Solana staking protocol Fragmetric completes $7 million seed round

On March 17, CryptoQuant analyst @AxelAdlerJr noted that Bitcoin spot ETF inflows have rebounded recently, but the cryptocurrency’s price remains $5,174 below the ETF’s realized price — which roughly equals the average cost of Bitcoin held by the ETFs. The analyst added that a demand recovery could push prices higher, though resistance near $80,000 may trigger profit-taking. Monitoring subsequent macro data will be critical to assessing the asset’s breakout potential.

March 17 (Xinhua) — According to Israeli media reports on the same day, the Israeli military assesses it has successfully "assassinated" Ali Rezaie, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Iran has not yet commented on the claim.

March 17: Crew aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier have been notified to remain in the Middle East through May. (The New York Times)

As of March 17th, Polymarket odds for Bitcoin hitting $80,000 in March have climbed to 44% amid the recent cryptocurrency market rebound. Conversely, the probability of Bitcoin dropping to $60,000 in March has fallen to 12%.

On March 17, a major UAE gas field was set ablaze as Iran ramped up attacks on key energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump called on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The drone strike targeted the Shah Gas Field, located near the UAE’s border with Saudi Arabia—marking Iran’s first attack damaging the UAE’s oil and gas upstream facilities amid ongoing tensions. The UAE government said field operations have been suspended, with no reported casualties. The field is jointly run by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Texas-based Occidental Petroleum. Amid multiple drone and missile attacks, the UAE temporarily closed its airspace at night. Authorities noted air traffic returned to normal early Tuesday. A day prior, Iran struck a fuel depot at Dubai’s main airport—spewing a massive smoke column over the world’s busiest international hub and briefly halting flights. (FXStreet)

On March 17, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Korea Customs Service (KCS), nine domestic credit card companies, and the Credit Finance Association signed a joint public-private memorandum of understanding (MOU) to intercept cross-border crime funds linked to cryptocurrency and illegal foreign exchange activities. The MOU targets cutting off channels for illegal overseas fund transfers and forex transactions via crypto. Under the agreement, the parties will integrate overseas credit/debit card usage records with entry-exit data, then conduct linked analysis to identify and block abnormal transactions tied to voice phishing and cryptocurrency-related crimes. Previously, the KCS and individual card firms operated with siloed information, creating major limitations in detecting suspicious activity. The Credit Finance Association will act as a central coordination hub for information sharing and will run a regular practical implementation mechanism.