Indian police have arrested CoinDCX co-founders over alleged fraud, according to media reports. The executives have denied any wrongdoing and said the matter stems from an impersonation scheme.

Grayscale has filed for a Hyperliquid exchange-traded fund with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, aiming to offer investors regulated exposure to the Hyperliquid (HYPE) token. The proposed ETF would list on Nasdaq under the ticker GHYP. The filing adds Grayscale to a tightening race that already includes Bitwise and 21Shares, both of which have submitted proposals linked to the same protocol. The push underscores a broader trend in crypto ETFs: asset managers are increasingly targeting derivatives-driven ecosystems as investor interest expands beyond spot Bitcoin and Ethereum products. According to the filing, Coinbase would serve as custodian. Grayscale did not disclose a management fee, leaving pricing unclear for now—an approach that echoes earlier crypto ETF filings where issuers prioritized speed to market. On-chain data from DeFiLlama shows Hyperliquid has sustained weekly trading volume of roughly $40 billion to $100 billion, maintaining its position as the leading decentralized venue for perpetual futures despite rising competition. DeFiLlama also reports that total weekly perpetual futures volume this year has ranged from about $125 billion to $300 billion, more than double year-ago levels, reflecting demand for leveraged exposure in both up and down markets. Grayscale said staking rewards could be incorporated into the ETF later, contingent on regulatory clarity and operational readiness. Other issuers are moving in the same direction: Bitwise has amended an earlier filing to include staking, and 21Shares has indicated similar intentions. Even so, U.S. rules around staking-linked products remain unsettled. The proposed structure is designed primarily to track HYPE's price performance rather than deliver direct participation in protocol activity or derivatives revenue. That framing could broaden access for traditional investors while keeping the product within a more conventional ETF profile. Grayscale also highlighted Hyperliquid's expansion into tokenized real-world assets, including continuous trading for assets such as oil and gold when traditional exchanges are closed. Rivals including Aster, Lighter, and edgeX are entering the space, but Hyperliquid has continued to account for a dominant share of activity in most weeks—an indication, Grayscale argues, that network effects and ecosystem integration remain strong. With multiple filings now tied to the same protocol, the SEC's next step will be to acknowledge the application and set a review timeline. Approval timing remains uncertain as regulators weigh digital-asset ETFs beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

U.S. consumers have been grappling with elevated inflation for some time. That pressure was already evident before the Strait of Hormuz shut down, a development that adds new uncertainty to the outlook.

Brazil has put its planned public consultation on crypto taxation on hold, pushing the timeline to 2027 as the government prioritizes the October 2026 presidential election. Finance Minister Dario Durigan, who recently replaced Fernando Haddad, opted to delay the process to avoid consuming political capital on tax measures viewed as contentious during an election cycle, Reuters reported. Officials had previously intended to start public discussions later this year, and while the consultation remains on the agenda, the schedule is now expected to slip beyond the vote. The pause comes after a series of regulatory moves that have already tightened oversight of digital assets. In June 2025, Brazil adopted a 17.5% flat tax on crypto capital gains, ending prior exemptions that applied to monthly sales below 35,000 Brazilian real. In November 2025, Banco Central do Brasil classified stablecoin transactions as foreign-exchange operations, bringing crypto service providers more squarely under existing financial rules and adding authorization requirements. Central bank chief Gabriel Galipolo has said stablecoins represent about 90% of domestic crypto flows, making the FX classification a key lever for how activity is tracked and taxed. Despite the policy uncertainty, adoption remains robust. Chainalysis ranks Brazil fifth globally and No. 1 in Latin America. The country recorded $318.8 billion in crypto inflows from July 2024 to June 2025, while regional adoption rose 63% in 2025. Even with rapid growth across retail and institutional users, the delayed consultation leaves aspects of tax treatment for certain crypto transactions unresolved until after the election period.

BNB has narrowly overtaken XRP in market capitalization, taking the No. 4 spot among the world's largest cryptocurrencies. The shift was decided by roughly $90 million, highlighting how tight the rankings have become for major tokens. $XRP $BNB

Coinbase is set to launch round-the-clock stock perpetual futures for international traders this week. CEO Brian Armstrong said traditional markets "close" even as news continues to move prices, arguing that 24/7 price discovery can expand trading opportunities and support stronger risk management.

Crude oil has emerged as the dominant market on Hyperliquid, with open interest reaching $300 million. The contract now exceeds the size of any cryptocurrency or equity pair on the platform, according to Delphi Digital.

Major central banks struck a more hawkish tone this week even as they left policy rates unchanged, with the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and Swiss National Bank all holding steady. Market expectations for the ECB are shifting quickly. Barclays and J.P. Morgan now see the risk of an interest-rate increase as early as April, with additional moves possible through the summer. Goldman Sachs has outlined a scenario in which the ECB delivers a cumulative 75 basis points of tightening starting in June. The BoE also flagged renewed inflation pressure, warning price growth could rise to 3.5% as oil prices surge. Brent crude traded above $119 a barrel after attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins on Tuesday delivered what he called a landmark shift in U.S. crypto policy, stating that Bitcoin, Ethereum and a wide swath of digital assets are formally outside U.S. securities laws. Speaking at the DC Blockchain Summit 2026 on March 18, Atkins introduced a new token taxonomy and an updated framework for interpreting investment contracts, which he said the agency is putting into effect immediately. "The SEC's persistent failure to provide clarity on this question is over," he told the audience. Under the framework, four categories of crypto assets are explicitly treated as non-securities: digital commodities (including Bitcoin and Ethereum), digital collectibles, digital tools, and payment stablecoins issued under the GENIUS Act. Atkins said SEC oversight would be limited to a single category: "digital securities," defined narrowly as traditional financial securities that have been tokenized and moved onto a blockchain. All other categories would sit outside the agency's jurisdiction. "We are not the Securities and Everything Commission anymore," he added. Atkins also outlined two proposed safe-harbor style fundraising paths aimed at encouraging crypto development in the U.S. One would create a time-limited startup exemption lasting up to four years, allowing early-stage projects to raise up to $5 million without full securities registration. A second exemption would permit more established projects to raise up to $75 million in any 12-month period, contingent on filing a disclosure document with the SEC detailing financial condition and audited financial statements. He said the exemptions would complement, not replace, existing capital-raising options. Despite the breadth of the announcement, Atkins stressed that lasting regulatory certainty requires congressional action. He endorsed the bipartisan Clarity Act advancing on Capitol Hill and described the SEC's "Regulation Crypto Assets" effort as a way to begin implementing the bill ahead of its expected passage. "I trust it will soon reach President Trump's desk," he said. For an industry that has spent more than a decade navigating enforcement actions and shifting interpretations, the announcement is being seen as the clearest signal yet that Washington is moving toward a more defined rulebook for crypto.