Last Week in Summary

Bybit CEO Ben Zhou met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to discuss the development of Georgia's digital asset ecosystem and cryptocurrency industry integration. The meeting highlighted Bybit's significant expansion in Georgia, including obtaining regulatory licenses, launching local platforms, and becoming the largest crypto card issuer in the country. The discussion emphasized regulatory cooperation and opportunities for Georgia's economic growth through fintech innovation and industry-government collaboration.

Gemba, a UK-based FinTech firm specializing in white-label banking infrastructure, has been recognized in the 2026 Sifted 100 leaderboard for fastest-growing startups in the UK and Ireland. The company enables technology firms and non-financial businesses to deploy branded payment accounts and cross-border financial services in under seven minutes, representing a significant acceleration from traditional 12-18 month integration timelines.

Devexperts has announced major updates to its DXtrade multi-asset trading platform, including a redesigned sidebar order entry system, a new fixed home workspace, and REST API management capabilities. These enhancements consolidate trading workflows into a more efficient and user-friendly interface while supporting various asset classes including stocks, options, futures, forex, and digital assets.

GlobalBlock, part of GCEX Group, has launched a digital assets offering for UK clients with financial promotions approved by FCA-authorised firm Archax Limited. The platform provides OTC execution, portfolio solutions, and cryptoasset settlement tools backed by GCEX Group's liquidity infrastructure and targets high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and corporates seeking professional digital asset access.

PayPal has expanded its PYUSD stablecoin to 70 markets globally, enabling users to buy, hold, send, and receive the dollar-backed digital currency directly from their PayPal accounts. The expansion allows for faster cross-border transactions with lower costs and quicker settlement times, with businesses able to access proceeds in minutes rather than days or weeks.

B2BROKER has integrated FXCubic's liquidity and risk management technology into its B2TRADER platform to enhance institutional FX trading capabilities for brokers. The expanded partnership combines scalable infrastructure with advanced multi-asset trading capabilities including cryptocurrencies, CFDs, and perpetual futures in a unified, mobile-first environment.

Thunes has extended its Pay-to-Stablecoin-Wallets solution to 11,500 Swift-connected financial institutions, enabling banks to send real-time payments directly to stablecoin wallets supporting USDC and USDT across 140+ countries. The move positions Thunes as a bridge between traditional banking and digital assets, allowing instant access to dollar-denominated stablecoins for salary disbursements, remittances, and business transfers.

TradeStation Securities has integrated with Level2, a no-code visual strategy automation platform by Bytemine Technologies, enabling traders to create and deploy automated trading strategies without writing code. The integration allows traders to use Level2's drag-and-drop interface to build rule-based strategies, run backtests, and execute trades directly through their TradeStation Securities accounts.

Markets are entering Phase 2 of repricing as oil surge-driven inflation concerns reshape monetary policy expectations, with central banks becoming more cautious about rate cuts. The Reserve Bank of Australia's stance signals that inflation risks remain present, while Phase 3 consequences of margin compression and credit stress are not yet fully priced into markets.

Mastercard has agreed to acquire stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, including contingent payments, marking a major strategic move by a traditional financial incumbent to embed digital asset capabilities into its global network. The acquisition combines Mastercard's extensive reach across 200+ countries and established financial relationships with BVNK's technical expertise, regulatory licensing, and proven stablecoin infrastructure that currently processes approximately $30 billion annually. This deal signals the financial industry's growing commitment to supporting digital currency services and tokenized money solutions at scale.

Spotware has launched cBridge, a platform-agnostic liquidity bridge solution that reduces bridge costs by up to 80% by replacing volume-based billing with transparent infrastructure-based pricing. The standalone solution supports cTrader, MT4, MT5, and FIX API environments, designed with operations teams in mind to streamline liquidity management and configuration workflows.

McKay Brothers and Quincy Data have launched a new ultra-low latency financial connectivity service between US and Australian derivatives markets, delivering sub-168 millisecond round-trip delays. The service connects major exchanges including CME, ICE Futures, ASX, and Cboe Australia, supporting price discovery across multiple asset classes and time zones. Both firms operate under a Level Playing Field policy ensuring equal access to infrastructure for all clients regardless of size.

Sage Capital Management has opened a new office in Zug, Switzerland and obtained an SRO/VQF licence from FINMA, positioning itself as a regulated financial intermediary for digital asset trading and lending to institutional clients. The expansion reinforces the firm's multi-jurisdictional regulatory framework and commitment to governance and transparency, with the appointment of Rupertus Rothenhaeuser to oversee the Swiss operations.

Cboe Global Markets has submitted an SEC proposal to launch near 24x5 U.S. equities trading on its EDGX exchange with a target launch date of December 2026. The proposal would make all NMS stocks available for trading from Sunday 9 p.m. ET through Friday 8 p.m. ET with operational pauses and all trades cleared through DTCC. Cboe leverages its existing expertise in around-the-clock derivatives and FX trading to support this expansion amid growing global demand for extended U.S. equities trading hours.

The article argues that UKBRENT crude oil is experiencing a classic blow-off top near the $100 psychological level, driven by FOMO-driven retail buying despite fundamental overextension. The author contends that smart money is distributing long positions at this level, setting up a violent mean-reversion crash contrary to bullish narratives fueled by Iran tensions and high fuel oil premiums.

Ironlight Group has secured $21 million in Series A funding to expand its infrastructure for tokenized securities trading and settlement. The round includes backing from prominent Wall Street figures like Greg Braca and institutional investors, with funds directed toward scaling its Alternative Trading System and technology platforms that integrate issuance, distribution, and trading functions while complying with SEC and FINRA regulations.

Hong Kong-based Velotrade has launched a crypto-focused proprietary trading platform enabling traders to operate funded accounts ranging from $5,000 to $200,000 without risking personal capital. Founded by former institutional traders from JP Morgan and other major banks, Velotrade differentiates itself through a performance-based revenue model tied to trader success rather than challenge fees, utilizing institutional liquidity bridges and AI-driven hedging.

Blue Ocean Technologies has appointed Chinmay Patel as Chief Technology Officer and Marcus Chan as Sales Representative for Asia-Pacific, strengthening its technology leadership and regional expansion. The appointments support the company's growth in after-hours US equities trading and tokenization strategies across Hong Kong and mainland China.

RoboForex has launched swap-free trading across all its markets, eliminating overnight holding charges without increasing spreads or commissions, following a successful pilot in Latin America. The feature is available to all clients on newly created accounts and aims to reduce cost uncertainty for traders holding positions over extended periods.

Bitcoin is trading at $73,786.72 on March 16, 2026, appearing to execute a V-shaped recovery despite extreme market fear. However, technical analysis reveals a formidable $74,000 supply wall and a "priced-in trap" that could halt the rally and catch retail traders off guard.

The euro is weakening against the British pound and US dollar as the dollar strengthens amid rising oil prices and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. EURUSD has broken below a rising channel and is approaching critical support levels at 1.12-1.13, while GBPUSD is stalling near 1.324 with bearish divergence signals. Traders should watch these technical support levels as they determine whether the currencies stabilize or continue declining.

Major central banks including the Federal Reserve, ECB, BoE, and BoC are expected to hold interest rates unchanged this week, but guidance on inflation risks and future rate cuts could trigger significant FX market volatility. Rising energy prices and geopolitical tensions are forcing policymakers to balance inflation concerns with economic growth, potentially signaling that rate cuts may be delayed longer than previously anticipated. Technical setups for GBP/USD and EUR/USD may react to any hawkish signals from central bank communications.

Mastercard has launched a Crypto Partner Program incorporating over 85 digital asset companies to standardize B2B infrastructure and improve blockchain integration with enterprise compliance and cross-border payments. The initiative positions stablecoins as foundational infrastructure for global money movement, with retailers and users expected to experience instant settlement and seamless blockchain-powered transactions within 12-24 months while maintaining a traditional finance front-end experience.

AUDUSD has failed to hold above the 0.7150 resistance level despite favorable fundamental catalysts, signaling institutional distribution and exhaustion in the rally. The article argues that while retail traders view the pullback as a buying opportunity, smart money is utilizing the liquidity to exit long positions, with bearish divergence suggesting further downside ahead.

Phemex's TradFi platform achieved over $10 billion in trading volume during its first month of operation, with gold instruments driving significant activity amid geopolitical tensions. The platform's 340% quarter-over-quarter user growth demonstrates strong demand for unified crypto and traditional asset trading with 24/7 availability and configurable leverage.

Citi has issued its first digitally native structured note on Euroclear's blockchain, marking a significant milestone in integrating complex financial products into traditional finance. This institutional adoption demonstrates that blockchain technology can handle sophisticated derivatives beyond simple assets like stablecoins and Treasury bills, with seamless user experiences for high-net-worth clients.

TabTrade, a new global forex and CFD broker registered in Saint Lucia, has launched with 0.0 pips average spreads on major currency pairs like EUR/USD and GBP/USD. The platform offers execution speeds below 30 milliseconds for Edge accounts and below 20 milliseconds for VIP accounts on MetaTrader 5, leveraging FIX API access and Equinix data center connectivity for reduced slippage.

Bitcoin experienced a sharp sell-off following geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Israel against Iran, dipping to $63,000 and triggering $200+ million in liquidations, but recovered dramatically to $74,000 as stability reports and strong U.S. manufacturing data emerged. On-chain data reveals a divergence in trader behavior, with large whales (10-10,000 BTC holders) selling 66% of recent gains at the $70,000 level while retail investors aggressively bought the dip, a pattern historically associated with consolidation or potential retail traps. The article highlights Bitcoin's continued sensitivity to macro factors despite its "uncorrelated asset" narrative, with nearly 43% of total supply currently underwater.

Corastone, a blockchain-based private market investing infrastructure platform, has secured investments from major financial institutions including Fidelity Investments, Hamilton Lane, and Future Standard. The platform aims to modernize private market workflows by replacing legacy file-based processes with a unified digital infrastructure that enables straight-through processing across general partners, wealth managers, and fund administrators.

PolyGun, a copy trading platform for prediction markets, has acquired Polymarket Analytics, a data intelligence platform that tracks over 2.3 million traders and monitors more than 183,000 active markets. The acquisition will integrate Polymarket Analytics' data pipeline into PolyGun's platform, providing users with enhanced access to trader performance data, market sentiment, and position history.

CME Group has set an all-time daily volume record of 8.3 million contracts traded on March 6, 2026, driven by heightened geopolitical uncertainty and increased demand for energy risk management tools. The record surpassed the previous high of 7.9 million contracts set just three days earlier, with multiple sub-categories also reaching single-day peaks including energy options and crude oil futures.

Broadridge Financial Solutions has integrated Crypto.com into its NYFIX order routing network, marking the first cryptocurrency integration for NYFIX in Asia. This integration enables cryptocurrency orders to flow through the same FIX-based infrastructure used by over 2,200 global buy- and sell-side participants, reducing fragmentation and operational friction between traditional and digital markets.

Cboe Global Markets announced a new three-outcome prediction market framework for S&P 500 contracts launching in Q2 2026, offering traders payouts of $0, partial returns within a defined zone, or full $100 payments. The patent-pending framework combines vertical spread mechanics with a user-friendly format designed for retail traders, rewarding directionally correct positions even when not perfectly predicted.

Oil prices have surged above $100 per barrel as Middle East tensions escalate, with major Gulf producers like Iraq and Kuwait cutting output and the Strait of Hormuz experiencing disrupted flows. Supply tightening could persist for extended periods despite speculative positioning remaining cautious, while governments have not yet intervened with strategic reserve releases. Refined product markets may also face pressure as refineries reduce operating rates in response to crude supply constraints.

Bybit appoints Derek Dai as Country Manager for MENA, signaling the cryptocurrency exchange's deepening commitment to the region despite geopolitical tensions. The strategic appointment aims to lead regional expansion, regulatory collaboration, and institutional partnerships, particularly leveraging Bybit's recently obtained UAE SCA licence. The move demonstrates Bybit's confidence in the Middle East as a key emerging hub for digital finance and tokenized assets.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil has surged to $116.57, driven by FOMO-fueled retail buying on Strait of Hormuz closure headlines, but ACY Securities analysts warn of a dangerous market trap forming around the $111 exhaustion candle. The vertical price ascent from $60 in February shows classic overbought conditions with RSI divergence on lower timeframes, suggesting institutional players are banking profits as retail chases a potential $130-$150 rally that may not materialize.

Blockchain.com has announced its expansion into Ghana as part of its broader Africa strategy, following significant success in Nigeria where it recorded over 700% growth in brokerage transaction volume since launching retail services. Ghana had already demonstrated strong demand with 140% growth in active users and 80% increase in transaction volumes prior to the official launch, reflecting strong interest in regulated access to digital assets across the region.

Falcon Investment Management won the Best European Multi-Strategy Fund award at the EuroHedge Awards with a 15.81% return and 4.40 Sharpe ratio. The fund, launched five years ago, operates across 20 teams managing various liquid strategies and has never recorded a down month since inception.