Cryptocurrency and Stock Barometer | Strategy invests $1.57 billion to increase holdings of 22,337 bitcoins; Bitmine, ARK Invest, and others will invest $125 million in Eightco Holdings (March 17)

Editor's note: As mentioned in last week's cryptocurrency and stock barometer, after experiencing initial turmoil in the Israel-Palestine situation, crypto concept stocks, especially a number of leading stocks, have emerged with their own independent market trends amidst the downward trend of U.S. stocks, showing impressive gains over the past seven days. In particular, Circle (CRCL), which we previously discussed in the article (Behind Circle's Strong Price Rebound: AI, Predictive Markets, and Institutional Adoption), has seen its stock price continue to rise, currently nearing $130, with less than a 16% increase left to reach the target price of $150, and is expected to continue its upward trend this month; in addition, relying on leading the investment of up to $75 million in WLD Treasury Company Eightco Holdings Inc., Bitmine has also seen its stock price increase by over 15% in the past seven days, benefiting from the rebound momentum of the crypto market. Bitdeer, on the other hand, sticks to its 'liquidate BTC' strategy, continuously selling mined outputs, thereby gaining market recognition, with its stock price increase nearing 10% over the past seven days, making it worth long-term attention.
The following is a summary of last week's cryptocurrency and stock market information compiled by Odaily Planet Daily, with all US stock data sourced from msx.com.
Crypto concept stocks sharp commentary: Under geopolitical shocks, crypto concept stocks become an asset safe haven.
The three Wall Street giants remain bullish on US stocks: geopolitical shocks do not alter the bull market.
Strategists from major Wall Street banks stated that despite the risks posed by the Iran war, their bullish reasons for the US stock market remain valid. Rising oil prices, concerns about the cost of living, and uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's interest rate outlook have pushed the S&P 500 index (SPX) to its worst two-week performance since April last year amid tariff turmoil. Nonetheless, strategists from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan noted that earnings growth and valuation provided support. Although valuations remain high, they are no longer as extreme as before. Wilson's baseline year-end target for the S&P 500 index is 7,800 points, indicating about an 18% upside from last Friday's close. Goldman Sachs' Snyder expects the benchmark index to rebound to 7,600 points.
As the war enters its third week, crude oil prices have surged, driving up US bond yields and weakening bets on a Federal Reserve interest rate cut, as inflation concerns intensify. The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point, with any prolonged interruption exacerbating market concerns about the deepening global economic risks resulting from the conflict. Nevertheless, since the outbreak of the Iran war, the US stock market has only seen a modest pullback, with less than 20% of developed market stocks in a technically oversold state.
Analysis: Bitcoin outperformed gold and the stock market amidst global turmoil, with ETFs and Strategy increasing their accumulations.
Both Bitcoin and Ethereum have recently outperformed gold and global stock markets, highlighting the demand for safe-haven assets amidst geopolitical tensions. Wall Street brokerage Bernstein pointed out that Bitcoin's resilience reflects a fundamental change in its ownership structure, with institutional investors dominating the market. In terms of institutional holdings, Strategy is referred to as the 'last central bank of Bitcoin,' continuously buying Bitcoin during market downturns. Recently, it increased its holdings by purchasing 22,337 BTC at an average price of approximately $70,194 each, bringing its total holdings to 761,068 BTC, with an average cost of about $75,696. Analysts noted that Bitcoin's recent performance under geopolitical pressure has reignited discussions about its role as 'digital gold.' Strategy stock (MSTR) is currently trading at a 14% discount to Bitcoin's net asset value, providing stock market investors with a high-beta way to participate in Bitcoin's rise. Through high-yield financing provided by STRC products, Strategy further gained liquidity to support market purchases.
Meanwhile, the spot Bitcoin ETF has attracted approximately $2.1 billion in inflows over the past three weeks, accounting for about 6.1% of the total supply. Institutional investors include wealth management firms, pension funds, and sovereign investors. Retail investors have recently shown net selling, but the proportion of long-term holders remains high, with approximately 60% of Bitcoin not moving for a year, indicating the continued existence of long-term value storage properties.
Weekly updates on cryptocurrency and stock listed companies.

Representative companies listed on the BTC treasury.
Last week, globally listed companies net purchased $1.57 billion in BTC, with Strategy purchasing 22,337 Bitcoins, an increase of 22.7% compared to last week.
According to SoSoValue data, as of 8:30 AM Eastern Time on March 16, 2026, the total net purchase of Bitcoin by globally listed companies (excluding mining companies) for the week was $1.57 billion, an increase of 22.7% compared to last week.
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) announced on March 16 that it invested $1.57 billion (an increase of 22.7% compared to last week) to increase its holdings of 22,337 Bitcoins at a price of $70,194 each, bringing its total holdings to 761,068 BTC.
Japanese listed company Metaplanet did not purchase Bitcoin last week, marking nine consecutive weeks without purchases.
In addition, two other companies purchased Bitcoin last week. The UK Bitcoin company The Smarter Web Company announced on March 10 that it invested $200,000 to purchase 3 Bitcoins at a price of $65,291 each, bringing its total holdings to 2,695; the UK Bitcoin company BHODL announced on March 13 that it invested $71,161 to purchase 1 Bitcoin.
NASDAQ-listed company Zeta Network Group Inc. announced the issuance of $10 million in convertible bonds, with the first phase of $6 million allocated for purchasing Bitcoin.
As of the time of publication, the total amount of Bitcoin held by globally listed companies (excluding mining companies) was 1.02 million, an increase of 2.1% compared to last week, with a current market value of approximately $75.4 billion, accounting for 5.1% of Bitcoin's circulating market value.
Metaplanet CEO: Metaplanet may raise $234 million to purchase BTC and has issued 100 million Moving Strike Warrants.
Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich stated that the company has issued 100 million Moving Strike Warrants with mNAV terms. According to the design, warrants can only be exercised when the company's stock price is above 1.01 times the mNAV, ensuring that each new share issued enhances shareholder value.
Simon Gerovich stated that this mechanism is expected to raise approximately $234 million for the company to purchase Bitcoin and will only trigger the exercise of warrants if it has a positive impact on the number of BTC shares held per share.
Representative companies listed on the ETH treasury.
The Ethereum Foundation sold 5,000 ETH to BitMine for $10.2 million last week.
The Ethereum Foundation completed an over-the-counter transaction, selling 5,000 ETH to BitMine Immersion Technologies at a price of $2,042.96 each, with a total value of approximately $10.2 million. This transaction was conducted via the Ethereum Foundation's Safe multi-signature wallet for on-chain transfers. The Ethereum Foundation stated on platform X that the funds will be used to support the core operations of the Ethereum ecosystem, including protocol development, community funding, and broader ecosystem building.
BitMine Immersion Technologies is listed on the American section of the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BMNR, with Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat, serving as chairman. The company currently holds over 4.5 million ETH, valued at approximately $9.3 billion, and has been continuously increasing its ETH holdings since mid-2025.
This is the second time the Ethereum Foundation has sold ETH to corporate buyers through over-the-counter transactions. In July 2025, the foundation sold 10,000 ETH to SharpLink Gaming at an average price of $2,572.37, with a transaction value of approximately $25.7 million. The aforementioned transactions are part of the financial management framework launched by the Ethereum Foundation in June 2025, which allows the foundation to regularly convert part of its ETH holdings into fiat currency reserves to support operational expenses. In addition, the Ethereum Foundation recently plans to deploy approximately 70,000 ETH to validator node staking.
Representative companies listed on the SOL treasury.
None.
Representative companies listed on the altcoin treasury.
Eightco Holdings secured a $125 million financing commitment, with Bitmine leading the investment of $75 million.
NASDAQ-listed company Eightco Holdings announced it has secured a new round of financing commitments totaling $125 million. Ethereum treasury company Bitmine will lead the investment of $75 million, ARK Invest has committed to invest at least $25 million, and Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency platform Kraken, has also committed to invest $25 million in ORBS. The new funds will support the expansion of its business and invest in technologies shaping the next generation of artificial intelligence, blockchain infrastructure, and global digital consumption platforms. The company also stated that it will continue to hold Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, and Ethereum, and has a long-term positive outlook on the ERC-20 protocol. It is reported that Bitmine chairman Tom Lee will join the board of Eightco Holdings. ARK Invest chief futurist Brett Winton will serve as an advisor to the ORBS board, while Dan Ives will step down as chairman of ORBS.
US-listed company Cypherpunk invested $5 million in Zcash Open Development Lab.
NASDAQ-listed company Cypherpunk Technologies announced that it has invested $5 million in the Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL), founded by former Electric Coin Company (ECC) CEO Josh Swihart, marking the company's first technical investment outside of ZEC. ZODL currently holds Zashi wallet technology and related intellectual property, aiming to continuously develop the wallet and support Zcash at the protocol level.