SBI Holdings’ crypto arm, SBI VC Trade, is rolling out a USDC lending product in Japan, enabling retail users to lend Circle’s stablecoin to the platform under fixed-term agreements in exchange for interest. The offering limits per-user exposure to 5,000 USDC, with the loan treated as an asset to SBI VC Trade rather than a traditional bank deposit. As such, customers bear counterparty risk, and funds cannot be withdrawn or transferred during the fixed term. SBI noted that borrowed USDC may be re-lent as part of its operational use. The launch represents another step in Japan’s ongoing stablecoin rollout, bringing a consumer-accessible USDC yield product to market via a licensed domestic platform. While the product offers yield relative to typical cash deposits, it carries different protections and risk profiles compared with traditional deposits, a distinction SBI emphasized in its communication with users. Key takeaways SBI VC Trade introduces a USDC lending product in Japan, offeri...

Bitcoin’s latest update frames a period of geopolitical tension as a test of the asset’s maturity. The release notes Bitcoin has held a $65,000 to $76,000 range while outperforming gold and major equities, suggesting a broader base of demand beyond speculative trading. It points to growing institutional involvement, including spot Bitcoin ETFs, corporate treasury allocations, and sovereign wealth fund participation, and notes that more than 20 million Bitcoin have been mined, with over 95% of supply in circulation. For readers and market participants, the report signals how macro conditions and evolving demand dynamics could shape Bitcoin’s trajectory in the near term. Key points Bitcoin traded within a $65,000 to $76,000 range during the period described in the release. Bitcoin outperformed gold, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq in the same window. Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows reached US$763 million last week, with additional institutional buying (US$1.28 billion) noted. More t...

Crypto cards have gained attention as a convenience layer for spending digital assets, but a prominent founder argues they’re a transitional interface built on legacy rails. In a recent perspective, Vikram Arun, co-founder and CEO of Superform, makes the case that the real innovation lies in on-chain credit—where users can spend against productive, yield-bearing assets without selling them, and where risk is governed in public, transparent ways. Arun’s central thesis is simple: the card is not the product. The true value comes from a credit line calibrated against a user’s on-chain balance sheet. As wallet infrastructure matures and on-chain credit becomes more capable, crypto cards risk becoming obsolete as a spender’s primary connection to value, replaced by systems that treat the card as a thin interface atop robust on-chain lending primitives. Key takeaways Current crypto cards force asset liquidation to enable spending, creating taxable events and a false choice between liquidity ...

RedotPay, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin payments platform, says it has consolidated its teams to improve efficiency as it scales, following market chatter about executive turnover and sensitivities tied to its ties with mainland China. A Bloomberg report on March 18, 2026, flagged at least five senior departures in the past year, including two heads of compliance, amid a demanding work culture and marathon hours. The company has been pursuing a US initial public offering that could exceed $1 billion in proceeds and values the firm at over $4 billion, according to Bloomberg. RedotPay publicly framed the moves as part of transitioning from an early-stage startup to a unicorn, while insisting its leadership core remains intact. Key takeaways RedotPay is reorganizing its organizational structure and talent pool to support continued growth and an anticipated scale-up toward a potential IPO, signaling prioritization of governance and operational efficiency. Bloomberg reported significan...

Bitcoin spot ETFs in the United States extended their inflow streak to seven consecutive days on Monday, marking the longest run of fresh capital since late 2025. Data compiled by SoSoValue show spot BTC ETFs adding $199.4 million, lifting the seven-day sum to roughly $1.2 billion. The persistence of inflows signals renewed institutional interest in regulated access to crypto exposure, even as total year-to-date (YTD) inflows remain negative when measured against earlier peaks. In parallel, the broader crypto ETF ecosystem posted mixed but resilient momentum across assets, underscoring a cautious but steady reallocation toward crypto-linked vehicles. Within the same framework, total trading volumes for spot BTC ETFs slipped to about $2.6 billion, while assets under management (AUM) climbed to $96.7 billion. The dynamic suggests that new money is entering through regulated vehicles, but the macro cadence of inflows remains softer than the high-water marks seen in late 2025. The year-to-...

Shibarium’s recovery process shows steady progress as indexing levels improve and system stability returns. Network data accuracy remains limited, yet activity continues to build across the ecosystem. Meanwhile, broader developments around Shiba Inu add new context to the current market positioning. Shibarium indexing recovery gains traction Shibariumscan reports that 45% of network blocks are now indexed, showing clear progress from earlier levels. This improvement follows ongoing restoration efforts after infrastructure changes. Consequently, the network continues to rebuild visibility across transactions and wallet activity. Earlier, the team initiated a migration to a new server environment to boost performance and reliability. This move aimed to address system limitations that affected data tracking and user experience. As a result, indexing resumed gradually while stability improved across the network. However, incomplete indexing still affects the accuracy of key metrics such as...