Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said in a Tuesday speech at the FIN/SUM conference in Tokyo that the central bank will use a sandbox to test how its reserve deposits could function on blockchain-based systems. He added that the BOJ will work with external experts on use cases for domestic interbank and securities settlement and will continue its pilot for a potential retail CBDC, though no launch timeline has been set.

TRM Labs reported that trading volumes on Iranian crypto exchanges fell about 80% between Feb. 27 and March 1 following U.S. and Israeli military strikes, mainly due to internet restrictions. The firm said major domestic platforms remained operational in a risk-managed mode with suspended USDT-toman trading, thinner liquidity and withdrawal limits, and cautioned against interpreting recent flows as clear evidence of capital flight.

In its fourth-quarter 2025 report, Figure Technology Solutions posted net income of $15.1 million, a 156% year-over-year increase, on net revenue of $159.9 million and loan marketplace volume of $2.7 billion. Bernstein analysts described the results as solid, reiterated their outperform rating with a $72 price target, and noted progress in Figure's tokenized marketplace strategy and expansion into new lending categories alongside a new $200 million share repurchase authorization.

World Liberty Financial said on Wednesday it posted a governance proposal requiring holders to stake unlocked WLFI for at least 180 days to vote. The plan adds a square-root voting formula and targets a 2% annualized reward for stakers who cast at least two votes, with tiers granting Node status at 10 million WLFI and Super Node at 50 million.

Bitcoin and major cryptocurrencies extended losses early Wednesday, with bitcoin trading just below $67,000 and ether slipping under $2,000. Market participants linked the decline to a more hawkish U.S. macro policy outlook following Kevin Warsh's nomination as Federal Reserve chair, alongside signs of deep deleveraging in derivatives markets.

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service announced on Monday an annual policy plan to intensify oversight of cryptocurrency trading and introduce harsher sanctions on financial institutions for IT-related incidents. The measures, which follow a mistaken transfer of 620,000 BTC by Bithumb to hundreds of users, target activities such as price manipulation, rapid price-pumping schemes and the spread of false information. The watchdog is also setting up a task force to prepare rules under the Digital Asset Basic Act, including disclosure standards and licensing guidance for digital asset service providers and stablecoin issuers.

Tether has increased its headcount to about 300 employees and, according to the Financial Times, intends to hire roughly 150 additional staff over the next 18 months, mainly engineers. The stablecoin issuer is channeling growing profits into recruitment, technology initiatives and diversified investments spanning sectors such as sports, agriculture, media and metals.

Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, has become the frontrunner to be Donald Trump's next Fed chair, with Polymarket traders lifting his odds to 93% after reports he is likely to be nominated. His chances also climbed on Kalshi, while other potential candidates reportedly include Kevin Hassett, Christopher Waller and Rick Rieder.

Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated Lithuania-based crypto exchange WhiteBIT as an "undesirable" organization, effectively forcing it to halt activities in the country. Authorities alleged the platform provided financial and technical backing to Ukraine-linked initiatives, citing about $11 million in donations that align with figures WhiteBIT has published on its website.