Weekly Recap | Bhutan Launches Digital Nomad Visa, U.S. Seeks Public Comment on the GENIUS Act, Echo
2026.03.02
Last Week in Review (Feb 23 – Mar 1)
Crypto markets turned cautious and defensive last week amid mounting macro headwinds and regulatory transition. The implementation of the 15% global tariff reignited concerns over resurging inflation and delayed rate cuts, putting broad pressure on risk assets. Bitcoin fell from around $69,000 to near $65,000, posting a monthly decline of nearly 15% — its worst monthly performance so far in 2026.
Tariff policy dominated risk-off sentiment, dragging both cryptocurrencies and tech equities lower. While regulators signaled longer-term compliance progress, near-term liquidity tightening remained the primary constraint.
Below is a concise recap of the key developments in crypto over the past week, along with a preview of the trends and catalysts to watch in the days ahead.
Market Pulse
iShares has applied to list a staked Ethereum spot ETF, ETHB, proposed for trading on Nasdaq.
A co-founder of World Liberty Fi stated that USD1 is now 100% reserve-backed and fully verifiable at any time.
The U.S. sanctioned Russian entity Operation Zero over allegations of crypto-funded data theft activities.
Bhutan introduced a Solana-powered digital nomad visa program.
South Korean lawmakers proposed mandatory asset disclosure requirements for crypto influencers.
Funding & M&A
A total of 15 funding rounds were completed last week, raising over $120 million, primarily across DeFi and AI sectors.
Based secured $11.5 million in a Series A round led by Pantera Capital.
t54 Labs raised $5 million in seed funding with participation from Ripple and Franklin Templeton.
The International Finance Corporation under the World Bank Group announced a $40 million investment in digital infrastructure project Zetrix AI.
Japanese yen stablecoin issuer JPYC closed approximately $12 million in a Series B round led by Asteria.
AurumX ecosystem infrastructure project Manadia completed a $7 million seed round.
Policy & Compliance
A UK court allowed victims of Blue Sky Grey to register evidence with the High Court before May 22.
Donald Trump stated that members of Congress should be barred from profiting on insider information.
Vladimir Putin signed a new law granting Russian courts authority to confiscate crypto assets.
Emirates NBD has enabled the possibility of allocating Bitcoin within its investment processes.
The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is seeking public comment on the regulatory framework for payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act.
Indiana lawmakers passed a Bitcoin rights bill, now awaiting the governor’s signature.
South Africa plans to amend regulations to incorporate crypto assets into its capital flow management framework.
Echobit Highlights
Echobit Valentine’s Trading Rewards launched, offering a $10,000 USDT prize pool.
Echobit Daily Winter Prediction campaign went live, rewarding users for market forecasts.
Echobit Blur Coin Challenge launched with task-based rewards.
Echobit Find the Hidden Coin campaign went live, encouraging interactive participation.
Echobit World Tour Pyramids Stop launched, unlocking priority reward opportunities.
Echobit Quiz Challenge launched, offering 100 USDT for correct answers.
Echobit Trade & Get Rewards Vol. 2 went live, rewarding trading activity.
Echobit Points Challenge launched, allowing users to accumulate points through participation.
Echobit March Futures Trading Competition officially began.
Echobit World Tour Bali Stop launched, featuring a 75U island-themed prize pool.
Week Ahead (Mar 2 – Mar 8)
ZEROBASE will upgrade its staking function on March 2.
MANTRA Chain is scheduled to implement its v7.0.0 software upgrade on March 3.
Rayls will open RLS pre-staking lockup on March 3, with mainnet launch planned for Q3 this year.
SolCex announced its mobile application launch on March 3.
The Federal Reserve will release its Beige Book economic report.
The idOS token will be auctioned via Tally and listed on March 5.
A co-founder of HyperLiquid stated that 173,000 HYPE tokens will be unstaked and distributed to team members on March 6.
Echobit will continue to track global crypto developments, focusing on market shifts, regulatory trends, and capital flows — helping you navigate both bull and bear cycles with clarity and conviction.