West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices fell below the $70 mark at Monday’s closing bell, and the downward trend continued into Tuesday as prices hovered around $68. This recent dip places WTI perilously close to its 52-week low of $67.17, signaling a pronounced bearish shift in the market and prompting many traders to steer clear of the commodity.
The current slump marks WTI’s worst performance this month, with prices plummeting nearly 8%. This decline is the steepest since June 2023 when oil prices fell to $71.06 a barrel. As a result, oil has become one of the least performing assets in the commodity markets, with ongoing losses becoming the norm.
Several factors are contributing to this bearish sentiment. Weak economic data from China and reduced oil output from Libya are major contributors to the price decline. Additionally, investor enthusiasm has waned significantly. According to Bloomberg, net long positions in Brent crude oil have plummeted from 99,889 lots to 139,242 lots this month, marking a significant 30% reduction in just ten days. WTI crude has also seen a notable drop, with positions reduced by 62,000 from the previous 125,000 lots.
Traders are increasingly wary, refraining from buying the dips amid concerns of further price declines. “Including the three fuel products, the net long slumped to 121k contracts, the lowest recorded energy exposure since 2011 when ICE began collecting data,” noted Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank.
For a recovery in oil prices, a robust U.S. economy is essential. Analysts at Bank of America argue that current fiscal and monetary policies are not supportive enough to boost domestic demand growth. They suggest that without a significant rebound in economic activity and job creation, oil prices may struggle to regain their footing.
In summary, WTI crude oil prices are navigating turbulent waters, with bearish trends and reduced investor interest casting a shadow over the market. Unless economic conditions improve markedly, the outlook for oil remains uncertain, leaving many to wonder how long this downturn will persist.
Ethereum ETFs have closed yet another week in the red, recording net outflows amid continued investor hesitation.
Notably, there has been no single week of net inflows since the end of February, highlighting waning institutional interest in ETH-related products.
Ethereum ETFs Face Steady Outflows
Ethereum-backed ETFs have recorded their seventh consecutive week of net outflows, highlighting sustained institutional hesitance toward the asset.
This week alone, net outflows from spot ETH ETFs totaled $82.47 million, marking a 39% surge from the $49 million recorded in outflows the previous week.
Total Ethereum Spot ETF Net Inflow. Source: SosoValue
With the steady decline in institutional presence in the ETH market, the selling pressure on the coin has soared.
Over the past week, ETH’s price has declined by 11%. The steady outflows from the funds backed by the coin suggest that the downward momentum may persist, increasing the likelihood of a price drop below the $1,500 mark.
On the price chart, technical indicators remain bearish, confirming the mounting pressure from the selling side of the market. For example, at press time, readings from ETH’s Directional Movement Index (DMI) show its positive directional index (+DI) resting below the negative directional index (-DI).
The DMI indicator measures the strength of an asset’s price trend. It consists of two lines: the +DI, which represents upward price movement, and the -DI, which represents downward price movement.
As with ETH, when the +DI rests below the -DI, the market is in a bearish trend, with downward price movement dominating the market sentiment.
Ethereum’s Price Could Drop Below $1,500
The lack of institutional capital could delay any significant rebound in ETH price, further dampening short-term prospects for recovery. If demand leans further, ETH could break out of its narrow range and follow a downward trend.
The altcoin could fall below $1,500 in this scenario to reach $1,395.
Binance is listing Bubblemaps (BMT), causing a 100% rally for the newly launched altcoin. The exchange also put BMT in its HODLer Airdrops program, further driving engagement and market interest.
BMT will provide key benefits to Bubblemaps, powering its analysis platform and allowing increased community participation in its research and investigations.
Now, Binance is listing BMT and adding it to the HODLer Airdrops program.
“Binance is excited to announce the 12th project on the HODLer Airdrops page – Bubblemaps (BMT). Users who subscribed their BNB to Simple Earn (Flexible and/or Locked) and/or On-Chain Yields products… will get the airdrops distribution. Binance will then list BMT at 2025-03-18 15:00 (UTC) and open trading,” the firm claimed in an announcement.
At the time of writing, BMT price is up nearly 100% today, and its daily trading volume has surged 230%. Current market sentiment suggests significant hype and speculative around the new token.
Bubblemap’s data analytics tools have been instrumental in investigating crypto crimes, and it’s opening these to community participation. BMT holders will be able to submit cases and vote on on-chain research priorities through the new IntelDesk feature, helping decide new goals.
Meanwhile, BMT is the 12th asset to be in Binance’s HODLer Airdrops program. This program rewards BNB holders by periodically distributing free tokens from new projects.
This is mutually beneficial for both parties; Binance can reward its loyal users, and the exposure gives these new projects a real notoriety boost.
Ultimately, Bubblemaps’ token getting listed on Binance seems like a win for everybody. Sophisticated crypto investigations can be a thankless business, and BMT’s success directly subsidizes the platform’s work.
“This was due to an entity(s) on the Binance perpetuals market. That’s what triggered the entire cascade. The initial drop below $5 was triggered by a ~1 million USD short position being market-sold. This caused over 5% of slippage in literal microseconds. That was the trigger. This seems intentional to me. They knew what they were doing,” the analyst stated.
Pi Network: From Chainlink Buzz to Transparency Fears
Pi Network recorded strong optimism this week as its native Pi Coin surged by double digits. BeInCrypto attributed the surge to the announcement of a key integration with Chainlink.
They pitched this strategic collaboration as a gateway to real-world utility. Specifically, it positioned Pi closer to the broader DeFi and smart contract ecosystem. However, the euphoria proved short-lived.
Allegations suggest that, like the OM token, Pi coin lacks full clarity around circulating supply, wallet distribution, and centralized control. To some, these are potential red flags in an increasingly regulation-sensitive industry.
“The OM incident is a wake-up call for the entire crypto industry, proof that stricter regulations are urgently needed. It also serves as a huge lesson for the Pi Core Team as we transition from the Open Network to the Open Mainnet,” wrote Dr Altcoin.
Pi coin reversed gains within days, falling 18% from its weekly high. At the time of writing, PI was trading at $0.6112, up by a modest 0.7% in the past 24 hours, per CoinGecko.
Grayscale’s Altcoin Shake-Up: 40 Tokens Under Review
This week in crypto also showed that institutional investor interest in altcoins is heating up again, with Grayscale leading the charge.
The digital asset manager unveiled its updated list of assets under consideration for the second quarter (Q2) 2025. BeInCrypto reported that the list featured zero altcoins across sectors such as DePIN, AI, modular blockchains, and restaking. Among the notable tokens being eyed are SUI, STRK, TIA, JUP, and MANTA.
The update reflects Grayscale’s growing thesis around emerging crypto trends, particularly as the firm seeks to expand beyond its core Bitcoin and Ethereum products.
This announcement follows a broader strategic overhaul from three weeks ago when Grayscale reshuffled its top 20 list of altcoins by market exposure. Several older names were dropped at the time, while newer narratives like Solana-based DePIN and Ethereum restaking plays were pushed to the forefront.
The expansion into 40 coins signals Grayscale’s recognition of renewed retail and institutional appetite for differentiated assets. However, inclusion in the list does not guarantee a fund launch. It only indicates Grayscale’s active research.
XRP and SWIFT Partnership: Breaking Down the Rumors
There was speculation this week about a possible partnership between Ripple’s XRP and banking giant SWIFT in crypto.
This narrative was based on a misinterpreted document. A series of cryptic social posts exacerbated the speculation, which some took as confirmation of collaboration between the global payments network and the XRP ledger.
However, BeInCrypto’s in-depth reporting sank the rumors. While Ripple has long pursued banking institutions and SWIFT has shown openness to blockchain innovations, there is no verified partnership between the two.
SWIFT’s public-facing projects around tokenization and digital asset settlement do not include XRP.
Despite the debunking, the rumors sparked an important conversation about XRP’s long-term positioning. The token remains a top-10 asset and a favorite among retail investors banking on utility-driven price appreciation.
With Ripple’s legal battles with the SEC nearing resolution and international CBDC partnerships in the works, the project is far from irrelevant.
US Dollar Dives: What the DXY Crash Means for Bitcoin
The US Dollar Index (DXY) hit a three-year low this week, sending ripples through the crypto markets. Historically, a falling DXY has been bullish for Bitcoin, and this week was no different, with BTC reclaiming above the $84,000 range.
The greenback’s weakness reflects growing fears of fiscal deterioration in the US, as rate cuts loom and Treasury debt soars.
Japan’s 10-year bond yields hit multi-decade highs, forcing the Bank of Japan (BoJ) into increasingly precarious interventions. As Japanese liquidity spills outward, crypto and risk assets have become inadvertent beneficiaries.
This macroenvironment is ideal for Bitcoin. Weakening fiat, rising global liquidity, and crumbling bond market confidence create a perfect storm.
