Bitcoin

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research (DYOR) before making any financial decisions.

According to Cointelegraph, centralized crypto exchanges recorded a spike in Bitcoin hourly inflows on Monday, March 16, 2026. Julio Moreno, head of research at on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant, reported that hourly inflows reached 6,100 BTC — the highest reading since February 20. Large deposits represented 63% of that total, the highest share since mid-October 2025.

Bitcoin gained roughly 12% through March, reaching a six-week high of approximately $76,000 on March 17. On Coinbase, the asset approached $75,000 three times within 24 hours and met resistance each time, according to TradingView data. Traders typically send Bitcoin to exchanges when preparing to sell or convert holdings to stablecoins.

Moreno noted that "historically, spikes in large deposits to exchanges have been associated with increased selling pressure." The inflow spike arrived just days before the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on March 18. CME futures assigned a 98.9% probability to rates remaining unchanged, with only a 1.1% chance of an increase.

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Onchain Realized Price Creates a Defined Resistance Zone

The $75,000 level corresponds to the lower band of the traders' onchain Realized Price — a metric CryptoQuant uses to track the average cost basis of active market participants. Moreno said this band "historically acts as price resistance in bear markets." A second resistance zone sits near $85,000, where the full Realized Price currently stands. That level capped price advances in both October 2025 and January 2026.

The Federal Reserve's March 18 meeting added another layer of complexity. Policymakers may choose to signal no rate cuts at all in 2026, given ongoing inflation pressures and the broader impact of the US-Iran conflict on energy markets. Such an outcome could weigh on risk appetite across asset classes.

Live Bitcoin News reported that US spot Bitcoin ETFs drew $568.45 million in weekly net inflows during the first full week of March, following $787.31 million the week before. According to data from SoSoValue, those were the first two consecutive weeks of positive ETF flows since November 2025. Despite the renewed ETF momentum, Bitcoin's price response remained uneven across the same period.

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ETF Inflow Mechanics and Exchange Activity Shape Broader Market Behavior

One reason ETF inflows may not translate directly into price advances is the structural delay between fund creation and actual spot purchases. CoinDesk reported in early March that Bitfinex analysts explained how authorized participants often create and short ETF shares before buying the underlying Bitcoin. That delay can leave prices range-bound even as reported inflow figures rise. Bitfinex analysts wrote that the fund can grow "but the actual BTC price doesn't rise" when spot purchases are postponed by this process.

Strategy, one of the largest corporate Bitcoin holders, purchased approximately $1.28 billion worth of Bitcoin between March 2 and March 8, adding around 18,000 BTC to its reserves. Even with that institutional buying, the broader market has not produced a sustained breakout above key resistance levels.

We previously analyzed over 100 reasons why governments and institutions might choose to hold Bitcoin as a national reserve asset, many of which relate to the institutional accumulation patterns now visible in the market. On one side, the consecutive weeks of ETF inflows and corporate buying point to renewed confidence among large holders. On the other, elevated exchange deposits and the approaching onchain Realized Price band present near-term headwinds. Whether buyers can push and hold a daily close above $75,000 — or whether the exchange inflow spike resolves into distribution — will likely determine Bitcoin's trajectory through the remainder of March.