Foom Cash, a decentralized lottery protocol using zero-knowledge proofs, suffered a $2.26 million exploit linked to a Groth16 verifier deployment error. A white hat identified the vulnerability and helped secure and return $1.84 million, with the protocol later paying a $320,000 bounty and $100,000 security fee. The incident highlights the expanding role of ethical hackers in defending Web3 projects against cross-chain attacks.

DeepSeek, a prominent Chinese AI platform, has outlined a Bitcoin scenario in which early 2026 marks one of the cryptocurrency's most challenging stretches, with a potential drop toward about $41,000 before a recovery. After an accumulation phase and what it describes as a historically reflationary fourth quarter, the model envisions BTC trading around $100,000 by the end of 2026, following a decline from highs above $125,000 to roughly $66,013. The forecast also suggests that Bitcoin's low for 2026 may form in the second or third quarter before any strong rally takes hold.

The largest publicly traded corporate holder of Bitcoin has expanded its treasury, raising the cumulative value of its BTC acquisitions to about $54.77 billion at an average cost of $75,985 per coin. The firm continues to use a mix of debt and equity financing to build exposure, while its stock trades as a volatile proxy for Bitcoin amid broader market uncertainty heading toward 2026.

Crypto markets have entered a macro-focused week in which several major U.S. economic reports could steer liquidity conditions and price direction. With Bitcoin moving in a consolidation phase, manufacturing and services PMIs, labor market data and Friday's Non-Farm Payrolls will guide expectations for interest rate cuts or extended tight policy. Strong readings may reinforce a "higher-for-longer" rate outlook and weigh on risk assets, while softer data could revive a liquidity-driven rally in digital currencies.

Blockchain security firm PeckShield reported that confirmed crypto hacking losses in February 2026 totaled $26.5 million across 15 incidents, marking a 98.2% drop from the $1.5 billion stolen in February 2025. The five largest exploits, led by a $10 million attack on Stellar-based YieldBlox and an $8.8 million breach of IoTeX’s ioTube bridge, made up more than 98% of the monthly total.

CMT-certified analyst Tony Severino points to Bitcoin's monthly SuperTrend indicator as still signaling support, with BTC trading around the mid-$60,000 range. He notes that the one-month chart has not yet confirmed a sell signal, even after recent downside and a 14.8% drop in February from the monthly open. However, Severino cautions that past bear markets have often held this support for one to three months before breaking down and warns that historical Ichimoku data leaves room for a further 38% to 66% decline.

On March 2, 2026, South Korea's Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yoon-cheol outlined plans to reform how government bodies store seized cryptocurrencies. The move follows reports that Gangnam District police lost 22 BTC in 2022 due to private key mismanagement and that the national tax service exposed recovery phrases for a multi-million-dollar Bitcoin haul. Authorities will review current custody practices across government and public institutions to strengthen digital asset security.

Brent crude briefly surged between 10% and 13%, topping $82 before easing to around $78–$79, while WTI climbed more than 8% to roughly $72 per barrel after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks near the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping disruptions, higher war-risk premiums, and limited spare OPEC+ capacity intensified supply worries as Dow futures slid 559 points, with other U.S. equity futures also lower and gold jumping 3% on safe-haven demand.