Technical charts, particularly the shape of candlesticks, often reflect the psychology behind the market, highlighting trader sentiment and behavior. Since Friday, at least two bitcoin (BTC) candles have indicated bullish undercurrents at multi-month lows, providing a glimmer of hope for crypto bulls.

The chart below shows that BTC's price decline has stalled at the 200-day simple moving average support level since last Wednesday. Daily candles for Tuesday and Friday are of particular interest, as both have small bodies with long lower wicks, hinting at bear failures below the 200-day SMA.

In other words, on both days, sellers initially pushed prices below the key average but failed to establish a foothold there, likely due to buyers stepping in to protect the support level.

Such candles appearing after a notable downtrend, which is the case in BTC, signal a potential bullish reversal. Traders usually see it as evidence of weakening selling pressure that might translate into a renewed bullish phase.

So, BTC could bounce back to Sunday's high of around $95,000, above which traders may once again set sights on the $100,000 mark. On the flip side, a downside break of the 200-day SMA could deeper losses.

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  Sygnum Bank Expands Custody to Include Leading Crypto Options Exchange Deribit

  

   

  Crypto bank Sygnum has expanded its custody platform to include the world's leading options exchange Deribit.

  Sygnum and Deribit are now leveraging crypto custodian Fireblocks' "Off Exchange" service, which allows traders to essentially "mirror" their assets held in custody on a trading platform.

  This will allow traders to hold their assets in a regulated bank while continuing to access the deep liquidity of Deribit, according to an announcement shared with CoinDesk on Wednesday.

  Traders received an unwelcome reminder of the dangers in keeping their assets on an exchange last month with the $1.4 billion hack of Bybit by North Korean Group Lazarus.

  "Counterparty risk awareness in crypto comes in cycles, and the recent major cyber-attack has triggered one of the largest waves of exchange derisking since FTX," Sygnum's chief product officer, Dominic Lohberger, said.

  Zurich-based Sygnum, which acquired a valuation of over $1 billion following a $58 million funding round in January, is licensed in its native Switzerland as well as Luxembourg and Singapore.

  Deribit is among the world's leading derivatives exchanges, with trading volume surpassing $1 trillion in 2024. Its options volume alone reached $743 billion.

  [CoinDesk]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson as Special Adviser (SAD) to the President on Job Creation & MSME (Office of the Vice President) and Mrs Uju Anwuka as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health (Office of the Vice President).

The appointments are in continuation of efforts to actualise the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, especially in the respective sectors.

Prior to their appointments, Mr Adekunle-Johnson and Mrs Anwuka served in the same portfolios as Senior Special Assistant and Special Assistant to the President respectively, all in the office of the Vice President.

As Senior Special Assistant, Mr Adekunle-Johnson has diligently driven some of the administration's policies and programmes in areas of job creation and development in the micro, small and medium enterprises space in Nigeria.

Key initiatives implemented under his supervision include the Expanded National MSME Clinics, and the Shared Facility Initiative, among others.

Mrs Onwuka, on the other hand, has industriously anchored the administration's vision in combating malnutrition and hunger, especially in vulnerable communities across the country, while serving as Special Assistant. A key programme under her watch is the recently launched Nutrition 774 Initiative.

Their latest appointments as Special Adviser and Senior Special Assistant respectively are with immediate effect.

Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications
(Office of The Vice President)

As you may have heard, this has already been a big week for cryptocurrency. With the announcement from President Donald Trump on March 2 for plans to create a national cryptocurrency reserve, which is set to include Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), and a couple of others, it's hard to see how there could be other big developments on the docket.

Nonetheless, there's a major catalyst event slated for March 7. Here's what investors should be looking out for, and why it matters for the coins you hold.

Regulators and industry will get a chance to mingle

March 7 will see the very first crypto summit to be hosted by the president, at the White House. Major investors, CEOs, politicians, and other notable members of the public will be in attendance, perhaps including financial regulators. The president will be making an address with prepared remarks.

This kind of event is fully unprecedented in the history of cryptocurrency, and it will doubtlessly move the crypto markets promptly and significantly if any major policies are announced or clarified. What's more, while volatility is guaranteed, it is very likely that new policy announcements will imply meaty changes to the industry's potential to grow. Of particular importance will be any elaboration on the size, distribution, or actual purpose of the cryptocurrency reserve, not to mention the legal or regulatory basis for implementing it as a policy. There will also be a back-and-forth process of determining how realistic the proposed reserve is in terms of the political aspects of its implementation.

One older proposal for the reserve calls for purchasing 5% of all outstanding Bitcoin supply over the next five years. Per that proposal, the coins would be held for at least 20 years. Such a proposal being implemented for Bitcoin, or a similar one being implemented for Solana or XRP, would likely result in a gargantuan move upward in the prices of these coins. And there isn't any guarantee such a move would be retraced, as the expectation would be that the government would hold for as long as it specified at a minimum.

In other words, these policies could easily become part of the investment thesis for why these assets are worth buying and holding forever.

There may be moments during the summit (or afterward) that tempt you to dump everything. Alternatively, there will probably be moments where you want to slam all of your remaining cash into buying coins. Resisting both of these temptations is important to preserving your portfolio's value over the long term, so prepare for it. This isn't the time to be actively watching the prices of your coins move from minute to minute. In fact, there is never such a time.

The Ripple-based token rallied strongly during the mid-week trading session, posting an intra-day gain of about 8% for the day as it looked set to breach the $2.55 mark.

The altcoin is now the third-largest crypto asset by market valuation, trading at $144.5 billion, displacing Tether (USDT) with a valuation of $142 billion into fourth place.

The atmosphere in the Ripple ecosystem significantly elevated after the inclusion of Ripple’s XRP in President Trump’s statement on the Crypto Strategic Reserve.

President Donald Trump stated that XRP, Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL) will now be part of the US crypto reserve.

This comes after he signed an executive order creating a working group on digital assets tasked with establishing clear regulations for the cryptocurrency industry and determining whether a national digital asset stockpile is feasible.

The main goal of the proposed reserve is to strengthen the US digital asset market. The plan highlights three well-known cryptocurrency assets as essential parts of the recommended reserve structure. By suggesting a more crypto-friendly SEC chair and establishing a strategic reserve with US-based coins, President Trump reportedly intended to make cryptocurrency development easier.

Technical Analysis

The market action demonstrated that XRP has failed to hold the $2.55 support line, confirming a tug-of-war between bulls and bears.

Market indicators show that if the $2.55 support line is not recovered, the current recovery will likely be vulnerable. If the price breaks above $2.65, price discovery will occur. The RSI’s declining peaks affirmed market sentiment that such a rally was likely a liquidity trap for small portfolios.

Market Fundamentals

The main concern for Ripple is the SEC litigation and actual adoption, which is even more significant than Trump’s increased visibility of XRP. Whales understand this and would rather profit quickly than risk a false “strategic reserve” status.

Cryptocurrencies like XRP are now more accepted thanks to the SEC’s recent reform. In the past, the commission vigorously examined a variety of digital assets under Gary Gensler’s direction, even bringing legal challenges against Ripple Labs.

XRP has prospered under the Trump-led administration due to the change in regulatory attention.

XRP had no chance of success under the Joe Biden-led administration, underscoring the importance of regulatory certainty in asset performance.

Ripple Has No Obligation to XRP Holders

David Schwartz, the CTO of Ripple, recently affirmed that Ripple is under no obligation to hold XRP, attributing this notion to XRP’s security misrepresentation.

• He made his remarks in response to a continuing debate concerning Ripple’s obligations to token holders. Pierre Rochard, an XRP critic and supporter of Bitcoin, contended that Ripple has no function to benefit XRP holders. He claimed that even if selling its substantial XRP holdings hurts retail investors, the company is still free to do so. In his opinion, this is what renders XRP insecure.
• Remarkably, Schwartz concurred, stressing that Ripple acts in its best interests, like any other company.
• He likened owning XRP to owning early pieces of art by a budding artist. Investors are under no duty to support the artist’s continued creation of value that enhances their holdings, even though they may wish to.
• He emphasized that no business, including Ripple, should be expected to act against its interests to please investors. The CTO of Ripple noted that the company has been a well-known participant in the market for almost 14 years. The business has more XRP than it could realistically sell off quickly.

A well-known Ripple critic, who goes by the handle “ScamDaddy,” posted a screenshot of the exchange after Schwartz’s most recent comments. He implied that this has always been obvious and asked why anyone would be shocked by Ripple giving its business objectives top priority. In response, Schwartz said that people promoting the idea that XRP is a security are primarily to blame for the misunderstanding regarding Ripple’s role in the ecosystem.

He suggested that such a group had purposefully misrepresented how XRP and Ripple are related. “The ‘XRP is a security’ crowd is primarily to blame for purposefully causing misunderstanding regarding the connection between Ripple and XRP,” he added.

[Nairametrics]

Concerns are growing within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over the continued stay of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, despite exceeding the statutory retirement age of 60 years.

While several senior officers have been compulsorily retired due to alleged age falsification and violations of service rules, Egbetokun has remained in office, an issue that has sparked internal discontent.

By March 3, 2025, Egbetokun officially retired all his coursemates, filling their positions with senior officers perceived to be loyal to him.

However, insiders within the police hierarchy are questioning why the IGP himself has not stepped aside, despite strictly enforcing retirement policies on his colleagues.

A source within the force told SaharaReporters that Egbetokun has privately admitted that he nearly lost his position but was saved by the intervention of First Lady Remi Tinubu, with whom he is said to have close ties.

“The IGP almost lost his job, but the First Lady intervened.

“Now, he is more confident than ever and is making strategic moves to secure his position,” a senior government official revealed.

Egbetokun Moves To Force Out AIG Owohunwa

The latest officer to face uncertainty under Egbetokun’s leadership is Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Idowu Owohunwa, whom the IGP reportedly considers an “archenemy” and a threat to his continued stay in office.

Sources disclosed that Owohunwa’s retirement letter has already been prepared and is expected to be issued next week after he failed to secure promotion to Deputy Inspector General (DIG).

The Police Service Commission (PSC) declined to promote Owohunwa, effectively sealing his fate.

Earlier this week, Naija News reported that the PSC approved the appointment of six new Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) to replace those who were recently forced into retirement by police authorities.

[NaijaNews]

The gruesome killing of Adedamola Quadri Ogunbode, a recent graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), is yet another chilling reminder of the pervasive horror of ritual killings in Nigeria. His murder, allegedly at the hands of a so-called prophet within the supposed sacred confines of a church, is a tragic irony that further exposes the moral rot in our society. It is heartbreaking that a place meant to offer spiritual solace instead became a slaughterhouse where a young man’s life was cut short in the most barbaric manner.

As painful as Adedamola’s death is, the even more terrifying reality is that his case is not an isolated one. Across Nigeria, ritual killings have become a widespread epidemic, claiming the lives of countless innocent victims. From Lagos to Ibadan, from Benin to Port Harcourt, reports of human sacrifices, body mutilations, and disappearances fill the pages of our newspapers almost daily. The killers, driven by greed, desperation, and a twisted belief in supernatural wealth acquisition, have turned human life into a mere commodity to be traded for money and power.

The sad truth is that Nigeria has become a breeding ground for ritualistic killings, with victims spanning across all demographics, children, young women, students, and even elderly people. Many of these murders are fueled by the insatiable quest for instant wealth, often encouraged by fraudulent clerics, self-styled prophets, and traditionalists who prey on the gullibility and desperation of their followers.

The shocking aspect of Adedamola’s case is the involvement of a church. This gruesome act reaffirms the painful reality that not all religious institutions are truly places of worship. Some have become mere fronts for criminal activities, engaging in fake miracles, extortions, and now, even murder. It is beyond tragic that those who should be offering hope and salvation are instead engineering destruction and death.

The belief that human sacrifice brings prosperity is not only archaic but also deeply dangerous. This age-old superstition, perpetuated by con artists masquerading as spiritual leaders, has no place in a modern society. The fact that many so-called men of God have been arrested in connection with ritual killings speaks volumes about the extent to which greed and deception have infiltrated religious institutions.

In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed an alarming surge in ritual-related killings. In 2022, the shocking case of the four teenagers in Abeokuta who murdered their female friend for ritual purposes shook the nation. Their reason? They had been told that using human parts for money rituals would make them wealthy. In the same year, a security guard in Ondo State was caught with a fresh human skull, allegedly obtained for ritual purposes.

The cycle of these crimes continues unchecked due to weak law enforcement, lack of swift judicial action, and, in some cases, complicity by authorities. Many ritualists operate with impunity, knowing that even if they are caught, they can bribe their way out of prosecution. Worse still, some high-profile individuals suspected of being involved in such heinous acts walk free due to their connections to influential people.

The persistence of ritual killings in Nigeria is not just a failure of law enforcement but also a reflection of a deeper societal problem. The desperation for wealth and the idolization of money at all costs have led many down dark and dangerous paths. Social media, with its glorification of sudden riches, has further fueled this craze, making the younger generation believe that anything, including human sacrifice, is a legitimate means to success.

Moreover, Nigeria’s harsh economic realities have pushed many into desperation. With unemployment at an all-time high and the cost of living soaring, people are increasingly willing to try anything to escape poverty, even if it means taking another person’s life. The failure of leadership to provide a conducive environment for economic growth has, in part, contributed to the normalization of such wickedness.

Given the foregoing, it is not abysmal to ask, “Where Do We Go from Here?” The foregoing question becomes more salient as it is not enough to mourn Adedamola’s tragic death; we must take deliberate action to prevent further occurrences. The Nigerian government and law enforcement agencies must treat ritual killings with the seriousness they deserve. This means ensuring that perpetrators are swiftly arrested, prosecuted, and given maximum punishment to serve as a deterrent.

Religious institutions must also be scrutinized. Not every so-called prophet or pastor is truly called by God. Many of them are simply charlatans who have weaponized spirituality for personal gain. Regulatory bodies overseeing religious establishments must be more proactive in investigating and shutting down churches and shrines involved in suspicious activities.

Education and public awareness are also crucial. Nigerians need to understand that there is no shortcut to wealth, and that ritual killings are not only criminal but also morally reprehensible. Schools, religious bodies, and media outlets should intensify campaigns against superstitious beliefs that encourage human sacrifice.

Furthermore, community vigilance must be heightened. People must be encouraged to report suspicious activities in their neighborhoods to authorities. The role of security agencies cannot be overstated—they must be empowered to carry out thorough investigations and bring perpetrators to justice without delay.

The death of Adedamola Quadri Ogunbode is a painful reminder of the darkness that has taken root in Nigeria. But we cannot afford to let his death be in vain. The perpetrators of this heinous act must be made to face the full wrath of the law. His family, friends, and the LASU community deserve justice, and the country must not let yet another case of ritual murder slip into oblivion.

In fact, the government, religious leaders, law enforcement agencies, and every well-meaning Nigerian must come together to fight this menace. If we continue to allow ritual killings to fester, we are not just losing individual lives, we are losing our collective humanity.

Adedamola had dreams. He had a future ahead of him. But his life was brutally stolen by a society that has failed to protect its own. Now is the time to take a stand. Now is the time to say, ‘Enough is enough!’

May his soul rest in peace, and may Nigeria finally wake up to the horror of ritual killings before it consumes us all.

Super Eagles head coach, Éric Sékou Chelle, has included Kano Pillars forward Ahmed Musa in his provisional squad for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. This marks Musa’s return to the national team for the first time since the AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire.

Musa headlines the 39-man provisional list released by the new head coach yesterday. Genk striker Tolu Arokodare also makes the cut, following his impressive tally of 15 goals in the Belgian Jupiler League this season.

Among the fresh faces in Chelle’s provisional squad are Anthony Dennis (FC Göztepe), Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes), and Slavia Prague’s Igoh Ogbu.

The squad sees the return of Kayode Bankole, the Remo Stars goalkeeper, and Southampton forward Paul Onuachu, as Nigeria aims to rekindle their hopes of qualification.

The provisional list includes prominent players such as captain William Ekong, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, Stanley Nwabali, Adeleye Adebayo, Calvin Bassey, Olaoluwa Aina, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Simon Moses.

Further inclusions comprise goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Zaidu Sanusi, midfielders Frank Onyeka and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, as well as forwards Samuel Chukwueze and Sadiq Umar.

Defenders Igoh Ogbu and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, midfielders Anthony Dennis, Chrisantus Uche, and Papa Daniel Mustapha, along with forwards Tolu Arokodare and Jerome Akor Adams, have received their first call-ups. Additionally, home-based goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, defender Jordan Torunarigha, midfielder Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, and forwards Cyriel Dessers and Nathan Tella could make a return if they are included in the final squad of 23 players.

Nigeria currently sits fifth in Group C, trailing behind Rwanda, South Africa, Benin Republic, and Lesotho. The Super Eagles will first face group leaders Amavubi of Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, 21st March, before squaring off against Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo four days later.

[Leadership]