Today’s News Highlights:
Federal Reserve Launches 90-Day Consultation on Basel III Proposal
Three Democratic U.S. Senators Say They Will Oversee DOJ Investigation into Binance
Binance Adds Multiple Tokens Including ATA, GTC to “Monitoring Tag” List
Backpack to Conduct TGE on March 23
Binance to Launch UST Perpetual Contract Tracking Korean Stock Market ETF EWYUSDT
Binance to List Katana (KAT) and Add Seed Tag
Eightco Holdings Secures $125 Million in New Funding and Completes $50 Million Initial Investment in OpenAI
Crypto Accounting Platform Cryptio Completes $45 Million Series B Funding
Regulation & Macro
The Federal Reserve will initiate a 90-day consultation period on the Basel III proposal, with Bitcoin facing a 1250% risk weight.
Michelle Bowman, Vice Chair for Supervision at the Federal Reserve, stated that U.S. regulators will propose final rules for implementing Basel III in the coming weeks, expected to be released between March 17-21, followed by a 90-day public comment period. The proposal, coordinated with the OCC and FDIC, classifies Bitcoin as a Category 2b asset, deemed difficult to hedge and inherently volatile, with a 1250% risk weight. This means a bank holding $100 million in Bitcoin exposure would be treated as $1.25 billion in risk-weighted assets, requiring about $100 million in capital.
Compared to zero risk weight for cash, gold, and U.S. Treasuries, and 20%-100% for corporate loans, Bitcoin’s capital treatment is extremely strict. Industry groups criticize this framework for misclassifying Bitcoin, hindering banks from providing related services.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Sixth Round of China-U.S. Economic and Trade Consultations to Be Held
Spokesperson Guo Jiajun announced that China has released information about the sixth round of China-U.S. economic and trade consultations. For specific questions, it is recommended to consult the relevant Chinese authorities.
Three Democratic U.S. Senators Say They Will Oversee DOJ Investigation into Binance
Senators Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren, and Ruben Gallego issued a joint statement saying they will oversee the DOJ’s investigation into Binance’s alleged violations of Iran sanctions. They emphasized ensuring the DOJ investigates Binance thoroughly and holds any misconduct accountable.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that the DOJ is investigating whether Iran may have used Binance to evade sanctions. The senators expressed concern over Binance’s history of profit-shifting and the possibility of the company violating U.S. sanctions laws and funding Iran-related terrorist activities. Binance responded that it is unaware of any investigation but has cooperated with regulators and law enforcement. Binance has also filed a defamation lawsuit against the WSJ article from February.
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Six Individuals and Two Entities Assisting North Korea’s IT Labor Fraud
The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC announced sanctions against six individuals and two entities accused of participating in North Korea’s overseas IT labor programs, using false identities and forged documents to secure remote jobs with U.S. and allied companies, generating nearly $800 million for North Korea’s WMD programs in 2024.
Project Updates
Binance Adds Multiple Tokens Including ATA, GTC to “Monitoring Tag” List
Effective March 13, 2026, Binance will include Automata Network (ATA), Arena-Z (A2Z), FIO Protocol (FIO), Gitcoin (GTC), Neutron (NTRN), Phoenix (PHB), BENQI (QI), and Radiant Capital (RDNT) to the Monitoring Tag list following recent assessments.
Dubai TOKEN2049 Conference Postponed to April 2027
Organizers announced that, after considering current geopolitical tensions and their impact on international travel, the TOKEN2049 Dubai event will be postponed to April 21-22, 2027. Originally scheduled for April 29-30, 2026, the event was delayed due to recent conflicts spreading to Dubai.
Binance: Unitas Labs (UP) Exclusive TGE Participation Threshold Set at 226 Alpha Points
Binance Wallet announced on X that participation in Unitas Labs (UP) exclusive TGE requires 226 Alpha points, with 15 points deducted upon participation.
Binance Options to Enforce Self-Trade Prevention (STP) for All Users
Starting March 19, 2026, at 14:00 (UTC+8), Binance will mandatory enable the Self-Trade Prevention (STP) feature for all options trading users. This update will cover spot, leverage, futures, and options trading, with a system transition expected to last about one hour.
STP aims to prevent API users from unintentionally executing self-trades, ensuring compliance and data integrity, and saving users unnecessary fees. It automatically blocks orders that would result in self-trades. Three STP modes are available; by default, Binance Options orders will use the “EXPIRE_MAKER” mode.
Vitalik Proposes Secret Voice Command Silent Alarm System to Combat Crimes Against Crypto Holders
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin posted on X proposing a low-cost, privacy-preserving personal safety tool: a simple “disavowable” emergency alert system. For example, pre-set secret words that, when heard by a watch, phone, or home device, automatically silently dial 911 and transmit location data to authorities. This could be especially useful for crypto holders worried about kidnapping or robbery. Vitalik believes that if the environment ensures at least a 20% chance of police arriving immediately upon an alarm, and robbers cannot detect whether an alarm has been triggered, such crimes would become too risky to attempt. Since the system requires active user initiation, the risk of government abuse for mass surveillance remains low.
Coinbase Adds Billions (BILL) to Token Listing Roadmap
Coinbase announced that Billions (BILL) has been added to its token listing roadmap. The listing date will be announced once market support and infrastructure are ready.
Backpack to Conduct TGE on March 23
Officially, Backpack announced its TGE will occur on March 23. Previously, it revealed tokenomics: 25% released at TGE, with 24% allocated to stakers.
Binance to Launch UST Perpetual Contract Tracking Korean Stock ETF EWYUSDT
Binance Futures will launch the EWYUSDT index perpetual contract at 21:30 UTC+8 on March 16, 2026, with up to 10x leverage. The underlying index is iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY), tracking large and mid-cap Korean stocks, supporting 24/7 trading and multi-asset mode, with BTC and other assets as collateral.
SlowMist: ClawHub Developers Warned of Phishing and Credential Leak Risks
SlowMist CTO 23pds issued a warning to ClawHub developers about phishing and credential leak risks. Currently, ClawHub relies on GitHub one-click login, which was previously exploited by Sha1-Hulud malware to steal developer credentials. Attackers could target Skills by gaining GitHub access, deploying malicious backdoors, and infecting users’ systems.
Vitalik Clarifies Relationship with AI Organization FLI, Outlines Disagreements on AI Risk Approaches
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin clarified his past donation to the Future of Life Institute (FLI), emphasizing that donating does not mean endorsing all their policies. He recounted receiving large amounts of SHIB tokens in 2021, worth over $1 billion at peak, some of which he donated to FLI, which had a broad roadmap covering bio, nuclear, AI risks, and peace promotion. FLI eventually realized about $500 million but shifted focus toward cultural and political actions.
Vitalik expressed concerns about large-scale political coordination, fearing unintended consequences and overly rigid solutions. He noted that regulation of dangerous tech often grants exemptions to national security agencies, which are themselves major risks. He advocates for a d/acc approach—developing open-source tech to help humanity survive safely—and plans to allocate about $40 million of recent funds to this direction. He also supports FLI’s recent initiatives like the “Support the Human AI Declaration” as positive philosophical steps.
Binance to List Katana (KAT) and Add Seed Tag
Binance will list Katana (KAT) at 21:00 UTC+8 on March 18, 2026, with spot trading pairs KAT/USDT, KAT/USDC, and KAT/TRY. Deposit channels open one hour later; withdrawals are expected to open at 21:00 UTC+8 on March 19, 2026.
POAP: Platform to Enter Maintenance Mode from March 16, No Longer Actively Developing
POAP announced that due to growth limitations and inability to expand infrastructure, the platform will enter maintenance mode starting March 16, 2026. New issuers will no longer access the issuance interface; existing issuers can continue using current tools, and existing POAPs remain intact. User interfaces for collectors are unaffected, and API and integrations will continue functioning, but active development will cease, and some operations may slow down. POAP stated that managing the platform revealed that digital collectibles are still emerging, and current tools reflect system constraints rather than community needs. Future efforts will focus on developing open standards and platforms for sustainable, permissionless collectible creation.
Binance Wallet’s Seventh Prime Sale Pre-TGE to Launch Katana (KAT)
Officially, Binance Wallet announced that the seventh Prime Sale Pre-TGE will launch Katana (KAT). Subscription window: March 16, 2026, 20:00-22:00 (UTC+8). Eligibility: users must use Binance Alpha points to participate. Details and event page will be announced via @BinanceWallet on X.
Investment & Funding News
Stablecoin Company MetaComp Completes Pre-A+ Round, $35 Million in Three Months
Singapore-based digital finance platform MetaComp completed its Pre-A+ funding round, bringing total funding to $35 million, including a previous Pre-A round three months earlier. Investors include Alibaba, Spark Venture, and others, with existing shareholders participating.
MetaComp aims to build a Web2.5 payment and wealth platform offering stablecoin/fiat hybrid payments and securities/RWA tokenized wealth management. Funds will accelerate expansion of StableX network across Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, and develop AI strategies supporting proxy Web2.5 payments and wealth services.
Eightco Holdings Secures $125 Million in New Funding and Completes $50 Million Initial Investment in OpenAI
Crypto treasury firm Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ token ORBS) announced a $125 million funding commitment, with Bitmine investing $75 million, ARK Invest and Payward each pledging $25 million. ORBS also disclosed it completed a $50 million strategic initial investment in OpenAI and invested $25 million in MrBeast and Beast Industries.
Palmprint Authentication Company VeryAI Completes $10 Million Seed Round Led by Polychain Capital
Axios reports that palmprint authentication startup VeryAI raised $10 million in seed funding, led by Polychain Capital, with participation from Berggruen Institute, Anagram, and several crypto angel investors. VeryAI offers SDKs for palmprint scanning via mobile cameras, integrated into existing apps to combat bots and multi-factor fatigue. Its system analyzes palm textures and requires random gestures to prevent screenshots, recordings, and AI forgery. The company claims a false acceptance rate of about one in ten million, higher than Apple Face ID’s official level.
Yield-Generating Stablecoin Protocol Unitas Completes $13.33 Million Seed Round
Unitas Labs announced closing a $13.33 million seed round, with investors including Awaken Finance, Amber Group, BB Fund, Taisu Ventures, Bixin Ventures, and SevenX Ventures. The funds will support building on-chain infrastructure for long-term capital strategies, aiming to enhance stable asset yields through transparent, market-neutral strategies, and gradually expanding to BTC, tokenized commodities, RWA, and other collateralized assets under a unified custody, risk control, and monitoring framework, with a focus on compliance and DeFi integration.
Crypto Accounting Platform Cryptio Completes $45 Million Series B, Led by BlackFin Capital Partners and Sentinel Global
Fortune reports that Cryptio, a digital asset accounting startup, raised $45 million in Series B funding, led by BlackFin Capital Partners and Sentinel Global, with participation from 1kx, BlueYard Capital, and Ledger Cathay Capital. The company provides software for large institutions managing digital assets, custody, crypto loans, and on-chain asset management. The round closed three weeks ago; valuation undisclosed. It employs about 110 staff and serves over 450 clients, including stablecoin issuer Circle and BNP Paribas’ blockchain subsidiary.
Insights & Analysis
Analysis: Bitcoin’s Rebound Conditions Are Gradually Forming
Matrixport’s weekly report notes that current market sentiment remains weak, with low overall trading volume. Many traders have shifted focus to gold, oil, and other assets. However, underlying changes are occurring: Bitcoin has declined for five consecutive months—a rare pattern historically preceding a rebound. Meanwhile, the total market cap of altcoins has also fallen into zones that historically trigger rebounds. Although our altcoin model has not yet turned bullish, the number of tokens above the 30-day moving average and filtered by momentum has increased significantly. With stablecoin inflows resuming and liquidity conditions improving, these signals suggest the potential for a market rebound is gradually increasing.
Analysis: Whale Suffering $50 Million Loss from High Slippage Suspected to Be Linked to Garrett Jin
On-chain analyst Lookonchain posted analysis indicating that a mysterious trader, who exchanged 5,043,000 aETHUSDT for only 327 aETHAAVE (about $36,000), may be Garrett Jin (a well-known whale with 1011). The clues: tracking on-chain shows 13 wallets possibly belonging to him, all receiving USDC or USDT from Binance on Feb 16 and 20, and then consolidating funds into two new wallets today. One wallet matches Garrett Jin’s Binance deposit address. Notably, Garrett Jin sold 261,000 ETH (worth $543 million) and 11,300 BTC (worth $761 million) on Feb 15 and 20, aligning with the timing of these stablecoin withdrawals.
Key Data
Bitcoin Spot ETF saw net inflow of $53.87 million yesterday, continuing four days of inflows.
Ethereum Spot ETF saw net inflow of $72.37 million yesterday, continuing three days of inflows.
A whale lost nearly $50 million when exchanging USDT for AAVE, due to ignoring slippage warnings
According to The Block, a whale attempting to buy AAVE with $50 million USDT via Aave’s interface received only about 3,600 AAVE, losing nearly $50 million. The transaction involved a large order triggering a warning about high slippage, which the user confirmed on mobile, accepting the unfavorable price impact. CoW Swap explained that the trade executed based on signed order parameters, with clear price impact warnings, and no protocol vulnerabilities detected. Aave is trying to contact the user and will refund the $600,000 fee paid.
