Bitcoin and Major Crypto Hold Steady Amid Geopolitical Tensions as Aave DAO, South Korea and Institutions Make Key Moves

Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies traded slightly lower but largely stable on Monday morning in Asia as market participants reacted to heightened Middle East tensions, while regional equities declined and oil prices rose following U.S.-Iran escalations over the weekend, according to The Block. South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yuncheol said authorities will urgently reassess how public institutions handle seized digital assets after a National Tax Service error caused an unauthorized transfer of confiscated cryptocurrencies, and Aave governance members backed a proposal to overhaul the protocol's operating structure by channeling all Aave-branded product revenues to the DAO treasury and focusing future development on the planned V4 upgrade. CoinShares reported that global crypto investment products drew $1 billion in net inflows over the week, ending a five-week run of roughly $4 billion in outflows, while blockchain security firm PeckShield said the industry saw $26.5 million in confirmed hacking losses last month, the lowest since March 2025. An 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed Strategy acquired another 3,015 BTC for about $204.1 million at an average of $67,700 per bitcoin between Feb. 23 and March 1, Las Vegas-based Bitmine Immersion Technologies increased its Ethereum holdings to 4.47 million ETH, or 3.7% of the circulating supply, as of March 1, and crypto prices moved within a tight range in the European session as traders weighed Iran-linked geopolitical risks against a macro environment of elevated interest rates and subdued risk appetite.