Kraken is trying to turn tokenized equities from a side‑show into a parallel equity market running on crypto rails through its xStocks platform and a new Nasdaq partnership.

Kraken is trying to turn tokenized equities from a side‑show into a parallel equity market that runs on crypto rails, 24/7. Its xStocks platform now offers more than 60 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, has been rolled out to eligible clients across the European Union, and has processed over $25 billion in cumulative transaction volume in under eight months, according to company data and recent coverage.

How Kraken’s tokenized stock platform works

xStocks lets users buy, sell and transfer blockchain‑based tokens that mirror real U.S. equities like Tesla, Amazon, Nvidia and broad‑market ETFs, with each token fully backed 1:1 by the underlying security held by a licensed custodian in a bankruptcy‑remote structure. Cointelegraph and Finance Magnates report that the product gives investors 24/5 trading in digital certificates that track U.S. prices, extended hours beyond Wall Street’s 9‑to‑5, and the ability to move positions between compatible venues or self‑custody them on‑chain. Kraken’s European rollout, announced in September 2025, explicitly targets clients who “for too long” have found it “unnecessarily challenging to gain exposure to U.S. markets,” as global head of consumer Mark Greenberg put it.

Under the hood, Kraken is pulling tokenization closer to its core stack. The exchange has agreed to acquire Backed Finance – the issuer behind xStocks – integrating issuance and trading under one roof just as it prepares for a planned 2026 IPO. AInvest and other outlets note that xStocks has already surpassed $25 billion in total transaction volume, including centralized venue trading, DeFi liquidity, and mint/redemption flows, with partnerships in place to distribute the tokens via platforms like Bybit and Gate.io to users in more than 110 countries. In parallel, a separate initiative will see Nasdaq use Payward’s (Kraken’s parent) xStocks tokenization technology to move listed securities onto blockchain rails for global distribution – a sign that incumbents increasingly prefer to build on top of Kraken’s infrastructure rather than compete with it from scratch.

Market structure: equity rails on crypto infrastructure

The pitch is blunt: make stocks as composable as stablecoins. AInvest summarises Kraken’s goal as “making equities as composable as stablecoins in web3 ecosystems,” letting traders post tokenized stocks as collateral, wrap them into on‑chain strategies, or trade perpetual futures that reference xStocks rather than traditional listings. A recent Business Wire release notes that Kraken has already listed “the world’s first regulated tokenized equity perpetual futures,” using xStocks as the reference layer so traders can “respond to market events without waiting for traditional markets to open.” That reframes tokenized equities from a convenient wrapper into a potential new base layer: equity exposure that trades like crypto, clears across borders, and is governed by a mix of securities law and smart contracts rather than just a single national exchange rulebook.

Regulation remains the hard edge. The World Federation of Exchanges has warned that some tokenized stock products act as “mimics” that may not deliver full shareholder rights, and Nasdaq’s 2025 filing to list tokenized securities alongside conventional shares was a direct response to that risk. Kraken is betting that by keeping xStocks fully backed, integrating the issuer, and pushing for regulated derivatives on top, it can stay on the right side of that line – and, in the process, turn its tokenized equity platform into a meaningful revenue and strategic pillar ahead of its planned public listing.

• Jupiter (JUP) price hovered near $0.17 amid a 6% intraday gain.
• The bounce coincided with Bitcoin’s spike to above $70,000.
• The move was also supported by a key Chainlink integration.

JUP, the governance token of Jupiter, has bounced off recent lows as top cryptocurrencies record intraday gains.

The DEX protocol’s token traded around $0.17 on Tuesday, with 24-hour gains of nearly 6% pushing it above a key support level.

Jupiter Exchange taps Chainlink for prediction markets

JUP’s uptick coincided with the DEX platform’s strategic adoption of Chainlink technology to power its newly launched prediction markets.

JUST IN: The largest decentralized exchange on Solana has adopted Chainlink to power its newly launched prediction markets, @jup_predict.@JupiterExchange‘s ($2.8B TVL) 5-min & 15-min markets for BTC, ETH, SOL, & more are now secured by fast Chainlink Data Streams market data. pic.twitter.com/gT8pCYZDrw

— Chainlink (@chainlink) March 10, 2026

Jupiter Exchange, recognised as the largest DEX aggregator on the Solana blockchain, has integrated Chainlink’s advanced oracle solutions to underpin its innovative prediction markets.

These markets, now live with 5-minute and 15-minute settlement options, cover major assets including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL).

By leveraging Chainlink Data Streams, Jupiter ensures sub-second price feeds directly from premium exchange sources.

It minimises latency and mitigates risks like front-running or oracle manipulation that plague traditional DeFi platforms.

Jupiter users can now speculate on short-term price movements with heightened accuracy.

Market participants view this integration as a catalyst for increased trading volume, with Chainlink’s secure, low-latency oracles enhancing user confidence.

The move could attract liquidity providers seeking reliable settlement mechanisms and help shine a spotlight on Jupiter’s potential and thus on JUP.

It’s only in many Jupiter milestones that have seen the exchange token become a top 100 cryptocurrency by market capitalisation.

Jupiter price analysis

The JUP token has navigated a downward channel since plummeting from above $0.70 in April 2025.

A broader weakness across crypto means that at the current price, the token’s value is down by more than 60% over the past year.

Despite this bearish outlook, the token has bounced decisively from the channel’s lower boundary.

Bulls are looking to stabilise above $0.17, and a flip in sentiment could catalyse further gains amid a breakout scenario.

Technical indicators on the daily chart highlight this picture.

As can be seen above, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has recovered from oversold conditions and hovers above the neutral line.

The indicator boasts a bullish divergence and signals a potential strengthening of the upward momentum.

However, the MACD suggests a bearish reversal.

If buyers hold the sway, more gains could push prices towards the immediate overhead resistance zone around $0.20–$0.22.

A breakout could see bulls test the supply wall around $0.30.

However, a rejection at current levels risks a retest of $0.15.

The support level might act as a demand reload zone and result in fresh consolidation before another bullish move.

If not, the price could drop to $0.100.

US prosecutors want a retrial for Roman Storm after a jury deadlocked on money laundering and sanctions charges.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked that Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm be put on trial anew on charges of money laundering and sanctions violations.

Last year, a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the two counts after a four-week hearing in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) presided over by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

Storm Faces Retrial in 2026

The same jury convicted Storm of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money laundering operation, but hit a deadlock on the more serious charges. Now, as Storm revealed in an update on social media, prosecutors have asked Judge Failla to schedule a retrial in October 2026 to try to settle the unresolved points. He questioned the move, stating,

“The government’s response? Try again to make writing code a crime.”

The Tornado Cash case, along with that of Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, has long been a point of contention in the crypto community, with many viewing it as a direct attack on developers who build privacy-preserving technology.

According to supporters, open-source coders should not be held responsible for how others use their technology. But on the other hand, regulators claim that the mixing service knowingly took part in large-scale money laundering and sanctions evasion.

In his X post, Storm pointed to what he sees as contradictions in the government’s approach. He believes that the DOJ’s request was made despite there being a more favorable policy climate for the crypto industry in the U.S.

The developer specifically mentioned a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump declaring that the “war on crypto is over” and a memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, in which he said that the DOJ is “not a digital assets regulator” and would not target crypto mixers for the actions of their end users.

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Storm’s post also referenced the U.S. Treasury’s decision to lift sanctions on Tornado Cash, as well as a recent report to Congress under the GENIUS Act that acknowledged lawful crypto users can rely on mixers for financial privacy.

40-Year Prison Sentence

The 36-year-old now faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the two undecided conspiracy counts and a sentence of up to 5 years from his previous ruling.

“The 2 counts = up to 40 years in federal prison. For writing open-source code. For a protocol I don’t control. For transactions I never touched,” he wrote.

He also believes that the prosecutors are simply pushing for a different outcome in the case.

The post concluded with him appealing for financial support and a vow to keep fighting for freedom and the rights of other developers. Storm has called on anyone who values financial privacy or believes that writing code is a form of speech to contribute, emphasizing that “this is the moment.”

Modest increase, major bull run, or new pullback: what’s next for ETH?

Despite the turbulence over the past few weeks caused by geopolitical tension and other factors, Ethereum (ETH) managed to stabilize above $2,000.

Multiple industry participants expect the asset to post substantial gains in the near future, with some suggesting that the current levels provide a great buying opportunity.

New ATH in the Making?

The cryptocurrency market, which has been on a rollercoaster lately, experienced a significant revival today (March 10) after US President Donald Trump claimed the war with Iran “is very complete, pretty much.” ETH followed the green wave and is currently trading around $2,070, up 3% on a daily basis.

According to the popular market observer who goes by the moniker Merlijn The Trader on X, the second-largest cryptocurrency has returned to “the discount zone.” He believes the ongoing structure mirrors that of 2023, which was followed by a bull run.

In his view, holding the crucial $2,000 mark could lead to a major rally to almost $10,000, whereas losing it would mean that “the discount zone extends lower.”

For his part, X user James argued that ETH’s performance is similar to NVIDIA “before it melted faces.” That said, he expects the digital asset to follow the footsteps of the AI giant and explode to a new all-time high in the coming years.

Satoshi Flipper is also bullish, albeit making a more modest prediction. The trader thinks that a potential resolution to the military conflict between the USA (supported by Israel) and Iran could drive ETH to $2,500.

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Certain on-chain indicators support the optimistic scenario. Some X users, for instance, revealed that whales continue to accumulate ETH: a development that reduces the number of tokens available on the open market and could trigger a rally (should demand remain constant or head north). The actions of large investors are also closely monitored by smaller players, who may follow suit and inject fresh capital into the ecosystem.

It is worth noting that Tom Lee’s BitMine is a notable whale that plays a main role in the buying spree. Most recently, the company purchased almost 61,000 ETH for approximately $123 million, thus increasing its total holdings to 4,535,563 coins.

Another Downtrend on the Horizon?

Contrary to the bullish predictions observed above, some analysts and traders expect ETH to head south soon. X user Crypto Tony said they await a potential rejection at around $2,060 “to short this down again.”

For his part, Ted predicted that ETH could soar to $2,400 if reclaiming the $2,150 level. After that, though, he sees “a decent chance” that the asset would dump toward new lows.

Ethereum price has gone nowhere since February 7 this year. While this could be a sign of bottoming, it has formed an alarming chart pattern, signaling a potential crash.

Ethereum (ETH) price was trading at $2,065 today, March 10, as it rose for the second consecutive day. Despite this rise, it has remained inside the support and resistance levels at $1,843 and $2,143.

The ongoing consolidation has coincided with the waning demand for its exchange-traded funds. SoSoValue data shows that these funds have shed assets in the last three consecutive days. They shed $51 million in assets on Monday after losing $83 million and $90 million in the previous two trading days.

Ethereum ETFs have lost over $37 million in assets this month, and is in the fifth consecutive month in the red. As a result, the cumulative net inflow has dropped from nearly $15 billion to $11.58 billion. 

Ethereum has diverged from Bitcoin, whose ETFs have added over $735 milion in inflows this month. Solana ETFs have added $21 million in assets, while Chainlink funds have gained $4.8 billion.

On the positive side, Ethereum’s fundamentals are still strong. For example, data shows that its stablecoin supply has jumped to over $166 billion, while its transaction volume in the last 30 days jumped to over $1.1 trillion. It is also the market leader in the real-world asset tokenization industry by far.

Ethereum price technical analysis 

ETH price could be at risk of a big drop in the near term. The daily chart shows that it has formed a horizontal channel in the last 30 days. This channel formed after it dropped sharply. As a result, it has formed a bearish flag pattern, a popular continuation pattern. 

The coin has remains below all moving averages and the Supertrend indicator. Therefore, the most likely outcome is where it resumes the downtrend, potentially to the lower side of the flag at $1,843. A drop below that level will point to more downside, potentially to the psychological level at $1,500.

Key Takeaways

• Taiwan Semiconductor disclosed NT$718.91 billion in combined revenue for January and February 2026, representing approximately 30% year-over-year growth.
• Revenue for February specifically totaled NT$317.66 billion — a sequential decline of 20.8% from January but a 22.2% increase versus the prior year.
• Sustained demand for AI chips from major customers including Apple, Nvidia, and AMD is fueling the revenue expansion.
• TSMC’s board greenlit a quarterly dividend of NT$6.0 per share and authorized approximately $45 billion in capital investments.
• Management indicated no significant operational disruption expected from geopolitical tensions involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) launched 2026 with impressive momentum, posting robust two-month revenue figures powered by sustained artificial intelligence infrastructure investments from its largest customers.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, TSM

The semiconductor giant disclosed that its combined revenue for the first two months of 2026 reached NT$718.91 billion — representing approximately 30% growth versus the corresponding period in 2025. These figures underscore the company’s dominant position in advanced chip manufacturing.

For February alone, TSMC recorded NT$317.66 billion in revenue. While this represents a sequential decrease of roughly 21% compared to January, it marks a solid 22.2% gain when measured against February of the previous year.

The sequential pullback from January to February follows typical seasonal patterns. January frequently captures higher revenue due to order timing dynamics, making the year-over-year metric the more significant indicator for market watchers.

TSM stock advanced approximately 1% during early Tuesday session activity after the financial disclosure, while key customers Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) also posted gains — climbing 1.53% and 1.21% respectively. Apple (AAPL) shares increased 0.51%.

The revenue expansion underscores ongoing robust demand for cutting-edge semiconductors deployed in artificial intelligence servers and data center infrastructure. As the manufacturing partner for technology industry heavyweights, TSMC continues to see consistent order flows.

Dividend Distribution and Capital Investment Plans

During February, TSMC’s board of directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of NT$6.0 per share — a decision that reflects management’s confidence in the company’s strong financial health.

Additionally, the board authorized capital expenditure totaling approximately $45 billion. These funds will support fabrication facility construction, capacity expansion, and technology upgrades spanning advanced front-end processes, specialty and mature technologies, plus advanced packaging solutions.

TSMC also designated roughly NT$1.2 billion for its Arizona-based subsidiary, which is actively expanding domestic chip production capabilities in the United States.

This magnitude of capital investment aligns with TSMC’s long-standing guidance regarding the financial resources required to meet escalating AI chip demand.

Geopolitical Landscape Assessment

TSMC proactively addressed geopolitical risk factors, stating it does not anticipate any material operational disruption stemming from current tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Company leadership emphasized ongoing monitoring of the evolving situation. TSMC’s primary manufacturing operations are concentrated in Taiwan, which presents distinct geopolitical considerations independent of Middle Eastern developments.

Presently, executives appear confident that production and operations remain stable and unaffected.

TSMC has scheduled its complete first-quarter 2026 earnings release for April, when investors will scrutinize detailed guidance on order pipelines and pricing dynamics across the company’s most advanced manufacturing nodes.

The bearish analyst outlined at which price levels he wants to short XRP.

The weekly RSI levels for XRP have declined to their most oversold territory since at least 2022, said popular market commentator EGRAG CRYPTO, adding that this might be a proper entry zone.

While their chart reviews the broader XRP picture, another analyst weighed in on the asset’s daily gains today, noting that he wants to short it only after it reaches a certain level.

Most Oversold in History?

Known for his detailed and mostly bullish analysis on several large cryptocurrencies, but with the main focus on XRP, EGRAR’s latest chart on the cross-border token indicated that the asset is “entering the most oversold region” in its history right now.

They explained that when XRP has plunged to such RSI levels, it has historically bottomed, as was the case in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2022. This means that the token has not seen such oversold numbers in four years.

However, EGRAR disclosed that although XRP has indeed reached a macro bottom at similar levels, it does not mean that “the exact bottom prints immediately,” but it’s entering its final phase, which looks like this:

• Final liquidity sweep
• Sideways accumulation
• Gradual reversal

“This is why many experienced investors start accumulating in this region instead of trying to perfectly time the bottom,” they added before asking: “When XRP weekly RSI is in the most oversold zone in its entire history… is this the worst time to buy? Or, one of the best times to start accumulating?”

Or, Maybe Short XRP?

While EGRAG’s analysis focuses on XRP’s macro picture, Crypto Tony weighed in on the asset’s most recent price performance and whether he sees a potential for a trend reversal in the short-term. The token dumped to $1.21 last week, rebounded to $1.55, where it was rejected, and has remained within a tighter range between $1.34 and $1.48 since then.

It jumped to $1.42 earlier today, and Crypto Tony saw an upcoming opportunity to short the upper boundary of this range at $1.47-$1.48. However, XRP was rejected for now and remains around $1.40 as of press time, which is a level that the bulls “need to flip into support,” and they haven’t done it decisively yet.

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$XRP / $USD – Update

I would love a spike up to $1.47 range high to then look for shorts. Bulls need to flip $1.40 into support to make this happen pic.twitter.com/U0SrpuCbvz

— Crypto Tony (@CryptoTony__) March 10, 2026

Starknet has unveiled the STRK20 token framework, a new initiative designed to enhance the privacy of Ethereum’s ERC-20 tokens on its platform. According to a blog post from the Layer 2 today, March 10, this development addresses ongoing privacy concerns for token issuers, users, and regulators.

The new framework makes it possible for any ERC-20 token on Starknet to have native privacy, with transactions backed by zero-knowledge proofs.

The mechanism works by letting users transact within the Starknet Privacy Pool, by depositing ERC-20 tokens to the pool, transacting within it, and then withdrawing at any time. Starknet said in the blog post that it’s launching the framework today with both swaps and staking available via Ekubo.

“Privacy on its own is not enough. For it to matter, it has to work where finance actually happens: in swaps, in staking, in the protocols that make DeFi run,” Starknet’s post reads.

As a Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, Starknet utilizes zk-rollups to improve scalability and reduce transaction costs. The introduction of STRK20 aligns with the broader industry trend of incorporating privacy features into blockchain transactions.

This article was generated with the assistance of AI workflows.

Chainlink price is tightening near $9 as volatility drops, with traders watching whether bulls can push LINK above the key $10 resistance level.

At press time, Chainlink (LINK) was priced at $8.94, up 1.2% in the past 24 hours. Over the past week, the token moved between $8.52 and $9.55 as price action settled after the steep drop earlier this year.

Chainlink is still down about 42% over the past year, though the latest rebound has helped narrow the monthly decline to around 0.8%.

Trading activity eased during the recent sideways move. Daily volume came in at $494 million, a 7% drop from the previous session. Lower volume often appears when the market pauses and traders wait for the next clear move.

CoinGlass data shows only small changes in derivatives markets. Futures volume slipped, while open interest edged up 0.07% to $369.57 million. When price moves sideways and open interest barely changes, it usually means many traders are holding their positions instead of opening new ones.

Network growth continues in 2026

In early 2026, Chainlink has strengthened its place in the blockchain infrastructure market. A March 2 partnership set up a $5 billion cbBTC bridge to the Monad network, connecting the two systems. Another deal with Abu Dhabi’s ADI Foundation will explore tokenization projects in the Middle East.

Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol already links more than 75 blockchains, and more connections are being added to move data and assets between them.

Projects such as Injective EVM, Monad, and Perennial have adopted the system, while 11 additional chains, including ADI Chain, Arc, and Base, were recently added.

Traditional finance firms are also experimenting with Chainlink’s infrastructure. Institutions including SWIFT, UBS, and the Bank of England have worked with the network on tokenization pilots tied to the Canton Network, which targets as much as $8 trillion in real-world assets.

Chainlink currently controls about 64% of the oracle market, with over $41 billion in total value secured. The network has secured more than $100 billion in assets and processed roughly $27.3 trillion in total value executed by late 2025.

Institutional interest has increased as well. Even during more periods of outflows in the cryptocurrency market, Grayscale’s LINK ETF,  launched in December 2025,  reported consistent weekly inflows.

Chainlink has earned SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications, which are often required by institutional partners. To make the token more useful, the network is running a $644 million buyback program and working with S&P Global to evaluate stablecoins on-chain.

Chainlink price technical analysis

Chainlink is entering a period of low volatility, known as a volatility squeeze, when price movement tightens before a bigger move. The Bollinger Bands are narrowing, showing that volatility is decreasing.

LINK is trading near the middle band, indicating short-term momentum is neutral.

Traders are focusing on $10, which has acted as resistance in recent attempts to move higher. A daily close above $10 could signal a breakout, potentially turning this level into support and opening the way toward $11 to $12.

On the downside, $8.8 to $9.0 is the main support zone. If the price falls below $8.8, the $8.2 to $8.0 range may be tested.

Momentum indicators suggest the market is stabilizing. The relative strength index is around 45–50, meaning selling pressure has eased, but buyers have not yet gained control.

If LINK moves above $10, targets could include $10.8, $11.5, and $12. If it fails to break $10, the token may remain in its current range.

Key Highlights

• Nvidia has injected capital into Thinking Machines Lab, the artificial intelligence venture led by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati (investment amount undisclosed)
• A strategic multi-year collaboration between the companies was revealed on Tuesday
• Thinking Machines plans to implement a minimum of one gigawatt worth of Nvidia’s Vera Rubin infrastructure
• The rollout is scheduled to begin in early next year
• Following a $2B capital raise in July 2025, Thinking Machines achieved a $10B valuation

Nvidia has taken an equity position in Thinking Machines Lab while establishing a comprehensive multi-year strategic alliance with the AI company. The partnership details emerged Tuesday morning.

Neither organization revealed the precise dollar amount of Nvidia’s equity stake.

Under the terms of this collaboration, Thinking Machines will integrate a minimum of one gigawatt of Nvidia’s cutting-edge Vera Rubin infrastructure. This computing power will fuel the company’s advanced model development efforts and platform operations.

According to Thinking Machines, the Vera Rubin systems are slated to go live early in the coming year.

Mira Murati established Thinking Machines Lab after her tenure as Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI. The company’s mission centers on delivering scalable, customizable artificial intelligence solutions for corporate clients, academic institutions, and scientific organizations.

In a prepared statement, Jensen Huang, who founded and leads Nvidia as CEO, commented: “Thinking Machines has assembled an exceptional team dedicated to pushing AI boundaries forward. We’re excited to collaborate with Thinking Machines as they pursue their compelling vision for AI’s evolution.”

Murati offered this response: “NVIDIA’s innovations form the bedrock of our entire industry. This collaboration enhances our ability to develop AI systems that users can customize and truly own.”

A $10 Billion Valuation

This partnership doesn’t mark Nvidia’s initial engagement with Thinking Machines. The chipmaker participated in the startup’s $2B financing round during July 2025, which established the company’s valuation at $10B.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) spearheaded that funding round, with additional backing from Nvidia, AMD, ServiceNow, and Cisco Systems.

Tuesday’s disclosure elevates the connection beyond simple investment to a comprehensive strategic partnership framework.

The agreement encompasses collaborative development of training and inference infrastructure optimized explicitly for Nvidia’s chip architectures.

Vera Rubin Takes Center Stage

Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform represents the company’s latest-generation GPU infrastructure, and this agreement positions a gigawatt-scale implementation as a cornerstone element.

A gigawatt represents significant energy allocation — highlighting the massive scale required for cutting-edge AI model development today.

According to Thinking Machines, the Vera Rubin computing infrastructure will serve as the backbone for developing AI systems that users can tailor and engage with hands-on.

The collaboration aims to broaden accessibility to advanced AI capabilities and open-source models throughout enterprise and academic environments.

Nvidia maintains investment positions across numerous AI ventures and continues strengthening industry relationships through semiconductor supply contracts combined with ownership stakes.

The Thinking Machines agreement represents another addition to this portfolio, distinguished by its gigawatt-level hardware deployment obligation.