Gate News reported that on March 18 and March 19, Citibank downgraded a certain crypto trading platform's rating from neutral to sell, lowering the target price from $13 to $5.5, stating that the platform will need several more years to achieve profitability. Additionally, Citibank announced on the same day that it lowered BTC's target price for the next 1 year to $112,000, and ETH's target price to $3,175.

Benchmark analysts reiterated a "buy" rating on Bakkt Holdings but lowered the price target from $40 to $22, with the stock price declining approximately 5% to $9.15. The adjustment is based on an estimated EBITDA of $59.5 million. Bakkt is undergoing a strategic transformation, repositioning itself as a crypto services operator serving institutional clients.

On March 18th, Moody's launched the Token Integration Engine (TIE), becoming the first rating agency to bring analytical capabilities to blockchain, aimed at directly acquiring and distributing on-chain financial data. The first node is Canton Network, with plans to expand to more blockchain networks in the future.

Moody's Ratings launched the Token Integration Engine (TIE) system on March 18, bringing credit rating data on-chain for the first time and connecting traditional ratings with blockchain. The system allows authorized participants to access credit information in blockchain-based financial processes. The system is initially deployed on the permissioned blockchain Canton Network, with plans to expand to additional blockchains and asset types in the future.

Circle's stock price has risen approximately 126% recently, significantly outperforming other cryptocurrency companies, reflecting the resilience of USDC's market share and its leading position in stablecoin infrastructure. Analysts believe stablecoins may become the dominant standard for cross-border payments.

By February 2026, the monthly trading volume of stablecoins reached $1.8 trillion, with USDC surpassing USDT for the first time, indicating institutional preference for compliant dollar facilities. Circle used USDC to complete a rapid cross-border settlement of $68 million, and investment institutions are optimistic about its prospects, rating it as outperforming the market. Competitive pressure comes from Tether, PayPal, and Stripe.

Analyst Bernstein maintains a "beat the market" rating on USDC issuer Circle, with a target price of $190, noting that stablecoins are gradually moving away from the crypto market cycle, with USDC supply rebounding to $78 billion. Payment applications are the main driving force. Stablecoins are embedding into traditional payment networks, and AI-driven "agent finance" could become a new growth point.

Investment bank B. Riley initiates coverage on Strategy (MSTR) and Strive (ASST), both with a buy rating, with target prices of $175 and $12 respectively. Due to the decline in Bitcoin prices affecting market capitalization, both companies' stock prices are below their net asset value, but analysts believe their preferred stock yields are attractive and could drive growth in digital credit financing.

Analyst Bernstein maintains a bullish outlook on stablecoin issuer Circle, with a target price of $190, expecting a 70% increase. The analysis points out that stablecoins are gradually decoupling from the crypto market, with USDC supply rebounding to approximately $78 billion, and the total stablecoin supply reaching $184 billion.

SoftBank's stock price plummeted 9.8% due to OpenAI and Oracle abandoning plans to expand data centers in Texas. Over the past four months, the stock has nearly halved, and investors are concerned about its heavy investment in OpenAI. Rating agencies have downgraded its outlook to negative, reflecting liquidity issues and credit risk.