Market Performance
| Asset / Index | Value ($) | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | 69,941 | +0.52% |
| Ethereum (ETH) | 2,048 | +1.84% |
| Bitcoin Spot ETF | +115.17M | |
| Ethereum Spot ETF | +57M | |
| Nasdaq (NAS100) | 24,851 | -0.60% |
| S&P 500 (SPX) | 6,775 | -0.09% |
| Russell 2000 (RUT) | 2,515 | -1.30% |
| U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) | 99.366 | +0.46% |
| VIX Volatility Index | 25.14 | +0.36% |
| U.S. 10-Year Yield | 4.226 | +1.51% |
| Brent Crude Oil (BRENT) | 95.185 | +8.72% |
| LBMA Gold (XAU) | 5,187 | 0.00% |
| LBMA Silver (XAG) | 86.73 | +0.08% |
“Prepared at UTC 07.18 am”
U.S. Consumer Inflation Rises 0.3% in February
The U.S. Department of Labor released February consumer inflation data, showing that the cost of living for American consumers increased by 0.3% compared to the previous month. The monthly increase was in line with market expectations, following a 0.2% rise recorded in January. On an annual basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.4% in February, also matching market forecasts. The annual inflation rate remained unchanged from January and continued to hold at its lowest level since May 2025.
Oil Tankers Attacked in Northern Persian Gulf Amid Escalating Conflict
Two international oil tankers were attacked in the northern Persian Gulf near Iraq and Kuwait, with online footage showing the vessels engulfed in flames. Iraqi media outlets linked the attack to Iran. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Oman evacuated all ships from the key oil export terminal at Mina Al Fahal as a precaution following a wave of attacks on vessels in the region. In another development raising supply chain concerns, Reuters reported that China immediately banned refined fuel exports in March to prevent a potential domestic fuel shortage caused by the conflict with Iran. The events indicate that disruptions from the Iran conflict are no longer limited to the Strait of Hormuz, as the war entered its thirteenth day on Thursday.
Oil Briefly Surges Above $100 as Energy Market Disruptions Intensify
Oil prices surged sharply in Asian markets on Thursday, briefly rising above $100 per barrel as signs of growing disruption in global energy markets emerged due to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Although the rally moderated somewhat during the day, crude prices maintained a generally positive trajectory amid persistent supply concerns. Speculation that major countries may release emergency strategic reserves helped limit further price increases.
Asia’s Largest Bitcoin Buyer Moves to Build BTC Ecosystem
Metaplanet, a Tokyo-listed company known as Asia’s largest corporate buyer of bitcoin, is expanding beyond holding BTC to actively building bitcoin financial infrastructure. The firm established a wholly owned subsidiary, Metaplanet Ventures K.K., which plans to invest approximately ¥4 billion (around $27 million) over the next two to three years in regulated bitcoin financial infrastructure in Japan. The new division will operate as a venture arm and incubator for early-stage bitcoin and digital asset infrastructure startups, while also running a grant program supporting open-source bitcoin developers and educators, with a primary focus on Japan and selective global outreach.
Across Token Surges 80% as Team Plans Shift Away From DAO Model
Across protocol’s ACX token surged around 80%, significantly outperforming bitcoin, after the team proposed abandoning its decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) structure. The plan involves allowing ACX holders to exchange their tokens for equity in a newly created U.S. C-corporation or to sell their tokens back to the company at a 25% premium. The move represents one of the first major transitions from a token-based governance structure toward a traditional corporate model in the crypto sector.
Crypto Development Activity Falls 75% as Developers Shift to AI
Developer activity across blockchain projects has dropped sharply as many contributors shift their focus toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. Weekly crypto code commits have declined by about 75% since early 2025, while the number of active developers has fallen by roughly 56%, despite overall GitHub usage continuing to grow. Much of the developer talent is now moving toward AI-related repositories, including large language model projects and tools such as Jupyter Notebooks and Dockerfiles, which are attracting millions of contributors.
Bonk.fun Hack Exposes Users Through Domain Takeover
The website Bonk.fun was compromised after attackers took control of its domain and inserted a malicious crypto-draining tool. According to an operator known as Tom, only users who signed a fake terms-of-service message on the hijacked website after the breach were affected. The incident highlights ongoing security risks within the crypto ecosystem, particularly related to compromised domains and phishing-style attacks.
SEC and CFTC Sign Agreement to Coordinate Crypto Oversight
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending years of regulatory rivalry and improving coordination on crypto oversight. The agreement connects overlapping areas of work between the two agencies and formalizes collaboration on digital asset policy initiatives. Coordinated supervision of cryptocurrency markets has been identified as one of the key priorities of the new framework.
Ripple Buyback Program Values Company at $50 Billion
Ripple has launched a $750 million share buyback program that implies a company valuation of around $50 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter. The valuation exceeds the $40 billion level at which the company raised funds in November, despite the ongoing bear market in digital assets. The development signals continued investor confidence in Ripple and its blockchain infrastructure closely tied to the XRP ecosystem.
