On Tuesday, Bitcoin fell about 3% and slid back from the $70,000 mark as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered fears over oil supplies and inflation across global markets. Stocks, oil and gold all saw heightened volatility, with gold retreating toward $5,000 support while BTC failed to turn key trend lines into support. Some traders argued that bears remain in control, while others highlighted Bitcoin's smaller drawdown versus major precious metals and viewed the lower end of its current range as a potential buying zone.

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck stated in early March 2026 that Bitcoin has already carved out a macro market bottom, arguing that the sharp decline in 2022 and consolidation in 2023 reset the cycle. He contends that the $60,000–$70,000 price band functions as a re-accumulation floor rather than a top, with spot BTC ETFs and institutional inflows absorbing miner selling pressure after the 2024 halving.

Strive vice president of Bitcoin strategy Joe Burnett projects that AI-driven technological deflation could pressure central banks into long-term monetary expansion, potentially lifting Bitcoin to $11 million per coin by the first quarter of 2036 and a $230 trillion market cap. His base case assumes Bitcoin's share of global financial assets rises from about 0.2% to roughly 12% and that global wealth compounds at 7% annually, implying around a 53% compound annual growth rate for BTC over the coming decade.

In February 2026, long-term Bitcoin holders increased their positions by 212,000 BTC while the asset traded in a sideways range, following a significant capitulation phase in late 2025. Institutional demand also picked up, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recording a weekly net inflow of $787 million even as they closed the month with a $206 million net outflow. Strategy Inc. reported several Bitcoin purchases in February and early March, lifting its holdings to 720,737 BTC. Technical indicators, including a bullish MACD crossover and a 5.3% weekly price advance to around $67,325, point to a potential move toward $70,000.

On 3 March 2026, Core Scientific confirmed it sold about 1,900 BTC in January for $175 million and aims to liquidate nearly all remaining Bitcoin to finance AI infrastructure. The company is channeling this capital into a $10 billion-plus, 12‑year hosting agreement with CoreWeave and additional data center capacity in Texas. Its Q4 2025 results missed revenue and earnings expectations, but AI colocation income surged 268% year‑over‑year while liquidity stood near $530 million.

Bitcoin is compressing within a tight range above a key $69,000 support level after weeks of sideways trading, with price respecting a major trendline and attracting steady buying interest. One analyst outlines upside targets at $90,000, $102,000 and $122,000, extending to about $155,000 if bullish momentum persists, while another warns that failure to reclaim the $71,000–$72,000 resistance zone could open a move back toward $61,000.

On March 2, 2026, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, Eric Halem, was convicted of kidnapping and robbery for orchestrating a $350,000 Bitcoin theft from a 17-year-old in a Koreatown high-rise. The December 28, 2024 crime involved a fake police raid using vests, handcuffs, and threats of severe violence to force the victim to hand over a crypto hard drive. Halem, who resigned from the LAPD in 2022 but was still an active reserve officer at the time, faces sentencing on March 31, 2026.

Bitcoin is consolidating near $67,000 while spot Bitcoin ETFs led by BlackRock's IBIT register $263.2 million in inflows, with additional contributions from Fidelity, Bitwise and Ark. Major altcoins including Ethereum, BNB and Solana also post weekly gains as total crypto market capitalization hovers around $2.3 trillion and sentiment remains in the Fear zone.