Hyperliquid’s native cryptocurrency HYPE surged by roughly 13 per cent as traders poured into tokenised oil and silver contracts on the decentralised derivatives platform, underscoring a growing intersection between digital asset markets and traditional commodity trading. Market data showed a sharp rise in activity on the Hyperliquid exchange, with commodities-related derivatives emerging as a dominant driver of trading volume. Oil-linked contracts alone accounted for hundreds of millions […]
Movement of nearly 9,600 ether valued at about $19.5 million from digital asset firm Bitmine to wallets associated with Coinbase Prime has drawn attention across cryptocurrency markets, highlighting the growing influence of companies building large corporate treasuries around ether. Blockchain data shows two transactions executed on Tuesday moving the assets to Coinbase’s institutional platform, a development that market observers say reflects internal treasury management rather than clear […]
Bhutan has continued reducing its national bitcoin stockpile after transferring another tranche of digital assets valued at millions of dollars, extending a year-long drawdown that has cut the country’s sovereign holdings by more than half. Blockchain monitoring data shows that the Himalayan kingdom moved about 175 bitcoin in early March, worth roughly $11.8 million at prevailing market prices. The transaction forms part of a broader liquidation pattern […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 March 2026 –Celebrating a new generation of digital artists working across generative systems, AI, immersive media and experimental formats, with winners selected by a panel of leading experts and exhibited at Phillips’ Asia headquarters in the West Kowloon Cultural District during Hong Kong Art Basel Week 2026.
Refik Anadol, ‘Sense of Healing’, 2023, AI Data Sculpture (Courtesy of the Artist)
The awards ceremony will take place on 24 March 2026, featuring the four key categories of Still Image, Moving Image, Innovation and Experiential and followed by a private sale exhibition hosted by Phillips in Hong Kong, from 25–28 March 2026.
As a highlight of Hong Kong’s spring art calendar, the awards celebrate the growing cultural significance of digital art and spotlights the visionary artists redefining visual culture through cutting-edge technologies.
Thirty two international finalists will be selected for their work pushing the boundaries of digital creativity. Each of the four category winners will receive a $10,000 USDC commission towards a new artwork.
The thirty two finalists include several prominent figures in digital and generative art, such as Erick Calderon (Snowfro) Founder of Art Blocks, Botto, Sarah Meyohas, William Mapan, Sasha Stiles and Mario Klingemann – underscoring the calibre of talent the awards are already attracting with over two hundred applications across more than fifty countries.
Refik Anadol is nominated for the Honorary Career Award for Sense of Healing, an AI Data Sculpture that emerges from Refik Anadol Studio’s long-term research into creating meditative art based on neurological data.
Finalists and winners will be selected by a panel of leading experts in art, hospitality and technology, including Irini Mirena Papadimitriou, Exhibitions Director at Diriyah Art Futures, Thomas Heyne, Co-Founder and CEO at Scorpios, Dorothy di Stefano, Art Curator and Creative Strategist at Molten Immersive Art, Danielle So, Hong Kong Head of Auction, Modern & Contemporary Art, Phillips, Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder & Global of The Sandbox, SANDchain, President of Blockchain Game Alliance and Co-Founder of Artverse, Jean-Michel Pailhon, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Grailcapital, Simonida Pavicevic, Co-Founder and Curator at HOFA, Justin Gilanyi, Founder of WhereArt.Works and Curator at SILK, and Matt Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner at Hivemind Capital.
The Digital Art Awards are proudly backed byLightyear, a subsidiary ofHivemind Digital Group. A full-stack digital culture partner, Lightyear provides infrastructure, liquidity and market expertise, and hands-on delivery for digital ownership and engagement across physical and digital experiences. Lightyear is committed to championing artists and organizations pushing the boundaries of digital culture.
Hashtag: #HOFA #PhillipsX
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Debate over how regulators should define profit in crypto-asset markets has intensified as policymakers confront a structural divide between issuer-generated returns and market-emergent gains. The distinction, increasingly discussed in legal and financial circles, is reshaping how authorities interpret investor protection rules, securities law, and the broader economic role of digital assets. Authorities across major jurisdictions are examining whether returns tied to an asset’s creator should be treated […]
Ripple is repositioning XRP as a core collateral asset for institutional decentralised finance, signalling a strategic shift beyond its long-standing role in cross-border payments and liquidity services. Senior executives at the company say the plan centres on transforming the token into a foundational layer supporting tokenised financial markets, where banks, asset managers and financial institutions can use blockchain infrastructure for lending, trading and settlement. Ross Edwards, a […]
Ethereum’s market price has shown muted momentum across parts of the digital-asset market, yet underlying indicators suggest a steady expansion in the network’s financial infrastructure as tokenised real-world assets and Layer-2 platforms gather pace. Data tracking blockchain-based financial products indicates that tokenised real-world assets—commonly known as RWAs—have climbed to roughly $20.4 billion in value across decentralised networks, reflecting growing institutional participation and experimentation with blockchain settlement systems. […]
Heavy selling by large Bitcoin holders while smaller investors accumulate has raised concern among market analysts that the cryptocurrency’s price decline could extend further, highlighting a divergence that has often signalled deeper volatility in past market cycles. Blockchain data shows large holders, commonly referred to as “whales,” have been reducing positions while smaller investors continue to buy during price dips. Analysts monitoring wallet activity say the pattern […]
Circle moved about $68 million within half an hour using its own stablecoin infrastructure, offering a glimpse of how digital assets could reshape internal corporate payments traditionally handled through banks. The payments were carried out through the company’s Mint platform, a system designed to allow businesses to create and redeem the USDC stablecoin while managing liquidity across accounts. Chief executive Jeremy Allaire said the transfers took roughly […]
Pi Network’s token price has climbed about 15 per cent over the weekend, drawing renewed attention from traders as transaction volumes expand across crypto exchanges. Market participants say the move reflects a broader pattern of speculative interest surrounding the project’s ecosystem, though analysts argue that a key price level around $0.28 remains critical in determining whether the rebound can evolve into a stronger trend. The token associated […]
Thousands of internal records linked to digital currency transactions have surfaced online, offering a rare glimpse into how financial networks connected to Iran may have used cryptocurrency platforms to navigate international sanctions. The leaked database, analysed by cybersecurity researchers and blockchain investigators, contains transaction logs, account identifiers and operational notes tied to exchanges and wallet services believed to have facilitated transfers linked to entities operating under restrictions […]
Cardano’s cryptocurrency ADA has entered the Swiss retail landscape through a new payment integration allowing customers to spend the digital asset at 137 SPAR supermarkets across Switzerland. The development follows a collaboration between Cardano-linked payment infrastructure and Swiss crypto-finance firm DFX. swiss, enabling ADA transactions at checkout using existing point-of-sale systems. Shoppers at participating SPAR outlets can now pay with ADA through a system that connects Cardano’s […]
Chainlink’s derivatives market has contracted sharply as risk appetite across digital assets weakens, with futures open interest tied to the token dropping by about 44 per cent from its earlier peak, signalling a shift in trader sentiment and a pullback in speculative positioning. Market data tracking derivatives activity shows the decline occurring alongside a short-term recovery in Chainlink’s price, a pattern that analysts say reflects a cautious […]
Heavy withdrawals from cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds in the United States interrupted a period of strong investor demand, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum products registering sizeable net outflows after several weeks of steady inflows that had buoyed digital asset markets. Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds collectively recorded net outflows of about $227.9 million during the latest trading sessions, while spot Ethereum ETFs saw withdrawals totalling roughly $90.9 million. The […]
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a coordinated malware campaign that uses fabricated venture capital identities on LinkedIn to target professionals in cryptocurrency and Web3 sectors, employing deceptive CAPTCHA prompts to trick victims into executing malicious commands on their own computers. Security analysts say the operation combines social engineering, phishing and cross-platform malware delivery, focusing on individuals likely to be involved in blockchain startups, token projects and digital asset […]
Kraken has gained access to the Federal Reserve’s core payments infrastructure, marking a milestone for the digital asset sector as a cryptocurrency exchange moves closer to the centre of the United States financial system. The development places the San Francisco-based platform among institutions able to connect directly with the Federal Reserve’s payment rails, a step long sought by digital asset firms seeking to bridge traditional banking […]
Tokyo’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has publicly disavowed any connection to a Solana-based meme cryptocurrency that suffered a dramatic collapse in value, asserting she and her office were unaware of its creation or trading activity. The digital token, which briefly had an eye-catching market cap in the tens of millions of dollars, has lost significant ground following her statement, underscoring the tangled dynamics between high-profile political figures and speculative crypto markets.
Takaichi took to her official social media account to address questions about the asset, which adopted her given name and circulated on the Solana blockchain. She said there appeared to be “various misunderstandings” over the name and market activity, stressing she had no prior knowledge of the token and that neither she nor her administration had authorised or endorsed it. The prime minister urged caution among investors and the broader public.
The token, widely referred to in trading circles as a meme coin, experienced wild fluctuations before its value slid by about three-quarters from earlier highs, according to market data. At one point, it drew attention with an inflated valuation that some tracking sites estimated around $27.7 million, although such figures can be volatile and highly sensitive to trading volume and liquidity levels on decentralised platforms.
Analysts say meme coins — especially those leveraging the names or likenesses of well-known personalities — have become a volatile sub-segment within the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem. These assets often lack a fundamental use case and instead draw speculative interest from traders betting on social momentum. When official figures distance themselves from such projects, confidence can evaporate quickly, leading to sharp price corrections.
Japan has long been among the more stringent jurisdictions in setting regulatory frameworks for digital assets. Its Payment Services Act and Financial Instruments and Exchange Act establish registration requirements and investor protection mechanisms for exchanges and token issuers operating within the country. However, this governance framework primarily targets regulated entities, leaving decentralised creations like meme tokens in a less clear-cut category. That regulatory ambiguity complicates efforts to police tokens that may be named after public figures without consent.
The sharp downturn in the coin’s price following Takaichi’s statement reflects how sentiments can shift dramatically in unregulated corners of crypto markets. Traders who had driven speculative interest in the token — buoyed by social media buzz — appear to have retreated as the prime minister’s denial circulated. Some onlookers also noted that meme coins relying on novelty or persona-based branding are particularly susceptible to pump-and-dump patterns, rewarding early holders at the expense of later investors when momentum fades.
Legal experts note that the use of a serving head of government’s name for a speculative financial instrument raises both ethical and legal questions. “The unauthorised use of a public official’s name in association with a financial product can mislead investors about endorsement or legitimacy,” said a fintech law specialist at a Tokyo university. “Enforcement is difficult when creators remain anonymous and operate outside regulated frameworks, but it invites scrutiny from both legal and policy perspectives.”
Market participants following the episode have pointed to wider trends in the crypto space. Solana, the blockchain on which the token was launched, is favoured by some developers for its low transaction costs and fast settlement times, making it a popular choice for experimental tokens and decentralised applications. Yet this very accessibility can also lower barriers for projects that have little substantive backing or oversight, heightening risk for retail investors.
For Japan’s financial regulators, the incident highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing innovation and investor protection. While the country has taken significant steps to legitimise and supervise digital asset markets, decentralised and anonymous token creations sit outside conventional regulatory reach. As such tokens proliferate beyond mainstream exchange listings, authorities may confront pressure to clarify how existing laws apply or to craft new measures tailored to emerging market behaviours.
Crypto exchange OKX has launched a developer-focused toolkit designed to power autonomous artificial intelligence agents on blockchain networks, marking a decisive step in the race to merge decentralised finance with machine-driven decision-making. The new framework, branded OnchainOS, is positioned as a programmable layer that allows developers to stitch together wallets, token swaps and real-time data feeds into self-operating bots capable of executing transactions without continuous human input. […]
BlackRock’s transfer of more than $74 million in bitcoin to Coinbase has drawn scrutiny across cryptocurrency markets, highlighting institutional behaviour and sparking fresh debate on the purpose of large-scale asset movements among major financial players. On the blockchain, wallets linked to the world’s largest asset manager deposited 1,134 bitcoin — valued at roughly $75 million — into Coinbase Prime over a brief window, an action that analysts […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Customs has unveiled a Corporate Resilience Programme aimed at bolstering institutional preparedness, strengthening risk management frameworks and safeguarding long-term operational sustainability as the emirate deepens its role as a global trade hub. The initiative forms part of the authority’s broader strategy to future-proof customs operations against geopolitical shifts, supply chain disruptions and rapid technological change. Officials said the programme will integrate resilience […]
Crypto markets are drawing fresh attention towards supply-focused narratives as Hyperliquid’s native HYPE token climbed about 5 per cent in tandem with strong weekly gains in Jupiter’s JUP token, propelled by strategic supply interventions that traders believe could tighten circulation and support prices. HYPE’s uptick came despite a significant unlock of tokens this week, raising questions about market resilience around deflationary mechanisms as Bitcoin continued range-bound trading. […]
Bitcoin’s steep fall from its record highs has wiped out trillions of dollars in market value across the digital assets sector, yet some of the world’s largest financial institutions are signalling that their appetite for the asset class remains intact. At the iConnections Global Alts conference in Miami, attended by hedge funds, private equity firms and institutional allocators, speakers described digital assets as an established component […]
Polymarket has drawn record global trading activity after a contract tied to possible military strikes involving the United States and Iran surged past $529 million in cumulative volume, placing it among the most heavily traded markets in the platform’s history. Data published on the decentralised prediction platform show that wagers on whether the United States would carry out military action against Iran before a specified deadline eclipsed […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai-based Emirates Gold has marked 34 years in the precious metals industry by outlining plans to deepen its refining capacity, expand international partnerships and strengthen its role in shaping the region’s bullion trade by 2026. Founded in 1992, the company has grown from a local refinery into one of the Middle East’s established minting and gold refining firms, operating from Dubai Multi Commodities […]
