For the first time in over a month, Tether mints $1 billion USDT on the Tron network.

Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, just minted $1 billion worth of USDT on the Tron network. This is the first time the company has issued such a large amount in over a month, and it pushes the total circulating supply to about $183 billion, which is over $100 billion more than its closest competitor, USDC.

According to its official transparency page, over $96 billion of the total supply sits on Ethereum, while Tron is a close second with $86 billion.

Tether minted another 1B $USDT on #Tron 6 hours ago.

The circulating supply of $USDT on #Tron has reached 85.3B, far more than on #Ethereum.https://t.co/2wFo2DEvz3 pic.twitter.com/YPmRZ7nFHM

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) March 12, 2026

While moves of this kind don’t usually cause significant volatility in the markets immediately, the firm may be anticipating increased demand for USDT amid ongoing military tensions worldwide.

The war in Iran has sent massive ripples across the global economy. Just last week, the price of crude oil exploded by more than 30% daily, reaching a high above $120, before plummeting during the same day (and the ones to follow) on subsequent announcements. This had an immediate impact on Bitcoin’s price, which followed suit and also went through extreme volatility.

It’s inevitable that global geopolitical turmoil impacts crypto markets, and while the current move to mint $1 billion USDT might not lead to an immediate change in pricing, increased liquidity across the board can help the market absorb potential shocks.

Key Highlights

• Two new wholly owned entities introduced: Metaplanet Ventures and Metaplanet Asset Management
• Venture capital division plans to invest approximately 4 billion yen (~$25M) in Japanese Bitcoin infrastructure companies throughout the coming years
• Initial portfolio investment announced — 400 million yen ($2.5M) stake in JPYC, a Japanese stablecoin provider, as part of its Series B funding
• U.S.-based asset management division will operate from Miami, targeting Bitcoin financial products for investors across Asia and the West
• MTPLF shares gained 5.53% Wednesday, finishing at $2.29; Tokyo shares declined 1.9% Thursday to 362 yen

The Tokyo-based Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet has significantly broadened its strategic footprint. On Thursday, the firm unveiled two newly formed, fully owned subsidiaries — a venture capital division and an American asset management operation — signaling a major evolution in its Bitcoin-centric business model.

Metaplanet Inc., 3350.T

Chief Executive Simon Gerovich announced the developments on X, noting board approval for both entities. These strategic moves arrive as Japanese regulatory frameworks progress toward formal recognition of Bitcoin as a regulated financial instrument, with Metaplanet anticipating official classification by January 2028.

The venture capital subsidiary, Metaplanet Ventures, will concentrate investments in seed through growth-stage companies developing Bitcoin financial infrastructure across Japan. Priority sectors encompass lending platforms, payment solutions, custody services, stablecoin technology, derivative products, and compliance systems. Additionally, the venture division will operate an incubator alongside a grants initiative supporting nascent founders, open-source contributors, educators, and academic researchers.

The planned $25M capital deployment spans a two-to-three-year timeframe and will draw funding from Metaplanet’s Bitcoin-related revenue streams — explicitly avoiding liquidation of its existing Bitcoin treasury.

Inaugural Investment: JPYC Stablecoin Platform

The venture arm moved swiftly with its debut investment. Metaplanet Ventures committed 400 million yen ($2.5M) to JPYC Inc., the company behind Japan’s first officially licensed stablecoin. This capital injection forms part of JPYC’s Series B funding round.

JPYC debuted in October 2025 and maintains its 1:1 Japanese yen peg through a combination of bank deposits and government securities. The stablecoin operates across Ethereum, Avalanche, and Polygon networks. In recent weeks, JPYC established a strategic partnership with Sony Bank to penetrate Japan’s music and entertainment industries.

Gerovich articulated the strategic rationale behind the investment: “Every Bitcoin transaction has two sides: Bitcoin and a currency. As this market goes institutional, that currency side goes digital.”

Establishing U.S. Operations in Miami

The companion subsidiary, Metaplanet Asset Management, will establish headquarters in Miami, functioning as a “digital credit and Bitcoin capital markets platform.” The entity aims to bridge Asian and Western capital markets while delivering Bitcoin investment vehicles, capital markets consulting, and associated regulatory frameworks.

Management indicated forthcoming announcements regarding specific fund launches and investment approaches, spanning fixed income instruments through actively managed equity positions and volatility-based strategies.

Metaplanet’s current treasury contains 35,102 BTC — valued at approximately $2.45 billion — positioning the firm as the fourth-largest corporate Bitcoin holder globally. The company maintains an ambitious acquisition target of 210,000 BTC by the conclusion of 2027.

Financial results released last month showed a net loss of 95 billion yen ($598M) for 2025, primarily attributed to unrealized mark-to-market adjustments on Bitcoin holdings. Gerovich countered negative interpretations of the headline figure, highlighting a remarkable 1,695% year-over-year increase in operating profitability.

“Even in this year’s down market, our stock fell 23% while Bitcoin fell 24% — we have not underperformed,” he stated.

MTPLF shares advanced 5.53% during Wednesday’s session, closing at $2.29. The Tokyo-listed equity experienced a 1.9% intraday decline Thursday, trading at 362 yen.

PI has become one of the trendiest tokens today on CoinGecko, but its price has not benefited from the big announcement.

Ever since it saw the light of day over a year ago, the vast Pi Network community has speculated whether (or when) the underlying token will be listed on some of the largest and oldest crypto exchanges.

Although a few trading platforms continue to stay clear, the veteran US giant Kraken has joined the PI bandwagon following the likes of OKX, Bitget, MEXC, Gate, and others.

Coming soon: $PI@PiCoreTeam Pi Network is a mobile-first Layer-1 blockchain and developer platform enabling accessible crypto mining via smartphone, with a utility-based ecosystem on an identity-verified mainnet.

Trading starts March 13

Get ready → https://t.co/47fNCUnRqD pic.twitter.com/nPmrRElAPW

— Kraken Listings (@krakenlistings) March 12, 2026

There have been a growing number of speculations in the past month or so about this listing. In fact, one user tried to “manifest” precisely this – PI going live for trading on Kraken before March 14, known in the Pi Network community as Pi Day.

The exchange stated that trading will commence tomorrow, March 13. Interestingly, there has been no positive reaction from the underlying asset despite this major announcement.

Big listings tend to boost the token, but PI has remained flat over the past 24 hours. However, it’s one of the best performers on a weekly and monthly scale, gaining 24% since last Thursday and a whopping 65.6% since February 12.

A large portion of its recent gains could be attributed to the protocol updates, as the team announced the successful implementation of v19.6 and v19.9 consecutively. The next version, 20.2, is actually expected to be introduced today.

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Ripple has unveiled a $750 million buyback plan for the XRP token, sparking speculation about whether the move could trigger renewed bullish momentum for the XRP price.

Corporate buybacks are often interpreted as a signal of confidence in an asset’s long-term value. In crypto markets, similar strategies can also affect liquidity by reducing circulating supply, potentially supporting prices if demand remains strong.

While the company has not disclosed the precise timeline or execution strategy, reports on the buyback has already drawn attention from traders looking for potential catalysts in a market that has been largely range-bound in recent weeks.

The move comes as XRP price continues to attract institutional interest and broader adoption across cross-border payment networks tied to Ripple’s ecosystem.

Exchange supply tightening signals potential pressure

Recent on-chain data from CryptoQuant suggests that exchange supply for XRP is already tightening.

According to the analytics firm, Binance’s XRP reserves have dropped sharply to $3.7 billion as of March 10, the lowest level recorded in 10 months. The metric tracks the total value of XRP held on the exchange and reflects both token balances and price fluctuations.

Earlier in 2025, reserves on Binance exceeded $10 billion during peaks in January and July. Those periods were followed by steep corrections that pushed XRP prices below $1.20.

The continued decline in reserves, down from roughly $3.9 billion on March 6, could indicate that traders are withdrawing XRP from exchanges, often interpreted as a signal of accumulation or long-term holding.

If the buyback initiative coincides with shrinking exchange supply, the combination could create upward pressure on prices.

XRP price analysis

Based on the latest XRP/USDT daily chart, the token remains locked in a consolidation phase despite the broader bullish narrative.

XRP is currently trading near $1.37, hovering within a relatively tight range that has formed since early February following a sharp correction from higher levels.

The $1.45–$1.50 zone remains the immediate hurdle for bulls. A decisive breakout above this region could open the door for a push toward the $1.70–$1.80 range.

The chart shows strong support around $1.30, with deeper support near $1.20 if selling pressure intensifies.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently hovering around 45, indicating neutral momentum. The reading suggests the asset is neither overbought nor oversold, leaving room for a potential move in either direction

Meanwhile, the Accumulation/Distribution indicator continues trending slightly downward, hinting that market participants remain cautious despite improving fundamentals.

For now, the market appears to be waiting for a decisive catalyst. If Ripple’s buyback plan and declining exchange reserves translate into stronger demand, XRP could attempt to break out of its current consolidation range.

Otherwise, the token may continue trading sideways as investors assess the broader crypto market environment.