the most established form of money in times of geopolitical and economic stress.

As conflict spreads across the Middle East and oil prices rise, Bitcoin is still trading above $66,000 while Asian equities come under pressure. On February 28, 2026, the price briefly fell to around $63,000 before recovering, and on-chain data shows limited selling from short-term holders even as the macro backdrop worsens.

Bitcoin is consolidating near $68,000 as open-interest-weighted funding rates edge back into slightly negative territory, indicating a more cautious stance in derivatives markets. BTC recently traded around $68,290 after touching highs above $69,000 and lows near $66,138, while the daily RSI has recovered from February’s oversold readings but remains below the neutral 50 level.

In a March 2 thesis, Joe Burnett, VP of Bitcoin Strategy at Strive (Nasdaq: ASST), argues that bitcoin could climb to $11 million by the first quarter of 2036 as artificial intelligence drives structural deflation while policymakers keep expanding liquidity. He projects a bitcoin network value of about $230 trillion by 2036, or roughly 12% of an estimated $1.97 quadrillion global financial asset base, with scarcity, monetary debasement and AI-led productivity gains channeling capital into BTC as a long-duration savings asset.

On Tuesday, Africa Bitcoin Corporation executive chairman Stafford Masie told the Coin Stories podcast that in some African circular economies, locals treat Bitcoin as everyday money and prefer satoshis over U.S. dollars amid rapid currency debasement. He contrasted 4%–5% annual inflation in Western markets with similar levels occurring within an afternoon in parts of Africa and likened the shift to the continent's leap from legacy systems to mobile technology and digital assets.

MARA Holdings, one of the largest Bitcoin mining firms, has disputed claims that it plans to sell most of its Bitcoin after a new treasury filing. Vice president for investor relations Robert Samuels said the 2026 10-K only broadens the company's ability to sell BTC when warranted, while MARA continues to hold 53,822 BTC worth about $3.7 billion. The miner has also diversified by buying a 64% stake in France-based Exaion, a high-performance computing and blockchain infrastructure provider.

Bitcoin maintained support near $68,000 on Tuesday while the US Dollar Index climbed from 96.6 to 99.4 over the past three weeks and gold slid 3.6%. At the same time, Bitcoin’s 30-day correlation with the Nasdaq 100 fell from 92% to 69%, and ETFs recorded $1.5 billion of net inflows since Feb. 24, highlighting resilient institutional demand despite a broader bear market.

MARA Holdings reported in its latest 10-K that it began selling Bitcoin in the second half of 2025 and plans to continue monetizing BTC in 2026 to improve financial flexibility. The miner holds a treasury of 53,822 BTC, part of which is used for passive income, and may sell additional coins depending on market conditions and capital priorities.