In a survey conducted between Jan. 12 and Jan. 30, 2026, Independent Reserve reported that the share of Australians using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services rose from 6% to 12%. Online shopping was the most common use case, followed by payments for freelancing and video game services, while around 30% of investors said they had faced delayed or rejected banking transactions when dealing with exchanges. The report suggested that clearer licensing and regulation could ease banking friction and improve confidence for both banks and crypto users.

By 2025, existing-home sales in the United States slipped to just over 4 million, slightly below 2024 and the weakest level in decades, as many owners felt unable to sell. Ultra-low mortgages below 3–4% taken during the pandemic, combined with current borrowing costs around 6–7%, have created a lock-in effect that discourages moving and keeps inventory tight. First-time buyers now face high prices, fewer listings, and higher rates, pushing their average age close to 40 and their share of purchases to about 21%.

On Tuesday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission released an interpretation that sets out how federal securities laws apply to various categories of crypto assets and related transactions. The document, endorsed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, introduces a five-part token taxonomy and indicates that most crypto assets will not be treated as securities, while also extending guidance to activities such as airdrops, mining, staking, and asset wrapping. Despite the regulatory update, major crypto markets, including Bitcoin and Ether, showed little price reaction over the past 24 hours.

Mastercard plans to acquire London-based stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK in a transaction valued at up to about $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. The deal, reported on a Tuesday by Bloomberg, deepens Mastercard's push into 24/7 crypto settlement rails, tokenized bank deposits, and stablecoin-based payments after an earlier $2 billion transaction between BVNK and Coinbase fell through. Mastercard's broader strategy and its March 11 industry initiative highlight how major payment networks are positioning stablecoins as core infrastructure for global value transfer.

On March 5, crypto policy group Coin Center sent a letter urging the US Securities and Exchange Commission to rely less on case-specific no-action letters and instead establish clear, industry-wide rules. The organization warned that selective relief for individual crypto projects can create fragmentation and uneven treatment, even as recent no-action letters from the SEC and CFTC have addressed DePIN projects, custodians and a wallet provider.

Micron Technology (MU) closed the session on March 17, 2026, with a 4.50% gain, ending at $461.69. The rally propelled Micron into the Half-Trillion Club, marking a historic valuation milestone ahead of its fiscal Q2 earnings release. Despite a broad macro environment weighed down by energy-driven inflation and geopolitical tensions, investors are piling into MU as the AI Memory Supercycle enters its most aggressive phase yet.

After several weeks of correction, Bitcoin has moved back above $75,000, entering a key resistance band between $72,000 and $80,000 that could define the next trend. Shiba Inu has again been rejected at its 50‑day EMA, while Ethereum’s rebound toward $2,300-$2,400 now hinges on overcoming the 100-day and 200-day EMAs near $2,500 and $2,800.

In a Tuesday notice, the US Securities and Exchange Commission outlined how it will interpret non-security crypto assets under federal securities laws and detailed a new token taxonomy for various types of digital assets. The agency said most crypto assets are not themselves securities, while tokenized traditional securities remain subject to securities rules. The announcement came as the SEC also reported the resignation of enforcement director Margaret Ryan, prompting public criticism from former official John Reed Stark.