Binance plans to secure five additional operating licenses across the Asia-Pacific region by the end of 2026, according to a recent report. The exchange is pursuing a hyperlocalization strategy to comply with local security rules, with APAC already home to nearly 75% of global crypto holders and several license talks in advanced stages, including in Japan and South Korea.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has endorsed a recent White House warning to major banks, arguing that passing the Clarity Act is essential to protecting Americans. He describes the bill as a pragmatic step toward regulatory certainty and estimates an 80% to 90% chance it will be approved by the end of April 2026. The debate has drawn in figures such as Coinbase's Brian Armstrong and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, highlighting sharp divisions over how yield-bearing digital assets should be regulated.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is urging the network's community to rethink its development philosophy and stop trying to emulate Big Tech platforms like Apple or Google. He argues that Ethereum has so far had only a limited positive impact on people's lives and should instead focus on becoming part of a "sanctuary tech" ecosystem that resists government surveillance and corporate overreach. While acknowledging that Ethereum cannot single-handedly fix the world, he calls on developers to build tools that enhance freedom beyond just financial applications.

Core Scientific has unloaded 1,924 BTC from its reserves, leaving just 613 BTC and pushing the miner to 59th place among corporate Bitcoin holders. MARA Holdings, which reported 53,822 BTC worth about $4.7 billion as of December 31, 2025, has revised its 2026 strategy to permit selling Bitcoin held on its balance sheet in addition to coins sold from daily output to cover costs.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has criticized Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse's support for the Clarity Act, arguing that the proposed H.R. 3633 framework would initially treat tokens like XRP as securities. He warned that legacy assets could be constrained at launch and that the bill could expose future U.S. crypto projects to regulatory attacks, even as Garlinghouse continues to call for clearer rules over regulatory chaos.

On March 2, Ripple's recently acquired prime brokerage unit Hidden Road was added to the DTCC's National Securities Clearing Corporation directory, paving the way to route institutional post-trade volume onto the XRP Ledger. The $1.25 billion acquisition closed in late October and the firm was rebranded as Ripple Prime, which plans to use XRPL's speed and low costs and is already deploying the RLUSD stablecoin as collateral in various prime brokerage products.

Strategy Inc. disclosed in a Form 8-K that it acquired 3,015 BTC between February 23 and March 1, 2026, lifting its corporate holdings to 720,737 Bitcoin. The company spent $204 million on this latest tranche at an average price of $67,700 per BTC and has invested a total of $54.77 billion in its Bitcoin treasury. It funded the move via an at-the-market equity program that raised $237.1 million and simultaneously raised the dividend rate on its Series A preferred stock from 11.25% to 11.50%.

A JPMorgan Chase research note forecasts that passage of the U.S. CLARITY Act by mid-2026 could significantly accelerate institutional adoption of digital assets and fuel a crypto rally. The bill, which cleared the House with bipartisan backing but is now stuck in the Senate, is being held up by disputes over how stablecoin yields should be treated. Industry leaders including the CEOs of Ripple and Coinbase have publicly expressed strong confidence that the legislation will be approved by late April 2026.

Ethereum, the No. 2 crypto by market cap, has recorded six straight monthly declines, marking its second-longest losing run since 2018. Bears would match the 2018 streak if March also finishes lower in 2026. Forecasts vary, with Standard Chartered seeing 7,500 USD and VanEck envisioning 10,000 USD tied to specific throughput upgrades.