Bitcoin’s struggle, Saudi Arabia, stablecoins and interest rates are under occupation Web3 my mind this week.
Bitcoin is trying to reach $80 thousand
“As markets enter a week dominated by central bank interest rate decisions, Bitcoin is struggling to break through the psychological barrier of $80,000. It is fighting against strong resistance with key levels on-chain, including the actual market average and the average ETF cost basis located just above that price. Whether it wins this battle will determine whether it moves towards $90,000 or returns lower, paving the way for an eventual capitulation that will reset the market completely.”
“Currently, Bitcoin is stuck in a tug of war. This morning, there was a flash crash that wiped out over $68 million in long positions in just one hour. But there is a massive CME gap between $79,000 and $84,000, pushing the price even higher.
“These opposing forces are setting the stage for increased volatility this week, especially with Jerome Powell’s latest FOMC meeting and the Fed Chairman approaching. Once again, the ‘hold’ decision has already been priced in. But given the impending change of guard, markets will likely be extra nervous.”
“If Kevin Warsh’s Fed Chair hearing is anything to go by, change is certainly coming to the Fed, and change is making markets nervous. During the hearing, Warsh noted Fed officials’ plan to end public rate forecasts. This is a change investors may not be prepared for and could make future FOMC meetings more important for markets.
“April has been a good month for Bitcoin so far, still posting higher highs and lower lows, with strong support around $74,000. However, this latest rally likely marks the calm before the storm. I still expect to see a decline in the bear market in the $55,700 to $58,200 range in the coming months due to broader institutional selling by miners and digital asset treasuries. Without this recent breakout, it is difficult to see a clear path to a new Bitcoin bull phase.”
– Nic Puckrinmacro analyst and CEO of Coin Bureau
“The Fed is likely to hold on to 3.5-3.75% with Warsh’s confirmation (expected in mid-May), as neither Powell in his recent meetings nor when Warsh takes over will look to make a sudden policy change amid growing energy-driven inflation uncertainty. This continuation bias could extend into the third quarter before any serious cutback discussions re-emerge, keeping interest-sensitive risk assets, including crypto, in a holding pattern.”
“Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s failure to hold above $78K and subsequent slide back to $75K suggests the market is digesting the ‘higher for longer’ signal. In the absence of a liquidity catalyst, it appears range-bound rather than preparing for a breakout where macro headwinds limit upside in the near term, despite generally flat performance through 14 days (+0.7%).”
“The key risk in this setup is energy. Rising energy prices have a direct impact on core commodity inflation, and further rises in the Gulf will force the Fed to remain restrictive for longer, increasing liquidity volatility for risky assets like crypto.”
– Jake KennisResearch analyst at Nansen
“Money flows into funds investing in cryptocurrencies continue with highly concentrated capital flows. The majority of liquidity is still flowing into Bitcoin. The main cryptocurrency is trying to grow again.”
“However, the market and the S&P 500 index, on which growth largely depends, are at historical highs. Only 55% of the stocks in the index are trading above the 200 moving average price.
“Bitcoin continues to be traded with a risky asset dynamic. If the growth of the S&P 500 index loses momentum, the BTC price will follow and fall along with the S&P 500.
“Recently, the price of Bitcoin reached $79,000. However, the price could not exceed the psychologically important level of $80,000. This shows that there is still fear among Bitcoin holders.”
“If there is another growth phase and the 2026 high is renewed, we recommend waiting a few days to allow the price to trade above the new high. Until now, the price has been extremely unstable. And each new high is sold by traders, which pushes the price down again.”
“We believe that the recent attempts to increase the Bitcoin price were due to a short squeeze, which led to panic buying and price increase. It is too early to say that there is a strong spot demand in the market. On the contrary, the market remains fragile and vulnerable to a downward price trend.”
“So far there have been two consecutive quarters of decline in the price of Bitcoin, which is extremely rare. The crypto winter is still strong, but it cannot last forever. Any crypto winter is followed by a very strong recovery.”
“But we may be facing another negative quarter. When a new leader replaces the old leader at the Federal Reserve, the price of Bitcoin begins to decline. We have already seen this happen three times in a row. Now we are approaching a new leadership change at the Federal Reserve.”
“It’s important to remember that after eight of nine Fed meetings, Bitcoin is set to decline next week. If this pattern repeats, Bitcoin price could easily fall below $70,000 per BTC. We believe the real risk right now is not the Fed’s decision, but the price’s response to rhetoric and cues.”
– Sergei Gorevchief risk officer, YouHodler
Is Saudi Arabia open for business?
“In times of geopolitical instability, investors begin to look for markets where domestic capital is still consciously employed and the state is visibly committed to operating the markets.
“Saudi Arabia is making this very clear right now. The importance of the PIF strategy is not just that more money is allocated to working at home, it is that the state signals a more structured approach to value creation, private sector participation and sector building.
“The Tadawul opening and simplified funding rules are also important for the same reason. They suggest that Saudi Arabia has not only expanded access in principle but also reduced some of the friction that has historically limited foreign participation.”
“The big question now is whether infrastructure can keep up with this policy direction. Access reform is one step, but capital only scales when ownership transfer, reconciliation, compliance and reporting work with the speed and precision required by institutional investors. So the Saudi story becomes more interesting at the market structure level.”
“The real test is not to wrap existing assets in digital layers, but to build the market foundation that makes them investable at the source.”
– Faisal Al MonaiCEO of droppRWA
Cross-border B2B stablecoin payments will reach $5 trillion by 2035
“An estimate of $5 trillion over ten years is a truly stunning figure, but it becomes less surprising when you understand what’s behind it. Businesses are paying billions of dollars a year in cross-border fees, waiting days for payment and losing critical margin due to opaque currency spreads.”
“Businesses are embracing stablecoin payments because the current system is failing, and stablecoin payments are the best alternative to a broken cross-border payment system. Stablecoins are settled in seconds; they work around the clock, not on banking schedules. They offer programmable payment terms and transparent pricing. And the results are already visible: According to EY-Parthenon research, 81% of companies now say it is critical or important for their existing bank to support stablecoin payments.”
“The expected growth in cross-border stablecoin transactions from Juniper of nearly 400x by 2030 reflects real institutional demand and was already evolving before the regulatory environment caught up. In Europe, MiCA is live and mandates are being issued. In the US, the GENIUS Act has been passed and the CLARITY Act is advancing – and both move stablecoin and digital asset regulations from uncertainty to an enforceable framework. This means that demand is now met by a Regulated, accountable infrastructure. This was the missing condition, and it is no longer missing.”
– Anna Strebl, CEO of Confirmo Group
Bank of Canada maintains interest rates
“The Bank of Canada’s stance reflects a central bank caught between weakening domestic conditions and renewed inflation risk from the conflict in Iran, oil supply concerns and rising energy costs. While many Canadians await clearer signs that interest rates will be lowered, the Bank cannot move too quickly as fuel, transportation and broader inflation pressures resurface.”
“For the mortgage market, this means fixed interest rates may remain volatile because they are closely tied to bond yields and inflation expectations. The bigger story remains the upcoming renewal cycle, in which millions of Canadians will be renewed into a very different payment environment. This is where advice is most important. Borrowers will need to look beyond just the rate and focus on payment management, debt consolidation, depreciation options and overall household cash flow. They will gradually favor lower borrowing costs over higher borrowing costs.”
– Shubha DasguptaCEO of Pineapple Financial
IBM’s quantum bet
“IBM’s new quantum-focused innovation center in Chicago demonstrates how edge computing is becoming not just a research passion but a regional economic strategy. The initiative is expected to create hundreds of high-skilled jobs and anchor workforce development pipelines tied to quantum and artificial intelligence systems.”
What’s truly remarkable is how this intersects with the emerging crypto and Web3 discussions. Quantum computing poses long-term risks to existing cryptographic standards, but also creates demand for quantum-resistant infrastructure and new security foundations.”
– Nathaniel SzerezlaGrowth officer of the Naoris Protocol
Recruiting with Amazon agency software
“It’s 2026, and Amazon has decided that the way to handle hiring at scale is to let an AI read applications written by another AI. The layer of trust underneath has collapsed, and no one is saying otherwise. 78% of US millennials now use AI to apply for jobs.
“95% of managers say they don’t trust the data they get on candidates. One in four applications is suspected of being fabricated. When the incoming signal is noise, employers throw machines at it. Amazon is the biggest company to recognize this.
“The fix is not to put smarter filters on top of corrupt inputs. The layer underneath needs to change. Agents need cryptographically verified, machine-readable signals that they can evaluate without human judgment: human proof, proof of education, proof of work, proof of skill, proof of reputation.”
“This is the layer of trust we’ve built at Web3Career, Remote3 and Bondex. When an employer representative queries a profile, what comes back should be evidence, not an assertion. Otherwise, we’re scaling noise rather than uncovering talent.”
– Ignacio PalomeraCEO of Bondex
