On 18 March 2026, a licensed on-chain S&P 500 perpetual futures contract went live on Hyperliquid, offering round-the-clock access to the index outside standard U.S. trading hours. Participation is currently restricted to eligible non-U.S. investors. Following the rollout, Hyperliquid activity picked up and HYPE climbed toward $42.60, with attention on resistance near $43.

SBI VC Trade said it will introduce a fixed-term USDC lending product in Japan on Thursday, allowing retail customers to lend USDC to the platform for interest payments. The firm said each offering will accept applications up to 5,000 USDC, and the arrangement is treated as a loan to SBI VC Trade rather than a deposit, leaving users exposed to counterparty risk and lockups during the term.

Connecticut's Banking Commissioner issued a temporary cease-and-desist order on March 9, suspending Bitcoin Depot's money transmission license in the state. The company later warned that 2026 core-business revenue could fall 30% to 40% and said its shares were down 56% year-to-date, alongside reported layoffs.

Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $199.4 million of net inflows on March 17, extending a second consecutive strong session as BTC traded near $74,100. Ethereum-focused ETFs also drew $138.2 million, with BlackRock-led products offsetting outflows in some competing funds. Altcoin vehicles stayed smaller but improved, including $17.8 million into Solana ETFs and $4.64 million into XRP-linked products.

AMD shares moved higher in premarket trading on March 18, 2026 after AMD and Samsung Electronics signed an MoU to broaden cooperation on AI-focused memory supply. The arrangement names Samsung as the lead HBM4 provider for AMD's Instinct MI455X and also includes DDR5 memory for sixth-gen EPYC "Venice" processors, alongside potential foundry talks.

A cross-party UK parliamentary committee said on Wednesday that political parties should stop accepting cryptocurrency donations immediately, proposing a binding moratorium via amendments to the Representation of the People Bill. The report says crypto transfers can obscure donor identity and fund origins through tools such as mixers, privacy coins, swaps and cross-chain techniques, while donations under the £500 ($667) disclosure threshold raise added concerns. UK political donations totaled nearly £65 million ($86.7 million) in 2025, including a reported £3 million ($4 million) gift to Reform UK.

Citigroup analysts said on Tuesday that Bitcoin and Ethereum are unlikely to set new all-time highs this year despite a recent price rebound. The bank cut its 12-month targets to $112,000 for Bitcoin (from $143,000) and $3,175 for Ethereum (from $4,304), citing slower-than-expected U.S. legislative progress that could limit regulatory catalysts for institutional and ETF demand.

Bitcoin pushed back above $75,000 after weeks of declines, revisiting its highest levels in several weeks following a rebound from February lows near $60,000. Shiba Inu's rebound attempt stalled at the 50-day EMA, while Ethereum climbed from around $2,000 toward $2,300-$2,400 and now faces resistance near $2,500 and $2,800.