On March 18, crypto markets weakened as spot ETF flows flipped to net outflows and leveraged positions were forced out. Bitcoin ETF products saw about $129.6 million in net outflows while Ethereum ETFs recorded roughly $55.5 million, alongside $588.1 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin traded near $69,000 and Ethereum fell below $2,200 as longs made up most of the wipeout.

The European Central Bank has opened applications for two industry workstreams on how a potential digital euro would operate across ATMs, payment terminals and existing acceptance infrastructure. The effort focuses on offline functionality and interoperability with European payment standards, alongside proposed testing, certification and approval frameworks for digital-euro payment solutions.

Bitcoin briefly fell to $69,969 on Thursday afternoon in Asia before moving back above $70,000, extending a 5.5% decline over the past 24 hours. Ethereum dropped 6.9% to $2,159 and the GMCI 30 index fell about 5.4%, as analysts pointed to inflation data, Fed hawkishness, and oil-price pressures weighing on risk assets.

South Korea's main opposition party has proposed eliminating a crypto income tax that is scheduled to take effect in 2027, framing the move as a fairness issue for investors. The plan would have imposed a maximum 22% levy on crypto trading profits above 2.5 million won (about $1,665).

Gold (XAU/USD) stabilizes at $4,850 on March 19, 2026, after a sharp Fed-driven sell-off. With $100 oil and the Strait of Hormuz conflict ongoing, discover if the $4,802 hammer candle signals a fresh rally toward $5,000.

Bitcoin (BTC) retreats to $71,000 on March 19, 2026, as the Fed’s hawkish stance on oil-driven inflation triggers a market-wide sell-off. Discover if BTC can shatter the $75,212 trendline resistance to reclaim $83,000.

On March 1, Bitrefill reported a cyber intrusion that led to the theft of cryptocurrency from certain hot wallets and misuse of its gift card supply flows. The company's investigation has identified indicators consistent with techniques attributed to the North Korea-linked Lazarus/Bluenoroff group, and traced the breach to a compromised employee laptop. Around 18,500 purchase records were accessed, while Bitrefill says financial losses will be covered from operational capital and most services have been restored.

On Wednesday, XRP moved sideways while the broader crypto market faced selling pressure but maintained strong liquidity. Over the past seven days, the token has gained nearly 11% and held important price levels as analysts highlighted a multi‑year triangle pattern and rare, deep corrections exceeding 70%. One analyst also pointed to a hidden bullish divergence in Ethereum, suggesting the wider market could see further upside.