Live Feed

USDC issuer Circle has forged its first partnership in the African market, collaborating with the fintech division of Nvidia-backed Cassava Technologies, Bloomberg reported. The partnership will allow users of the remittance application operated by Cassava's Sasai Fintech to use Circle's USDC for domestic and cross-border payments. This service is currently available in 30 markets across the continent. Bloomberg noted that Africa is considered a region with growing demand for stablecoins, driven by its fast-growing young population and high technology adoption, which in turn fuels the need for lower remittance costs and more efficient trade settlements. The report added that stablecoins are also used as a hedge against currency devaluation and U.S. dollar liquidity shortages. It also mentioned that recent geopolitical risks in the Middle East have increased demand for stablecoins, expanding the total market size to around $316 billion.

The on-chain average purchase price, or realized price, for Bitcoin investors from 2023 is serving as a strong support level, CoinDesk reported. According to the report, this cohort's realized price is approximately $63,700, a level that acted as a floor when BTC dropped to $60,000 in early February. This behavior is similar to previous cycles. At the beginning of the 2023 bull run, Bitcoin experienced several distinct corrections, and the average realized price repeatedly acted as a support level during those periods. For Bitcoin's entire history, the all-time investor realized price is approximately $54,360. Consequently, if BTC breaks below the $60,000 mark, the area around $54,000 could become the next major support zone, the analysis concluded.

BlackRock has deposited 7,552 ETH, worth $16.31 million, into Coinbase Prime, according to Arkham. Coinbase Prime is a prime brokerage platform that facilitates large-scale trading and custody services for institutional investors.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has started developing a security token trading platform in collaboration with security token firm Securitize, The Wall Street Journal reported today. According to the report, Securitize will help the NYSE create digital token versions of stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on a blockchain, the technology that underpins Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The platform is planned to offer 24/7 trading with instant settlement for transactions and may also allow stablecoins to be used for funding trades.

On-chain signals suggest a potential rebound for XRP, as network activity on the Ripple-led XRP Ledger (XRPL) is showing a rapid recovery, according to an analysis by U.Today. From a technical standpoint, XRP remains in a downtrend, having traded below its key 50, 100, and 200-day exponential moving averages (EMAs) for several months, which have acted as overhead resistance. However, selling pressure has recently eased, with the sharp sell-off slowing and a structure of higher lows forming. This shift is mirrored in network metrics, where the number of XRP Ledger transactions has approximately doubled in 24 hours. This increased activity could indicate a rise in real-world demand or a resumption of speculative capital inflows, rather than just market volatility.

Global asset manager Invesco, which oversees $2.2 trillion, is entering the tokenized treasury market, CoinDesk reported. The firm will take over the management of crypto asset manager Superstate's $900 million tokenized treasury fund, USTB, marking a deeper push into blockchain-based finance. Following Invesco's involvement, the USTB fund will be renamed the 'Invesco Short Duration US Government Securities Fund' but will retain its ticker. Invesco's global liquidity team, which manages over $200 billion in short-term assets, will lead the fund's investment decisions.

While Bitcoin has continued to rebound amid geopolitical uncertainty, it must secure a position above $75,000 to transition into a full-fledged bull market, according to an analysis by CoinDesk. The publication noted that Bitcoin temporarily recovered the $71,000 mark after President Donald Trump delayed the bombing of an Iranian power plant by five days, creating expectations for negotiations. Geopolitical tensions later escalated again after Iran denied the negotiations and Israel continued its military actions. Despite this, BTC has maintained its upward momentum, rising approximately 4.5% yesterday. Major altcoins such as ETH, XRP, and SOL also posted gains. The analysis highlights that the market views the $75,000 level as a crucial pivot point, as this range has historically acted as a reversal zone and is a concentration of major Fibonacci retracement levels and technical resistance.

An analysis based on Elliott Wave theory suggests that XRP has a high probability of falling to $0.87 if it fails to break through the $1.65 resistance level. Crypto analyst Casi, who has approximately 32,000 followers on X, stated that traders should not be misled by XRP's recent rebound. According to the analysis, the range-bound trendline that held for the past few weeks has been broken to the downside and is now acting as resistance. On the 15-minute chart, the recent upward movement appears to be a wave two rebound. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) also shows a clear uptrend, and as long as this trendline holds, the rebound may continue. However, an immediate break could initiate the next downward wave. Casi explained that while the scenario would change if XRP could breach and hold the $1.65 resistance, a drop to $0.87 is currently more likely.

Siren (SIREN), an AI agent project on the BNB Chain, plummeted by 70% in a single day following warnings from on-chain analysts about centralization risks, Cointelegraph reported. According to CoinGecko data, SIREN fell from a high of $2.56 to a low of $0.79, a drop of approximately 69.1%, and is currently trading around $1. The media outlet explained that the sharp decline began after the token's recent surge since March 22 prompted on-chain analyst EmberCN and blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps to raise concerns that a small number of wallets control a significant portion of the token supply. EmberCN noted the possibility that a single address could be monopolizing the SIREN supply to profit from the derivatives market, suggesting that approximately 644 million SIREN, or 88% of the total circulating supply, might be under the control of one wallet. Bubblemaps also analyzed that over 200 SIREN addresses, which received funding from PancakeSwap, were found to have split their holdings across multiple wallets. These addresses alone are estimated to hold about 50% of the total circulating supply.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a national energy emergency, CCTV reported.

Crypto market maker Wintermute noted in a weekly report that macroeconomic developments over the next five days will be crucial for Bitcoin's continued rebound. The analysis follows U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to delay an airstrike on an Iranian power plant by five days, signaling a willingness to negotiate an end to the war. Wintermute stated that this move helped restore risk-on sentiment, allowing BTC to reclaim the $70,000 level. However, the firm cautioned that the Federal Reserve's 'higher for longer' interest rate policy continues to weigh on Bitcoin. According to the report, if there are improvements in the logistics situation in the Strait of Hormuz or if Iran signals a willingness to negotiate, BTC could re-challenge the $74,000-$76,000 resistance zone. Conversely, a breakdown in talks or continued maritime transport restrictions would likely heighten oil price risks, potentially sending BTC to retest its support in the mid-$60,000 range.

On-chain analyst EmberCN has identified a massive influx of Bitlayer (BTR) tokens onto the South Korean exchange Bithumb as the primary driver behind the token's recent price collapse. According to the analyst, BTR's price plummeted 80% yesterday, falling from $0.2 to approximately $0.04. EmberCN noted that during the 24 hours following the start of the decline, 140 million BTR—equivalent to 41% of the token's total circulating supply—were transferred to Bithumb, concentrating sell-side pressure on the platform. According to CoinMarketCap, BTR is currently trading at $0.04158, down 70.9%.

European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board member Piero Cipollone has stated that tokenized central bank money must serve as public payment infrastructure for Europe's tokenized financial market to expand. According to Cointelegraph, Cipollone warned in a speech in Brussels that without a payment method based on central bank digital currency, sellers of tokenized securities could be forced to accept payment in assets exposed to price volatility or credit risk, hindering market expansion. The ECB is currently planning to support central bank money-based settlements by connecting market DLT platforms with its existing TARGET payment service through the Eurosystem's Pontes project. The project is slated for launch in the third quarter of this year.

Bitcoin has outperformed gold and the S&P 500 index since the start of the Middle East war, which was triggered by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to an analysis by Bitcoin exchange River Financial, as reported by The Crypto Basic. River Financial noted that since the war began on Feb. 28, Bitcoin has risen approximately 12%, while gold has fallen 16% and the S&P 500 has dropped 4%. The exchange explained that Bitcoin has previously shown resilience by outperforming gold and the S&P 500 after a recovery period following several major macroeconomic crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. "This suggests that Bitcoin is establishing itself as a risk-hedging instrument," the firm added.

Crypto analyst Ali Martinez noted that in the past, when Cardano (ADA) has fallen to the $0.25 level, it has been followed by rallies of 85% and 200%, respectively. In a post to his 164,000 followers on X, Martinez shared a weekly chart indicating that after ADA dipped below $0.25 in 2022 and 2023, it subsequently rose by 85.11% and 200.54% from those lows. According to CoinMarketCap, ADA is currently trading at $0.2648, up 6.63%.

Crypto market-making firm Flowdesk deposited 6,088 ETH ($13.12 million) and 1.62 million LINK ($14.82 million) to Binance nine hours ago, The Data Nerd reported. Deposits to exchanges are typically viewed as a precursor to selling.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are accelerating preparations to actively participate in a potential war with Iran as the widening Middle East conflict poses a direct threat to their economies, The Times of Israel reported. Citing The Wall Street Journal, the outlet noted that both nations have adopted a more active stance since allowing the U.S. military to use airbases within their territories. A decision by Saudi Arabia to intervene is now just a matter of time, according to a source. However, the report added that the Gulf states have not yet launched a direct attack on Iran, as their leaders are extremely concerned about triggering a larger, uncontrollable war.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to return approximately $470,000 in Tether (USDT) to the victims of a cryptocurrency investment scam, The Daily Hodl reported. The funds were seized during an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the report, two victims were defrauded of over $800,000 in 2022 after being tricked into sending their cryptocurrency to a scammer. The FBI subsequently tracked and seized about $477,000 in USDT, which was identified as criminal proceeds linked to money laundering. A federal court has approved the forfeiture of the funds, and the recovered assets are now scheduled to be returned to the victims.

South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb has filed an administrative lawsuit to challenge sanctions imposed by the country's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), News1 reported. According to industry sources on March 24, Bithumb hired the law firm Bae, Kim & Lee and filed a suit with the Seoul Administrative Court yesterday to overturn a partial business suspension. The exchange also requested a stay of execution. If the court grants the stay, the suspension, which is scheduled to begin on March 27, will be paused until a final verdict is reached in the main case. The FIU previously imposed a six-month partial business suspension and a 36.8 billion won (approx. $27.5 million) fine on Bithumb for violations of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information.

The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council recently issued new regulations on maintaining integrity for executives of state-owned enterprises. The rules explicitly prohibit executives from using their authority or the influence of their positions to pursue personal gain. The list of prohibited items that executives may not accept now specifies gifts, money, and virtual assets, including cryptocurrency.

Vander Straeten, CEO of Cryptofinance, said at a recent event that it will take at least five to 10 years for traditional financial institutions to adopt decentralized finance (DeFi). He explained that large financial institutions are inevitably cautious about entering new markets before regulatory clarity is established, a structural constraint likely to perpetuate the innovation gap with crypto platforms. Straeten added that younger investors find it difficult to accept the existing system of waiting two days for stock sale settlements and are looking for an environment that allows for immediate reinvestment. While the regulatory landscape is changing rapidly, he noted, major financial institutions will not enter the market without clear rules.

Strategy CEO Phong Le has purchased $250,000 worth of the company's perpetual preferred stock (STRC), BitcoinTreasuries reported. The move follows a previous announcement that Strategy had significantly expanded its at-the-market (ATM) equity offering program to raise up to $44.1 billion. While the latest announcement did not mention any plans to buy Bitcoin, Strategy has historically used various stock sale programs to fund its BTC acquisitions.

Passing South Korea's Digital Asset Basic Act, which includes stablecoin regulations, is unlikely in the first half of this year, Edaily reported. The legislation, a national agenda item, has reportedly been deprioritized in favor of addressing the war in Iran and preparing for local elections. The ruling Democratic Party has not included the bill on the agenda for the National Assembly's National Policy Committee subcommittee meetings scheduled for March 31 and for another session next month. Kang Jun-hyeon, the ruling party's secretary for the committee, told the outlet that it would be physically difficult to table and discuss the act during these sessions. He also stated that no dates have been set for meetings of the digital asset task force or for party-government consultations on the matter.

CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn said on X that 703 days have passed since the last Bitcoin halving. He noted that historically, a market bottom has started to form around the 777-day mark post-halving, suggesting that a bottom could be approximately two months away.

Bybit announced it has delisted the ALGO/BTC spot trading pair.