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

On March 17, a report from China Securities noted that Citi’s Research Department expects the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to announce the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses this month. Drawing on the experience of mainland payment institutions, Citi estimates the future stablecoin circulation volume on Hong Kong platforms will reach roughly $16 billion (about HK$124.8 billion), with a fluctuation range of ±$8 billion. Coupled with a surge in on-chain activity and overseas demand, this figure still has room for growth. Analysis notes that licensing will boost compliance in the stablecoin ecosystem, and VATP will become a required pathway. However, since the ecosystem is still in its early stages, key Hong Kong market players like OSL are expected to need substantial investment and face short-term profitability challenges over the next 2 to 3 years.

Per an official Binance announcement on March 17, the Katana (KAT) token will begin trading at 19:00 UTC+8 on March 18, 2026. Users who claimed a Prime Sale Key will be able to check their balances and trade KAT tokens via their Binance Alpha accounts at that time.

March 17th. Since this Monday, the crypto market has rebounded sharply, with Bitcoin and Ethereum hitting their highest levels since February 5th. Amid uncertainty over Iran and volatile macro liquidity, this rally is likely more of a technical bounce. BlockBeats’ recap of the latest trends follows: Over the weekend, technical analysts led by Peter Brandt and Ali Charts were the first to “flip bullish,” issuing clear positive calls on crypto. Brandt has posted charts multiple times since March 10th, signaling a short-term Bitcoin uptrend. Yesterday, he updated his view, noting Ethereum has formed a “small daily bottom” in a long-term historical support zone—suggesting it could surge toward $2,600. Meanwhile, Ali Charts flagged the rebound ahead of time. At 2 a.m. Beijing time on Monday, he made a rare statement that Bitcoin’s rebound probability was “100%.” Yesterday, he added his Ethereum take: its super-trend indicator “has flipped from sell to buy for the first time since l

March 17th — Huobi HTX has rolled out a limited-time leveraged trading interest cashback event for March, per an official announcement. The event runs from 6:00 PM UTC+8 on March 16 through 6:00 PM UTC+8 on March 31. Registered users can participate in leveraged trading and earn a 30%-100% cashback on their actual interest, based on their cumulative leveraged trading volume.

March 17 — Jack Ma, chairman of Ant Group and a 1994 alumnus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), and his wife (also a 1994 SJTU graduate) have jointly donated cash and Ant Group shares worth 130 million yuan to their alma mater to support the “AI Future Cornerstone Fund.” Zhang Jie, president of SJTU and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), congratulated Ma on his appointment to the university’s school board of directors and expressed sincere gratitude for the generous donation on behalf of SJTU. He noted that Ma has not only contributed financially to his alma mater’s development but also actively advanced the school’s AI strategy from a blueprint to reality through deep engagement—embodying the SJTU spirit of “remembering one’s roots, loving the country, and honoring the alma mater.” The university will further unite with its alumni, align efforts, and work together to advance its goal of building a world-class institution.

On March 17, OnchainLens monitoring data indicates that MetaPlanet—Japan’s largest Bitcoin custodian—transferred 4,986 Bitcoins (valued at $368.3 million) to a new wallet address after three months of inactivity. The move is speculated to be a routine fund consolidation rather than a sale.