Ethereum AI Generated News

Congress has quietly folded a hot-button CBDC fight into a must-pass housing bill — and the crypto world is buzzing. Why it matters - A viral X post by Heritage Foundation economist Peter St. Onge (195,700 views, 3,600 likes as of March 26) blew up after he warned the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act “sneaks a CBDC into their must‑pass housing bill,” claiming such a move “would replace the US dollar with a government‑controlled crypto‑token that 80% of voters reject.” His post refocused attention on a largely overlooked slice of the Senate package: Title X, a provision that prevents the Federal Reserve and its regional banks from issuing a digital dollar—or any asset “substantially resembling” one—through 2031. What’s in the bill - The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed the Senate on March 12 by an 89–10 vote. While the legislation is primarily sweeping housing reform (FHA limits, investor restrictions on single‑family homes, etc.), conservatives in the House reportedly pushed to graft an anti‑CBDC clause into the text as part of a broader bipartisan compromise. The White House has indicated it would sign the bill in its current form, according to reporting. Political fault lines - The CBDC language cuts across usual party lines. Some House Republicans want a permanent ban, saying a time‑limited restriction merely defers the issue. Progressives argue the provision doesn’t belong in a housing package and could complicate an otherwise focused affordability bill. Commentators on X have framed the compromise differently: one prominent post argued Republicans are “redesigning” CBDCs to route control through banks and Wall Street, preserving surveillance and control while shifting profits to private institutions. How this ties into other crypto legislation - The debate is unfolding in parallel with the stalled CLARITY Act, the broader digital‑asset market‑structure bill. That legislation has been held up by disputes over stablecoin yield and DeFi rules; Coinbase famously withdrew support from an earlier CLARITY draft when language threatened to ban passive yield on stablecoins. Senator Cynthia Lummis has since said key sticking points are “largely reached,” and lawmakers are eyeing April 2026 as a critical legislative window. Industry and institutional responses - Opponents of a CBDC see the housing‑bill carve‑out as a political line drawn ahead of midterm fights. Observers note the Senate ban is time‑limited—expiring around the end of 2030/through 2031—leaving the door open to future administrations. The Federal Reserve has repeatedly said it would not launch a digital dollar without explicit congressional authorization, framing its CBDC work as exploratory. What’s next - The provision’s fate is unclear. House leaders have signaled they won’t accept the Senate bill as written and will push to renegotiate key terms, including how long and how broadly any CBDC ban should apply. The rare Senate cross‑aisle consensus may fracture once the House‑Senate conference process begins. Bottom line - A housing bill has become the latest battleground for the CBDC debate, with policymakers, industry players and political strategists all jockeying for position. Whether the anti‑CBDC language survives final negotiations—or whether it reshapes how a future U.S. digital currency could be structured—remains an open question. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The White House has cleared a key step in a Labor Department proposal that could make it easier for 401(k) fiduciaries to consider alternative assets — including crypto — for retirement plans. What happened - The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) completed its interagency review of the Labor Department’s proposal on March 24, listing the action as “consistent with change” and labeling it “economically significant.” - That sign-off removes one interagency hurdle. The Labor Department is expected to publish the proposal soon and open a 60-day public comment period before deciding on any revisions and a final rule. Why it matters for crypto - The proposal would change how fiduciaries evaluate alternative investments in defined‑contribution plans, potentially broadening the path for crypto-linked options to be considered alongside private equity, real estate and other alternatives. - The move follows two earlier shifts in federal policy: President Donald Trump’s Aug. 7, 2025, executive order directing agencies to expand access to alternative investments (specifically naming digital assets, private equity and real estate), and the Labor Department’s May 28, 2025 withdrawal of a 2022 compliance release that had urged plan fiduciaries to be “extremely cautious” about crypto in 401(k)s. Together these actions signal a softer federal stance on retirement-plan exposure to digital assets. Next steps and timeline - After the Labor Department publishes the proposal, stakeholders will have 60 days to submit comments. The department will then consider feedback and could issue a revised rule and, eventually, a final regulation. - If advanced, the proposal could give fiduciaries clearer latitude to analyze and add crypto exposure where appropriate. State-level developments - States are also moving: on Feb. 25, 2026, Indiana lawmakers passed a bill requiring certain state retirement and savings plans to offer a self-directed brokerage option that includes at least one crypto investment option by July 1, 2027. Scale of the opportunity - The retirement market is enormous: the Investment Company Institute reported U.S. retirement assets reached a record $48.1 trillion as of Sept. 30, 2025. Even small allocations to digital assets could represent significant inflows if policies keep shifting in crypto’s favor. Bottom line This regulatory advance doesn’t finalize any rule, but it removes a major procedural barrier and brings a potentially crypto-friendly change to 401(k) policy closer to reality. Watch the Labor Department’s publication and the 60-day comment period for the next concrete signals of how broadly crypto could be integrated into employer-retirement plans. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The New York Stock Exchange is betting on a gradual, cooperative entry for blockchain — not a full-scale replacement of Wall Street’s plumbing. Speaking at the Digital Asset Summit in New York, NYSE chief product officer Jon Herrick said the exchange is “striving for interoperability” and “building on top of what exists” as it explores tokenized assets. That approach, he explained, is about balancing innovation with the “inherent good things of the market” — regulation, centralized clearing and investor protections — rather than tearing out decades of market infrastructure overnight. Why that matters: tokenization — representing stocks, funds and other instruments as digital tokens on a blockchain — promises faster settlement, 24/7 trading and wider global access. Exchanges, asset managers and banks are actively testing those benefits. But Herrick warned that some legacy features, like centralized clearing’s ability to net transactions and reduce counterparty risk, are efficient and not easily discarded. Herrick painted a convergence model rather than a winner-take-all battle: “It really isn’t about one side being more right than the other … [they] should, I think, in time, come together.” He suggested that in a decade the industry might no longer care whether a security is tokenized or not — the distinction will have blurred. The NYSE’s stance is reflected in parent company Intercontinental Exchange’s recent moves: ICE made a strategic investment in crypto exchange OKX and will license OKX’s spot crypto prices for its crypto futures products, while OKX will offer ICE futures and tokenized equities to U.S. customers. That kind of cross-pollination — traditional market operators partnering with crypto-native platforms — illustrates the incremental, interoperable path Herrick describes. Bottom line: expect a slow, pragmatic rollout of blockchain capabilities on Wall Street — incremental pilots and integrations that preserve core market functions while layering in tokenization’s potential benefits, rather than an abrupt overhaul of the system. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

BlackRock hasn’t filed for a spot XRP ETF — yet — but mounting signals suggest the world’s largest asset manager is edging closer to considering one. The clues aren’t coming from filings or press releases; they come from how BlackRock is publicly framing the next phase of crypto ETFs and the specific criteria it says it’s watching. Why BlackRock’s move would matter BlackRock set the industry template for spot crypto ETFs. Its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) quickly became the most traded spot Bitcoin ETP, topping $100 billion in assets by early 2026. The firm later expanded into Ethereum, and its iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) began trading on Nasdaq on March 12, 2026. Given that track record, a BlackRock XRP ETF would be a major market signal and could accelerate institutional inflows. What BlackRock is saying On CNBC’s Crypto World, Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s Head of Digital Assets, was clear: BlackRock isn’t rushing into new crypto ETFs but is actively evaluating opportunities. He said Bitcoin and Ethereum command “overwhelmingly” the most interest, while noting “pockets of interest” in other digital assets. Crucially, Mitchnick emphasized that BlackRock is applying a strict filter — assessing maturity, liquidity, scale and real-world use cases before greenlighting anything for the iShares lineup. How XRP measures up By many of those metrics, XRP already looks competitive. It trades with deep liquidity across global venues, has a large market capitalization, and carries a real-world use case focused on payments, settlement and tokenized assets. That said, BlackRock has not publicly declared that XRP clears its hurdle for an iShares ETF — which explains the lack of a filing so far. Other firms are already in the ring XRP-focused spot ETF applications and products aren’t new to the U.S. market: investment firms such as Canary, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale and 21Shares have put forward or launched XRP-linked spot products. Those offerings suggest demand exists, but BlackRock appears to be waiting for a clearer commercial case. Timing and the adoption threshold Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg has predicted BlackRock might file for a spot XRP ETF as early as late 2026 or 2027. McClurg argues BlackRock would likely want to see XRP ETF assets achieve more than $3 billion in net inflows — roughly three times the current level — before making a move. Bottom line BlackRock’s public stance is cautious but deliberate: it’s watching market maturity indicators rather than following momentum headlines. XRP meets many of the metrics BlackRock cites, but until institutional inflows and market structure meet BlackRock’s internal bar, a filing remains a possibility rather than a certainty. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: RBA-Backed Pilot Says Tokenisation Could Add A$16.7B a Year — Now the Question Is “How?” Australia’s central bank has moved tokenisation from theoretical promise to concrete economic case. A Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)-supported pilot found that digitising assets — from bonds and private-market instruments to trade receivables — could deliver up to A$16.7 billion in annual benefits through efficiency gains. The project reframes the debate: it’s no longer whether tokenisation belongs in Australia’s financial system, but how to implement it effectively. What the pilot tested - Real-world, regulated use cases: banks, asset managers and market infrastructure providers issued, traded and settled tokenised assets on distributed ledger platforms rather than running purely academic proofs-of-concept. - Assets covered: securities such as bonds, private-market instruments, and trade receivables, among others. - RBA buy-in: Assistant Governor Brad Jones emphasized the shift from “if” to “how,” signaling central-bank support for moving experiments toward production-ready systems. Top findings and sources of value - A$16.7 billion estimate: driven largely by lower back-office costs, reduced settlement risk and improved liquidity in secondary markets. - Near-instant settlement: tokenisation can cut multi-day settlement cycles to near real-time, reducing the need for reconciliation and freeing capital previously tied up in settlement buffers. - Better risk management and transparency: distributed ledgers provided real-time visibility into transactions and ownership, improving auditability and lowering counterparty risk by enabling more seamless interaction across previously siloed platforms and asset classes. - New liquidity channels: fractional ownership and easier trading of tokenised positions could broaden participation and increase turnover, especially for traditionally illiquid assets like private credit or infrastructure. - Robust methodology: the pilot covered multiple asset types and transaction models, strengthening the reliability of the findings versus single-use pilots. Why institutional players will pay attention - Capital efficiency: banks and other intermediaries could reduce capital held against settlement exposure and redeploy liquidity more productively. - Strategic priority shift: tokenisation is moving from startup experimentation to a practical modernization agenda for incumbent institutions as infrastructure and regulatory clarity improve. - Market evolution: the pilot suggests a staged coexistence model, where tokenised and traditional infrastructure integrate gradually rather than one replacing the other overnight. Roadblocks and next steps - Governance and safety: the RBA flagged further work on regulatory frameworks, cybersecurity standards and operational resilience as prerequisites for scaling. - Coordination required: wide adoption will need public-private cooperation to build standards, oversight and robust operational environments. - Implementation timeline: expect phased rollouts and targeted infrastructure investments rather than an immediate system-wide switch. Global context Australia’s pilot joins similar efforts across Europe and Asia, but stands out for its scale and specificity, providing a clearer economic argument for tokenisation. The findings shift tokenisation from a technological curiosity to a measurable opportunity for financial-system modernization. Bottom line The RBA-backed pilot gives the crypto and financial sectors a data-driven blueprint: tokenisation appears economically meaningful and operationally viable, but realizing those gains will hinge on regulatory clarity, secure infrastructure, and coordinated implementation. Watch for regulatory guidance and pilot-to-production projects as the next indicators of momentum. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Avalanche (AVAX) is trading sideways around $9.70 as a wave of protocol upgrades, regulatory clarity and expanding subnet activity bolster fundamentals even while the token’s chart remains rangebound. Market snapshot - AVAX was near $9.67 on March 26, 2026, with a 24‑hour spot volume of roughly $226.7 million and a market cap around $3.88 billion (Yahoo Finance). - Aggregated data from CoinGecko showed daily trading volume near $1.01 billion — a 61.3% jump from the previous day — indicating renewed activity in spot and derivatives markets despite muted price movement. - Historical closes in early March clustered between about $9.17 and $9.75, and on March 22 Investing.com recorded a close at $8.99 after 5.19 million AVAX changed hands. Overall, AVAX is consolidating in the $9–$10 area rather than trending strongly. Why fundamentals matter more than the chart Several non‑price developments in March are reshaping Avalanche’s narrative. U.S. regulators—the SEC and CFTC—formally described AVAX as a “digital commodity” on March 17, 2026, a designation that places it in the same regulatory bucket as assets like Bitcoin for certain uses and could reduce legal uncertainty for market participants. Protocol upgrades and subnet economics CoinMarketCap highlighted a recent Avalanche upgrade that bundled three Avalanche Improvement Proposals: - ACP‑226: lets validators dynamically adjust minimum block times; - ACP‑204: adds support for the secp256r1 curve (used by Apple’s FaceID/TouchID); - ACP‑181: temporarily stabilizes the validator set to lower gas costs and improve cross‑chain reliability. These changes are aimed at making Avalanche faster, cheaper and more mobile‑friendly—key for user apps and cross‑chain workflows. They build on the 2025 “Octane” hard fork, which dramatically cut subnet deployment costs (~83%), reduced the minimum base fee by about 99.6%, and added dynamic fee mechanics to curb spam during congestion. Collectively, these upgrades reinforce Avalanche’s scaling playbook: subnets—custom, application‑specific chains that use AVAX for staking and fees. Subnets, RWA and institutional interest Avalanche’s long‑term growth story is increasingly tied to subnets and real‑world asset (RWA) tokenization. The Avalanche Foundation previously committed 4 million AVAX (roughly $290 million at the time) to attract gaming, DeFi and NFT projects via its “Multiverse” incentives. Initiatives like the Evergreen Subnet target institutions and RWA partners such as BlackRock and Securitize for on‑chain settlement products. Binance’s reporting points to more than 75 active subnets, a $40 million Retro9000 rewards program, and recent moves such as a Nasdaq‑listed AVAX treasury firm and a spot AVAX ETF as signs of growing institutional traction. Technical view and near‑term outlook Market analysts note a contrast between improving on‑chain fundamentals and a lack of price momentum. WazirX’s March 2026 outlook called AVAX “technically weak but fundamentally supported,” identifying $10 as a key pivot that now acts as resistance and suggesting a medium‑term consolidation range of $9–$11. That pattern—an L1 strengthening its infrastructure and ecosystem while price grinds sideways—is common among major smart‑contract platforms. Bottom line Avalanche’s price action is quiet, but its roadmap and ecosystem expansions are active: regulatory clarity, upgrades that improve performance and security, expanding subnets, and growing institutional interest all add to the network’s long‑term case. Traders watching for a breakout will be focused on the $9–$11 band and whether on‑chain developments translate into renewed buying pressure. For live tracking, compare AVAX against other large L1 tokens on the crypto.news market‑cap dashboard or on Avalanche’s price page. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The White House has cleared a key Labor Department proposal that could broaden how 401(k) fiduciaries evaluate alternative investments — including exposure to digital assets — moving the rule one step closer to becoming reality. On March 24, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) completed its review of the Labor Department’s proposal, marking it “consistent with change” and tagging it “economically significant.” That action eliminates an interagency hurdle and sets up the Labor Department to publish the proposal for a 60-day public comment period before any final rule is issued. The rule flows from President Donald Trump’s Aug. 7, 2025, executive order urging federal agencies to expand access to alternative investments in defined‑contribution plans. The order specifically named digital assets, private equity and real estate and directed the Labor Department to reassess limits on alternatives while coordinating with Treasury and the SEC. This development follows an earlier policy shift: on May 28, 2025, the Labor Department withdrew a 2022 compliance release that had advised fiduciaries to be “extremely cautious” about including crypto in 401(k) plans. Together, these moves signal a softer regulatory posture that could give plan fiduciaries more latitude to consider crypto-linked options alongside other alternative investments. State-level momentum is also building. Indiana’s legislature approved a bill on Feb. 25 requiring certain state retirement and savings plans to offer a self-directed brokerage option that includes at least one crypto investment by July 1, 2027. The stakes are large. U.S. retirement-market assets reached a record $48.1 trillion as of Sept. 30, 2025, according to the Investment Company Institute. If the Labor Department’s proposal advances, it could open a significant new channel for digital-asset exposure within the nation’s massive retirement savings system. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitcoin mining margins are under serious pressure, and a new CoinShares report warns part of the global fleet is already unprofitable. Key findings - Q4 2025 was the toughest quarter for miners since the April 2024 halving, CoinShares says. Lower BTC prices and a near-record network hashrate pushed hashprice — revenue per PH/s/day — to five‑year lows. - Among listed miners, the weighted average cash cost to produce one Bitcoin rose to roughly $79,995 in Q4 2025. - Hashprice fell further to about $29 per PH/s/day in Q1 2026, a level that makes many rigs economically unviable and undermines incentives for a broad hardware refresh. - Any miner running equipment older than an S19 XP at electricity rates of $0.06/kWh or higher is likely losing money when hashprice is near $30 per PH/s/day. CoinShares estimates that 15–20% of the global mining fleet falls into that vulnerable category. Short-term market moves and network reaction - Hashrate Index reported a modest rebound in weekly USD hashprice, up 4.9% to $33.65 per PH/s/day for the week to March 23 (from $32.08). Even so, roughly $33 per PH/s/day is at or below breakeven for many operators depending on machine model and power costs. - The network has begun to adjust: Bitcoin’s difficulty was cut 7.76% on March 20 to 133.79 trillion, easing the work needed to mine blocks and offering temporary relief for miners who stayed online. Outlook and industry implications - CoinShares’ head of research James Butterfill cautioned: “If prices were to stay below US$80k for the remainder of the year, we forecast the hashprice to continue to fall.” He added that in that scenario the hashprice would “more likely flatline” as operators power down uneconomic rigs and overall hashrate declines. - The report warns higher-cost miners may face further capitulation in H1 2026 unless BTC recovers. The sector appears to be consolidating toward operators with structural advantages: cheap power, newer, more efficient hardware, and the flexibility to pivot parts of their business into AI or data-center services. Bottom line The squeeze is clear: rising operating costs and high hashrate have pushed a meaningful slice of the fleet into loss territory. Miners with older hardware or unfavorable power contracts are under the most pressure, while larger operators with modern rigs and lower energy costs retain more runway — and potentially an incentive to diversify into non-mining infrastructure services. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Ondo Finance’s native token ticked higher after the protocol announced a strategic partnership with Franklin Templeton, the global asset manager that oversees roughly $1.7 trillion in assets. The collaboration will see Franklin Templeton’s ETFs tokenized and listed on Ondo Global Markets, opening institutional-grade investment products to on-chain investors and furthering the momentum behind real-world assets (RWA). What was launched - Franklin Templeton’s tokenized ETFs are now live on Ondo Global Markets, including the Growth ETF, an Income Equity–focused ETF and a High Yield Corporate ETF. - Ondo’s team says the goal is broader adoption by enabling on-chain access to traditional investment products. Why it matters - Tokenization turns familiar financial products into blockchain-native instruments, making distribution, trading and custody more programmable and accessible. - The deal is a clear signal of growing institutional interest in tokenized securities and the RWA narrative — a trend that’s also benefitting projects like Chainlink and Avalanche that sit near the tokenization infrastructure stack. Market reaction and industry voices - Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas commented on X that Franklin Templeton is tokenizing its ETFs so on-chain users can tap “the awesomeness of cheap beta,” arguing tokenization is a distribution channel rather than a threat to ETFs. - Franklin Templeton’s Robert Crossley, speaking at a tokenization summit in London, framed the shift as part of a broader trend: “Financial assets are becoming software. And as more assets move into the digital wallet-based ecosystem, there’s endless potential for their on-chain utility.” Price action: ONDO and technical outlook - ONDO jumped to about $0.273 following the announcement. - Longer-term context: Ondo traded near resistance around $2.00 in late 2024, fell below $1.00 in September 2025, and hit multi-year lows during the broader crypto downturn in February this year. - Key technical levels to watch: - Support: $0.24 (recent swing low) and $0.21 (reload zone) - Near-term resistance: $0.28 (breakout could target $0.50) - Bull case: If Bitcoin holds above $70,000, ONDO could test $1.00, with further hurdles at $1.20 and $1.50 - Downside risks: macro factors such as US Federal Reserve rate decisions and geopolitical shocks could cap upside. The piece notes BTC is eyeing $75,000, but an escalation in the Iran conflict could push BTC back toward $50,000 — a move that would likely weigh on risk assets including ONDO. Bottom line The Franklin Templeton tie-up is a meaningful validation for Ondo as tokenization gains traction among established financial firms. While the short-term price reaction was positive, ONDO’s path higher will depend on broader crypto market health, macro policy, and the pace at which institutional products are adopted on-chain. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, says a new deal between privacy-focused blockchain Midnight and UK digital bank Monument could become one of the largest commercial wins yet for the network — potentially bringing “hundreds of millions to billions” in TVL if the partnership scales as planned. In a post on X, Hoskinson praised the Midnight Foundation team, writing: “This is one of the largest deals we’ve ever done and could bring hundreds of millions to billions of TVL to the Midnight ecosystem. I’m extremely proud of Fahmi Syed and his team at the Midnight Foundation for the hard work they put into the negotiations with Monument. Midnight is the home of Web 2.5 ventures.” What Monument is doing - Monument is a UK digital bank focused on mass‑affluent customers. It says it serves more than 100,000 clients and holds over £7 billion in savings deposits — giving the project a substantive balance-sheet starting point rather than a purely experimental pilot. - The bank plans to tokenize retail customer deposits on a public blockchain, with Midnight supplying the network and privacy-preserving architecture. Monument says this would make it the first UK bank to put retail deposits on a public chain. - Phase one targets up to £250 million in tokenized deposits. Each token represents a 1:1 claim on funds held at Monument, remains interest-bearing, is redeemable in sterling, and stays protected under existing regulation — including the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Privacy + compliance design Midnight frames the tokenized deposits not as a synthetic asset or offshore wrapper but as a blockchain mirror of traditional bank deposits. According to the announcement, transaction data on Midnight will be shielded and visible only to Monument and its customers — an architecture designed to preserve the confidentiality banks require while still using public-chain rails. Fahmi Syed, President of the Midnight Foundation, used the deal to highlight a central institutional barrier to blockchain adoption: the tension between public transparency and banking-grade confidentiality. “Midnight is designed to represent assets on public networks while protecting sensitive financial information,” he said, arguing Monument’s rollout demonstrates regulated products can move on-chain without abandoning compliance and consumer protection. Why Hoskinson is eyeing “billions” The disclosed hard figure so far is the £250 million target for phase one. But Monument’s longer roadmap explains Hoskinson’s larger TVL projection: - Phase two would expand tokenization to investment products within the Monument app — private equity, commodity funds, and structured products. - Phase three would introduce Lombard-style lending, letting clients borrow against tokenized investments. - Monument’s technology arm also plans to offer the tokenized-deposit capability to other institutions via a Banking-as-a-Service model. If Monument moves beyond deposit tokenization into investment products, lending and third-party enablement, the on-chain activity would be tied to real deposits and balance-sheet activity — a different class of capital than transient DeFi liquidity. Why the deal matters For Midnight (and the Cardano ecosystem by association), this is a live test of a core thesis: privacy-enhancing infrastructure can make public blockchains suitable for regulated finance. If Monument executes beyond a pilot, the partnership would deliver a banking use case with real customers, real deposits and a product roadmap designed to stay within traditional financial guardrails — something many crypto projects still lack. Market note At the time of reporting, Cardano (ADA) traded around $0.26. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

In January, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong posted on X the night before a planned Senate Banking Committee markup, declared his company could not back the bill, and forced the hearing off the calendar.Now, after lawmakers unveiled fresh compromise language for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, the exchange is signaling the same resistance.Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks announced the revised text March 20, with White House backing. The compromise bans rewards paid simply for holding a stablecoin but allows activity-based rewards tied to payments or platform use.Banks got what they wanted most. Crypto platforms got a narrow lane — though what qualifies as activity-based rewards remains, according to sources familiar with the draft, frustratingly vague.The SEC, CFTC, and Treasury would have 12 months to define the rules more precisely, a timeline that offers little immediate comfort to the industry.Crypto insiders who attended a closed-door Capitol Hill session Monday said the language was overly restrictive. One person familiar with the industry’s first look described the opening impression as a letdown.The numbers behind Coinbase’s opposition are not hard to find. Stablecoin-related revenue made up roughly 20% of the company’s total earnings in the third quarter of 2025.Reports say the exchange pulled in $1.35 billion from stablecoins in 2025 alone, most of it from USDC distribution arrangements with Circle.Armstrong’s public argument has been that USDC rewards are not a deposit product — they are revenue sharing from interest earned on Treasury bills held in reserve.Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent has already criticized what he called recalcitrant actors resisting compromise, urging Senate passage this spring. Banks, other crypto firms, and the White House are increasingly aligned. Coinbase is not.The bill still faces multiple hurdles before it becomes law, including a full Senate floor vote requiring 60 votes and reconciliation with the House-passed version from July 2025.Senator Bernie Moreno has been direct: if the bill does not reach the Senate floor by May, crypto legislation risks going dark until after the midterm cycle.The stablecoin market sits at $316 billion. For now, the clock is running — and Coinbase has made clear it is not ready to get behind the deal.Featured image from Quakers and Business, chart from TradingView Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Lawmakers in Washington are sharpening their sights on prediction markets — and crypto-native platforms are squarely in the crosshairs. On March 25, 2026, Representatives Adrian Smith and Nikki Budzinski introduced the Preventing Real-time Exploitation and Deceptive Insider Congressional Trading Act (PREDICT Act). The bipartisan bill would bar a wide swath of government insiders — members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children, the president, the vice president, and political appointees — from trading on prediction markets tied to political events, policy decisions and other government actions. Violations would carry a civil penalty equal to 10% of the contract’s value, and any illicit profits would be forfeited to the U.S. Treasury. “We’ve seen instances of little-known traders making massive profits” on contracts tied to wars and funding fights, Budzinski said, while Smith warned public service must not become “a pathway to profit.” PREDICT adds to a flurry of legislative proposals this month aimed at limiting what can be wagered on — and who can wager. On March 17, Senator Chris Murphy and Representative Greg Casar introduced the BETS OFF Act, which would broadly ban wagering on government actions, terrorism, war, assassination and any event where a person knows or controls the outcome. Murphy’s office flagged “unusual trading” ahead of military movements involving Iran and Venezuela as part of the concern. Separately, on March 23 Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis unveiled the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act, targeting sports-style contracts. That bill would prevent CFTC-registered entities from listing contracts that resemble sports bets or casino-like games. “Sports prediction contracts are sports bets,” Schiff said; Curtis argued those products should be governed by state law rather than federal regulators, noting they currently trade across all 50 states — even where local gambling laws restrict them. Regulatory and legal pressure is arriving alongside these bills. On March 20, a Nevada judge temporarily barred Kalshi from offering event contracts in the state without a license, underscoring the contested line between regulated financial products and unlicensed gambling. Industry platforms are also tightening rules: Kalshi has banned political candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and Polymarket — a prominent crypto prediction market — updated its policies to prohibit trades by users with confidential information or direct influence over outcomes. Why this matters for crypto audiences - Enforcement risk: If one or more of these bills becomes law or regulators adopt similar rules, crypto-native prediction markets could face new compliance obligations or market restrictions in the U.S. - Custody and on-chain anonymity: Platforms that can’t sufficiently restrict insiders or identify users may be squeezed out of regulated markets, pushing some activity offshore or into decentralized, harder-to-regulate protocols. - Market design and product scope: Efforts to classify certain contracts as gambling could force platforms to redesign offerings or withdraw markets tied to sports, war, or government actions. The legislative push reflects growing alarm in Washington about market activity that may exploit privileged information. For crypto prediction platforms and traders, the immediate takeaway is clear: whether driven by law, litigation, or self-regulation, tighter controls are coming — and they will reshape how and where political and event-driven markets operate. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Australia’s central bank has given tokenisation a major vote of confidence: an RBA-backed pilot found that tokenising financial assets could deliver up to A$16.7 billion (~USD equivalent) in annual economic benefits, driven largely by faster settlement, lower back‑office costs and improved liquidity. Why this matters Assistant Governor Brad Jones framed the shift bluntly: “First, we no longer see the main question as whether tokenisation has a future in Australia’s financial system, but rather, how.” The pilot moved beyond theory, testing real-world issuance, trading and settlement of tokenised bonds, private-market instruments and trade receivables on distributed ledger platforms with regulated participants—banks, asset managers and market infrastructure providers. Top findings - Estimated upside: A$16.7 billion annually, mainly from efficiency gains such as reduced reconciliation, lower settlement risk and smaller back‑office costs. - Near‑instant settlement: Tokenised systems can dramatically shorten finality times, freeing capital otherwise tied up during multi‑day settlement cycles. - Better risk and auditability: Interoperable tokenised platforms can reduce counterparty risk, unify siloed markets and provide real‑time transparency into ownership and transactions. - New liquidity channels: Fractionalisation of assets could broaden market participation and make illiquid classes (private credit, infrastructure) more tradable. - Robust methodology: Multiple asset types and use cases were tested, strengthening the reliability of the economic estimates. Institutional momentum The pilot indicates tokenisation is shifting from niche blockchain experiments to a strategic priority for incumbents. As infrastructure and regulatory clarity improve, banks and asset managers are expected to accelerate investment in tokenisation capabilities—because faster settlement directly reduces capital and operational drag in traditional markets. Challenges and next steps The RBA and industry participants stress that scaling will require coordinated work on regulation, cybersecurity and operational resilience. The recommended path is phased integration: allow tokenised systems and legacy infrastructure to coexist and evolve together while standards and safeguards mature. Global context Similar pilots are underway across Europe and Asia, but Australia’s study stands out for the specificity and scale of its economic case. The data provide a pragmatic blueprint for moving tokenisation from experimental pilots into production-grade market infrastructure. Bottom line The RBA-backed pilot grounds tokenisation in measurable economic value rather than speculation. If policymakers and market participants act on the report’s recommendations, tokenised finance could meaningfully reshape settlement, liquidity and risk management—unlocking billions in annual efficiency gains and accelerating institutional adoption. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The White House has taken a key step toward making it easier for retirement savers to gain crypto exposure through workplace plans. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) completed its review on March 24 of a Labor Department proposal that would change how 401(k) fiduciaries assess alternative assets — including digital-asset exposure — clearing an interagency hurdle in the rulemaking process. OIRA’s action, logged as “consistent with change” and labeled “economically significant,” moves the proposal closer to publication. Once the Labor Department posts the rule, it will open a 60-day public comment period before any revisions and a final rule are considered. The proposal stems from President Donald Trump’s Aug. 7, 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to expand access to alternative investments in 401(k) plans. The order specifically named digital assets, private equity and real estate and asked agencies to coordinate with Treasury and the SEC while revisiting limits on alternatives in defined-contribution plans. This push follows an earlier shift by the Labor Department: on May 28, 2025, it withdrew a 2022 compliance release that had urged fiduciaries to be “extremely cautious” about including crypto in retirement plans. If the current proposal advances, fiduciaries could have a clearer path to evaluate crypto-linked investment options alongside other alternative assets. State-level activity is already echoing the federal momentum. Indiana lawmakers passed a bill on Feb. 25 requiring certain state retirement and savings plans to offer a self-directed brokerage option that includes at least one crypto investment choice by July 1, 2027. The stakes are large: U.S. retirement assets reached a record $48.1 trillion as of Sept. 30, 2025, according to the Investment Company Institute. As the Labor Department’s proposal moves through the comment period, the outcome could meaningfully influence how—and how widely—digital assets are offered inside retirement accounts. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Coinbase is pushing back again. In January, CEO Brian Armstrong publicly warned the night before a planned Senate Banking Committee markup that his exchange could not support the proposed legislation — a move that torpedoed the hearing. Now, a revised compromise version of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act unveiled March 20 by Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks (with White House backing) has reignited the standoff: Coinbase says it still can’t back the bill. What the compromise does - Bans rewards paid simply for holding a stablecoin. - Allows “activity-based” rewards tied to payments or platform use. - Gives the SEC, CFTC and Treasury 12 months to write clearer rules defining those boundaries. Why Coinbase objects Insiders who previewed the draft called the language overly restrictive and vague about what qualifies as activity-based rewards. That vagueness matters to Coinbase: stablecoin-related revenue accounted for roughly 20% of the company’s total earnings in Q3 2025, and the exchange reportedly earned $1.35 billion from stablecoins in 2025 — largely from USDC distribution arrangements with Circle. Armstrong’s public defense is that USDC rewards are not deposit products but revenue sharing from interest on Treasury bills held in reserve. Political dynamics and stakes Banks largely secured their priorities in the compromise, and the White House, banks and many crypto firms are increasingly aligned behind the revised text. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Senate passage this spring and criticized actors he called resistant to compromise. Coinbase stands apart. But the bill still faces major hurdles before it can become law: - It needs a full Senate floor vote requiring 60 votes. - It must be reconciled with the House’s version passed in July 2025. - Senator Bernie Moreno warned that if the bill doesn’t reach the Senate floor by May, momentum for crypto legislation could stall until after the midterms. The numbers underline the urgency: the stablecoin market is about $316 billion, and the regulatory definition of rewards could meaningfully affect major platforms’ business models. With a 12-month rulemaking window and ongoing disagreement from a leading exchange, the clock is running — and Coinbase has made clear it’s not on board with the current deal. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

In a rapid policy pivot driven by the war with Iran, the Trump administration on March 25, 2026 issued an emergency EPA waiver temporarily lifting summer restrictions on E15 gasoline. The move — aimed at easing a sudden spike in pump prices tied to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — took effect fast and could reshape U.S. fuel options for weeks. Why now: supply shock from Hormuz The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closed since the conflict began, has taken roughly 20% of global oil supply offline, sending U.S. pump prices sharply higher. At the time of writing the national average hit $3.98 per gallon, more than $1 higher than a month ago. AAA data show gasoline is up more than 30% since the conflict started; diesel has surged over 40% to $5.37 per gallon. Regional spreads are wide — California drivers face an average of $5.83 per gallon, while Oklahoma and Kansas remain near the low end at about $3.27–$3.28. What the waiver does E15 contains 15% ethanol and generally sells for less than regular gasoline — the Renewable Fuels Association estimates savings of about $0.10–$0.40 per gallon. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA typically limits E15 sales in roughly half the country from June through September because of smog concerns. The emergency waiver runs from May 1 through May 20 and can be extended; the EPA also issued a separate temporary waiver for the standard E10 blend. Given the immediate price advantage of E15 and the ethanol lobby’s push for broader access, the administration called this a straightforward emergency step. Officials and reactions EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said: “EPA waivers will work to prevent disruption in America’s fuel supply by keeping E15 and E10 on the market and giving Americans more fuel options.” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins added: “President Trump is unleashing American Energy Dominance, and today’s action will directly lower prices at the pump and gives a clear demand signal to our domestic biofuels producers.” The waiver drew bipartisan voices of support and caution. Senator Amy Klobuchar had urged the administration to act; the Renewable Fuels Association publicly praised the move. But several lawmakers stressed the limits of a temporary waiver. Senator Deb Fischer (R–Neb.) warned: “This is not a long-term solution, and it is far past time for Congress to make this permanent.” Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol, argued the emergency conditions justified the waiver, pointing to the “historical oil market disruption” caused by the Iran conflict. The road ahead With the Strait of Hormuz still largely blocked, officials are likely to extend the waiver beyond May 20. The broader policy question remains unresolved: will Congress make expanded E15 access permanent, or will future administrations rely on repeated emergency waivers to manage fuel shocks? The debate over E15’s role in U.S. fuel policy is far from settled — but this week it moved to the center of the conversation. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

CFTC’s first self-custody no-action letter opens door for XRP-linked derivatives A little-noticed regulatory move last week could accelerate the entry of non-custodial XRP infrastructure into regulated derivatives markets. On March 17 the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued its first-ever no-action letter for a self-custodial wallet provider — a development XRP backers say pairs perfectly with a same-day joint SEC-CFTC decision classifying XRP as a “digital commodity.” The CFTC’s Letter No. 26-09 grants no-action relief to Phantom Technologies Inc., the team behind Phantom, one of Solana’s most popular self-custodial wallets. Under the letter, Phantom can provide front-end access to CFTC-regulated derivatives (for example, futures traded on designated contract markets) without registering as an introducing broker or associated person — on the condition that it never takes custody of users’ funds, offers robust risk disclosures, maintains records and compliance controls comparable to those of a registered introducing broker, and follows the other conditions laid out by the agency. Evernorth, an XRP-focused treasury firm that flagged the letter on March 24, summarized the ruling’s core takeaway: “If you don’t hold customer funds, you’re not a financial intermediary.” The firm argues the framework has direct implications for non-custodial XRP infrastructure given Ripple’s long-standing emphasis on settlement models that avoid custodial control. Crypto chart analyst @ChartNerdTA summed up the reaction on social media with the headline: “XRP Was DESIGNED For This.” That regulatory tailwind arrived alongside a major classification shift. On the same day the CFTC issued the Phantom letter, the SEC and CFTC published a joint interpretive release designating XRP as a “digital commodity,” explicitly placing the Ripple-linked token outside the scope of U.S. securities law. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty quickly responded on X: “We always knew XRP wasn’t a security — and now the @SECGov has made clear what it is: a digital commodity.” Markets reacted sharply. XRP’s trading volume spiked 125% to $3.22 billion on March 17 when the commodity designation was published, briefly boosting its market cap to about $93.4 billion and overtaking BNB in the global rankings. At the time of reporting the token was trading around $1.41 with a 24-hour volume near $2.29 billion and a market cap of roughly $86.4 billion. Why this matters: the Phantom no-action letter creates a clear regulatory pathway for self-custodial wallets to act as user-facing interfaces to regulated derivatives without being treated as financial intermediaries — so long as they never control user assets and meet the CFTC’s compliance and disclosure conditions. For XRP-focused projects and other non-custodial platforms, the decision is strategic rather than immediately transformative: it reduces a major regulatory obstacle to connecting non-custodial wallets and services with regulated derivatives markets. The move also reflects a broader CFTC posture under newly confirmed Chairman Brian Quintenz, which observers describe as more pro-innovation. The agency has been working to streamline digital-asset oversight, including advancing a Memorandum of Understanding with the SEC on March 11, 2026, aimed at reducing regulatory fragmentation for firms operating across both regimes. Bottom line: together, the CFTC’s no-action letter for self-custodial wallets and the SEC-CFTC classification of XRP as a digital commodity create complementary regulatory clarity. That combination could make it easier for non-custodial XRP infrastructure to plug into regulated derivatives markets — a development that proponents say aligns with how XRP and similar tokens were architected. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Cipher Digital’s stock surged after the company locked in a long-term deal to accelerate its pivot from Bitcoin mining to high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. The publicly traded developer and operator of industrial-scale data centers said Wednesday it signed a 15-year lease to build its third large data center campus, developing a new HPC facility at one of its existing sites. Investors rewarded the move: Cipher’s shares (CIFR) jumped more than 8% from the opening bell to trade around $16.14 per share. “This agreement for our third large AI campus reinforces Cipher's position as a trusted partner to develop high-quality HPC data center infrastructure for the world's leading companies,” CEO Tyler Page said in a statement. Cipher also closed a new syndicated revolving credit facility that provides up to $200 million of committed capacity, with an additional $50 million accordion option. The undrawn facility matures in March 2030 and carries interest at SOFR plus 1.25%–1.75%, with step-down pricing tied to the company’s total debt-to-market-cap ratio. CFO Greg Mumford called the financing “a major step in the evolution of our capital structure,” saying it reflects growing confidence from premier financial institutions. Morgan Stanley is the administrative agent, lead arranger and lead bookrunner, joined by Banco Santander, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Wells Fargo. The moves follow Cipher’s February rebrand from Cipher Mining as the company pushes beyond a pure Bitcoin-mining identity toward enabling large-scale compute for AI and other HPC workloads. That rebrand coincided with the sale of an ownership interest in three joint mining sites and mining rigs at one location. Cipher emphasized it will keep “optimized exposure to the Bitcoin mining industry in a capital-light manner,” while building out next-generation compute infrastructure. Cipher’s strategy is part of a broader industry shift: several former or partial Bitcoin-mining operators — including Core Scientific, Cango and Bitfarms (now Keel Infrastructure) — have moved to capture rising demand for AI and other high-performance computing capacity. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitcoin is stuck in a tight range, and traders are bracing for a decisive move. With stiff resistance overhead and key supports still intact below, the next reaction around these levels will likely determine whether BTC resumes an uptrend or slides into another leg down. What analysts are seeing - Kamile Uray notes Bitcoin is trading below a key “blue box” zone, suggesting near-term downside pressure could persist. Yet the 4‑hour chart is showing early signs of recovery: a small inverse head-and-shoulders (TOBO) is beginning to form. If that pattern triggers, it could pave the way for a run toward $75,000. - Beyond the short-term setup, a larger cup‑and‑handle could be developing. A push to $75,000 would help construct that pattern, but confirmation requires a strong close above $75,000 — and ideally a follow-through above $79,354 to register the first higher high on the 4‑hour timeframe. Key levels to watch - Immediate resistance: $72,000–$76,000 (a persistent selling zone). - Near-term bullish trigger: clean close above $75,000; break above $79,354 for a confirmed 4‑hour higher high. - Crucial supports: $65,666, $62,433, and $60,000. Holding these could form a base for another attempt higher. - Bearish risk: a daily close below the $62,433–$60,000 band would amplify downside pressure, exposing deeper supports around $55,230 and $47,256. - Bigger-picture targets: a move to ~$98,200 with a daily close above it would confirm a daily higher high, bolstering the case for a sustained uptrend. However, the $107,000–$109,000 area could become a stumbling block — failure to clear that region might allow a bearish reversal. Momentum and market tone - Bitcoin is trading around $70,413 and remains rangebound after weeks of limited directional conviction. CyrilXBT highlights the $72k–$76k zone as a consistent ceiling that rejects rallies. - On the downside, a macro trendline near $64,000 has held twice, supplying the main support that’s so far prevented a broader breakdown. - With the 200‑EMA around $86,380 well above current levels, momentum indicators aren’t yet signaling a clear trend — leaving many traders in a wait‑and‑see mode. Bottom line BTC is at a crossroads. A decisive close above $75,000 (and ideally above $79,354) would tilt the scales back toward the bulls and open room for higher targets. Conversely, a daily close under the $62,433–$60,000 range would materially raise the odds of deeper losses. Traders should watch the highlighted levels and watch for confirming closes rather than intraday blips. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Franklin Templeton is teaming up with Ondo Finance to bring tokenized stocks and ETFs onto the blockchain — a move that could turn traditional investment products into 24/7 tradable digital assets. What’s happening - Ondo Finance said it will work with Franklin Templeton to list tokenized versions of conventional investment products on Ondo Global Markets, Ondo’s platform for blockchain-native tokens backed by real-world assets. - These tokens are designed to track the value of underlying publicly traded stocks and exchange-traded funds and can be held directly in digital wallets. That lets users gain exposure to familiar securities without opening a brokerage account. Why this matters - Franklin Templeton, which manages roughly $1.7 trillion in assets, will supply investment products and help support the rollout, including educational programs aimed at crypto-native users who may not be versed in long-term portfolio strategies. - Ondo Global Markets — launched in September 2025 — already reports more than $620 million in total value locked (TVL), over $12 billion in trading volume and about 60,000 users. Ondo says demand is driven by people seeking exposure to traditional markets without the friction of cross-border account setup, currency exchanges or limited trading hours. Bigger picture - The deal underscores a broader push by large asset managers to experiment with blockchain rails. Franklin Templeton is among several legacy firms building digital asset tools; others, including BlackRock, have explored tokenized funds and on-chain settlement. - Tokenization promises to change how assets move and who can access them. Blockchain-based tokens can enable round-the-clock trading and direct wallet ownership, potentially cutting out layers of intermediaries and reducing geographic and operational barriers. Challenges ahead - Regulatory gray areas remain a major hurdle. Rules for how tokenized securities are treated when they move between wallets or across borders — rather than through broker-dealers — are still unsettled. - Competition is intensifying as more firms offer tokenized funds. Major financial institutions will be watching to see whether blockchain distribution models erode the traditional gatekeeper role of banks and brokers. Bottom line For Ondo and Franklin Templeton, the bet is simple: combine trusted, familiar investment products with crypto-native infrastructure to offer a new, more accessible route into traditional markets. If adoption grows, tokenization could reshape market access — but regulatory clarity and competitive dynamics will determine how far it can go. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news