Bitcoin Stalls Below $80K as ETF Flows Rebound Sharply

Bitcoin struggled to reclaim the $80,000 level as all investor cohorts returned to net profitability, raising questions about supply absorption capacity at current prices. The digital asset held $79,000 in trading as ether and solana slipped while traders banked gains from a week-long rally. A $6.4 billion bitcoin options expiry scheduled for Friday could amplify near-term volatility, according to market data.

Bitcoin ETFs have posted a seven-day inflow streak, cutting their year-to-date net outflow deficit by more than half and leaving them $390 million short of October 2025's total inflows. BlackRock reduced the minimum for its bitcoin ETF swap program to $1 million, lowering the barrier for institutional participation. Sentiment indicators show the crypto greed gauge has reached its highest level since just before October's $19 billion market wipeout, suggesting elevated positioning risk.

Zcash pulled back 8% as its Grayscale ETF went live, capping a 60% rally that preceded the product launch. The retracement follows a pattern of profit-taking after sharp pre-launch appreciation. XRP has rallied 44%, bringing leverage back into the market and raising the risk of a sharper pullback as traders increase positions on derivative exchanges.

Revolut has begun rolling out euro-denominated stablecoin EURR in three European markets, with the Bridge-issued token supporting multiple blockchains and external wallets. The fintech firm expects wider availability across the European Economic Area later this year, bringing mainstream distribution to euro-pegged digital assets. World Liberty Financial launched USD1 natively on the Canton Network, marking the sixth-largest stablecoin by market capitalization at more than $4 billion according to industry data.

Japan's Financial Services Agency, Finance Ministry, Bank of Japan, and financial institutions plan to study blockchain infrastructure for securities cash settlement, targeting production of a development plan by early 2027 with an early 2030s launch timeline. The initiative would create a blockchain-based system for stock and bond settlement, representing significant institutional adoption of distributed ledger technology in traditional finance. Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm's retrial has been delayed to April 2027, with Judge Katherine Polk Failla adjourning proceedings in light of Storm's pending motion for acquittal and related continuance request.

U.S. state banking associations plan to launch a nationwide blockchain network called BankChain for 2027, joining a growing field of bank-led networks building shared infrastructure for tokenized deposits and onchain payments. The initiative represents coordinated effort among regional banking groups to develop blockchain-based settlement capabilities. Zerohash has made a second attempt at securing an OCC trust bank charter, seeking federal regulatory approval for custodial operations.

South Korean trade conglomerate POSCO brought trade receivables to Avalanche blockchain in the latest tokenization move, expanding real-world asset integration into public blockchain infrastructure.

Kalshi's $1.5 billion equity offering is three-quarters sold at $1.12 billion, according to a Form D filing listing 71 investors. The prediction market platform is relying on an exemption that allows certain private offerings without SEC registration, marking significant institutional capital deployment into crypto-adjacent trading infrastructure.