hodler

24 Mar 2026, 16:36

$880 billion Bernstein predicts a $150k price target for Bitcoin in 2026

Bitcoin ( BTC ) may have already hit its cycle bottom after a sharp correction, and now Wall Street analysts are pointing to a potential BTC surge toward $150,000 as institutional demand continues to reshape the market. On March 24, Wall Street research and brokerage firm Bernstein reiterated that Bitcoin price could have bottomed after a 50% crash from its peak. The firm’s analysts, led by Gautam Chhugani, believe that the 2025/2026 Bitcoin bear market was the weakest in its history. “In view of recent market correction, we believe, the Bitcoin cycle has broken the 4-year pattern (cycle peaking every 4 years) and is now in an elongated bull-cycle with more sticky institutional buying offsetting any retail panic selling,” Bernstein wrote. The research firm added: “Despite a ~30% Bitcoin correction, we have seen less than 5% outflows via ETFs. We are moving our 2026E Bitcoin price target to $150,000, with the cycle potentially peaking in 2027E at $200,000. Our long term 2033E Bitcoin price target remains ~$1,000,000.” Bitcoin price eyes reversal amid heightened institutional demand Meanwhile, during the past 30 days, BTC price has gained $2,708, which represents an uptick of 4%, to trade about $70,130 at press time. The flagship coin has gained bullish momentum catalyzed by strong institutional demand, led by Strategy Inc. and spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs). BTC/USD 30D chart. Source: Finbold Given its current value of about $70,000 BTC price would need to more than double in 2026 and reach a market cap of nearly $3 trillion by the end of 2026 in order to fulfill Bernstein’s prediction. Currently, Bitcoin has a reported market cap of about $1.39 trillion and a 24-hour average traded volume of around $35.82 billion. The post $880 billion Bernstein predicts a $150k price target for Bitcoin in 2026 appeared first on Finbold .

24 Mar 2026, 16:20

Ethereum Foundation Unveils Critical Post-Quantum Threat Roadmap to Secure Blockchain Future

BitcoinWorld Ethereum Foundation Unveils Critical Post-Quantum Threat Roadmap to Secure Blockchain Future The Ethereum Foundation has launched a comprehensive public resource detailing its strategic roadmap to address one of the most significant technological threats facing blockchain networks: quantum computing. This initiative represents over eight years of dedicated research and development aimed at future-proofing the world’s second-largest blockchain against cryptographic vulnerabilities that quantum computers could exploit. The foundation’s proactive approach demonstrates its commitment to maintaining Ethereum’s security and integrity as computing technology evolves. Ethereum Foundation’s Post-Quantum Security Initiative The Ethereum Foundation officially unveiled its new dedicated website on post-quantum threats this week, providing unprecedented transparency about its ongoing security preparations. According to foundation representatives, this work began in 2018 with initial research into STARK-based Signature Aggregation. Since then, the initiative has expanded significantly, involving multiple specialized teams working collaboratively. The Post-Quantum and Cryptography teams lead the technical research, while the Protocol Architecture and Protocol Coordination teams provide essential implementation support. Currently, more than ten client teams actively build and deploy development networks weekly through the PQ Interop program. This coordinated testing environment allows different Ethereum clients to experiment with post-quantum solutions in controlled settings. The foundation emphasizes that this work represents a continuous, evolving process rather than a one-time project. Regular updates and community feedback mechanisms ensure the roadmap remains responsive to new research and technological developments in both quantum computing and cryptography. Understanding the Quantum Computing Threat to Blockchain Quantum computers pose a fundamental threat to current cryptographic systems because they can potentially solve mathematical problems that secure today’s blockchain networks. Specifically, quantum algorithms like Shor’s algorithm could break the elliptic curve cryptography that protects Ethereum addresses and transactions. While practical, large-scale quantum computers don’t exist yet, experts agree they represent a foreseeable risk within the next decade. Consequently, preparing cryptographic systems for this eventuality has become a priority for security-conscious organizations worldwide. The financial implications of quantum vulnerability are substantial. Ethereum currently secures hundreds of billions of dollars in value across its network, decentralized applications, and associated tokens. A successful quantum attack could compromise user funds, smart contracts, and the network’s fundamental trust layer. Furthermore, the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography presents unique challenges for blockchain systems. Unlike traditional databases, blockchain networks require backward compatibility, consensus among diverse stakeholders, and minimal disruption to existing applications and users. Technical Implementation Challenges and Solutions Implementing post-quantum cryptography in a live blockchain environment involves numerous technical considerations. First, new cryptographic algorithms typically require more computational resources and produce larger signature sizes. These factors directly impact network performance, transaction costs, and storage requirements. Second, the transition must maintain compatibility with existing smart contracts and decentralized applications. Third, the Ethereum community must reach consensus on implementation timelines and methods through its established governance processes. The Ethereum Foundation’s approach addresses these challenges through phased testing and community engagement. The foundation has identified several promising post-quantum cryptographic candidates, including lattice-based, hash-based, and multivariate polynomial schemes. Each option presents different trade-offs between security, performance, and signature size. Through its development network testing program, the foundation gathers empirical data about how these algorithms perform under realistic network conditions. This evidence-based approach helps identify optimal solutions before proposing formal Ethereum Improvement Proposals. Detailed Components of the Post-Quantum Roadmap The newly launched website organizes the foundation’s post-quantum resources into several key sections, each addressing different aspects of the quantum threat. The protocol layer impact analysis examines how quantum computing could affect Ethereum’s consensus mechanism, transaction validation, and smart contract execution. This section provides technical details about specific vulnerabilities and proposed mitigation strategies. The complete roadmap outlines both short-term and long-term objectives, including research milestones, testing phases, and potential implementation timelines. The open resources section represents one of the initiative’s most valuable contributions to the broader cryptographic community. It includes: Repository access to experimental code and testing frameworks Technical specifications for proposed post-quantum implementations Research papers documenting cryptographic advancements Ethereum Improvement Proposals in various stages of development Additionally, the FAQ section addresses fourteen common questions across five categories, providing accessible explanations of complex technical concepts. These questions cover fundamental topics like quantum computing basics, specific threats to Ethereum, proposed solutions, implementation timelines, and community involvement opportunities. The foundation designed this section to educate both technical and non-technical stakeholders about the importance of post-quantum preparedness. Comparative Analysis of Blockchain Quantum Preparedness Ethereum’s systematic approach to quantum threats contrasts with other blockchain projects’ strategies. The following table compares key aspects of quantum preparedness across major blockchain networks: Blockchain Quantum Research Start Public Roadmap Testing Environment Community Resources Ethereum 2018 Comprehensive website Weekly devnets via PQ Interop Full repository access Bitcoin Ongoing academic research No formal public roadmap Limited experimental testing Academic papers only Cardano 2021 research initiatives Technical papers published Laboratory simulations Select research documents Polkadot 2022 ecosystem grants Ecosystem funding announcements Early prototype development Grant recipient reports This comparative analysis reveals Ethereum’s relatively advanced position in quantum threat preparation. The foundation’s eight-year head start, combined with its structured testing program and comprehensive public documentation, positions Ethereum favorably for the quantum computing era. However, experts caution that all blockchain networks face similar fundamental challenges, and collaborative research across the industry benefits everyone. Several cross-chain research initiatives have emerged recently to address quantum threats holistically rather than through isolated efforts. Industry and Academic Collaboration Efforts The Ethereum Foundation doesn’t work in isolation on post-quantum cryptography. The initiative involves collaborations with academic institutions, cryptographic research organizations, and industry partners. These partnerships provide access to cutting-edge research, peer review of proposed solutions, and diverse perspectives on implementation challenges. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s post-quantum cryptography standardization process particularly influences Ethereum’s approach, as the foundation monitors and contributes to these broader cryptographic developments. Additionally, the foundation engages with other blockchain ecosystems through conferences, joint research papers, and open-source collaborations. This cooperative approach recognizes that quantum threats affect the entire blockchain industry, not just individual networks. By sharing research findings and testing methodologies, different projects can accelerate progress while avoiding duplicated efforts. The foundation’s decision to make its resources publicly available reflects this collaborative philosophy and strengthens the overall security posture of decentralized technologies. Timeline and Implementation Considerations The transition to quantum-resistant cryptography will likely occur in multiple phases over several years. Based on current projections, practical quantum computers capable of breaking existing cryptography remain approximately ten to fifteen years away. This timeline provides crucial preparation space but requires immediate action, given the complexity of blockchain upgrades. The Ethereum Foundation’s roadmap accounts for this reality through graduated testing phases, community education initiatives, and flexible implementation scheduling. Key implementation considerations include backward compatibility mechanisms, user education requirements, and exchange integration procedures. The foundation emphasizes that any transition must prioritize user asset security while minimizing disruption to existing applications. Potential approaches include hybrid cryptographic systems that combine classical and post-quantum algorithms during transition periods. These systems would maintain security even if one cryptographic approach becomes compromised, providing additional protection during the migration process. Conclusion The Ethereum Foundation’s post-quantum threat roadmap represents a proactive, comprehensive approach to one of the most significant technological challenges facing blockchain networks. Through eight years of research, collaborative testing with client teams, and transparent public documentation, the foundation has established a robust framework for quantum-resistant cryptography implementation. This initiative demonstrates Ethereum’s commitment to long-term security and technological leadership in the blockchain space. As quantum computing continues to advance, Ethereum’s systematic preparations position the network to maintain its security, reliability, and value for users worldwide. FAQs Q1: What exactly is a post-quantum threat to blockchain networks? A post-quantum threat refers to the potential vulnerability of current cryptographic systems to attacks from quantum computers. These advanced computers could theoretically break the encryption that secures blockchain transactions and wallet addresses, compromising network security and user funds. Q2: How soon do we need to worry about quantum computers breaking blockchain cryptography? Most experts estimate that practical, large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography are 10-15 years away. However, preparing blockchain networks for this threat requires significant lead time due to the complexity of cryptographic transitions and the need for thorough testing. Q3: What makes Ethereum’s approach to post-quantum security different from other blockchains? Ethereum’s approach is distinguished by its eight-year research history, systematic testing through weekly development networks, comprehensive public documentation, and collaborative framework involving multiple client teams and research partners. This methodical, transparent approach sets a standard for quantum preparedness in the blockchain industry. Q4: Will transitioning to post-quantum cryptography affect Ethereum’s performance or transaction costs? Post-quantum cryptographic algorithms typically require more computational resources and produce larger signatures, which could impact network performance and costs. The Ethereum Foundation’s testing program specifically evaluates these trade-offs to identify optimal solutions that balance security with practical network requirements. Q5: How can developers and researchers contribute to Ethereum’s post-quantum efforts? The Ethereum Foundation encourages community involvement through its open repositories, research collaborations, and testing programs. Developers can experiment with post-quantum implementations on development networks, while researchers can contribute to cryptographic advancements through the foundation’s academic partnerships and published resources. This post Ethereum Foundation Unveils Critical Post-Quantum Threat Roadmap to Secure Blockchain Future first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

24 Mar 2026, 16:05

Grayscale’s Head of Research: XRP Will Be Repriced Once This Happens in the U.S.

Regulatory clarity continues to shape expectations across the digital asset market, especially as institutional participants demand well-defined legal frameworks before committing capital at scale. In environments where classification remains ambiguous, assets often trade at a discount relative to their potential. As the regulatory landscape evolves, market participants increasingly position themselves ahead of potential structural shifts that could redefine asset valuations. According to Crypto Dyl News, a recent podcast discussion featured Zach Pandl, who outlined how forthcoming U.S. legislation could influence the valuation of XRP. His remarks, shared during a March 2026 interview on the Paul Barron Podcast, focus on the anticipated impact of the Clarity Act on market structure and pricing dynamics. Regulatory Classification Drives Market Confidence Pandl emphasizes that clear classification under U.S. law represents a critical inflection point. The Clarity Act aims to define whether digital assets fall under securities, commodities, or alternative categories. This distinction directly affects how exchanges list assets, how custodians manage them, and how institutions evaluate compliance requirements. Grayscale’s Head Of Research Said $XRP Will Be Repriced Once The Clarity Act is Signed into Law. pic.twitter.com/wiWdaKeTve — Crypto Dyl News (@cryptodylnews) March 23, 2026 When regulatory uncertainty persists, institutions limit exposure due to legal and operational risks. Once lawmakers establish clear guidelines, market participants gain confidence to allocate capital more freely. This shift often leads to revaluation, as assets transition from uncertain instruments to regulated financial products. Institutional Participation Expands Demand Pandl’s analysis highlights the role of institutional capital in driving repricing events. Asset managers, hedge funds, and corporate treasuries typically require regulatory certainty before integrating digital assets into portfolios or payment systems. Clear legislation removes friction points that previously restricted entry. As access expands, demand can increase significantly. Institutions bring not only capital but also liquidity, market depth, and long-term holding strategies. These factors contribute to more stable and efficient markets, which can support higher valuation ranges over time. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 XRP’s Position in a Post-Clarity Environment XRP has already undergone extensive legal scrutiny in the United States , and market participants continue to assess its classification status. The introduction of comprehensive legislation would further clarify its position within the broader financial system. Clear rules would influence how exchanges, custodians, and financial service providers integrate XRP into their offerings. This integration could expand its accessibility and improve its utility as a liquidity and settlement asset, particularly in cross-border transactions. Repricing as a Structural Adjustment Pandl’s perspective suggests that repricing may occur as a structural adjustment rather than a gradual trend. Markets often react quickly when uncertainty resolves, especially when that uncertainty has suppressed valuations over time. If the Clarity Act becomes law, XRP could experience a reassessment driven by reduced regulatory risk and increased institutional participation. In that scenario, price movement would reflect not speculation alone, but a recalibration aligned with clearer legal definitions and broader market access. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are urged to do in-depth research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Grayscale’s Head of Research: XRP Will Be Repriced Once This Happens in the U.S. appeared first on Times Tabloid .

24 Mar 2026, 14:34

Claude can now control your computer to carry out tasks on macOS

Anthropic’s Claude can now take over your screen and perform tasks for you, a move that puts the company in direct competition with a popular but harder-to-use open-source tool. On Monday, March 23, 2026, the AI company announced that its Claude assistant could now click, type, access apps, and browse the web just like a human. The feature lets Claude perform tasks such as finding and sending files stored on a hard drive, filling in spreadsheets, and navigating websites on a user’s behalf. The announcement comes as tech companies scramble to build so-called “agents,” AI systems that can carry out tasks on their own without someone guiding each step. Much of the recent buzz around this idea started with OpenClaw, a free, open-source project built by Peter Steinberger. OpenClaw allows people to give instructions to an AI through messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. It gained popularity quickly, but setting it up is not simple. Users need to enter API keys, work through a terminal, and have some technical knowledge. Anthropic is targeting users who found all of that too complicated. The company says Claude works out of the box, with built-in connections to tools like Google Drive, Gmail, and Slack. There is also a new feature called Dispatch, part of Anthropic’s Claude Cowork product, that lets someone assign a task from their phone, step away, and come back to find the job done on their desktop. “Assign a task from your phone, turn your attention to something else, and come back to finished work on your computer,” the company wrote in a post on X. Safety concerns take center stage Where Anthropic is drawing the clearest line against OpenClaw is on the question of safety. OpenClaw asks for broad access to a user’s entire system, which has made some people nervous about what an AI agent might do if something goes wrong, whether it deletes the wrong files, gets manipulated, or is used in an attack. Anthropic says Claude takes a different approach . Turning the feature on requires a single click. The arrangement requires users to authorize each app separately rather than granting them whole system access. Additionally, the company has built-in defenses against prompt injection, a type of attack in which malicious actors attempt to trick an AI into executing dangerous instructions concealed within the text it consumes. That said, Anthropic was upfront about the fact that this technology is not ready for everything. The company told users not to let Claude access apps that hold sensitive data for now, and said the assistant will always ask before opening a new application. Business customers using Claude Code can also set rules about which outside tools are allowed. Markets react as the race heats up The ripple effects from this wave of AI agents have already been felt in financial markets. Earlier this year, news that Anthropic’s tools could take over tasks handled by software companies sent Indian IT stocks lower. Meanwhile, in China, where neither Anthropic nor OpenAI operates officially, OpenClaw spread widely. People there bought up Mac Mini computers to run the software themselves, and supplies reportedly sold out. The Chinese government has since told state-owned companies to stop running OpenClaw on office machines. While Claude sacrifices some raw flexibility for smart guardrails and plug-and-play convenience, OpenClaw offers power users unlimited freedom at the expense of safety and simplicity, making it the far safer and more accessible option for the majority of people. OpenClaw’s creator, Peter Steinberger, was later hired by OpenAI. Microsoft and Google are also building their own versions of this kind of technology. For now, Anthropic’s computer-use feature is available as a research preview on macOS for users on the Claude Pro and Claude Max plans. Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

24 Mar 2026, 11:30

Ethereum Unveils Post-Quantum Security Roadmap For Institutions

Ethereum is beginning to formalize its post-quantum security push in public. ETH Foundation researcher Will Corcoran used a presentation at the Institutional Ethereum Forum in New York to lay out both the threat model and the protocol work already underway. The effort matters well beyond ETH, he argued, because the core bottleneck is not unique to one chain: every proof-of-stake network built on today’s cryptographic assumptions will eventually face the same scaling problem. Alongside the talk, the Ethereum Foundation launched pq.ethereum.org, a new portal that packages the project’s roadmap, technical resources, FAQs for institutions, and a registration form for a post-quantum retreat in Cambridge in October 2026. Corcoran framed the site as a way to consolidate years of research and answer what he described as growing inbound interest from institutions asking how Ethereum plans to prepare for a future in which quantum computers can break elliptic-curve cryptography. Ethereum Eyes Post-Quantum Industry Standard That future is still projected to be years away, but Corcoran said Ethereum is already working against a tight window. He pointed to current estimates for “ Q-Day ”: the arrival of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer, clustering around 2032, while the current roadmap targets key post-quantum components for the protocol’s “L” or “M” fork, roughly around 2029. The presentation ’s core argument was that post-quantum security cannot be reduced to a simple signature swap. Ethereum today relies on elliptic-curve cryptography across the stack: validator attestations at the consensus layer, blob proof data at the data layer, and transaction and wallet signatures at the execution layer. If that cryptography is broken, large parts of the network’s security model break with it. But replacing it introduces a second-order problem. Ethereum’s current BLS signatures are compact and aggregate extremely efficiently: 10,000 signatures still compress to 96 bytes. The proposed post-quantum replacement, a hash-based scheme Corcoran called Lean Sig, is around 3,000 bytes per signature, and naively aggregating them would produce roughly 30 megabytes of data per slot. That tradeoff is not merely an engineering inconvenience. Corcoran repeatedly tied it back to Ethereum’s decentralization constraint, arguing that bigger signatures would raise bandwidth requirements, reduce the number of viable home validators, and weaken the chain’s security properties. In his telling, the entire design challenge is downstream from that point. “So making Ethereum post quantum secure isn’t just as simple as swapping out the signature schemes because that one change cascades through everything else,” he said. “Bigger signatures would result in more bandwidth that would result in fewer home validators, less decentralization, and weaker security guarantees. So that one change cascades through everything.” Ethereum’s proposed answer is a pairing of LeanSig with a proving system called Lean Multisig, which Corcoran described as a STARK-based aggregation engine. Instead of forwarding all of the signatures directly, the system aims to prove that they were verified correctly and compress the output to around 125 kilobytes. He called that roughly 250x compression “the moon math” that makes post-quantum consensus viable on Ethereum. Corcoran also used the talk to stress that this is no longer a purely theoretical research thread. He said Ethereum is already running devnets with 10 client teams, has shipped four devnets so far, and is building around three-slot finality and four-second slots as a design basis. The broader effort , he added, spans more than eight years of research, about $25 million in funding, and roughly 1,500 contributors across more than 250 organizations and teams. For Ethereum, the immediate message is that post-quantum readiness is becoming a visible part of its long-range protocol agenda. For the rest of crypto, Corcoran’s claim was broader. “Really, every proof of stake blockchain faces the same challenge, and that challenge is the ability to aggregate at scale hash based signatures. It’s nonnegotiable,” he said. “When we succeed in shipping LeanSig and LeanMultisig and Lean consensus, we think that this could really become the de facto industry standard.” At press time, ETH traded at $2,154.

24 Mar 2026, 07:10

Over 300 robots set to compete in Beijing marathon

China is putting humanoid robots to the test again in a road race against human runners beginning next month to show off its advancing robotics industry. In the first event held in Beijing last year, the robots were outrun by humans in a half-marathon race. Twenty-one humanoids were pitted against 12,000 human racers, per reports . The first robot finished in two hours and 40 minutes, whereas the winner finished in 1 hour and 2 minutes. Over 300 robots set to compete in Beijing marathon More than 300 humanoid robots will be competing in the second edition of the half-marathon scheduled for April 19. The organizers said Monday the robots will be put on the same tracks as human runners in the 2026 Beijing E-Town half-marathon. During the previous half-marathon, the robots had dedicated lanes separated by safety fences and median strips. They were mostly walked by engineers using remote controls. Per the organizers, 38% of participating teams in the upcoming event will be competing under an autonomous navigation group, wherein the robots are expected to navigate the routes independently of the team. It highlights a shift from merely “human-led mode” to “full autonomy,” Global Times reported, citing Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences. The competition is aimed at showing off China’s advancing robotics industry, which was estimated at $47 billion in 2024 and projected to grow 23% annually through 2028. China tops annual humanoid installations China leads the pack in global humanoid robot installations. Data from Counterpoint shows 16,000 units of humanoid robots were deployed around the world in 2025, with China accounting for more than 80%. AGIBOT was the biggest vendor, accounting for 31.9% of the installation share, followed by Unitree, UBTECH, and Leju, which are all Chinese manufacturers. Tesla made the 5th on the list, with nearly 5% share, following the ramp-up of the Optimus Gen 2 and Gen 2.5. In other news, Tesla is preparing to unveil the Gen 3 version of Optimus, which it says is “our first design meant for mass production.” Per the official statement , production is expected to start before the end of the year, with an eventual target volume of 1 million robots per year. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .