Linera Launches Babbage Testnet

March 19th — Per HTX market data, Ethereum has fallen below $2100, registering a 3.5% drop over the past 24 hours.

On March 19, U.S. political news outlet Politico reported that the United States will not impose an oil export ban.

March 19 — Per HTX market data, Bitcoin has dropped below $69,000, posting a 3.4% 24-hour decline.

On March 19, Coinglass data shows Coinbase’s Bitcoin Premium Index flipped negative again—currently at -0.0022%—after 5 straight days of positive premiums. U.S. market buying sentiment has improved since February, following 40 consecutive days of negative premiums prior to that. **BlockBeats Note**: The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index measures the gap between Bitcoin’s price on Coinbase (a major U.S. exchange) and the global market average. It’s a key indicator for tracking U.S. capital flows, institutional investment interest, and shifts in market sentiment. - A **positive premium** (Coinbase price > global average) typically signals: strong U.S. buying pressure, active inflows from institutional/compliant funds, ample USD liquidity, and bullish investor sentiment. - A **negative premium** (Coinbase price < global average) often reflects: significant U.S. selling pressure, reduced risk appetite, higher market risk aversion, or capital outflows.

March 19 — The U.S. is deploying additional troops to the Middle East and may seize a key Iranian oil export hub to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, sources told *The Wall Street Journal* on Wednesday. Some 2,200 Marines from the U.S. Marine Corps’ 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are aboard amphibious assault ships en route from Japan to the Middle East, with an expected arrival time of about a week, the report said. The U.S. could use the force to occupy Harq Island as leverage to compel Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. Former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Frank McKenzie noted: “(The U.S. military) could destroy its (Harq Island’s) oil infrastructure, causing irreversible damage to Iran and the global economy. Or we could occupy it as a bargaining chip.”

March 19 — A U.S. F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a U.S. airbase in the Middle East after being struck by suspected Iranian artillery fire, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Capt. Tim Hopkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, confirmed the fifth-generation stealth aircraft was on a combat mission over Iranian airspace when it was forced to land urgently. The jet landed safely, and the incident is under investigation, Hopkins said. This would mark the first time Iran has targeted a U.S. aircraft since the conflict began in late February. Both the U.S. and Israel have deployed F-35s in the ongoing conflict; each aircraft costs more than $100 million. The emergency landing comes as senior U.S. officials continue to tout widespread military success against Iran. Defense Secretary Haggis said Thursday morning the U.S. is “achieving a decisive victory” and that Iran’s air defense systems have been “destroyed.”