Kraken’s banking subsidiary, Kraken Financial, has obtained a limited-purpose master account from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas, becoming the first crypto-linked firm with this type of access. The account lets Kraken connect directly to core Fed payment rails and reduce dependence on intermediary banks, although it does not include commercial-bank privileges such as interest on reserves or Fed lending facilities. The move is seen as a key infrastructure milestone for integrating digital asset businesses into the traditional US dollar payments system and broader financial markets.

SoFi Technologies' share price closed at $18.61 on March 3, 2026, after announcing an expanded partnership that will allow its SoFiUSD stablecoin to be used as a settlement option on Mastercard's global payments network. The company also disclosed that CEO Anthony Noto purchased roughly $1 million of SOFI stock in the open market, coinciding with a premarket rise to $19.23 on March 4. SoFiUSD, issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., is fully cash-reserved and is expected to support around-the-clock settlement for SoFi's card transactions.

Dycom Industries, Bath & Body Works, and Abercrombie & Fitch all posted fourth‑quarter results that came in ahead of analyst expectations, with revenue and EPS generally beating forecasts. Dycom reported record contract revenue and EPS, Bath & Body Works delivered higher‑than‑guided profitability despite slightly lower sales, and Abercrombie achieved record quarterly and full‑year net sales. Each company also issued full‑year outlooks, with Dycom and Abercrombie projecting continued growth and Bath & Body Works guiding to lower sales but resilient earnings.

In the first week of March 2026, BlackRock's spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs attracted roughly $654 million in combined net inflows. Its iShares Bitcoin Trust and iShares Ethereum Trust together accounted for the bulk of U.S. spot crypto ETF demand over March 2 and March 3, as Bitcoin funds rebounded and the BTC price moved back above $71,000.

Crypto-linked stocks led by MicroStrategy (MSTR) surged in pre-market trading on March 4, 2026, as Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed the $71,000 mark. With msx.com reporting strong decentralized RWA trading volume and MSTR expanding its holdings to 720,737 BTC, the sector is showing renewed resilience despite recent geopolitical volatility. Discover the key drivers behind today’s crypto-equity rally.

Blockchain analytics firms report that Bitcoin and other crypto withdrawals from Iranian exchange Nobitex surged roughly 700% within hours of the Tehran airstrikes, with total outflows from local platforms reaching $10.3 million over several days. The spike, which quickly faded as Iran's internet connectivity reportedly fell by about 99%, highlights how digital assets act as a sanctions-era escape valve without significantly moving global crypto prices.

On March 3, President Donald Trump warned major US banks to stop restricting crypto activity, tying their resistance to the stalled CLARITY Act and accusing them of undermining his digital asset agenda. At the same time, the crypto market cap moved above $2.4 trillion, with Bitcoin rising over 6% to reclaim the $71,000 level amid broader risk-off sentiment in traditional markets. The administration also moved to unwind Operation Choke Point 2.0 by repealing OCC Interpretive Letter #1179 on March 1, aiming to reopen banking access for crypto firms.

Midweek trading sees XRP climb 3.83% and pierce the daily Bollinger Band midpoint, setting technical targets at $1.50 and $1.92 while Bitcoin trades back above $71,000 after more than $250 million in short positions are liquidated. Over the same period, Cardano whales move 230 million ADA between Feb. 26 and March 3, easing selling pressure as the token recovers about 4%. Market focus now turns to key price levels for XRP, BTC and ADA ahead of the Fed Beige Book release.