President Trump’s ‘Stone Age’ Statement, Dormant Bitcoin Whales Waking up, and More – Week in Review – The Weekly Bitcoin News

Key Takeaways:

• Trump’s Iran remarks helped spark a $440M wipeout as Bitcoin fell below $66,000.
• Coinbase’s OCC charter nod and BlackRock’s BITA filing deepen 2026 institutional crypto rails.
• Metaplanet reached 40,177 BTC in Q1 2026 as 500 BTC moved from a wallet dormant since 2014.

Week in review

Trump’s ‘Stone Age’ Rhetoric Triggers $440M Crypto Wipeout as Bitcoin Slips Below $66,000

Bitcoin fell below $66,000 after Trump’s aggressive rhetoric on Iran, reversing gains from the prior day’s more conciliatory remarks… read more

Editor’s comment:

Specifically, the President said he wanted to send Iran back to the stone age “where they belong,” which is not exactly constructive language when the entire world is hoping for de-escalation. The IRGC was at least somewhat civilized in its open letter to Americans.

Coinbase Joins Ripple, Circle With Conditional OCC National Trust Charter Approval

Coinbase has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter, the company announced Thursday… read more

Editor’s comment:

Conditional approval means it’s still not guaranteed, but it’s a great step for Coinbase. The charter is structured as a non-insured national trust company, meaning Coinbase will not take deposits or issue loans, but the scope still covers custody, staking, and related fiduciary and trust functions for institutional clients.

Bitcoin Whale Last Active in 2014 Executes Five-Transaction Move Totaling 500 BTC

On Tuesday, a bitcoin holder whose wallet sat untouched since May 2014 moved 500 BTC across five separate transfers… read more

Editor’s comment:

Usually dormant whales awaken to take profits after price appreciation. Since old wallets (this one is from 2014) are more vulnerable, is it possible that this whale was moving its coins to quantum-secure wallets?

Metaplanet Buys 5,075 Bitcoin in Q1 2026, Total Holdings Hit 40,177 BTC

Metaplanet Inc., Japan’s largest corporate bitcoin holder, purchased 5,075 bitcoin during the first quarter of 2026… read more

Editor’s comment:

Metaplanet’s conviction is impressive. The company has gone from zero to over 40,000 BTC in under two years, and its Bitcoin per share has only ever gone up, regardless of share price.

Blackrock’s Bitcoin Premium Income ETF Edges Closer to Market as SEC Amendment Reveals BITA Ticker

Blackrock is pushing deeper into crypto income strategies with a bitcoin-linked ETF designed to generate yield while tracking price exposure… read more

Editor’s comment:

The web of different derivatives is getting rather large and complex, and it will be interesting to see if it threatens Bitcoin’s scarcity narrative. Blackrock’s new trust “will seek enhanced monthly premium income by writing (selling) monthly covered call options primarily on IBIT shares, and, from time to time, on ETP Indices.”