Bitcoin closed February with a 15% decline, marking its fifth consecutive month of losses and a 48% drop from its all-time high of $126,500 reached in October 2025.
The year 2026 is also the first time in Bitcoin’s history that both January and February ended with back-to-back monthly losses.
March began under selling pressure, as escalating tensions in the Middle East triggered a shift toward risk-off sentiment and capital outflows from risk assets. If March also ends in negative territory, it would mark six consecutive months of declines – only the second such episode in Bitcoin’s history.
This week, in addition to monitoring developments in U.S.–Iran relations, the market will focus on a package of macroeconomic data from the United States: ISM indices for manufacturing and services, the ADP employment change report, and key labor market data – nonfarm payrolls and the unemployment rate.
With the Federal Reserve’s meeting scheduled later this month, these releases could significantly influence interest rate expectations. The market is currently pricing in a scenario in which rates remain unchanged. However, favorable data could shift expectations toward a rate cut, potentially providing an upward impulse for crypto asset prices.
Biggest Price Moves
NEAR gained 17% last week, rising from $1.009 to $1.184 following the conclusion of the NEARCON 2026 conference in San Francisco, where a number of artificial intelligence products and network upgrades were unveiled.
Key launches included the Near.com Super-App – an application enabling users to manage accounts across more than 35 blockchains through a single interface without the need for manual bridging – as well as “Confidential Intents,” a privacy layer for the NEAR protocol designed to conceal details of cross-chain transactions.
DOT also rose 17% week-on-week in anticipation of a significant supply reduction scheduled for March 14. Annual issuance of new DOT tokens is set to be cut by more than 50% – from approximately 120 million tokens per year to 55 million.
Stories Worth Watching
Citi plans to integrate Bitcoin into traditional banking. Barclays is exploring the development of a platform for stablecoins and tokenized deposits.
Citibank, one of the largest banks in the United States, announced last week its plans to integrate Bitcoin into its core banking systems.
Speaking at the Strategy World event in Las Vegas, Nisha Surendran, Head of Digital Assets Custody Development at Citibank, said the institution’s goal is to make Bitcoin “bankable.”
The new offering is expected to include institutional custody services for physically held Bitcoin (rather than merely exposure through intermediary instruments such as ETFs), as well as private key and wallet management. The bank also plans to subject Bitcoin to the same tax, reporting, and compliance processes currently applied to traditional asset classes.
Citi’s decision reflects a broader trend among major U.S. financial institutions, such as Morgan Stanley, which are expanding their crypto-related services.
Although no exact launch date has been provided, market expectations point to a rollout later this year. Citi has not yet disclosed details regarding fees or client access requirements.
In the United Kingdom, according to Bloomberg, Barclays is exploring the possibility of building a blockchain-based platform to handle stablecoin payments and tokenized deposits. Discussions with technology providers are said to be at a preliminary stage, and the bank has not officially announced implementation plans.
In January, Barclays disclosed that it had taken a stake in U.S.-based Ubyx – a settlement system for digital money, including tokenized deposits and regulated stablecoins – marking the bank’s first direct investment in a company focused on stablecoin infrastructure.
