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

**March 1st —** Multiple media reports and on-site sources confirmed on February 28th that a section of Dubai International Airport was targeted, causing partial damage. The airspace was temporarily closed, disrupting flights. On the same day, flights from several Middle Eastern countries saw large-scale cancellations and adjustments. Also on February 28th, the Dubai Air Defense Force intercepted a missile over Dubai Harbor. An explosion occurred near the Burj Khalifa, prompting an evacuation.

On the afternoon of February 28 (U.S. Eastern Time March 1), the White House released photos showing U.S. President Trump monitoring U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran from his private residence at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. As of press time, the Israeli military has announced it launched a new round of airstrikes targeting Iran’s ballistic missile and air defense systems. According to CCTV News, a source close to Iran’s Supreme Leader’s residence confirmed on local time March 1 that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter have died. It was also reported that one of Khamenei’s daughters-in-law died in the morning attack on February 28. Iranian authorities have not verified this information.

March 1st — Bitcoin briefly surged in early trading, hitting $67,700 (per HTX Market Data) before retracing to roughly $66,700. It’s up 1.47% over the past 24 hours.

March 1 CZ posted on X: All good here. Amid the current situation, things are surprisingly calm. UAE locals and tourists have full faith in the country’s leadership and defense systems. Saw some smoke in the sky and heard a couple of loud bangs. This looks like the most serious damage in Dubai/UAE so far. Could be debris from an intercepted missile. Lucky it landed in the Fairmont Hotel’s courtyard, not the hotel itself. Fingers crossed no one got hurt. World’s truly wild out there! Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

(Wall Street News) Feb. 28 — Sources: CIA assessed prior to a U.S. attack on Iran that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would likely be succeeded by a hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) figure if assassinated.

February 28 (Bloomberg) — Escalating tensions between the U.S., Israel and Iran have pushed traders to flock to crypto exchanges for round-the-clock hedging. Oil-linked perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid jumped ~6.2% to $70.6 per barrel. Gold and silver perpetual contracts each climbed more than 5% and 8%, hitting $5,464 per ounce and $97.5 per ounce, respectively. Silver perpetual contracts traded over $4 billion in the past 24 hours, with gold contracts reaching nearly $1.4 billion; meanwhile, stock index contracts on the platform fell 1-2%. The Iran conflict sparked a safe-haven selloff in crypto markets: Bitcoin briefly slid 3.8% to $63,038 before settling around $64,000, while ETH dropped 4.5% to $1,836 at one point. Per CoinGecko data, the total market cap of digital assets shrank by ~$128 billion following the conflict’s outbreak. Wintermute OTC Trading Head Jake Ostrovskis noted that Bitcoin’s 24/7 trading has made it the most liquid asset for traders to express macro