Gate Cryptocurrency News and Market Analysis

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 11-1 on March 18, 2026, to maintain the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, marking the second consecutive meeting with no change in borrowing costs as policymakers flagged uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict and persistent inflation.

Wyoming Senator Lummis indicated that the U.S. Digital Asset Market Structure Act (CLARITY Act) is close to passage, but disagreement over stablecoin yield remains a major obstacle. If not passed by May, digital asset legislation will face significant challenges. Variables from the midterm elections could impact the bill's progress, with Lummis emphasizing this is the only opportunity for market structure reform.

The FBI warns of rising impersonation scams involving cryptocurrency payments, as fraudsters use urgency and evolving tactics to pressure victims into quick financial decisions and drive increasing financial losses. FBI Warns of Rising Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams A new warning from the FB

The Ethereum Foundation announced on March 18, 2026, that it has deployed an additional 3,400 ETH (approximately $7.6 million at current prices) into Morpho Vaults, with 1,000 ETH specifically allocated to Morpho Vaults V2, continuing its strategic shift toward active, on-chain DeFi treasury management.

Tarek Mansour, CEO of Kalshi, dismissed criminal allegations from Arizona as overreach, asserting the company's operations are not gambling. He emphasized that the legal dispute remains unresolved and that the CFTC has authority, not state regulators.

The Ethereum Foundation announced an additional allocation of 3,400 ETH to Morpho Vaults to advance DeFi yield strategies, marking its financial transformation. This deployment represents the Foundation's third asset allocation to Morpho, emphasizing open-source principles and security in line with the needs of large treasury management. The Foundation currently holds assets exceeding $820 million, reducing its reliance on ETH liquidation through DeFi strategies and generating stable returns.

Prediction market platform Polymarket announced the acquisition of DeFi startup Brahma, aimed at reducing user operation friction, enhancing liquidity for small-value contracts, and reaching high-risk users. Brahma focuses on DeFi infrastructure with trading volume exceeding $1 billion. This is Polymarket's third acquisition in recent period, demonstrating its comprehensive expansion strategy.

On March 18, Iran attacked Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, a globally important liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility. Market concerns about energy supply disruptions have driven oil prices higher. This incident has triggered a systemic supply storm, impacting aviation, logistics, and consumer goods industries. The cryptocurrency market may experience volatility due to risk-off sentiment, with potential long-term benefits from quantitative easing policies. Qatar and Japan are particularly vulnerable in the supply disruption, and supply chain resilience will be tested.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a rule change on March 18, 2026, allowing Nasdaq to support the trading of tokenized shares, enabling eligible participants to settle stock trades in tokenized form through a pilot program operated by the Depository Trust Company (DTC), a subsidiary of the DTCC.

Eric Trump announced that his American Bitcoin company's Bitcoin holdings have increased to approximately 6,899 BTC, surpassing Galaxy Digital to become the 16th largest publicly listed Bitcoin company globally. The company relies primarily on industrial-scale mining rather than market purchases, and recently acquired 11,298 mining machines to expand production capacity. The Trump family's combined Bitcoin holdings exceed 16,000 BTC, demonstrating their significance in the cryptocurrency sector.

Bitcoin's price has pulled back to around $70,990, the Federal Reserve has kept interest rates unchanged, and the U.S. SEC has approved Nasdaq to support tokenized stock trading. The Algorand Foundation has laid off 25% of its workforce due to market downturn. U.S. stocks have declined, with inflation and geopolitical tensions becoming focal points for investors.

The Algorand Foundation announced on March 18, 2026, that it is reducing its workforce by 25%, citing the uncertain global macro environment and the broader downturn in crypto markets as primary factors.

Prediction market platform Polymarket announced on March 18, 2026, the acquisition of Brahma, a financial infrastructure company specializing in crypto and DeFi execution systems for businesses and individuals managing digital assets.

Drone strikes hit Ras Laffan LNG; QatarEnergy halts output Two drones launched from Iran struck facilities in Mesaieed and Ras Laffan on March 2, 2026, with no casualties, according to the Qatar Ministry of Defense. One drone hit a water tank at a Mesaieed power plant and another targeted an