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

March 21 — Per Farside monitoring, the U.S. spot Ethereum ETF posted a net outflow of $42 million yesterday, marking its third straight day of net outflows.

March 21 – Escalating Middle East tensions combined with a sharp jump in expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes have triggered a systemic shock to global markets. U.S. stocks posted their fourth straight week of losses, marking the longest weekly losing streak in a year. The Nasdaq tumbled more than 2% in a single session, with tech shares under heavy selling pressure. Global bond yields jumped sharply, pushing U.S., U.K., and German government bonds to multi-year peaks and sparking widespread deleveraging. Commodities saw sharp divergence: Gold dropped below the $4,500 level, plunging more than 10% in one week—the biggest weekly decline since 1983—raising questions about its safe-haven credentials. Meanwhile, crude oil surged on Middle East supply concerns: Brent crude topped $110 a barrel, and Dubai crude futures jumped over 16% in a single session. Bitcoin found support near the $70,000 level, outperforming gold for three straight weeks. Market analysts note that geopo

March 21 — Gold prices plummeted sharply on Friday amid rising Middle East tensions and shifting interest rate expectations, notching the biggest weekly drop since 1983. Spot gold fell to around $4,488 per ounce, with a weekly decline of roughly 11% and a total drop of over 15% since late February. Market analysts note the Federal Reserve may hold interest rates steady this year, while Powell’s comments on elevated inflation have dented gold’s appeal. Meanwhile, amid the Iran conflict, Bitcoin has demonstrated relative strength, surging more than 11% over the period — a stark contrast to gold’s performance.

March 21 — Cryptoquant analyst Darkfost noted Wednesday that altcoin trading volume across the crypto market has continued to decline, signaling a sharp drop in investor interest. Amid a bear market and geopolitical uncertainties, altcoins have consistently underperformed Bitcoin as risk appetite has shrunk notably. Currently, Binance’s daily altcoin trading volume sits at roughly $7.7 billion, while other major exchanges total ~$18.8 billion combined — far below peaks hit in October 2025 and February. Binance’s peak ranged from $40B to $50B during those periods, while other platforms topped out at $63B to $91B. Binance currently holds roughly 40% of the market share. The analysis adds that historically, trading volume peaks often align with cyclical market tops and surges in FOMO (fear of missing out) sentiment. Conversely, the current low-volume environment suggests potential opportunities typically emerge when market interest is at its lowest.

March 21: An address tied to Erik Voorhees—ShapeShift founder and early Bitcoin advocate—has acquired 14,424.53 ETH over the past 11 hours. His total ETH holdings now exceed 117,000 coins, with an average entry price of $2,160.24. Current unrealized losses sit at $1.145 million.

March 21 (CBS News) — Multiple sources have revealed the Trump administration is weighing options to seize or relocate Iranian nuclear materials, as U.S.-Israeli military planning against Iran enters a more uncertain phase. It remains unclear when Trump might order such action, with one source noting he has not yet made a decision. Two other sources, however, say the plan’s core involves potentially deploying troops from U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) — an elite unit tasked with some of the most sensitive non-proliferation missions.