#record-high

➤ The U.S. has seized $1 billion in cryptocurrency linked to Iran, while U.S. money market funds hit a record $8.281 trillion due to monetary policy uncertainty. ➤ Private equity firms are planning a significant debt financing round for AI company Anthropic to acquire specialized chips. ➤ The CFTC and SEC are discussing regulatory approaches for the crypto industry, including 24/7 trading suitability and on-chain capital market reforms.

➤ Tokenized ETF adoption has surged, reaching a record 44,400 holders and a market cap of nearly $437.6 million, driven by investor demand for traditional assets via blockchain. ➤ Solana leads tokenized ETF activity with over 67% market share, attributed to its lower fees and faster settlement speeds, with SPYx and QQQx being the most popular products. ➤ Improved regulatory clarity in the U.S. and the 24/7 trading capabilities of DeFi platforms are fostering wider adoption and integrating traditional finance with blockchain markets.

➤ Tokenized US Treasuries on Ethereum have reached a record $8 billion market capitalization, doubling in the past six months, driven by several key issuers. ➤ Pilot programs involving major financial institutions like JPMorgan, Mastercard, and Ripple are exploring cross-border settlements of tokenized Treasuries on public blockchains. ➤ Despite growth, the tokenized asset market is still in its early stages, with most assets acting as wrappers for traditional infrastructure and lacking full on-chain integration and programmability.

➤ Tokenized U.S. Treasuries on Ethereum have reached a record market cap of approximately $8 billion, doubling in the past six months. ➤ Key growth drivers include products from issuers like Securitize, Centrifuge, Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree, and Ondo Finance, highlighting increased demand for blockchain-based Treasury products. ➤ Despite the RWA market expansion, Ethereum's price experienced a slight dip, though it shows positive performance over longer time frames.

➤ Bitget's CFD platform achieved a record $8 billion daily trading volume, primarily driven by gold-linked contracts. ➤ The surge is attributed to global macroeconomic factors, geopolitical risks, and inflation concerns, leading traders to seek safe-haven assets like gold. ➤ Chinese-speaking, European, and Southeast Asian markets were key contributors to this growth, highlighting Bitget's expanding reach in cross-asset trading.

➤ Tokenized T-bills have reached a new record of $14 billion locked on-chain, driven by growth on BNB Chain and Solana, while Ethereum remains a primary venue. ➤ Despite DeFi slowdowns, tokenized T-bills are increasingly used as collateral in lending protocols, offering stability against crypto market fluctuations. ➤ Issuers are expected to receive an annualized yield of 3.68%, indicating a trend towards more conservative financial tools within DeFi.

➤ The Nasdaq Composite reached new intraday and closing record highs, driven by a resurgence in investor appetite for technology stocks. ➤ This rebound follows a period of concern over economic disruptions and the labor impact of AI, with tech stocks having previously declined due to valuation and AI disruption fears. ➤ The positive sentiment is further supported by strong expected earnings growth in the information technology sector for the upcoming quarterly results season.

➤ China's onshore foreign exchange purchases reached a record high in March, driven by increased demand for goods trade and securities investments, amidst global market jitters from the Middle East conflict. ➤ Cross-border payments by non-banking sectors also surged, aligning with a rise in Chinese imports, particularly high-tech products like chips. ➤ Despite increased foreign exchange activity, foreign institutions' holdings of Chinese bonds in the interbank market continued to decline for the eleventh consecutive month.