BREAKING: $435 million has been liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the past 12 hours.

On March 12, asset management firm VanEck partnered with fintech company Basic Capital to add select digital asset ETFs to its corporate 401(k) retirement plan platform. This enables U.S. retirement savers to gain indirect exposure to crypto assets through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). VanEck’s product lineup includes the spot Bitcoin ETF VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) and the Ethereum ETF VanEck Ethereum Trust (ETHV), among other offerings. Previously, the U.S. Department of Labor withdrew restrictive guidance on 401(k) plans that offer crypto investments. (Source: Cointelegraph)

March 12th — Per Bitget market data, U.S. stocks closed Wednesday with the Dow Jones initially down 0.6%, the S&P 500 falling 0.08% and the Nasdaq rising 0.08%. Energy stocks posted strong gains: Western Oil climbed 4%, ConocoPhillips and Chevron rose more than 2%, while Oracle jumped 9%. Crypto-related stocks had mixed performance: MSTR edged down 0.09%, BMNR gained 1.54%, COIN rose 1.05%, and CRCL failed to hold momentum, pulling back 4.47% to close at $112.81.

March 12 (CoinDesk) — Institutional crypto exchange Bullish reported a 62.6% surge in February spot trading volume to roughly $76 billion, pushing its market share to 5.06% — edging past Coinbase’s 4.59% share. Meanwhile, overall trading activity across centralized exchanges slowed, with combined spot and derivative volume falling 2.41% to about $5.61 trillion. Spot trading alone accounted for roughly $1.50 trillion of the total.

March 12 — Foreign media reports say two oil tankers were attacked in the northern Persian Gulf near Iraq and Kuwait, reigniting concerns about commercial shipping security in the region and sending international oil prices sharply higher early Thursday. Preliminary reports indicate the vessels may have been targeted by Iranian unmanned explosive boats or similar devices — a tactic increasingly used in maritime attacks in the area. Analysts note the northern Persian Gulf, particularly waters near Iraq and Kuwait, is a critical hub for global oil exports. Any disruption there could ripple through the global energy market. Even localized attacks would drive up shipping insurance costs, force vessels to reroute, and amplify supply disruption fears — at a time when the oil market is already strained by geopolitical risks. While details of the attacks remain under investigation, the incidents underscore how the region’s global energy supply chain is growing increasingly fragile.

On Wednesday, March 12, the Trump administration launched a new round of **Section 301 trade investigations** targeting industrial overcapacity in 16 major trading partners, aiming to reimpose tariff pressure. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the core of Trump’s global tariff plan. U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Gruel said the probe targets some of the U.S.’s largest trading partners—including the European Union (EU), India, Japan, and South Korea—among the 16 nations. Canada was not included in the investigation. Separately, the administration plans to launch another probe as early as Thursday, focusing on a ban on imports of goods produced using forced labor. The investigation is expected to cover at least 60 countries. Gruel noted more probes will follow, adding he did not specify affected industries or countries but indicated the inquiries could target some nations’ digital services taxes, drug pricing, and other trade issues. (Source: Jinse) ### Notes on

March 12 — Binance.US named former Currency.com CEO Stephen Gregory as its new CEO, replacing former interim CEO Norman Reed. The company said the move is intended to drive further growth of the platform in the U.S. market. Gregory boasts a legal background and deep experience in digital asset compliance and regulation, previously serving as Chief Compliance Officer at Gemini and CEX.io. Binance.US noted his expertise will support the exchange’s development in the U.S. market. Gregory expressed honor to lead the Binance.US team, ushering in a new phase for the exchange, and highlighted the strength of the Binance.US brand. The appointment comes roughly a year after Binance.US resumed USD deposit and withdrawal services. In 2023, the exchange paused USD deposits and withdrawals amid alleged securities law violations.