Geopolitics

Vitalik Buterin calls for Ethereum to shift towards "sanctuary technology," strengthening decentralization and privacy protection to address issues of surveillance and power concentration. He recommends building resilient infrastructure and advocates for de-globalization to prevent any single entity from controlling digital life. Additionally, to ensure fairness and neutrality, he promotes anti-censorship measures and transaction encryption technologies to maintain Ethereum's decentralized values.

After the outbreak of the US-Iran war, Bitcoin outperformed traditional safe-haven assets, rising 12.1% within four days. Gold and silver declined due to reduced safe-haven demand. The war led to a decrease in oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, putting upward pressure on oil prices. AI research shows that Bitcoin is favored in currency choices.

Crypto outflows from major Iranian exchanges surged past $10 million within hours of US-Israeli airstrikes, signaling heightened investor anxiety and echoing crisis-driven bitcoin flight patterns seen during past unrest inside Iran’s fragile financial system. Iran’s Crypto Market Sees Surge in

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken becomes the first company to hold a main account with the U.S. Federal Reserve, allowing direct settlement of USD transactions. However, this has sparked strong opposition from the banking industry, which is concerned about potential threats to financial stability. Stablecoins could lead to a $6.6 trillion outflow of deposits, affecting lending costs. Trump supports the crypto agenda, accusing banks of obstructing legislation, indicating his political stance and vested interests.

Donald Trump emphasizes the strategic importance of cryptocurrency for the U.S., arguing that maintaining leadership in this rapidly growing sector is essential for national competitiveness and financial innovation. He warns that without U.S. dominance, other nations may influence the future of digital finance.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel announced that U.S. submarines sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, marking the first time since World War II that a torpedo was launched against an enemy vessel, indicating an escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict. Iran has activated a long-term war emergency plan to ensure economic stability. European allies are showing cracks, with Germany taking a clear dovish stance and refusing to participate in the war, while the UK remains ambiguous. Bitcoin has demonstrated resilience during the conflict.

The Crypto Industry Political Action Committee Fairshake achieved an initial victory in the 2026 U.S. Congressional primaries, with several pro-crypto candidates successfully advancing, especially Jessica Steinmann and French Hill who performed outstandingly. Fairshake also worked to eliminate crypto critic Al Green, who fell behind blockchain supporter in the primaries.

Regulatory agencies in the UK and the US have disagreements regarding testing blockchain financial securities. The UK favors "sandbox" testing, while the US is more supportive of "exemption relief." Although there is consensus on stablecoin regulations, the two sides still have differing opinions on specific testing approaches, and recommendation reports are expected to be submitted before summer.

ChainCatcher News, the UK Treasury announced on Monday that the UK and US governments will establish a "Transatlantic Future Markets Working Group" aimed at reducing the cumbersome procedures for companies entering the capital markets of both countries and improving cooperation in the digital asset sector. The working group will submit a report within 180 days, exploring short-term collaborative improvement plans and long-term options, especially in the wholesale digital markets. This move has been approved by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and will be co-chaired by officials from both countries' finance ministries, with participation from regulatory agencies of both nations.

Trump has nominated Kevin Wash to serve as Federal Reserve Chair for a four-year term, and he has also served as a board member for fourteen years. As a Bitcoin supporter, Wash's stance has attracted attention in the crypto market, but his confirmation process faces resistance from the Democratic Party, with the core issue being the preservation of the Federal Reserve's independence. Additionally, U.S. crypto asset regulation still has a vacuum, and a new CFTC commissioner is urgently needed.

Bitcoin broke through $72,000 on March 5, driven by three major macro factors: diplomatic contact between Iran and the US CIA, Federal Reserve officials supporting interest rate cuts, and US escorting oil tankers promising to reduce energy supply risks. Strong economic data further supported market risk sentiment.

The Korean stock market has fallen about 20% within just two trading days, prompting retail investors to shift their funds into the cryptocurrency market, boosting the rally of Bitcoin and other digital assets. Analysis indicates that during market volatility, investors tend to quickly reallocate among high-risk assets, causing the "Kimchi Premium" index to rebound, reflecting increased demand for cryptocurrencies.

Indiana has become the first U.S. state to legally include cryptocurrencies in state-managed retirement plans, requiring at least one crypto investment option. Additionally, it has banned crypto ATMs statewide under a separate law.

From 15:45 to 16:00 on March 4, 2026 (UTC), the ETH price experienced a significant anomaly, with a K-line return of +1.09%. The price range fluctuated between 2126.16 and 2158.9 USDT, with an amplitude of 1.54%. Short-term volatility intensified during this period, attracting market attention, with trading volume and sentiment rising simultaneously. The main drivers of this anomaly were large on-chain whale purchases and continuous net inflows of ETF funds. Specifically, on March 3, a whale exchanged 99.5 BTC for 33

Iranian officials deny having contact with the United States to negotiate a ceasefire, calling it a "psychological warfare" and a lie. Reports indicate that Iran's intelligence agency had contacted the CIA through channels, but this was denied. Subsequently, international oil prices briefly rose and then fell back due to U.S. military plans to escort oil tankers. Additionally, the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to cause casualties and energy price hikes, with Bitcoin also rising to break through $73,000.

On March 4, 2026, from 15:15 to 15:30 (UTC), ETH achieved a return of +2.38% within 15 minutes, with a price range of 2088.93-2144.2 USDT and an amplitude of 2.65%. Trading volume significantly increased in a short period, market attention heightened, volatility intensified, and funds rapidly flowed into mainstream assets, with short-term activity clearly rising. The main drivers of this movement are the inflow of global macro risk-averse funds and continuous net inflows from ETF institutional investors. Escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East have driven funds toward gold and cryptocurrencies, with ETH and BTC as the mainstream assets.

ChainCatcher News, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis stated during a live CNBC broadcast, "You walk into a bank, and they can provide you with both fiat currency services like the US dollar and digital asset services like Bitcoin. This will create the financial services industry of the 21st century." Influenced by this news, BTC broke through $72,000, with a 24-hour increase of 6.95%; ETH broke through $2,100, with a 24-hour increase of 7%.

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalate, Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio questions Bitcoin and reaffirms gold as the preferred safe haven. Nevertheless, gold prices fell accordingly, while Bitcoin only experienced a slight correction, indicating that the correlation between the two is weakening. Dalio doubts Bitcoin's transparency and future risks, but he still maintains a small allocation of Bitcoin for diversification.

Author: Zen, PANews The global spotlight is on Iran and the Persian Gulf. The outside world often discusses Iran through two main narratives: military and regime risks, and energy and shipping impacts. Mainstream media reports focus on military actions, oil and gas facilities, the Strait of Hormuz, and sharp fluctuations in financial markets. But beneath these grand narratives, if you zoom in on cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Ahvaz and look at individual ordinary people, you will find that when tensions are high, the most important things are life and asset hedging. After the US and Israel launched an attack, the outflow of assets from Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex surged, skyrocketing by about 700% within just a few minutes. Chainalysis’s report also confirmed that within hours after the attack, the hourly trading volume of crypto assets within Iran rapidly increased.

Author: Fenrir, Crypto City From the regulatory gray area to the mainstream, the UK Gambling Commission explores the possibility of crypto asset payments The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) recently signaled a major policy shift, planning to formally explore the integration of cryptocurrencies into compliant gambling markets. During the annual conference of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in London, the commission’s Director of Research and Policy Implementation, Tim Miller, pointed out that digital assets are transitioning from the regulatory gray area to mainstream payment options. Image source: Lottery Daily | UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Director of Research and Policy Implementation Tim Miller This move reflects the UK government’s commitment to establishing the country as a global “crypto hub,” and aims to connect one of the largest economic pillars domestically with modern consumer payment preferences. According to statistical data, currently