83K BTC, WLFI’s Investment in AVAX and MNT, VanEck Files for First AVAX ETF, Gold ETF Inflows Overtake Bitcoin ETFs: Mar 17

As of March 16, 2025, Bitcoin is trading at approximately $83,327.03, reflecting a 1.4% increase over the past 24 hours. Ethereum is priced around $1,906.69, up 0.99% in the same period. Crypto markets face major shifts as technical moves and political decisions drive new strategies. 

On March 7, 2025, at 3:10 AM UTC, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile. Bitcoin traded at $83,327.03 on March 16, 2025 with an increase of $721.24. This article examines key events that drive the crypto and asset markets. The analysis covers Bitcoin price swings, social sentiment and World Liberty Financial's portfolio expansion. VanEck's filing for an AVAX ETF and the trend of gold ETFs overtaking bitcoin ETFs in assets under management are also covered. Technical data and full dates on March 16, 2025 provide precise insight into market trends. Investors gain a factual view of market sentiment and strategic moves.

 Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: Alternative.me 

The Fear and Greed Index has increased to 32, still indicating a fearful market sentiment. Bitcoin has remained below the $100,000 mark, experiencing limited whale accumulation and low volatility. 

• WLFI’s Invests in AVAX and MNT

• VanEck Files for First AVAX ETF

• Gold ETF Inflows Overtake Bitcoin ETFs

Trade now on KuCoin

Source: TradingView

Bitcoin traded at $83,327.03 on March 16, 2025 with an increase of $721.24. The market felt intense fear when the price dropped to $78,000. Moreover the price recovered to around $85,000 despite widespread pessimism. Data from Santiment on March 15, 2025 shows that $70,000 per coin marks strong fear while $100,000 signals high optimism. Social media discussions placed price predictions in the $10,000 to $69,000 range before the surge. Furthermore when many expected the price to hit six digits the market corrected sharply. Data indicates that February 20, 2025 and February 21, 2025 were ideal for selling while February 27, 2025 and February 28, 2025 along with March 10, 2025 were good for entering long positions.

Read more: Trump Orders Creation of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund: Could Bitcoin Play a Role?

Source: Arkham

World Liberty Financial is a crypto project linked to the Trump family. On March 16, 2025 the project invested $4 million in Avalanche and Mantle. The firm spent $2 million USDT to buy 103911 AVAX at an average price of $19.25 per token. It spent another $2 million USDT to purchase 2450000 MNT at about $0.81 per token. Moreover the total crypto portfolio now exceeds $340 million across 11 assets. These include Ethereum (ETH) Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Tron (TRX), Chainlink (LINK), Aave (AAVE), Ethena (ENA), Movement (MOVE), Ondo (ONDO) and SEI. Analysts suggest the purchases may be part of a broader token swap arrangement. Furthermore crypto researcher EmberCN explained, “There are actually many tokens that ‘support’ World Liberty Financial. That is, the project party subscribes to WLFI and then the WLFI investment portfolio purchases the project’s tokens,” which sheds light on reciprocal investment ties. Data shows WLFI now faces an unrealized loss of $118 million with Ethereum alone accounting for an $88 million deficit. The project also denied reports of a partnership with Binance and called the claims politically motivated. In response WLFI stated

“To set the facts straight: World Liberty Financial is a DeFi project with a tremendous mission to build and democratize a new financial system for the benefit of millions. It is as simple as that. We are proud to partner with many of the leading protocols and organizations advancing the blockchain industry,” and it recently raised $590 million in a token sale.

Source: X

VanEck seeks approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch an AVAX exchange traded fund. The firm filed for the VanEck Avalanche ETF in Delaware on March 14, 2025. The registration states, “The Trust's investment objective is to reflect the performance of the price of 'AVAX' the native token of the Avalanche network less the expenses of the Trust's operations,” and this is believed to be the first AVAX ETF. Moreover Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart remarked on X “Notably -- the trust registration was shared widely on this earlier this week but this is the first actual filing with the SEC.” Other firms are also seeking SEC approval for crypto ETFs that track SOL XRP DOGE and LTC. Furthermore the SEC approved spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024 and spot Ethereum ETFs in July. The agency has recently reversed controversial crypto accounting guidance, dropped enforcement actions, created a crypto task force and issued a memecoin statement.

BTC Flow Source: Farside Investors

Gold ETFs have overtaken bitcoin ETFs in assets under management as investors look for safe havens. Bitcoin has dropped 19% over three months while gold has risen 12.5%. Moreover bitcoin ETFs lost $3.8 billion in outflows since February 24, 2025. Gold ETFs recorded their largest monthly inflows since March 2022. Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas stated on social media that gold ETFs have “reclaimed the asset crown over bitcoin ETFs.” Spot bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. surpassed gold ETFs in December 2024 after the crypto market surged following Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential elections. Furthermore gold prices broke the $3000 per ounce mark on Friday, March 21, 2025 and gold futures for April delivery also surpassed that level. Market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty drive the demand for gold.

Read more: What Is a Bitcoin ATM and How to Use it? 

The crypto and asset markets remain in constant motion. Bitcoin price data and social sentiment show that fear and optimism drive market behavior. Moreover World Liberty Financial continues its strategic expansion despite challenges. Furthermore VanEck moves forward with the first AVAX ETF filing and gold ETFs now lead in assets under management. Detailed data and technical insight help investors stay alert and make informed decisions