Standard Chartered Predicts a $2 T Stablecoin Cap by 2028 as BTC Faces a Fair Value Gap 📊

👋 Welcome to the CoinStats Scoop, your weekly newsletter with the most groundbreaking Web3 innovations and market-moving headlines in the crypto space.
Stay in the loop with all the key market moves, emerging trends, and exciting developments in the crypto space from the past week.
Demand for digital assets took a significant hit after US President Donald Trump hiked global import tariffs from 10% to 15%, leading to another slide in the leading cryptocurrencies 📉.
Bitcoin lost another key support level on the weekly chart, prompting more focus on the upcoming weekly close, with downside opening a potential path to a ‘fair value gap’ correction near $45,000.
However, traditional investment bank Standard Chartered stuck to its $2 trillion stablecoin market cap prediction for 2028, which would bring a much-needed liquidity wave to fuel the next bull market cycle.
Meanwhile, crypto VC firms continue making forward-looking deals, while more crypto-native firms are turning towards Ether staking to gain additional passive income on their long-term holdings.
Looking at the short term, all eyes remain on tariff developments and potential signs of geopolitical escalation, which is already causing defensive positioning towards tokenized commodities and precious metals 🛡️.

In this week’s CoinStats Scoop, you’ll find:

📊 Crypto Market Analysis And The Most Important News In Web3.
💰 Standard Chartered Predicts $2 Trillion Stablecoin Market in 2028: New Crypto Liquidity Wave.
🏦 Better Closes $500 Million Stablecoin Mortgage Financing Deal With Framework Ventures.
🔒 Ethereum Foundation to Stake 700,000 ETH From Treasury Reserves.
📉 Bitdeer Liquidates All Bitcoin Holdings Amid Market Downturn.
🔮 Analysis And Key Events That Will Shape The Crypto Market Next Week.

Standard Chartered Predicts $2 Trillion Stablecoin Market in 2028: New Crypto Liquidity Wave 💸

Multinational investment bank Standard Chartered is predicting a new liquidity wave set to hit the cryptocurrency market during the next two years.
Standard Chartered analysts maintained their forecast for the stablecoin market surpassing $2 trillion by late 2028, signaling bullish liquidity expectations for the cryptocurrency market.
Despite the current market downturn, the cyclical nature of the crypto industry will lead to a resurgence in stablecoin liquidity, wrote Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick 💹:
✍️ “We see these issues as cyclical rather than structural, and we continue to expect stablecoin market cap to reach $2 trillion by end-2028.”
Stablecoins are the main on-ramp between the fiat and cryptocurrency world. A growing stablecoin supply is seen as an early sign of incoming crypto market liquidity and historically preceded strong bull market runs.
The prediction would signal a 6.5-fold increase from the current $310 billion stablecoin market capitalization.
The report also foresees stablecoins generating an additional $1 trillion in fresh T-bill demand by late 2028, making a significant reduction in the forecast compared to the previous $1.6 trillion figure.

Better Closes $500 Million Stablecoin Mortgage Financing Deal With Framework Ventures 💰

Mortgage lender Better has entered into a $500 million stablecoin financing deal with crypto venture capital firm Framework Ventures, in a testament to the growing convergence between decentralized finance and the traditional mortgage sectors 🏠.
Through the deal, Better will access up to $500 million in stablecoin financing through the blockchain-based stablecoin ecosystem Sky, the firms announced on Feb. 24.
The development could bring more homebuyer mortgage activity onto DeFi rails via stablecoins, adding more utility to the emerging industry.
For homebuyers, the new framework presented by the deal could provide a new source of fresh capital outside traditional lending markets.
The new framework aims to serve more homebuyers and lower mortgage rates, said Vance Spencer, the co-founder of Framework Ventures.
🗣️ “We believe that Better’s integration into the Sky ecosystem could be a win for all parties: with this capital injection, we think Better will be able to rapidly scale origination and potentially lower mortgage rates for consumers in the long term.”
Better will retain full responsibility for underwriting and originating the loans 📝.

Ethereum Foundation to Stake 700,000 ETH From Treasury Reserves 🔒

The Ethereum Foundation has initiated its staking strategy, seeking to earn yield from its significant Ether holdings.
The Ethereum Foundation staked its first 2,016 Ether tokens earlier this week, marking the first tranche of its plans to stake 70,000 ETH, or over $131 million at the time of publishing.
The development is a net positive for Ethereum, as all the proceeds are set to flow back into the EF’s treasury and fund the research and development of the world’s largest smart contract network 🌐.
“We are excited to take this important step, which helps secure the Ethereum network and at the same time fund the EF’s core operations & activities,” announced the EF on Feb. 24.
🗣️ “Today, the EF made a 2,016 ETH deposit. Approximately 70,000 ETH will be staked with rewards directed back to the EF treasury”.
Staking has been gaining popularity among corporate crypto holders and Web3-native firms with large Ether holdings. Validators currently earn 2.82% annual percentage rate (APR) yield on their staked ETH 💹.

Bitdeer Liquidates All Bitcoin Holdings Amid Market Downturn 📉

Bitcoin mining company Bitdeer has liquidated its BTC holdings, as the mining industry feels the pressure of the crypto market downturn.
Bitdeer sold its entire stash of 943 Bitcoin ($61 million), reducing its corporate holdings to zero, the mining company announced on Feb. 21.
Selling the entire holdings is a rare occurrence among mining firms, often seen as a concerning sign for short-term price action ⚠️.
However, the company said that the decision to sell the Bitcoin was not due to “concern for the broader market,” but a capital need for upcoming investments, Bitdeer wrote on Feb. 23:
✍️ “We are currently evaluating multiple non-binding powered land acquisition opportunities, and we believe it is prudent to prepare liquidity now. Our hash rate will continue to grow, and we will continue to mine more Bitcoin for the interest of our shareholders.”
The Bitcoin mining firm reported a weekly production of 189 Bitcoin ($12 million), which formed part of the liquidated stash. The holdings were most likely sold to fund mining operations, electricity bills, equipment maintenance and staff salaries.
The mining firm has been exploring other funding venues to raise funds. Last week, Bitdeer announced plans for a $300 million senior convertible note raise with notes due in 2032 📝.

Market Overview: Trump Tariff Hike Hits Crypto Demand as Bitcoin Risks Fair Value Gap Slide to $45,000 ⚠️

Cryptocurrency investor sentiment took another damaging hit after United States President Donald Trump announced a hike in global tariffs from 10% to 15%.
Bitcoin sank to a weekly low of $62,990 after the trade tariff shocks, before recovering to find its footing just below the $68,000 mark on Feb. 25, according to CoinStats data.

In the absence of crypto-specific catalysts, the renewed global trade uncertainty and geopolitical concerns may expose Bitcoin to a deeper retracement, based on its fair value gap, wrote popular crypto trader Scient:
✍️ “$50k demand is likely to get tested. And the fair value gap around $45k remains a magnet below. I expect that region to be filled before a meaningful bottom forms. The market rarely leaves inefficiencies behind.”
Fair value gaps are technical trading patterns indicating a market inefficiency that forms when rapid, news-driven price movements leave a void in price action, often visible as a three-candle sequence where the middle candle doesn’t overlap with the first and third.

However, some analysts are still seeing a silver lining to the market structure, depending on the upcoming weekly close.
For a chance of a wider recovery, Bitcoin needs to close above the crucial 200-week exponential moving average (EMA), wrote crypto analyst Rekt Capital:
✍️ “And if Bitcoin indeed turns the 200-week EMA into new resistance, that would confirm the breakdown from the EMA to enter additional downside continuation, in line with historical tendencies across cycles.”
Bitcoin slid below the 200-week EMA earlier this week after the tariff shocks delivered another blow to investor sentiment ⚡. The weekly close could determine Bitcoin’s trend in the coming weeks, but more tariff threats or geopolitical risks remain the most pressing headwind for BTC 🌍.

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CoinStats will continue to guide you through the world of crypto and DeFi. We’ll see you next week for another edition of CoinStats Scoop! 😎