Zcash (ZEC) retreated on Thursday, sliding nearly 10% and dipping to around $239 after rallying to a multi-month high near $280. The move was framed as broad profit-taking amid a risk-off tone across crypto markets, putting the $240 area and a psychological $230 level in focus for bulls.

Crypto asset investment products recorded about $1.06 billion of net inflows last week, extending a three-week streak to roughly $2.2 billion. Bitcoin accounted for around 75% of the weekly total (about $793 million), while on-chain data for March 9–15 showed about $19,200 in Banana Gun bot fees with ETH at roughly 50.5% and BSC near 36%.

On March 18, crypto markets weakened as spot ETF flows flipped to net outflows and leveraged positions were forced out. Bitcoin ETF products saw about $129.6 million in net outflows while Ethereum ETFs recorded roughly $55.5 million, alongside $588.1 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin traded near $69,000 and Ethereum fell below $2,200 as longs made up most of the wipeout.

South Korea's main opposition party has proposed eliminating a crypto income tax that is scheduled to take effect in 2027, framing the move as a fairness issue for investors. The plan would have imposed a maximum 22% levy on crypto trading profits above 2.5 million won (about $1,665).

Gold (XAU/USD) stabilizes at $4,850 on March 19, 2026, after a sharp Fed-driven sell-off. With $100 oil and the Strait of Hormuz conflict ongoing, discover if the $4,802 hammer candle signals a fresh rally toward $5,000.

On March 17, Ripple Labs announced a major expansion into Brazil with a full-stack institutional platform that combines custody, prime brokerage, stablecoin settlements and treasury tools for regulated entities. Over the past 24 hours, Shiba Inu futures open interest has climbed more than 26% to about 12.24 trillion SHIB, while XRP is attempting a recovery near $1.53 and defending support around $1.43.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved a Nasdaq rule change that permits a pilot program for trading and settling tokenized shares through the Depository Trust Company. Participants in the pilot can choose tokenized settlement while retaining the same rights, order book and execution priority as traditional stockholders, as regulators continue to test blockchain-based market infrastructure.

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee held the federal funds rate at 3.5–3.75% while assessing the economic fallout from the war in the Middle East and its effect on energy prices. Chair Jerome Powell said growth and consumer spending remain solid but highlighted soft housing, a cooling labor market and inflation still above the 2% goal, creating tension in the Fed's dual mandate. Derivatives data show most traders expect no change at the April 2026 meeting, while market commentators debate how prolonged liquidity support could influence broader risk assets such as cryptocurrencies.