Crypto World
Further Gains Ahead or Brutal Collapse?
Certain market observers predicted that the asset’s price could soon surpass $50, while others cautioned traders to be extremely careful.
The lesser-known altcoin RIVER has defied the ongoing bear market, with its price spiking by double digits over the past seven days.
Some analysts expect the rally to continue, while others view the project as a red flag and warn investors to stay away.
How Much More?
RIVER is among the best-performing top 100 cryptocurrencies in the last week, jumping by 50% and currently trading at around $26 (per CoinGecko’s data). At one point, its market capitalization neared $550 million, whereas as of this writing, it stands at around $500 million.
One factor that may have contributed to the rally is the recent partnership between DIA and River, which is intended to provide the former’s omnichain stablecoin system with accurate, trustworthy price data.
The coin’s pump caught the eye of many analysts, including the popular Ali Martinez. Earlier this month, he claimed that RIVER “is looking bullish” since it has formed an “inverse head-and-shoulders” pattern and predicted that a pump above $20 could open the door to $57. Later on, Martinez confirmed the breakout, setting anything in the $45-$57 range as potential targets.
Kamran Asghar chipped in when RIVER was testing the “critical resistance zone” around $23. Back then, he argued that turning this into support could result in a “clear run” toward $40 and beyond.
Major Red Flags?
Despite the impressive price increase, others remain quite skeptical toward the cryptocurrency. X user Julius Elum noted that RIVER “looks good in the chart,” but claimed that it might be a “manipulatable token” by whales. In his view, entry between $10 and $15 is safe, hopping on the bandwagon at around $20 is risky, while the current levels represent FOMO.
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“It might be a planned liquidity grab. I don’t chase setups if it has formed this obvious conviction. Because most times, it’s a trap. I’d rather take entry when the conviction is still in the doubt stage. But if I must risk it, I will do so with caution,” the analyst concluded.
X user Nehal also sounded the alarm. They believe that there are major red flags surrounding RIVER, suggesting that investors should be aware of more than just a pump-and-dump volatility. The analyst went even further, stating that many traders have reported losing money because the price has moved against their positions. In a subsequent post on March 18, Nehal forecasted that RIVER could plummet below $5 soon.
Highlighting the risks related to the token is nothing new. Earlier this year, X user Erik said 94% of RIVER’s total supply is held by only five wallets, whereas Honey argued that the project resembles previous rug pull schemes.
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Crypto World
Amundi Launches Tokenized Swap Fund on Ethereum and Stellar
Europe’s largest asset manager has launched its second on-chain fund, leveraging Chainlink oracles to publish NAV data.
Amundi, Europe’s largest asset manager with €2.4 trillion in AUM, and tokenized fund platform Spiko have launched the Spiko Amundi Overnight Swap Fund (SAFO), a tokenized UCITS vehicle with its shareholder register hosted on Ethereum and Stellar, with Chainlink providing on-chain NAV oracle infrastructure.
The fund is Amundi’s second blockchain-based issuance following a tokenized money market fund on Ethereum in November.
Chainlink oracles bridge the gap between off-chain fund valuation and on-chain execution, recording SAFO’s net asset value across both networks. The dual-chain architecture pairs Ethereum’s smart contract ecosystem with Stellar’s lower-cost transfer rails.
Total Return Swaps
SAFO is structurally different from the tokenized Treasury bill funds that dominate the on-chain real-world asset (RWA) market today. Rather than investing in government securities, the fund holds a portfolio of assets on behalf of a major bank, which pays the fund an agreed rate above risk-free benchmarks in exchange for the portfolio’s investment returns. Banks are willing to pay this premium because holding assets on their own balance sheet is expensive due to regulatory capital requirements.
The fund uses fully collateralized total return swaps with top banks, starting with BNP Paribas, to deliver stable yields and provide overnight liquidity. Eligible counterparties include Société Générale, Crédit Agricole CIB, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Citi, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, UBS, and HSBC.
The product is available in EUR, USD, GBP, and CHF. CACEIS serves as a depositary bank and fund administrator, while Spiko acts as transfer agent, tokenization platform, and broker.
The launch extends Spiko’s rapid rise in European tokenized finance. The platform surpassed $1 billion in distributed asset value in February, according to RWAxyz, up from $190 million a year ago.

RWA Boom
SAFO arrives as the tokenized RWA market continues to expand. Distributed asset value stood at $27.3 billion as of March 19, up 9% over the past 30 days, according to RWAxyz.
2025 was a breakout year for RWAs. The sector was valued at around $5.5 billion in early 2025 but tripled to roughly $18.6 billion over the course of the year. Tokenized Treasuries and private credit have fueled the growth, with institutional products such as BlackRock’s BUIDL and Franklin Templeton’s BENJI driving adoption.
Crypto World
Dollar drops below 100 as Fed shock, BOJ risk and oil fears hit FX
The dollar index fell below 100 as traders sold the greenback after the Fed meeting, with USD/JPY sliding on rising BOJ hike and intervention risks and mixed signals for emerging markets and Bitcoin.
Summary
- DXY slid 0.5% to 99.79 and USD/JPY dropped 1% to 158.22 as traders unwound crowded dollar longs after the Fed flagged sticky inflation but acknowledged rising macro uncertainty.
- Markets now eye a possible BOJ move toward 1% and FX intervention if USD/JPY threatens 160, shifting rate divergence away from a one-way dollar trade.
- A weaker dollar gives only limited relief to crypto, with Bitcoin still down over 4% around $71,313 as the Fed’s higher-for-longer stance and oil shock overshadow FX tailwinds.
The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) fell below the psychologically significant 100 level on Thursday, sliding 0.5% to 99.79 as markets digested the aftermath of Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting and recalibrated positions across currency markets. USD/JPY dropped 1% to 158.22, one of its sharpest single-session declines in weeks, as a combination of post-FOMC profit-taking, rising rate divergence expectations, and the looming prospect of Bank of Japan intervention weighed on the dollar against the yen.
The move is notable precisely because of its direction. As recently as last week, the DXY had broken back above 100 for the first time since late 2025, driven higher by safe-haven demand from the Iran conflict and inflation fears stemming from the Strait of Hormuz disruption. That rally had pushed USD/JPY as high as 159.40 during Tuesday’s Asian session. Thursday’s reversal therefore represents a meaningful technical breakdown, with the 100 level now flipping from support to resistance.
The dollar’s weakness in the wake of a hawkish Fed statement appears counterintuitive on its surface — Powell raised the 2026 inflation forecast to 2.7%, signalled only one rate cut for the year, and explicitly cited the oil shock as a persistent inflationary risk. In a traditional macro framework, that combination should support the dollar. But currency markets have responded differently, focusing instead on three complicating factors.
First, much of the hawkish repricing had already occurred in the days leading up to the FOMC meeting, with market expectations for Fed easing having compressed from two-to-three cuts earlier in the year to just one. With that narrative largely priced, the announcement became a sell-the-news event for dollar bulls who had positioned for upside. Second, Powell’s acknowledgement of heightened economic uncertainty — including the risk that the oil shock could simultaneously depress growth while keeping inflation elevated — raised fresh concerns about the dollar’s medium-term trajectory if the U.S. economy weakens while the Fed’s hands remain tied by inflation. Third, and critically, the divergence between the Fed and other major central banks is shifting.
The Bank of Japan held its policy rate unchanged at 0.75% on Thursday — its highest since September 1995 — but markets are pricing a rate increase to 1.00% by end-June. Mizuho Financial’s markets co-chief Kenya Koshimizu told Reuters in February that up to three BOJ hikes in 2026 are entirely possible. Japan’s Finance Minister has also stated explicitly that authorities stand ready to intervene in FX markets if yen weakness persists, with USD/JPY above 160 viewed as a potential trigger for BOJ action. Thursday’s 1% drop in USD/JPY, pulling the pair to 158.22, suggests markets are pre-empting that intervention risk.
The dollar’s stumble below 100 is also a signal to emerging markets and commodity-linked currencies. The Philippine peso breached the 60-per-dollar level on Thursday as oil costs weighed on the country’s import bill, while gold stabilised following a sharp 4% decline in the prior session. For crypto markets, a weaker dollar historically provides modest tailwind support — but with Bitcoin already down 4.62% to $71,313 on the day, macro headwinds from the Fed’s inflation posture are currently overwhelming any currency-driven relief.
Crypto World
DDC Enterprise expands corporate Bitcoin treasury holdings
DDC Enterprise bought 200 BTC at $79,969 each, lifting its 2,383 BTC treasury above its $66m market cap as it leans harder into a high‑beta Bitcoin proxy strategy.
Summary
- DDC Enterprise added 200 BTC at an average $79,969, taking its corporate stash to 2,383 BTC worth about $165m and ranking 32nd among public Bitcoin holders.
- The New York-listed Asian food platform now has a $66.43m market cap, meaning its Bitcoin holdings alone materially exceed the company’s equity value.
- Armed with up to $528m in structured financing and a 5,000–10,000 BTC reserve target, DDC is executing a MicroStrategy-style playbook of aggressive, weekly BTC accumulation.
DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSEAMERICAN: DDC) announced the purchase of an additional 200 Bitcoin on Thursday, bringing its total corporate treasury holdings to 2,383 BTC valued at approximately $165 million — a move that underscores the company’s determination to keep accumulating even as markets sell off under the weight of the Iran war and surging oil prices.
The purchase was made at an average cost of $79,969 per Bitcoin, lifting DDC to 32nd place among publicly listed corporate Bitcoin holders globally, according to data from Bitcointreasuries.net. The company’s year-to-date “BTC yield” — a metric tracking the growth in Bitcoin holdings per share — stands at 44.9%, reflecting an aggressive pace of accumulation since the start of 2026.
DDC Enterprise is a New York-listed global Asian food platform that has, over the past year, reinvented itself as one of the most active small-cap corporate Bitcoin accumulators in the world. The company’s current market capitalization stands at just $66.43 million — meaning its Bitcoin treasury, valued at approximately $165 million at current prices, materially exceeds its equity value.
The accumulation story began in earnest in mid-2025, when CEO and Founder Norma Chu announced up to $528 million in structured financing — one of the largest single-purpose Bitcoin raises by any NYSE-listed company at the time — with substantially all proceeds earmarked for Bitcoin acquisition. By the end of 2025, DDC held 1,183 BTC. Since January 1, 2026 alone, the company has added 1,200 BTC, effectively more than doubling its holdings in less than three months.
Thursday’s purchase is at least the eighth consecutive weekly accumulation event. The company bought 600 BTC in January 2026 across three separate transactions, followed by weekly purchases of 100 BTC, 80 BTC, 50 BTC, and further tranches through February and March. Each announcement has been accompanied by a statement from Chu, who said Thursday: “Every additional Bitcoin we add is a statement about where we think long-term value is heading.”
The timing is notable. With BTC trading below $70,000 — down more than 3% on the day — and geopolitical risk at its highest point since the war began, DDC is buying into weakness rather than momentum. The company’s average cost per Bitcoin of $79,969 means the treasury is currently underwater relative to purchase price, yet the firm shows no sign of slowing its accumulation program.
DDC’s strategy closely mirrors, at smaller scale, the MicroStrategy playbook pioneered by Michael Saylor — treating Bitcoin not as a speculative asset but as a primary reserve, funded through equity and debt financing rather than operating cash flow. The company describes its goal as building “a world-class Bitcoin treasury defined by strong governance and repeatable execution,” while maintaining its core Asian food business alongside the digital asset strategy.
With its stock trading at $2.18, down sharply from a 52-week high of $20.83, and a beta of 5.7, DDC remains one of the highest-volatility Bitcoin proxy plays available to U.S. equity investors — a high-risk, high-conviction bet that the price of Bitcoin will ultimately vindicate the math.
Crypto World
Vivek Ramaswamy Strive Beats Tesla in Bitcoin Holdings, Hikes SATA Dividend to 12.75%
Vivek Ramaswamy Strive Asset Management just passed Tesla on the corporate Bitcoin leaderboard.
The firm now holds 13,310.9 BTC worth roughly $944 million, claiming the 10th spot among public treasury holders. Tesla’s 11,509 BTC is now behind them.
The update came alongside Q4 results that also confirmed a dividend hike for SATA preferred stock to 12.75% and a $50 million investment in Strategy’s STRC preferred stock.
Strive is not just talking about Bitcoin. It is building a treasury to match.
- BTC Holdings: Strive now holds 13,310.9 BTC (~$944M), surpassing Tesla to enter the top 10 public treasuries.
- SATA Dividend: The board hiked the dividend on SATA preferred stock to 12.75% to attract yield-focused capital.
- STRC Investment: The firm deployed $50 million into Strategy’s STRC preferred stock to generate yield on its balance sheet.
Ramaswamy Strive’s Bitcoin Capital Stack: Funding the Buy
Strive is scaling its Bitcoin treasury fast using a mix of at-the-market offerings and structured finance instruments.
Since going public in September 2025, the firm has accumulated BTC through PIPE proceeds and its acquisition of Semler Scientific. The latest tranche added roughly 317 BTC.
The capital stack is deliberate. Strive purchased $50 million of Strategy’s STRC preferred stock to fund its SATA dividend program. Holding high-yield Bitcoin-backed instruments like STRC generates the cash flow needed to support the 12.75% payout while maintaining direct BTC exposure at the same time.
The numbers back the approach. Strive reported a Bitcoin Yield of 22.2% in Q4 2025. GAAP net loss came in at $393.6 million driven by fair value declines. But GAAP is not the metric investors in this playbook are watching. BTC per share accretion is. And that number is moving in the right direction.
What It Means for Corporate Adoption: A New Leaderboard
Passing Tesla is more than a leaderboard moment. Tesla has held a static position since its initial buys and partial sales. Strive represents something different entirely. A financial firm actively re-engineering its balance sheet around Bitcoin as a core strategy.
The shift is broader than one company. Institutional crypto is moving from passive holding to active treasury management. Evernorth built a SPAC around XRP reserves.
Strive is proving public markets will award a premium to companies that successfully securitize Bitcoin holdings. The model gives shareholders Bitcoin volatility plus a yield component through the 12.75% SATA dividend. Spot ETFs cannot offer that combination.
CEO Matthew Cole has signaled the accumulation is not slowing down. Over $83 million in cash remains on hand with a $500 million shelf offering still available. The buy walls are staying active.
The infrastructure is built. The capital is deployed. The race for balance sheet supremacy is accelerating and Strive just moved into the top 10.
Discover: The best new crypto in the world
The post Vivek Ramaswamy Strive Beats Tesla in Bitcoin Holdings, Hikes SATA Dividend to 12.75% appeared first on Cryptonews.
Crypto World
Shiba Inu Price Prediction 2026: SHIB Fights to Reclaim Its Glory While Pepeto Offers the 150x Early Window That SHIB Already Closed
A truck driver put $650 into Shiba Inu in 2020 and quit his job after his bag grew to $1.7 million. Two brothers invested $7,900 during the COVID lockdowns and cashed out $9 million.
A warehouse manager put $8,000 in and retired at 35. Every one of those entries happened before the listing, before the world found out. The shiba inu price prediction for 2026 matters, but the entry that made those millionaires no longer exists. A new one does.
Shiba Inu Price Prediction: T. Rowe Price Files Crypto ETF Including SHIB as Whales Hold During Fear
T. Rowe Price filed an SEC application for a crypto ETF naming SHIB among its holdings, the first time a traditional manager this size included Shiba Inu. The Block reported details on custody and staking plans.
CoinGecko shows SHIB at $0.00000569, down 93% from its $0.00008616 ATH, while the market sits in extreme fear at 23. The shiba inu price prediction debate is heating up, but the early entry that created millionaires is permanently gone.
Shiba Inu Price Prediction and the Presale That Offers What SHIB Used To
Pepeto is an exchange presale built on the foundation that made meme coins produce millionaires, except this time the project has products that SHIB launched without. The cofounder who created the original Pepe coin is building a complete trading ecosystem at $0.000000186, and the distance between that number and a Binance listing is where the next early investor stories get written.
A cross chain bridge moves tokens between networks without charging a fee, so you keep every dollar you transfer. The risk scorer checks contracts for the traps that wiped out wallets during the last meme coin cycle, catching the danger before your capital gets close to it.
The SolidProof audit was completed before the Pepeto presale opened, the opposite of what happened with SHIB, DOGE, and every meme coin that made early holders rich without a single page of security verification. More than $8 million has entered during extreme fear, and the conviction mirrors the pattern that preceded every successful presale to listing event in the last three years.
SHIB reached $0.00008616 with zero products on a token that started as a joke. Pepeto has the same meme energy, the same cofounder pedigree, and a full exchange that SHIB never built. The 420 trillion supply matching Pepe’s ATH is 150x from here, and 196% APY staking grows your position while you wait for the listing that erases this price forever.
Shiba Inu (SHIB)
SHIB trades at $0.00000569, per CoinGecko, sitting 93% below its $0.00008616 ATH. Shibarium upgrades and the T. Rowe Price ETF filing add credibility.
The shiba inu price prediction for 2026 ranges between $0.0000082 and $0.0000098, a 42% to 70% gain. The entry that turned $650 into $1.7 million required getting in before the listing. At $0.00000569, SHIB is a recovery play, and recovery plays deliver recovery returns.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
DOGE trades at $0.09, roughly 88% below its $0.73 ATH, per Yahoo Finance. A bullish pennant formed after a 4.80% daily gain.
Analysts see $0.114 as the level that shifts the outlook from uncertain to real. Even reaching $0.20 is roughly 2x, decent for swing traders but nowhere near the return gap between a presale at $0.000000186 and a Binance listing.
Shiba Inu Price Prediction 2026: The Early Window That Made Millionaires Is Gone, but a New One Just Opened
The shiba inu price prediction shows a recovery path, and the T. Rowe Price ETF adds legitimacy. But the entry that turned $650 into $1.7 million happened before the listing. That window is permanently closed. The cofounder who built Pepe to $7 billion is now building an exchange at $0.000000186 with a SolidProof audit and a Binance listing approaching. The same $650 buys 3.5 billion Pepeto tokens today. Visit the Pepeto official website and take the position that the next millionaires wave of early stories will be written about.
Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale
FAQs
What is the shiba inu price prediction for 2026?
Analysts forecast SHIB between $0.0000082 and $0.0000098, representing 42% to 70% gains from $0.00000569. The T. Rowe Price ETF and Shibarium support the outlook but the early entry that created millionaires is gone.
Can Shiba Inu reach a new all time high this cycle?
SHIB needs 1,398% to reclaim $0.00008616. Most 2026 forecasts fall far short. Without a major burn event or catalyst, a new ATH looks unlikely this year.
Is Pepeto the next Shiba Inu for early investors?
Pepeto has the same energy plus a full exchange, SolidProof audit, and the Pepe cofounder. At $0.000000186 with 150x math, visit the Pepeto official website before the listing closes the early window.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Crypto World
Hyperliquid whale wiped out as $458 million in crypto longs vanish
Crypto saw $458m in liquidations in 24 hours as Iran’s Gulf strikes and $110 oil triggered a brutal flush of overleveraged BTC and ETH longs led by a Hyperliquid whale.
Summary
- Total crypto liquidations hit $458 million in 24 hours, with $357 million of that from long positions and just $101 million from shorts, as 128,087 traders were wiped out.
- Bitcoin longs lost $138 million versus $24.3 million for shorts after BTC broke below $69,000, while Ethereum longs saw $82.6 million in liquidations as ETH briefly slipped under $2,100.
- A $10.8 million BTC-USD long on Hyperliquid was the day’s largest single liquidation, underscoring how the on-chain perps venue has become a bellwether for extreme leverage and stress.
The cryptocurrency derivatives market absorbed another brutal session on Thursday, with total liquidations across the network surging to $458 million over a 24-hour period as Iranian missile strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure sent shockwaves through global risk assets. The wipeout hit leveraged long positions hardest — a sign that traders positioned for recovery were caught off-guard by a fresh escalation in the Middle East war.
According to Coinglass data, long positions accounted for $357 million of the total liquidations, while shorts were cleared for $101 million — a roughly 3.5-to-1 long-to-short ratio that reflects a market in which bullish positioning was overwhelmed by a sudden surge in risk-off sentiment. A total of 128,087 traders were liquidated globally across the session, with the largest single forced closure — a $10.8 million BTC-USD position — occurring on Hyperliquid, the decentralized perpetuals exchange that has repeatedly featured in this cycle’s most notable liquidation events.
Bitcoin long positions were wiped for $138 million, while BTC shorts saw $24.3 million in liquidations — a clear indication that bulls attempting to hold the line near key support levels were flushed out as prices broke below $69,000 earlier in the session. Ethereum (ETH) long liquidations reached $82.6 million, with shorts cleared for $37.5 million, as ETH briefly fell below $2,100 — a psychologically significant level that had acted as near-term support.
The session’s liquidation profile is consistent with a broader pattern observed throughout the Iran war, which began on February 28. With Brent crude surging above $110 per barrel and Iranian strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG terminal and Kuwaiti refineries driving a fresh wave of macro fear on Thursday, leveraged crypto traders found themselves caught on the wrong side of a correlation that has reasserted itself with full force: when global energy infrastructure is under fire, risk assets — including crypto — sell off.
The figures represent a meaningful acceleration from recent sessions. On March 15, total liquidations reached only $77 million across the market, with the largest single Hyperliquid event clocking in at $1.1 million. By March 19, that largest single liquidation had grown nearly tenfold to $10.8 million, underscoring how rapidly conditions deteriorated as news of the refinery strikes broke.
Hyperliquid’s continued dominance of single-event liquidation records is notable. The platform, which operates an on-chain order book and settles trades and liquidations on its own Layer 1, has become a focal point for large leveraged positions in this cycle — and consequently a bellwether for stress in the broader derivatives market.
Bitcoin’s (BTC) price remained below $70,000 as of Thursday afternoon, down over 3% on the day, while ETH traded near $2,100 — levels that keep a large body of leveraged long positions at elevated liquidation risk should conditions deteriorate further. With the quarterly Deribit options expiration looming and geopolitical uncertainty at its highest point since the war began, the risk of additional cascading liquidations remains elevated.
Crypto World
Cryptocurrency Market Sinks as Trades discount Fed rate cuts
Market Sentiment is caused by inflation issues
The oil prices have risen due to the US-Iran conflict, which has raised risks of inflation. Energy prices have also been on the increase which places strain on the general economy. As a result, investors minimized the risk assets including cryptocurrencies.In addition, the conflict has taken a long-term stage, which reinforced the fear of prolonged inflation. This trend still has an effect on the trading behavior in different markets.
According to Jerome Powell, inflation is still one of the major concerns of policymakers. He expounded that rate reductions are pegged on evident improvements in reducing the inflation rates. Therefore, there is a possibility that the Federal Reserve can retain its current position with longer periods.Also, the recent statistics revealed that producer inflation increased to 3.4 percent prior to the escalation of the conflict. The development enhanced the expectations that the rate cuts might not occur in this year.
There is a significant change in expectations indicated by prediction market data. Zero rate cuts in this year will be increased to approximately 35 percent. As a result, traders have shifted their ground in accordance with a stiffer monetary outlook.In addition, the liquidity prospects have been curtailed by the low anticipations of rate reductions. This change has burdened crypto assets which tend to enjoy the less competitive financial terms.
International Bodies Caution on The Hitting of Energy
The international monetary fund cautioned that the increase in the price of energy would have an impact on global growth. It was asserted that oil flows have already been affected by disruptions associated with the Strait of Hormuz. Moreover, the IMF mentioned that the inflation rates may go up all over the world due to sustained energy price increases.Also, the IMF said that reduced economy output can be a result of rising energy prices. Such forecasts indicate the more general effects of the current state of affairs on financial markets.Crypto markets are still under strain as inflation fears redefine the outlook of monetary policy. The increase in energy costs and the change of rate perspectives have been causing changes in investor behavior in digital assets.
Crypto World
Trump pressures Powell to cut rates as Fed holds line on inflation
Trump ramps up pressure on Powell to slash rates to 1% even as the Fed holds at 3.50%–3.75%, lifts inflation forecasts, and warns the Iran oil shock risks stagflation.
Summary
- Trump renews attacks on Powell, demanding immediate cuts and even 1% rates despite Brent above $110 and inflation expectations rising with the Iran war energy shock.
- The Fed leaves rates at 3.50%–3.75% and signals only one 2026 cut, with officials warning that oil-driven inflation could keep PCE near 3% and delay any easing.
- Economists say the U.S. now faces a classic stagflation trap, as cutting to appease Trump risks entrenching inflation while holding steady deepens demand destruction.
U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his public pressure campaign on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday, stating that Powell should cut interest rates — a demand that stands in direct contradiction to the Fed’s posture just 24 hours earlier, when the central bank held rates unchanged and signaled it expects only one cut for the entirety of 2026.
Trump’s statement, reported by Jinshi on Thursday, follows a pattern of escalating attacks on the Fed chair that has intensified since the Iran war began on February 28. As recently as March 12, Trump took to Truth Social to write: “Where is the Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, today? He should be dropping Interest Rates, IMMEDIATELY, not waiting for the next meeting!” The president has reportedly called for rates as low as 1%, even as soaring oil prices are pushing inflation expectations sharply higher.
Crypto markets have been trading this showdown in real time: Bitcoin has already slipped back below $70,000 after briefly tagging the mid‑$73,000s last week, while Ethereum has faded toward the low‑$2,200s as Fed funds futures price in barely a single cut for 2026 and the market starts to contemplate a “no‑cut” year. That leaves BTC caught between two narratives — a stagflation hedge if Powell caves to Trump and lets real yields fall, or just another high‑beta risk asset if the Fed digs in and higher-for-longer rates collide with an oil shock to crush liquidity across both TradFi and crypto.
The Fed voted to keep its benchmark rate in the 3.50%–3.75% range at its March 18 meeting, citing persistent uncertainty around both the Iran conflict’s economic impact and the residual effects of Trump’s 15% global tariff regime. Powell acknowledged that a rate hike remains unlikely but did not rule it out, noting that the Fed “will need to assess how enduring this situation is” in reference to the global energy crisis.
The Fed’s updated forecasts are expected to revise inflation projections upward, with many economists anticipating the central bank will now forecast inflation remaining as high as 3% by late 2026 — a level difficult to reconcile with rate cuts. Trump’s own nomination of Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell when his term concludes in May had been expected to usher in a more dovish era, but the Iran conflict may delay or complicate that transition.
The core tension is acute. Trump wants lower rates to stimulate a slowing economy and support financial markets battered by oil-driven uncertainty. But the Fed faces a classic stagflation dilemma: cutting rates risks entrenching oil-fueled inflation, while holding or hiking risks amplifying the demand destruction already underway as energy costs squeeze consumers and businesses.
CME FedWatch data shows markets assigning over 99% probability to no change at the current meeting, and Wall Street economists are increasingly calling for a zero-cut year. Oxford Economics chief U.S. economist Lydia Boussour noted that “given our elevated forecasts for headline and core PCE inflation, we have adjusted our baseline to reflect only one 25 basis point cut in 2026 — but it is entirely plausible the Fed won’t implement any rate cuts this year.”
The oil shock has already erased the inflation buffer that lower energy prices had provided earlier in 2026 in the face of Trump’s tariffs. With Brent crude above $110 and Iranian strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure widening on Thursday, the Fed’s margin for maneuver is narrowing — even as Trump’s demands grow louder.
Crypto World
Bybit Launches Yield Product For Tokenized Gold (XAUT)
Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has launched a yield-bearing tokenized gold product that lets users earn interest on Tether Gold (XAUT), the latest entrant into a broader push to turn traditionally non-yielding assets into income-generating instruments.
The product is designed to convert tokenized gold — typically a passive store of value — into a yield-bearing asset using XAUT, the largest tokenized gold product, the company announced Thursday. It allows holders to earn passive income while maintaining exposure to gold prices.

Bybit said the offering is part of its broader expansion into tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), as it moves beyond traditional crypto trading products.
While earning yield on tokenized assets is not new, extending the model to gold is gaining traction across the industry, highlighting efforts to further financialize real-world assets on blockchain rails.
Earlier this week, tokenization platform Theo unveiled a $100 million structured investment facility backing its gold-linked, yield-bearing stablecoin, thUSD. The model involves purchasing tokenized gold while hedging price risk by shorting gold futures, aiming to generate returns from financing and derivatives market spreads rather than outright price moves.
Related: Tether expands support for USDT, Tether Gold in Opera’s MiniPay wallet
Gold sees extreme volatility after hitting record highs
After an historic rally that pushed gold prices above $5,500 per troy ounce, the yellow metal has experienced sharp volatility in recent months, reflecting a shifting macro backdrop.
Although gold is widely viewed as a hedge against risk, particularly during geopolitical shocks such as $100-a-barrel oil and the ongoing Iran war, prices have fallen by roughly $1,000 from their peak. The decline comes as investors dial back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, while rising real yields and a stronger US dollar weigh on the metal.
Analysts also point to crowded positioning. In January, as bullion was nearing its peak, Bank of America’s global fund manager survey identified long gold as the most crowded trade in markets.

Gold’s premium relative to its long-term trend also reached its highest level since 1980, according to Bloomberg.
Nevertheless, tokenized commodities continue to gain traction. Cointelegraph reported that the market surpassed $6 billion in February, driven largely by gold’s historic rally.
Related: Tokenized gold drives weekend price signals while CME futures are closed
Crypto World
Wall Street heavyweight Cantor among investment banks pitching crypto trading firm FalconX for its potential IPO
Wall Street financial services firm Cantor is among investment banks that are pitching cryptocurrency trading platform FalconX for its potential IPO, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
The company has held preliminary talks with possible advisors, but FalconX has not yet formally appointed bankers for its initial public offering, the people said, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter is private.
FalconX declined to comment. Cantor did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Investment banks often pitch companies for an IPO by presenting themselves as the best partner to take the business public, combining valuation analysis, market timing advice, and distribution strength.
The goal is to win the mandate by convincing the company that they can maximize valuation, ensure a smooth listing process, and generate strong aftermarket performance. While some firms might lead the IPO process, most deals are done through a syndicate of multiple banks.
Last year, Decrypt reported in June that FalconX had held informal talks with bankers and consultants about going public. Later in the year, the company’s CEO, Raghu Yarlagadda, told the Wall Street Journal that the firm was considering an IPO.
However, the crypto market has been under pressure since then, with the bitcoin price falling from an all-time high of $126,000 in October to near $70,000. Recently, CoinDesk reported that crypto exchange Kraken has put its IPO plans on hold after confidentially filing with the SEC in November, with sources saying the process will likely restart once the environment improves. To date, digital asset custodian BitGo (BTGO) is the only crypto native firm to list this year. The shares have fallen around 40% since their IPO.
Despite this tough market backdrop, crypto firms such as FalconX and Copper are continuing talks about potential public listings. Last year, several crypto exchanges, including CoinDesk parent Bullish (BLSH) and Gemini (GEMI), went public, and industry observers say that in 2026, financial infrastructure firms could be next in line for IPOs.
Cantor connection
Cantor and FalconX already have an existing relationship centered on institutional crypto lending, with the investment bank providing one of the first major credit facilities to the crypto prime broker.
In 2025, Cantor launched a $2 billion bitcoin-backed financing program and extended an initial credit line of over $100 million to FalconX, allowing it to borrow against bitcoin collateral and access liquidity without selling assets. The deal is part of a broader partnership aimed at building institutional-grade credit infrastructure in digital assets, reflecting growing convergence between traditional finance and crypto markets.
If Cantor wins the IPO mandate, it would likely be due to the existing relationship with the trading firm.
FalconX is a U.S.-based cryptocurrency trading and brokerage firm that primarily serves large institutional clients, including hedge funds, asset managers, and market makers.
Founded in 2018, the company operates as a digital asset prime broker, offering services including trade execution, liquidity access, credit and clearing. The company raised $150 million in a Series D financing round in June 2022, valuing the platform at $8 billion.
While no formal announcement has been made, FalconX has been scaling up ahead of a potential listing and has pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy over the past year as it builds out a full-service institutional crypto platform.
In 2025, the firm acquired derivatives specialist Arbelos Markets and took a majority stake in Monarq Asset Management, before striking a deal for crypto exchange-traded product (ETP) issuer 21Shares, its third major transaction of the year. Together, the deals expand FalconX’s reach across trading, derivatives, and asset management, reflecting a broader push to consolidate infrastructure and offer more regulated, institutional-grade investment products.
Cantor has steadily expanded its footprint in digital assets, positioning itself as one of the more active traditional finance firms in crypto markets. The Wall Street firm manages Tether’s U.S. Treasury reserves and has backed several crypto ventures, while publicly signaling support for blockchain infrastructure and trading businesses.
Its growing involvement reflects a broader push to bridge institutional capital with the digital asset ecosystem, particularly as more crypto companies explore public listings.
Cantor is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York. Founded in 1945, it’s best known as a major player in fixed-income trading, particularly U.S. Treasuries, as well as investment banking, brokerage, and asset management.
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