Crypto World
What’s at Stake for Crypto as Three US States Kick off Party Primaries?
Voters in North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas will decide on some of the first candidates for the 2026 midterm elections in the United States as primary season kicks off, potentially influencing the future of Congress and crypto legislation.
In Texas, Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett is running for Republican John Cornyn’s US Senate seat for Texas. Crockett, a member of the House of Representatives since 2023, voted for the stablecoin payments bill GENIUS Act in July and FIT21, the previous version of the digital asset market structure bill before the CLARITY Act, which she voted against.
Crockett came under scrutiny in 2022 after the political action committee (PAC) Protect Our Future, whose backers included former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, spent $1 million supporting her run for the US House of Representatives. Web3 Forward, another PAC associated with the crypto industry, reportedly spent another $1 million on Crockett’s race.
The Democratic candidate said in a January interview that she had not accepted “any corporate PAC money” for her 2026 Senate campaign, but that doesn’t stop committees backed by the crypto industry from supporting her candidacy through media buys or criticizing her opponents through negative ads. According to political tracking platform AdImpact, the Texas Senate primary has resulted in more than $122 million in spending on both sides as of Feb. 27.
Related: BitMEX co-founder pledges $27M to London maths institute after Trump pardon
Crockett will face off in the Democratic primary against state Representative James Talarico, while Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, faces challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others. The race is just one of many in 2026 that could potentially change the balance of power in Congress, with 33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats up for grabs.
A repeat of 2024 for crypto interest groups?
Fairshake, the Super PAC backed by many crypto companies including Ripple Labs and Coinbase, spent more than $133 million on media in 2024 supporting Bernie Moreno’s run for the Ohio Senate and other key races.
The result, according to advocates including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and then-Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith, was the “most pro-crypto Congress” in history, which went on to pass the GENIUS Act and move closer to passing a comprehensive market structure bill.
Fairshake said in January that it had $193 million in its coffers ahead of the midterm elections, some of which Fairshake has already used to attempt to influence races in Alabama and Texas. Cointelegraph reached out to a spokesperson for comment on Tuesday’s primary, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The PAC’s affiliate, Protect Progress, reportedly said in February that it had earmarked $1.5 million to oppose the reelection of Texas Representative Al Green, specifically citing the lawmaker’s “actively hostile towards a growing Texas crypto community.”
The crypto advocacy organization Stand With Crypto listed Green as “strongly against crypto” based on his public statements and voting record in Congress, while his primary challenger, Christian Menefee, received a “strongly supports crypto” rating.
US President Donald Trump, whose campaign was also supported by many in the crypto industry, won the presidency in 2024. He went on to replace Gary Gensler as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission with his pick, Paul Atkins, in a campaign promise to the industry, pardon crypto figures including former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, and sign the GENIUS Act into law.
However, the president continues to face claims of conflicts of interest from many lawmakers due to his family’s ties to crypto. Trump’s term ends in January 2029.
Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns
Binance debuts seven AI Agent Skills to automate trading, data, and risk workflows.
Summary
- Binance rolled out seven AI Agent Skills to connect spot, wallet, and trading via a unified interface, adding OCO, OPO, and OTOCO support and on-chain analytics tools.
- The skills include real-time market rankings, smart money signal tracking, and contract risk detection, signaling a push toward agent-based execution across Binance’s retail and institutional user base.
- Major AI-linked and exchange tokens saw modest intraday gains, with BTC and ETH trading slightly higher as markets priced in incremental automation demand and on-chain activity growth.
Binance has introduced its first batch of seven AI Agent Skills, creating a unified interface that lets AI agents access spot trading, wallet data, and execution tools in one environment. The rollout adds a programmable layer over Binance’s existing infrastructure, allowing automated systems to query real-time market data, execute complex order types, and analyze token and address information without manual intervention. Positioned at the intersection of exchange infrastructure and AI-driven trading, the update underscores how centralized venues are racing to become the execution backbone for agentic trading strategies.
The new skills package is built around several core capabilities designed to remove friction between data, decision-making, and order placement. First, agents can pull live market data, including order book information, price feeds, and ranking tables that surface top-performing or highly traded assets across the platform. Second, execution is no longer limited to simple market or limit orders, with the interface now supporting OCO (one-cancels-the-other), OPO (one-procures-the-other), and OTOCO (one-triggers-one-cancels-the-other) structures that let agents predefine conditional strategies and risk parameters. Third, the skills extend into on-chain style analytics by offering address and token information analysis, smart money signal tracking, and contract risk detection, effectively merging elements usually associated with specialized analytics platforms into the exchange stack.
From a user perspective, the combination of real-time queries and executable logic means agent developers can script entire trading or portfolio workflows without building their own exchange connectivity stack. A single AI agent can, for example, scan market rankings for volume spikes, cross-reference smart money flows into specific contracts, evaluate basic risk flags, and then place a staged OCO or OTOCO order structure to manage entries and exits. This architecture supports both high-frequency style reaction to fast-moving events and more measured swing-trading strategies based on aggregated analytics. It also lowers the barrier to deploying semi-autonomous bots for retail traders who rely on third-party tools, while institutional desks can integrate the interface into existing infrastructure for more systematic strategies.
The inclusion of smart money signal tracking and contract risk detection moves Binance further into territory historically occupied by standalone on-chain intelligence firms. By exposing these capabilities as skills accessible to AI agents, the exchange can keep users within its own ecosystem rather than sending them to external dashboards for early flow or risk signals. In practice, this might involve an agent continuously scanning for large or repeated flows from tagged sophisticated wallets into a new token, then testing the associated contract for typical red flags such as trading restrictions, mint functions, or ownership concentration before any capital is deployed. The same workflow could be used defensively, with agents watching for sudden outflows or changes in contract behavior that may warrant tightening stops or closing positions.
For risk management, the advanced order types paired with contract scanning provide a more granular toolkit than many retail users previously applied. OCO and OTOCO structures, in particular, let agents define both upside targets and downside protection in a single conditional chain, minimizing the chance that human users forget to place stops or exits in volatile markets. Combined with wallet data access, an agent can check free balances, open orders, and portfolio concentration before committing to a new position, effectively running a pre-trade risk check similar to what regulated brokers and prime services offer. This mirrors how larger trading desks aggregate risk views across instruments and venues, but compresses it into a single programmable endpoint for Binance-specific activity.
AI Agent Skills could prove particularly relevant for quant funds, market makers, and structured product issuers that already deploy systematic strategies across major venues. Rather than building and maintaining multiple bespoke integrations, these firms can use the unified interface to embed agent-driven logic on top of Binance liquidity, while still routing orders through their own risk frameworks. For smaller professional traders, the ability to script and test strategies around conditional orders and smart money flows offers a scaled-down version of institutional tooling without large engineering budgets. Over time, if volumes routed through AI agents grow, liquidity dynamics on pairs like BTC and ETH could increasingly reflect the behavior of automated strategies rather than discretionary traders.
On the retail side, the launch adds another layer to the ongoing trend of exchanges offering more out-of-the-box automation. Previously, many users relied on external bots or third-party platforms to implement grid trading, DCA strategies, or volatility breakout systems; now, those logic blocks can be coded into agents that sit directly on top of the exchange’s infrastructure. This reduces latency, simplifies custody questions, and potentially improves execution quality, but it also raises questions about over-reliance on automated tools among less experienced traders. Education around how conditional orders work and how risk flags are generated will be critical, especially during periods of elevated volatility in assets such as BTC and ETH.
The broader competitive landscape among exchanges is shifting toward AI and automation as differentiators, with multiple platforms experimenting with GPT-style assistants, strategy builders, and one-click bot marketplaces. Binance’s move to expose agent skills at the infrastructure layer rather than as a purely consumer-facing chatbot suggests it intends to anchor itself as a base layer for third-party AI trading tools. That approach mirrors how some exchanges integrated with payment networks like Visa to capture transactional flows, but here the target is the emerging wave of agentic capital allocation tools. If other major players such as Coinbase adopt similar unified interfaces, interoperability and standardization of agent APIs could become a new battleground alongside fees and listing quality.
Market reaction to the announcement has so far been measured rather than euphoric, reflecting a market that increasingly prices AI narratives with more scrutiny. Exchange-native tokens and AI-linked assets posted modest gains on the day, while major benchmarks like BTC and ETH traded within recent ranges, indicating that participants view the launch as an incremental infrastructure upgrade rather than a cycle-defining catalyst. Still, on-chain activity metrics, derivatives positioning, and spot volumes will be important to watch in the coming weeks to gauge whether agent-driven strategies begin to leave a detectable footprint in flows and volatility regimes. For ecosystems like SOL, where on-chain order books and DeFi venues already support sophisticated trading, the race will be to match or exceed the usability and reach of centralized AI tooling, or risk losing trader mindshare to exchange-centric agent hubs.
TLDR
- Brazil’s central bank will require licensed crypto exchanges to prove asset sufficiency daily starting Jan. 1, 2027.
- The new framework aligns crypto trading platforms with commercial banking standards on capital and reporting.
- Exchanges must fully separate company funds from customer fiat and cryptocurrency holdings.
- Platforms must follow a specialized accounting manual for recording and valuing digital assets.
- The rules impose stricter data protection and confidentiality obligations on crypto intermediaries.
Brazil’s central bank will require licensed crypto exchanges to prove asset sufficiency daily from Jan. 1, 2027. The authority published the framework on March 3 through official market communications. The rules align crypto intermediaries with commercial banking standards on capital, accounting, and data controls.
Brazil Tightens Oversight With Daily Reserve Reporting
The central bank said exchanges must submit daily attestations of asset sufficiency starting in 2027. Supervisors will review reports to confirm that platforms hold adequate fiat and crypto reserves. The authority said exchanges must cover operational, liquidity, and cyber risks. It stated that daily reporting will reduce sudden shortfalls and customer losses.
The framework requires strict segregation of client and company assets. Exchanges must separate their own accounts from customer fiat and crypto holdings. The bank said segregation will prevent commingling and misuse of client funds. It added that regulators will gain clearer views of assets attributable to users.
Exchanges Must Follow Bank-style Accounting and Data Rules
The central bank ordered exchanges to record crypto assets under a specialized accounting manual. Platforms must follow standardized rules on classification, valuation, and impairment of digital assets. Officials said consistent accounting will improve comparability across regulated entities. The bank stated that financial statements must reflect crypto exposures clearly.
The authority also imposed bank-level data protection and confidentiality standards. Exchanges must implement strict controls over customer records and internal communications. The central bank said firms must limit unauthorized access and data leaks. It added that platforms must maintain detailed documentation for supervisory audits.
Cross-border Crypto Transfers Face Enhanced Scrutiny
The framework expands oversight of cross-border crypto transfers handled by domestic exchanges. Platforms must report origin, destination, and on-chain pathways of international transactions. Supervisors will use blockchain analytics to monitor transaction traceability. The bank said enhanced audits will address money laundering and tax evasion risks.
Authorities will coordinate with tax agencies and financial intelligence units on reporting standards. Exchanges must integrate compliance systems that flag suspicious cross-border flows in near real time. The central bank stated that firms must retain sufficient records for inspections. The rules will apply to all licensed trading venues operating in Brazil.
The central bank said larger exchanges may rely on existing compliance infrastructure. Smaller platforms must upgrade custody, reporting, and monitoring systems before 2027. Officials confirmed that the rules apply regardless of the token type traded. BTC and ETH traded lower on the announcement date, according to market data.
The authority stated that the framework targets operational resilience and customer fund protection. It confirmed that licensed exchanges must comply by Jan. 1, 2027. Supervisors will issue further technical guidance before implementation. The central bank published the measures through official communications on March 3.
Core Scientific (CORZ), a bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure company, sold just over 1,900 bitcoin in January for approximately $175 million, according to CORZ Q4 earnings call.
The sale implies an average price of about $92,100 per BTC, about 35% higher than today’s $67,000 current price, as it accelerates its shift toward AI focused data center operations.
Chief Financial Officer Jim Nygaard said on the Q4 call the company “we also opportunistically sold just over 1,900 bitcoin for approximately $175 million,” adding, “at this time, we hold under 1,000 bitcoin and expect to remain opportunistic going forward.”
On Dec. 31, 2025, the company held 2,537 BTC with the latest sale bringing its tally to around 630 BTC.
Management has made clear that bitcoin mining is no longer the long term focus. CEO Adam Sullivan described the mining segment as “essentially in runoff,” with operations maintained primarily to meet minimum power draw requirements while legacy sites are converted into colocation facilities supporting AI and high performance computing workloads.
Core Scientific ended the year with approximately $530 million in liquidity and highlighted up to $4 billion in potential financing tied to its 590 megawatt CoreWeave contract at stabilization, underscoring that BTC sales are being used to fund AI infrastructure expansion rather than rebuild mining capacity.
Core Scientific missed fourth quarter expectations, reporting $79.8 million in revenue versus $122.08 million consensus and a loss of $0.42 per share compared with estimates for a $0.08 loss.
The shift reflects a broader industry pivot away from pure bitcoin mining toward AI and data center infrastructure, with MARA Holdings (MARA) striking a deal with investment firm Starwood, Riot Platforms (RIOT) selling roughly $200 million of bitcoin in the final two months of 2025, and both Cipher Digital (CIFR) and Bitfarms (BITF) rebranding to emphasize AI and HPC exposure.
OKX on Tuesday rolled out an AI-focused upgrade to OnchainOS, its developer platform, pitching it as infrastructure for autonomous crypto trading agents.
The AI layer builds on familiar components such as wallet infrastructure, liquidity routing, and on-chain data feeds, combining them into a unified execution framework aimed at AI agents operating across chains.
Rather than wiring price feeds, token approvals, gas estimation, and swap routing manually, developers can connect an agent and issue a high-level instruction, such as swapping ETH for USDC below a certain price. OnchainOS handles the workflow behind the scenes, from monitoring markets to sourcing liquidity and confirming settlement.
The intersection between crypto and AI has grown exponentially in the past 12 months with the blockchain AI market projected to rise from $6 billion in 2024 to $50 billion by 2030.
And traders are using the technology to their advantage. One recent example was where a group of retail traders used AI to find “glitches” on platforms like Polymarket before instructing AI to trade on its behalf.
More than 60 blockchain networks are supported, along with smart routing across 500+ decentralized exchanges, according to a release from the company. OKX says the broader OnchainOS stack already processes 1.2 billion daily API calls and about $300 million in daily trading volume, underscoring that the AI layer sits on existing production infrastructure.
Access comes through natural language “AI Skills,” Model Context Protocol integration for coding agents like Claude Code and Cursor, and direct REST APIs for developers seeking more control.
OnchainOS is available globally to developers starting Tuesday March 3, the company said in a release.
BNB price is trading within a rising wedge formation, a structure that often precedes bearish breakdowns. With price nearing major resistance near $657, a move toward $580 becomes increasingly likely if support fails.
Summary
- Rising wedge pattern signals potential bearish breakdown
- $657 resistance aligns with 0.618 Fibonacci confluence
- Breakdown targets $583–$580 high timeframe support
BNB’s (BNB) recent price action reflects a corrective phase rather than a confirmed bullish expansion. While the asset has been gradually pushing higher, the structure of the advance suggests weakening momentum.
The development of a rising wedge pattern, combined with heavy overhead resistance, places the market at a critical inflection point where downside risk is building.
BNB price key technical points
- Bearish Pattern: Rising wedge formation nearing apex.
- Major Resistance: $657 aligns with 0.618 Fibonacci and wedge resistance.
- Downside Target: Breakdown projects toward $583–$580 support.
BNB is currently compressing within a rising wedge, a pattern characterized by higher highs and higher lows that converge over time. Although price appears to be trending upward, rising wedges are typically considered bearish formations, particularly when they develop after corrective rallies rather than strong impulsive moves.
At present, price is trading near the Value Area High, approaching a major resistance cluster near $657. This level aligns with the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement and overlaps with the upper boundary of the rising wedge. The convergence of these resistance factors creates a technically significant supply zone where sellers may reassert control.
The market is now positioned near the apex of the wedge formation, meaning volatility compression is reaching its limit. In such setups, price often breaks decisively in one direction once liquidity builds sufficiently. Given the bearish characteristics of the structure, the probability slightly favors a downside resolution.
For the pattern to activate, BNB would need to break below the lower boundary of the wedge. This confirmation would require a decisive close beneath the Value Area Low, signaling acceptance at lower prices.
A breakdown accompanied by expanding volume would validate the bearish thesis and increase confidence in a corrective move, even as Binance introduces seven AI-powered agent tools aimed at automating trading, data analysis, and risk management workflows.
Should this scenario unfold, the next high timeframe support sits near $583–$580, which represents the broader range support and prior structural demand. This level becomes the primary downside target in the event of a wedge breakdown.
From a market structure perspective, BNB remains within a corrective environment. Despite recent upward movement, the asset has not yet reclaimed significant high timeframe resistance on a sustained basis. Until the $657 zone is decisively broken and converted into support, upside continuation remains uncertain.
Volume dynamics also warrant attention. Breakouts from wedge patterns typically require increased participation to confirm direction. A surge in selling volume during a breakdown would reinforce the bearish case, while strong bullish volume pushing above $657 would invalidate it.
The technical setup currently leans bearish, with downside risk emerging should lower support fail, even as Senator Richard Blumenthal has opened a Senate inquiry into Binance over reports it processed $1.7 billion in transactions tied to sanctioned entities, adding regulatory uncertainty to the broader landscape.
What to expect in the coming price action
BNB remains vulnerable while trading within the rising wedge and below $657 resistance. A confirmed breakdown below the Value Area Low would activate the pattern and project a move toward $580 support.
Conversely, a strong breakout above resistance with volume expansion would negate the bearish setup and shift momentum back to the upside.
Japan’s economic security minister Sanae Takaichi said she has “absolutely no knowledge” of a Solana-based meme token bearing her name, after the cryptocurrency briefly surged to a market capitalization of around $30 million million.
“I have heard that a cryptocurrency called SANAE TOKEN has been issued and is being traded to some extent,” Takaichi wrote on X. “Due to the name, it seems there are various misunderstandings, but regarding this token, I have absolutely no knowledge of it, nor has my office been informed about what this token entails. We have not given any approval whatsoever in this matter.”
Her statement came after the token reached a market capitalization of $27.72 million before falling back to around $6 million. Onchain data cited by Wu Blockchain showed that the top three addresses held roughly 60% of the token’s supply, with several leading wallets recording notable inflows.
This is not the first time a memecoin inspired by a political figure has caused a stir, with the LIBRA token initially framed as being backed by Argentina president Javier Milei, leading to political turmoil.
Takaichi said she issued her statement “to ensure that the public does not labor under any misapprehensions,” distancing herself and her office from the project.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Spot XRP ETF inflows top $1.2b as rising exchange outflows signal tightening supply dynamics.
Summary
- BFXMining positions its cloud mining model as a passive income option amid shifting crypto cycles.
- The platform highlights audited infrastructure and insurance mechanisms to strengthen platform transparency.
- As volatility rises, BFXMining markets structured cash-flow strategies for risk-conscious crypto investors.
As spot XRP ETF inflows accelerate, the market is showing a highly significant and signal-rich shift: capital is entering, while tokens are leaving exchanges.
Multiple data sources indicate that cumulative XRP ETF inflows have exceeded $1.2 billion, at one point approaching $1.4 billion. At the same time, more XRP holders are transferring tokens from exchanges to self-custody wallets, with on-chain outflows clearly increasing.
When “ETF capital inflows” and “declining exchange supply” occur simultaneously, markets are often pricing in stronger mid-term expectations — a structure that typically brings heightened volatility alongside trend potential.
Amid rising self-custody demand, some investors are shifting focus from purely price speculation to capital efficiency, including building more stable passive income structures through cloud mining models such as BFXMining, which are gaining increased attention.
ETF inflows + exchange outflows: Is XRP’s supply structure tightening?
ETF inflows signal one clear message: traditional capital is entering the XRP market through regulated, transparent channels. Meanwhile, holders withdrawing tokens from exchanges often suggest two dynamics:
- Reduced short-term sell pressure: fewer tokens available on exchanges
- Stronger holding conviction: self-custody typically reflects longer-term positioning
When these forces converge, XRP may experience a structural shift of “rising demand + tightening supply.”
However, for investors, this also implies one thing: price moves may become faster, and volatility may intensify.
The self-custody wave: A market entering a high-sensitivity phase
Self-custody is not just a technical decision; it reflects market psychology.
During ETF-driven capital inflow phases, exchange withdrawals often indicate stronger bullish expectations and longer holding horizons. At the same time, reduced exchange liquidity can amplify price elasticity — rallies may accelerate, but pullbacks may also become sharper.
This is why, as ETF momentum builds, more investors are adopting a “directional exposure + cash-flow structure” strategy: participating in trend opportunities while ensuring capital continues generating income during volatility.
BFXMining: Building daily passive income during XRP’s structural shift
Before a full breakout materializes, BFXMining has drawn increasing interest for a simple reason: it offers a yield path that does not rely solely on short-term price swings through its cloud mining contract model.
Users do not need to purchase mining hardware or manage electricity and maintenance costs. By selecting contracts tied to major assets such as BTC, ETH, and XRP, participants can access:
- Automated operations
- Daily yield settlements
- Flexible allocation adjustments
- Withdrawals according to contract terms
As XRP potentially enters a higher-volatility phase driven by ETF inflows and tightening supply, mining-based income continues operating under predefined rules, providing a stabilizing cash-flow layer within diversified portfolios.
3-second self-check: Need a cash-flow supplement?
A cash-flow structure may be prioritized if:
- XRP is held, but exposure does not need to be reduced during volatility
- There are concerns about ETF-driven price swings
- Reliance on directional predictions needs be reduced
- Capital is preferred to continue generating returns during consolidation phases
If the answer is “yes,” there may not be a need for a more aggressive position, but a more resilient structure.
Compliance and operational transparency
According to publicly available information, BFXMining is headquartered in the United Kingdom and aligns its operational framework with the EU’s MiCA regulatory standards and MiFID II financial guidelines.
From a security standpoint, the platform employs multi-layered technical infrastructure, external audits, and insurance mechanisms to enhance operational transparency and stability. Investors should independently evaluate platform terms, risk disclosures, and applicable regulatory conditions before participating.
Getting started takes just three steps
1. Create an account and claim a welcome bonus
Visit bfxmining.net and register with an email address. New users receive a $22 bonus to explore the cloud mining structure.
2. Choose a cloud mining plan
Select from multiple contract options tailored to a particular risk preference. No technical expertise required.
3. Receive daily rewards
Once activated, contracts operate automatically and distribute yields daily according to predefined rules, helping establish a steady passive income rhythm.
Mobile access and app download options are available via the official website.
Conclusion
XRP ETF inflows surpassing $1.2 billion and approaching $1.4 billion — combined with large-scale exchange withdrawals — suggest the market may be entering a “rising demand + tightening supply” structural phase. Historically, such dynamics often bring both trend opportunities and amplified volatility.
As potential acceleration unfolds, more investors are adopting a “directional exposure + cash-flow structure” approach to manage risk and capital efficiency. BFXMining’s cloud mining model is increasingly being considered as one way to build a stable passive income during this transitional phase.
For more information, visit the official website and download the mobile app.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced expansion of its blockchain experimentation for settling central bank reserves, while highlighting that efforts for a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) are ongoing.
The BOJ rolled out a “sandbox project” to experiment settlements and bank deposits using central bank money, Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Tuesday in a speech titled “The New Financial Ecosystem and the Role of Central Banks.”
“In this experimental project, the Bank will conduct technical experimentation on settlement using central bank money in the form of current account deposits on a system that uses blockchains,” Ueda said.
The bank intends to explore “methods of connection with the existing system as well as examining use cases such as domestic interbank settlement and securities settlement,” he added. Analysts say introducing blockchain for reserves settlement would allow for instant round-the-clock settlement and reduce gridlock risk in stress events.
Ueda emphasized that the retail CBDC project is ongoing. “First, the ongoing pilot program for retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) involves the bank’s continued conduct of technical experiments, which will make it possible to provide … a digital form of cash when in demand by the wider public.”
Japan began CBDC experiments in 2021 and launched a pilot program in 2023. But the central bank has not committed to issuing a digital yen. According to a prior report, the BOJ this year will decide whether to issue a retail CBDC.
Ueda also spoke of Project Agorá,” an international experiment involving multiple central banks and major private financial institutions. He said its participants are considering “building a mechanism that would enable central banks, including the Bank of Japan, to issue central bank money as tokenized deposits on the blockchain.” If successful, he said, the effort “may bring innovation in terms of streamlining cross-border payments.”
Unlike a retail CBDC, which would function as a digital form of yen for the general public, tokenized central bank deposits would represent wholesale central bank money used by financial institutions on blockchain-based infrastructure, according to Ueda’s speech.
The move to use blockchain technology to settle reserves follows decisions in the U.K. and Hong Kong to issue sovereign debt on the blockchain.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly disavowed a cryptocurrency bearing her name and likeness. The token crashed 58% within hours, and regulators moved to investigate the issuer.
The episode is the latest in a string of political memecoins that have burned retail investors worldwide.
PM’s Denial Triggers Crash
Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister and one of its most popular in decades. Her LDP won 316 seats in the Feb. 8 general election, a supermajority, and her cabinet approval rating sits near 70%.
SANAE TOKEN launched on the Solana blockchain on Feb. 25 without the prime minister’s knowledge. Serial entrepreneur Yuji Mizoguchi’s NoBorder DAO community issued it as part of a “Japan is Back” initiative. The project’s website displayed Takaichi’s name and an illustrated portrait of her.
Mizoguchi had earlier stated on the YouTube show “REAL VALUE” that he was in contact with Takaichi’s side. That claim amplified speculation that the token carried some form of official backing.
On March 2, Takaichi posted on X to shut down the narrative. The post amassed over 63 million views. She said neither she nor her office knew anything about the token. She added that no approval had ever been granted.
The token’s price plunged from $0.0137 to $0.0058 almost immediately after her statement. By March 4, the market cap had cratered to roughly $62,000 with just $25,000 in liquidity.
FSA Launches Probe
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is now investigating the token’s operators. The agency found that the issuing company lacks the required crypto exchange license.
Under Japan’s Payment Services Act, selling or exchanging crypto assets requires registration with the FSA. Violators face up to five years in prison or fines of ¥5 million.
A company called neu, led by CEO Ken Matsui, claimed responsibility for the token’s design. Matsui posted a public apology on X on March 3, saying they handled all operations.
Mizoguchi reposted Matsui’s statement and pledged cooperation with a media investigation. He wrote on X that he would not run from accountability or shift blame onto others. He said he intended to face the matter based on facts, not emotions.
Still, the gap between his earlier YouTube remarks and the prime minister’s flat denial remains unresolved.
The FSA confirmed that neu was not on its registered exchange list as of January. No subsequent application had been filed either.
The token’s structure has drawn additional scrutiny. Sixty-five percent of the total supply was reserved for operators.
Political Memecoins Under Global Spotlight
Japan’s scandal mirrors a pattern now emerging across multiple countries.
In the US, President Donald Trump launched $TRUMP on Solana in January 2025. His family and partners retained 80% of the supply and earned over $350 million in fees.
Senator Chris Murphy introduced the MEME Act to ban officials from issuing financial assets. Trump’s crypto czar, David Sacks, countered that memecoins are collectibles, not securities.
In February 2025, Argentina’s President Javier Milei promoted the $LIBRA token. It surged to a $4.5 billion market cap before crashing 89% within three hours.
Insiders allegedly extracted roughly $100 million before the collapse. Milei now faces fraud investigations and impeachment calls.
Regulatory Gap Persists
Each case exploits a similar loophole. Memecoins typically fall outside the definitions of securities in most jurisdictions.
Japan’s framework may offer a stricter path. The Payment Services Act covers crypto exchange activity regardless of token type. The FSA can act against unlicensed operators without classifying tokens as securities.
In the US, the SEC under the Trump administration has narrowed its scope of crypto enforcement. Memecoins remain largely unregulated at the federal level.
No international framework currently addresses political memecoins specifically. The gap leaves retail investors exposed to hype-driven schemes tied to public figures.
Industry observers say the SANAE TOKEN case could set a precedent. Japan’s response may shape how other regulators approach the growing trend.
The partnership with the CFTC-regulated prediction market will let users bet on luxury watch prices.
Kalshi, the largest prediction market platform by monthly spot volumes, has unveiled a strategic partnership with Bezel, a specialist in authenticated luxury watches, to let Kalshi users bet on the prices of luxury watches. Kalshi announced the move in an X post today, March 3.
The partnership with Bezel is part of Kalshi’s broader strategy to enhance its offerings in the collectibles market, Bloomberg reported today, citing executives from both firms.
Bezel’s CEO and co-founder, Quaid Walker, told Bloomberg that watches have “been viewed as a financial market for a really long period of time, but it’s also passion-driven.”
Kalshi’s previous moves into collectibles markets include a recent partnership with StockX, a platform for trading physical collectibles, from trading cards to sneakers and other apparel and accessories.
Today’s announcement comes as the hybrid on-off-chain prediction platform had its best month yet, per data from Artemis. Kalshi also surpassed on-chain prediction marketplace Polymarket in monthly trading volumes for the sixth consecutive month, with $9.8 billion in trades in February.
Polymarket saw just under $8 million last month, while total sector volume was down month over month for the first time since last August, as BNB Chain-based rival Opinion recorded a massive drop.
Kalshi and Polymarket have been neck and neck in recent months, both in terms of trading volumes and valuations, after their most recent funding rounds.
The prediction market industry is navigating complex legal landscapes, with platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket under scrutiny — including in the United States, where both platforms now operate as regulated entities under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
As The Defiant reported, last month, the CFTC took a strong public stance on the issue, arguing that that the agency, not individual states, should regulate prediction market platforms.
This article was generated with the assistance of AI workflows.
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