10 #Bitcoin ETFs outflows 4,964 $BTC(-$458.3M) and 9 #Ethereum ETFs outflows 4,701 $ETH(-$15.21M) yesterday.

March 16: Per crypto analyst Darkfost, open interest for ETH contracts on Binance has dropped sharply—falling by roughly 400,000 ETH since January. Meanwhile, Binance’s ETH spot-to-futures trading ratio has tumbled to its lowest level since 2023, the year the bear market concluded. Still, Binance’s current ETH futures trading volume remains over six times that of spot trading. This underscores the current weakness in Ethereum’s spot market, where even selling by the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin could stoke investor caution.

**March 16 – South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) will convene a sanctions review committee today to assess penalties for crypto exchange Bithumb over anti-money laundering (AML) violations under the Specific Financial Information Act.** The FIU previously issued a pre-notice to Bithumb outlining a proposed 6-month partial business suspension and a warning to its representative director—stricter than the 3-month partial suspension imposed on rival Upbit. Bithumb has more transactions with unregistered overseas exchanges than Upbit, a key metric for determining sanction severity. Upbit was fined 35.2 billion South Korean won and hit with a 3-month partial shutdown for 44,948 such transactions; Korbit, with just 19 related transactions, received a 2.7 billion won fine and an institutional warning. Market watchers expect Bithumb’s fine could exceed 37 billion won. A South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) official noted the exchange’s specific sanctions are no

On March 16, Caixin reported that China’s official Digital Currency Operations and Management Center has flagged three common scam schemes targeting the Digital RMB: - **Scheme 1: Pyramid fraud disguised as "digital currency promotion"** The Digital RMB has never run activities like "recruiting promoters," "promoter exams," "QR code downloads," or "downline recruitment"—nor has it charged a 400-yuan equipment installation fee. Anyone recruiting "community promoters" via chat groups, offline/online meetings is scamming. - **Scheme 2: Fake "order rebate" transfer scams** Scammers lure victims into sending funds by promising rebates for placing orders. - **Scheme 3: Counterfeit app theft** Fraudsters trick users into downloading fake apps to steal personal information or funds.

March 16 — Chicago-based BlockFills has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. Filings from the firm show estimated assets ranging from $50 million to $100 million, with estimated liabilities between $100 million and $500 million. In a statement Sunday, BlockFills said the Chapter 11 process is “the most responsible path forward” after extensive discussions with investors, customers and creditors. The company noted the restructuring filing will let it reorganize under court supervision in an orderly manner while maintaining transparency and oversight. The move aims to “stabilize the business, secure additional working capital and recovery paths, and explore potential strategic transactions,” with a focus on ensuring protecting customer interests “remains a top priority.” (The Block)

**March 16: Renowned trader and technical chart analyst Peter Brandt—who correctly called Bitcoin’s sharp 2018 drop—released a chart this morning highlighting a “trumpet” pattern on BTC’s daily chart. The pattern traces back to Richard Schabacker’s 1932/34 technical analysis text.** **The “trumpet” formation, from Schabacker’s 1934 work *Technical Analysis and Stock Market Profits*, is an H-shaped expansion pattern that often signals a price reversal or breakout. Per Brandt’s chart, Bitcoin has formed a converging pattern post-February’s decline—similar to a curved trumpet mouth gradually narrowing while accelerating upward. This suggests the price will surge to a peak before likely taking a brief pause.**