Major oil and gas companies have scaled back their investments in the energy transition for the year 2025. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the shift in focus among these industry giants. The reduction in funding comes amid ongoing debates about the balance between traditional energy sources and renewable alternatives. This decision reflects the companies' reassessment of their strategic priorities in response to market conditions and regulatory pressures. The move has sparked discussions about the future of energy transition efforts and the role of fossil fuels in the global energy landscape. As the industry navigates these changes, stakeholders are closely monitoring the implications for sustainability and climate goals.

Israeli media reported today, citing an Israeli official, that the Israeli military carried out an attack on Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib on the night of March 17, and is currently awaiting the results. (CCTV International News)

Pepkor is contemplating the establishment of its own lending entity, potentially moving away from a previously considered partnership with Investec Bank. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting that the company is evaluating its strategic options in the financial services sector. This decision comes as Pepkor seeks to expand its footprint in the lending market, aiming to leverage its existing customer base and retail network. The move reflects a broader trend among retailers to diversify their offerings and enhance customer engagement through financial services. Pepkor's final decision on the matter is yet to be announced, as the company continues to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of an independent venture.

UBS Group has successfully completed the transition of all former Credit Suisse clients to its own systems. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the significance of this integration. This move marks a major milestone in UBS's acquisition of Credit Suisse, which was finalized earlier this year. The integration process involved transferring client accounts and data to UBS's platforms, ensuring a seamless transition for clients. This strategic step is expected to enhance UBS's market position and operational efficiency, following its acquisition of Credit Suisse.

BTC, the crypto market, is quietly rising amid global concerns. Golden Finance reports that the cryptocurrency market is undergoing an extraordinary transformation.

On March 18, on-chain data analyst Axel released a report indicating that the overheating in the Bitcoin market has been completely eliminated, yet selling pressure remains unrelieved, with no clear reversal signals in sight. According to BlockBeats, the report reveals that the MVRV Z-Score, a measure of Bitcoin's valuation overheating, has dropped 74% from its cycle peak of 2.603 in October 2025 to 0.674, significantly below the average of 1.72 and the first standard deviation band of 3.55, confirming the removal of the valuation bubble. The current range of 0.5-1.0 corresponds to a cycle-neutral zone, with the market value only moderately exceeding the realized market value. However, the aSOPR (7-day moving average), which reflects the profitability of market participants, has remained below 1.0 for 55 consecutive trading days, with the latest value at 0.9926, indicating continued loss-making sales in the market. Since January 21, 2026, when it last surpassed the 1.0 threshold, this indicator has consistently failed to return to the profitable sales range. Axel emphasizes that 1.0 is the critical dividing line between loss-making and profitable sales patterns. Until the aSOPR can remain above 1.0 for several consecutive trading days, any rebound may face selling pressure. The current key issue in the market is not whether Bitcoin is cheap, but whether the selling pressure has been exhausted, and for now, the answer remains negative.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform has unveiled new offerings in its Yield Arena, providing users with opportunities to earn rewards through various products. The latest additions include Simple Earn, ETH Staking, SOL Staking, and Dual Investment, each designed to cater to different investment preferences. **Earn Spotlight Limited-Time Offers** Eligible users holding at least 0.01 USDe for 24 hours can enjoy a 3.5% APR from 2026-03-13 00:00 (UTC) to 2026-03-19 23:59 (UTC). Simple Earn subscribers can benefit from up to 10% APR on U and KGST Flexible Products, with exclusive Bonus Tiered APRs on top of Real-Time APR rewards. RLUSD Flexible Products offer up to 8% APR during the specified period. **Product Offerings** Flexible Products include USDT, USDC, RLUSD, U, ETH, SOL, and KGST, each with varying APRs and subscription limits. Locked Products such as NXPC and TRX offer fixed terms with additional APR boosts. ETH and SOL Staking provide dynamic APRs, while Dual Investment offers high-yield opportunities with multiple settlement dates for BTC and ETH. **Terms and Conditions** Binance reserves the right to adjust APRs without prior notice, and offers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Users can redeem assets early in Simple Earn Locked Products, with the principal returned to Spot Accounts. Rewards from ongoing Launchpools are automatically received by users holding BNB Flexible and Locked Products. Additionally, BNB Simple Earn subscribers can receive airdropped tokens via HODLer Airdrops. **About Simple Earn and Dual Investment** Simple Earn products are principal-protected, offering secure rewards through flexible or locked terms. Dual Investment allows users to buy or sell cryptocurrency at a desired price and date, earning rewards regardless of market direction. These offerings provide diverse options for users to maximize their earnings on the Binance platform.

Phil Neuhart, Head of Market and Economic Research at First Citizens Bank, has highlighted the significance of the federal funds rate median forecast for the end of 2026. According to Jin10, Neuhart suggests that it is challenging to predict, but anticipates that the median will continue to indicate only one rate cut for the remainder of the year. Beyond the Federal Open Market Committee's projections, the tone of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's press conference will be a crucial factor influencing the market. Powell's response to the recent surge in oil prices and weak labor market data will be particularly pivotal.

MiniMax has introduced its latest flagship model, M2.7, showcasing a new path for model self-evolution. According to Foresight News, M2.7 is capable of independently constructing complex Agent Harnesses. It leverages capabilities such as Agent Teams, complex Skills, and Tool Search tools to accomplish highly intricate productivity tasks.

Russell Investments' Senior Investment Strategist, BeiChen Lin, has expressed confidence in the stability of the U.S. economic fundamentals. According to Jin10, Lin suggests that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to lower interest rates in the near future, with the possibility of only one rate cut in the latter half of this year, or potentially none until 2027. Despite potential temporary inflationary pressures from energy prices, Lin notes that a balanced labor market and controlled housing inflation are likely to limit inflationary growth. Consequently, the likelihood of a rate hike this year appears low. The Federal Reserve is expected to maintain current interest rates, and any indications from Chairman Jerome Powell regarding future rate paths will be crucial.

OpenAI is focusing on its enterprise business and turning ChatGPT into a productivity tool as it prepares for a possible IPO by the end of 2026. The company is hiring finance leaders, setting clearer spending targets, and prioritising business users to compete with rivals like Google and Anthropic.

Bitcoin experienced a slight decline on March 18, according to BlockBeats. Data from Coinglass indicates that the funding rates on major centralized and decentralized exchanges reflect a broadly bearish market sentiment. Funding rates are fees set by cryptocurrency trading platforms to maintain a balance between contract prices and the prices of the underlying assets, typically applied to perpetual contracts. This mechanism facilitates the exchange of funds between long and short traders, without the trading platform collecting these fees. It adjusts the cost or profit of holding contracts to keep contract prices aligned with the underlying asset prices. A funding rate of 0.01% is considered the baseline. When the rate exceeds 0.01%, it indicates a generally bullish market sentiment. Conversely, a rate below 0.005% suggests a bearish outlook.

PayPal is taking its PYUSD stablecoin global, rolling it out to 70 countries in a major push to simplify international payments and offer rewards on holdings.

Those who act first can wait, while those who act later can only buy. This $1.8 billion isn't buying technology or a license—it's buying the remaining time to enter this market.

Video production, design, and coding will be the first tasks to be replaced by OpenClaw.

The token we saw in the past because we believed, we can now see without believing. It is the next after Watt, Ampere, and Bit.

The opportunities presented by AI agents are far greater than those of the mobile internet era.

US President Donald Trump has called for an emergency meeting as Trump pressures the Federal Reserve to execute an immediate rate cut, a move that could jolt global markets and redefine Bitcoin's next breakout.

US senators have urged ByteDance to shut down its Seedance 2.0 AI app, saying it creates videos using real people and copyrighted characters without permission. The company has paused its global rollout as lawmakers and Hollywood groups raise legal concerns and demand stronger safeguards.

Artificial intelligence, AI Agent, OpenClaw, Claude, the great and awesome Claude Code and the man behind it. Golden Finance: A new era has arrived.