Fairshake, the crypto industry's primary political action committee, reported early victories in the 2026 U.S. congressional primaries while spending $1.5 million to oppose longtime Texas Democrat Al Green, state voting results and Federal Election Commission filings show. In Texas' 8th District, Jessica Steinmann, a former Department of Justice lawyer backed by President Donald Trump, won nearly 70% of the Republican primary vote after receiving more than $750,000 in Fairshake support, with her campaign describing her as a strong supporter of digital assets and blockchain technology. Green trailed Democratic opponent Christian Menefee, a pro-blockchain candidate, in a newly redrawn district and is headed to a runoff after neither surpassed 50%, while Fairshake-backed Republicans Chris Gober in the 10th District and Trever Nehls in the 22nd won their primaries with more than 50% and 76% respectively. The PAC also supported Representative French Hill in Arkansas with more than $400,000 and North Carolina Representative Tim Moore with more than $80,000, both winning their primaries with 77% and 83% respectively, as Fairshake and its two affiliated PACs entered the campaign season holding $193 million.

Senator Cynthia Lummis publicly congratulated cryptocurrency exchange Kraken for securing a Federal Reserve master account, calling it a monumental step. The milestone grants Kraken direct access to core U.S. central banking infrastructure.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Private Markets Roundtable is scheduled to begin today at 1 PM ET, with panelists focusing on governance, valuation and the responsible retailization of private markets. The session will explore how private investment opportunities, which have historically been limited to accredited investors, could be made accessible to broader retail participants, according to the event description.

Sen. Lummis said "we are creating the 21st century financial services industry" after Kraken secured direct access to the US payment system. The development connects the crypto exchange directly to US financial infrastructure. The senator framed the move as part of broader financial services modernization.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, unveiled March 2 by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott and Senator Elizabeth Warren, includes a provision barring the Federal Reserve and its regional banks from issuing a retail central bank digital currency or any substantially similar digital asset until December 31, 2030, according to the bill text. The bipartisan package advanced in the Senate with an 84–6 procedural vote and has received White House support primarily for housing reforms aimed at expanding supply, improving affordability, and streamlining environmental reviews. The CBDC clause amends the Federal Reserve Act to prohibit the Fed from directly or indirectly issuing or creating a retail CBDC through financial institutions or other intermediaries, with the ban expiring at year-end 2030. The U.S. currently has no live retail CBDC pilots, and an executive order signed in January 2025 by President Donald Trump directed federal agencies not to establish, issue, or promote a CBDC.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair indicated that perpetual futures products could be introduced in the United States, according to recent remarks in the Morning Minute update. The potential move would mark a significant step for U.S. derivatives markets as regulators weigh how to oversee perpetual contracts within the existing futures framework.

The Financial Action Task Force flagged anti-money laundering risks tied to peer-to-peer stablecoin transfers in its latest communication. FATF highlighted asset freeze capabilities and denylist mechanisms as potential risk-mitigation tools for such transactions.

Kraken has received approval for a Federal Reserve master account, making it the first cryptonative company with direct access to the Fed's core payments infrastructure, according to a report. The access allows Kraken to hold reserves and settle transactions via systems such as Fedwire without relying solely on intermediary banks. The approval, in process for five years, is expected to serve as a pilot for a proposed "skinny" master account model that would provide payments access without extending traditional bank lending privileges.