BitMine once again stakes 167,578 ETH, bringing the total staked amount to 3,310,221 ETH

March 31 — The Wall Street Journal reports U.S. President Trump has told aides he’s willing to end U.S. military action against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. Government officials note the decision could let Tehran keep tight control over the waterway and delay the complicated task of reopening the key shipping lane. Market reaction (per Bitget data): Brent crude briefly dropped over 3%, last trading at $104.68/bbl. Precious metals extended gains: spot gold topped $4,600/oz (up over 2% intraday), spot silver broke above $72/oz (daily gain 3.7%). U.S. stock index futures rose over 1% in the short term, with Nasdaq futures up 0.85%.

March 31st — Per Coinglass data, the crypto market rebounded Tuesday. Bitcoin is trading at $68,171, up 2.34% over the past 24 hours; Ethereum sits at $2,079.76, a 3.53% gain in the same period. Funding rates across major CEXs and DEXs reveal ETH’s bearish sentiment has eased from prior levels, while BTC lags: multiple platforms still show negative BTC funding rates, marking a clear divergence between the two. **Details:** - ETH funding rates on several platforms have climbed back to the +0.0100% benchmark, with bearish signals weakened notably from earlier. - BTC rates: Binance and other platforms remain in negative territory (shorts pay longs to hold positions). Some platforms have turned positive, but all stay below the 0.005% threshold — not yet neutral. Check the attached image for specific mainstream crypto funding rates. **BlockBeats Note:** Funding rates are set by crypto exchanges to align contract prices with underlying asset prices, typically for perpetual co

March 31st — On-chain analytics firm Emberdata reports FTX/Alameda transferred 4,126,000 ZRO (valued at ~$8.17 million) to Wintermute 8 hours ago. Subsequently, ZRO’s price dropped 6% within hours, falling from $1.98 to $1.85. The wallet still holds 30,750,000 ZRO (~$58.12 million), representing roughly 10% of ZRO’s current circulating supply.

**Bitcoin Unlikely to Hit New ATH in 2026: Peter Brandt, Predictions Markets – Cointelegraph** Renowned trader and chart analyst Peter Brandt—who accurately forecast Bitcoin’s sharp 2018 decline—joined predictions market users in doubting the crypto will reach a new all-time high (ATH) in 2026, per a March 31 Cointelegraph report. Brandt stated: “I don’t believe Bitcoin will hit a new ATH in 2026—maybe not until Q2 2027.” He added, “It’s all speculation.” On Polymarket, the probability of Bitcoin returning to $120,000 in 2026 stands at just 15%. Regarding the year’s low, Brandt noted the $60,000 level hit Feb. 6 may not be the yearly bottom. He expects a retest in September/October 2024, with a potential “slight dip” marking the bear market’s bottom and the start of a new bull phase. His long-term Bitcoin thesis remains unchanged: “Bitcoin’s narrative is wealth storage, and utility built on it could impact price.” He also holds a neutral or bearish stance on all other cryptocu

As of March 31, Bitcoin has surpassed $68,000, with a 24-hour gain of 2.45%, according to HTX market data.

March 31 – The Block reports the National Football League (NFL) has sent letters to prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket, asking them to refrain from offering contracts tied to easily manipulable or predetermined events. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig later noted the league would be granted significant regulatory leeway. Per ESPN, the NFL outlined specific contract categories in the letter: individual game occurrences (e.g., whether a quarterback’s first pass is incomplete or a kicker makes an error), contracts tied to draft picks and roster moves, and contracts linked to broadcast mentions or celebrity appearances. The league also flagged concerns over field goal and player injury-related markets, noting those contracts could create incentives for manipulation. In an interview, Selig said: “If a league identifies a contract as easily manipulable, we’ll assess the associated risks. Leagues are well-positioned to make those calls.”