Gate Ventures Weekly Crypto Recap (March 16, 2026)

TL;DR

• US inflation remained steady, with February CPI rising 2.4% year-over-year. Market expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts have faded as oil-driven inflation risks continue to build.
• The US Q4 GDP was revised down to 0.7%, signaling a slowdown in economic momentum, while rising energy costs may further weigh on consumer demand.
• Key data releases in the coming week include February retail sales and industrial production.
• Crypto markets rebounded strongly last week, with ETH outperforming BTC. BTC rose 10.4%, while ETH gained 12.4%. Spot ETF flows remained positive for both assets, with $767.3M in net inflows into BTC ETFs and $160.8M into ETH ETFs.
• Among the top 30 digital assets, prices increased by 8.8% on average, led by TAO, HYPE, and SUI. TAO surged 42.6% on renewed momentum in the AI agent narrative, while HYPE rose 24.5% as buybacks pushed the token into a net deflationary phase.
• Meanwhile, HSBC and Standard Chartered are reportedly among the institutions tipped to receive the first stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong.
• In funding news, MetaComp raised $35M in a Pre-A round to expand its regulated Web2.5 payments infrastructure.

Macro Overview

February 2026 CPI Inflation Holds Steady Amid Rising Energy Costs

February CPI data confirmed a 2.4% year-over-year rise, consistent with expectations, but energy-driven inflation risks are intensifying. Gas prices hit $3.50 per gallon, the highest since 2024, after surging 21% in a month, driven by the US-Iran conflict. This surge is expected to push headline inflation higher in the coming months, complicating the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook. Market expectations for Fed rate cuts have diminished sharply amid intensifying inflation risks, signaling a more cautious monetary policy stance ahead. Elevated energy costs pose a dual threat, squeezing consumers’ purchasing power while increasing businesses’ input costs, potentially slowing growth. The Fed faces a delicate balance between containing inflation and supporting labor markets amid geopolitical uncertainty.

The US Q4 GDP was revised down to 0.7%, signaling slower momentum entering 2026. The surge in oil prices suppresses consumer discretionary spending, posing a risk to slower GDP growth. While the Big Beautiful Bill tax reforms initially promised stimulus, rising energy expenses threaten to offset these benefits, reducing disposable income and corporate profitability.

Fertilizer costs spiked as urea prices rose 19% to $590/mt in one week, driven by a 75% drop in shipping volume through the Strait of Hormuz. With 1/3 of the global seaborne fertilizer trade at risk, rising input costs, coupled with higher fuel and freight rates, are reversing the downward trend in global food inflation. This supply-side shock threatens global food security and complicates central bank efforts to stabilize regional economies. The prolonged energy crisis could extend inflationary pressures and slow economic expansion. Investors are increasingly cautious, favoring dividend-paying stocks and defensive sectors amid volatility.

In the coming week, we will see the release of February retail sales and industrial production data, which are critical for assessing consumer demand resilience and manufacturing health amid rising energy costs. The market forecasts moderate retail sales growth but cautions that elevated gas prices may constrain discretionary spending. Industrial production may be affected by supply chain disruptions stemming from the Middle East conflict. These data will influence market sentiment on economic momentum and Fed policy outlook, potentially impacting risk assets and bond yields. (1)

DXY

DXY strengthened this week, rising approximately 0.5% amid safe-haven demand driven by Middle East tensions and resilient US inflation data, supporting expectations of a hawkish Fed stance. The volatility has forced Japan and South Korea to take action against FX volatility. (2)

US 10-Year and 30-Year Bond Yields

US 10-year Treasury yields rose to near 3.8%, with 30-year yields climbing above 4.1%, reflecting inflation concerns and geopolitical risks. The yield curve steepened slightly as markets priced in prolonged inflation and delayed Fed cuts. (3)

Gold

Gold prices rose by about 1.2% this week, benefiting from geopolitical uncertainty and inflation fears, as investors sought safe-haven assets amid the Middle East conflict and volatile equity markets. (4)

Crypto Markets Overview

1. Main Assets

BTC Price

ETH Price

ETH/BTC Ratio

BTC surged 10.4% last week, while ETH outperformed with a 12.4% gain. On the flows side, BTC spot ETFs recorded a strong $767.3 million in net inflows, while ETH spot ETFs saw $160.8 million in net inflows.(5)

The ETH/BTC ratio also climbed 1.87% to 0.03, suggesting relative strength in ETH. Overall market sentiment improved modestly, with the Fear & Greed Index rising from 8 last week to 23 this week, though it remains firmly in extreme fear territory.(6)

2. Total Market Cap

Crypto Total Marketcap

Crypto Total Marketcap Excluding BTC and ETH

Crypto Total Marketcap Excluding Top 10 Dominance

The total crypto market cap rose 9% last week. Excluding BTC and ETH, market cap increased 5.3%, while the broader altcoin market excluding the top 10 tokens by dominance gained 7%.

3. Top 30 Crypto Assets Performance

Source: Coinmarketcap and Gate Ventures, as of 16th Mar 2026

Among the top 30 assets, prices rose about 8.8% on average, led by TAO, HYPE, and SUI.

TAO was the strongest performer, gaining 42.6%, likely driven by a broader rebound in AI-related tokens as market hype around agents such as OpenClaw and Perplexity Computer remains.

HYPE surged 24.5% last week, supported by the token entering a net deflationary phase as HyperCore buybacks outpaced staking emissions. On March 13 alone, HyperCore bought back 49,323 HYPE versus 26,846 tokens distributed, removing a net 22,477 HYPE from circulation in a single day. (7)

The Key Crypto Highlights

1. HSBC, Standard Chartered tipped for first Hong Kong stablecoin licenses

Hong Kong’s banking regulators are reportedly preparing to issue the city’s first stablecoin issuer licenses, with HSBC and a joint venture led by Standard Chartered expected to be among the initial approved issuers. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is prioritizing institutions that already have authority to issue Hong Kong dollar banknotes, a group that also includes Bank of China. The approvals would represent a key milestone in Hong Kong’s push to position itself as a global digital asset hub under the city’s Stablecoin Ordinance, which established a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoins. Regulators are expected to grant only a very small number of licenses in the first batch, potentially as early as March 2026, following strong interest from institutions after more than 30 applications were submitted for the new framework. (8**)**

2. Anchorage Digital integrates Puffer Finance for institutional Ethereum restaking

Crypto custody platform Anchorage Digital has integrated with Puffer Finance to provide institutional clients with access to Ethereum liquid restaking directly through its custody infrastructure. The integration allows institutions to stake Ether held in Anchorage custody and receive Puffer’s liquid restaking token, pufETH, which represents a restaked ETH position that can be transferred or deployed across onchain applications while continuing to earn staking and restaking rewards. The setup enables institutions to participate in restaking without operating validators or managing staking infrastructure themselves, while keeping assets within Anchorage’s regulated custody environment. (9)

3. BlackRock launches staked Ethereum ETF offering ETH exposure and yield

BlackRock has launched the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB), a Nasdaq-listed product that combines spot Ether exposure with staking income, expanding the firm’s crypto investment lineup beyond its existing Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. The fund offers investors direct exposure to ETH while generating yield by staking a portion of its holdings, with staking rewards expected to be distributed monthly or at least quarterly. According to its filing, Coinbase will serve as both custodian and staking provider, while approved validators currently include Figment, Galaxy Digital and Bitwise-owned Attestant. At launch, ETHB carries a 0.25% sponsor fee, reduced to 0.12% for the first $2.5 billion in assets under a one-year waiver. (10)

Key Ventures Deals

1. MetaComp raises $35M Pre-A funding to expand regulated Web2.5 payments

Singapore-based MetaComp has completed two consecutive Pre-A funding rounds within three months, bringing total capital raised to $35 million, with backing from Alibaba, Spark Venture and other institutional investors. The company operates a regulated Web2.5 financial platform that integrates fiat and stablecoin payment rails with tokenized and traditional wealth management services, serving enterprises, financial institutions and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a Major Payment Institution, MetaComp processed more than $10 billion in payments and OTC volume in 2025 across over 13 stablecoins while managing more than $500 million in wealth assets through its affiliated capital markets entity Alpha Ladder Finance. (11)

2. Ark Labs raises $5.2M seed with Tether backing to expand stablecoin and programmable finance infrastructure on Bitcoin

Ark Labs has raised $5.2 million in a seed round backed by Tether and other investors to expand infrastructure for programmable financial applications on Bitcoin. The funding coincides with the company’s Arkade platform adding support for stablecoins and other digital assets, including infrastructure intended to enable USDT on Bitcoin. The move reflects continued momentum around building Bitcoin-native financial rails that extend beyond simple payments, positioning Ark Labs as part of a broader push to make Bitcoin a more capable base layer for stablecoin settlement, programmable transfers and other onchain financial services. (12)

3. Cryptio raises $45M Series B to support enterprise digital asset accounting

Crypto accounting software provider Cryptio has raised $45 million in a Series B round led by BlackFin Capital Partners and Sentinel Global to expand tools that help large institutions track, account for and manage digital assets. The company’s platform enables clients to monitor crypto holdings, custody locations, crypto loans and other blockchain-related positions, addressing a growing need among enterprises adopting digital asset infrastructure. Founded eight years ago, Cryptio now serves more than 450 clients with a team of 110 employees, including customers such as Circle and the blockchain subsidiary of Société Générale. (13)

Ventures Market Metrics

The number of deals closed in the previous week was 8, with Infra having 6 deals, representing 75% of the total number of deals. Meanwhile, Defi had 1 deal, and Data had 1 deal.

Weekly Venture Deal Summary, Source: Cryptorank and Gate Ventures, as of 16th Mar 2026

The total amount of disclosed funding raised in the previous week was $100.3M, 1 deal in the previous week didn’t announce the raised amount. The top funding came from the Infra sector with $78.2M. Most funded deals: Cryptio ($45M).

Weekly Venture Deal Summary, Source: Cryptorank and Gate Ventures, as of 16th Mar 2026

Total weekly fundraising declined to $100.3M for the third week of Mar-2026, a decrease of 21% compared to the week prior.

About Gate Ventures

Gate Ventures, the venture capital arm of Gate.com, is focused on investments in decentralized infrastructure, middleware, and applications that will reshape the world in the Web 3.0 age. Working with industry leaders across the globe, Gate Ventures helps promising teams and startups that possess the ideas and capabilities needed to redefine social and financial interactions.

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Reference:

1. S&P Week Ahead Economic Preview, https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/mi/research-analysis/week-ahead-economic-preview-week-of-16-march-2026.html
2. DXY Index, TradingView, https://www.tradingview.com/chart/z1UD772v/?symbol=TVC%3ADXY
3. US 10 Year Bond Yield, TradingView, https://www.tradingview.com/chart/B9cgEklh/?symbol=TVC%3AUS10Y
4. Gold Price, TradingView, https://www.tradingview.com/chart/z1UD772v/?symbol=TVC%3AGOLD
5. BTC & ETH ETF Inflow, https://sosovalue.com/tc/assets/etf/us-btc-spot
6. BTC Greed and Fear Index, https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/
7. HYPE Entered Net Deflationary Phase, https://en.coin-turk.com/hype-token-supply-moves-into-net-deflation-with-hypercore-buybacks/
8. HSBC, Standard Chartered tipped for first Hong Kong stablecoin licenses, https://cointelegraph.com/news/hsbc-standard-chartered-hong-kong-stablecoin-report
9. Anchorage Digital integrates Puffer Finance for institutional Ethereum restaking, https://cointelegraph.com/news/anchorage-digital-integrates-puffer-finance-to-offer-institutional-ethereum-restaking
10. BlackRock launches staked Ethereum ETF offering ETH exposure and yield, https://cointelegraph.com/news/blackrock-ishares-staked-ethereum-trust-etf-exposure-yield
11. MetaComp raises $35M Pre-A funding to expand regulated Web2.5 payments, https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/singapores-metacomp-raises-pre-a-round-backed-by-alibaba-closing-total-us35-million-pre-a-funding-in-3-months-to-accelerate-asias-regulated-web2-5-pay-and-wealth1-group-level-platform-302713126.html
12. Ark Labs raises $5.2M seed with Tether backing to expand stablecoin and programmable finance infrastructure on Bitcoin, https://www.theblock.co/post/393198/tether-backs-ark-labs-5-2-million-seed-raise-to-expand-stablecoin-and-programmable-finance-infrastructure-on-bitcoin
13. Cryptio raises $45M Series B to support enterprise digital asset accounting, https://fortune.com/2026/03/12/cryptio-series-b-fundraise-blackfin-capital-partners-sentinel-global/