Bitcoin Surges Beyond $68,000

**March 1 – Christopher Wong, a strategist at Singapore’s OCBC Bank, said ahead of Monday’s market open that recent Iran-related tensions have boosted geopolitical risk premiums.** **Market initial reactions are broadly predictable: safe-haven assets like gold may gap higher, while oil prices could strengthen amid supply disruption concerns.** **Risk assets and high-beta currencies may see initial volatility, especially if reports signal potential retaliation or regional spillover effects.** **(Source: FX678)**

**STRC March 2026 Dividend Rate Rises 25bps to 11.50%, Per Michael Saylor (March 1)** On March 1, Michael Saylor said in a social media post that the dividend rate for the Stretch Dividend Rate-Linked Equity Security (STRC) March 2026 has increased 25 basis points to 11.50%. STRC is an income-linked security from Strategy (MSTR), acting as a financing vehicle tied to the firm’s Bitcoin Reserve Strategy. It funds MSTR’s Bitcoin purchases via fixed-income or quasi-fixed-income instruments, while offering investors returns linked to the company’s financial structure. Prior BlockBeats reporting noted: On July 30, 2025, Strategy (MSTR) completed the IPO of its Floating Rate Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock (ticker STRC), issuing 28,011,111 shares at $90 each. The offering marked 2025’s largest U.S. IPO and one of the biggest crypto-related issuances in recent years. STRC was slated to list on the Nasdaq Global Select Market around July 30, 2025 under the ticker STRC, with total p

**March 1st Crypto Liquidation Update** Coinglass data shows total crypto liquidations hit $653 million over the past 24 hours: $309 million in long positions and $344 million in short positions. In the last 12 hours, the market rebounded after the U.S. strike on Iran delivered phased outcomes. Total liquidations in this period reached $271 million, with $221 million in short positions and $50.11 million in long positions.

March 1 – U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was effective and could potentially open diplomatic pathways. When asked about resolving the crisis through diplomacy, Trump noted: “Obviously, it’s much easier now than it was a day ago—because they were hit very hard.” He also expressed confidence in the progress made to date. (FXStreet News)

March 1 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the Iranian Armed Forces are preparing to launch “the most intense attack operation in history,” targeting bases linked to Israel and the U.S. CBS News reported on Feb. 28, citing two anonymous U.S. officials, that some 40 Iranian officials—including Iran’s defense minister—were killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The report noted those officials are believed to include Defense Minister Aziz Nazirzadeh and IRGC Commander Mohammadi Parkour. It remains unclear whether the attacks occurred at the same site or multiple sites.

Breaking: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes earlier on February 28, Iranian sources and officials confirmed Monday (March 1). Two Iranian sources told reporters Saturday (March 1) that Khamenei met with Shamkhani and Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, at a secure location shortly before the strikes. Earlier, a senior Israeli official claimed Khamenei’s body had been found. Former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that U.S. intelligence had located and killed the Iranian leader. Iranian media reported Khamenei was martyred in his office at his leadership post while fulfilling his duties. Previously, some Israel-linked media repeatedly alleged Khamenei was living in a secret secure location out of “fear of assassination.” Iranian media pushed back, stating his martyrdom in his office “once again proves these claims are pure lies and part of the enemy’s psychologic