On 4 March 2026, Arizona's Senate Bill 1649 moved forward as a proposal to create a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund managed by the state treasurer and funded with cryptocurrency obtained through criminal cases. The measure would allow up to 10% of public funds to be invested in eligible digital assets such as Bitcoin, XRP, DigiByte, stablecoins, and NFTs, but still faces a full Senate vote and potential opposition from Governor Katie Hobbs over volatility concerns.

Bitcoin climbed to a new monthly high above $73,000 after initially dropping to $63,000 when USA and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on Saturday. The price has since recovered more than $10,000, with analysts pointing to aggressive whale buying and a strong breakout, while warning that a fall below roughly $71,500–$72,000 could signal renewed weakness.

On Tuesday, Morgan Stanley submitted an amended S-1 to the SEC for its proposed bitcoin exchange-traded product, designating Coinbase Custody and Bank of New York Mellon as fund custodians. The filing also assigns BNY Mellon several administrative roles and appoints Coinbase as prime broker, as the trust aims to mirror the spot price of bitcoin.

In 2025, SEC disclosures showed that Peter Thiel-linked Founders Fund unwound its entire 7.5% position in Ether treasury company ETHZilla after the firm sold 24,291 ETH to meet debt obligations. ETHZilla had previously raised $425 million, pursued a large Ether reserve with over 100,000 ETH and relied on leverage, exposing structural vulnerabilities amid price volatility. The move highlights the operational and balance sheet risks of debt-fueled Ether treasury strategies compared with simpler Bitcoin-focused models.

On March 3, 2026, Visa and Bridge announced plans to extend their stablecoin-backed card program to more than 100 countries by year-end, up from the current 18. Cardholders will be able to spend stablecoins at over 175 million Visa-accepting merchants, while a separate pilot with Lead Bank is testing direct on-chain settlement for issuers.

In a March Truth Social post, President Donald Trump accused banking groups of trying to weaken the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin regulation law passed in July, and of blocking broader U.S. crypto market structure legislation. He argued that banks, despite strong profits, should not influence rules for digital assets and warned that delays could drive crypto firms to move to countries like China with clearer regulations. At the center of the dispute are restrictions on stablecoin yield payments, which have divided banks and crypto industry representatives and slowed progress in the Senate.

Kraken’s banking unit has reportedly obtained a Federal Reserve master account, becoming the first crypto-native company to gain direct access to the U.S. central bank’s core payment systems. The approval enables direct U.S. dollar settlement on Fed infrastructure but does not grant full banking privileges such as earning interest on reserves.

Bitcoin climbed to a monthly peak near $73,019 during the latest Wall Street open, but technical signals suggest the bear market risk remains. Analyst Keith Alan highlighted that a weekly death cross between the 21-week and 100-week moving averages is likely to print next week, which could precede another leg down unless a strong bullish catalyst emerges.