Global Markets

Visa announces an expansion of its partnership with Bridge, a subsidiary of Stripe, planning to promote stablecoin cards in over 100 countries by 2026 and to push for on-chain settlement. This initiative will facilitate mainstream adoption of stablecoins and enhance payment convenience. Bridge is also testing the efficiency of blockchain settlement, aiming to transform traditional financial processes. This move reflects how payment giants are accelerating integration with digital currencies.

_Oil shock and Fed uncertainty pressure Bitcoin, while ETF inflows fail to restore strong institutional demand._ Bitcoin swung sharply after U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran triggered a weekend risk-off move across

Gate News bot message: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, VIX has risen by 3% in the short term, with current volatility significantly higher than recent average levels, indicating increased market activity.

The author believes that the transformation of the financial industry towards blockchain is inevitable. Although the crypto market may initially only serve fringe users, recent geopolitical events have accelerated this shift. As decentralized exchanges become the core of the market, traditional financial institutions need to adapt quickly to on-chain finance or risk being eliminated.

PayPal's stablecoin PYUSD is improving invoice financing issues in the North American trucking industry. Through integration with TCS Blockchain, carriers can receive funds on the same day, reducing settlement costs by up to 90%. This solution effectively addresses the long wait times caused by traditional invoicing processes and helps enhance the market application and competitiveness of PYUSD. TCS projects that by 2026, the freight invoice transaction volume will exceed $1 billion.

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong announced the optimization of the tax system for funds and family investment vehicles, expanding the types of eligible investments to include digital assets, real estate, precious metals, and specific commodities, to support the government's policies in areas such as carbon trading and digital assets.

The recently released Crypto Weekly Report shows that the crypto market is experiencing volatility and consolidation, with large amounts of capital flowing into BTC and ETH respectively, and market sentiment is extremely fearful. In terms of investment and financing, 13 transactions were completed with a total of $76.15 million, with infrastructure financing leading, and institutions accelerating their digital asset custody deployment.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that the derivatives market Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group) announced that in February, the average daily trading volume of cryptocurrency contracts reached 322,000 contracts, with a notional value of $9.3 billion, a 45% increase. Among them, micro Ethereum futures daily average contract volume increased by 22%, reaching 115,000 contracts; micro Bitcoin futures daily average contract volume increased by 31%, reaching 100,000 contracts; Ethereum futures daily average contract volume increased by 65%, reaching 24,000 contracts. (PRNewswire)

Bitcoin price has recently rebounded to around $68,000, mainly driven by institutional capital inflows and short covering. Although trading sentiment remains cautious, market optimism for short-term fluctuations has increased, but high-leverage traders remain cautious, and overall confidence is gradually recovering.

The conflict between the US and Iran impacts the market, with TSMC's stock price plummeting to 1,895 yuan and the Taiwan Weighted Index falling by 94.9 points. Conversely, Bitcoin defies the trend and rebounds to $68,062, indicating investor risk aversion. Precious metal prices retreat, with gold dropping to a low of $5,119. Rising international oil prices influence inflation expectations, causing the probability of rate cuts to decrease to 2.6%. The US dollar index rises, and the market expects Bitcoin to break through $75,000 before confirming the end of the bull market.

According to SoSoValue data, on March 3rd, the total net inflow for SOL spot ETFs was $1,030,400, with Franklin Solana ETF experiencing a net inflow of $732,100 and Invesco Galaxy Solana ETF experiencing a net inflow of $298,300. Currently, the total net asset value of SOL spot ETFs is $803 million.

The article discusses the rise of tokenization in the US stock market and analyzes why the NYSE chose to launch a tokenized stock project in 2026. This shift could not only reshape market timing structures and capital flows but also trigger a redistribution of financial ecosystems. With stablecoins incorporated as settlement tools, the infrastructure of the securities market is expected to undergo structural changes, emphasizing a balance between compliance and innovation.

According to SoSoValue data, on March 3rd, XRP spot ETF had a total net inflow of $7,525,500, with Bitwise XRP ETF experiencing the highest net inflow. The current total net asset value of XRP spot ETF is $1.001 billion, with a historical total net inflow of $1.255 billion.

The Middle East conflict intensifies, posing significant challenges to energy and financial markets. Crude oil and gold prices rise in tandem, with supply risks and inflation expectations driving market reactions. The article analyzes the impact of the war on oil and gold prices and explores Bitcoin's performance amid high uncertainty. Key variables include spillover risks from the conflict, shipping costs, and inflation trajectories. In the future, markets will reassess safety and risk asset allocations.

BlackRock's Bitcoin Spot ETF (IBIT) recently saw a single-day capital inflow of $767 million, the largest in five months. In three days, the total inflow exceeded $1.1 billion, driving Bitcoin's price back above $69,000. This phenomenon indicates institutional capital actively deploying, reflecting independent thinking and confidence in market sentiment.

Consensys is developing a common blockchain ledger compatible with Ethereum to enhance SWIFT's infrastructure, focusing on 24/7 interbank payments and tokenized asset transfers. Smart contracts within the system ensure compliance, making it suitable for tightly regulated banking environments. Major institutions like BNY Mellon and JP Morgan are participating, signaling a strategic move towards digital payment infrastructure by 2026, reflecting a broader trend among central banks and financial organizations.

Citigroup is actively promoting the banking of Bitcoin, planning to launch institutional-grade custody services in 2026 to integrate traditional financial systems. By simplifying technical access and improving capital efficiency, Citigroup aims to reduce operational friction for institutional clients and incorporate digital assets into standardized management, further attracting conservative institutional funds into the crypto market.

In some parts of Africa, merchants are turning to Bitcoin as everyday currency rather than just an investment tool, due to high inflation in the region. Executive Chairman Masie highlighted the importance of Bitcoin in combating inflation and noted that the tech-savviness of the young population is driving cryptocurrency growth. On-chain data shows that the African crypto market is growing rapidly, offering a vast space for financial inclusion.

Bitcoin once dropped to $66,140 before rebounding to $68,549. The market remains highly uncertain due to the Iran war. Federal Reserve officials warn of increasing inflation risks and suggest potential impacts on future monetary policy. Additionally, rising oil prices have strengthened the dollar, suppressing gold prices and dampening investor confidence.

SoFi Technologies expands its partnership with Mastercard to include its fully reserve USD stablecoin SoFiUSD as a global payment settlement currency. This collaboration aims to integrate SoFiUSD into traditional financial settlement systems and support real-time transactions and cross-border transfers, further promoting the use of stablecoins in the financial market.