Digital asset markets in the second week of March 2026 are going through a turbulent period in which expectations and worries intersect. As upbeat forecasts spread that Bitcoin could rival gold's market capitalisation, Ripple's XRP is walking a tightrope between expectations of an explosive rally and a dispute over whether it is a security. Key issues that signal a shift in the market include Ethereum's crisis, Solana's advance and the growth of stablecoins that threaten traditional finance.

Bitcoin is strengthening its position as digital gold after easily outpacing gold's returns. Even AI has chosen Bitcoin over fiat currencies, but views in mainstream finance remain divided.

• Bitcoin seen topping 500 million won in 2026..."Will track rise in precious metals" • Bitcoin wins hands down after 36 AI models asked to choose 'money' as fiat is shunned

A major forecast says Bitcoin will top 500 million won in 2026. With prices of traditional precious metals such as gold and silver firming on global macroeconomic instability and inflation worries, the analysis says Bitcoin will move in step and be recognised as an alternative safe asset. Optimism is dominant that continued institutional spot ETF buying and a post-halving supply shock will push Bitcoin quickly toward gold's market capitalisation in a steep upward curve.

An experiment asking 36 of the latest AI language models which form of money they would hold found Bitcoin ranked first by overwhelmingly beating existing fiat currencies such as the dollar. The AI pointed to structural flaws in fiat that it said loses value because central banks can print without limits. It rated Bitcoin as the most reasonable store of value because mathematical algorithms limit issuance and guarantee scarcity. That amounts to saying a machine's cold judgement proved Bitcoin's intrinsic value.

• "Bitcoin unfit as central bank reserve asset"...warning from a venture capital heavyweight • "Biggest scam in existence"...professor who predicted Trump's return and Iran war now targets Bitcoin

Amid the fervour over Bitcoin, a venture capital heavyweight issued a strong warning that Bitcoin has fatal flaws that make it unsuitable to be adopted as an official reserve asset by central banks. Excessive price volatility greatly undermines stability as foreign exchange reserves that should support a national economy, the warning said. It also cited shortcomings in trading infrastructure and the regulatory framework. Bitcoin may be an excellent investment asset for private markets, but it is too early to replace a national monetary system, it said.

A Bitcoin conspiracy theory by Professor Zhang Xueqin (장쉐친), who predicted Trump's return to power and a war with Iran, is drawing attention. He claimed Bitcoin is a U.S. Department of Defense project and a tool for surveillance and covert financing. But criticism has emerged that his claims about Bitcoin's origins are nothing more than a conspiracy theory.

The era of altcoins rising together that once dominated the market is over. As Ethereum faces an internal structural crisis, Solana is moving quickly to challenge its leading position by taking the lead in the real-world asset (RWA) market.

• Ethereum 'death spiral' warning..."Broken after upgrade, even Vitalik Buterin is selling" • Solana overtakes Ethereum for first time in number of RWA holders...'retail powerhouse' position cemented

A chilling warning says Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, has entered a so-called "death spiral" after a series of network upgrades instead pushed it into structural flaws. An update meant to cut gas fees instead broke Ethereum's deflation mechanism and caused inflation, the warning said. As signs emerged that founder Vitalik Buterin was selling a large amount, investor trust has rapidly collapsed. The crisis is fundamentally shaking the top altcoin's status.

In contrast, Solana has pulled off an upset by finally overtaking Ethereum in the tokenised real-world asset market, which puts traditional assets onto a blockchain. On-chain data showed the number of holders of RWA tokens based on the Solana network surpassed Ethereum. That was attributed to Solana's processing speed and low fees appealing strongly to small payments and retail investors. It showed that lighter, faster Solana is taking market leadership as a popular retail finance powerhouse, moving away from an institution-heavy Ethereum ecosystem.

• "XRP set for big explosion within 5 weeks"...5 rally catalysts including X Money and regulatory progress • Is the '10,000 XRP equals retirement' formula right?...community debate

An analysis has been raised that XRP's price will rise sharply within 5 weeks. Key catalysts include the possibility that XRP will be integrated into Elon Musk's X (Twitter) payment system, X Money, signs of an end to the legal fight between Ripple and the SEC, and expanded inflows from institutional investors. In particular, charts show a clear technical signal that a convergence pattern that built energy after a long consolidation is trying to break upward. A positive outlook is heating the market that a powerful surge rally could soon begin beyond expectations.

Among XRP investors, debate is intensifying over a formula that says having just 10,000 XRP can bring financial freedom and allow retirement. Supporters believe the price would jump to astronomical levels if Ripple becomes a global standard for cross-border payments, driving extreme scarcity and exploding demand. Critics argue it is an excessive hope and close to mathematically impossible for 10,000 tokens to create value of several billion won given the current supply and market capitalisation. They also say realistic price targets are needed over blind investment.

U.S. virtual asset regulation bills are drifting as they are held back by political issues, but stablecoins are threatening the dominance of credit cards and leading a global payments revolution.

• Trump: "I will not sign other bills until a voter ID bill passes"...Clarity Act shaken again • Stablecoins instead of credit cards...payment giants' ambitious agentic micropayment scenario

The U.S. "Clarity Act", a long-held goal of the virtual asset industry that was expected to bring regulatory clarity, is at risk of being derailed after becoming entangled in President Donald Trump's political brinkmanship. Trump has threatened that he will not sign any bill, including crypto legislation, unless a voter identification bill aimed at preventing election fraud passes. With the blockchain industry's future held hostage to political conflict, regulatory uncertainty in the market is expected to persist for the time being.

Global payments giants are going all-in on building an unconventional micropayment system using dollar-pegged stablecoins to replace existing expensive credit card networks. A time is approaching in which artificial intelligence agents automatically make real-time machine-to-machine payments on a blockchain for very small content subscription fees or service charges on behalf of users. This is being viewed as a genuine fintech revolution that sharply lowers intermediary fees and changes the paradigm of global commerce.