Payward, the company behind the US-based crypto exchange Kraken, has announced a collaboration with Nasdaq to develop tokenized equities using its xStockz product. The initiative will use a permissionless infrastructure layer to support issuer-sponsored equity tokens and expands on xStockz's reported total transaction volume of over $25 billion. Kraken will act as a distribution partner in a move that reflects the broader trend of bringing traditional equities and commodities into blockchain-based markets.

On 5 March 2026, Backpack Exchange appointed former CFTC acting chairman Mark Wetjen as president of Backpack US to lead its regulated entry into the American crypto market. The move anchors the final phase of a three‑year global licensing roadmap, including prior European approvals and the acquisition of FTX EU, and launches physical offices and local hiring in the United States.

Nasdaq announced on Monday that it is working with U.S. crypto exchange Kraken, its parent Payward, and Backed, the issuer of xStocks, to build an equities transformation gateway for tokenized shares. The initiative follows Nasdaq's tokenization filing with U.S. securities regulators in September 2025 and Kraken's acquisition of Backed in December, with full issuer services expected to start in the first half of 2027.

On Monday, Coinbase stated it launched regulated crypto and equity index futures for Coinbase Advanced users in 26 European countries under its MiFID-licensed entity. The lineup includes Bitcoin, Solana and a Mag7 + Crypto Equity Index Futures product, offering up to 10x leverage on select contracts as ESMA intensifies its focus on perpetual-style derivatives.

In the 12 months to March 2026, crypto fundraising climbed 50% to more than $25.5Bn even as total deal count fell 46%, based on Messari data. The average deal size rose to $34M and the number of active investors dropped 34.5% to 3,225, pointing to a shift toward fewer, larger late-stage rounds. February's $795M haul was dominated by three mega-deals, while firms like Pantera Capital expect 2026 to bring a wave of digital asset IPOs.

Crypto investment products saw $619 million of inflows last week, with Bitcoin ETPs alone attracting $521 million and turning positive year-to-date. Total assets under management in crypto ETPs rebounded to $135.4 billion, even as geopolitical risks connected to Iran weighed on sentiment.

Bitcoin recovered from a slide to about $65,725 and briefly approached $68,000 as crude oil retreated from an overnight jump of nearly 25% above $117 to roughly $100. The rebound followed reports that G7 finance ministers planned an emergency call to consider a coordinated release of 300–400 million barrels from strategic reserves, while onchain oil-linked trading volumes on Hyperliquid and Tradexyz hit fresh weekend records.

On March 9, 2026, shares of Hims & Hers Health surged more than 44% in premarket trading after a report said Novo Nordisk plans to distribute its branded obesity drugs via the company's telehealth platform. The move follows weeks of patent litigation between the firms and pushed HIMS from a prior close of $15.88 to around $23.12 before the market opened. Despite the sharp rally and potential partnership, analysts noted that legal and regulatory risks tied to weight-loss treatments remain.