Trading

Bitcoin has rebounded to $75K, but analysts say the move may be unstable because order book liquidity remains structurally weaker than pre-October conditions. Amberdata highlighted that a more durable recovery would likely need liquidity at $35M or above $40M, while depth below $25M alongside rising volume could raise liquidation-cascade risk.

The Federal Open Market Committee said on Wednesday it will keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5%-3.75% while assessing the economic effects of the ongoing Middle East conflict. Chair Jerome Powell said growth remains solid and consumers are resilient, but housing is weak, the labor market is softening and inflation is still above the 2% goal. Market pricing for the April 2026 meeting shows 97% expect no change and 3% expect a 25-basis-point hike.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index ended a 48-day run in the “extreme fear” zone after rising to 28 and then holding at 26 on Wednesday, pointing to improving risk sentiment. In March, total crypto market cap is up 7.65% (about $174 billion), while Binance logged a $2.2 billion USDT inflow on March 18 and exchange stablecoin reserves rose to $68.5 billion from $64 billion on March 8.

Bitcoin’s early-week strength stalled on Wednesday when BTC slid 3.4% to $70,900 alongside a broad US stock sell-off, then recovered to retake $72,000. The pullback followed a hotter-than-expected PPI print, while analysts flagged key support at $70,250–$71,275 and a potential next liquidity area near $68,900.

XRP has moved back above $1.50 and is trading around $1.51, after weeks of consolidation and a rebound from the $1.10–$1.20 area. Derivatives indicators show rising participation and short liquidations following the breakout, while chart levels highlight resistance near $1.70 and $2.00.

Bhutan's state-linked Druk Holding and Investments moved more than 973 BTC worth over $72.3 million in six transactions over the last 24 hours as the crypto market weakened. Arkham Intelligence data shows Bhutan now holds over 4,400 BTC valued above $322 million, down from a peak of about 13,295 BTC in October 2024.

SBI VC Trade said it will introduce a fixed-term USDC lending product in Japan on Thursday, allowing retail customers to lend USDC to the platform for interest payments. The firm said each offering will accept applications up to 5,000 USDC, and the arrangement is treated as a loan to SBI VC Trade rather than a deposit, leaving users exposed to counterparty risk and lockups during the term.

On March 18, 2026, Aster said it expanded its collaboration with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) by rolling out USD1-denominated perpetual contracts and related trading incentives. The initial USD1 perps list BTC, ETH, and SOL pairs, with 10+ more pairs planned in the coming weeks, alongside 0-bps maker fees and a 0.5-bps taker fee on USD1 markets. Aster also said users may earn WLFI token rewards and additional incentives for holding USD1 on the platform as it prepares for the Aster Chain mainnet.

On March 18, 2026, Aster said it expanded its collaboration with World Liberty Financial (WLFI) by adding USD1 as collateral and launching USD1-denominated perpetual contracts. The rollout starts with BTC, ETH and SOL pairs, with 10+ more pairs planned in the coming weeks, alongside incentives such as up to 2.5 million WLFI tokens distributed monthly and a 0.5-bps taker fee on USD1 pairs. Aster said the integration is aimed at strengthening USD1 liquidity and supporting the launch of its Layer 1 network, Aster Chain.

XRP has moved higher in a short-term market upswing, and a technical setup highlighted on March 18 points to potential follow-through after a multi-week consolidation. The analysis flags $1.66 and $1.85 as upside levels to watch, while options positioning around the $1.40 strike could influence near-term support and volatility.