South Korean authorities have busted a crypto crime ring that moved about 150 billion won ($102 million) through WeChat Pay, Alipay, and overseas exchanges. The group converted digital assets into cash while disguising transactions as cosmetic surgery payments and student fees. Authorities have charged three suspects in connection with the scheme. Inside the South Korea Crypto Remittance Ring Investigators from the Korea Customs Service said the crypto crime ring ran quietly for about four years befor ...

Core Viewpoint - The crypto market is experiencing sideways trading, with analysts suggesting that the final phase of the current bull run may be approaching, but further downside is also anticipated due to significant risk-off factors affecting Bitcoin recovery [1]. Price Movement - Bitcoin (BTC) has seen a decline from an intraday high of $95,467 to a low of $92,263, currently trading at $92,973. Over the past week, BTC has appreciated by 2.6% and by 5.4% over the past month [2]. Market Analysis - John Glover, Chief Investment Officer at Ledn, posits that BTC is currently in Wave IV of a major bull run, with a potential transition to Wave V imminent. The target for the current wave is set between $71,000 and $84,000 [2][3]. - The analysis suggests that the corrective wave follows an A-B-C structure, indicating a likelihood of another downward movement before a potential rise [3]. Elliott Wave Theory - According to Elliott Wave Theory, Wave IV represents a corrective phase against the preceding bullish trend established by Wave III, with Wave V expected to follow, leading to a new peak [4]. Market Sentiment - The crypto market began the previous week positively, supported by strong institutional buying and inflows into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bitcoin managed to break above the $95,000 resistance level, driven by demand from large corporate buyers like MicroStrategy [5]. Confirmation Levels - Confirmation of the market path will depend on either a break and close above $104,000, indicating the start of Wave V, or a break below $80,000, which would suggest a move towards the low $70,000 range before any upward movement [6].

Group 1 - The potential acquisition of Greenland by the US under President Trump is expected to create significant market volatility, with a 21-35% chance of occurring according to Polymarket [1] - Trump's proposed tariffs of 10% on goods from eight European countries, escalating to 25% by June if no deal is reached regarding Greenland, are contributing to market uncertainty [3] - Gold and silver prices have surged, with gold reaching near $4,700 an ounce and silver up 206% year-on-year, driven by the tariff announcements and market reactions [4][5] Group 2 - European equity-index futures have dropped approximately 1.3%, while S&P 500 contracts fell nearly 1%, indicating a negative market response to the tariff news [4] - The European response to the tariffs includes potential activation of the EU's anti-coercion instrument, highlighting the geopolitical implications of the trade tensions [5] - The overall sentiment in the market reflects a shift towards traditional safe-haven assets, with capital flowing into gold and silver amid increasing uncertainty [2][3]

Kazakhstan’s Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has enacted legislation concerning Banks and Banking Activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets. The law grants the nation’s central bank authority to determine which cryptocurrencies may be traded on regulated exchanges. The legislation, detailed in a recent official document, encompasses over five distinct amendments and additions to various legislative acts addressing financial marke ...

Group 1 - A significant surge of capital into digital asset investment products occurred last week, with inflows totaling $2.17 billion, marking the highest weekly total since October 2025 [1] - U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) contributed the most to the inflows, with a net flow of approximately $1.42 billion, led by BlackRock's IBIT with $1.03 billion [2] - Bitcoin dominated the inflows with $1.55 billion, while Ethereum and Solana also saw inflows of $496 million and $45.5 million, respectively [3] Group 2 - The current market environment is influenced by macro factors and global tensions, which have a short-term impact on the crypto market, despite recent inflows [4] - Bitcoin's recent price drop has potential for recovery, with a prediction market indicating an 83.7% chance of Bitcoin reaching the $100,000 level [5]

Core Insights - The Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System (LSERS) has invested $3.2 million in MicroStrategy (MSTR), indicating a growing institutional interest in indirect Bitcoin exposure [2][3] - MicroStrategy, under CEO Michael Saylor, now holds over 687,000 BTC, positioning MSTR as a proxy for Bitcoin investment [3] - The investment by LSERS represents only 0.2% of its total $1.56 billion portfolio, reflecting the increasing interest of public retirement funds in crypto-linked assets [3] Company Strategy - MicroStrategy's strategy involves issuing equity and debt instruments to fund large-scale Bitcoin purchases, which tightens the circulating supply and strengthens its balance sheet [4] - The company's recent plan to acquire an additional 13,627 BTC for $1.25 billion would increase its total Bitcoin holdings to over 700,000 BTC, representing approximately 3.3% of the total Bitcoin supply [6] - This accumulation strategy has led to bullish momentum in MSTR, with traders noting technical breakouts and continued purchases as signs of increasing market confidence in Saylor's approach [6]

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin coins with a hardware wallet in front of a rising market chart. Key Points Despite Bitcoin dropping back below $100,000 by late 2025, there are tailwinds in 2026 thanks to easing regulations and other benefits. Crypto ETFs are proliferating and provide investors with a growing range of strategies to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies. Three innovative funds worth a closer look focus on things like staking Solana or Ether, or on generating monthly distributions through a f ...

Group 1: Market Overview - Cryptocurrency markets started the week strong, supported by institutional buying and inflows into Bitcoin ETFs [1] - Bitcoin broke above the $95,000 resistance level, reaching a range of $97,000–$98,000, driven by demand from corporate buyers like MicroStrategy [2] - Despite initial bullish momentum, buying pressure eased, leading to price consolidation around $95,000, indicating vulnerability to macro shocks [3] Group 2: Geopolitical Impact - Renewed geopolitical tensions arose after former U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on EU and NATO countries, negatively impacting broader risk markets [4] - This geopolitical shift led to aggressive selling in digital assets, with Bitcoin dropping to approximately $92,500 and Ethereum to around $3,200, erasing most prior gains [5] Group 3: Near-Term Outlook - Near-term price action for Bitcoin is expected to be reactive to U.S.–EU trade tensions, with potential pressure on risk assets if tensions escalate [7] - The upcoming week is busy with key macro events, including the World Economic Forum, U.S. GDP and PCE inflation data, and a Bank of Japan policy meeting, which could influence market volatility [8]

Key Takeaways Crypto investment funds recorded $2.17 billion in inflows last week, which marks the largest weekly total since mid-October 2025. Bitcoin led strongly with $1.55 billion, while Ethereum took $496 million. Altcoins showed breadth with XRP at $69.5 million and Solana at $45.5 million. The U.S. drove $2.05 billion, but Friday saw $378 million in outflows, tariff threats, and Greenland tensions triggered the late-week reversal. Crypto investment products saw a solid rebound last week, pul ...

Wood's 2026 outlook, published Thursday, didn't include a target for the S&P 500, though it was more bullish in tone than the outlooks of many Wall Street analysts, who largely expect the benchmark index to rise more modestly in 2026 than it did last year. Key Takeaways Worries about an AI bubble have some on Wall Street expecting the market's brisk pace of recent gains to cool down this year. Not Cathie Wood. The ARK Invest CEO, known for big bets on disruptive technologies, last week said she believes mar ...