Cointelegraph.com
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Cointelegraph.com - 12:04 Mar 19, 2026
Ancient Bitcoin holders moved millions to exchanges as Middle East tensions drove oil higher, fueling a broader risk-off shift across crypto and traditional markets. Ancient Bitcoin holders moved tens of millions of dollars to exchanges as Bitcoin fell and energy prices jumped after attacks on Gulf oil and gas infrastructure deepened the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Ancient whale “bc1ql” sent 1,000 Bitcoin (BTC), worth around $71 million at current prices, to Binance on Wednesday, according to blockchain data platform Arkham. The whale initially bought 5,000 BTC 13 years ago and still holds about 1,500 BTC worth about $106 million, according to blockchain analytics platform Onchain Lens. The same day, one of the earliest Bitcoin holders, Owen Gunden, also transferred 650 BTC ($46 million) to crypto exchange Kraken, marking his first large sale in five months, when he sold a total of 11,000 BTC ($1.12 billion), according to analytics platform Lookonchain. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 12:00 Mar 19, 2026
The ruling Democratic Party responded, saying it has not formed a consensus on abolishing the tax but will review the new proposal. South Korea’s main opposition party has proposed scrapping a planned crypto tax ahead of its 2027 rollout, citing fairness, double taxation and enforcement concerns. According to a Thursday report by local media outlet eDaily, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) introduced a bill to amend the country’s Income Tax Act and remove provisions on digital asset income, aiming to abolish a planned tax on crypto asset gains ahead of its 2027 implementation. Under the upcoming rules, crypto gains exceeding 2.5 million Korean won will be subject to a 20% income tax and an additional 2% local tax starting on Jan. 1, 2027. The measure has already been delayed three times since its initial introduction. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:18 Mar 19, 2026
Ethereum developers are pushing one-click staking to simplify validator operations, attract institutions and strengthen decentralization across the network. Ether staking has grown significantly, with nearly 1 million validators and around 30% of ETH staked. However, operational complexity continues to prevent many institutions from participating directly, despite the potential yield opportunity. Developers are working toward “one-click staking,” a simplified deployment model that allows institutions to run validators through automated, standardized systems without requiring deep technical expertise. A key enabler of this shift is DVT-lite, which allows multiple nodes to jointly manage a validator, improving fault tolerance while reducing setup complexity and minimizing risks such as slashing penalties. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 23:23 Mar 18, 2026
Bitcoin dropped below $71,000, but the market’s tilt toward bulls holds as spot ETF inflows and BTC buying from Strategy boost investor sentiment. Key takeaways: Spot market demand through US-listed ETFs and Strategy buying BTC supports Bitcoin’s bullish momentum. Low leverage among Bitcoin bulls reduces the risk of cascading liquidations even if prices drop another 5%. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:30 Mar 18, 2026
The effect on energy prices from the Iran war will impact the economy, but the size and scope of the macroeconomic shock are still unknown. The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced on Wednesday that it would hold the Federal Funds rate steady at 3.5-3.75%, as it monitors macroeconomic impacts from the ongoing war in the Middle East. Economic activity has expanded at a “solid pace,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said, adding that consumer spending remains “resilient,” while business investment continued to grow. However, the housing sector remains weak, and the labor market shows signs of softening, Powell said, while inflation remains “somewhat elevated” above the Fed’s 2% target. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 21:07 Mar 18, 2026
The prediction markets co-founder said that the company would “abide by court decisions“ but signaled that the charges were based partly on political bias and media attention. Tarek Mansour, co-founder and CEO of prediction markets platform Kalshi, has pushed back against criminal charges filed by Arizona authorities this week, claiming that they were a "total overstep" and "not about gambling.” On Tuesday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced charges against the companies behind Kalshi, alleging that the company operated an “illegal gambling business in Arizona without a license” and offered illegal election wagering. Mansour said in a Wednesday Bloomberg interview that Mayes was attempting to “subvert the judicial process” by filing charges without a court decision in Kalshi’s own lawsuit against Arizona authorities last week. “We see this as a total overstep and we look forward to fighting it in court,” said Mansour. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 20:19 Mar 18, 2026
Paul Atkins says nonfungible tokens are typically collectibles, not investment contracts, as the agency outlines new categories of digital assets outside securities laws. After the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) outlined four broad categories of digital assets that fall outside securities laws, Chair Paul Atkins offered further clarity on why nonfungible tokens (NFTs) generally do not meet that definition. In a Wednesday interview with CNBC, Atkins reiterated that the agency’s recent interpretive release identified four types of digital assets that are typically not considered securities: digital commodities, digital tools, digital collectibles such as NFTs, and stablecoins. During the interview, host Andrew Ross Sorkin pressed Atkins on digital collectibles, noting they could more easily resemble securities depending on how they are structured. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:47 Mar 18, 2026
The fourth round of reimbursements to creditors and former clients of the failed crypto exchange since February 2025 brings the total paid to about $10 billion. Additional reporting by Turner Wright. The FTX Recovery Trust, which oversees the distribution of funds to creditors and former customers of the failed crypto exchange, announced on Wednesday that it will distribute $2.2 billion to creditors on March 31, 2026. Eligible creditors will receive their funds through their chosen distribution provider within one to three business days, according to an announcement from the Trust. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:39 Mar 18, 2026
The Crypto Fear and Greed Index just ended a 48-day stretch in the “extreme fear” zone, signalling improving sentiment among investors. Will fresh capital inflows reignite the bull market? The Crypto Fear & Greed Index remained at 26 on Wednesday, after rising to 28, a day earlier, ending the indicators’ 48-day stretch in the “extreme fear” zone. The Crypto Fear & Greed index tracks market sentiment using volatility, momentum, volume, and social data. Any reading below 25 signals extreme fear, while higher values reflect an improving risk appetite. The index reading points to an improvement in market sentiment this week, marking its first exit from extreme fear in over six weeks. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:21 Mar 18, 2026
The Wyoming Republican said that the main issue holding up passage of the bill was stablecoin yield, while adding that she believed a provision on DeFi had been ”put to bed.” Update (March 18 at 6:52 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include a response from Cynthia Lummis beginning in the eighth paragraph. Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the main proponents of a digital asset market structure bill in the US Congress, said that the legislation is getting closer to passage despite “things that [she] did not expect” in 2025. Speaking at the DC Blockchain Summit hosted by the Digital Chamber on Wednesday, Lummis said she had thought that the crypto industry would already be celebrating a “victory lap” for the market structure bill, which passed the US House of Representatives in July 2025. She said that “the main thing” that had held up the legislation was the fight over stablecoin yield and rewards between banking and crypto industry representatives. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 18:16 Mar 18, 2026
Bitcoin’s pre-FOMC sell-off eased as the US Federal Reserve's choice to leave interest rates unchanged was followed by a swift bounce in BTC price. Bitcoin’s (BTC) bullish start to the week faced a halt on Wednesday, as BTC dropped 3.4% to $70,900 alongside an overarching sell-off in US stocks. The correction followed a hotter-than-expected Producer Price Index (PPI) report, which was 0.7% higher than the 3.4% year-on-year estimate. Despite the selling, data shows BTC spot market demand holding steady, with buyers stepping in to absorb the selling pressure and proof of this appetite being reflected by Bitcoin reclaiming $72,000 after Federal Reserve minutes highlighted their decision to leave interest rates unchanged. While the market consensus had tilted toward the Fed choosing to pause on interest rate changes, market volatility in oil prices, equity markets, and persistent tension over the recently started US and Israel-Iran war had traders on edge. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:44 Mar 18, 2026
The new derivative allows eligible non-US users to trade leveraged exposure to the index around the clock using official data on a decentralized platform. S&P Dow Jones Indices has licensed its S&P 500 Index to Trade[XYZ] for the launch of a perpetual futures contract on Hyperliquid, in what the company described as the first officially licensed onchain product offering continuous, leveraged exposure to the index for eligible non-US users. According to Wednesday’s announcement, contract allows eligible non-US traders to take long or short positions on the index without an expiry date, with markets operating continuously outside traditional exchange hours using official index data from S&P Dow Jones Indices. The contract also brings equity index exposure onto Hyperliquid, extending the use of perpetual derivatives beyond cryptocurrencies into traditional financial benchmarks. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:30 Mar 18, 2026
Author and personal finance educator Robert Kiyosaki says Bitcoin is going to $750,000, but there's a catch. Key takeaways: Robert Kiyosaki’s $750,000 Bitcoin target implies a 95% discount versus gold, which is lower than the 2024 peak. $750,000 Bitcoin might not be that significant if daily expenses, housing and energy rise in like kind. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 16:39 Mar 18, 2026
After the Kingdom of Bhutan's BTC reserve peaked in October 2024, when it held more than 13,000 coins, it has been pared to just 4,400 Bitcoin. The Kingdom of Bhutan has transferred over $72.3 million in Bitcoin (BTC) from its wallets over the last 24 hours, as it continues to sell portions of its holdings. Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), a state-owned investment company that manages the country’s Bitcoin mining operations and crypto investments, has moved more than 973 BTC over the past 24 hours, in six separate transactions, according to Arkham Intelligence. DHI also moved more than 175 BTC, valued at $11.8 million, on March 10. “Bhutan periodically sells portions of its Bitcoin in clips of $5 million to $10 million, with a particularly heavy period of selling around mid-late September 2025,” Arkham said. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 16:19 Mar 18, 2026
BTC price is vastly outperforming the tech-heavy Nasdaq index amid the US–Iran war, but its risks of crashing toward $51,000 persist. Bitcoin (BTC) broke its longstanding correlation with tech stocks as the US–Iran war dragged into its third week. Key takeaways: Bitcoin is outperforming tech stocks amid the US–Iran war, indicating its growing demand as a geopolitical hedge. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:42 Mar 18, 2026
SBI VC Trade said users could lend assets directly to its platform, but added that the company may re-lend funds as part of its operations. SBI Holdings’ digital asset arm, SBI VC Trade, said it will launch a USDC lending service in Japan on Thursday, allowing retail users to lend stablecoins to the platform under fixed-term agreements in exchange for returns. On Wednesday, the company said users will be able to lend Circle’s USDC (USDC) stablecoin to the platform and receive interest payments, with a maximum application of 5,000 USDC per offering. The product is structured as a loan to SBI VC Trade rather than a deposit, meaning users take direct counterparty risk. SBI said it may also re-lend the borrowed USDC as part of its operations. The launch marks a further step in Japan’s stablecoin rollout, bringing a consumer-accessible USDC yield product to market through a licensed domestic platform. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:20 Mar 18, 2026
Ties to the crypto industry became a vector for attack in a recent Democratic primary election in the state of Illinois. Not all voters are sold on crypto, and in Illinois, the crypto industry lobby failed to secure a victory, despite spending millions. On Tuesday, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton won a primary election for a rare open US Senate seat in her state. She is expected to win in the general election and take the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin. In the primary, she won over two other candidates, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who currently represents Illinois’ 8th Congressional district, and Representative Robin Kelly from Illinois’ 2nd. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:20 Mar 18, 2026
The UK has a unique opportunity to merge the best of the EU’s MiCA framework and the US GENIUS Act, Circle’s Dante Disparte told the House of Lords committee on Wednesday. Circle’s policy chief Dante Disparte told a United Kingdom House of Lords committee that the UK has a chance to build its crypto regime by combining the clarity of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) with elements of the new US stablecoin framework. “The model is clear: take the best of both and make it distinctly British,” Disparte said during a Wednesday meeting of the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee. “From Europe, take clarity, definitions, licensing, governance and strong consumer protection from the US and the landmark Genius Act.” Disparte argued that the absence of a regulatory framework will keep stablecoin activity offshore, leaving UK users more exposed and jeopardizing London’s status as a global hub for financial innovation. The meeting was part of the House of Lords’ inquiry in... -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:02 Mar 18, 2026
Bitcoin price action fell to week-to-date lows with Bitcoin caught between high US inflation and nerves over Fed policy hints at the day's FOMC meeting. Bitcoin (BTC) slid 2.5% around Wednesday’s Wall Street open as a fresh US inflation overshoot spooked markets. Key points: US PPI inflation surpasses market expectations again, continuing its “hot” 2026 trend. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 14:00 Mar 18, 2026
Crypto firms argue that DeFi should be taught at top schools so that students can eventually take on a rapid rise in non-technical crypto jobs on Wall Street. Twenty-one crypto organizations have signed an open letter urging US colleges to incorporate decentralized finance into their curricula, arguing that there will be massive demand for crypto talent on Wall Street. “Our purpose with this letter is simple: to respectfully urge higher education institutions across the United States to further integrate digital assets, blockchain, and decentralized finance into their business and legal curricula,” the open letter reads, which was published on Wednesday. The campaign was spearheaded by decentralized protocol aggregator 1Inch, with signatories including the Solana Policy Institute, Blockchain Association, DeFi Education Fund and crypto platforms like Aave, MyEtherWallet, Delphi Digital and Messari. Read more
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