nec

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that it has initiated a compensation program for victims of the OneCoin cryptocurrency fraud case, with over $40 million in forfeited assets available for payout.The program is aimed at investors who purchased OneCoin and incurred net losses between 2014 and 2019. U.S. prosecutors stated that this move is intended to return some of the illicit proceeds to the victims. OneCoin was initiated by Ruja Ignatova and Karl Greenwood, with the related fraud exceeding $4 billion. Ignatova has been missing since 2017, and Greenwood was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2023.

According to a report by Kyodo News, a new company has been established for artificial intelligence (AI) development, led by SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony Group. The report states that the company will utilize support from the Japanese government to create a domestic AI foundational model, with the intention of providing the developed AI to Japanese companies.The company is named "Japan AI Foundational Model Development" and plans to gather about 100 AI developers, with the president position held by an executive from SoftBank. In addition to these four companies, Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel, as well as three major banks—Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Mizuho Bank—are also participating in the funding. SoftBank and NEC will handle the development, while Honda will apply the development results to autonomous driving. AI development company Preferred Networks (Tokyo) is also involved. The developed AI will also be widely available to Japanese companies outside of the funding companies, and in the future, it will venture into the AI field for controlling robots.

According to official news, Gate US has officially launched the Gift Card feature, allowing users to create and send cryptocurrency gift cards directly within the app. This feature supports sending to users who have completed KYC verification via phone number, email, or UID.The recipient can instantly receive the gift card, and the funds will be credited directly. This feature also supports flexible currency combinations, allowing users to pay with one cryptocurrency and gift another asset. All transactions are processed through a KYC-based account system, aimed at promoting security, traceability, and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.This feature further connects cryptocurrency assets with everyday social scenarios, expanding the practical application value of digital assets beyond transactions. Currently, Gate US holds a total of 35 licenses, with compliant operations covering 46 jurisdictions in the United States. Based on this, Gate US continues to expand the real-world application scenarios of cryptocurrency assets on its platform.

According to Cointelegraph, Visa has launched the "Intelligent Commerce Connect" service, which supports AI agents to complete purchase payments on behalf of consumers in commercial scenarios worldwide.

VanEck's Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF (PFXF) disclosed the purchase of 1.27 million shares of Strategy's perpetual preferred stock Stretch STRC, valued at $127 million. This accounts for 6% of its net assets in digital credit.

According to reports from the official public account, Alibaba's Qianwen App has completed an upgrade of its "in-depth research" feature, adding a financial analysis module. In collaboration with Tonghuashun, it integrates real-time minute-level market data for over 13,000 stocks and consolidates approximately 1 million financial reports, announcements, and authoritative research reports from listed companies. Users can generate a complete in-depth research report with one click using pre-set analysis instruction templates. The report supports automatic generation of visual charts and can be exported in Word/PDF format.The core technological support for this upgrade is the Qianwen Agentic architecture, which has autonomous planning and execution capabilities. It can interpret user intent, automatically call real-time data, and integrate multi-source information to output conclusions, with all key data clearly indicating the original source.

According to The New York Times, Argentine President Milei had seven phone call records with project-related entrepreneur Mauricio Novelli on the night of February 14, 2025, when LIBRA went live, covering the time around his promotional post on X.The report states that newly discovered mobile forensic information also includes suspected payment recordings and draft funding arrangement documents, further raising doubts about Milei's previous claim of "no connection to the project." Milei has not yet been formally charged but has been listed as a key subject of the investigation.

VanEck's research director Matthew Sigel analyzed in a post on the X platform that the current protective demand in the Bitcoin derivatives market has risen to the historical 99th percentile, which is typically seen as a "contrarian buy signal" under extreme risk-averse market sentiment, and he judges that the market is currently suitable for establishing long positions.The VanEck Digital Transformation ETF (NODE), which Matthew Sigel also manages, has risen 27% since its inception, while Bitcoin has fallen 33% during the same period, achieving lower volatility performance through diversified allocation and focusing on profitable sectors. However, he also warns that if the massive capital expenditures in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector do not generate corresponding returns, it could pose substantial pressure on the market, especially in the context of a concentration in S&P 500 constituents.Note: Percentile is a statistical position concept, with the 99th percentile representing a relatively extreme level, and the 50th percentile representing the median level.

According to Decrypt, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced that it has recovered and seized over $600,000 in cryptocurrency after a Ledger hardware wallet user fell victim to a phishing scam, being lured into performing a so-called security check by a letter impersonating "Ledger Security and Compliance," resulting in approximately $234,000 in crypto assets being stolen.The FBI and state police tracked the flow of funds, successfully seizing about $600,000 in USDT and filing a civil forfeiture lawsuit, alleging that the source of the funds involved wire fraud and money laundering. It is reported that this is one of a series of phishing incidents targeting hardware wallet users, where scammers used physical mail letters featuring company logos, holograms, and QR codes to enhance the credibility of the fraud. Similar incidents have affected companies like Ledger and Trezor, accompanied by data breaches and vulnerabilities in third-party services, leading to ongoing phishing attacks.

The 2026 season F1 Japanese Grand Prix will kick off from March 27 to 29 at Suzuka Circuit. Gate, in collaboration with the F1 Red Bull Racing team, is hosting a high-standard VIP hospitality event, inviting several KOLs and guests from major market makers, institutions, and project parties to attend in person, engaging in multidimensional communication and interaction within an immersive viewing experience.During the event, guests will watch the race up close in the Paddock Club area and gain insights into the operation of the cars and race strategies in the pit area. They will enjoy top-notch dining services in exclusive areas, fully experiencing the competitive charm and viewing privileges of F1 events in a high-standard reception and immersive atmosphere.As the official sponsor of the Red Bull Racing team, Gate's brand logo will be prominently displayed on the car's rear wing, driver gear, and other locations. Japan is not only one of the key stops in the F1 calendar but also an important market for Gate's compliance layout. Currently, Gate Japan has obtained a cryptocurrency exchange operating license issued by the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan. In conjunction with this event, Gate continues to enhance its international brand influence and expand connections with global users and partners.

The cross-chain protocol LayerZero announced the integration with the institutional-focused blockchain Canton, becoming the first interoperability protocol for Canton. Traditional financial institutions can now use LayerZero to route tokenized assets on Canton—including securities, digital bonds, and stocks—to over 165 public chains while maintaining compliance and confidentiality requirements.In addition, investors can directly subscribe to tokenized real-world assets (RWA) on Canton using stablecoins from external public chains, and Canton’s native tokenization tools can also be transferred to other ecosystems for secondary market trading. Canton processes over $350 billion in U.S. Treasury repurchase transactions daily. LayerZero has previously partnered with DTCC and Centrifuge, the latter covering nearly $861 million in tokenized U.S. Treasuries.

According to a report by Coinshares, Bitcoin mining profit margins are at a historical low. In the first quarter of 2026, the hash price fell to about $28-30 per PH/s/day, reaching a new low after the halving. The weighted average cash cost in the fourth quarter of 2025 reached about $80,000 per coin, with approximately 15-20% of mining machines globally operating at a loss.The transition of mining companies to AI is no longer an option. Publicly listed mining companies have cumulatively announced over $70 billion in AI/HPC contracts, and by the end of 2026, up to 70% of the revenue for listed mining companies may come from AI. Some mining companies are taking on huge debts for AI construction, fundamentally changing the risk landscape of the industry. There is a significant divergence in the valuation of mining companies; those obtaining HPC contracts have an EV/NTM revenue multiple of 12.3 times, while pure mining companies have a multiple of 5.9 times. The industry has differentiated into infrastructure companies and mining companies, with vastly different prospects for both.

According to The Block, Mizuho analysts Dan Dolev and Alexander Jenkins stated that after Mastercard's acquisition of the stablecoin startup BVNK, it is expected to become a "network connector" between fiat and cryptocurrency. The analysts pointed out that stablecoins will serve as accelerators for existing networks rather than threats, especially in areas such as B2B cross-border payments, remittances, the creator economy, and the gig economy, where card penetration is limited, and stablecoins can unleash faster, cheaper, and round-the-clock payment capabilities.The analysts maintained Mastercard's "outperform" rating, with a target stock price of $666. Mastercard previously announced plans to acquire BVNK for $1.8 billion, which provides fiat and cryptocurrency deposit and withdrawal channels, stablecoin and tokenized deposit conversions, cross-chain functionality, and wallet infrastructure. Mizuho noted that BVNK's licensing framework allows clients to quickly launch their businesses and supports a long-term transition to self-managed banking infrastructure; meanwhile, Mastercard has joined a global crypto partnership program consisting of over 85 crypto-native companies.

Investment bank Mizuho stated that after acquiring the stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK, Mastercard is expected to become a "network connector" linking crypto assets with fiat currency systems, further expanding its payment ecosystem.Analysis indicates that stablecoins will not undermine Mastercard's core card payment business; instead, they will serve as an "accelerator" for its network, particularly in areas such as B2B cross-border payments, remittances, and the creator and gig economy, facilitating faster, lower-cost, 24/7 capital flow. Mizuho maintains an "outperform" rating on Mastercard and sets a target price of $666.Analysts believe that in the aforementioned emerging scenarios, the penetration rate of traditional bank cards remains relatively low, and stablecoins are expected to fill this gap, while card payments will continue to serve as the core entry point for consumers. It is reported that Mastercard has agreed to acquire BVNK for up to $1.8 billion. This transaction is seen as an important step in continuing its role as a "network connector," expanding its business into the conversion and settlement between stablecoins and fiat currencies.Against the backdrop of a gradually loosening regulatory environment and traditional payment giants like Visa and Stripe accelerating their layout in stablecoins, stablecoins are becoming an important growth direction for the global payment system.

Gate announced the official integration with the prediction market platform Polymarket, and a new entry has been added in the App (version 8.12.5 and above), becoming the first centralized exchange (CEX) to integrate Polymarket, which is now in the public testing phase. Users can directly participate in prediction trading for hot events in sports, finance, and crypto by buying Yes/No shares, allowing them to earn profits based on the event outcomes.This integration retains the core mechanism of Polymarket while Gate introduces a "prediction mode + trading mode" dual structure, catering to both novice understanding and professional trading needs, and supports order books, candlestick charts, and various order types. In terms of participation pathways, users can trade directly with USDT using their exchange accounts or participate using USDC on the Polygon network through a Web3 wallet, providing a more flexible participation method to meet different user needs. Additionally, the platform offers quick trading and various types of event markets, further promoting the development of event-driven trading scenarios.Gate is also launching a limited-time event. From March 23 to 30, during the event period, users can submit prediction event proposals to share a prize pool of 1,000 GT. The platform has also introduced a first-time prediction compensation benefit to lower the threshold for initial participation.

Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Asset Research at VanEck, stated on social media that the average price of Bitcoin dropped by 19% on the 30th, but the spot price has stabilized. Market volatility has significantly decreased, with realized volatility falling from 80% to 50%, and the futures funding rate dropping from 4.1% to 2.7%. On-chain activity has cooled down, with transaction volume decreasing by 31%, daily average fees reducing by 27%, and the distribution speed of long-term holders slowing down.On the miner side, they have largely maintained a "mine and sell" strategy, selling almost all newly issued Bitcoins. Defensive sentiment in the options market has peaked, with the ratio of put/call open interest averaging 0.77, reaching a new high since June 2021; the premium of put options relative to spot trading volume has reached a historical high of 4 basis points.

According to a report by Jinshi citing CCTV, starting from the afternoon of the 18th local time, most areas of Iran, including the capital Tehran, entered a state of complete disconnection from the international internet, and communication between diplomatic missions in Iran and those outside of Iran was almost entirely interrupted. It is reported that there are still some networks available within Iran.