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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.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has warned that offshore virtual asset service providers (oVASPs) create risks related to money laundering, sanctions evasion, and other illicit financial activities. In a report on understanding and mitigating the risks of oVASPs, the FATF noted that some offshore companies exploit gaps and differences in regulatory and supervisory coverage, making it difficult for authorities to monitor and enforce anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules. The FATF recommended that national governments require oVASPs to register or obtain a license if they provide services to domestic users and called for strengthening cross-border cooperation between regulators and law enforcement agencies.

Tether has announced the official launch of its omnichain stablecoin protocol, USDT0, on the Hedera network. The integration provides Hedera developers with direct access to USDT0's omnichain liquidity network, which spans blockchains, wallets, and DeFi protocols.

Bitcoin-based programmable financial infrastructure startup Ark Labs has raised $5.2 million in a seed funding round led by Tether, The Block reported. The startup's core product is Arkade, a Layer 2 platform that enables the off-chain issuance, transfer, and settlement of stablecoins without altering Bitcoin's consensus rules. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said expanding USDT's accessibility on the Bitcoin network is a top priority, prompting the company's direct support.

XRP's daily Bollinger Bands have narrowed to their tightest point since just before the token's all-time high rally in July 2025, The Crypto Basic reported. At that time, a similar setup preceded a 63% surge in XRP's price over two weeks. The convergence of Bollinger Bands is typically seen as a precursor to a directional breakout, suggesting that an explosive price move, either upward or downward, may be imminent.

The U.S. midterm elections could serve as a catalyst for a crypto market recovery, according to Binance Research. The firm noted that historically, strong rallies in both stocks and Bitcoin have followed U.S. midterm election cycles. Past data shows the S&P 500 index rose by an average of 19% in the 12 months following the midterms, while Bitcoin saw an average increase of 54% over the three years after an election. Binance Research suggested that the year following an election can be the strongest period within the cycle, as the results remove major political uncertainty.

Asset management firm Kurv Investment Management has completed preparations to launch the Kurv XRP Enhanced Income ETF (KXRP) and the Kurv Ether Enhanced Income ETF (KETH) in the U.S., The Crypto Basic reported. The ETFs are scheduled to be listed on the Cboe BZX exchange.

Goldman Sachs has raised its U.S. inflation forecasts and lowered its 2026 growth outlook, warning that rising oil prices linked to the conflict in Iran pose a major economic risk. The bank increased its year-end 2026 forecast for the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index to 2.9% and for core PCE to 2.4%, while cutting its GDP growth projection to 2.2%.

Eightco (Nasdaq: ORBS), a company that strategically invests in Worldcoin and Ethereum, has completed a new $125 million fundraising round with participation from Bitmine, Ark Invest, and Kraken's parent company, Payward, Alpha News reported. The company also announced it has completed its first strategic investment round of $50 million in OpenAI. In addition, Bitmine Chairman Tom Lee will join Eightco's board of directors, and Ark Invest Chief Futurist Brett Winton will serve as a board advisor.

U.S. online brokerage platform Robinhood has listed Wormhole (W).

U.S. initial jobless claims for the past week totaled 213,000, coming in below the forecast of 214,000. The weekly claims figure is a key indicator the Federal Reserve uses to gauge the health of the labor market when making interest rate decisions. A higher-than-expected number can signal an increase in layoffs and a cooling labor market, potentially giving the Fed a reason to cut rates. Conversely, a lower-than-expected figure suggests a robust labor market, which could justify the Fed holding or raising rates to focus on curbing inflation.