TRM said a post-strike spike in Nobitex wallet activity looked like routine liquidity moves, even as Chainalysis flagged higher outflows from Iranian exchanges overall. Nobitex, Iran’s biggest crypto exchange, showed no signs of a sustained, user-driven run after US-Israeli strikes on Iran, even as blockchain data indicated a brief spike in activity and higher outflows from Iranian exchanges more broadly, according to separate analyses from TRM Labs and Chainalysis. The TRM report, which examined onchain activity around Nobitex after US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, found that the platform recorded a noticeable increase in activity in the immediate aftermath, including transfers exceeding $35 million from hot wallets to cold storage. However, TRM said the transfers were likely part of the exchange’s internal treasury operations. “Based on historical behavior and wallet attribution, these movements aligned with routine liquidity management rather than user-driven withdrawals,” the report said. Read...
The purchases came as geopolitical tensions tied to the US and Israel's conflict with Iran weighed on global markets, pushing major indexes lower. Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest increased its exposure to crypto-related equities, adding shares of Coinbase and Robinhood Markets across several of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as broader markets pulled back. The company purchased a combined 22,452 shares of Coinbase across the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) and ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF), according to trade notifications for Tuesday. Based on Coinbase’s closing price of $182.36 during the day, the purchase was valued at about $4.1 million. Ark also accumulated 158,587 shares of Robinhood through the same ETFs. With Robinhood closing at $76.07, the transaction was valued at about $12 million. Read more
Bitcoin price strength received a surprise bullish catalyst from US manufacturing data, helping to relieve tensions over Iran as US stocks floundered. Bitcoin (BTC) surged toward $70,000 after Monday’s Wall Street open as crypto markets diverged from US stocks. Key points: Bitcoin reacts to positive US manufacturing data as bulls manage to sideline geopolitical tensions. Read more
Arthur Hayes says the longer Donald Trump engages in expensive “Iranian nation-building,” the more likely it is that the Federal Reserve will boost money supply. The US Federal Reserve could ease its hawkish monetary policy to help finance the country’s conflict with Iran, which would boost crypto markets, says BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. Hayes said in a blog post on Monday that every US president since 1985 has launched military action in the Middle East, and each time, the Federal Reserve has responded by cutting rates and expanding the money supply to finance the conflict. “The longer Trump engages in the extremely costly activity of Iranian nation-building, the higher the likelihood that the Fed lowers the price and increases the quantity of money to support Pax Americana’s latest bout of Middle Eastern adventurism,” he added. Read more
Bitcoin avoided a fresh breakdown around major geopolitical events in the Middle East, with BTC price targets now including $74,000 next. Bitcoin (BTC) ignored geopolitical volatility on Sunday as traders waited for markets’ Iran reaction. Key points: Bitcoin coils around $67,000 as the dust settles on a wild weekend in the Middle East. Read more
The US military reportedly relied on Anthropic’s Claude AI for intelligence analysis and targeting during an Iran strike hours after Trump ordered a ban on the company’s systems. The US military reportedly used Anthropic during a major air strike on Iran, only hours after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to halt use of the company’s systems. Military commands, including US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East, used Anthropic’s Claude AI model for operational support, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The tool has reportedly assisted with intelligence analysis, identifying potential targets and running battlefield simulations. The incident shows how deeply advanced AI systems have become embedded in defense operations. Even as the administration moved to sever ties with the company, Claude remained integrated into military workflows. Read more
Bitcoin faced geopolitical instability alone as a weekend move on Iran saw traditional markets closed, with key support still holding. Bitcoin (BTC) daily losses neared 4% on Saturday as the US and Israel announced a military operation in Iran. Key points: Bitcoin targets $63,000 as US President Donald Trump confirms a major bombing campaign inside Iran. Read more
Binance rejected the allegations, saying it flags suspicious activity, enforces strict compliance procedures and does not permit Iranian users on the platform. A senior US lawmaker launched a congressional inquiry into crypto exchange Binance following reports that the platform processed about $1.7 billion in transactions tied to sanctioned Iranian entities and Russia’s oil “shadow fleet.” On Tuesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal, ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Binance CEO Richard Teng requesting documents and internal records related to the exchange’s sanctions controls and compliance practices. Citing reporting from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Fortune, Blumenthal said Binance compliance staff had identified two partner entities, including Hexa Whale and Blessed Trust, as intermediaries enabling trade with Iranian government-linked organizations. Internal investigators also reportedly traced transfers to wallets associated with Iran’s Isl...
BTC price fell below the key $70,000 level as tensions between the US and Iran ramped up and a broad risk-asset sell-off liquidated late BTC long positions. Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below $67,000 at Tuesday’s Wall Street open as risk assets responded to new geopolitical pressures. Key points: Bitcoin joins stocks in a geopolitics-driven sell-off to the start the US TradFi trading week. Read more