Metalpha once again withdrew 6000 ETH from Kraken, worth approximately $18.67 million

BlackRock Says Gold, Silver Bull Trend Intact Amid Volatility, Driven by Debt, Geopolitics, Industrial Demand BlackRock stated March 11 that despite recent volatility in precious metals, the long-term uptrend for gold and silver remains intact—fueled by shifting demand that’s reshaping the market. Kristy Akullian, Head of Americas iShares Investment Strategy at BlackRock, noted gold has surged ~75% over the past year, topping $5,000 per ounce for the first time in January 2025. Silver, meanwhile, jumped 148% in 2025 and added another 19% this January. Pullbacks since haven’t dented the overall bull market, she said. Key drivers include: - **Global Debt Burdens**: U.S. federal debt now exceeds 120% of GDP; major economies like Japan, the UK, France, and Canada all have debt levels above 100% of GDP, boosting gold’s appeal as a store of value. - **Geopolitical Uncertainty**: Ongoing tensions have spurred hedging demand for precious metals. - **Industrial Demand**: Silver’s

On March 11, stablecoin issuer Circle launched the Circle Nanopayments Testnet — a payment infrastructure supporting transfers as small as 0.000001 USDC with gas-free single transactions, designed to serve as a foundational payment layer for the Agentic Economy. Per details shared, Nanopayments are built on the Circle Gateway, using off-chain transaction aggregation and delayed batch on-chain settlement to bundle thousands of microtransactions into one on-chain settlement. This eliminates per-transaction gas costs, enabling developers to build use cases like pay-per-call, pay-per-use, and machine-to-machine payments. Technically, users or agents sign an EIP-3009 authorization message to initiate a payment. The system validates the signature, updates its internal ledger instantly to confirm the payment, while actual on-chain settlement occurs periodically in the background. Circle noted the solution has been validated in collaboration with OpenMind, an open-source robotics deve

WSJ reported on March 11 that sources say the International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed releasing its largest-ever oil reserves to cool surging oil prices tied to US-Iran tensions. Officials noted the planned release would exceed the 182 million barrels IEA member nations released in two separate tranches during the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict. The proposal was discussed at an emergency meeting of energy officials from the IEA’s 32 member countries on Tuesday. Member nations are expected to decide on the plan Wednesday. If no objections are raised, it will be approved; a single objection, however, will delay implementation. As of press time, WTI crude oil has fallen below $82 per barrel, down 5.20% in intraday trading.

**March 11: Forbes’ Latest Billionaire List Puts CZ’s Net Worth at $110B (Up $47B YoY), Ranked 17th Globally—Surpassing Bill Gates** Forbes’ latest global billionaire ranking, released March 11, shows Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has seen his personal net worth climb to approximately $110 billion—an increase of $47 billion from last year. He now ranks 17th on the list, with his wealth exceeding that of Bill Gates. The report notes CZ’s wealth growth is primarily tied to his stake in cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Industry estimates peg Binance’s current valuation at around $100 billion, with CZ holding roughly 90% of the shares. The platform remains the world’s largest crypto exchange, boasting a 38% market share and annual trading volume exceeding $30 trillion. Data indicates Binance is projected to generate $16 billion to $17 billion in revenue between 2024 and 2025—about 2.5 times Coinbase’s revenue ($6.6 billion) over the same period. Additionally, the Binance ecosystem includ

**March 11 (Tuesday) —** U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright mistakenly posted and later deleted a social media message Tuesday claiming the U.S. Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. The post briefly roiled markets: international oil prices plunged nearly 20%, while U.S. WTI crude briefly fell below $77 per barrel. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently clarified the U.S. Navy has not yet escorted any tankers or vessels through the strait, but the military is weighing various options—including naval escorts—to address potential shipping disruptions by Iran. On the same day, former President Donald Trump posted a series of social media messages stating the U.S. has received no reports of Iran laying mines in the strait, but urged Iran to remove any potential explosive devices. He also noted the U.S. military has destroyed 10 "inactive mine-laying ships." The ongoing Middle East conflict entered its 11th day Tuesday. Pete Hegseth stat

March 11 — Chief Judge Sarah D. Morrison of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ruled there is no historical evidence Congress intended federal law to preempt state sports betting regulations, rejecting a preliminary injunction request from prediction market platform Kalshi. Earlier, Kalshi sued the Ohio Casino Control Commission to block enforcement action against its event contracts under state gambling law. Last year, the commission accused Kalshi of operating illegal sports betting in Ohio. Kalshi argued its event contracts are regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act as derivative transactions (overseen by the CFTC), meaning federal rules should take precedence over state gambling laws. But the judge cited historical and legislative context: no proof Congress intended that law to preempt state sports betting rules. She noted that when the Dodd-Frank Act amended relevant laws in 2010, the U.S. still broadly restricted sports betting. Kalshi plans