RedotPay, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin payments firm, is planning to raise $150 million in a pre-IPO round at a targeted $4 billion valuation ahead of a potential US stock market listing this year. The company reports more than $10 billion in annualized payment volume and over $150 million in annualized revenue, but is moving forward despite recent senior executive departures and the absence of a sitting CFO. Major banks are reportedly lined up as underwriters, making the deal a key test of investor demand for crypto payments infrastructure.

On March 18, 2026, SEC Chair Paul Atkins outlined a crypto "safe harbor" framework that would let token projects develop without immediate securities registration. The proposal carves out digital commodities, collectibles, tools, and payment stablecoins from securities rules and introduces a grace period for other assets to work toward decentralization. It also contemplates easier registration for security tokens and new custody rules for broker-dealers, changes that could significantly affect U.S. issuers, exchanges, and token valuations.

Citigroup has reduced its 12-month Bitcoin price target from $143,000 to $112,000 and cut its Ethereum forecast from $4,304 to $3,175, citing a shrinking window for US crypto legislation in 2025. Strategist Alex Saunders argues that delayed regulatory frameworks for market structure and stablecoins could push major ETF-driven inflows and broader institutional adoption out toward late 2026.

The US Department of Justice and Europol dismantled the SocksEscort residential proxy network, seizing 34 domains, taking 23 servers offline across 7 countries, and freezing $3.5 million in cryptocurrency. The operation, running since 2009, allegedly hijacked 369,000 devices in 163 countries and was used to support account takeovers, ransomware, and crypto fraud, exposing 124,000 registered users to potential enforcement action.

In comments reported by CNBC, VanEck's Matthew Sigel said Bitcoin miners already control power infrastructure that AI data centers may spend years trying to build, leaving the market yet to fully value this asset. Public mining firms are targeting an increase from 7 GW of capacity to 20 GW by 2027, while some listed players like MARA and Core Scientific are redirecting sites and financing toward AI infrastructure. Sigel argued that miners still trade at a steep discount to traditional data center stocks on a market-cap-per-megawatt basis, even as AI-related demand grows sharply.

Hyperliquid's HYPE token spiked toward an intraday peak close to $35 as oil perpetual trading volume climbed above $1.4 billion on the derivatives platform. At the same time, a new portfolio margin framework was introduced to improve capital efficiency and risk control, while HYPE holds around a 5% daily gain and roughly 120% growth over the past year. Key technical focus levels now sit near resistance at $35.28 and support at $32.50, with further downside zones around $30 and $28.50.

In an exclusive conversation, SBSB Fintech Lawyers founder Yuliya Barabash argues that the crypto projects best positioned for the next market cycle may be those operating under the strictest regulatory regimes. She links the post‑FTX environment, Europe's MiCA rules and shifting political priorities to a growing institutional preference for licensed, compliant platforms. Barabash contends that clear regulation and solid banking relationships can support innovation and long-term industry growth rather than undermine it.

On March 3, President Donald Trump warned major US banks to stop restricting crypto activity, tying their resistance to the stalled CLARITY Act and accusing them of undermining his digital asset agenda. At the same time, the crypto market cap moved above $2.4 trillion, with Bitcoin rising over 6% to reclaim the $71,000 level amid broader risk-off sentiment in traditional markets. The administration also moved to unwind Operation Choke Point 2.0 by repealing OCC Interpretive Letter #1179 on March 1, aiming to reopen banking access for crypto firms.

In a Q4 2025 portfolio update, Harvard's $57 billion endowment reportedly sold around $72 million of its Bitcoin ETF holdings and opened an $86.8 million position in the iShares Ethereum Trust. The shift lifts combined BTC and ETH ETF exposure to $352.6 million and comes as Bitcoin trades near $69,300 and Ethereum hovers just above $2,000 after recent volatility.