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Thailand recognizes cryptocurrencies under the Derivatives Trading Act

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Thailand recognizes cryptocurrencies under the Derivatives Trading Act

Thailand has officially recognized cryptocurrencies as an underlying asset under the Derivatives Trading Act.

Summary

  • Thailand has formally recognized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin as underlying assets under the Derivatives Trading Act.
  • The SEC will draft rules to support crypto-linked derivatives and review licenses for exchanges and brokers.

According to a Bangkok Post report, the Thai government approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal to allow cryptocurrencies to be used as the foundation for regulated futures and options contracts within the country’s derivatives on Feb. 10.

Under the new guidelines, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin will be classified as “permissible goods and variables,” according to SEC secretary-general Pornanong Budsaratragoon, whose department put forward the proposal in early 2026.

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The SEC will now draft the specific regulatory requirements for market participants, which include amending derivatives business licenses to allow existing digital asset operators to offer these new contracts and establishing strict contract specifications to mitigate the unique volatility risks associated with crypto assets.

Budsaratragoon said the amendments will help promote market inclusiveness and allow investors to diversify their portfolios, while also improving risk management.

Further, the SEC will collaborate with the Thailand Futures Exchange to make way for the launch of its first suite of crypto-linked derivatives, including Bitcoin futures.  It is currently reviewing the existing licensing framework to ensure that broker and clearing houses are aligned to offer these new products, the report said.

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As part of the amendment, carbon credits are also being classified as variables instead of goods, which means Thai investors will soon be able to access physically delivered carbon credit futures.

The SEC’s 2026 roadmap also includes plans to roll out crypto exchange-traded funds as it looks to position itself as a regional crypto trading powerhouse.

Last month, the SEC’s deputy secretary-general, Jomkwan Kongsakul, said that the commission plans to launch crypto ETFs in Thailand “early this year.”

Thailand is also eyeing crypto use in the tourism sector. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira introduced the TouristDigiPay initiative last year to bolster the country’s tourism sector by allowing travelers to convert their digital assets into the local fiat currency.

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S&P Global Finds Bitcoin’s Evolving Role in Markets

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Crypto Breaking News

Editor’s note: S&P Global today releases Bitcoin volatility and market dynamics findings, highlighting Bitcoin’s shift from a niche asset to a market-connected instrument. The full report, Bitcoin Volatility Trends: A Deep Dive into Market Dynamics and Risk, examines price patterns, volatility, and the interplay with traditional markets, while noting that tokenized assets and new products introduce additional risks beyond the asset itself. As Cristina Polizu, Managing Director of S&P Global Ratings, emphasizes, volatility has trended down in the long term, yet remains linked to broader market conditions and carries custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.

Key points

  • Volatility Trends: Bitcoin’s price swings are on a long-term downward trend as institutional adoption grows, with increased liquidity from futures and ETFs.
  • Bitcoin Hedge Insights: Bitcoin functions more effectively as a hedge against long-term currency debasement than as a hedge against short-term inflation.
  • Structural Market Risks: Bitcoin’s trading structure, featuring leveraged perpetual futures markets and automated liquidations, amplifies price volatility compared to other financial assets.
  • New Product Risks: Innovations like tokenized bitcoin, ETFs, and Digital Asset Treasury companies introduce extra risks beyond the asset, including counterparty, custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.

Why this matters

This research suggests Bitcoin’s volatility is trending lower over time while its market connections deepen, linking its performance to broader financial conditions. The addition of new products and tokenized offerings can add complexity and risk, influencing how investors assess exposure to digital assets and their role in diversified portfolios.

What to watch next

  • Monitor institutional adoption and liquidity trends as futures and ETFs expand.
  • Watch developments in tokenized bitcoin and other new-product offerings for risk implications.
  • Observe Bitcoin’s price behavior and its relationship to traditional markets as the asset evolves.

Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company/PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.

S&P Global Finds Bitcoin’s Evolving Role in Markets

— Bitcoin now accounts for more than half of cryptocurrency markets’ nearly $2.33 trillion capitalization*

— Bitcoin’s price has dropped by nearly half since October 2025

— Price volatility for bitcoin is on a long-term downward trend – though it remains higher than that of traditional assets

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NEW YORK (March 5, 2026) – S&P Global today published new research (see report link) examining how bitcoin has evolved from a niche asset to one with meaningful linkages to traditional financial markets.

Bitcoin Volatility Trends: A Deep Dive into Market Dynamics and Risk,’ provides a detailed analysis of bitcoin’s market behavior, price patterns, and market trends.

Key findings from the research reveal:

    • Volatility Trends: Bitcoin’s price swings are on a long-term downward trend as institutional adoption grows, though they remain larger than those of traditional assets. A growing market for bitcoin futures and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) increased bitcoin adoption, which in turn increased liquidity.
    • Bitcoin Hedge Insights: The analysis indicates bitcoin functions more effectively as a hedge against long-term currency debasement than as a hedge against short-term inflation.
    • Structural Market Risks: Bitcoin’s trading structure, featuring leveraged perpetual futures markets and automated liquidations, amplifies price volatility compared to other financial assets.
    • New Product Risks: Innovations like tokenized bitcoin, ETFs, and Digital Asset Treasury companies introduce extra risks beyond the asset, including counterparty, custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.

Cristina Polizu, Managing Director, S&P Global Ratings, said: “Our research indicates that bitcoin’s volatility has trended down over the long term, and that its behavior is increasingly linked to broader market conditions. At the same time, the added complexity of new bitcoin-related products can introduce risks beyond the asset itself, including custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.”

Bitcoin Volatility Trends: A Deep Dive into Market Dynamics and Risk,’ is part of the Look Forward research series, special reports that offer a deep dive into the most important themes, trends, and topics that are transforming the global economy.

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S&P Global: Building on Growth in Digital Assets

S&P Global has continued driving growth in Digital Assets markets, underpinned by its leading analyst-driven research and opinions:

Media Contacts

Isabel Allanwood

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S&P Global

+ 44 7483 368 605

isabel.allanwood@spglobal.com

PR_COE@spglobal.com

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Russell Gerry

S&P Global Ratings

+44 7817 126 628

russell.gerry@spglobal.com

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About S&P Global

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) enables businesses, governments, and individuals with trusted data, expertise and technology to make decisions with conviction. We are Advancing Essential Intelligence through world-leading benchmarks, data, and insights that customers need in order to plan confidently, act decisively, and thrive economically in a rapidly changing global landscape.

From helping our customers assess new investments across the capital and commodities markets to guiding them through the energy expansion, acceleration of artificial intelligence, and evolution of public and private markets, we enable the world’s leading organizations to unlock opportunities, solve challenges, and plan for tomorrow – today. Learn more at www.spglobal.com.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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Circle Shares Surge as Bernstein Sees Stablecoin Adoption Upside

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Circle Shares Surge as Bernstein Sees Stablecoin Adoption Upside

Circle (CRCL) shares just delivered one of Wall Street’s sharpest equity runs of 2026. The stock closed Tuesday at $118.09, up 5.6% on the session, pushing the company’s market cap to roughly $27.81 billion.

Shares in Circle gained 42% year to date and more than doubled since bottoming near $50 in early February, outrunning an S&P 500 that’s down 1.12% and a Nasdaq 100 that’s down approximately 1% over the same stretch.

Bernstein analysts are staying bullish. The firm reiterated its “Outperform” rating on CRCL and maintained a $190 price target, implying 60% upside from current levels.

The thesis centers on accelerating stablecoin adoption and the regulatory clarity that’s making institutional deployment of digital dollars increasingly viable.

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The numbers behind the call are hard to ignore. USDC’s market cap grew 73% to $75.12 billion in 2025, gaining ground on Tether as the dominant dollar-pegged token. Circle reported full-year 2025 revenue of $2.7 billion, up 64% year over year, with Q4 swinging to profitability on BlackRock-managed reserve yields.

The company beat Q4 earnings per share (EPS) estimates of $0.35 by delivering $0.43, triggering a 35% single-day surge on February 25 that marked the start of the current run.

Bernstein’s bullish thesis leans heavily on the GENIUS Act, passed in 2025, which established a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins, setting standards for reserve backing, disclosures, and oversight.

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That kind of clarity is what converts institutional interest into institutional allocation. Wall Street’s appetite for regulated crypto exposure has been building steadily, and Circle’s equity is increasingly functioning as a proxy for that demand.

Discover: The best meme coins

The Levels That Change Everything for Circle (CRCL) Shares

Right now, $120 is the level everyone is watching. CRCL closed just below that mark Tuesday, and clearing it with volume would push the stock into territory last seen during its post-IPO decline from the 2025 highs above $260.

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Circle Shares Surge as Bernstein Sees Stablecoin Adoption Upside
Source: TradingView

Generally, on the downside, $100 is the floor that matters. It’s a round-number psychological level and sits just below the 100-day moving average zone. If selling pressure returns and CRCL loses $100, the structure weakens quickly, and the February lows near $50 become a real reference point again.

The stock’s RSI had been near oversold territory in early February before the earnings-driven reversal, so a sustained move below $100 would reset sentiment sharply.

The Circle Payment Network is facilitating $3.4 billion in annual transactions, and the company has secured conditional OCC approval for a regulated banking charter.

Those initiatives reduce the revenue concentration risk that spooked investors during 2025’s rate-squeeze period.

Additionally, institutional flows into regulated crypto products have been accelerating broadly, and Circle’s banking ambitions position it to capture more of that pipeline.

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What Traders Are Watching Next for CRCL

The immediate catalyst is whether Circle can post back-to-back profitable quarters. One profitable quarter stopped the bleeding; two consecutive quarters would confirm the business model is structurally sound, not just a one-time reserve yield pop.

If USDC continues gaining market share against Tether and interest rates stay supportive of reserve income, Bernstein’s $190 target starts looking less like a stretch and more like a base case.

But if rates compress reserve yields again or USDC growth stalls, the premium priced into CRCL at current levels evaporates fast.

The definitive signal bulls are waiting for is a sustained close above $130 on above-average volume. Until then, the stock is in a confirmed uptrend, but one that still needs to prove it can hold new highs.

Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with

The post Circle Shares Surge as Bernstein Sees Stablecoin Adoption Upside appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Gold Price Analysis: How Iran Conflict and Surging Oil Keep Precious Metal Above $5,000

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Micro Gold Futures,Apr-2026 (MGC=F)

Key Highlights

  • Precious metal slipped 0.1% to approximately $5,187 per ounce Wednesday, maintaining levels well above $5,000
  • Escalating oil costs, fueled by Middle East conflict involving the U.S. and Israel, are stoking inflation concerns
  • Critical Strait of Hormuz passage has been essentially closed, putting approximately 20% of worldwide oil and gas shipments at risk
  • February’s U.S. Consumer Price Index registered 2.4% annually, meeting expectations but covering pre-conflict period
  • Financial markets anticipate Federal Reserve will maintain current rates at upcoming March 18 policy meeting

The precious metal market remained relatively stable Wednesday as competing pressures balanced each other out. Spot gold declined a modest 0.1% to approximately $5,187 per ounce, while futures contracts for April delivery fell 0.9% to roughly $5,194.

Micro Gold Futures,Apr-2026 (MGC=F)
Micro Gold Futures,Apr-2026 (MGC=F)

The yellow metal has experienced significant swings since reaching a near-peak of approximately $5,600 per ounce in the final weeks of January. Despite the subsequent retreat, prices have consistently remained above the $5,000 threshold.

The military confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran reached its twelfth consecutive day Wednesday, with aerial bombardments persisting among all parties involved. President Trump indicated Monday evening that hostilities were nearing conclusion, though actual combat operations demonstrated little evidence of de-escalation.

The ongoing military engagement has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor responsible for transporting approximately one-fifth of global petroleum and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Oil prices gained ground Wednesday as traders expressed skepticism about whether the International Energy Agency’s unprecedented reserve release initiative could adequately compensate for potential Middle Eastern supply shortfalls.

Escalating energy costs are elevating inflation projections. This development weighs on gold because it diminishes the probability of Federal Reserve interest rate reductions. Since the precious metal generates no yield, it becomes less appealing when borrowing costs remain elevated or increase.

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An appreciating U.S. dollar combined with climbing Treasury yields are applying additional downward force on gold values. A robust dollar increases the cost of gold for international purchasers.

Consumer Price Data Meets Projections

The Labor Department disclosed Wednesday that American consumer prices advanced 2.4% during the twelve-month period ending February, aligning with both the previous month’s figure and expert predictions.

On a monthly basis, prices climbed 0.3%, accelerating from January’s 0.2% gain. Both energy and food expenses registered increases. The core Consumer Price Index, which excludes volatile food and energy components, posted a 2.5% year-over-year reading, matching January’s level.

Nevertheless, the February data predominantly reflects conditions before the Iran confrontation commenced in late February. Market observers anticipate March statistics will reveal a more pronounced inflationary uptick.

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Upcoming Fed Meeting and PCE Release

Market participants are currently focused on two crucial forthcoming data releases. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index for January arrives Friday, with forecasters projecting a 3.1% annual rate.

The PCE serves as the Federal Reserve’s primary inflation gauge and has registered higher readings than CPI throughout recent months.

The Federal Reserve’s two-day policy gathering wraps up March 18. Market consensus strongly anticipates officials will keep interest rates unchanged.

Swissquote analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa observed that market participants seem to be expanding their positions in gold as a protective asset amid the continuing Middle East crisis.

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Spot gold was quoted at $5,187 per ounce during Wednesday’s European trading session.

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ECB Launches Appia Project to Shape Tokenized Markets

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ECB Launches Appia Project to Shape Tokenized Markets

The European Central Bank (ECB) on Wednesday published its Appia roadmap, setting out a long-term plan for building tokenized wholesale financial markets in Europe anchored in central bank money.

The roadmap is built around two linked initiatives. Pontes is the Eurosystem’s distributed ledger technology settlement solution, while Appia is the broader strategic framework for developing a future tokenized financial ecosystem. The ECB said Pontes is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2026.

“With Appia, we are building a road from today’s financial system to tomorrow’s tokenized markets, firmly grounded in central bank money,” ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone said.

Pontes is the Eurosystem’s DLT solution, while Appia is a strategic roadmap

Pontes, a key component of the Appia roadmap, introduces the Eurosystem’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) solution, designed to enable central bank money settlement for market transactions through interoperable networks.

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The Eurosystem is the monetary authority of the euro area, comprising the ECB and the national central banks of the EU member states that have adopted the euro.

By the end of the third quarter of 2026, Pontes aims to bridge market DLT infrastructures with the Eurosystem’s “TARGET” Services, which stands for Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross settlement Express Transfer system.

Appia and Pontes rollout timeline. Source: ECB

TARGET Services are a set of Eurosystem-operated payment and settlement systems that support euro-denominated transactions across Europe. They include three main types: TARGET2 for large-value payments, T2S for securities settlement and TIPS for instant payments.

ECB invites public and private sector stakeholder feedback

Alongside the launch, the ECB opened a public consultation and invited both public- and private-sector participants to comment on the roadmap and express interest in contributing to its implementation.

The consultation is divided into two parts: Part one collects feedback on specific chapters of the roadmap, which may be published with the respondent’s name, while part two allows stakeholders to submit proposals to actively contribute to Appia’s building blocks, with responses treated confidentially.

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Related: Tokenized stocks surpass $1B as Ondo, xStocks dominate sector

Responses will help shape the long-term blueprint for Europe’s tokenized financial ecosystem. All feedback must be submitted via the online survey by April 22.

The Appia rollout also comes as the ECB continues work on the digital euro. Earlier this month, the central bank said it planned to begin selecting payment service providers in 2026 ahead of a 12-month pilot scheduled to start in the second half of 2027.

Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns

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