Welcome to Kaupr Today

Good morning. Bitcoin is back above 70,000 dollars and increasingly trading as a macro asset, with flows into spot ETFs, crypto‑exposed stocks and record‑sized AI and infrastructure rounds all reshaping the market’s plumbing. At the same time, banks, payment firms and Web3 players are racing to build new rails — from stablecoin cards to Fed‑connected crypto banks — while the Nordics sharpen their profile with fresh moves from Firi, new industry reports and a stronger focus on diversity in crypto.

Have a good read,
Morten

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Bitcoin climbs again in new macro trade

Trump formally sends Kevin Warsh’s Fed nomination to the Senate

CNBC reports that President Donald Trump has formally submitted Kevin Warsh’s nomination to the U.S. Senate to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell if confirmed for a four‑year term. The move follows Trump’s earlier announcement naming the former Fed governor as his preferred candidate, kicking off what is expected to be a contentious confirmation process given ongoing political pressure on the central bank and Republican unease over the administration’s criminal probe into Powell.

Why it matters: Installing a Fed chair seen as more aligned with Trump’s push for lower interest rates could reshape U.S. monetary policy and reignite debate over the central bank’s independence at a time of still‑elevated inflation and heavy government borrowing.

Source: Trump officially nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell, CNBC

Bitcoin climbs above 71,000 dollars as volatility returns

According to Bloomberg, via Yahoo Finance, bitcoin jumped as much as 5–6% to an intraday high around 71,900 dollars, its strongest level in nearly a month, before easing back toward the low‑71,000‑dollar area. The move extends crypto’s rebound from last weekend’s Iran‑driven sell‑off, when BTC briefly dipped near 63,000 dollars, and coincides with renewed inflows into U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs that have taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in recent sessions.​

Why it matters: The bounce suggests investors are again willing to lean into bitcoin’s volatility as geopolitical jitters fade and ETF demand absorbs supply, keeping BTC in a wide but upward‑biased trading range.

Source: Bitcoin Surpasses $73,000 as Crypto's Coveted Volatility Returns, Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance

Bitcoin, bank pushback and ETF flows collide in new crypto macro trade

Investors Business Daily says bitcoin is stuck in a choppy range as ETF inflows return, the White House leans more pro‑crypto, and banks push back hard on stablecoin yields and Fed access for firms like Kraken.

Why it matters: The piece casts bitcoin’s next move as a policy‑driven trade, with ETF flows and stablecoin rules now as important as on‑chain news or halving cycles.

Source: Bitcoin price, ETF flows and Trump’s crypto push put banks on the defensive, Investor’s Business Daily

Stocks, ETFs and venture investments

Crypto stocks surge as Bitcoin rallies and Trump pressures the Fed

Barron’s reports that crypto‑linked stocks including Coinbase, MicroStrategy (“Strategy”) and Robinhood jumped sharply as Bitcoin climbed above 73,000 dollars, extending a fresh leg of the crypto rally. The move comes as President Donald Trump publicly urges the Federal Reserve to cut rates sooner, with traders treating crypto‑exposed equities as leveraged plays on both higher Bitcoin prices and looser monetary policy.

Why it matters: The rebound underlines how sensitive listed crypto intermediaries remain to macro expectations and BTC spot moves, with policy signals from the White House and Fed now moving both coins and crypto‑linked stocks in tandem.

Source: Coinbase, Other Bitcoin Stocks Surge. What’s Behind the Crypto Rally., Barron’

Institutional accumulation in US bitcoin ETFs

Yahoo Finance highlights that institutional demand has returned to bitcoin, with US spot ETFs and MicroStrategy together absorbing more than 1.7 billion dollars’ worth of BTC supply in just one week. Net inflows of around 1.1 billion dollars into US spot bitcoin ETFs over three trading days, led by BlackRock’s IBIT and supported by continued MicroStrategy purchases, mean regulated vehicles are now soaking up more coins than miners are issuing, even as price remains capped below key resistance.

Why it matters: The data suggests bitcoin’s market is increasingly shaped by institutional balance sheets and ETF rails rather than retail trading alone, raising the risk of a future supply squeeze if inflows stay strong while new issuance falls.

Source: US Bitcoin ETFs and MicroStrategy Drive $1.2B Demand, Signal Institutional Accumulation, Yahoo Finance

OpenAI, Anthropic and Waymo soak up record February VC funding

TechCrunch, citing Crunchbase, reports that global startup funding hit a record 189 billion dollars in February, with AI‑related companies capturing about 90% of the capital. Just three firms — OpenAI (110 billion dollars), Anthropic (30 billion) and Waymo (16 billion) — accounted for roughly 156 billion dollars, or 83% of all venture investment, while a handful of other deep‑tech names like Rapidus, Wayve, World Labs and Cerebras also raised billion‑dollar‑plus rounds.

Why it matters: The numbers show an unprecedented concentration of venture money into a few frontier AI and autonomy bets, leaving non‑AI startups in the leanest funding environment in years.

Source: OpenAI, Anthropic and Waymo dominated 189 billion dollars in VC investments last month, Crunchbase says, TechCrunch

Building new rails and infrastructure

Kraken wins long-sought access to Fed payment rails

Axios’ piece explains that Kraken Financial has become the first crypto‑focused bank to secure a limited‑purpose Federal Reserve master account, giving it direct access to core payment systems like Fedwire after years of lobbying and legal battles over bank‑only access to those rails. It frames the approval as a landmark win for the crypto sector in its fight with traditional banks, which have long tried to keep sole control over the Fed’s infrastructure on which trillions of dollars move each day.​

Why it matters: Kraken’s account cracks open the door for other regulated crypto institutions to connect directly to sovereign payment infrastructure, challenging banks’ historical monopoly over Fed access.​

Source: Crypto is winning its challenge to traditional banks, Axios

How stablecoins are modernizing cross-border payments for the Philippine gig economy

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that freelancers and gig workers are increasingly using dollar‑pegged stablecoins like USDC and USDT to receive global payouts in minutes rather than days, with lower fees than traditional remittances. By connecting stablecoin rails to local cash‑out partners and e‑money wallets, platforms turn crypto into a faster, cheaper bridge between overseas clients and peso wallets on the ground.

Why it matters: In a major remittance and gig‑work economy, stablecoins are shifting from niche crypto tool to core payout infrastructure, helping boost take‑home pay and financial inclusion.

Source: How stablecoins are modernizing cross-border payments for the Philippine gig economy, Philippine Daily Inquirer​

Nordic crypto & blockchain news and events

Firi moving into Sweden – with the goal of becoming number one

Firi is entering the Swedish market with the ambition of becoming the leading crypto platform for local customers, with Ted Scheiman appointed as the company’s country manager for Sweden. The exchange plans to localize its product with Swedish KYC and payment rails under MiCA, using Sweden as a key launchpad for broader European growth.

Why it matters: Sweden is Firi’s first major step beyond its core markets, marking a shift from a purely Nordic focus to pan‑European ambitions at a time when clearer regulation makes cross‑border expansion more feasible.

Source: Firi moving into Sweden – with the goal of becoming number one, Kaupr

Blockchain Sweden releases 2025 industry report on Swedish blockchain sector

Blockchain Sweden has published its 2025 industry report mapping the country’s blockchain and Web3 ecosystem, covering market size, leading companies, key use cases and policy priorities. The report highlights Sweden’s strengths in fintech, sustainability‑linked projects and public‑sector pilots, while also flagging talent, funding and regulatory clarity as critical bottlenecks for growth.

Why it matters: The report gives policymakers and industry a common fact base on where Sweden stands in the global blockchain race, and where targeted efforts are needed to unlock further innovation and investment.

Source: Blockchain Sweden releases industry report 2025 on Swedish blockchain industry

Diversity in Crypto in the Nordics - Friday at 3PM CET

Diversity in Crypto in the Nordics 2026 is a virtual live event taking place on 06.03.2026 from 15:00 to 17:00 CET, bringing together voices from across the Nordic crypto ecosystem to discuss how to build a more inclusive and representative space. The session will be streamed simultaneously on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Kaupr.io, and organizers invite Nordic associations, communities, and brands to get involved as supporters or partners by reaching out to the team behind the initiative.

Source: Diversity in Crypto in the Nordics 2026, LinkedIn Events

What to watch for

Watch whether Bitcoin can turn this move back above 70,000 dollars into a clear higher‑low base rather than another fade, and whether futures and options positioning continues to shift from defensive toward more neutral.

Why it matters: A solid base forming above 70,000 while sentiment stays cautious — and while banks and payment players quietly ramp up stablecoin rails — could make the next macro shock the trigger for a sharp, widely missed move

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Best regards
Morten Myrstad
Founder & Editor