Cointelegraph.com
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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
A Coinbase-EY study reveals institutional investors plan to boost crypto allocations in 2026, favoring regulated products as stablecoins and tokenization gain traction. The crypto market sell-off since October hasn’t deterred institutional investors, with a new survey showing most plan to increase exposure to digital assets in the coming year. According to a January survey of 351 institutional investors conducted by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon, 73% of respondents said they plan to increase their allocations of digital assets in 2026, while 74% expect crypto prices to rise over the next 12 months. Two-thirds of respondents said exchange-traded products (ETPs) and other regulated vehicles have become their preferred way to gain exposure, reflecting growing familiarity with these instruments and a broader shift toward regulated access points. Regulation was also cited as a key factor attracting institutional participation. 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 -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:00 Mar 18, 2026
When new money is created, those closest to the money printer get richer. Named the Cantillon Effect, it may be a good reason to buy Bitcoin. -
Cointelegraph.com - 12:30 Mar 18, 2026
Crypto cards force asset sales and tax hits. Onchain credit enables yield-bearing collateral power spending without liquidation, making cards obsolete interfaces. Opinion by: Vikram Arun, co-founder and CEO of Superform Crypto cards aren't the future of payments. They're a temporary interface for a world that hasn't fully accepted cryptocurrencies. They rely on banks as issuers, Visa or Mastercard as gatekeepers, and compliance rules that look exactly like TradFi. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:47 Mar 18, 2026
RedotPay says it restructured teams for efficiency after a Bloomberg report flagged executive turnover, China sensitivities and new funding talks. Hong Kong-based stablecoin payments company RedotPay said it has “consolidated” teams to improve efficiency as it scales, after a report claimed executive turnover and sensitivities tied to its mainland China connections. On Wednesday, a Bloomberg report claimed RedotPay is facing leadership churn and sensitivities tied to China as it explores raising up to $150 million. Citing people familiar with the matter, the report said that at least five senior hires left the stablecoin company within a year, including two compliance chiefs, and described a demanding work culture with extended hours. In February, Bloomberg reported that RedotPay is considering a US IPO that could raise over $1 billion and value the company at more than $4 billion. The company was reported to be working with JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Jefferies on a potential New York listing that could take... -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:27 Mar 18, 2026
Connecticut halts Bitcoin Depot’s operations, with the company expecting lower revenue in 2026 amid mounting regulatory pressure and a steep decline in its stock price. Bitcoin Depot, a publicly traded cryptocurrency ATM provider, is facing mounting regulatory pressure in the US amid a steep stock decline and a weak revenue outlook. The Connecticut Banking Commissioner, through the Consumer Credit Division, issued a temporary cease-and-desist order against Bitcoin Depot on March 9, summarily suspending its money transmission license in the state. The order cites multiple alleged violations of the Connecticut Money Transmission Act, including failure to maintain minimum net worth, excessive fees and incomplete refunds to consumers who fell victim to scams. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:51 Mar 18, 2026
A UK parliamentary committee urged an immediate moratorium on crypto political donations until stronger safeguards are in place. A cross-party parliamentary committee in the United Kingdom has urged the government to impose an immediate moratorium on cryptocurrency donations to political parties until stronger safeguards are in place. In a report published on Wednesday, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said the government should amend the Representation of the People Bill to impose an “immediate moratorium on crypto donations” until the Electoral Commission produces statutory guidance ahead of the next general election, due by August 2029. The committee also called for the creation of a Political Finance Enforcement Unit to oversee these activities and reduce the minimum threshold for declaring political donations from 11,180 British pounds ($14,900) to 500 pounds ($668), and proposed increasing the maximum custodial sentences to three years for wrongdoing involving foreign financing. Rea... -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:30 Mar 18, 2026
Tally said its platform served more than one million users, supporting governance across hundreds of organizations and processing over $1 billion in payments. Decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) governance platform Tally is shutting down after five years of operations, citing a lack of sustainable business models for governance tooling in the crypto market. Tally co-founder and CEO Dennison Bertram said the company will begin winding down at the end of March. He added that the company is not moving forward with a planned initial coin offering (ICO), concluding that it could not confidently deliver on the expectations that would come with selling tokens to investors. Tally’s closure comes despite years of activity on its platform, which supported governance for hundreds of organizations and processed more than $1 billion in payments, according to Bertram. At its peak, the company said it helped secure up to $80 billion in value and served more than 1 million users. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:19 Mar 18, 2026
Bitcoin price traded at $74,000 as investors braced for Jerome Powell’s post-FOMC speech that could see volatile swings toward key BTC price levels. Bitcoin (BTC) traded at $74,000 on Wednesday, 2.6% below its six-week high of $76,000 reached on Tuesday, as traders brace for volatility following the US interest rate decision. Key takeaways: The odds of the US Federal Reserve leaving interest rates unchanged today are 100%. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:18 Mar 18, 2026
Ethereum’s FCR aims to reduce bridge times by up to 98%, bringing L1-to-L2 and exchange deposits down to 13 seconds without a hard fork. Ethereum client teams are testing an opt-in fast confirmation mechanism that could cut the time some layer-2 networks and exchanges wait to recognize mainnet deposits to about 13 seconds. The proposed Fast Confirmation Rule (FCR) would reduce “deposit time from Ethereum L1 to L2s or exchanges to about 13 seconds, an 80-98% reduction for most L2s and exchanges,” Ethereum researcher Julian Ma wrote on X. Most users today rely on canonical bridges, where transfers typically wait for multiple block confirmations or full finality, a process that can take around 13 minutes. However, many exchanges and L2s do not wait for finality, instead relying on “k-deep” confirmation rules, which offer no formal guarantees. In k-deep confirmation, a transaction is considered finalized only after k blocks (with k being a specific number). Read more
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