March 18, 2026 @ 3:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Federal Reserve announced today that it had decided not to change benchmark rates. The Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3.5% to 3.75%. All members of the Committee voted for the decision, except for Stephen I…. Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 2:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month, BrewDog, once a leading example of the securities crowdfunding sector, was sold as it entered administration. BrewDog leveraged multiple platforms to raise growth capital for the craft brewery that once had a valuation measured in the billions. When expanding into the US,… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 2:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The CLARITY Act, or crypto market infrastructure legislation, is parked in the Senate after being approved in the House, and is largely held up by whether stablecoin holders will benefit from yield (or interest payments). As stablecoins must hold matching, low-risk assets like T-Bills, the… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 2:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

iCapital has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Hexure. This strategic move is designed to establish the first fully integrated technology system dedicated to annuities and insurance products, seamlessly linked with iCapital’s existing infrastructure for alternative and structured investments. The initiative creates a single operating… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 12:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

When crypto first hit the scene, global regulators were caught like deer in the headlights, confused and uncertain how to manage digital assets. Rules were effectively drawn from laws enacted before the internet was a dream, and in the US, the touchstone, the Howey Test… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 10:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based payment infrastructure provider Thunes has announced a groundbreaking development that promises to transform cross-border transactions. The company now enables financial institutions to execute immediate payouts to stablecoin wallets by leveraging their established SWIFT connections, eliminating the need for any new technical setups. This latest… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 10:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) has unveiled a significant expansion of its dollar-backed stablecoin, introducing PayPal USD (PYUSD) to users across 70 international markets. Revealed on March 17, 2026, this development allows millions of consumers and merchants to integrate the regulated digital asset seamlessly into their PayPal accounts,… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 9:26 am By JD Alois  |  

BVNK is being acquired by legacy payments firm Mastercard for $1.8 billion. BVNK is a stablecoin Fintech that has grown to process payment volumes in the billions. It holds multiple licenses around the world, including a money transmitter approval in the US, an EMI in… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 9:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital bank OakNorth delivered steady performance in 2025, posting a pre-tax profit of £223 million ($289 million) while expanding its lending activities significantly across the UK and US. The specialist lender to entrepreneur-led businesses in the lower mid-market segment reported gross revenue of £605.9 million… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 8:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Binance has introduced improvements to its lending services, potentially making it easier for users to access liquidity while keeping their crypto holdings intact. The platform’s flagship Flexible Loan product now stands out as a versatile, isolated, and over-collateralized borrowing option with open-ended terms. Users can… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 8:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Upvest, the Berlin-based investment technology provider for European markets, has announced a $125 million financing package that solidifies its status as the continent’s top provider of API-first infrastructure for securities trading and wealth management. This capital injection comes at a pivotal moment as traditional banks… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Databricks have deepened their collaboration to help businesses worldwide harness enterprise data more effectively and rapidly expand the use of sophisticated AI applications and intelligent agents. The two companies announced the creation of the Accenture Databricks Business Group on March 17,… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 6:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now said to be actively exploring a potential overhaul of corporate disclosure rules by potentially scrapping the long-standing requirement for mandatory quarterly earnings reports among American companies. According to an update from The Wall Street Journal, regulators… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 3:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) unveiled plans to purchase BVNK, a firm specializing in stablecoin technology, in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion that includes performance-based incentives of $300 million. The acquisition, disclosed on March 17, 2026, from the company’s base in Purchase, New York, aims… Read More

March 18, 2026 @ 1:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto.com has forged a new alliance with KG Inicis, South Korea’s payment gateway and value-added network operator, marking a key development in the integration of digital assets into everyday commerce. Announced on March 17, 2026, the partnership focuses on embedding Crypto.com’s Pay solution within KG… Read More

March 17, 2026 @ 7:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

Investing in private securities has become very popular. To meet this demand, Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) has listed its first publicly traded venture capital fund that invests solely in private companies. Typically, promising private firms first raise capital from individual investors and venture capital firms. Starting at… Read More

March 17, 2026 @ 4:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued another statement pertaining to “crypto assets” and federal securities law. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission joined in the statement. The statement is an interpretation of the definition of “security” as applied to certain types of crypto assets… Read More

March 17, 2026 @ 3:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

Republic, a leading private securities marketplace, has received a strategic investment from Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq:HLNE)  in a move described as a “major step toward expanding retail access to private markets.” The details of the investment were not immediately available. Hamilton Lane is a current partner… Read More

March 17, 2026 @ 3:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed charges against prediction marketplace Kalshi. The battle between the new form of betting and state oversight has been simmering for some time. According to a release issued by the AG, the state alleges that Kalshi accepted bets from… Read More

March 17, 2026 @ 3:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a formal submission made this month, the cryptocurrency advocacy group Coin Center has encouraged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to refine its approach to digital asset oversight. Addressed to Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Hester Peirce, the letter commends the pair for their… Read More