Shiba Inu has been cited as a digital commodity rather than a security in joint SEC and CFTC guidance that reclassified 16 major cryptocurrencies, according to information shared by Shiba Inu executive Lucie. The report referenced by Lucie places SHIB in the same category as Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Dogecoin, positioning the token among assets the SEC has treated as digital commodities. Lucie said this clarification supports confidence in the Shiba Inu ecosystem, reinforces its decentralized, community-driven design and addresses long-running doubts over SHIB's legal status among investors and traders. She also argued that the clearer classification could improve sentiment and market perception over time by giving the SHIB community a regulatory reference point for the token's role in the broader crypto market.

Ripple transferred 35,000,000 XRP worth $50,805,884 to an unidentified wallet, the original disclosure shows. The funds moved directly from a Ripple-linked address to an unknown destination, with no further details disclosed.

USDC Treasury minted 250 million USDC tokens valued at $249.97 million, transaction data show. The issuance was recorded directly at USDC Treasury, expanding the stablecoin's circulating supply.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank will not cut U.S. interest rates until clear evidence shows inflation is improving. Powell's remarks underscore the Fed's focus on sustained progress in reducing price pressures before adopting a more accommodative policy stance.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs registered seven consecutive days of net inflows on March 17, the longest streak since October 2025, with $199.4 million added on Monday and roughly $1.2 billion over the past week, SoSoValue data show. Total assets under management reached $96.7 billion, though daily trading volumes in these products slipped to $2.6 billion over the same period. CoinShares reported crypto investment funds drew about $2.7 billion over three straight weeks, lifting year-to-date inflows to nearly $1.2 billion and marking a rebound from a weaker start to the year when Bitcoin ETFs saw $1.8 billion in monthly outflows versus $1.7 billion in inflows. Altcoin products also recovered, with Ether funds taking in $138.3 million, Solana-based products adding $17.8 million and XRP funds gaining $4.64 million, while Solana led all crypto ETFs year-to-date with $223 million in net inflows and Ether products faced $364.5 million in cumulative outflows.

CME FedWatch data show a 97% probability the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates unchanged through April, with a 2% chance of a 25-basis-point cut and a 1% chance of a 25-basis-point hike. The tool shows an 84.4% probability rates remain steady through June, alongside a 14.4% chance of a cumulative 25-basis-point cut and a 1.2% chance of a cumulative 25-basis-point increase. The Fed's next two FOMC meetings are scheduled for April 29 and June 17.

Bitcoin whale addresses holding more than 100 BTC transferred a combined 44,459 BTC to centralized exchanges within a single day, the latest data show. The movement reflects large-holder flows from whale wallets to trading platforms in the spot market.

Bitcoin dominance has ranged between 58% and 60% for six months, making BTC.D a key indicator of whether capital remains in Bitcoin or shifts to Ethereum and smaller tokens, analyst Ash Crypto said on March 18, 2026. A breakdown below 58% combined with ETH/BTC rising above 0.0320—the pair recently traded near 0.0314—would support a broader altcoin season, while a move above 60% could push BTC.D toward 63%–64% and drive ETH/BTC below 0.0280 to new lows, Ash Crypto noted. Bitcoin traded mostly flat above $74,000 over the last 24 hours as Ethereum gained about 14% over seven days and roughly 18% across the last 14 and 30 days, with ETH up 22% year over year versus a nearly 11% decline for Bitcoin. ETH's SuperTrend indicator flipped from "Sell" to "Buy" for the first time since September 2025, and analyst Ali Martinez pointed to $2,400 and $2,600 as the next price levels traders are watching.

CME Group's FedWatch tool shows a 96.9% probability the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged through April, with a 2% chance of a cumulative 25-basis-point cut and a 1% chance of a 25-basis-point hike, all unchanged from pre-decision levels, ChainCatcher reports citing CNBC. By June, the tool assigns a 14.4% probability to a cumulative 25-basis-point rate cut, down from 16.3% before the decision, an 84.4% chance of no change, up from 82.5%, and a 0.9% likelihood of a 25-basis-point hike.