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U.S. investment bank TD Cowen has analyzed that Congress may be moving toward a permanent ban on issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). According to The Block, the bank noted that while this could benefit stablecoin issuers, it may also create another obstacle to passing the crypto market structure bill (CLARITY). TD Cowen expects a provision banning a CBDC to be included in a housing bill that will be submitted to President Donald Trump next month, adding that this ban is more likely to be permanent than temporary.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that ten deactivated minelaying vessels have been struck and completely destroyed, adding that further strikes will follow. The action follows a previous warning from the president that Iran would face unprecedented military consequences if it laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz and failed to remove them immediately.

Multicoin Capital predicts that the next-generation cryptocurrency market will evolve from a model of direct token purchases to one of "internet labor markets," where users earn crypto by contributing work, CoinDesk reported. Shayon Sengupta, an investment partner at Multicoin, explained that while crypto has traditionally been about buying and trading, the future market could be driven by earning tokens instead. He added that this transition from speculation to income generation is the core of the concept, where users would provide work or resources to decentralized networks in exchange for token rewards.

An Ohio court has denied a request from Kalshi for a preliminary injunction to block the enforcement of a state law regulating sports betting. According to The Block, Kalshi had previously filed the injunction, arguing that its event contracts are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The company contended that its right to operate as a federally regulated prediction market supersedes state-level sports betting regulations. Kalshi said it plans to appeal the court's decision.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed mixed today. - S&P 500: -0.21% - Nasdaq: +0.01% - Dow Jones: -0.07%

Wells Fargo has reportedly applied for a trademark registration for "WFUSD" related to cryptocurrency and digital asset services, Unfolded reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran will face military consequences on an unprecedented scale if it lays mines in the Strait of Hormuz and does not immediately remove them, Walter Bloomberg reported. There are currently no official reports that Iran has actually laid any mines.

A significant number of respondents in an American Bankers Association (ABA) survey believe stablecoin legislation should be handled with extreme caution if it threatens to undermine the traditional financial system, CoinDesk reported. Respondents supported a congressional ban on stablecoins by a three-to-one margin if the payment of rewards on such assets risks reducing the volume of bank deposits. Notably, one-sixth of those surveyed argued that community banks, which support local economic activity, must be protected and that no measures should be taken that could weaken them.

The maximum payout for the Ethereum Foundation's bug bounty program has been increased from $250,000 to $1 million, Fredrik Svantes, the foundation's Head of Protocol Security, announced on X.

China's Supreme People's Court has warned it will impose stronger punishments on individuals and organizations using cryptocurrency for money laundering and illegal cross-border fund transfers. According to DL News, Zhang Jun, President of the Supreme People's Court, submitted the court's annual work report to the National People's Congress. He emphasized that while technological innovation is encouraged, its applications must remain within the legal framework. Zhang added that the court will promote the standardized development of artificial intelligence (AI) while clearly defining the acceptable margin for error in technological innovation.

According to CoinNess market monitoring, BTC has fallen below $70,000. BTC is trading at $69,995.51 on the Binance USDT market.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that oil prices will fall once national security options regarding Iran are achieved, Walter Bloomberg reported. She added that President Donald Trump and the Department of Energy are closely monitoring market conditions and preparing further responses. Leavitt also noted that the president is not afraid to use additional options in the energy sector and is confident in achieving the administration's goals quickly.

The U.S. has asked Israel to stop attacking Iranian energy infrastructure, Walter Bloomberg reported, citing Axios. This marks the first time the U.S. has moved to restrain Israeli actions since the two countries began joint operations. The U.S. is reportedly concerned about potential civilian casualties, the possibility of post-war cooperation with Iran's oil sector, and disruptions to the global energy market.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins announced that the agency is pursuing a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to strengthen inter-agency cooperation on cryptocurrency regulation. According to CoinDesk, the MOU is expected to include joint meetings on financial product applications, rule interpretation, enforcement decisions, and investigations into regulated firms. In a conference speech, Atkins described the SEC and CFTC as sister agencies that will regulate most crypto activity in the U.S. He added that while the two have competed for regulatory authority over crypto in the past, they will now formalize their cooperation through the MOU.

An anonymous whale address starting with 0x8E34 withdrew 44,800 ETH, worth approximately $92.97 million, from Kraken about an hour ago, Lookonchain reported.

Prominent investor and Chairman of the Digital Asset Council, Ric Edelman, has warned that the debate over allowing interest payments on stablecoins threatens the progress of the crypto market structure bill, known as the Clarity Act. He projected that banks are likely to win this dispute. Edelman argued that the crypto industry should compromise rather than risk losing regulatory clarity altogether, warning that the bill could become deadlocked if not passed before the midterm elections. Meanwhile, he dismissed concerns that quantum computers pose a threat to Bitcoin. He suggested that even if quantum computers emerge, attackers would first target larger financial systems or infrastructure rather than Bitcoin. Edelman advised investors to allocate up to 40% of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies, emphasizing a focus on major assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

Bitcoin mining firm Canaan increased its BTC and ETH holdings to an all-time high in February, Cointelegraph reported. The move comes as other publicly listed mining companies have sold more than 15,000 BTC since October of last year amid falling Bitcoin prices. As of February, Canaan held 1,793 BTC and 3,952 ETH.

The Ethereum Foundation is testing a new validator operation method that could significantly simplify staking infrastructure for institutions holding large amounts of ETH, CoinDesk reported. Vitalik Buterin revealed that the foundation is conducting an experiment to stake 72,000 ETH using "DVT-Lite," a simplified version of Distributed Validator Technology (DVT). The goal is to reduce this process to nearly a "one-click" setup. Buterin stated that he hopes to decentralize the ETH staking infrastructure, which is currently concentrated among a few specialized firms, by distributing it to more operators.

Whale Alert reported that 250 million USDC has been minted at the USDC Treasury.

Solana ETFs are primarily driven by institutional demand, whereas XRP ETFs are favored by retail investors, according to a report from Bloomberg Intelligence analysts James Seyffart and Sharoon Francis. The report shows that as of Dec. 31 of last year, institutions required to file 13F reports, such as hedge funds, accounted for 49% of holdings in U.S. Solana ETFs. In contrast, institutional ownership in XRP ETFs was only about 16%.

Whale Alert reported that 250 million USDC has been minted at the USDC Treasury.

The 24-hour trading volume for crude oil perpetual futures on Hyperliquid has reached approximately $1.4 billion, ranking second only to Bitcoin's $3.5 billion and significantly outpacing Ethereum's $900 million, Decrypt reported. Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, $56 million in crude oil positions were liquidated over the same period, the second-highest amount after Bitcoin. Marcin Kazmierczak, co-founder of oracle provider RedStone, pointed to Hyperliquid's permissionless market program, HIP-3, as a key driver of the platform's growth. Open interest in these permissionless markets recently hit an all-time high of $1.2 billion. Of the top 30 markets, only seven are crypto pairs, with the remainder consisting of commodities and stocks such as crude oil, gold, silver, and the S&P 500.

At the American Bankers Association (ABA) Summit in Washington, Senator Angela Alsobrooks said some compromise will be inevitable to pass the crypto market structure legislation known as the Clarity Act, according to Eleanor Terrett, host of 'Crypto in America.' The senator stated that perfection should not be the enemy of the good in getting the bill passed, frankly admitting that all parties involved would likely leave the negotiating table somewhat dissatisfied. Alsobrooks said she believes the compromise she has been working on with Representative Tom Tillis is designed to prevent deposit flight while simultaneously supporting innovation.

Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, is set to impose a temporary Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS). The move comes as a surge in oil prices, triggered by the war in Iran, drives up shipping costs. Higher global supply chain costs could reignite inflation concerns, potentially placing additional pressure on risk-asset markets, including cryptocurrencies.

xStocks, a tokenized stock platform with ties to Kraken, plans to launch its xPoints rewards program for traders, liquidity providers, and DeFi builders who use its on-chain stock tokens, CoinDesk reported. The points may eventually be convertible into ecosystem rewards, such as governance tokens. CoinDesk noted that while xStocks has not officially announced plans for a token, the program could serve as a precursor to a potential launch.