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Binance announced it will list PAYP/USDT perpetual futures, the stock token for PayPal, at 2:30 p.m. UTC on March 23. The contract will support up to 10x leverage.

According to CoinNess market monitoring, BTC has fallen below $70,000. BTC is trading at $69,975.01 on the Binance USDT market.

The three major U.S. stock indices opened lower today. - S&P 500: -0.29% - Nasdaq: -0.47% - Dow Jones: -0.26%

Cryptocurrency companies and fintech firms are competing to build their own infrastructure to secure revenue from stablecoin payments, Cointelegraph reported, citing a Delphi Digital report. The report noted that stablecoin issuers are launching dedicated blockchain networks optimized for payments, such as Tether's Plasma and Circle's Arc. This move is seen as a strategy to capture more revenue by operating their own layers rather than paying fees to external networks like Ethereum. Meanwhile, payments giant Stripe is vertically integrating its wallet and payment processes through a series of acquisitions. These include the $1.1 billion purchase of stablecoin infrastructure startup Bridge in October 2024, followed by wallet infrastructure firm Privy in June 2025 and DeFi protocol Metronome in January 2026. The industry anticipates that whichever entity dominates stablecoin payment rails could achieve a market position similar to that of Visa and Mastercard in the current payments landscape.

The U.S. Federal Reserve could resume interest rate hikes if the current oil price shock and geopolitical uncertainty persist, Bank of America (BofA) has analyzed. According to Walter Bloomberg, BofA noted that a combination of a stable job market, the continuation of Jerome Powell's leadership, and a sustained oil shock could prompt the Fed to raise rates again. The bank suggested that the likelihood of a rate hike increases if oil prices remain in the $80 to $100 per barrel range. BofA explained that inflation and rising energy costs are currently weighing on the Fed's policy decisions, limiting the potential for rate cuts. It also highlighted that Fed Chair Powell is maintaining a hawkish stance, emphasizing inflation risks and uncertainty related to Iran.

According to Arkham, Grayscale deposited 3,979 ETH to Coinbase Prime approximately five minutes ago. The deposit is valued at $8.52 million. Coinbase Prime is a prime brokerage platform that handles large-scale trading and custody for institutional investors.

Global Web3 security firm CertiK announced that it has officially joined a global security cooperation framework to combat Web3 crime. At the 2026 UN Global Fraud Summit, CertiK committed to providing the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Interpol with on-chain risk monitoring, expert teams for technical and forensic support in major cyberattacks, and briefings on blockchain security policy and technology. CertiK currently offers on-chain risk monitoring and other services to over 5,000 clients worldwide, utilizing its proprietary security platform, Skynet, and the industry's largest Web3 security database. The firm noted that as the cryptocurrency market is brought into the regulatory fold, security systems are evolving from simple technical services into infrastructure that supports regulatory compliance and market trust. Other global IT and financial companies, including Google and Lloyds Banking Group, are also participating in the framework.

Ripple and its co-founder Chris Larsen have each contributed $5 million, for a total of $10 million, to the political action committee Golden State Promise to block the introduction of a wealth tax in California, TheStreet reported. The state is advancing a bill to impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires residing there as of Jan. 1, with 90% of the collected funds intended for public health services. Other prominent figures opposing the tax include Kraken founder Jesse Powell, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and investor Peter Thiel.

Michelle Bowman, Vice Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), said she expects three cuts to the benchmark interest rate this year.

U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could create additional inflationary pressure, according to Walter Bloomberg.

An address presumed to belong to London-based asset management firm Abraxas Capital deposited 1,000 BTC ($70.39 million) to Kraken about 10 minutes ago, Whale Alert reported. Deposits to exchanges are typically interpreted as a move to sell.

Hardware wallet maker Ledger has hired John Andrews, a former executive at USDC issuer Circle, as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), The Information reported. Additionally, Ledger plans to open an office in New York to expand its U.S. operations.

Bitcoin is showing more strength than traditional assets like gold and U.S. stocks amid inflation concerns and geopolitical uncertainty, and it is currently in an undervalued state with negative factors already priced in, according to André Dragosch, Head of Research for Europe at Bitwise. In an interview with CoinDesk, he said that BTC's bull market has coincided with a strong economy and rising inflation expectations, which is why it has recently outperformed U.S. stocks and gold. Dragosch noted that BTC is less sensitive to interest rates than gold, making it less affected by rising bond yields. He added that while an uncertain monetary policy stance is a barrier to price increases, BTC has already priced in this risk. Dragosch suggested that BTC is currently trading at a macro discount and that future key triggers will include an improved monetary policy environment, an end to the conflict in the Middle East, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Bitcoin's sharp drop yesterday, accompanied by a rise in open interest (OI), appears to be a typical process of building short positions, Coinglass reported via X. The analytics firm noted that while the price is currently rebounding, OI has remained almost unchanged, suggesting the rebound is not driven by an influx of new buying pressure. Coinglass added that the current market phase seems closer to consolidation than a trend reversal.

Whale Alert reported that 406,235,399 USDT has been transferred from HTX to Aave. The transaction is valued at about $406 million.

BlackRock has deposited 47,728 ETH, valued at $102 million, and 544 BTC, worth $38.3 million, into Coinbase Prime, according to Lookonchain. Coinbase Prime is a prime brokerage platform that facilitates large-scale trading and custody for institutional investors.

Decentralized exchange (DEX) Aster (ASTER) has announced the launch of a staking feature on its proprietary mainnet. Users can delegate ASTER to validators and select a lock-up period to earn returns through a dual mechanism composed of "Base Rewards" and "Loyalty Rewards." The Base Rewards, earned by delegating to validators, draw from a pool of 150,000 ASTER, with yields determined by a validator's transaction throughput and an individual's staking share. The Loyalty Rewards program allows users to lock up ASTER for up to 208 weeks, with compensation based on the amount, duration, and transaction volume. This program is funded by a 300,000 ASTER pool and includes additional rewards from platform buybacks. Initial validators participating to secure the network include Trust Wallet, BNB Chain, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), Lista DAO, and PancakeSwap (CAKE). To participate, users can visit the staking page to select a validator and set their desired amount and lock-up period.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) could benefit from the conflict in Iran and the resulting surge in oil prices, according to a DL News analysis. The platform has reportedly gained popularity among professional traders amid the volatility, with trading volume for oil-related pairs recently reaching $1.5 billion in a 24-hour period. Hyun-soo Jeong, CEO of Hyperion DeFi, stated that Hyperliquid is currently the most liquid venue on-chain and its growth is set to accelerate. The media outlet noted that with energy market uncertainty pushing oil prices past $100 a barrel, HYPE has risen 35% over the past month while Bitcoin has traded sideways. Some analysts are now forecasting that the token could reach $150 by the end of the year.

The next altcoin season could arrive on March 30, according to cryptocurrency influencer pepa (@moonshilla) on X. He explained that the first altcoin season began on March 30, 2017, after 1,096 days, and the second started on March 30, 2021, after 1,461 days. According to his analysis, the second season's cycle was exactly one year (365 days) longer than the first. Following this pattern, he suggested the third season could arrive after 1,826 days (1,461 + 365). He also predicted that Bitcoin dominance could decline on March 30.

The Polygon (POL) community is discussing a new reward system to equally distribute a portion of network fees, aiming to prevent large validators from monopolizing revenue. According to the proposal's author, the top five validators currently control 42.1% of all fees. The author noted that 66% of all validators cannot even cover their monthly operating costs of 8,523 POL ($929), and this proposal seeks to resolve the resulting inequality.

Altcoin trading volume on major exchanges, including Binance, has plummeted, crypto analyst Darkfost said on X. He noted that altcoins continue to underperform against Bitcoin. Current altcoin spot trading volume on Binance is around $7.7 billion, with the total across major exchanges at $18.8 billion. This is a significant drop from last October, when the altcoin market was more active, seeing volumes of $40 billion on Binance and $63 billion across major exchanges. Darkfost explained that periods of rising altcoin volume typically coincided with FOMO (fear of missing out). While the current situation is not favorable, he suggested that the best buying opportunities tend to emerge when market interest is low and the majority of traders remain on the sidelines.

According to CoinNess market monitoring, BTC has risen above $71,000. BTC is trading at $71,002.29 on the Binance USDT market.

South Korea's National Tax Service (NTS) plans to select a private custody provider for seized virtual assets as early as the first half of this year, ZDNet Korea reported. The agency is currently developing detailed criteria for the selection process. Key criteria under consideration include: - Security requirements - Company size - Insurance coverage as mandated by the Virtual Asset User Protection Act

Bitcoin's price action since early February is strikingly similar to a pattern observed between November 2025 and January 2026, which ultimately led to a sharp drop to around $60,000, according to a CoinDesk analysis. The outlet noted that the historical pattern showed slow, erratic gains that lacked explosive momentum, even during rebounds. CoinDesk added that a decline could accelerate if the price falls below the current lower channel trendline at approximately $65,800.

According to Cointelegraph, a Ripple survey of over 1,000 financial industry leaders found that 72% of respondents believe digital assets are an essential component of financial services. The survey also revealed that 74% of respondents view stablecoins as a tool for managing cash flow, and 89% consider digital asset custody a top priority.