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Illegally mined gold from the Amazon is being exchanged for USDT in Venezuela, according to a report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC). The report states that as the volume of illicit gold flowing into Venezuela increases, cryptocurrency is being used as a new strategy to evade sanctions. GI-TOC explained that given the growing use of crypto in these transactions, legislation aimed at addressing illegal gold mining and trade should also include provisions related to digital assets.

Bitmine (BNMR) just purchased an additional 30,000 ETH from FalconX, worth $61.89 million, according to Onchain Lens.

Web3 venture capital firm DNA Fund withdrew 11,067 ETH, worth $22.83 million, from Kraken four hours ago, according to Lookonchain. Withdrawals from exchanges are typically interpreted as a move to hold assets long-term.

The primary driver of Bitcoin's price volatility is shifting from macroeconomic indicators to geopolitical variables amid rising tensions in the Middle East, according to a new analysis. DL News reported that James Butterfill, Head of Research at CoinShares, said the influence of traditional macro data such as interest rate outlooks and employment figures has weakened, while geopolitical risk has emerged as a new key variable. He noted that the deepening conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran is acting as a bullish factor for Bitcoin, with investors choosing the asset as a hedge against geopolitical uncertainty. Since the U.S.-Iran conflict began, Bitcoin has risen approximately 6%, while gold has gained only about 1% and global stock markets have trended lower. Butterfill added that this is significant because it runs contrary to the typical behavior of risk assets.

An Iranian security chief has stated that the ongoing war will not end soon, Walter Bloomberg reported. The comment follows an earlier statement from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the war with Iran would be over shortly and that he could end it at any time if he chose to do so.

The price of ETH could fall to $1,500 in the second half of this year if the cryptocurrency bear market continues, according to on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant. The firm explained that while Ethereum's daily active addresses recently hit an all-time high, surpassing 2021 bull market levels, the price of ETH has dropped more than 50% from its cycle peak. This marks a departure from past trends, where increased network activity typically coincided with price appreciation. CryptoQuant highlighted a growing divergence between user growth and price movement, noting that even as smart contract-based activity from DeFi, stablecoins, and Layer 2 scaling pushes internal contract activity to record highs, a structural characteristic is emerging where this network growth fails to translate into a price increase.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to release a public proposal next week on how to apply the Basel III Accord's 1250% risk weight rule to American banks. Conor Brown, managing director of the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), noted on X that under the current Basel framework, Bitcoin is classified as a harmful asset and is subject to an exceptionally high 1250% risk weight. He explained that this figure is substantially higher than that for nearly all other assets, making it difficult for banks to provide financial services to Bitcoin investors and related businesses. Once the Fed's proposal is published, a 90-day feedback period will commence.

Sui announced on X that OpenZeppelin, an industry-standard smart contract library, has been integrated into the Sui ecosystem. OpenZeppelin will provide verified DeFi math primitives and access control features to the Move language-based environment.

The U.S. Senate has passed a housing-related bill with an overwhelming majority that includes a provision to ban the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), CoinDesk reported. However, the bill's passage in the House of Representatives remains uncertain. The provision would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC or a similar digital asset until at least the end of 2030. It also specifies that the Fed would be restricted from issuing a CBDC indirectly through financial institutions or intermediaries. Republican lawmakers have consistently opposed the introduction of a government-led digital dollar, and the U.S. is currently in the research phase for a potential CBDC.

Bitcoin mining software and services firm Luxor has analyzed in a new report that the direct impact of an oil price shock on mining costs is limited, though it noted that broader macroeconomic fallout is likely to pressure the industry. According to CoinDesk, Luxor stated that approximately 8–10% of the global Bitcoin hashrate operates in power markets with prices closely tied to crude oil. This activity is primarily concentrated in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Oman, where power grids are fueled by natural gas derived from oil production. The remaining 90% of miners operate in regions where electricity prices are determined by natural gas, coal, hydropower, or nuclear energy, meaning crude oil price fluctuations have little direct effect on their costs. However, Luxor added that if a geopolitical shock were to push oil prices above $100 per barrel, mining operations would be more affected by the resulting impact on the price of Bitcoin itself rather than by electricity rates.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced guidelines for prediction markets and proposed a new set of official rules. According to CoinDesk, the CFTC described prediction market operators as "proven sources that provide reliable information to news outlets, sports leagues, financial institutions, and ordinary Americans." The recommendations include methods by which Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) such as Kalshi, Coinbase, and Polymarket have received approval for their trading products from the regulator. The document specifies that these firms must only handle trading contracts that are not easily susceptible to manipulation. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig explained that the move marks the start of a new rulemaking process based on a reasonable and consistent interpretation of the Commodity Exchange Act. He added that it would also assure Americans that the CFTC will exercise exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets. However, the implementation of the rules is expected to take several months. The CFTC is currently gathering public feedback on the proposed direction.

Liquid restaking platform Puffer Finance (PUFFER) has partnered with crypto custody and banking firm Anchorage Digital to expand pufETH exposure for institutional investors, the project announced via its official Medium. The partnership will allow Anchorage Digital clients to access Ethereum staking and restaking rewards through pufETH while maintaining an institutional-grade custody and security environment.

Binance has announced the launch of a perpetual contract based on a South Korean stock exchange-traded fund (ETF). The EWYUSDT Index Perpetual Contract will offer up to 10x leverage and is based on the iShares MSCI Korea ETF, which tracks large- and mid-cap South Korean stocks. The new contract is scheduled to launch at 1:30 p.m. UTC on March 16.

U.S. investment bank William Blair believes Circle's recent strong performance and rising stock price demonstrate the potential for continued growth in its USDC stablecoin, CoinDesk reported. Analysts Andrew Jeffrey and Adib Choudhury argued that Circle's strength cannot be simply attributed to surging oil prices or the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance. Instead, they pointed to a combination of factors, including the resilience of USDC's market capitalization amid the recent crypto market downturn and a growing appreciation for Circle's economic model and leadership in stablecoin infrastructure. The analysts added that the stock's roughly 126% increase from its February low reflects improving investor sentiment toward stablecoin infrastructure rather than just short-term market volatility.

Ethereum staking platform Lido has launched EarnUSD, a stablecoin-based yield vault, CoinDesk reported. The vault, which is Lido's first dollar-pegged stablecoin product, automatically allocates deposited USDC and USDT to lending markets on the Ethereum network and other DeFi yield strategies. Users receive EarnUSD tokens representing their share in the vault, and returns on the deposited assets are compounded.

As Bitcoin consolidates around the $70,000 level, on-chain indicators suggest that overall selling pressure is expanding, according to an analysis by Glassnode reported by CoinDesk. The firm noted that Bitcoin holders have shifted back to a selling trend amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with the sell-off being particularly pronounced among smaller wallets associated with retail investors. Glassnode's Accumulation Trend Score is currently at 0.4, indicating that selling pressure is intensifying. The metric evaluates Bitcoin accumulation by wallet size over the past 15 days. The analysis found strong selling pressure from addresses holding between one and 10 BTC, with significant selling also confirmed in the 10-100 BTC range. While addresses holding over 1,000 BTC are also showing a net selling trend, the intensity is relatively lower compared to that of smaller investors, Glassnode explained.

A U.S. federal court in Alabama has dismissed a civil lawsuit accusing Binance and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, of aiding terrorism, BeInCrypto reported. The ruling follows a similar decision previously made by a New York court. According to Binance, the court acknowledged that the lawsuit's claims regarding sanctions violations and terror financing lacked a sufficient legal and factual basis.

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

Grayscale has deposited 296 BTC, worth $20.86 million, to Coinbase Prime via its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), according to Arkham.

Unitas, a yield-bearing stablecoin protocol, announced it has completed a $13.33 million (approx. 17.5 billion won) seed funding round. The round included participation from Amber Group, Blockchain Builders Fund, Taisu Ventures, Bixin Ventures, and SevenX Ventures.

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has warned that other fronts will be activated if the current war continues. He added that the country will demand reparations from its enemies or destroy their assets.

The three major U.S. stock indices opened lower today. - S&P 500: -0.79% - Nasdaq: -0.89% - Dow Jones: -0.99%

The Bank of England has softened its hardline stance on stablecoin regulation, according to a media outlet. Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden told lawmakers that the central bank is fully prepared to revise its proposed holding limits for pound-pegged stablecoins in response to industry criticism. The current proposal caps holdings at £20,000 for individuals and £10 million for corporations.

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, declared in his first statement since taking office that the country will not abandon its quest for revenge for the blood of its martyrs, particularly those killed in Minab. A previous airstrike on an elementary school in the city killed more than 170 people.

In his first official statement since taking office, Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has called for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He also demanded the immediate shutdown of all U.S. military bases in the region, warning that they will be attacked.