On 2 March 2026, Binance derivatives data showed open interest dropping from 130,800 BTC to 97,680 BTC, a decline of about 25% alongside an estimated leverage ratio near 0.146. Bitcoin is trading close to $69,000, while aggregate open interest across exchanges hovers around $20.81 billion and key liquidation zones cluster between $62,000–$63,000 and $69,000–$70,000. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recently posted a $506 million net inflow, and Binance's BTC futures open interest of roughly 129,080 BTC now exceeds that of CME.

After the Wall Street session opened on Monday, Bitcoin climbed toward $70,000, gaining more than 5% and reaching its highest level since Feb. 25. The move followed a stronger-than-expected US manufacturing PMI reading above 50, which signaled renewed industrial expansion and helped overshadow worries linked to Middle East tensions, even as US equities struggled.

Bitcoin's price surged from just above $65,000 to nearly $69,000 within about an hour, wiping out roughly $80 million in short positions. Major altcoins also rallied, with ETH reclaiming $2,000, SOL approaching $90, and XRP and BNB gaining over 4% in the same period. The sharp move comes amid rising geopolitical tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and ahead of a March 2, 2026 speech in which US President Trump is set to address the Iran conflict.

Strategy expanded its bitcoin treasury by 3,015 BTC, financed through a weekly capital raise combining $7.1M from STRC preferred stock and $229.9M from MSTR common shares. The firm paid about $204.1M at roughly $67,700 per BTC, bringing total holdings to 720,737 BTC at an average purchase price of $75,985.

Bitcoin is trading close to the $60,000 zone, where the average cost basis of investors who entered the market 18 to 24 months ago is now being tested. According to CryptoQuant, many of these midterm holders have slipped into unrealized losses, while longer-term investors remain in profit, creating conditions that have historically preceded major cycle turning points and potential price resets.

Strategy Inc. disclosed in a Form 8-K that it acquired 3,015 BTC between February 23 and March 1, 2026, lifting its corporate holdings to 720,737 Bitcoin. The company spent $204 million on this latest tranche at an average price of $67,700 per BTC and has invested a total of $54.77 billion in its Bitcoin treasury. It funded the move via an at-the-market equity program that raised $237.1 million and simultaneously raised the dividend rate on its Series A preferred stock from 11.25% to 11.50%.

DeepSeek, a prominent Chinese AI platform, has outlined a Bitcoin scenario in which early 2026 marks one of the cryptocurrency's most challenging stretches, with a potential drop toward about $41,000 before a recovery. After an accumulation phase and what it describes as a historically reflationary fourth quarter, the model envisions BTC trading around $100,000 by the end of 2026, following a decline from highs above $125,000 to roughly $66,013. The forecast also suggests that Bitcoin's low for 2026 may form in the second or third quarter before any strong rally takes hold.

The largest publicly traded corporate holder of Bitcoin has expanded its treasury, raising the cumulative value of its BTC acquisitions to about $54.77 billion at an average cost of $75,985 per coin. The firm continues to use a mix of debt and equity financing to build exposure, while its stock trades as a volatile proxy for Bitcoin amid broader market uncertainty heading toward 2026.