Market Performance
| Asset / Index | Value ($) | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | 67,524 | -4.37% |
| Ethereum (ETH) | 1,988 | -4.09% |
| Bitcoin Spot ETF | -348M | |
| Ethereum Spot ETF | -82M | |
| Nasdaq (NAS100) | 24,273 | -3.19% |
| S&P 500 (SPX) | 6,740 | -1.33% |
| Russell 2000 (RUT) | 2,465 | -5.13% |
| U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) | 99.455 | +0.73% |
| VIX Volatility Index | 33.69 | +41.85% |
| U.S. 10-Year Yield | 4.191 | +1.43% |
| Brent Crude Oil (BRENT) | 103.625 | +21.36% |
| LBMA Gold (XAU) | 5,097 | -0.29% |
| LBMA Silver (XAG) | 83.44 | -0.63% |
“Prepared at UTC 07.18 am”
Oil Prices Surge as Middle East Conflict Escalates
Crude oil prices surged as the conflict in the Middle East intensified over the weekend, with the United States and Israel launching new airstrikes across Iran, including attacks targeting oil storage facilities. At the same time, major regional oil producers such as Kuwait, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates reduced production after tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—normally responsible for transporting around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply—almost completely halted one week after the conflict began. As a result, crude oil prices climbed above $110 per barrel, reaching levels not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with analysts warning that prices could approach $150 per barrel if the conflict continues for an extended period.
Oil Pulls Back After 25% Surge as G7 Considers Emergency Reserve Release
Crude oil prices retreated after a sharp rally of roughly 25% as reports emerged that G7 finance ministers were discussing a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves to ease the price surge triggered by the Iran conflict. Following the news, crude oil futures traded on Hyperliquid fell from $114 to around $102 per barrel, reflecting expectations that emergency supply measures could help stabilize energy markets.
Bitcoin Stabilizes as U.S. Limited Exposure to Oil Shock Calms Markets
Bitcoin remained relatively stable around $67,000 despite oil prices surging above $100 per barrel amid the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. While rising energy prices have put pressure on global markets, the United States appears largely insulated from direct supply disruptions, which has helped calm investor sentiment. As a result, bitcoin has moved largely in line with Wall Street, showing resilience despite broader geopolitical uncertainty.
Tokenized Assets Surge Nearly Fourfold in a Year, Exceeding $25B
Tokenized real-world assets, excluding stablecoins, have grown nearly fourfold over the past year and now exceed $25 billion on chain. Growth has been driven largely by tokenized Treasury bills, private credit, and commodities, with six separate asset categories now surpassing $1 billion in size. Despite the rapid expansion, most tokenized assets remain largely isolated from decentralized finance markets, indicating that the sector is still developing deeper integration with the broader DeFi ecosystem.
Latin America’s Crypto User Growth Triples That of the U.S., Report Finds
Latin America’s cryptocurrency market is expanding rapidly, with user growth in 2025 reportedly exceeding that of the United States by three times. Brazil and Argentina are leading the region’s expansion, with Brazil standing out in transaction volumes while Argentina is seeing increasing adoption driven by cross-border payments and stablecoin usage. Overall crypto transaction volume in the region is expected to reach $730 billion in 2025, representing a 60% increase as users increasingly rely on digital assets for payments and international transfers.
Jack Dorsey Says His Company Reluctantly Embraced Stablecoins
Block CEO Jack Dorsey acknowledged that his company has begun supporting stablecoins largely due to rising market demand and increasing competitive pressure from companies such as Stripe and PayPal, which have already introduced stablecoin payment options. Although Dorsey has historically promoted Bitcoin as the primary protocol for internet-native money, he said customer demand pushed the company to adopt stablecoin support. Despite this shift, Dorsey emphasized that he still views Bitcoin’s decentralized model as the most suitable foundation for an open global financial protocol.
Flow Foundation Seeks Court Intervention Over Token Delisting in South Korea
Flow Foundation and its parent company Dapper Labs filed a request with the Seoul Central District Court to suspend the termination of trading support for the FLOW token on several South Korean exchanges. The action follows a December security incident in which an attacker exploited a vulnerability that allowed certain assets to be duplicated instead of minted, bypassing supply controls without accessing user balances. The exploit resulted in approximately $3.9 million worth of duplicated tokens, though the organization stated that no user funds were compromised and all counterfeit tokens were permanently destroyed. Major Korean exchanges including Upbit, Bithumb, and Coinone announced plans to halt FLOW trading support on March 16, but Flow Foundation argued that global exchanges have already restored full services following remediation efforts.
Former CFTC Chair Says U.S. Banks Need Crypto Regulatory Clarity Most
Former CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo argued that U.S. banks are the institutions most in need of regulatory clarity around cryptocurrencies, warning that they risk falling behind global competitors in payment innovation. Speaking on Scott Melker’s “The Wolf of All Streets” podcast, Giancarlo stated that the crypto sector will continue evolving even if Congress fails to pass a comprehensive market structure bill. However, he emphasized that banks remain reluctant to invest heavily in crypto-related infrastructure without clear regulatory guidance, as legal advisors often warn boards against committing billions of dollars under uncertain regulatory conditions.
