TLDR
- VanEck CEO Jan van Eck says Bitcoin is forming a bottom as the four-year halving cycle winds down in 2026.
- BTC is trading near $68,000, up 2.6% in 24 hours and 7.6% over the past week.
- U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $458 million in a single day, one of the quarter’s strongest inflow days.
- Geopolitical tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran are adding volatility, but institutional investors appear unfazed.
- Bitcoin is still down 22% year-to-date and over 40% from its October record highs.
Bitcoin is trading near $68,000 as of March 3, 2026, up roughly 2.6% in the past 24 hours.
The price is still down 22% so far this year and remains more than 40% below its all-time high set in October 2025.
VanEck CEO Jan van Eck spoke with CNBC on Monday and said he believes Bitcoin is forming a bottom right now.
JUST IN: $181 billion VanEck CEO says Bitcoin is "making a bottom" and today's price pump is "a sign of life" 🚀
Bullish! 🐂 pic.twitter.com/6LP757EO00
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) March 2, 2026
He pointed to the four-year halving cycle as the main reason for the current bear market, not any change in Bitcoin’s fundamentals.
“Bitcoin goes up three years in a row, goes down pretty massively in that fourth year. 2026 is that fourth year,” van Eck said.
He added that Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million coins, and miners receive half the block reward every four years — a structural force he says drives the price cycle.
Van Eck also said BTC’s recent recovery may be partly linked to geopolitical tensions following U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran, and Iran’s counter-strikes against Israel.
He suggested crypto payment rails could serve as a tool for moving money outside traditional banking in conflict regions, citing the UAE and Dubai as examples.
ETF Inflows Stay Strong Despite War Headlines
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded around $458 million in inflows on Tuesday, according to data from SoSoValue — one of the quarter’s strongest single-day figures.
On March 2 (ET), U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded total net inflows of $458 million, with none of the 12 ETFs posting net outflows. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw total net inflows of $38.69 million, with none of the nine ETFs recording net outflows. XRP spot ETFs posted total net inflows… pic.twitter.com/Y3xrX7Sxi2
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 3, 2026
Over three consecutive sessions last week, ETFs added $1.1 billion in total. BlackRock’s IBIT fund accounted for roughly half of those inflows.
Singapore-based trading firm QCP Capital said approximately $300 million in long liquidations were triggered by the weekend geopolitical headlines, describing them as “contained.”
Options markets briefly saw one-day implied volatility spike to 93% before pulling back, which QCP said pointed to traders hedging event risk rather than expecting a prolonged crisis.
BTC Still Stuck Below $70,000
Bitcoin has largely traded between $60,000 and $70,000 throughout February. It hit a high of $69,213 on Monday but failed to break above the $70,000 level it has not reclaimed since late January.
Here's your daily dose of hopium.
New all time highs are a magnet. https://t.co/87jIRx0Y5v pic.twitter.com/19bNC5cGfo
— K A L E O (@CryptoKaleo) March 2, 2026
The coin was trading at $67,884 as of 01:25 ET on Tuesday, up 2.5% on the day.
Analysts say risk appetite remains fragile as military activity in the Middle East continues, with leaders in the U.S., Israel, and Iran all signaling little intent to de-escalate.
Bitcoin is trading at $68,153 as of the time of this report, according to CoinGecko data.
