With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and February PPI threatening an inflation spike, the Federal Reserve faces its most volatile FOMC meeting of 2026. From Jerome Powell’s "Hawkish Hold" to the energy-driven Saylor Playbook shift in corporate treasuries, discover the 5 macro events redefining market liquidity this week.

On March 16, 2026, Bitcoin briefly surged about $1,800 in 30 minutes to a 40-day high near $74,300, wiping out roughly $113 million in short positions and lifting total crypto market value to $2.52 trillion. Over March 9–13, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $767 million in net inflows, while Ethereum spot ETFs added $161 million, as traders also watched Fed policy, rising oil prices and key U.S. economic data for their potential impact on digital assets.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission released survey findings from late 2025 showing that 23% of Gen Z in Australia now own crypto and heavily rely on social media, finfluencers and AI for financial guidance. ASIC warned that high trust in these sources is driving riskier decisions, particularly when unlicensed influencers promote high‑risk products and AI tools offer what may amount to licensed financial advice.

As global markets face an escalating $150 oil threat and a widening conflict in the Middle East, this week’s earnings from Micron, Alibaba, and Strive serve as a critical reality check for the AI and digital asset trades. Discover the key price levels and infrastructure milestones to watch as corporate giants attempt to navigate a perfect storm of energy-driven inflation and the radical evolution of Bitcoin Treasury companies.

According to the report, major crypto assets are consolidating with muted volatility and weak trading activity, even as Bitcoin briefly trades above $72,000. XRP is compressing in a narrowing range below key moving averages, while Shiba Inu hovers near $0.0000058 and struggles to reclaim the $0.000006 level amid a prolonged downtrend.

Blockchain security firm CertiK reports that crypto ATM scams in the United States led to about $333.5 million in losses in 2025 as criminals exploited fast cash-to-crypto conversions with minimal verification. Older adults bore roughly 86% of these losses, while the FBI received over 12,000 related complaints from January to November 2025, a 33% increase from 2024. Organized criminal groups, including Asian syndicates, allegedly used social engineering, AI-enhanced scams, and large-scale laundering operations to move illicit funds.

Between March 2 and March 8, MicroStrategy boosted its Bitcoin treasury by purchasing 17,994 BTC for about $1.28 billion, lifting its total holdings to 738,731 BTC. Ripple deepened its role in central bank digital currency projects through a collaboration highlighted by Mastercard, while Japan's SBI Holdings broadened its XRP-based shareholder reward program. In parallel, XRP price indicators suggested a potential breakout and Coinbase executives rejected claims they lobbied against a Bitcoin tax exemption.

Gnosis co-founder Dr. Friederike Ernst argues that the US Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity Act risks pushing crypto activity back through large, licensed financial intermediaries. She acknowledges the bill's attempt to divide oversight between the SEC and CFTC and to safeguard peer-to-peer transactions and self-custody, but warns it may undermine open, permissionless blockchain infrastructure and DeFi while debate in Congress continues.