SBF Questions Chief Judge's Impartiality, Calls for Recusal from Appeals Case Hearing

March 31 — Despite a recent selloff in gold prices, Goldman Sachs remains bullish on the metal, predicting it will regain upward momentum by the end of 2026. Analysts Lina Thomas and Daan Struyven said in their report that gold’s medium-term outlook remains solid. With central banks worldwide continuing to buy gold and the U.S. expected to cut rates twice more this year, the metal is projected to hit $5,400 an ounce. They noted that in the short term, gold still faces “tactical downside risks”: if an energy supply shock worsens, prices could drop to $3,800 an ounce. However, if the Iran conflict prompts countries to speed up reducing “traditional Western assets” and diversify their holdings, gold still has significant upside potential. The report also noted that concerns some central banks might sell gold to support their currencies are unlikely to materialize. Gulf nations are more likely to intervene by cutting their U.S. Treasury holdings. Assuming no additional private-sector

On March 31, Binance Wallet announced in an official statement that it will launch a prediction market, with Predict.Fun serving as the provider.

March 31 — Per Cointelegraph, Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) has rolled out a new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency exchange-traded derivatives (ETDs), laying out guidelines for licensed crypto firms in the emirate to offer these products. Detailed in VARA’s *Trading Platform Services Rulebook* (Version 2.1), the framework covers requirements including customer suitability, leverage and margin controls, asset segregation, disclosure standards, and regulatory intervention authority. VARA noted the framework applies to licensed Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) offering trading platform services in Dubai. The update creates a more formal regulatory guardrail in Dubai’s high-risk crypto market and expands beyond spot trading as it broadens the emirate’s trading rules.

According to Jiemian News, Guotai Junan Securities announced on March 31 that Ant Wealth has successfully acquired a 50.55% stake in the company for HK$2.814 billion and completed the equity transfer. All required regulatory approvals and transfer conditions have been met prior to this. Public records show Guotai Junan Securities was founded by Ye Maolin in 1995. Listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) in 2010, the firm holds Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) licenses 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9. Its core businesses include securities brokerage, margin financing and securities lending, commodities and futures brokerage, and spot foreign exchange trading. It is the only trading firm in Hong Kong to pioneer real-time trading volume and pricing.

On March 31, Farside monitoring data showed U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a net inflow of $69.4 million yesterday, while Ethereum spot ETFs saw $5 million in net inflows.

On March 31, Nikkei Asia reported that Mitsubishi Corp will soon begin using JPMorgan’s blockchain technology for global fund transfers, enabling real-time payments via the service. JPMorgan is also seizing this opportunity to introduce more Japanese businesses to its blockchain payment product.