XRP Records 8-Year Q1 Low: Can It Be Bottom? 32.86 Billion Shiba Inu (SHIB) Goes Offline on OKX, Bitcoin Mogul Michael Saylor Signals New Billion-Dollar BTC Push With ‘Laser Eyes’ — Morning Crypto Report

TL;DR

• XRP bottom? XRP closed Q1 with a -27.3% return, its weakest since 2018, despite being officially classified as a digital commodity.
• Shiba Inu liquidity: OKX moved 32.86 billion SHIB to cold storage, signaling a shift to long-term security and reducing immediate sell pressure.
• Saylor’s “laser eyes”: Michael Saylor signals a new $44 billion Bitcoin acquisition phase as Strategy’s holdings hit 762,099 BTC.
• Market risk: Investors eye the $2.2 billion FTX creditor distribution on March 31 and U.S. jobs data on April 3 as key volatility triggers.

XRP sees worst Q1 since 2018 despite official recognition as commodity

XRP closes Q1, 2024, with a return of -27.3%, according to CryptoRank data. This is the weakest first quarter performance since 2018 — despite a brief spike to $2.42 in early January, XRP price declined consistently over three consecutive months. At the moment, XRP is trading around $1.35.

March became a cooling period for institutional investors. After the launch of spot XRP ETFs in late 2025 and initial inflows exceeding $1.3 billion, March recorded net outflows. On March 27 alone, investors withdrew around $2.66 million from funds.

Is this the bottom? Opinions diverge. Technical analysts see a 2017 fractal in the current chart, suggesting the present zone is an accumulation phase before a move toward $4 to $9 for XRP this year. The bearish scenario states that if $1.27 fails, the next target is $1.11, and in case of a broader market downturn, a return to $0.60.

The news backdrop is more positive. On March 17, 2026, a landmark event occurred. SEC and CFTC officially classified XRP as a digital commodity, placing it on equal legal footing with Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Despite the price decline, Ripple continues expansion. The company received approval from the Australian regulator to use the AUDD stablecoin on XRP Ledger and is actively promoting the solution in Latin America.

April has historically been a recovery month for XRP. If price holds in the coming days, it may confirm the end of correction and readiness for a move toward $2.

OKX moves large SHIB batch to cold storage

In other news this morning, over the past 24 hours, OKX carried out a major internal asset transfer. Around 32.86 billion Shiba Inu tokens were moved from the exchange hot wallet to cold storage, according to Arkham.

This type of transfer is a standard security procedure where exchanges move excess liquidity from network-connected wallets into offline storage. Still, when tokens move into cold storage, it usually indicates they are not intended for immediate sale, which can be interpreted as a moderately bullish signal since active exchange supply decreases.

At present, SHIB price is consolidating around $0.000006 per token. The market shows caution despite whale activity.

Overall, the transfer of 32.886 billion SHIB is internal operational activity by OKX, not a sign of panic or mass withdrawal from the market, but rather confirmation of the current status quo. The exchange continues optimizing storage of its reserves amid stable network fees and low volatility.

Why Michael Saylor brought back laser eyes meme on March 29

The final news item comes from Michael Saylor, the founder and executive chairman of Strategy, who posted on social media that it is time to turn laser eyes back on. In crypto culture, this gesture is a strong bullish signal symbolizing unwavering confidence in Bitcoin growth.

Earlier this week, Strategy purchased 1,031 BTC worth about $76.6 million. Over March, the company acquired nearly 45,000 BTC, marking the fastest monthly accumulation pace in a long time. As of the end of March, Strategy holds 762,099 BTC, valued at around $51 billion with an average purchase price of $75,699 per Bitcoin.

Saylor’s post came as Bitcoin trades in the $60,000 to $70,000 range under pressure from macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. Saylor effectively remains the only major corporate buyer.

With continued expansion plans totaling $44 billion for further Bitcoin purchases, the signal is interpreted not as a meme but as a precursor to another large acquisition phase.

Crypto market outlook: FTX distributions and macro pressure on Bitcoin

Sentiment remains cautious. Investors balance between major industry events in Europe and strong macroeconomic pressure from the United States. The main focus is holding the psychological $65,000 level for BTC.

Key events and levels:

• March 31: FTX factor. Scheduled distribution of $2.2 billion to creditors. This is a major potential sell pressure driver on the open market.
• April 3: Non-Farm Payrolls release in the U.S. If data comes in overheated, the dollar strengthens and crypto may enter deeper correction.
• Bitcoin (BTC): Support at $65,000 is critical to hold. Resistance at $72,000 marks the zone for a return of a bullish trend.

The coming week will test the current cycle. If the market absorbs FTX distributions and labor data without breaking $65,000, consolidation follows. Otherwise, downside toward $55,000 to $58,000 remains the active scenario.