U.S. Senator: If Powell Is Fired by Trump, It Will Trigger a Market Collapse

March 25th — Robbie Mitchnick, BlackRock’s Head of Digital Assets, said institutional investors are currently concentrating their crypto asset allocations on Bitcoin and Ethereum, showing little interest in most other tokens due to a perceived lack of long-term value. He also highlighted that artificial intelligence (AI) will become a more significant long-term driver than crypto assets, and emphasized the synergy between cryptocurrency as “computer-native money” and AI’s “computer-native data and intelligence.” (CoinDesk)

March 25th (Bloomberg) — Robinhood has approved a $15 billion share buyback plan, set to launch amid a slump in its stock price. The trading platform’s shares more than tripled in 2025 but have fallen roughly 39% since early 2026. The buyback is expected to be executed over approximately three years, with no specific expiration date.

March 25 – Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said policymakers may need to keep interest rates steady for “some time” to address inflationary pressures well above the central bank’s 2% target. Barr backed the Fed’s decision last week to hold its benchmark policy rate unchanged for the second straight meeting. Officials noted economic uncertainty has risen amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, and they raised their inflation forecasts for this year. Oil prices have jumped since the Middle East conflict began, posing risks of higher inflation and slower economic growth. Barr labeled the situation an “additional risk,” adding high oil prices often quickly pass through to gasoline costs—especially burdensome for low- and middle-income families. (Wall Street News)

March 25 — Court records cited by The Washington Post show that a senior deputy to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official Jenny Piore admitted during a closed-door hearing earlier this month that the DOJ lacks evidence of wrongdoing by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in its criminal probe into the cost of a Fed building renovation. (FX168)

March 25, the U.S. government delivered a 15-point conflict resolution plan to Iran via Pakistan, covering Iran’s nuclear program, missile capabilities, and regional issues. U.S. demands reportedly include: dismantling existing nuclear capabilities, committing not to develop nuclear weapons, banning domestic uranium enrichment, transferring roughly 60% of its high-enriched uranium stockpile, dismantling nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, and allowing comprehensive IAEA inspections, among other terms. The U.S. also requires Iran to halt support for armed forces of its regional allies, bar funding, command, and weapons support, restrict its ballistic missile program to defensive purposes only (in terms of scale and range), and ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open. In exchange, Iran could receive full relief from international sanctions, U.S. support for its civilian nuclear program, and the elimination of the “snapback sanctions” mechanism. The U.S. is report

March 25 The Middle East situation saw several reversals overnight and into Wednesday morning. During U.S. trading hours, news that a portion of the 82nd Airborne Division is deploying to the Middle East sharply dented market sentiment. WTI crude briefly topped $93 a barrel, while U.S. stocks tumbled. Later, President Trump said the U.S. is in talks with Iran, noting Tehran has “started constructive dialogue” and agreed to “never acquire nuclear weapons.” Oil prices and Treasury yields pulled back from session highs, and stocks pared some losses. Still, all three major U.S. indexes closed lower, with small caps outperforming large caps. After the bell, Trump further stoked peace talk hopes, saying U.S.-Iran negotiations “may be very close to a deal” — with Iran again committing to no nuclear weapons. Reports indicate the U.S. is weighing a one-month ceasefire and has put forward 15 negotiating points. The news sent WTI crude tumbling more than 6% within an hour of after-hour