Crypto Macro News and Global Policy Updates

Bitwise's spot XRP ETF has become the largest fund in the U.S., with $10 million in weekly inflows, surpassing competitors. The XRP ETF market has attracted $1.25 billion in cumulative inflows, with Bitwise leading at $269.05 million in assets under management.

XRP ETF inflows fell 45% to $1.9 million last week, but year-to-date inflows remain strong at $153 million. Despite the slowdown, XRP saw no outflows, with robust monthly inflows of $106.8 million, leading among comparable products. US investors dominate the market, driving significant crypto ETF inflows.

_Record $8.9B outflows hit Bitcoin ETFs during price correction, but $1.5B in fresh inflows suggest demand is returning._ Bitcoin spot ETFs have recorded their largest capital drawdown since launching in January 2024. Roughly $8.9 billion exited the funds during the selloff, leaving many

BlackRock has recently accumulated over 17,000 Bitcoins, helping to push the price above $73,000. Market expectations for Bitcoin to return to $75,000 by March have reached 80%. Institutional capital inflows indicate that investors are optimistic about Bitcoin's long-term prospects, and overall market sentiment has turned positive.

From 15:45 to 16:00 on March 4, 2026 (UTC), the ETH price experienced a significant anomaly, with a K-line return of +1.09%. The price range fluctuated between 2126.16 and 2158.9 USDT, with an amplitude of 1.54%. Short-term volatility intensified during this period, attracting market attention, with trading volume and sentiment rising simultaneously. The main drivers of this anomaly were large on-chain whale purchases and continuous net inflows of ETF funds. Specifically, on March 3, a whale exchanged 99.5 BTC for 33

Institutional adoption of Bitcoin stocks is rising sharply, with Rockefeller Capital increasing its position in MicroStrategy by 146% to 198,283 shares. Other investors, such as Amundi and South Korea's NPS, are also significantly boosting their holdings, reflecting a growing interest in Bitcoin amid its recent rally.

ChainCatcher reports that, according to market sources, BlackRock has been continuously increasing its Bitcoin holdings recently, with a net inflow of 17,642 BTC since February 24 (approximately $1.28 billion). During the same period, the price of Bitcoin has risen by nearly 12%.

Iranian officials deny having contact with the United States to negotiate a ceasefire, calling it a "psychological warfare" and a lie. Reports indicate that Iran's intelligence agency had contacted the CIA through channels, but this was denied. Subsequently, international oil prices briefly rose and then fell back due to U.S. military plans to escort oil tankers. Additionally, the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to cause casualties and energy price hikes, with Bitcoin also rising to break through $73,000.

Wintermute analyst Jasper De Maere pointed out that over the past two months, crypto assets have underperformed other asset classes, but in the current market environment, digital assets may have an advantage due to their relative independence from macro factors. He warned that future performance could weaken due to inflationary pressures caused by geopolitical tensions, and the market is expected to remain highly volatile in the short term.

On March 4, 2026, from 15:15 to 15:30 (UTC), ETH achieved a return of +2.38% within 15 minutes, with a price range of 2088.93-2144.2 USDT and an amplitude of 2.65%. Trading volume significantly increased in a short period, market attention heightened, volatility intensified, and funds rapidly flowed into mainstream assets, with short-term activity clearly rising. The main drivers of this movement are the inflow of global macro risk-averse funds and continuous net inflows from ETF institutional investors. Escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East have driven funds toward gold and cryptocurrencies, with ETH and BTC as the mainstream assets.

Gate News bot message, according to the latest Gate TradFi data, VIX has dropped 6% in the short term, and the current volatility is significantly higher than the recent average level, indicating increased market activity.

ChainCatcher reports that, according to Gate market data, the Nasdaq Composite Index has increased by 1%.

ChainCatcher News, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis stated during a live CNBC broadcast, "You walk into a bank, and they can provide you with both fiat currency services like the US dollar and digital asset services like Bitcoin. This will create the financial services industry of the 21st century." Influenced by this news, BTC broke through $72,000, with a 24-hour increase of 6.95%; ETH broke through $2,100, with a 24-hour increase of 7%.

ChainCatcher message, according to Gate market data, the S&P 500 Index opened up 23.59 points on March 4th (Wednesday), a 0.35% increase, at 6,840.22 points; the Nasdaq Composite Index opened up 142.44 points, a 0.63% increase, at 22,659.13 points; the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened up 122.06 points, a 0.25% increase, at 48,623.33 points.

ChainCatcher reports that according to Gate market data, at the opening of the US stock market, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.37%, the S&P 500 increased by 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.45%. Major tech stocks generally rose, with Micron Technology up nearly 4%, ASML up 2.6%, and both Tesla and TSMC increasing by over 1%.

Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego is heavily investing in Bitcoin, believing it can hedge against inflation and symbolize personal freedom. Robert Kiyosaki warns that a stock market crash is imminent and continues to increase his holdings in Bitcoin and precious metals, remaining confident. They both believe that Bitcoin has long-term value potential, and the current price dip is a good buying opportunity.

Gate News bot message, according to March 4 data, Bitcoin ETFs registered a single-day net inflow of 4,046 BTC (equivalent to $290.89 million), with weekly net inflows reaching 20,816 BTC ($1.5 billion). Ethereum ETFs experienced a single-day net outflow of 9,049 ETH (equivalent to $18.76 million),

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalate, Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio questions Bitcoin and reaffirms gold as the preferred safe haven. Nevertheless, gold prices fell accordingly, while Bitcoin only experienced a slight correction, indicating that the correlation between the two is weakening. Dalio doubts Bitcoin's transparency and future risks, but he still maintains a small allocation of Bitcoin for diversification.

Author: Zen, PANews The global spotlight is on Iran and the Persian Gulf. The outside world often discusses Iran through two main narratives: military and regime risks, and energy and shipping impacts. Mainstream media reports focus on military actions, oil and gas facilities, the Strait of Hormuz, and sharp fluctuations in financial markets. But beneath these grand narratives, if you zoom in on cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Ahvaz and look at individual ordinary people, you will find that when tensions are high, the most important things are life and asset hedging. After the US and Israel launched an attack, the outflow of assets from Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex surged, skyrocketing by about 700% within just a few minutes. Chainalysis’s report also confirmed that within hours after the attack, the hourly trading volume of crypto assets within Iran rapidly increased.

Author: Fenrir, Crypto City From the regulatory gray area to the mainstream, the UK Gambling Commission explores the possibility of crypto asset payments The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) recently signaled a major policy shift, planning to formally explore the integration of cryptocurrencies into compliant gambling markets. During the annual conference of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in London, the commission’s Director of Research and Policy Implementation, Tim Miller, pointed out that digital assets are transitioning from the regulatory gray area to mainstream payment options. Image source: Lottery Daily | UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Director of Research and Policy Implementation Tim Miller This move reflects the UK government’s commitment to establishing the country as a global “crypto hub,” and aims to connect one of the largest economic pillars domestically with modern consumer payment preferences. According to statistical data, currently