Macro Trends

Gate Research Daily Report: On March 23, the rebound in BTC and ETH failed to sustain upward momentum, with capital returning to defensive positioning and overall risk appetite remaining subdued. Altcoins did not see broad-based expansion, and market opportunities were mainly concentrated in short-term rotation across high-volatility sectors. SIREN, BR, and BANANAS31 respectively represent active capital flows in the AI Agent, BTCFi, and BNB Chain meme segments. At the industry level, tokenized gold is progressing toward a standardized infrastructure phase, while connections between payment networks and capital market infrastructure continue to deepen. Meanwhile, competition in the stablecoin space is gradually shifting from issuance to treasury and capital management capabilities.

In February 2026, the on-chain ecosystem exhibited more pronounced structural divergence amid price pressure. On-chain activity did not contract in tandem, but instead became further concentrated on high-frequency and high-efficiency networks. Solana maintained its dominance in high-frequency activity, while Base and Polygon continued to expand. Arbitrum saw a recovery in activity, but its capital retention and value capture weakened. Ethereum shifted from net outflows to significant net inflows, reinforcing its role as the primary settlement layer and a key hub for macro asset deployment. On the BTC side, the price pullback pushed short-term holders broadly into unrealized losses, with profit-taking cooling and sell pressure still concentrated among short-term positions, while the long-term holder structure remained intact. At the sector level, AI Agent, supply-side shocks, and institutional DeFi narratives coexisted. Short-term returns were driven by structural catalysts, while mid-term allocation continued

The article leverages data points such as the surge in oil prices due to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, inflation expectations, and central banks' 36,000-ton gold reserves to reveal the divergence between Bitcoin and gold in the early stages of the crisis.

In February, the overall crypto market showed a weak trend, with notable outflows from BTC ETFs. Major blockchains remained stable throughout the month, with Solana leading by a wide margin at over 100 million daily transactions. Ethereum recorded 13.34 million unique active addresses, maintaining its second-highest level in history. TradFi trading volume on Perp DEXs surged to $47.3 billion, largely driven by Hyperliquid’s HIP-3. The Web3 sector completed 46 funding rounds totaling $986 million, with the top 10 projects accounting for $793 million—three major deals were led by Tether. Meanwhile, Web3 security incidents declined significantly month-over-month, though smart contract vulnerabilities remained the primary risk source.

The text shifts the perspective from the Middle East to the global stage, systematically assessing the energy dependence, reserve life, and social/political tipping points of Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, the United States, and China.

Gate Research Institute: Over the past 24 hours, BTC briefly climbed above $71,000, but following a sharp drop and quick rebound during the U.S. market session, it settled back near $69,300. ETH rapidly declined from $2,070 to $2,010 and remains in a recovery phase. Altcoins showed weakness, with most lagging behind BTC, while the Fear & Greed Index remains in the extreme fear range. HUMA, NAORIS, and ARIA saw gains of 50.13%, 39.38%, and 29.02%, respectively, fueled by AI-related narratives. Additionally, Oracle’s earnings beat expectations, driving its share price up nearly 8% after hours, and both Hyperliquid and Circle announced significant product updates.

This article analyzes the shift in VC strategy from being judgment-driven to being driven by the ability to win deals. It highlights how scaled institutions like a16z, leveraging massive capital, full-spectrum services, and economic moats, are enabling capital-intensive giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic to prevail.

Gate Research: Between 2025 and 2026, PayFi is evolving from a crypto payment tool into a next-generation payment and financial engine, with stablecoins achieving scale in high-frequency and cross-border payments and demonstrating clear efficiency and cost advantages over traditional systems. As Web2 and Web3 continue to converge, institutions such as Visa, PayPal, and emerging neobanks are becoming key gateways to mainstream adoption, while the combination of stablecoins, real-world assets (RWA), and AI is shaping PayFi’s foundational architecture by enabling automated, always-on settlement, asset mobility, and risk management. Looking ahead to 2026, regulatory clarity, scalable asset tokenization, and the maturity of AI-driven financial systems will be the primary determinants of PayFi’s competitive landscape and long-term barriers.

Gate Research: On December 8, over the past 24 hours, the crypto market remained in a consolidation phase. BTC entered sideways trading after a sharp V-shaped rebound, with short-term moving averages forming a minor death cross, signaling that the price has entered a correction stage. ETH moved in tandem with BTC, showing a high degree of correlation. Altcoins showed clear divergence — large-cap tokens rose modestly with the broader market, while mid- and small-cap projects became selectively active on narrative and news-driven catalysts. The Fear & Greed Index stood at 20, reflecting continued cautious sentiment. On the macro front, U.S. stocks edged higher, and gold prices traded in a narrow range. In market highlights, Strategy admitted for the first time that it may sell BTC under extreme conditions, drawing widespread attention; Base’s launch of the SOL-Base Bridge sparked controversy within the Solana community; and the Monad mainnet’s on-chain activity fell short of expectations, with DEX trading volum

After the institutionalization of the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin can hardly reproduce 20-fold wealth explosions. Retail investors are turning to strategies such as DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging), phased position building, airdrop farming, and learning InfoFi tactics, in order to avoid the rollercoaster of meme coins and the pitfalls of short-termism.

Gate Research Daily Report: On December 5, BTC turned weaker over the past 24 hours after a period of high-level turbulence; ETH stabilized following a sharp pullback; GT found support near 9.50; and SN surged over 90%, drawing market attention. Canton Network’s developer gained strategic investment from Wall Street giants, pushing on-chain assets past $6 trillion. XRP spot ETFs saw 13 straight days of inflows, nearing the $1 billion mark, while JPMorgan said bitcoin’s near-term direction depends largely on whether Strategy (MSTR) can maintain its value-to-bitcoin-holdings ratio above 1.

Gate Research Weekly Report: BTC saw a strong rebound followed by a period of consolidation at higher levels over the past day. ETH quickly reversed after dipping to $2,719.28 on December 2 and continued to set new local highs during the subsequent rally. Gate recently listed TRADOOR spot and perpetual contracts, with the token surging more than 170% in 24 hours. The Ethereum Fusaka upgrade is progressing smoothly; Web3 project registrations in the Cayman Islands have surged; and PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin has seen substantial growth. Kalshi and Polymarket recorded nearly $10 billion in combined trading volume in November, marking their strongest month on record. ENA, LINEA, and BB are scheduled to unlock approximately $50.92 million, $12.75 million, and $2.51 million worth of tokens, respectively, over the next seven days.

The article dissects the three major drivers behind the eight-week decline: the reversal of Federal Reserve expectations, discreet selling by traditional finance ("TradFi"), and the collapse of social value token premiums.

This article provides readers with a clear understanding of the ongoing battle between bullish and bearish forces on Wall Street, along with the subtle transformation of U.S. monetary authority.

Gate Research Daily Report: On December 3, the broader crypto market saw a mild recovery. BTC and ETH rebounded to the $91,000–$93,000 range and above $3,000, respectively, with short-term momentum strengthening in tandem. Among top movers, PIEVERSE (+78%) surged on strong demand following its on-chain AI Agent recruitment event; LIGHT (+44%) became a focal point within the Bitcoin ecosystem amid major RGB cross-layer DEX progress; and PARTI (+33%) rallied on Universal Accounts expanding to Monad alongside several ecosystem integrations. On the industry side, Bitcoin mining profitability has fallen to historic lows, putting miners under significant margin pressure. Tether Data launched QVAC Fabric LLM, a low-barrier framework enabling local AI model training on consumer hardware. Meanwhile, Flow advanced its shift toward financial infrastructure, rolling out native credit-market protocols and expanding its DeFi-oriented roadmap.