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Cryptocurrency animal spirits are back big time

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Cryptocurrency animal spirits are back big time

The growing excitement in the cryptocurrency world hinges on hopes of the imminent approval of bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

Around a dozen asset managers including BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, Franklin Templeton and VanEck have applied to offer ETFs that hold spot bitcoin. The SEC, which faces a Wednesday deadline to approve some of the applications, has rejected prior applications, citing a lack of surveillance for fraud and manipulation in bitcoin markets.

However, a federal appeals court last year criticised the SEC’s reasoning for denying an application to list a bitcoin spot ETF as “arbitrary and capricious”. And this reprimand has sparked hopes that the regulator will be forced to abandon its previous stance and give its blessing to such products.

Bitcoin advocates argue the new funds will attract tens of billions of dollars from investors who were previously wary of owning the cryptocurrency, pushing its price, and that of other digital currencies, sharply higher.

They argue that SEC approval for spot bitcoin ETFs will finally take crypto into the mainstream, allowing fund managers and more traditional market participants to allocate a percentage of their portfolio to this new asset class.

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And retail investors also find it more appealing to invest in the digital currency, because of the low fees on proposed bitcoin ETFs.

According to regulatory filings, BlackRock, the world’s largest fund manager, is proposing to charge customers just 0.2 per cent of the net asset value of its fund for the first year or until its ETF hits $US5 billion, before rising to 0.2 per cent.

More broadly, bitcoin enthusiasts argue that the appeal of cryptocurrencies is spreading.

Argentina’s new libertarian government, which faces an economic crisis with soaring inflation and a collapsing currency, has signalled that it will accept financial contracts settled in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. And El Salvador is offering expedited citizenship to foreigners who make “donations” to government social and economic development programs.

But bitcoin has a long path to respectability. Years of software development and investments have failed to catapult blockchain networks into mainstream finance, while the primary use of cryptocurrencies – beyond trading – is still hacking, theft, and money laundering.

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Crypto

Capital B Completes Capital Increase and Acquires 44 Additional Bitcoin, Now Holds 2,888 BTC

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Capital B Completes Capital Increase and Acquires 44 Additional Bitcoin, Now Holds 2,888 BTC

France-based Capital B, also known as The Blockchain Group, announced the completion of an At-the-Market (ATM) capital increase and warrant issuances on March 23, 2026. This financial restructuring involves partnerships with TOBAM and UTXO Management to support the firm’s specialized focus on data intelligence and decentralized technology.

The company successfully acquired 44 bitcoin ( BTC) for $3.12 million (€2.7 million), bringing its total holdings to 2,888 BTC with an acquisition value of $309.34 million (€267.1 million). Key performance metrics reveal a year-to-date BTC yield of 0.72% and a total BTC gain of 20.4 tokens for the Paris-listed entity.

🧭 FAQs

Where is Capital B headquartered and listed? The company is based in Puteaux, France and listed on the Euronext Growth Paris exchange.

What is the total bitcoin holding for the group? The group and its Luxembourg subsidiary now hold a total of 2,888 BTC.

Who participated in the recent capital raises? TOBAM and UTXO Management provided the funding through ATM contracts and share subscription warrants.

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Does this transaction require a local AMF prospectus? This specific financial transaction does not require a prospectus subject to approval by the AMF.

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Fintech Stock SoFi Technologies Just Proved That the Ultimate Cryptocurrency Has a Clear Use Case | The Motley Fool

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Fintech Stock SoFi Technologies Just Proved That the Ultimate Cryptocurrency Has a Clear Use Case | The Motley Fool

If a company, particularly one that operates in the otherwise boring and slow-moving financial services industry, has seen its revenue soar 133% in three years, it’s clearly doing something right. That’s the best way to describe SoFi Technologies (SOFI +1.48%). The digital banking superstar ended 2025 with almost 13.7 million customers.

Product innovation has been a key pillar of SoFi’s success, and in recent months, this core competency has been on full display. This fintech stock just proved that the ultimate cryptocurrency has a clear use case.

Image source: Getty Images.

Giving its members another tool to better handle their finances

SoFi tapped Lightspark, a payments start-up founded in 2022 by former Meta Platforms executive David Marcus, to enable cross-border payments for its customers. Lightspark provides the back-end infrastructure, while SoFi Pay users can leverage this exciting capability.

This feature leans on the Bitcoin (BTC +3.99%) Lightning network, a Layer-2 protocol that allows for fast and cheap transactions to occur.

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What stands out with this is that SoFi doesn’t necessarily need to be bullish on Bitcoin. The management team simply picked what it thought was the most capable technological solution that could rapidly integrate and scale up. Since it was introduced in August last year, SoFi Pay now facilitates remittances to over 30 countries.

At a high level, the person sending the money and the person receiving the money deal with their own respective local currencies. Underneath the hood, SoFi and Lightspark handle the conversion to and from Bitcoin.

Besides how easy the feature is to use, SoFi could save its customers a lot of money. In 2024, $138 billion of remittances were sent from the U.S. to India, for example. Money-transfer services charge average fees that can be well above 5% of the value being sent.

Bitcoin Stock Quote

Today’s Change

(3.99%) $2717.74

Current Price

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$70898.00

Propelling the top digital asset to its next stage of development

This product introduction shows how innovative SoFi is, as the popular banking platform isn’t afraid to try new things with the top priority being to better serve its members.

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Additionally, this move is a clear signal to the rest of the world that Bitcoin has a use case in the finance world. Looking ahead, it will be important to pay attention to any commentary SoFi’s leadership team provides on adoption trends. Other banks might choose to do something similar.

I believe we’re now witnessing the early innings of Bitcoin’s next evolutionary phase to becoming a medium of exchange. It has been a wonderful investment, with a trailing 10-year return of 18,000% (as of March 18). While I expect strong gains to continue, the crypto asset’s ability to transfer value around the globe is impossible to overstate and will be critical for its long-term viability.

Should Bitcoin be leaned on more for its utility value, it provides durable demand. This can support a higher price in the future.

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The Best Crypto to Buy for Long-Term Investors Right Now | The Motley Fool

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The Best Crypto to Buy for Long-Term Investors Right Now | The Motley Fool

Despite its position as a multitrillion-dollar asset class, the cryptocurrency industry is still trying to prove itself as a viable place to park capital. Volatility remains a challenge. And there is no shortage of critics who still believe these digital assets serve no purpose.

Even after considering these arguments, investors might want to test the waters for the sake of boosting the returns of their portfolios. Here’s the best cryptocurrency that long-term investors should buy.

Image source: Getty Images.

Start with the world’s prime digital asset

According to coinmarketcap.com, there are tens of millions of different cryptocurrencies out there that make up this relatively new asset class. That huge figure can distract investors who are serious about where to allocate their hard-earned savings. In this situation, simplicity is key. Stick to the proven crypto that has developed a dominant position: Bitcoin (BTC 0.57%).

Bitcoin has been around for more than 17 years, ever since its first block was mined in January 2009. This makes it the first cryptocurrency. Its market cap of $1.4 trillion (as of March 18) gives it almost 60% share of the entire industry.

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And the performance is phenomenal. In the past 10 years, Bitcoin’s price has skyrocketed 18,000%. It has been one of the best assets that anyone could have owned this century.

You might be wondering what problem Bitcoin solves. It was created to be a solution to the current monetary system, which has its own issues. These center on persistent currency debasement and monumental, ever-increasing amounts of sovereign debt.

Bitcoin’s absolute scarcity, shown by its hard supply cap of 21 million units, is its most compelling feature. It’s also not controlled by a single entity, is completely decentralized, and has never been hacked.

Bitcoin Stock Quote

Today’s Change

(-0.57%) $-390.91

Current Price

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$68392.00

Expect the volatility to continue, but the gains can be massive

Because Bitcoin is an emerging monetary asset, the volatility isn’t going away just yet. Over time, the price swings have gotten less extreme. However, the ups and downs are something long-term investors can’t avoid. This isn’t unique to Bitcoin. Some of the most impressive technology stocks over the past couple of decades, like Nvidia, Amazon, and Netflix, were extremely difficult to hold on to during times of intense volatility.

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As was the case with those disruptive businesses, patient investors will be rewarded in this situation. Bitcoin is currently trading 41% below its record price from about five months ago. But it has historically always recovered to reach newer all-time highs. Its fundamentals, particularly around network security, transaction volume, and adoption trends, are all in strong shape.

Investors who can buy Bitcoin and hold for 10 years are setting themselves up for success.

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