Live Feed

Bitcoin, which had temporarily decoupled from global risk assets amid escalating conflict risk in the Middle East, is now back under the influence of macroeconomic variables and facing selling pressure, according to recent analysis. In an interview with DL News, Kraken Vice President Matt Howells-Barby said that a continued rise in oil prices could heighten concerns about an economic slowdown, which in turn could weigh on Bitcoin's price. He suggested that if Bitcoin fails to hold its short-term support at $69,000, it could fall to the $65,000 level. Sebastián Serrano, CEO of Argentine exchange Ripio, noted that if the sell-off persists, it is possible for BTC to drop below $54,000. He analyzed that the recent price volatility has been triggered by external macroeconomic variables—such as geopolitical conflict, rising energy prices, and changing inflation expectations—rather than factors internal to the cryptocurrency market.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned users about fake tokens circulating on the Tron (TRX) network that impersonate official institutions, The Block reported. In a post on X, the FBI's New York office advised users not to provide personally identifiable information to websites associated with tokens sent from certain accounts. The scam involves sending TRC-20 tokens to a user's wallet and then demanding personal information, citing potential asset freezes for alleged Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations. The FBI stated that the extent of the damages is not yet known and urged anyone who encounters suspicious activity to report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

A proposed cryptocurrency regulation bill in Kentucky is drawing criticism for including a provision that would effectively mandate a "backdoor" for hardware wallets, Cointelegraph reported. According to the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), an amendment to House Bill 380 would require wallet manufacturers to support the resetting of user access information, such as passwords, PINs, and seed phrases. The bill also mandates an identity verification process for such requests. The BPI argued that this is technically impossible for non-custodial hardware wallets, as manufacturers cannot access or recover user seed phrases. The institute warned that such a rule undermines the core crypto value of self-custody and could inadvertently push users toward centralized custody services.

The perspective of financial institutions on stablecoin adoption is gradually being reshaped, Circle (CRCL) said on X. The company noted that recent discussions with senior banking officials in New York revealed that these institutions now view stablecoins as a core infrastructure strategy rather than a simple technological experiment. Circle added that the regulatory environment is shaping the direction of adoption rather than delaying it, and a trend is emerging where 24-hour payment systems are increasingly integrating with traditional financial infrastructure. Furthermore, the use of tokenized money is moving from the pilot phase to operational planning, with stablecoins being accepted as practical payment rails. Circle concluded that this movement is part of the process of building a new internet-based financial system and will influence the strategic competitive landscape among financial institutions.

The U.S. state of North Carolina has introduced a bill to hold Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, according to Bitcoin Magazine's X account. The bill passed its first reading on March 19.

Prediction market platform Kalshi has been valued at $22 billion in an ongoing funding round, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The company is expected to raise approximately $1 billion in the round, which is being led by Coatue Management.

A U.S. Federal Appeals Court has denied a request from Kalshi to halt administrative enforcement actions by the state of Nevada. According to CoinDesk, Kalshi filed an appeal on March 13, arguing that without the stay, it would face conflicting rulings from federal and state courts. The court's rejection now allows Nevada regulators to issue a temporary ban against the company.

Coinbase Asset Management (CBAM) has announced a partnership with global asset manager Apex Group to launch a tokenized share class of its Bitcoin yield fund on the Base platform. According to CoinDesk, the Coinbase Bitcoin Yield Fund will be offered to investors via the Base network. Apex will act as the transfer agent, managing records in line with the fund's net asset value. This move highlights a growing trend among major asset managers to bring funds onto blockchain platforms to reduce costs, increase settlement speed, and expand distribution.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed lower today. - S&P 500: -0.27% - Nasdaq: -0.28% - Dow Jones: -0.44%

Investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald is among the firms that have submitted proposals for a potential initial public offering (IPO) by crypto prime brokerage FalconX, CoinDesk reported, citing sources. FalconX had previously announced its intention to pursue an IPO last year. While no bank has been officially selected, the company has reportedly held preliminary discussions with potential advisors. Last year, Cantor Fitzgerald partnered with FalconX and Maple Finance to launch a $2 billion Bitcoin-backed lending program. The report suggests that if Cantor is chosen to lead the IPO, it would likely be due to this existing partnership.

According to CoinNess market monitoring, BTC has risen above $70,000. BTC is trading at $70,014.99 on the Binance USDT market.

The World Gold Council (WGC) has announced a framework to standardize tokenized gold. According to Decrypt, the WGC identified the management of gold reserves as a major barrier to entry for issuers of gold-backed tokens and has established a concept called "Gold as a Service." This platform is designed to allow companies issuing gold-linked tokens to use a shared network for managing physical gold reserves. The goal is to enhance trust in tokenized gold through features like continuous audits and to ensure a certain level of fungibility between different products. The media noted that until now, the tokenized gold market has been primarily shaped by cryptocurrency companies that have built their own custody systems and issuance pipelines. The WGC currently has 29 member companies.

Singapore-based ride-hailing software firm Ryde has announced the adoption of a cryptocurrency accumulation strategy. According to Cointelegraph, the company plans to invest a portion of its reserves in BTC, ETH, and SOL, with the specific allocation and purchase timing to be determined by its governance. Ryde explained that the decision was made amid a changing macroeconomic environment, adding that the option to invest a portion of its financial assets in crypto provides greater flexibility in managing its corporate financial operations.

The decentralized exchange (DEX) Hyperliquid is gaining popularity among crude oil futures traders, according to JPMorgan analysts. In a report on March 18, the analysts noted that traders from traditional, non-crypto assets are flocking to the 24-hour perpetual futures market to bet on oil price movements during off-market hours and on weekends, The Block reported. As an example, the analysts pointed to a surge in trading volume for oil-linked perpetual futures on Hyperliquid during a weekend of escalating conflict in Iran, a time when platforms like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) were closed. The report also observed that DEXs have recently begun to erode the market share of centralized exchanges (CEXs), a trend particularly noticeable among mid-sized exchanges.

Global investment bank Morgan Stanley has filed a second amended S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a spot Bitcoin ETF, BeInCrypto reported. If approved, the ETF is expected to trade on the NYSE Arca under the ticker MSBT. If launched, the product would become the first spot ETF issued by a major U.S. bank. This would change Morgan Stanley's position from a distributor of spot Bitcoin ETFs to an issuer. The latest amendment reportedly includes additional details related to the product's operation, such as settlement standards, initial issuance volume, and custody arrangements. Meanwhile, as of March, the SEC is reportedly reviewing more than 126 crypto ETF applications.

Whale Alert reported that 3,122 BTC has been transferred from an unknown wallet to Coinbase Institutional. The transaction is valued at about $218 million.

U.S. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated on X that the agency's interpretation of crypto assets is just the beginning and that the SEC will act as a bridge while Congress works to pass a market structure bill known as the Clarity Act. His comments follow the SEC's recent official announcement that most crypto assets, including Bitcoin, are considered commodities rather than securities. Atkins emphasized that regulations must be clear enough to guide the market, flexible enough to accommodate innovation, and firm enough to protect investors. He added that the SEC is moving away from past practices and is now providing clear standards on what constitutes a security from its perspective.

Bryan Tan, a trader at crypto market maker Wintermute, said that with public opinion swaying on every headline about the U.S.-Iran war and a high correlation between oil prices and asset markets, the best option is to maintain the status quo and wait. In an interview with CoinDesk, he added that it is better to preserve investment capacity until there is a basis for conviction in either direction or a significant change in market conditions.

The UK is set to strike crypto exchange Zedxion from its corporate register over allegations it helped Iran evade sanctions, Decrypt reported. The UK's Companies House stated that Zedxion is in the process of being dissolved for submitting false and misleading documents during its incorporation. Both Zedxion and another UK-registered crypto exchange, Zedcex, were previously sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Bitcoin could see increased price volatility today, which is Quadruple Witching Day, CoinDesk reports. The event, which occurs on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, marks the expiration of four major types of U.S. stock market derivatives. CoinDesk noted that in March 2025, approximately $4.7 trillion in derivatives expired, pushing S&P 500 trading volume to a yearly high, with above-average volume also observed on other Quadruple Witching Days. The outlet explained that while this is a traditional finance event, its effects can spill over into the cryptocurrency market. Historically, Bitcoin has tended to be subdued on Quadruple Witching Day itself, but a consistent bearish pattern has often emerged in the subsequent days and weeks, warranting caution about potential market turbulence.

Bitcoin is holding up well against other major assets amid a surge in oil prices driven by geopolitical tensions, The Crypto Basic reported. The outlet noted that while Bitcoin is showing weakness like most other major global assets, its correction has been relatively mild. On March 19, the price of Brent crude briefly surpassed $116 per barrel, leading to a downturn across all asset markets. The Crypto Basic suggested that Bitcoin's performance signals its resilience in the face of macroeconomic uncertainty. From a technical standpoint, the zone between $69,000 and $70,000 is acting as a key support level. If this level holds, the correction could halt. However, a break below this support could see prices fall to the low $60,000s or even lower.

Cryptocurrency phishing scams targeting developers using OpenClaw are on the rise amid a surge in interest in "vibe coding," a term for AI-assisted coding via natural language, CoinDesk reported. According to a blog post by Israeli cybersecurity firm OX Security, scammers on GitHub are impersonating OpenClaw to lure victims. The scheme involves promising a fake airdrop of a "CLAW" token, which directs users to a malicious website designed to drain their crypto wallets. The phishing site closely resembles the official OpenClaw website but prompts users to connect wallets like MetaMask, WalletConnect, and Trust Wallet. Once a user grants access, their assets are stolen. Previously, OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger had banned all discussion of cryptocurrency on the project's Discord server in an effort to prevent such scams.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) plans to add approximately 12 commercial banks to its digital yuan system, local media outlet Caixin reported. These banks will handle functions including wallet creation, currency exchange, payment processing, and operational maintenance. Currently, 10 banks participate in the system, including the country's six major state-owned banks. The report noted that commercial banks' enthusiasm for participation is growing as the digital yuan's status evolves from digital cash to a digital deposit currency.

Embedded crypto wallet infrastructure provider Privy has launched a new savings feature powered by Ethena (ENA), the company announced on its official X account on March 19. The update allows users to access the Ethena-based savings function across all services built on Privy's infrastructure. It also enables app developers to offer sUSDe rewards that automatically accrue over time within Privy wallets.

According to CoinNess market monitoring, BTC has fallen below $69,000. BTC is trading at $68,952.14 on the Binance USDT market.