| Open‑Source Intelligence for Crypto | | | Crypto Signals Daily | | | | |
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Risk-on crypto rally after US regulatory clarity, ETF inflows and Mastercard deal |
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March 18, 2026 |
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Today’s Setup
Regulatory clarity, big-ticket dealmaking and ETF flows steer market tone
Policy: SEC and CFTC guidance clarified that most crypto assets are not securities and lawmakers signaled progress on a stablecoin-yield compromise, reducing regulatory uncertainty. Flows: Bitcoin ETFs posted a multi-day inflow streak as institutional buyers accelerated accumulation, including Strategy’s roughly $1.57B purchase, pushing BTC toward the $75K area of resistance. Security: Bitrefill disclosed a March 1 cyberattack linked to the Lazarus group that exposed 18,500 purchase records and drained hot wallets; the firm said it will absorb the losses.
Watch: Watch the Fed meeting and ongoing congressional talks on stablecoin yield for triggers that could extend or reverse the rally.
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Top Stories
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Mastercard to acquire stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8B
Mastercard agreed to buy BVNK, a stablecoin payments and infrastructure firm, in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion as it expands into blockchain-based payments.
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U.S. regulators clarify asset status and lawmakers edge toward stablecoin-yield compromise
SEC and CFTC guidance declared most digital assets are not securities and provided token taxonomy detail, while lawmakers and the White House signaled progress on a compromise to regulate stablecoin yields.
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Bitcoin trades near $75K as ETF inflows, institutional buys and resistance converge
Bitcoin climbed toward $75,000 on renewed ETF inflows and large institutional purchases — including Strategy’s roughly $1.57 billion buy — though analysts flag resistance between $75K and $85K and macro catalysts ahead of the Fed.
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Bitrefill discloses hack tied to North Korea’s Lazarus, says 18,500 purchase records exposed
Gift-card platform Bitrefill reported a March 1 attack originating from a compromised employee laptop that drained hot wallets and exposed 18,500 purchase records, attributing the pattern to the Lazarus group and saying it will absorb the losses.
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XRP rally tops $1.50, flips BNB as ledger activity and order-book buy pressure surge
XRP surged above $1.50 with heavy buy-side order-book pressure and increased ledger activity, overtaking BNB in market cap while futures open interest rebuilds toward pre-crash levels and options positioning nears a $14M battleground.
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| Also on the Wire |
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• Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 markets reached $1.43 billion in open interest as 24/7 tokenized equities and commodities trading expanded.
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The Block
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• Solana pushed above $92 toward a $100 test as stablecoin activity, inflows and listings of more than 200 tokenized US stocks raised derivatives open interest.
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CryptoSlate
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• CFTC issued a no-action letter that lets Phantom connect to regulated derivatives markets without registering as a broker.
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Cointelegraph
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• GSR expanded its token advisory and capital-markets capabilities with $57 million in acquisitions of Autonomous and Architech.
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CoinDesk
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• Theo closed a $100 million facility to back a gold-linked yield stablecoin that generates returns from commodity markets.
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Cointelegraph
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• Regional U.S. banks launched the Cari Network on ZKsync to settle tokenized deposits inside insured banking perimeters, targeting a Q3 rollout to compete with private stablecoins.
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CryptoNews
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• Vietnam plans to restrict access to foreign crypto exchanges, accelerating a shift to locally licensed platforms under a five-year pilot.
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Bitcoin Magazine
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