During the week ending Friday, West Texas Intermediate crude notched its largest weekly advance since U.S. futures began trading in 1983, closing at $90.90 a barrel and jumping 35.63% amid war-related supply disruptions. Over the same period, Brent crude climbed about 28% to $92.69, while major U.S. stock indices, including the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq, fell as traders contended with surging energy prices and weaker labor data.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan plans to begin purchasing cryptocurrencies and shares of crypto-related companies in April and May 2026, using up to $350 million from the country's gold and foreign exchange reserves. Authorities intend to eventually expand this state-controlled "National Strategic Crypto Reserve" to about $700 million by adding funds from the National Fund of Kazakhstan and confiscated digital coins. Senior officials say they are now selecting eligible companies and instruments, with the earmarked money temporarily parked in other money market assets until the first crypto investments are made.

Former Ripple CTO David Schwartz has commented on XRP's performance amid a wider crypto downturn, noting that overall market conditions leave him feeling down. Shiba Inu has seen a sharp 666% surge in futures flows alongside ongoing price weakness, while Dogecoin temporarily traded above the key $0.10 level for about eight hours before slipping back to around $0.096.

US lawmakers are escalating efforts to restrict prediction markets after hundreds of millions of dollars were wagered on Iran-related military and political events. Several Democratic members of Congress are advancing bills to prohibit war and death-linked contracts and to bar senior officials from trading event derivatives, while the CFTC develops a new rulemaking framework. The clash is sharpening the divide between regulated US venues and offshore crypto platforms as institutional interest and trading volumes continue to grow.

The US-Israel war in Iran is disrupting the Strait of Hormuz and increasing risk for Toyota, Hyundai, Chery, and other Chinese car brands in key Middle Eastern markets. An analysis from Bernstein highlights that these foreign automakers, which together hold about one‑third of the covered regional market, face shipment delays, higher logistics costs, and potential sales pressure as oil prices surge and traffic through the strait slows. China, which receives around 45% of its oil via this route, is engaging Iran over safe passage for energy cargoes while global automakers and investors monitor the fallout.

On March 6 2026, Pakistan's parliament approved the Virtual Assets Act 2026, creating the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) to oversee the country's digital asset sector. The law authorizes PVARA to license exchanges, custodians, wallet providers, token issuers, and lending platforms, with unlicensed activity facing fines up to PKR 50 million, separate penalties for unauthorized token offerings, and possible prison terms. The framework embeds AML and Sharia compliance requirements, follows earlier NOCs for major exchanges and a tokenization MOU with Binance, and is expected to influence regional regulators such as India.

After one week of U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran, President Donald Trump on Friday rejected any diplomatic settlement short of Iran's "unconditional surrender" while Tehran dismissed calls for a ceasefire. The escalation has disrupted global energy markets, driven Brent and WTI prices sharply higher, and forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, leaving 147 container ships stranded and intensifying pressure on Europe's gas supplies.

Binance issued a detailed reply to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal's February 24, 2026 letter, disputing media-based allegations about its sanctions and compliance practices and describing them as false and defamatory. The exchange emphasized a global compliance framework staffed by over 1,500 specialists using more than 25 monitoring tools, handling 71,000+ law enforcement requests in 2025 and helping seize over $752 million in illicit funds. It also reported a sharp reduction in exposure to wallets tied to illegal activity between early 2024 and mid-2025, while explaining actions against accounts linked to Hexa Whale and Blessed Trust.