Crypto World

Tokenized U.S. Treasuries Rise Over $1B Since 2026 Began

Published

3 weeks ago

25 February 2026

Across the on-chain securitization landscape, tokenized US Treasuries are gaining traction as a growing liquidity layer for traditional debt markets. The market for tokenized U.S. government securities has climbed by more than $1 billion since the start of 2026, even as macroeconomic headwinds persist and concerns about rising national debt linger. By the time of writing, the total value of tokenized Treasuries hovered around $10.8 billion, up from roughly $8.9 billion on January 1, according to data tracked by RWA.xyz. The move reflects a broader push toward on-chain representations of real-world assets, catalyzed by institutional participation and new infrastructure that aims to streamline on-chain settlement and custody for government debt.

The tokenized US Treasury market is framed as a real-world asset (RWA) on the blockchain, where each token represents a claim on a pro-rata slice of underlying government securities. This model promises faster settlement, programmable features, and easier cross-border access for investors who want exposure to highly liquid, benchmark-grade debt. The growth is not only about the asset class itself; it signals a sea change in how traditional fixed income can be accessed through digital rails. In a space characterized by volatility, the demand for ultra-liquid, widely recognized collateral has brought a new degree of stability to the on-chain finance ecosystem. In parallel, data from Token Terminal shows the market’s ascent accelerating, with the asset class described as having surged 50x since 2024, underscoring the scale of uptake among on-chain market participants.

Notably, the march of tokenized Treasuries has been bolstered by significant, real-world institutional backing. March 2024 marked the debut of BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund, commonly referred to as BUIDL, a vehicle designed to bring high-grade liquidity into the digital-asset domain. As of now, BUIDL has extended its footprint to a market cap exceeding $1.2 billion, illustrating how traditional asset managers are applying digital liquidity concepts to convert cash-like assets into tokenized forms that can reside on-chain while preserving regulatory guardrails and oversight. That development highlights the growing willingness of large asset managers to participate in tokenized markets, even as broader crypto markets faced a downturn in late 2025 and early 2026.

Infrastructure and policy developments have kept pace with these market dynamics. In December 2025, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the leading clearinghouse network for global markets, announced plans to launch an asset-tokenization service beginning with US Treasuries. The initiative, described as a Canton-based effort, aims to tokenize a broad spectrum of assets over time, with the first focus on Treasurys. DTCC’s leadership indicated that the service would eventually extend to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and equities, signaling a broader push to bring regulated, on-chain settlement and post-trade processing to a wider array of asset classes. The DTCC footprint is substantial: the firm settled hundreds of trillions in value across its networks in 2024, underscoring the potential leverage such a platform could wield in terms of liquidity and risk management for tokenized assets.

Beyond the tokenization service, the macro environment remains a factor shaping demand for tokenized government debt. The tokenized Treasuries narrative has persisted even as the crypto market faced a broad downturn that began in October 2025. Observers point to macro uncertainty, rising US debt levels, and a cautious risk sentiment as a backdrop for the adoption of tokenized RWAs. The World Uncertainty Index, tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, remained elevated through 2025, signaling a demand for liquid, highly credit-rated collateral that can function as a reliable settlement layer in volatile conditions. In this context, tokenized Treasuries—backed by the same cash-like liquidity that underpins traditional money markets—offer an appealing on-chain alternative for institutions seeking efficient liquidity and programmable exposure with robust risk controls.

Industry participants argue that tokenization could unlock new revenue streams for the networks and platforms that mint these assets. By enabling the on-chain representation of US government debt, the market opens opportunities for liquidity providers, market makers, and custody rails to monetize settlement and settlement-related services in a regulated, tokenized framework. Proponents also point to a broader trend where traditional finance is exploring Layer-2 and sidechain solutions to tokenize trillions in RWAs, a narrative that has gained traction in industry discussions and related reporting. While the pace of adoption may vary by jurisdiction and regulatory posture, the underlying demand for asset-backed tokens with deep liquidity remains palpable, potentially shaping how institutions think about cash equivalents in a digital era.

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation to launch US Treasury tokenization service

DTCC’s decision to initiate asset tokenization on the Canton network marks a pivotal step in bridging regulated markets with blockchain-enabled post-trade workflows. The project, announced in December 2025, intends to tokenize US Treasuries first, leveraging the Canton pilot to test settlement, custody, and compliance controls in a tokenized environment. While the immediate focus is Treasuries, DTCC’s leadership has signaled that the platform will broaden to a wider range of asset classes, potentially including ETFs and equities as part of a phased expansion plan. This move aligns with a broader industry push to bring regulated, on-chain settlement capabilities to traditional asset classes, reducing settlement risk and enabling programmable liquidity features for high-quality collateral.

DTCC’s scale and reach—settling trillions in transactions across its networks—underscore the potential for tokenization to affect the entire market infrastructure. The firm’s ecosystem is designed to support complex multi-party processes, and the Canton-based exchange of tokenized assets could similarly improve efficiency, transparency, and risk management for on-chain representations of debt and other financial instruments. As tokenized Treasuries begin to circulate on Canton and related rails, observers will be watching for interoperability standards, custody guarantees, and regulatory alignment that will determine how quickly tokenized assets gain broader adoption across institutions and asset managers.

US Treasuries have long been the backbone of global and corporate finance due to their liquidity and accessibility. With tokenization, the traditional cash-like role of short-dated Treasuries could gain an additional dimension—programmable features, automated redemption and settlement workflows, and potential yield enhancements through structured products built atop tokenized debt. Yet as with any regulatory-adjacent innovation, the path to scale hinges on clear guidance, standardized protocols, and robust risk controls that can reassure both market participants and policymakers alike. Still, the momentum around tokenized RWAs—driven by market data, institutional participation, and infrastructure bets—suggests that the coming years could witness a more visible integration of on-chain representations into mainstream fixed-income trading and settlement.

Why it matters

For investors, tokenized Treasuries offer a familiar, highly liquid exposure channel that can be integrated into digital portfolios with programmable features and potential cost efficiencies in settlement. The on-chain representation of US government debt could enable new liquidity strategies, cross-border access, and more seamless movement of capital between traditional and crypto-native ecosystems.

For networks and platforms, the scale of the market cap growth signals an opportunity to monetize settlement and custody services, while supporting risk-managed access to high-grade collateral. The DTCC’s tokenization initiative illustrates how regulated infrastructure can serve as a bridge between conventional markets and blockchain-based mechanics, potentially driving further adoption across asset classes beyond Treasuries.

From a policy and regulatory perspective, tokenization raises important questions about custody, compliance, and reporting. As more assets move on-chain, regulators will scrutinize how on-chain representations are reconciled with traditional clearing, settlement, and risk-management frameworks. The ongoing collaboration between traditional financial institutions and blockchain-native firms will be essential to establishing algorithms and standards that can sustain growth without compromising resilience.

Summed up, the tokenization of US Treasuries reflects a broader trend toward institutional embrace of RWAs and on-chain settlement. It is a development that could recalibrate the economics of liquidity provision in digital markets while reinforcing the role of trusted incumbents—like DTCC—in shaping the governance and reliability of tokenized asset ecosystems. The narrative remains nuanced: there is clear momentum and significant capital behind this shift, but it will require careful navigation of regulatory landscapes and interoperability challenges to translate early wins into durable, scalable liquidity for tokenized debt.

What to watch next

Timeline and milestones for DTCC’s Canton-based US Treasuries tokenization rollout, including any regulatory approvals.
Expansion plans to ETFs and equities on the tokenization platform and the pace of experimentation with additional asset classes.
Adoption metrics from institutional participants and observable liquidity improvements in tokenized Treasuries.
Regulatory developments or policy clarifications impacting on-chain RWAs and regulated tokenization structures.

Sources & verification

RWA.xyz data on tokenized Treasuries and market cap levels (https://app.rwa.xyz/treasuries).
Token Terminal data indicating a 50x surge since 2024 for tokenized Treasuries (https://x.com/tokenterminal/status/2003096211583311913).
BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) and its current market position (https://cointelegraph.com/news/blackrock-buidl-3x-1-8-b-3-weeks-bitcoin-lacks-momentum).
DTCC announcements regarding Canton-network-based asset tokenization and planned expansion (https://cointelegraph.com/news/dtcc-tokenize-us-treasurys-canton-blockchain).
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ World Uncertainty Index as a contextual gauge for market sentiment (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WUIGLOBALWEIGHTAVG).

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Crypto World

Trade Desk (TTD) Stock Plunges After Publicis Issues Platform Avoidance Warning

Published

1 minute ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

TLDR

Shares of Trade Desk (TTD) declined approximately 7.5% on Tuesday, with additional losses in Wednesday’s pre-market session
Publicis Groupe, a major French advertising firm, advised clients against using the platform following an unsuccessful third-party audit
The audit raised concerns about unauthorized fee implementations and lack of transparency in media cost pass-throughs
Trade Desk refuted the audit claims, stating that confidentiality agreements prevented disclosure of requested information
Year-to-date, the stock has declined more than 33%, trading 72% beneath its 52-week peak

Trade Desk (TTD) faces mounting pressure this week. Shares tumbled 7.5% during Tuesday’s session, settling at $25.05, before extending losses in Wednesday’s pre-market activity following news that Publicis Groupe, a prominent French advertising conglomerate, instructed its clients to avoid using the platform.

TTD Stock Card
The Trade Desk, Inc., TTD

The catalyst behind this advisory was an unsuccessful third-party audit. According to the audit findings, TTD allegedly implemented fees on services that clients were automatically enrolled in without explicit consent. Additionally, the audit questioned whether the company could demonstrate that media expenses were transferred to clients without undisclosed markups.

Trade Desk disputed these conclusions. The company explained that the auditor requested confidential data that couldn’t be shared due to legal agreements with partners — emphasizing this was a contractual limitation, not an attempt to conceal information.

Publicis’s influence in this situation is substantial. As one of the world’s premier advertising agency networks, its client portfolio represents a significant portion of TTD’s revenue stream. When an industry player of this magnitude issues such guidance, it reverberates throughout the market.

The stock was already facing headwinds. TTD has fallen 33.3% year-to-date and currently trades 72% below its 52-week peak of $89.76, reached in August 2025. Investors who allocated $1,000 five years ago are now sitting on approximately $326 in value.

Analyst Reactions Are Mixed

Wall Street analysts aren’t uniformly bearish following this development.

Stifel analyst Mark Kelley downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold while reducing his price target from $48 to $26, citing an absence of near-term positive catalysts to reverse current sentiment.

RBC Capital offered a contrasting perspective, suggesting that Publicis’s action might represent a negotiating strategy rather than a permanent severing of ties. The firm maintained its Outperform rating, anticipating a potential resolution.

Justin Patterson from KeyBanc retained his Buy rating with a $35 price target, maintaining an optimistic outlook on the stock.

The consensus rating among Wall Street analysts remains Moderate Buy — with 16 Buy ratings, 15 Hold ratings, and two Sell ratings — alongside an average price target of $33.41, suggesting approximately 33% upside potential from current price levels.

The Bigger Picture for TTD

Volatility has defined the stock’s recent performance. TTD has experienced 27 price movements exceeding 5% during the past year alone. While this week’s decline stings, it aligns with the stock’s historical volatility pattern.

Merely 12 days ago, shares surged 17.3%. CEO Jeff Green revealed a substantial insider purchase of 6 million TTD shares between March 2 and March 4, totaling approximately $148 million. The market interpreted this insider buying as a vote of confidence in the company’s prospects.

That rally received additional momentum from reports suggesting TTD was engaged in preliminary discussions with OpenAI regarding advertising management services for OpenAI’s platforms.

However, both catalysts have quickly faded from focus. The Publicis controversy has fundamentally altered market sentiment, redirecting attention toward questions of client relationships and fee structure transparency.

TTD is presently trading at $25.13, reflecting a 33.3% year-to-date decline.

The post Trade Desk (TTD) Stock Plunges After Publicis Issues Platform Avoidance Warning appeared first on Blockonomi.

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Crypto World

Powell’s comments on oil, inflation may provide BTC price guidance: Crypto Daybook Americas

Published

14 minutes ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

By Omkar Godbole (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)

Bitcoin BTC$73,979.85 and the wider crypto market are taking a breather in advance of today’s Federal Reserve rate decision, which could confirm that the interest-rate backdrop is becoming less of a tailwind.

The central bank is widely expected to keep the benchmark borrowing cost unchanged in the 3.5%-3.75% range, putting the focus on growth and inflation projections as well as Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments at the post-meeting press conference.

“For investors, the key question is whether the dot plot shifts toward fewer cuts and whether Powell emphasizes the danger of easing financial conditions too quickly,” said Fabian Dori, chief investment officer at Sygnum Bank, referring to the chart of where decision makers expect interest rates to be at year-end. “Either development would reinforce a ‘higher for longer’ bias and tighten financial conditions at the margin.”

According to Dori, the bitcoin price is at a critical juncture, where repeated failures to stay above $75,000 signals caution and mean-reversion behavior. Should the Fed raise alarm over the inflationary impact of the Iran war-related oil-price shock and reinforce expectations of slower or delayed rate cuts, then BTC is likely to remain below $75,000.

“A more hawkish stance could keep bitcoin capped below 75k and extend the current consolidation phase,” he noted.

Singapore-based QCP Capital said markets have pared easing expectations as the higher oil price complicates the case for interest-rate cuts, even as growth and labour data soften. This leaves the rates backdrop less supportive for crypto.

Bitcoin’s stalled upswing stalled comes despite renewed institutional appetite for spot ETFs and regulatory clarity from the SEC and CFTC.

The broader market continues to mirror the largest cryptocurrency. The CoinDesk 20 Index has been largely steady for the past 24 hours, alongside similar action in ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), solana (SOL), and other majors. Smaller coins such as SIREN, M, and KAS, however, have gained about 10% each.

In traditional markets, futures tied to the S&P 500 index have risen by 0.5%, signaling an extension of a two-day rally. Meanwhile, the Dollar Index pulled back to 99.50 from Friday’s high above 100, and the 10-year Treasury yield receded to 4.17% from 4.30%. Taken together, these moves point to continued risk-on sentiment. Stay alert!

Read more: For analysis of today’s activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today

What to Watch

For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.

Crypto
Macro
- March 18, 8:30 a.m. ET: U.S. PPI MoM for February est. 0.3% (Prev. 0.5%); Core PPI MoM est. (Prev. 0.8%)
- March 18, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. PPI YoY for February est. 3.7% (Prev. 3.6%); Core PPI YoY est. 3.2% (Prev. 3.6%)
- March 18, 9:45 a.m.: Bank of Canada interest-rate decision est. 2.25% (Prev. 2.25%)
- March 18, 10:00 a.m.: U.S. Factory Orders MoM for January (Prev. -0.7%)
- March 18, 2:00 p.m.: Federal Reserve interest-rate decision est. 3.50%-3.75% (Prev. 3.50%-3.75%); FOMC economic projections
- March 18, 2:30 p.m.: Fed Chair press conference
Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)
- March 18: Bitfarms (BITF), pre-market, -$0.03

Token Events

For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.

Governance votes & calls
- March 18: Jupiter (JUP) to hold its weekly Planetary Call community session with team updates.
- March 18: THETA$0.1876 head of marketing and PR to discuss ecosystem updates.
- WalletConnect Network is voting on allocating 50 million WCT tokens as a dedicated rewards budget for WalletConnect Pay in 2026. Voting ends March 18.
- ENS is voting on a one-time transfer of 900,000 USDC from the ENS Endowment to wallet.ensdao.eth to cover a shortfall in stream payments owed to ENS Labs. Voting ends March 18.
Unlocks
Token Launches
- March 18: Katana (KAT) to be listed on Binance, MEXC, KuCoin, and others.

Conferences

For a more comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead“.

Market Movements

BTC is down 0.73% from 4 p.m. ET Tuesday at $73,825.38 (24hrs: +0.11%)
ETH is down 0.44% at $2,307.45 (24hrs: -0.33%)
CoinDesk 20 is down 0.78% at 2,148.73 (24hrs: -0.27%)
Ether CESR Composite Staking Rate is down 6 bps at 2.75%
BTC funding rate is at -0.0069% (-7.5643% annualized) on Binance

DXY is unchanged at 99.56
Gold futures are down 0.10% at $4,996.20
Silver futures are up 0.65% at $80.05
Nikkei 225 closed up 2.87% at 55,239.40
Hang Seng closed up 0.61% at 26,025.42
FTSE 100 is up 0.29% at 10,433.60
Euro Stoxx 50 is up 1.02% at 5,828.33
DJIA closed on Tuesday up 0.10% at 46,993.26
S&P 500 closed up 0.25% at 6,716.09
Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.47% at 22,479.53
S&P/TSX Composite closed up 0.16% at 32,929.09
S&P 40 Latin America closed down 3.50% at 3,459.11
U.S. 10-Year Treasury rate is down 2 bps at 4.20%
E-mini S&P 500 futures are up 1.30% at 6,809.00
E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are up 1.57% at 25,184.00
E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are up 1.18% at 47,595.00

Bitcoin Stats

BTC Dominance: 59.11 (0.15%)
Ether-bitcoin ratio: 0.03139 (0.1%)
Hashrate (seven-day moving average): 919 EH/s
Hashprice (spot): $32.37
Total fees: 3.08 BTC / $228,857
CME Futures Open Interest: 115,080 BTC
BTC priced in gold: 14.9 oz.
BTC vs gold market cap: 4.93%

Technical Analysis

Daily swings in the number of BTCUSD longs on Bitfinex in candlestick format. (TradingView) — The growth in the number of BTCUSD longs on Bitfinex has stalled. (TradingView)

The chart shows the number of BTC/USD longs, or bullish bets, on Bitfinex.
The growth has stalled, with the tally now at 78,470 versus 79,115 early this month.
As counterintuitive as it may sound, past data shows that declines in long positions on Bitfinex tend to be bullish for BTC, and vice versa.

Crypto Equities

Coinbase Global (COIN): closed on Tuesday at $210.23 (+3.40%), +1.77% at $213.95 in pre-market
Galaxy Digital (GLXY): closed at $23.50 (+1.73%), +0.89% at $23.71
MARA Holdings (MARA): closed at $9.24 (+0.11%), +0.97% at $9.33
Riot Platforms (RIOT): closed at $14.68 (+1.94%), +1.02% at $14.83
Core Scientific (CORZ): closed at $16.42 (–3.24%), +1.46% at $16.66
CleanSpark (CLSK): closed at $10.11 (+0.90%), +0.99% at $10.21
Exodus Movement (EXOD): closed at $9.24 (–0.86%)
CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (WGMI): closed at $40.13 (–0.79%)
Circle Internet Group (CRCL): closed at $132.31 (+5.15%), +1.50% at $134.30
Bullish (BLSH): closed at $39.94 (+0.81%), +1.10% at $40.38

Crypto Treasury Companies

Strategy Inc. (MSTR): closed at $150.28 (+1.87%), +0.32% at $150.76
Strive Asset Management (ASST): closed at $11.10 (+2.21%), unchanged in pre-market
SharpLink (SBET): closed at $8.31 (+1.34%), +0.48% at $8.35
Upexi (UPXI): closed at $1.15 (+6.48%), –0.87% at $1.14
Lite Strategy (LITS): closed at $1.21 (–3.20%)

ETF Flows

Spot BTC ETFs

Daily net flows: $199.4 million
Cumulative net flows: $56.51 billion
Total BTC holdings ~1.29 million

Spot ETH ETFs

Daily net flows: $138.2 million
Cumulative net flows: $11.99 billion
Total ETH holdings ~5.76 million

Source: Farside Investors

While You Were Sleeping

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Crypto World

Analyst Warns BTC Dominance Break Will Dictate Whether Alts Explode or Collapse

Published

21 minutes ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Who Really Holds the Most Bitcoin (BTC)?

ETH is up 22% year-on-year while Bitcoin has shed nearly 11% over the same stretch, a divergence that is starting to show up in the charts.

Bitcoin’s market share is stuck between 58% and 60%, which is a six-month trading range that one expert says will decide whether Ethereum and smaller altcoins enter a bullish season or suffer more losses.

As such, the market observer urged keeping an eye on the level at which dominance could break, ushering in the next big move in the crypto market.

The Narrow Corridor Controlling Crypto’s Fate

Bitcoin dominance (BTC.D), which measures how much of the total cryptocurrency market cap BTC makes up, was stuck between 58% and 60% for the last 6 months. But according to analyst Ash Crypto, this consolidation has created a technical setup where a break above 60% could send dominance up to 63% or 64%.

And if that happened, it would mean that institutions are only buying Bitcoin, causing altcoins to bleed further and pushing the value of the ETH/BTC pair to new lows.

On the other hand, a break below 58% would mean that capital is leaving Bitcoin and going into Ethereum and other altcoins. The analysts said that this would confirm an ETH/BTC breakout above the 0.0320 level, which would mark the start of a genuine altcoin season.

The ETH/BTC pair itself is printing what Ash Crypto described as a bear trap, something it has done twice before.

“Break above 0.0320 and ETH starts outperforming Bitcoin,” the expert wrote. “Break below 0.0280 and new lows follow.”

At the time of writing, ETH/BTC was trading close to 0.0314, just below the critical threshold Ash Crypto had identified.

Ethereum’s Technical Picture Gets Interesting

BTC itself has been mostly flat over the past 24 hours, staying just above $74,000 after hitting a six-week high of about $76,000 on Coinbase on Tuesday. However, there’s much more action over longer periods, with the asset up more than 6% in the last seven days and about 8% across 30 days.

Ethereum has had a pretty good performance in the last few weeks, going up about 14% in the last seven days and about 18% in both the last 14 and 30 days. At the time of writing, it was trading above the $2,300 level, up 22% from the same time last year, compared to BTC’s nearly 11% drop in the same period.

At the same time, ETH’s SuperTrend indicator changed from “Sell” to “Buy” for the first time since September 2025. Recall, the last two times that signal showed up, the cryptocurrency rose by 52% and 174%, respectively, prompting analyst Ali Martinez to identify $2,400 and $2,600 as the next levels to watch.

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Crypto World

3 Reasons This Drone Stock Soared 520% and Is Up Another 32% Today

Published

28 minutes ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

3 Reasons This Drone Stock Soared 520% and Is Up Another 32% Today

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Crypto World

BTC price treads water near $74,000 as derivatives signal caution: Crypto Markets Today

Published

34 minutes ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Fed headlines central bank rate decisions, Gemini earnings: Crypto Week Ahead

Bitcoin BTC$73,833.82 consolidated following Tuesday’s jump to $76,000 alongside a 33% drop in daily trading volume to $36.9 billion.

The largest cryptocurrency has added just 0.4% since midnight UTC after bouncing off $73,500 as it looks to establish a new level of support ahead of a potential bullish breakout.

While analysts predicted a fast move to $80,000 after $72,000 was taken out, price action has actually been much more measured. Traders with long positions took profits and those who were forced out of short positions are waiting on the sidelines to reenter.

Volatility has also retreated in commodities gold, silver and crude oil, with the war in Iran continuing to put complete risk-on mode on hold.

U.S. stocks are beginning to experience a period of prolonged upside; Nasdaq 100 futures are up 0.66% since midnight UTC, followed by the S&P 500, which has gained 0.5%.

Investors will be keeping a close eye on Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting because although a rate pause is all but certain, increased inflation numbers due to the surge in oil prices and weaker job numbers in the U.S. could influence sentiment at the post-decision press conference.

Derivatives positioning

Growth in bitcoin futures open interest (OI) on major exchanges has stalled alongside slightly negative fund rates. That’s a sign that traders are not adding new bullish positions and bears are getting a slight edge.
OI in ETH, XRP and SOL fell from early Tuesday highs as spot prices lost bull momentum. This suggests traders are unwinding positions, pointing to a cooling of speculative activity.
OI in privacy-focused ZEC, which has gained nearly 4% in 24 hours and 31% in a week, has risen to 1.75 million ZEC, the most since Jan. 25. The increase in OI validates the recent price rise.
Funding rates for XRP, BNB and SOL have flipped negative, indicating a bias for bearish short positions. Traders may be hedging for potential downside volatility after the Fed meeting.
Bitcoin’s one-day implied volatility, or the expected price swing over 24 hours, remains steady at around an annualised 50%. That equates to a 24-hour move of about 2.6%. In other words, the market doesn’t see the impending Fed meeting as a major price mover for the largest cryptocurrency.
The same can be said for ether, solana and XRP.
On Deribit, options market positioning looks defensive in both bitcoin and ether, with skews showing a bias for put, or bearish, options.
Block flows featured demand for limited profit potential strategies such as bitcoin call diagonal spreads and volatility bets like straddles. In ETH’s case, traders preferred risk reversals and straddles.

Token talk

The altcoin market continues to show strength with the “Altcoin Season” index hitting its highest in six months. The reading of 54/100 is a far cry from early February, when it languished at 22/100.
Privacy coin zcash (ZEC) was one of the best-performing altcoins on Wednesday, adding 3.4% since midnight despite the rest of the market trading relatively unchanged. It has now increased by 32% in the past week.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending token MORPHO also continued its rich vein of form after rising by 2.3% since midnight to add to a monthly gain of 33%.
The best-performing benchmark over the past 24 hours has been the
CoinDesk Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index (SCPXC), with the index heavily weighted towards layer-1 tokens posting a 0.8% gain, while the CoinDesk Memecoin Index (CDMEME) lost ground, tumbling by 2.7%.

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Ripple Expands Brazil Push as RLUSD Gains Institutional Use

Published

41 minutes ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Ripple has expanded its financial infrastructure in Brazil, targeting deeper institutional adoption and regulatory approval. The company introduced payments, custody, and treasury tools for local institutions. Meanwhile, it plans to secure a Virtual Asset Service Provider license under Brazil’s evolving digital asset framework.

Ripple Expands Enterprise Services in Brazil

Ripple has launched a full enterprise platform tailored for Brazil’s financial institutions. The rollout includes cross-border payments, custody solutions, and treasury management tools. Moreover, the company added prime brokerage features to extend services beyond basic payment rails.

The expansion aligns with Brazil’s structured regulatory push for digital assets and financial innovation. Ripple continues to focus on compliance while scaling operations in regulated markets. Therefore, the planned VASP license application supports its long-term presence in the country.

Brazil offers a mature financial ecosystem, which attracts global fintech firms seeking growth opportunities. Ripple has maintained a regional focus due to increasing demand for efficient settlement systems. Consequently, the company positions its infrastructure as a solution for modern financial operations.

Institutional Adoption and RLUSD Growth

Ripple Payments now operates across more than 60 markets and has processed over $100 billion globally. The platform enables faster settlement using both fiat currencies and stablecoins. Additionally, several Brazilian institutions actively use the network for payments and liquidity management.

Banco Genial uses Ripple’s system for same-day U.S. dollar disbursements and plans to integrate RLUSD into payment flows. Braza Bank supports U.S. dollar transfers and issued its BBRL stablecoin on the XRP Ledger. Meanwhile, Nomad manages treasury flows between Brazil and the United States using Ripple infrastructure.

Other firms continue to adopt Ripple’s tools for various financial operations across the region. Azify supports currency exchange into major global currencies using the Ripple system. Similarly, Attrus and Frente Corretora use the platform for cross-border payments and foreign exchange settlements.

RLUSD adoption continues to rise across Latin America, supported by institutional demand for liquidity solutions. The stablecoin has surpassed a $1.5 billion market capitalization. Furthermore, regulators in the United States oversee RLUSD through established financial authorities.

Ripple Custody has also expanded into Brazil, offering secure digital asset storage for institutions. The platform integrates compliance tools and supports staking across multiple proof-of-stake networks. As a result, firms such as CRX and Justoken now use custody services for tokenized asset operations.

CRX has settled nearly $100 million on-chain using Ripple Custody and XRPL infrastructure. Meanwhile, Justoken has tokenized over $1.7 billion in assets and plans regional expansion. This growth reflects increasing institutional reliance on blockchain-based financial systems.

RLUSD now trades on platforms such as Mercado Bitcoin, Foxbit, and Ripio across Brazil. Additionally, several financial institutions support the stablecoin for treasury and settlement use cases. This integration strengthens Ripple’s broader payments ecosystem across Latin America.

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Crypto World

UK Parliamentary Committee Urges Ban on Political Crypto Donations

Published

47 minutes ago

18 March 2026

NewsAdmin

UK Parliamentary Committee Urges Ban on Political Crypto Donations

A cross-party parliamentary committee in the United Kingdom has urged the government to impose an immediate moratorium on cryptocurrency donations to political parties until stronger safeguards are in place.

In a report published on Wednesday, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said the government should amend the Representation of the People Bill to impose an “immediate moratorium on crypto donations” until the Electoral Commission produces statutory guidance ahead of the next general election, due by August 2029.

The committee also called for the creation of a Political Finance Enforcement Unit to oversee these activities and reduce the minimum threshold for declaring gifts tied to political donations from 11,180 British pounds ($14,900) to 500 pounds ($668), and proposed increasing the maximum custodial sentences to three years for wrongdoing involving foreign financing.

The committee cited growing foreign state threats and efforts to influence the UK’s positions on critical issues, including its relations with the US, the European Union and Ukraine.

The recommendation comes amid rising scrutiny of crypto-linked money in British politics. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK became the first party to start accepting crypto donations in 2025. Reform UK recently disclosed a $4 million donation from crypto investor Christopher Harborne in the fourth quarter of 2025, after a record $12 million gift in the previous quarter.

*“Political finance and foreign influence” report. Source: The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy*

Crypto donations pose “unnecessary” risk for UK politics

Crypto donations pose an “unnecessary and unacceptably high risk” to the integrity of the political finance system and public trust, barring robust regulator guardrails, the report states.

“We see no democratic imperative to permit the use of crypto in political finance until adequate safeguards are in place.”

The committee also cited jurisdictions, such as Ireland, that have banned party members from accepting political cryptocurrency donations due to foreign interference concerns.

The report comes shortly after Matt Western, chair of the committee, urged the government to put a temporary halt on crypto donations to political parties, citing foreign interference risks, Cointelegraph reported on Feb. 26.

Crypto donations raise concern in the UK

Political cryptocurrency donations are legal in the UK, subject to permissible rules under the Electoral Commission guidance. UK lawmakers reportedly started considering a ban on political cryptocurrency donations in December 2025.

Weeks later, seven senior UK Labour Party MPs have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to ban crypto for political donations, Cointelegraph reported on Jan. 12.

“Crypto can obscure the true source of funds, enable thousands of micro donations below disclosure thresholds, and expose UK politics to foreign interference,” wrote business and trade committee chair Liam Byrne, one of the seven signatories of the letter.