hodler

18 Mar 2026, 23:00

Bitcoin Stalls Near $75K As Traders Move Coins To Exchanges

A key price level is giving Bitcoin trouble — and on-chain data may explain why. Related Reading: XRP Moves Into ‘Scarce Zone’ As Exchange Supply Dries Up Realized Price Puts A Ceiling On The Rally The $75,000 mark is not just a round number for Bitcoin traders. It sits at the lower band of what analysts call the “traders’ on-chain Realized Price” — a metric that tracks the average price at which active market participants last moved their coins. According to CryptoQuant head of research Julio Moreno, that band has historically acted as a ceiling during bear markets, and it appears to be doing the same thing now. Bitcoin tested the $75,000 level three times on Coinbase in a single 24-hour stretch and was turned back each time. The rally itself has been real. Bitcoin climbed roughly 12% in March, touching a six-week high of around $76,000 on March 17. But momentum has stalled right where analysts warned it might. Large Deposits Flood Into Exchanges What makes the stall more significant is what’s happening behind the scenes. On March 16, hourly Bitcoin inflows to centralized exchanges surged to 6,100 BTC — the highest single-hour reading since February 20. Data shows that large deposits made up over 60% of that total, the biggest share since mid-October 2025. When traders move Bitcoin onto exchanges, it usually means one thing: they’re getting ready to sell. Moreno said that historically, spikes in large exchange deposits have been tied to rising selling pressure. The timing — right as Bitcoin ran into resistance — is hard to ignore. The question now is whether that selling pressure will be enough to push prices back down, or whether buyers will absorb it and push through the $75,000 wall. Fed Decision Adds To Market Uncertainty Broader financial conditions are adding another layer of complexity. The Federal Reserve is set to announce its rate decision Wednesday, and based on CME futures, traders are pricing in a 98.9% chance that rates stay where they are — with just a 1.1% chance of a hike. But holding rates steady may not be the most market-moving part of the announcement. Reports indicate the Federal Reserve could signal that no rate cuts are coming at all in 2026, citing ongoing inflation concerns and the fallout from the US-Iran war. That kind of guidance tends to weigh on risk assets. Related Reading: Another Bitcoin Buy Coming? Saylor Sparks Speculation With ‘Orange Dots’ Post The Harder Wall Still Lies Ahead Even if Bitcoin manages to clear $75,000 with enough conviction to hold, there is another obstacle waiting higher up. The full Realized Price — which reflects the average break-even level for active traders — currently sits near $84,700. That figure acted as resistance in both October and January. Clearing $75,000 would be a start. Getting to $84,700 would be a different challenge entirely. Featured image from West Coast Trial Lawyers, chart from TradingView

18 Mar 2026, 22:31

North Korea-Linked Hackers Suspected in Bitrefill Breach That Drained Wallets

Bitrefill disclosed that it was targeted in a cyberattack on March 1, which resulted in the theft of cryptocurrency funds, and said its investigation found multiple indicators linking the incident to tactics used by the DPRK-associated Lazarus/Bluenoroff group. The company stated that similarities in the attackers’ methods, malware, on-chain tracing patterns, and the reuse of IP and email addresses are consistent with previous operations attributed to the group. Bitrefill Cyberattack According to the company, the breach originated from a compromised employee’s laptop, where a legacy credential was extracted. That credential allowed access to a snapshot containing production secrets, which the attackers then used to expand their access across Bitrefill’s systems. This enabled them to reach parts of the database and certain cryptocurrency wallets. In its latest tweet, Bitrefill said it first identified the incident after detecting unusual purchasing patterns involving some suppliers, which indicated that its gift card inventory and supply flows were being misused. At the same time, it observed that some hot wallets were being drained, and funds were sent to addresses controlled by the attackers. Once the breach was confirmed, the company shut down all systems to contain the situation. Following the incident, Bitrefill confirmed that it has been working with external cybersecurity experts, incident response teams, blockchain analysts, and law enforcement. The company said there is no indication that customer data was the main focus of the attack. According to its logs, the attackers ran a limited number of database queries consistent with probing activity to identify what could be extracted. This included cryptocurrency and gift card inventory. Bitrefill added that it stores minimal personal data and does not require mandatory KYC, with any verification information held by an external provider. However, it confirmed that about 18,500 purchase records were accessed, including email addresses, cryptocurrency payment addresses, and metadata such as IP addresses. In roughly 1,000 cases where customers had provided names for specific products, the information was encrypted, but the company is treating it as potentially accessed due to possible exposure of encryption keys. Those users have been notified. Bitrefill said it does not currently believe customers need to take specific action, but advised vigilance regarding any unexpected communications related to Bitrefill or cryptocurrency. The company added that it has strengthened its security measures, including conducting further external cybersecurity reviews and penetration testing, tightening internal access controls, improving monitoring and logging systems, and refining incident response procedures. It said the financial losses will be covered from its operational capital, and that most services, including payments and inventory, have been restored. Lazarus Havoc Even as many crypto platforms have ramped up their security frameworks in recent years, threat actors continue to bypass protections. The Lazarus Group remains the sector’s most persistent and dangerous adversary, responsible for the largest crypto hack on record after stealing $1.4 billion from Bybit in February 2025. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT previously said that breaches involving platforms such as Bybit, DMM Bitcoin, and WazirX saw stolen funds laundered with ease. The on-chain investigator had added that the laundering groups have “seemingly won the battle” over enforcement. The post North Korea-Linked Hackers Suspected in Bitrefill Breach That Drained Wallets appeared first on CryptoPotato .

18 Mar 2026, 22:29

Ripple’s XRP $4 Quest Begins as Market Researchers Identify Key Breakout Level

XRP traded sideways on Wednesday as broader market liquidity remained elevated despite widespread selling pressure across major digital assets.

18 Mar 2026, 22:11

Cardano Surges Past Crucial Resistance as Trading Activity Accelerates

Cardano surged up to 9%, approaching a crucial technical resistance at $0.30. Network activity and DeFi participation on Cardano have increased markedly in recent days. Continue Reading: Cardano Surges Past Crucial Resistance as Trading Activity Accelerates The post Cardano Surges Past Crucial Resistance as Trading Activity Accelerates appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .

18 Mar 2026, 22:05

AI Data Centers Outpay Bitcoin Mining, Triggering Major Industry Shift

Bitcoin miners are ditching hashpower for hyperscale as multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence (AI) contracts outpay mining by a wide margin, forcing a rethink of the industry that secures the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Bitcoin Mining Economics Struggle as AI Offers Higher Returns Per Megawatt What started as a side hustle has turned into a full-blown identity crisis

18 Mar 2026, 22:04

Vitalik Buterin Breaks Silence on the 500 Trillion Shiba Inu (SHIB) Donation from Ryoshi

Vitalik Buterin has addressed the 500 trillion SHIB token donation from Ryoshi, the pseudonymous founder of the Shiba Inu ecosystem.