The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

Bitcoin Falls Below $72,000; 24-Hour Decline Widens to 2.17% (HTX Market Data, March 18)

The Trump administration on March 18 temporarily waived the century-old Jones Act — a shipping mandate — to lower U.S. domestic transportation costs for oil, natural gas and other commodities. The move marks its latest effort to address an energy price surge spurred by the Iran conflict. Foreign-flagged vessels will be permitted to transport a range of goods between U.S. ports over the next 60 days, per White House officials. Covered products include coal, crude oil, refined petroleum, natural gas, natural gas liquids, fertilizers, other energy derivatives, and items primarily derived from refined petroleum. Some analysts, however, expect the waiver to have only limited impact given the scale of supply chain disruptions. (FX678)

On March 18, American Bitcoin Corp (ABTC)—a Bitcoin mining firm affiliated with the Trump family—mined 399 bitcoins, pushing its total holdings to 6,899.

On March 18, HTX market data shows HYPE rallied 5% short-term, topping $43 with a 24-hour gain of 3.98%. S&P Dow Jones Indices has approved the use of its S&P 500 Index for perpetual contract trading on Hyperliquid.

March 18 — S&P Dow Jones Indices has licensed the S&P 500 Index for perpetual contract trading on the Hyperliquid platform.

U.S. stocks opened lower on March 18: The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.5%, the S&P 500 Index fell 0.31%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.27%. Crypto-related stocks broadly declined, including: - MicroStrategy (MSTR): Down 3.85% - Coinbase (COIN): Down 2.87% - Circle (CRCL): Down 1.31% - MARA Holdings (MARA): Down 2.4% - BitMine Immersion (BMNR): Down 4.74% ### Notes on American language habits: 1. **Conciseness**: Cut redundant phrases (e.g., "at the opening of the US stock market" → "U.S. stocks opened lower"). 2. **Precision**: Use financial jargon common in U.S. news (e.g., "broadly declined" instead of "generally fell"; "Nasdaq Composite" for full index name). 3. **Clarity**: Bullet points for stock list (standard in U.S. financial briefs) instead of consecutive paragraphs. 4. **Flow**: Separate index performance and stock updates with line breaks for readability.