Day: March 6, 2026

Oil tops $90 for the first time as Iran tensions deepen

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Oil prices surged Friday, with Brent crude topping $90 per barrel for the first time since the latest escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The rally came as US President Donald Trump warned there would be no agreement with Iran, posting on Truth Social that the only acceptable outcome would be “unconditional surrender.” The statement added to concerns that the conflict could continue escalating, increasing the risk of supply disruptions across the global energy market. According to a report by Financial Times, Qatar’s energy minister Saad al Kaabi…

Kraken Fed Access, MARA Bitcoin Strategy, NYSE Tokenization Push

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The digital asset sector took another step toward integration with traditional finance this week when Kraken secured direct access to the US Federal Reserve’s payment rails — a milestone that could reshape how crypto companies move dollars. Direct access to the Fed’s payment infrastructure could give the crypto exchange greater control over dollar flows while reducing reliance on banking partners, a longstanding challenge for the industry. It also signals that crypto infrastructure is continuing to mature and integrate with the traditional banking system despite broader industry headwinds and a months-long…

Binance rejects claims of Iranian exposure in response to US Senate inquiry

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Binance has published a formal rebuttal to US Senator Richard Blumenthal, pushing back against what the crypto exchange describes as false and defamatory claims in recent media coverage that prompted a congressional inquiry into its sanctions compliance program. The letter, issued on March 6, addressed to the ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and copied to Chairman Ron Johnson, responds to Blumenthal’s February 24 correspondence. That inquiry drew heavily on reports published by the New York Times, Fortune, and the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, which…

Oil jumps as Trump Iran warning and weak jobs data rattle markets

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Markets got hit from both sides on Thursday. Geopolitical saber-rattling pushed oil to $88 a barrel, and then a brutal jobs report kicked risk assets while they were already down. Bitcoin dropped 3.7% in 24 hours to around $69K. Ethereum fared worse, sliding 4.2% to slip below the psychologically important $2K level. Solana took the hardest punch among major tokens, falling 5% to roughly $85. The crypto Fear & Greed Index now sits at 18 — deep in “Extreme Fear” territory, barely improved from last week’s 13. The geopolitical trigger…

US Jobs Miss Fails to Stop Bitcoin Erasing Its $74,000 Breakout Attempt

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Bitcoin (BTC) slipped under $70,000 around Friday’s Wall Street open as weak US employment data failed to boost risk assets. Key points: Bitcoin and stocks slump in reaction to a surprise downturn in US nonfarm payrolls. Fed interest-rate odds stay hawkish, with markets seeing just one cut this year. BTC price action “round trips” its latest breakout attempt, continuing a 2026 trend. Bitcoin ignores “clearly weakening” labor market Data from TradingView showed daily BTC price downside passing 3% to hit $68,176 on Bitstamp. BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView US nonfarm…

1inch and Ondo RWA Volumes Top $2.5B as RWAs Climb

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Trading volumes in tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) routed through 1inch’s integration with Ondo have passed $2.5 billion since the partnership went live in September 2025. According to data published on Dune Analytics and a release shared with Cointelegraph, real-world assets (RWAs) are now the fastest-growing volume category on 1inch. While they still account for a minority of overall flow, 1inch co-founder Sergei Kunz told Cointelegraph that “the direction of travel is clear,” and shows no signs of slowing down, despite the broader crypto slump. ​Most of the activity…

21Shares launches first spot Polkadot ETF in US

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21Shares has rolled out the first spot Polkadot ETF in the US, giving investors regulated exposure to the DOT token through a product listed on Nasdaq under the ticker TDOT. The fund carries a management fee of 0.3% and was seeded with approximately $11 million in initial assets. The ETF is physically backed, meaning 21Shares holds actual DOT tokens as the fund’s primary asset. Investors can access Polkadot through traditional brokerage accounts without managing digital wallets or private keys directly. Polkadot functions as an interoperability protocol designed to connect independent…

Bitcoin sinks below $69,000 as US job market unexpectedly shed 92,000 jobs in February

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Bitcoin dropped from above $70,000 to about $68,700 on Friday on disappointing US labour market data. Nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 in February, markedly undershooting economists’ expectations for roughly 50,000 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The decline erased much of January’s 126,000 job gain and pushed the unemployment rate up to 4.4%. Job losses were broad-based, including reductions in healthcare employment due to strike activity, as well as declines in the technology sector and continued cuts in federal government jobs. The weak report reinforces concerns about…

Crypto Turnaround at Fed With Kraken Decision and Possible New Chair

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Recent events at the US Federal Reserve signal acceptance of digital assets at the highest levels of the country’s monetary system.  Kraken recently became the first crypto exchange to receive a master account at the Federal Reserve. The Fed could also see a new crypto-friendly chair. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday submitted a pro-Bitcoin candidate for the Senate’s consideration. These developments represent a significant shift in how the Fed could treat the crypto industry. But there are also detractors. Why are Fed master accounts so important to the crypto…

Crypto Exchanges Emerge as TradFi Venues amid Tokenized Commodities Boom

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Demand for tokenized commodities is increasing as investors look for safe-haven exposure through crypto-native markets that trade around the clock, rather than only during traditional market hours. The tokenized commodities sector grew 10% over the past month to $7.69 billion in cumulative market capitalization, while holders increased by 5.8% to 189,390, according to data aggregator RWA.xyz. Tether Gold (XAUT) makes up the lion’s share with $2.96 billion of onchain commodities, while Paxos Gold (PAXG) is second with $2.56 billion. The growth underscores how real-world assets are becoming a larger part…