ZKsync announced it will decommission ZKsync Lite (formerly ZKsync 1) on May 4, 2026, saying Matter Labs stopped development on Lite in March 2023 after launching Era, ChainCatcher reported. At shutdown, the network will halt block production and permanently freeze its final state so account balances cannot change, and the decision does not affect ZKsync Era or other chains built on ZK Stack. The team will maintain read-only APIs for at least one year to support historical data queries and recommends users withdraw assets before the deadline, noting unwithdrawn funds can still be claimed afterward. Around $33.9 million is currently bridged to ZKsync Lite, including about $24.9 million in stablecoins, $8.4 million in ETH and its derivatives, $313,000 in BTC and its derivatives, and roughly $231,000 in other assets, ChainCatcher reported; launched in June 2020 as Ethereum's first zero-knowledge Rollup, ZKsync Lite supported token transfers, atomic swaps and NFT minting but did not support smart contracts.

ZKsync will officially deactivate ZKsync Lite on May 4, halting block production and permanently freezing the network's final state, Odaily Planet Daily reports. Launched in June 2020 as ZKsync 1.0 and known as Ethereum's first zero-knowledge proof rollup without smart contract support, ZKsync Lite stopped active development in March 2023 after Matter Labs introduced ZKsync Era, a zkEVM that supports arbitrary smart contracts. The team said this shutdown will not impact ZKsync Era or other networks built with the ZK Stack framework, and a read-only API will remain available for at least one year after shutdown to facilitate data access. Users are urged to withdraw assets before May 4, while unclaimed funds will still be retrievable later, and L2BEAT data show about $33.9 million currently on ZKsync Lite via the standard bridge, including roughly $24.9 million in stablecoins, $8.4 million in ETH and derivatives, $313,000 in BTC and derivatives, and $231,000 in other tokens.

Bitcoin met resistance at the $70,000 psychological level and was trading around $67,000 on February 27, BlockBeats reports. BTC faces triple weekly-level resistance, including the 200-week EMA (approximately $68,330), the 2021 high of $69,000, and the $70,000 barrier. Since February, BTC has declined approximately 14% on a month-to-date basis, potentially marking its fifth consecutive monthly decline, the first such streak since the late 2018 bear market. Analysts suggest a sustained rise above the 200-week EMA could allow bulls to test the $80,000 level, while a breakout above $74,500—the 18–24 month holding cost range—could signal the bear market's end; historical data show that after five consecutive monthly declines from 2018 to 2019, BTC posted five consecutive monthly gains exceeding 300%, and if this cycle repeats, a potential reversal window may point to April.

Stablecoin issuer Tether has been valued at about $350 billion to $375 billion in recent secondary market transactions, while Forbes reported on Feb. 27 a separate valuation estimate of roughly $200 billion based on market interviews. Under the $200 billion valuation, Forbes calculates CFO Giancarlo Devasini, who holds around 44–45% of Tether, would have a net worth of about $89 billion, while CEO Paolo Ardoino and former CEO JeanLouis van der Velde would each hold roughly $38 billion, and General Counsel Stuart Hoegner, with about 12% of shares, would have an estimated $25 billion. At a $350 billion valuation, Devasini's stake would exceed $156 billion, surpassing Warren Buffett's current net worth of approximately $147.8 billion. Tether generated an unaudited profit of roughly $10 billion last year, supports a USDT market cap of about $184 billion, keeps over 80% of reserves in U.S. Treasuries and short-term securities, holds around $23 billion in gold and $6.4 billion in Bitcoin, maintains a venture portfolio of more than 120 companies valued above $10 billion, and is expanding into the U.S. market with the USAT stablecoin and by appointing former White House crypto advisor Bo Hines as CEO of its U.S. operations.

Major perpetual decentralized exchanges recorded lower trading activity over the past 24 hours on Feb. 27, with Hyperliquid's trading volume down approximately 15.5% from the previous day, DefiLlama data show. Hyperliquid posted approximately $6.03 billion in 24-hour volume, with total value locked around $4.24 billion and open interest near $5.48 billion, while Aster remained second at approximately $2.46 billion in volume, TVL about $1.06 billion and open interest around $1.87 billion. EdgeX recorded approximately $2.27 billion in 24-hour volume, TVL about $182 million and open interest around $104 million; Lighter logged approximately $2.08 billion, TVL about $870 million and open interest around $712 million; Grvt had approximately $1.27 billion, TVL about $95.76 million and open interest around $408 million; Pacifica posted approximately $718 million, TVL about $36.23 million and open interest around $61.6 million.

Marathon Digital Holdings shares rose 16% after the company announced plans to convert certain Bitcoin mining facilities into sites for artificial intelligence operations. The move has raised questions about whether the U.S. can maintain its position as a global Bitcoin mining hub as domestic operators increasingly shift capacity toward AI infrastructure.

Stablecoin issuer Tether has changed hands in secondary market transactions at valuations between $350 billion and $375 billion, compared with about $50 billion last year, Forbes reports. On a $350 billion valuation, Chief Financial Officer Giancarlo Devasini's 44–45% stake would translate into an estimated $156 billion net worth, putting him ahead of Warren Buffett by that metric. Tether generated around $10 billion in profit last year, largely from returns on USDT reserves, with profit margins as high as 99%, and has deployed capital into more than 120 companies across artificial intelligence, data and energy. The company has also rolled out a U.S.-compliant stablecoin called USAT while contending with competition from Circle and mounting regulatory scrutiny.

Fidelity Investments, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are advising clients to allocate 1% to 5% of diversified portfolios to Bitcoin, River reports. Fidelity formally guides wealth clients to place 2% to 5% into crypto including Bitcoin, while Bank of America proposes 1% to 4%, Morgan Stanley suggests up to 4%, BlackRock recommends 1% to 2%, and WisdomTree and JPMorgan Chase each advise up to 1%. Bitcoin traded at $67,441 at the time of reporting, down 47% from its record $126,080 in October last year, CoinGecko data show. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in 2025 projected Bitcoin could reach $700,000 per coin, while JPMorgan analysts suggested a long-term path to $266,000, contingent on improved sentiment and Bitcoin regaining favor as a hedge asset.

Stablecoin issuer Tether is trading in secondary markets at an implied valuation of $350 billion to $375 billion, below a previously reported $500 billion funding target, while Forbes estimates the company's current value at about $200 billion based on conversations with cryptocurrency investors and executives. At the $200 billion level, CFO Giancarlo Devasini's roughly 44%–45% stake equals a net worth of around $89 billion, CEO Paolo Ardoino and former CEO Jean-Louis van der Velde each hold about 19% worth roughly $38 billion, General Counsel Stuart Hoegner owns around 12% valued at approximately $25 billion, and Cantor Fitzgerald's 5% holding would be worth $10 billion. At a $350 billion valuation, Devasini's stake would exceed $156 billion, surpassing Warren Buffett's $147.8 billion net worth. Tether generated around $10 billion in unaudited profit last year, with USDT's market cap at $184 billion backed over 80% by U.S. Treasuries and short-term securities, plus about $23 billion in gold, $6.4 billion in Bitcoin, a venture portfolio of more than 120 companies valued above $10 billion, and the recent launch of U.S.-compliant stablecoin USAT issued via Anchorage Digital Bank, Forbes reported.