Centralized finance borrowing rose to $27.56 billion in Q4 2025, marking the eighth straight quarter of growth. Tether accounted for 61.84% of the market, cementing its dominant position in CeFi lending during the period.

Qatar has declared all Iranian personnel assigned to military and security attaché offices in Doha persona non grata and ordered them to leave within 24 hours, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision followed an Iranian ballistic missile strike on QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of the world's largest LNG production hubs. Qatar cited repeated Iranian targeting and what it called treacherous aggression that breached its sovereignty, international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2817, adding that further Iranian aggression would be met with additional measures.

FTX Trading Ltd. and the FTX Recovery Trust will begin distributing approximately $2.2 billion to eligible creditor claim holders on March 31, 2026, under the Chapter 11 restructuring plan, with some classes achieving full or excess recovery. Funds will be sent in U.S. dollars via Bitgo, Kraken, or Payoneer to eligible creditors who complete KYC, tax forms, and onboarding through the FTX Customer Portal, with payouts expected within 1 to 3 business days from March 31, 2026, the entities announced on March 18, 2026. Class 5A dotcom customer claims will receive an additional 18% to reach 96% cumulative recovery, Class 5B U.S. customer claims will receive 5% for full repayment, Classes 6A and 6B noncustomer obligations will each receive 15% for 100% cumulative recovery, and Class 7 convenience claims will reach 120% recovery. Separately, the statement sets April 30, 2026 as the record date for the first payments to preferred equity holders, scheduled for May 29, 2026 and processed through the Preferred Shareholder Remission Fund Trust for holders who complete ownership certification, verification steps, and tax submissions.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the United States may be in a "zero employment growth equilibrium," with private sector hiring essentially flat in recent months after adjusting for overcounting. He noted the pattern points to virtually no net job creation and historically weak labor force expansion. Powell added that while such a balance might be sustainable, it carries "a feel of downside risk" and is "not a really comfortable balance."

Bitcoin dropped more than 5% and Ethereum declined over 6% after the Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged, TradingView data show. Chair Jerome Powell said headline PCE inflation stood at 2.8% and core at 3.0%, above the Fed's 2% target, and stressed policy remains data-dependent with geopolitical risks too early to assess fully. His remarks on elevated energy prices tied to Middle East tensions reinforced a "higher for longer" outlook that pressures speculative assets, while XRP fell around 5.3%, Solana 5.7% and BNB 3.7% in synchronized selling across altcoins.

FTX will distribute an additional $2.2 billion to creditors beginning March 31, according to the latest update. The payout is part of the exchange's broader efforts to return funds to parties affected by its collapse. Allocation details and specific timelines for individual creditors are tied to the March 31 start date.

Global oil markets face severe strain after Israel reportedly struck Iran's South Pars gas field and Iran hit Qatar's LNG export terminal in a single day, with both facilities described as the world's largest of their kind. The Strait of Hormuz remains 97% closed, and Brent crude has risen 80% since the war began on Feb. 28, despite the International Energy Agency's 400 million barrel emergency stock release. The EU turned down a U.S. request for naval assistance, NATO is still discussing its role, and Russia secured a 30-day U.S. sanctions waiver on energy sales. Iran's foreign minister said today that the economic pain from the conflict "has only just begun."

An unidentified wallet transferred 116,149,475 USDT, worth $116,145,345, to OKX. The transaction involved a single transfer of the stablecoin from the unknown address to an OKX-associated wallet.

FTX Recovery Trust will distribute approximately $2.2 billion to creditors on March 31, 2026, in its fourth payout round. The disbursement marks the trust's fourth distribution to eligible creditors since the exchange's collapse.