On March 17, 2026, Blockstream CEO Adam Back reiterated his opposition to Bitcoin Improvement Proposal BIP-110, which introduces a 12-month soft fork to remove on-chain data from protocols like Ordinals and Runes. He warns the changes could freeze certain transaction outputs, undermine Bitcoin's neutrality and store-of-value reputation, and even trigger a chain split if activated with only 50% hash rate support. With backing from roughly 2.4% to 4.5% of nodes, mostly using Bitcoin Knots, and no major mining pools on board, Back argues BIP-110 is effectively dead on arrival but highlights growing willingness to consider what he views as reckless measures against perceived spam.

Strategy has halted its Bitcoin accumulation via STRC preferred stock after failing to secure new capital since Friday, following a drop in STRC below its $100 par value. Historical episodes when STRC traded under par have coincided with 25%–40% declines in Bitcoin, and current chart patterns suggest BTC could revisit support levels near $66,000–$68,000 or, on a deeper breakdown, approach $51,000.

During the Iran conflict that began in late February 2026, Bitcoin and gold reacted very differently as the US dollar strengthened and bond yields climbed. Gold initially rallied on safe-haven demand before sliding more than 1% as stronger dollar liquidity and higher Treasury rates weighed on the metal, while bullion was down about 5% for the month. Bitcoin fell to $63,106 on 28 February 2026, then rebounded above $75,000 in early March with a 14% gain, reflecting shifting risk appetite and liquidity conditions rather than a straightforward geopolitical hedge.

Bitcoin has climbed from the $60,000 region into the mid-$70,000s, pushing into a major resistance band between $75,000 and $80,000. On the daily and 4-hour charts, price is testing a key supply area and the upper boundary of a rising channel while still trading below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages at $80,000 and $93,000. Momentum remains constructive and funding rates are still negative, indicating cautious sentiment and the potential for further upside if resistance is cleared.

In 2025, Bitcoin saw rapid expansion across institutions, banks, corporations, merchants and several sovereign entities, even as its market price remained below prior peaks. Institutions reportedly accumulated hundreds of thousands of BTC and investment advisors added exposure for eight straight quarters, while Lightning Network volumes and merchant acceptance hit new records. Despite this broad-based adoption, price consolidation persisted as demand was offset by long-term holder distribution and modest allocation sizes amid wider macroeconomic headwinds.

Bitcoin traded sideways on Tuesday after a broader market pullback, while still posting a roughly 6% gain over the past week. On-chain data show about 32,060 BTC leaving centralized exchanges in the last 30 days and the balance on trading platforms dropping to 2.44 million BTC, the lowest in years. Several analysts highlight rising accumulation, a six‑year high in the exchange whale ratio and Bitcoin’s improving performance versus gold as factors that could underpin a push toward the $80,000 level, with spot price near $74,169 at press time.

Cango Inc. reported a $452.8 million net loss for 2025, its first full year focused on Bitcoin mining, after generating $688.1 million in revenue and producing 6,594.6 BTC. The company rapidly scaled hash rate to around 50 EH/s, but impairment losses of $338.3 million on mining equipment and high operating costs outweighed income. Cango and other major miners are increasingly diversifying into AI and high-performance computing to reduce dependence on Bitcoin mining revenues.

Citigroup has reduced its 12-month Bitcoin price target from $143,000 to $112,000 and cut its Ethereum forecast from $4,304 to $3,175, citing a shrinking window for US crypto legislation in 2025. Strategist Alex Saunders argues that delayed regulatory frameworks for market structure and stablecoins could push major ETF-driven inflows and broader institutional adoption out toward late 2026.