Solana staking protocol Fragmetric completes $7 million seed round

March 12 (CoinDesk) — Institutional crypto exchange Bullish reported a 62.6% surge in February spot trading volume to roughly $76 billion, pushing its market share to 5.06% — edging past Coinbase’s 4.59% share. Meanwhile, overall trading activity across centralized exchanges slowed, with combined spot and derivative volume falling 2.41% to about $5.61 trillion. Spot trading alone accounted for roughly $1.50 trillion of the total.

March 12 — Foreign media reports say two oil tankers were attacked in the northern Persian Gulf near Iraq and Kuwait, reigniting concerns about commercial shipping security in the region and sending international oil prices sharply higher early Thursday. Preliminary reports indicate the vessels may have been targeted by Iranian unmanned explosive boats or similar devices — a tactic increasingly used in maritime attacks in the area. Analysts note the northern Persian Gulf, particularly waters near Iraq and Kuwait, is a critical hub for global oil exports. Any disruption there could ripple through the global energy market. Even localized attacks would drive up shipping insurance costs, force vessels to reroute, and amplify supply disruption fears — at a time when the oil market is already strained by geopolitical risks. While details of the attacks remain under investigation, the incidents underscore how the region’s global energy supply chain is growing increasingly fragile.

On Wednesday, March 12, the Trump administration launched a new round of **Section 301 trade investigations** targeting industrial overcapacity in 16 major trading partners, aiming to reimpose tariff pressure. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the core of Trump’s global tariff plan. U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Gruel said the probe targets some of the U.S.’s largest trading partners—including the European Union (EU), India, Japan, and South Korea—among the 16 nations. Canada was not included in the investigation. Separately, the administration plans to launch another probe as early as Thursday, focusing on a ban on imports of goods produced using forced labor. The investigation is expected to cover at least 60 countries. Gruel noted more probes will follow, adding he did not specify affected industries or countries but indicated the inquiries could target some nations’ digital services taxes, drug pricing, and other trade issues. (Source: Jinse) ### Notes on

March 12 — Binance.US named former Currency.com CEO Stephen Gregory as its new CEO, replacing former interim CEO Norman Reed. The company said the move is intended to drive further growth of the platform in the U.S. market. Gregory boasts a legal background and deep experience in digital asset compliance and regulation, previously serving as Chief Compliance Officer at Gemini and CEX.io. Binance.US noted his expertise will support the exchange’s development in the U.S. market. Gregory expressed honor to lead the Binance.US team, ushering in a new phase for the exchange, and highlighted the strength of the Binance.US brand. The appointment comes roughly a year after Binance.US resumed USD deposit and withdrawal services. In 2023, the exchange paused USD deposits and withdrawals amid alleged securities law violations.

On March 12th, two top U.S. financial regulators—the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)—announced they’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to boost cooperation on cryptocurrency asset regulation and the rollout of new digital asset products, with the goal of supporting lawful innovation and protecting investors. Per statements from both agencies, the MOU aims to “guide coordination and cooperation between the two bodies,” focusing on fostering lawful innovation, upholding market integrity, and safeguarding investors and customers. The SEC and CFTC also plan to jointly advance a federal-level policy framework to create a “fit-for-purpose regulatory structure” for emerging technologies like cryptocurrencies. SEC Chair Paul Atkins noted that longstanding regulatory disputes, overlapping registration requirements, and conflicting rules between the agencies have somewhat stifled innovation, prompting some market parti

March 12 — Blockchain payments firm Ripple has launched a share buyback program of up to $7.5 billion, valuing the company at approximately $50 billion, sources familiar with the matter told The Block. Bloomberg first broke the news. The buyback will be conducted via a tender offer, allowing investors and company employees to sell their shares back to Ripple. The program is expected to run through April this year. This latest move follows Ripple’s October 2023 attempt to repurchase $1 billion in shares at a $40 billion valuation, which saw limited participation as some private shareholders declined to sell. Ripple’s most recent funding round closed in November 2023, raising $500 million at a $40 billion valuation. The strategic financing was led by funds affiliated with Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, with participation from Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, Brevan Howard, and Marshall Wace, among others. Earlier this year, Ripple CEO Monica Long stated the