Author: Tristan Lodenberg

Iran has accused the United States of preparing for a ground invasion while publicly engaging in negotiations to end the war. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, said Iranian forces are ready for a potential ground attack and criticized Washington for signaling diplomacy while planning escalation. Regional Diplomatic Efforts Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad to discuss measures aimed at de-escalating the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. The Israeli army reported completing another wave of strikes targeting Iranian government infrastructure. Iran responded by launching three missiles toward southern Israel, with two intercepted.…

Crypto remains a strong long term investment theme despite ongoing market weakness, especially as artificial intelligence rapidly disrupts traditional software companies. KRAKacquisition Corp. (KRAK), a Nasdaq listed special purpose acquisition company backed by the crypto exchange Kraken, is positioning itself to pursue major deals within the digital asset sector. The company completed a $345 million IPO in January and is now targeting acquisitions involving crypto-native firms valued between $2 billion and $10 billion, signaling continued institutional confidence in the sector even during market downturns. AI Threat to SaaS Strengthens Crypto’s Strategic Position Industry leadership believes artificial intelligence presents a deeper…

Gold prices rose above $4,500 per ounce on Friday, rebounding after a sharp decline in the previous session. The increase came as President Donald Trump postponed his deadline for Iran to secure a deal to end the war, pledging not to target Iranian energy facilities until April 6. This move provided temporary relief to markets unsettled by nearly a month of hostilities. Iran Tensions Influence Precious Metals Trump noted that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz this week as a “present” to the US. Meanwhile, Iran rejected the US’ 15-point plan to end the…

President Donald Trump has approved plans for a ground invasion into Iran, which could last up to two months, according to U.S. officials. The Pentagon is preparing for a new phase of the conflict, which could be significantly more dangerous to American troops than the first four weeks of hostilities. U.S. Troop Deployment and Operations Thousands of U.S. soldiers and Marines are arriving in the Middle East in preparation for potential combat operations. Navy landing craft and aircraft are being positioned to support ground missions, signaling a major escalation in military activity. On friday Trump said on Truth Social that…

Bitcoin moved closer to its lowest level in nearly three weeks as market pressure intensified ahead of the Wall Street open. BTC slipped below $66,500, reflecting ongoing downside momentum as geopolitical tensions increased following reports of disruptions to oil supply routes linked to the Strait of Hormuz. Market data showed Bitcoin trading near $66,742, while U.S. stock futures weakened and WTI crude oil approached $97 per barrel, highlighting broader market stress affecting risk assets. Liquidity Pressure Builds as Resistance Holds Near $70K Trading activity revealed strong resistance between $70,000 and $71,000, preventing price recovery despite repeated attempts to move higher.…

Kalshi has secured regulatory approval to introduce margin trading for professional clients, marking a major shift from traditional fully collateralized prediction market models. The license was granted to Kalshi affiliate Kinetic Markets, allowing it to operate as a futures commission merchant under registration with the National Futures Association. The margin feature will allow institutional traders to open positions using less upfront capital, a method widely used in traditional financial markets but rarely applied to regulated prediction platforms. Margin Trading Model Signals Shift in Prediction Market Structure Before launching the new feature, Kalshi must receive final approval from the Commodity Futures…

World Assets, a subsidiary of the World Foundation, has disclosed $65 million in over-the-counter sales of WLD tokens to four counterparties, marking one of the largest recent treasury transactions tied to the project. The first settlement began on March 20, with tokens sold at an average price of about $0.2719, representing roughly 239 million WLD tokens transferred. A portion of the transaction includes $25 million worth of tokens placed under a six-month lockup, while remaining settlements are scheduled to move through a designated multisignature wallet. Funds raised from the sale are intended to support operations, research and development, orb manufacturing,…

Tokenized equities platform xStocks has partnered with alternative investment platform Fundrise to launch the Fundrise Innovation Fund on-chain, expanding investor access to late-stage private technology companies. The new tokenized asset, known as VCXx, is expected to go live on the xStocks platform in the coming days. The Fundrise Innovation Fund recently began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, holding private stakes in major technology firms including Anthropic, Databricks, and SpaceX. Early trading activity showed sharp volatility, with the fund rising from its March 19 debut price of $31 to as high as $575 per share before dropping significantly. Market…

Canada’s federal government has introduced new legislation proposing a full ban on crypto donations to political parties, citing risks linked to foreign interference and anonymous funding. The proposed Strong and Free Elections Act seeks to amend existing election laws by prohibiting donations made through cryptocurrency, money orders, and prepaid cards, which authorities say are difficult to trace. Proposed Election Law Targets Anonymous Contributions Government officials stated that the measure aims to protect election integrity by preventing untraceable financial contributions. The bill was introduced in the House of Commons and must pass several readings and committee reviews before moving to the…

Prediction market platform Kalshi is facing another legal challenge after Washington state filed a lawsuit alleging violations of gambling laws. The complaint, filed by Attorney General Nick Brown, argues that the company’s products function similarly to traditional sportsbooks and therefore fall under state gambling restrictions. Washington Authorities Cite Consumer and Gambling Law Violations State officials claim Kalshi violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act, Gambling Act, and Recovery of Money Lost at Gambling Act. The lawsuit points to the state’s strict ban on online gambling, stating that Kalshi allows users to stake money on future events with potential payouts, which meets…