American Bitcoin has accumulated more than 7,000 BTC since debuting on Nasdaq, lifting its holdings to over three times their initial level. The company now ranks 16th worldwide among publicly listed firms holding Bitcoin in their treasury.

MARA Holdings plans to lay off roughly 15% of its workforce across several departments, coming days after the company sold 15,133 BTC for about $1.1 billion. The firm used most of the proceeds to repurchase $1 billion of its convertible senior notes.

Charles Schwab is preparing to offer direct cryptocurrency trading, marking a shift from its long-standing approach of providing only indirect exposure through exchange-traded products, crypto-linked equities, and futures. On its website, the firm says "Schwab Crypto" is coming soon and is inviting clients to join an early-access list for spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading offered through Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB. The planned rollout carries unusual scale for a U.S. brokerage launch. Schwab's latest monthly report put total client assets at $12.22 trillion at the end of February, alongside 38.9 million brokerage accounts. The firm expects to start with a limited release this quarter, then expand more broadly, positioning Schwab as a major player in the next phase of crypto distribution within traditional brokerage platforms. Schwab Confirms a Phased Rollout Schwab's public crypto page states that eligible clients will be able to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum directly in the new account. The disclosure also notes the service will be available across U.S. states except New York and Louisiana, and that it will be offered by Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB. The language signals the initiative has moved from high-level planning into launch preparation. The company had pointed in this direction earlier. Barron's reported in March that CEO Rick Wurster expected a limited direct crypto rollout in the second quarter of 2026, followed by a broader expansion. Direct Spot Trading Changes the Product Mix Until now, Schwab clients have accessed digital assets via spot crypto ETPs, crypto futures, and sector-linked equity products. Adding spot trading changes that framework by allowing clients to trade directly rather than relying solely on proxy instruments. It also places crypto inside the same account setting many retail and advisory clients already use for stocks, ETFs, and cash management. Market access often expands incrementally. Stablecoins remain a core source of liquidity across crypto markets; DeFiLlama reported total stablecoin market capitalization of about $317.3 billion on April 4. Schwab's upcoming service adds another distribution channel by embedding spot Bitcoin and Ethereum into a mainstream brokerage workflow. What to Watch Next Adoption within Schwab's existing client base will be the first key test. A limited rollout gives the firm room to assess usage patterns before scaling, and early results may shape decisions on which segments to target and whether to broaden beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. Schwab's crypto page has not outlined plans for additional coins, keeping the initial offering narrow. Competition will also be in focus. Morgan Stanley is already advertising a coming-soon crypto service for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, underscoring that Schwab's move is part of an intensifying race among brokerages rather than a standalone launch.

BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETF has climbed to $52 billion in assets under management. The fund holds roughly 782,000 BTC and is seeing daily trading volumes of about 57–75 million shares.

Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, was one of the few steady buyers of Bitcoin (BTC) in the first quarter of 2026, according to JPMorgan analysts. They said corporate treasury buying and crypto venture-capital funding accounted for most of the quarter's $11 billion in digital-asset flows. Some smaller companies sold bitcoin holdings to finance share buybacks. Strategy largely funded its bitcoin purchases through equity issuance during the quarter. Retail and institutional investors were largely absent, while other corporate treasuries maintained what JPMorgan described as a "defensive stance" toward bitcoin.

Metaplanet purchased 5,075 BTC over the past week, surpassing MARA to become the third-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin. The company is targeting holdings of 100,000 BTC by year-end.

Huoxing Finance reported on April 4 that a CryptoQuant analysis highlights a gap between market mood and capital flows. While the Fear & Greed Index remains in "extreme fear" territory (8–14), crypto ETFs still posted more than $1 billion in net inflows in March. At the same time, the Coinbase Premium Index is still negative, pointing to limited participation from U.S. institutional buyers. CryptoQuant attributes recent choppy trading to geopolitical volatility tied to the Iran conflict. Rather than triggering widespread capitulation, the swings have encouraged a wait-and-see posture, with overall demand fading gradually instead of collapsing through panic selling. Bitcoin is down about 47% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,000. That drawdown is far milder than the 85%+ crashes seen in 2013 and 2017. Analyst Zack Wainwright said the smaller decline reflects a more mature market where volatility continues to compress. Potential catalysts cited include Morgan Stanley approving a low-fee Bitcoin ETF, which could open access to $6.2 trillion in assets under management across its 16,000 financial advisors. CryptoQuant also pointed to Strategy (STRC) buying 44,000 BTC per month via its preferred stock product, a flow that could provide steadier support. Short-term technical signals suggest that if tensions around Iran ease, Bitcoin could rebound to the $71,500–$81,200 range. Overall, CryptoQuant concludes that internal demand is contracting and current price support depends on institutions continuing to absorb selling pressure from retail investors and large holders through ETFs, Strategy, and additional distribution channels. (CoinDesk)

Metaplanet said it aims to hold 100,000 bitcoin by the end of 2026 as part of its "555 Million Plan." Reaching the target would require the Tokyo-based company to more than double its current stash of 40,177 BTC.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that CryptoQuant data show a sharp contraction in Bitcoin's internal market demand in the first quarter of 2026. Thirty-day net demand totaled about 63,000 BTC. Even with faster institutional accumulation—roughly 50,000 BTC through ETFs and about 44,000 BTC via Strategy—the market still absorbed net selling of around 157,000 BTC from retail investors, long-term whales and miners. CryptoQuant notes that large holders with 1,000–10,000 BTC have flipped from the market's biggest buyers to its biggest sellers, distributing approximately 188,000 BTC over the past year. Mid-sized holders with 100–1,000 BTC are still net buyers, but their buying pace has fallen by more than 60% since October 2025. Spot Bitcoin continues to trade around $67,000–$68,000, about a 21% premium to the weighted average cost basis of $54,286. That suggests most holders remain in profit and the market has yet to form a bottom. Sentiment and flows are diverging. The Fear & Greed Index sits in extreme fear at 8–14, while ETFs logged more than $1 billion in net inflows in March. The Coinbase Premium Index remains negative, pointing to limited participation from U.S. institutions. Geopolitical volatility tied to the Iran conflict has repeatedly jolted prices, pushing participants into a wait-and-see stance. CryptoQuant characterizes the demand drop as gradual rather than driven by panic selling. Bitcoin is down roughly 47% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,000—far less severe than the 85%+ drawdowns seen in 2013 and 2017. Analyst Zack Wainwright attributes the comparatively smaller decline to a maturing market with narrowing volatility. Potential catalysts cited include Morgan Stanley approving a low-fee Bitcoin ETF, which would open access to $6.2 trillion in assets under management via 16,000 financial advisors. Another source of support could be continued monthly purchases of 44,000 BTC through Strategy's STRC preferred stock product. On the technical side, short-term indicators suggest that if Iran-related tensions ease, Bitcoin could rebound toward $71,500–$81,200. CryptoQuant concludes that current price support depends on institutional ETFs, Strategy-related demand and new distribution channels that can keep absorbing selling pressure from retail investors and large holders. (CoinDesk)