Gate Cryptocurrency News and Market Analysis

River.Inc, a DeFi protocol that aims to unify liquidity across multiple blockchain networks through its native stablecoin (satUSD), today announced the launch of its stable asset on Stargate Finance, a cross-chain native asset transfer protocol built on LayerZero, a cross-chain interoperability

Netflix acquired AI company InterPositive for approximately $600 million, entering the generative AI field with a focus on image asset modification and recreation. Director Steven Spielberg emphasizes that creativity is a uniquely human experience, opposing AI replacing human creators, reflecting divisions within Hollywood over AI, with some creators advocating for legal regulations on AI usage.

American Bitcoin, the Trump-linked mining and treasury firm formed in partnership with Hut 8, announced on March 18, 2026, that its Bitcoin holdings have increased to approximately 6,899 BTC, surpassing Galaxy Digital to become the 16th largest public corporate holder of the asset.

OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger warned users to be vigilant against phishing emails that impersonate GitHub notifications, luring users to click suspicious links to obtain fake tokens. The attack targets developers worldwide, with attackers using publicly available contact information for precision attacks. To prevent fraud, users should only trust information from official websites and delete any suspicious emails.

The Bank of Korea has expanded the Hangang Project with additional banks, advancing its digital won initiative to phase two, focusing on large-scale implementation, payment fee reduction for businesses, and potential AI integration.

Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin financial services firm Fold reported a full-year 2025 net loss of $69.6 million, with Q4 revenue rising 8% year-over-year to $9 million, as the company added 13,000 new customers and launched its Fold Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card powered by Visa and Stripe.

Goldman Sachs has become the largest public holder of XRP spot ETF with a position of approximately $154 million, but this institutional signal has yet to be reflected in the coin price, with XRP still hovering around $1.29. Technical analysis shows that the $1.50 support level is critical, and a breakthrough could push prices higher.

Pi Network recently distributed rewards to KYC verifiers, with each receiving 52.62 Pi, marking the first time verification work has been linked to token rewards. This mechanism not only recognizes the contributions of verifiers but also ensures practical use cases for Pi, such as DApps consumption and transactions, enhancing community engagement and building long-term trust. This signals sustainable development of the token economic model, with potential expansion to more application scenarios in the future.

The U.S. government registered the domain "aliens.gov," sparking widespread speculation online. Although the exact purpose is unclear, theories suggest links to immigration services or extraterrestrial research, with experts urging caution in interpretations.

BNBX, a BNB-focused DAT, has successfully secured patents in the US and Europe for LinearRx’s new RNA Synthesis model. The milestone unlocks a new monetization model for the company on top of its BNB strategy. The subsidiary of BNB Plus Corp. (BNBX), a publicly traded company leveraging a BNB

US spot Bitcoin ETF sees seven consecutive days of inflows, marking the longest streak since the start of 2025. Cumulative inflows over the past three weeks reached $2.2 billion, accounting for 79% of total crypto inflows. Although market sentiment has improved somewhat, it still falls short compared to the 2025 peak, with analysis suggesting a recovery in market demand rather than the onset of a bull cycle. Solana ETF showed outstanding performance this week, while Ethereum ETF continues to face net outflow pressure.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 11-1 on March 18, 2026, to maintain the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, marking the second consecutive meeting with no change in borrowing costs as policymakers flagged uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict and persistent inflation.

Wyoming Senator Lummis indicated that the U.S. Digital Asset Market Structure Act (CLARITY Act) is close to passage, but disagreement over stablecoin yield remains a major obstacle. If not passed by May, digital asset legislation will face significant challenges. Variables from the midterm elections could impact the bill's progress, with Lummis emphasizing this is the only opportunity for market structure reform.

The FBI warns of rising impersonation scams involving cryptocurrency payments, as fraudsters use urgency and evolving tactics to pressure victims into quick financial decisions and drive increasing financial losses. FBI Warns of Rising Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams A new warning from the FB

The Ethereum Foundation announced on March 18, 2026, that it has deployed an additional 3,400 ETH (approximately $7.6 million at current prices) into Morpho Vaults, with 1,000 ETH specifically allocated to Morpho Vaults V2, continuing its strategic shift toward active, on-chain DeFi treasury management.

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has suspended its initial public offering (IPO) plans, primarily due to the continued downturn in the crypto market since October 2025, which has affected the timing for going public. Additionally, the CFO has been terminated, raising external concerns about the company's IPO readiness. Nevertheless, Kraken completed an $800 million financing round at a $20 billion valuation and has already submitted listing documents to the SEC. The crypto IPO market faces greater challenges ahead, with successfully listed companies placing greater emphasis on compliance and operational stability.