Over the weekend, cryptocurrency prices experienced a slight uptick as investors adopted a more optimistic outlook following Friday’s rally in the US stock market.
Bitcoin (BTC) remained stable above $84,000, and the overall market capitalization of cryptocurrencies exceeded $2.8 trillion.
This week, the crypto market will be influenced by two significant events: President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the Federal Reserve’s decisions regarding interest rates. Any indication of Trump softening his stance on tariffs or a more accommodating Fed could propel cryptocurrencies and other high-risk assets.
Key cryptocurrencies to keep an eye on this week include Binance Coin (BNB), Cronos (CRO), and ZetaChain (ZETA).
BNB
This week, BNB is expected to attract attention as developers prepare to activate the Pascal hard fork on March 20. This initiative is one of three updates scheduled for the first half of the year, aimed at introducing enhanced features, such as improved compatibility with Ethereum, native smart contract wallets, and heightened security.
The remaining updates will focus on boosting BNB Chain’s performance and security. This development comes as BSC Chain positions itself as a leading alternative to Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL)—two platforms faced with their own challenges, such as high fees and a reputation linked to meme coins, respectively.
Cronos
A critical vote regarding Cronos will conclude on March 17. This vote is pivotal in determining whether to establish the Cronos Strategic Reserve, which involves reversing a 70 billion token burn that took place in 2021.
If approved, the creation of 70 billion new tokens is intended to support the ecosystem. However, critics warn that this move could dilute the value for existing investors by increasing the overall supply.
Voting information reveals that 45.8% of participants are in favor of the proposal, while 44.4% are against it, with 9.27% abstaining. If this trend continues, the proposal may not pass due to insufficient turnout.
ZetaChain
ZetaChain is another cryptocurrency to monitor, particularly after its price plummeted to a record low of $0.2070, reflecting a more than 92% decrease from its peak, resulting in a market cap of $151 million.
The decline can be attributed partly to the total value locked within its ecosystem, which has fallen to $13 million from an all-time high nearing $20 million.
Additionally, ZetaChain’s high dilution is a factor, with a circulating supply of 731 million compared to a total supply of 2.1 billion.
This week, the network is set to unlock tokens worth over $6.6 million, which represents 4.29% of the total float. Such unlock events often lead to significant volatility in cryptocurrency markets.