Coinpedia - Fintech & Cryptocurreny News Media| Crypto Guide

MARA Holdings revised its treasury strategy to allow the potential sale of Bitcoin holdings that were previously held long term, according to its latest SEC filing. As of December 31, 2025, the company held 53,822 BTC, with about 9,377 BTC loaned out and 5,938 BTC pledged as collateral against debt. The policy change gives MARA greater flexibility to manage liquidity and balance sheet needs, signaling a shift from its earlier strict long‑term holding approach toward a more active digital asset strategy.

SoFi, the first U.S. nationally chartered and FDIC-insured bank to issue a stablecoin on a public blockchain, has partnered with Mastercard to use SoFiUSD for global payment settlements. Launched in December 2025 and fully backed by cash reserves, SoFiUSD enables instant 24/7 transactions for businesses, cross-border remittances, and B2B payments. SoFi CEO Anthony Noto called it a key step toward faster, cheaper, and safer money movement, while Mastercard highlighted how it combines regulated digital currency with its trusted scale amid $30 billion in daily stablecoin volume.

At the FIN/SUM2026 conference, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda revealed a new blockchain sandbox project to experiment with settling central bank money, including interbank transfers and securities, using distributed ledger technology. The initiative aims to enable 24/7 instant settlement, improve efficiency, and explore tokenization, while managing risks such as smart contract vulnerabilities. It connects to international efforts such as Project Agorá, where central banks test tokenized deposits for cross‑border payments. The move positions Japan to balance innovation with financial stability as digital finance evolves.

On March 2, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted strong investor demand, recording $458 million in net inflows with all 12 funds avoiding any outflows, a sign of healthy capital interest in Bitcoin products. Other crypto ETFs also saw positive activity, with spot Ethereum ETFs adding $38.69 million and XRP spot ETFs contributing $6.97 million, reflecting broader confidence and diversified appetite in the digital asset ETF space.

MANTRA Chain has successfully completed its transition from $OM to $MANTRA with the rollout of its v7.0.0 upgrade on March 3 UTC. The community-approved move automatically quadrupled token balances in a non-dilutive 1 to 4 split and updated token decimals from 6 to 18 for smoother use. The upgrade brings the ecosystem together under the MANTRA name, reinforces its focus on tokenizing real-world assets like art and real estate, and paves the way for exchanges to restore liquidity and support.

Open interest in Hyperliquid’s CL USDC oil perpetual contract climbed above $50M in late February 2026 as escalating tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran drove traders toward commodity exposure. Oil on the platform rose 5% to 70.60 dollars per barrel, while gold gained 1.3% to $5323 and silver advanced 2% to $94.90. Following the HIP 3 upgrade, Hyperliquid expanded permissionless markets, pushing total trading volume beyond 4 trillion dollars and daily fees above 2 million dollars.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) posted its largest single‑day Bitcoin accumulation in about five months, adding around 11,054 BTC ($767.5M) to its holdings as Bitcoin climbed back above $69,000. Trading volume for IBIT hit about $3.9 billion, the most since last October. Other U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs also saw positive flows that day, contributing $195M-$962M overall. The rebound follows weeks of outflows totaling billions earlier in 2026 and has boosted market sentiment and optimism around tighter supply and renewed institutional interest.

Michael Saylor’s firm Strategy has added 3,015 bitcoins at an average price near $67,700, spending about $204.1 million in its most recent purchase. This move reflects continued confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term value. As of March 1, 2026, Strategy holds a total of 720,737 bitcoins, acquired at an average price of around $75,985 and a combined cost basis of about $54.77 billion. The firm remains one of the largest and most committed institutional holders in the crypto market.

Bitcoin fell as low as $65,575 on Monday after reports of an attack on a major Middle East oil facility triggered fear in global markets and a risk-off move that also dragged S&P 500 futures down 1.4%. The cryptocurrency is down about 2% in 24 hours, with roughly 46% of circulating BTC held at a loss and the Fear & Greed Index at an extreme 10, while traders track key support levels between $58,000 and $64,000 amid heightened volatility.

South Korea’s government has launched a high-level review of how seized digital assets are managed after two major mishaps exposed serious weaknesses. In 2022, police in Seoul’s Gangnam District lost track of 22 bitcoins, and crypto exchange Bithumb accidentally credited a user with $40 billion in bitcoin due to a technical error. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Goo Yun-cheol said tighter controls and improved security are needed, though officials have not yet outlined specific steps to prevent future losses.