Huobi HTX has launched AERGO perpetual contracts and kicked off a contract trading party.

March 16 The Australian Senate Standing Committee on Economics has recommended passing the **Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025**, which would require crypto exchanges to secure a financial license and be integrated into the existing financial regulatory framework. In its report, the committee noted the bill would substantially strengthen Australia’s digital asset industry regulatory framework, offer stronger consumer protections, aim to stay tech-neutral in rulemaking, and align with global regulatory frameworks. Under the bill, firms running digital asset trading platforms or tokenization custody services will be classified as financial service providers and must apply for an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL). Regulation will target intermediaries that hold user assets or facilitate transaction matching—not the blockchain technology itself. The bill will also legally define key terms like "digital tokens" and set rules for asset custody,

On March 16, South Korea’s Hana Financial Group—a major financial conglomerate—signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Standard Chartered Group. The pair will partner on digital asset initiatives, including joint digital finance projects like stablecoins. Multiple South Korean media outlets report the pair aims to tap their global networks and fintech capabilities to explore new growth avenues bridging traditional and digital finance. Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo noted the collaboration will carve out new growth opportunities in digital assets and the future of finance. Both firms have ramped up digital asset efforts in recent years. In 2023, Hana Bank partnered with crypto custody firm BitGo to build cryptocurrency custody services. In 2024, they co-founded BitGo Korea with SK Telecom, with Hana Group holding a 25% stake. Financial data shows Hana Financial Group posted a record net profit of over 40 trillion South Korean won (roughly $26.7 billion) in

**March 16th** — The Fujairah Port, a key energy hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was targeted in another attack on Monday, forcing a suspension of oil loading operations and pushing international oil prices above $100 per barrel. Sources say the port is assessing damage from the latest strike and has implemented precautionary measures to halt loading. This marks the second shutdown at the facility in three days: a drone attack on Saturday sparked a fire, followed by a brief resumption of operations over the weekend. Fujairah Port is a critical crude oil and fuel export hub for the UAE — the country’s only oil export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, linking to the terminal of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) main oilfield pipeline. With shipping in the strait nearly disrupted by ongoing conflicts, the port’s significance to global energy supplies has grown further. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate. Former President Donald Trump

**Binance Wallet’s 7th Prime Sale Pre-TGE for Katana (KAT) Kicks Off March 16** Binance Wallet will launch its 7th Prime Sale Pre-TGE for Katana (KAT) on March 16. The subscription window is **8:00 PM–10:00 PM UTC+8** on March 16, 2026. Eligibility: Binance users with **241+ Alpha points** (points ≥241). How to join: Access the event via the Alpha activity page. Cost: 15 Alpha points per participant. This rewrite uses U.S. English conventions (concise phrasing, clear bullet-style breakdown for readability, common terms like "kicks off" and "subscription window" instead of formal wording). All key details are retained without extra fluff.

March 16th – Per HyperInsight monitoring, HYPE’s price has continued climbing, topping $39 to hit a nearly 4-month high. The largest “suspected HYPE listing insider” whale has swung to profit: its $54M HYPE long position has been deleveraged but remains open as of press time. Key details on the whale: - Average long entry price: $38.67 - Unrealized profit: $590k (5%) - Liquidation price: $27.55 - Funding fee settlement loss to date: $1.66M (position still open) The whale has held the position for nearly 5 months: it amassed a long position on October 23 last year, just before HYPE listed on Robinhood. When HYPE surged to nearly $50 in early February, it could have locked in significant gains but chose to hold on.

March 16th — AI Granny monitoring shows Erik Voorhees, ShapeShift founder, has accumulated 33,544 ETH over the past week. Purchases were made at prices ranging from $2,104 to $2,206 per ETH, with a current average cost basis of $2,122 per ETH. This translates to an unrealized gain of $4.327 million. Accumulation address: 0x3e68AAA486D5Aa73fA1370900414Fb671C1Ef2f7