Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline, dropping below $66,000, after former President Donald Trump's aggressive remarks about sending Iran "back to the stone age" triggered a broad market sell-off. The geopolitical tension wiped approximately $440 million from the total cryptocurrency market capitalization within hours, as investors shifted to risk-off assets. The sell-off coincided with oil prices pushing toward $120 a barrel, amplifying market anxiety.
Major altcoins were not spared. Dogecoin (DOGE) fell 4.1%, while XRP held flat near $1.33, a level 45% below its January 2025 peak. Solana (SOL) traded at $83, down 72% from its January 2025 high, with some analysts eyeing potential support levels at $74 or even $50. Despite the price pressure, Solana led all blockchains in decentralized exchange (DEX) volume for the seventh consecutive month and was named the primary stablecoin network by liquidity provider B2C2.
A study linked to Google's quantum research team raised security concerns, estimating that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could crack a Bitcoin wallet's encryption in under nine minutes—faster than Bitcoin's 10-minute block time. While current quantum hardware remains incapable of such a feat, the report has accelerated discussions around implementing quantum-resistant cryptographic upgrades for the Bitcoin network. Notably, a dormant Bitcoin wallet from 2014 moved 500 BTC this week, with speculation that the holder might be preparing for quantum security, though this remains unconfirmed.
On the institutional front, significant developments unfolded. Japan's Metaplanet aggressively accumulated Bitcoin, purchasing 5,075 BTC in Q1 2026. This brings its total holdings to 40,177 BTC, solidifying its position as Japan's largest corporate Bitcoin holder. The company has amassed this position in under two years, consistently increasing its Bitcoin-per-share ratio.
Coinbase received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter. This charter, structured as a non-insured national trust, would allow Coinbase to offer custody, staking, and fiduciary services to institutional clients, placing it alongside Ripple and Circle in the federally recognized banking framework.
The Ethereum Foundation made its largest-ever single stake of 22,517 ETH, worth approximately $46 million. This deposit is part of a broader plan to stake up to 70,000 ETH, a target the Foundation is nearing. Separately, BlackRock moved closer to launching a Bitcoin income ETF (ticker: BITA) by filing an amendment with the SEC, aiming to provide yield alongside Bitcoin price exposure.