Big app update. Also: bitcoin moved opposite stocks.
gm. Two things happened this week. First, we shipped the biggest Higher update yet. New UI. Live news feed. Real-time comments. Passkey login. Plus a long list of smaller improvements across the app. Update if you haven't yet. This is the build to be on.
Second, something unusual happened in markets. Stocks dropped to their lowest level of 2026. Bitcoin moved the other direction. Not a huge move. But the divergence is interesting.
Market in 60 Seconds
Bitcoin bounced while stocks fell
BTC dropped to $60k a couple weeks ago. Now it's back above $70k. About an 18% move. That part is normal. The unusual part is the timing. The S&P 500 moved the opposite direction and hit its lowest level of 2026.
So what: Bitcoin and stocks usually move together. If that starts changing during market shocks, people will notice.
Oil is still the wildcard
Oil moved from about $119 down to $81. Then back above $95. Middle East tensions. Shipping disruptions. Then hints of diplomacy. Nobody really knows how this resolves yet.
So what: When oil stays high, costs rise everywhere. That pressures the Fed, which pressures everything else.
The Fed speaks this week
March 18 and 19 could be the biggest market moment this month. Jerome Powell has to talk about rates while oil is volatile and economic signals are mixed. There's no clean answer here.
So what: One sentence can move the whole market.
Altcoins are quiet
Bitcoin is doing the work. Most smaller coins haven't bounced like BTC. Activity is still concentrated in bitcoin. Historically that can happen during slower market periods.
So what: Meme season usually starts when smaller coins wake up again. We're not seeing that yet.
What Dropped in Higher This Week
The app looks different
We rebuilt the UI on iOS 26. New bottom tab bar. Smoother animations. Glass style popups. It feels like a complete app now.
TLDR: Open it once and you'll notice.
News is now inside the app
A new news feed pulls from accounts actually worth following and sends push alerts when things start moving.
TLDR: News, price, and trading in one place.
It's more social now
Likes and comments update in real time. React to comments with emojis. Tag coins or users in a post and their card opens instantly. The feed feels a lot more active.
TLDR: Higher isn't just charts anymore.
No more passwords
You can log in with Face ID using passkeys. No passwords. No typing.
TLDR: Open the app and you're in.
Also fixed
A bunch of smaller improvements across the app. PnL colors now show correctly. Holdings percentages reflect real gains, not the 24h change. Charts load without flickering. The feed scrolls smoothly. Swiping down closes modals. Nothing dramatic. Just cleaner.
Also: we refreshed the site. New look, clearer info, and a better overview of what Higher actually is. Worth a look → higher.money
Know someone who trades meme coins and complains about every app? Send them this.