Crypto Market Surges as SEC Proposes Major Regulatory Shift, BTC and ETH Rally

I. Crypto Market Overview

Key Takeaways

Macro Environment

The US SEC has proposed excluding most crypto assets from securities status, signaling a major regulatory shift. The Senate is reviewing a stablecoin yield ban, potentially limiting DeFi passive income. NYSE removed position limits on crypto ETF options, boosting institutional liquidity.

Crypto Market

The crypto market rebounded in the past 12 hours, with Bitcoin up 3.92% to $70,734 and Ethereum rising 4.17% to $2,143.05, driven by renewed institutional inflows and positive regulatory news. AI and Layer 1 sectors led gains; Bittensor (TAO) surged 12.19%, FET rose 10.35%, and Aptos (APT) climbed 9.83%, fueled by sector momentum and ecosystem activity.

Today's Outlook

Today, Japan releases national core CPI and February CPI, while the Eurozone, U.K., and U.S. publish flash manufacturing and services PMIs. These macroeconomic indicators may drive volatility across global and crypto markets.

Fear and Greed Index

46.00% Annual Percentile

32 Fear

Total Crypto Market Cap

$2.42T

3.22%

Total Market Trading Volume

$122.82B

75.32%

Altcoin Season Index

35.71%

Quarterly Percentile

46 / 100

Total Futures Market Open Interest

3.16B

0.43%

Futures

427.31B

14.15%

Perpetuals

II. Industry Updates

Macro-economic Policies

The US Senate has reached a preliminary agreement to ban interest payments for simply holding stablecoins, aiming to prevent competition with traditional bank deposits. This move could reshape stablecoin utility and impact DeFi yield strategies, potentially reducing passive income opportunities for crypto holders.

Deloitte and Stablecorp have announced a partnership to develop Canadian dollar stablecoin infrastructure for financial institutions, supporting 24/7 payments and blockchain-based settlement. This initiative may enhance institutional adoption and liquidity in Canadian crypto markets.

Venezuelan SMEs are increasingly using cryptocurrency for cross-border payments amid a severe dollar shortage, driven by US sanctions. This shift is boosting local crypto transaction volumes and may influence stablecoin demand in emerging markets.

The US Dollar Index dropped 0.69% to 98.958, with the euro and pound strengthening and the yen appreciating. Currency volatility is affecting BTC and altcoin price correlations, increasing short-term trading opportunities in crypto markets.

A massive fire at the Port Arthur oil refinery in Texas has raised concerns about potential disruptions in US oil supply. Higher energy prices could fuel inflation, impacting risk sentiment and possibly increasing volatility in crypto asset prices.

Cryptocurrency Regulatory Trends

The US SEC has submitted a proposal to the White House to exclude most crypto assets from securities classification, signaling a major regulatory shift that could boost institutional confidence and market participation.

The Senate Banking Committee is reviewing a stablecoin yield compromise, with new legislation set to ban interest on idle stablecoin balances, potentially limiting DeFi yield products and impacting investor strategies.

NYSE Arca and NYSE American have removed the 25,000-contract cap on crypto ETF options after SEC approval, enabling larger institutional trades and increasing market liquidity for Bitcoin and Ether ETFs.

Kenya has operationalized the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, introducing strict licensing, capital, and AML requirements for crypto exchanges and stablecoin issuers, which may encourage institutional adoption but raise compliance costs.

The Russian Finance Ministry has proposed fines for crypto exchanges violating annual trading limits, indicating tighter regulatory oversight that could restrict retail trading activity and affect market volumes.

Bittensor (TAO): Bittensor surged 12.19% in 24h to $299.56, driven by high trading volume ($569M) and renewed AI sector interest. No major protocol upgrade or listing reported, but strong market demand for decentralized AI networks is fueling momentum.

Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET): FET rose 10.35% in 24h to $0.2309, with $156.7M volume. The price jump is linked to the ongoing consolidation of Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and CUDOS into the universal $ASI token, boosting investor confidence in AI token unification.

Aptos (APT): Aptos climbed 9.83% in 24h to $1.04, with $202.8M in trading volume. The rally is attributed to increased ecosystem activity and strong investor interest in scalable Layer 1 solutions, though no specific upgrade or listing was announced in the last 24h.

Smart Money Movements

Semler Scientific increased its Bitcoin holdings by acquiring 212 BTC at an average cost of $75,100, bringing its total to 2,032 BTC.

Acurx Pharmaceuticals purchased $2 million in Bitcoin as part of its treasury inflation-hedging strategy.

Metals One PLC converted $5 million worth of gold reserves into Bitcoin, marking a significant shift to hard assets.

Capital B acquired 44 BTC for $3.11 million, raising its total Bitcoin holdings to 2,888 BTC, valued at approximately $308 million.

TeraWulf's carbon-zero Bitcoin reserves surpassed 3,000 BTC, with the company retaining over 90% of its production.

Events to Watch

Mar 24 (Tue)

Japan releases national core CPI y/y and February CPI; Eurozone, U.K., and U.S. publish flash manufacturing and services PMIs; U.S. ADP employment change and Richmond manufacturing index released.

Mar 25 (Wed)

Australia and U.K. release inflation data; U.K. February CPI published; Germany's March Ifo Business Climate Index released; DIGITECH SUMMIT and Finnovex East Africa 2026 Conference commence.

Mar 27 (Fri)

U.K. retail sales m/m and U.S. University of Michigan consumer sentiment released; BEA Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index published; Spain's preliminary March CPI released.

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