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

March 25 — Per the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability the Federal Reserve will hike rates by 25 basis points at its April meeting is currently 8.3%, while the chance of holding rates steady stands at 91.7%.

March 25 — Per The New York Times, Israeli Defense Minister Katz said Tuesday the country’s military plans to expand its control area in southern Lebanon, signaling an escalation in its ground offensive against Hezbollah. Katz stated Israel will retain control of the region south of the Litani River, which lies just a few miles from the Israel-Lebanon border at its narrowest point and 15–20 miles at its widest. The river has long served as a geographic dividing line in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. It remains unclear whether Israel will deploy troops across the area or rely on its air force to maintain dominance in key regions. The statement also indicates Israel is laying groundwork for a long-term presence in large parts of Lebanon as President Trump attempts to negotiate with Iran to end the regional war.

CNBC reported Tuesday that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said while the Iran conflict poses short-term risks, it could boost prospects for lasting Middle East peace over the long term. Speaking at a Washington, D.C., event, he stated: “I think the Iran conflict may actually enhance the possibility of peace in the long run — but short-term risks are higher because we don’t yet know the ultimate outcome.” Dimon noted a key shift: major regional powers’ interests are converging. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the U.S. and Israel all seek long-term peace, with Gulf states particularly open to advancing toward that goal. “The attitude now is different from 20 years ago — all parties are focused on this goal,” he added.

Official Announcement (March 25): Binance Futures will launch the following stock perpetual contracts at the times below (UTC+8): - March 26, 2026, 22:30 UTC+8: METAUSDT Perpetual Contract (up to 10x leverage) - March 26, 2026, 22:40 UTC+8: NVDAUSDT Perpetual Contract (up to 10x leverage) - March 26, 2026, 22:50 UTC+8: GOOGLUSDT Perpetual Contract (up to 10x leverage)

As of March 25th, per HyperInsight monitoring, Binance whale address "pension-usdt.eth" still holds short positions of 500 BTC (3x leverage, avg entry price: $68,884.2) and 30,000 ETH (3x leverage, avg entry price: $2,034.47), totaling an unrealized loss of $3.45 million.

March 25 — Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan told a March 23 TV appearance that he trusts Iran’s account of U.S.-Iran negotiations more than President Donald Trump, per CCTV News. During the interview on U.S. news channel MS Now, when asked to clarify conflicting statements from Trump about the talks, Brennan said, “I would rather believe Iran than our own president.” He added that Trump never admits the truth even when confronted with facts, calling the president “clearly panicked” and trying to escape a mess he created single-handedly.