In spring 2026, the virtual asset market is a battleground where turmoil and opportunity intersect. As a military clash between the United States and Iran shakes the global economy and even the fate of the crypto market, Ripple's XRP is stirring investors with bullish calls that defy imagination. Elsewhere, a stablecoin dominance battle among South Korea, the United States and Japan is heating up as the U.S. Clarity bill runs into trouble, while Vitalik Buterin (비탈릭 부테린) is preparing a counterattack after declaring a new era for Ethereum.

Geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran are pushing up oil prices and increasing macroeconomic uncertainty. Bitcoin, which fell to the low $60,000s, has exposed the limits of being a risk asset. But experts such as Arthur Hayes argue this will force the Fed to cut rates, ultimately becoming a catalyst for a broader uptrend. Investors are watching where smart money moves as it weighs gold against bitcoin.

• Crypto market unfazed despite fears of World War Three... Why investors are staying calm • Arthur Hayes: "Iran war to trigger Fed rate cuts... bitcoin benefits" • U.S.-Iran war: what rising oil prices could mean for bitcoin • "Emergency" as oil tops $79... "If it hits $100, even $60,000 bitcoin is at risk"

After U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran, worries about "World War Three" surged in the crypto community, but the market is holding steady without major volatility. Experts said investors are staying level-headed rather than fearful. Short-term bitcoin holders are also watching the market without panic selling.

Arthur Hayes, founder of BitMEX, said an armed conflict between the United States and Iran could instead become a card that pressures the Fed into early rate cuts. He said concerns about a macroeconomic slowdown caused by the war could force liquidity-supplying policies. He also said big money seeking protection from a weaker dollar would flow into bitcoin. It is a macro view that bitcoin could become a last refuge in a geopolitical crisis.

Oil prices are surging on worries the Strait of Hormuz could be blocked, affecting the crypto market as well. Higher oil prices raise the likelihood of rate hikes, which could hurt risk assets such as bitcoin. Past data show bitcoin tends to fall in the short term and rebound over the longer term when oil prices jump sharply. With tensions in the Middle East rising, investors are focusing on how higher oil prices may affect the bitcoin market.

• Hyperliquid surges amid U.S.-Iran war... up 13 percent • Bitcoin nearing a low versus gold? Bottom calls gain traction • Door opens to U.S. 401(k) retirement market worth 1.4 quadrillion won... a megaton boost for bitcoin?

As the risk of war in the Middle East freezes global stock markets and coin markets, a token linked to decentralised derivatives exchange Hyperliquid jumped 13 percent, standing out in the virtual asset market. It shows capital is moving to censorship-resistant decentralised exchange platforms to avoid the risk of paralysis in centralised financial infrastructure. Demand for some DeFi is holding firm even amid fears of war.

A "bottom" narrative is spreading that bitcoin's relative value against gold is nearing a floor. While gold prices have surged day after day, bitcoin has pulled back, widening the spread between the two assets to a record low. That suggests bitcoin is now seriously undervalued, and analysts say strong buying could flow into bitcoin if assets begin to realign.

A path is opening for huge capital in the U.S. 401(k) retirement market, worth about 1.4 quadrillion won, to invest in bitcoin, emerging as a megaton positive. Major asset managers are accelerating moves to include spot bitcoin ETFs as a default option in pension portfolios. If long-term capital with low selling pressure flows in due to its retirement-fund nature, market volatility is expected to fall sharply.

Rosy forecasts are pouring in around Ripple's XRP. Even AI models are projecting a move to $8, and an extreme bullish case has emerged that it could surge more than 5,000 percent by May 2026. Expectations are also rising that XRP will evolve from a simple remittance coin into a large financial platform as billions of XRP are released into the DeFi ecosystem.

• Asked 3 major AI models about XRP... "Up to $8 in 2026" • XRP could top $27... will it repeat a 2,023 percent surge scenario?

An analysis said AI models forecast XRP's 2026 peak price could reach $8. After asking 3 conversational AI services, they commonly responded that XRP could chart a clear long-term uptrend if it resolves regulatory uncertainty and expands its payments network ecosystem. The mechanical nature of AI predictions, excluding human emotions, is drawing investor attention.

Technical analysts pointed to $27 as XRP's next key resistance level and target price. Expectations are underpinned by the idea that a historic rally cycle could be repeated after a previous 2,023 percent surge. A macroeconomic environment similar to the period of explosive liquidity supply is being formed, and optimists say prices could deliver a performance beyond imagination if regulatory shackles are lifted.

As the U.S. virtual asset bill known as the Clarity Act drifts past deadlines, competition among countries to seize a stablecoin market that has grown to $300 billion is intensifying. Japan is stepping up efforts to issue yen-pegged coins backed by major banks, while PayPal is targeting everyday payments with an app-only coin. Partisan wrangling over an interest-payment clause in the bill is weighing on the crypto market.

• U.S. Clarity Act hits hurdles over stablecoin regulation differences... March 1 deadline • U.S. SEC signals shift in crypto regulation... acknowledges opportunity loss • U.S. Clarity Act ultimately misses deadline... regulatory uncertainty remains

The Clarity Act, which would fundamentally reshape the structure of the U.S. crypto market, is facing repeated difficulties due to sharp partisan differences over which body should regulate stablecoin issuers. With no compromise on whether the central bank or state governments should have final supervisory authority and what standards should apply to reserve assets, it is heightening market uncertainty as it races against a first processing deadline of March 1.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has softened its previously hardline stance and signalled a shift in its crypto regulatory approach. It partly acknowledged that excessive crackdowns and lawsuit-driven policies instead pushed innovative companies overseas and caused huge national-level "opportunity losses". Hopeful views are emerging that regulation could shift from enforcement toward establishing clear guidelines, easing the market.

As feared, the Clarity Act has missed its processing deadline after protracted political wrangling between the two parties, signalling a prolonged regulatory vacuum in the virtual asset market. Disappointment among institutional investors and blockchain firms that had been hoping for a clear legal framework is directly worsening overall market sentiment. Anxiety is rising that the United States could fall behind in the global competition for leadership the longer legislation is delayed.

• [Tech Insight] Who uses it, where and how... the world of $300 billion stablecoins • "In 2026 stablecoins, focus on monetisation, interoperability and programmability"

This in-depth article examines how the stablecoin market, now as large as $300 billion (about 400 trillion won), is being used in practice. It analyses how stablecoins have moved beyond being a base currency for coin exchanges to penetrate the real economy, including as a tool for people in emerging countries to hedge domestic currency inflation, for cross-border trade payments and for global remittance networks. It shows stablecoins have already become part of everyday financial infrastructure.

Experts cited 3 key trends for the 2026 stablecoin market: yield-bearing products that generate interest just by holding them, interoperability that moves freely across different mainnets, and programmability that automatically executes payments based on specific conditions. They said maintaining a dollar peg alone is not enough, and only platforms equipped with smart functions as next-generation financial services will be the final winners in the $300 billion market.

Vitalik Buterin is leading an Ethereum "renaissance" by declaring the adoption of next-generation wallets and technological leaps, while unprofitable zombie coins are being pushed toward exit in a harsh shakeout.

• From integration to institutional participation... "An Ethereum renaissance is coming" • Vitalik Buterin: "A new era of Ethereum wallets is coming"... EIP-8141 adoption accelerates • "2-second blocks within 4 years, quantum-computer readiness"... Vitalik Buterin's next-generation Ethereum gambit

This rosy analysis says an "Ethereum renaissance" is arriving as the Ethereum ecosystem, which had been in a slump due to falling market share, sees organic integration of rollup technology and successive participation by major institutional investors. Liquidity that had been fragmented across layer 2 networks is converging again. As tokenised real-world asset projects that generate actual cash flow increasingly adopt Ethereum as their top choice, Ethereum is solidifying its status as the leading smart-contract platform.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin said a "new era" is coming that will sharply improve the convenience and security of crypto wallets through the introduction of the new standard EIP-8141. The core goal is to reduce the risk of permanent asset loss from losing seed phrases, and to embed smart-contract functions into the wallet itself so even beginners can use web3 as easily and intuitively as existing banking apps.

Vitalik Buterin released a roadmap to shorten the network's block time to within 2 seconds over the next 4 years and to introduce cutting-edge cryptography to prepare for the hacking threat posed by future quantum computers. It is a decisive next-generation Ethereum bet to fend off fast-chasing ultra-high-speed blockchains such as Solana and permanently secure leadership in future technologies. It reflects a determination to deliver overwhelming performance without abandoning the ideals of decentralisation.

• "The era of easy money is over"... Crypto market enters harsh reality check in 2026 • Will Shiba Inu reach $0.00001... calculating returns for holding 50 million tokens • Polymarket hit by insider trading controversy... $1 million earned by predicting Iran strike

The heyday of "blind investing," when hundreds of billions of won could be raised on nothing more than uncritical rosy expectations and a glossy white paper, is fading, and 2026 has brought a harsh "reality check" to the crypto market. So-called zombie projects that fail to generate meaningful revenue or build a significant daily active user ecosystem are being delisted or pushed out without mercy. A brutal shakeout is under way to pick out projects with real technology and business models.

This article simulates potential profits from holding 50 million Shiba Inu tokens, reflecting investor attention on whether the meme coin can break the symbolic level of $0.00001. Speculative sentiment persists, fueled by an increasing token burn rate and ecosystem expansion. But a sober view also coexists that, given its already heavy market capitalisation, rallies of hundreds of times like in the past are realistically extremely difficult.

A wallet emerged on blockchain-based prediction market platform Polymarket after correctly predicting the timing of an Iran air strike and hitting a $1 million jackpot, spreading an insider trading controversy. Alongside ethical criticism that sensitive geopolitical military secrets involving human lives have been reduced to a speculative tool in a virtual asset gambling arena, the incident has left a painful side effect: actors with early access to sensitive information could disrupt the market.