Spot Bitcoin ETFs first inexperienced week, crypto ATM losses surge 33%: Hodler's Digest, Mar. 8 – 14

High Journal Tales of The Week

Federal court docket ends Custodia Financial institution’s authorized bid for a grasp account

A US federal court docket has rejected Custodia Financial institution’s ultimate try to problem the Federal Reserve’s authority over granting grasp accounts — successfully ending the crypto-focused financial institution’s five-year-long battle for direct entry to the central financial institution’s cost system.

The US Court docket of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit stated in a submitting on Friday that it wouldn’t hear Custodia’s ultimate attraction on that time in a 7-3 vote.

Custodia first utilized for a grasp account in October 2020, which permits monetary establishments to carry reserves straight on the Federal Reserve and entry its cost rails, enabling them to settle transactions with out counting on middleman banks.

After the Fed rejected its grasp account utility, Custodia turned to the courts, arguing the Financial Management Act entitles state-chartered banks to entry Fed companies and due to this fact a grasp account.

Ethereum Basis publishes mandate clarifying function and targets

The Ethereum Basis, the non-profit group that stewards the event of the Ethereum ecosystem, revealed its mandate on Friday, reaffirming its function and the core pillars of Ethereum.

The Ethereum Basis’s two said targets are that Ethereum stays decentralized and that customers have a “ultimate say” over their onchain property and information, whereas the protocol achieves mass scale, in keeping with the mandate.

Censorship resistance, open supply code, privateness, safety, and freedom-preserving know-how are the core properties of Ethereum that will probably be upheld, the doc stated.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls Bitcoin a ‘Ponzi scheme’

Boris Johnson, the previous prime minister of the UK, known as Bitcoin a “Ponzi Scheme” that has much less worth than Pokémon playing cards, collectibles he stated had a large attraction and a multi-decade historical past.

Johnson wrote an opinion article revealed within the Day by day Mail on Friday that started with a narrative a few good friend who had given 500 British kilos, or about $661, to a person who promised to “double his cash” by investing it in BTC.

The good friend continued to pay extra “charges” to the scheme’s promoter over the following three and a half years, however was by no means capable of retrieve his funds, regardless of sinking 20,000 British kilos, or about $26,474, which led to monetary hardship, Johnson stated. 

BlackRock says ‘unique’ crypto ETFs not a part of its technique

BlackRock’s digital property head, Robert Mitchnick, stated the $14 trillion asset supervisor gained’t get too inventive with the kinds of crypto exchange-traded funds it affords, even because it launched a staking-focused Ether ETF on Thursday.

Talking on CNBC’s Crypto World section on Friday, Mitchnick acknowledged that a few of the crypto ETF constructions that different asset managers are experimenting with might attraction to sure buyers, however stated BlackRock will proceed to take a extra measured strategy:

“Will we see some extra unique constructions coming into the area? I feel no query,” Mitchnick stated. “A few of these will probably be fascinating. A few of them will resonate with buyers.”

Nonetheless, “We are going to take a discerning strategy in fascinated about the place else we’d broaden on this.”

Spot Bitcoin ETFs lengthen influx streak to 5 days for first time in 2026

US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) logged their first five-day influx streak of 2026, bringing in roughly $767.32 million this week.

The funds recorded $180.33 million in web inflows on Friday, extending the run of optimistic flows that started earlier within the week. The strongest day of the streak got here on Tuesday, when spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $250.92 million, in keeping with information from SoSoValue.

The final time the funds noticed a comparable streak was in late November 2025, when spot Bitcoin ETFs logged 5 consecutive days of web inflows from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, bringing in a mixed $284.61 million.

Winners and Losers

On the finish of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $71,718, Ether (ETH) at $2,118 and XRP at $1.41. The full market cap is at $2.44 trillion, in keeping with CoinMarketCap.

Among the many largest 100 cryptocurrencies, the highest three altcoin winners of the week are River (RIVER) at 53.01%, Bittensor (TAO) at 46.23% and DeXe (DEXE) at 44.48%. The highest three altcoin losers of the week are Kite (KITE) at 26.09%, Midnight (NIGHT) at 9.63% and Decred  (DCR) at 5.11%. For more information on crypto costs, be sure to learn Cointelegraph’s market evaluation.

Most Memorable Quotations

“My fear is that large-scale coordinated political motion with large cash swimming pools is a factor that may simply result in unintended outcomes, trigger backlashes, and resolve issues in a means that’s each authoritarian and fragile, even when it was not initially meant that means.”

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder

“By bringing collectively spot ether publicity and staking rewards in an ETP, ETHB supplies buyers with an necessary new avenue to take part within the ecosystem’s evolution.”

Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s international head of digital property

“That’s after I’m going to purchase Bitcoin when the central banks begin printing cash.”

Arthur Hayes, BitMEX co-founder

“The primary obstacle to Bitcoin funds adoption is tax coverage, not scaling know-how.”

Pierre Rochard, board member for Attempt

“Blockchain and using stablecoins, if you wish to throw crypto into that, tokens, extremely helpful by way of productiveness.”

Stanley Druckenmiller, billionaire investor

High Prediction of The Week

Bitcoin nears $74K, however information suggests the bear market isn’t over

Bitcoin jumped above $73,000 on Friday, efficiently locking within the 70,000 assist for the week. These beneficial properties occurred because the US reported weak financial exercise information, triggering considerations of an impending recession whereas the battle in Iran continues.

Whereas macroeconomic occasions and institutional inflows might have contributed to Bitcoin’s latest momentum, merchants are nonetheless questioning if the bear market has truly ended.

The US financial system grew by 0.7% between October and December 2025, which was a big downgrade from earlier estimates, in keeping with a US Commerce Division report launched on Friday. Whereas the ultimate report is due April 9, the dangers of a recession all through 2026 have elevated, driving buyers away from US Treasuries.

High FUD of The Week

DOJ and Europol take down SocksEscort community tied to crypto fraud

US and European authorities stated Thursday that they had disrupted SocksEscort, a malicious proxy service utilized by cybercriminals to cover their identities whereas finishing up fraud, together with cryptocurrency account takeovers.

The DOJ stated the service compromised at the least 369,000 routers and different internet-connected units in 163 international locations, giving cybercriminals management over proxies that hid their true IP addresses.

The platform reportedly enabled crimes, together with financial institution fraud and cryptocurrency account takeovers, since 2020. In a single case cited by prosecutors, a sufferer in New York misplaced roughly $1 million in cryptocurrency.

Crypto ATM losses surge 33% in 2025 as AI superpowers scams: CertiK

Crypto ATM fraud surged to $333 million within the US in 2025, with complaints obtained by the FBI rising 33% within the yr as rip-off networks grew to become extra industrialized whereas tapping into superior AI deepfake know-how.

Crypto ATM fraud is likely one of the fastest-growing monetary crime classes within the US, in keeping with cybersecurity agency CertiK in its newest report shared with Cointelegraph on Thursday, explaining that prison organizations are exploiting the “pace and pseudonymity” of crypto ATMs or “kiosks” to extract funds from victims at an accelerating tempo.

The FBI recorded greater than 12,000 complaints between January and November 2025, additionally a 33% improve from the prior yr. The US accounts for 78% of the world’s 45,000 cryptocurrency machines, stated CertiK. 

Chinese language fraud victims problem UK redress plan for 61,000 seized Bitcoin: FT

Victims of a Chinese language funding fraud are difficult a United Kingdom proposal to compensate them by a Chinese language redress scheme, arguing the plan may depart British authorities holding a lot of the upside from roughly 61,000 Bitcoin seized in a money-laundering investigation.

In accordance with the Monetary Occasions, citing court docket paperwork, the dispute has moved into the UK Excessive Court docket as teams representing victims search to recuperate funds linked to the cryptocurrency seized by police in London. The Bitcoin haul is now price about 3.2 billion kilos ($4.3 billion) after rising sharply in worth because the property have been confiscated.

Regulation agency Candey, which represents about 5,700 victims, stated the proposed compensation association might not assure honest restitution. The fraud scheme itself reportedly affected greater than 128,000 buyers in China, in keeping with court docket paperwork cited by the FT.

High Journal Tales of The Week

All 21 million Bitcoin is in danger from quantum computer systems

Even Bitcoin held in quantum-secure addresses will turn out to be susceptible to sufficiently superior quantum computer systems the second it’s spent.

Bitcoin’s ‘narrative vacuum,’ Ethereum now inevitable: Commerce Secrets and techniques

Onchain indicators flash warning indicators for Bitcoin, “altcoin season” social media mentions at multi-year lows.

Human mind cell wetware performs Doom, fly’s thoughts uploaded: AI Eye

Scientists “add” a fly’s thoughts, mind cell wetware taught to play Doom, and analysis reveals LLMs are turning everybody into The Borg.

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