Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing, your essential roundup of the latest developments in crypto and markets.

Wall Street strategist Tom Lee of Fundstrat Global Advisors has a contrarian take: despite February’s volatility and rising geopolitical tensions, March could mark a decisive rebound for equities and crypto. Lee argues that markets are still reacting to headlines rather than fundamentals, and historical patterns suggest resilience tends to follow peak fear.

Markets May Have Priced in Fear

Lee notes that equities often bottom when uncertainty peaks. While Middle East tensions and oil volatility have rattled investors, he sees no structural deterioration in the US economy. February’s drawdown, according to Lee, reflected sentiment more than systemic stress, setting the stage for a potential March rebound.

Oil Shock Not a Recession Signal

Rising crude prices remain a concern, but Lee emphasizes that oil shocks historically trigger recessions only when growth is already fragile. He expects the spike to act as a temporary price shock rather than a fundamental downturn. A dovish stance by the Federal Reserve, should energy-driven volatility slow activity, could provide support for risk assets.

Crypto in the “Final Stages” of Bottoming

Extending his thesis to digital assets, Lee believes crypto markets, including Ethereum, are in the final stages of bottoming. Tokenization activity and the gradual rollout of tokenized funds point to strengthening fundamentals beneath the surface. Price divergence from development trends may be temporary, with eventual upside likely as capital rotates back from traditional hard assets.

Growth Concerns May Be Overstated

Despite widening credit spreads and private credit stress, Lee remains unconvinced that a broad growth scare is imminent. Indicators such as trucking rejection rates suggest the economy may be stabilizing rather than contracting, implying that February’s volatility was largely driven by elevated risk premiums.

Key Charts & Pre-Market Snapshot

• S&P 500 remained relatively stable in late February even as the VIX spiked, indicating investor anxiety exceeded actual market losses.
• Crypto Equities Pre-Market Overview (March 2):
  • Strategy (MSTR): $132.77 (-3.55%)
  • Coinbase (COIN): $177.99 (-3.91%)
  • Galaxy Digital (GLXY): $20.65 (-4.97%)
  • MARA Holdings (MARA): $9.03 (-4.44%)
  • Riot Platforms (RIOT): $15.86 (-3.47%)
  • Core Scientific (CORZ): $15.99 (-3.03%)

Byte-Sized Highlights:

• Core Scientific colocation revenue surges 268% amid mixed Q4 results.
• Iranian crypto exchanges report $10M in outflows as geopolitical tensions rise.
• Credit markets flash warning signs with potential spillover into crypto.
• Historical perspective: $1,000 invested in Bitcoin in 2010 is now worth millions.
• Crypto outlook: Three reasons Bitcoin could enter a multi-month medium-term uptrend.
• PMI stays above 50—altcoin season could be emerging in 2026.