Strategy launches $21b stock offering, Coinbase expands, Binance founder refutes Trump story | Weekly Recap

Today’s edition of the weekly recap covers Strategy’s massive stock offering to fund Bitcoin purchases, Coinbase’s hiring plans under the Trump administration, and growing crypto cooperation between Latin American nations.

Strategy launches $21B preferred stock offering

• Michael Saylor’s Strategy announced a $21 billion at-the-market offering of its Series A preferred stock (STRK), with proceeds primarily designated for additional Bitcoin (BTC) purchases.
• While Strategy maintains its position as a major corporate Bitcoin holder, with just under 500,000 BTC, its stock is on a downtrend this year.

Coinbase on hiring spree, reenters India

• CEO Brian Armstrong announced plans to add approximately 1,000 U.S. employees in 2025. Yes, there’s current weakness, but President Trump is “breathing life back into the crypto industry,” he said.
• Armstrong’s regional director for Southeast Asia, Hassan Ahmed, is also bullish on the long-term outlook for the digital asset industry.
• Coinbase secured registration with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), advancing its return to the Indian market after previously withdrawing due to regulatory pressure.

Binance secures investment, Zhao denies Trump talks

• Emirati state-owned investment firm MGX announced a $2 billion minority stake in Binance.
• The transaction is described as the “largest investment ever” paid in cryptocurrency. It will also be conducted using stablecoins rather than traditional currency.
• Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s founder and former CEO, also refuted a Wall Street Journal report claiming discussions about a potential Trump family investment in Binance US.
• In his X post, Zhao stated, “The WSJ article got the facts wrong” and explicitly denied having discussions about a Binance US deal with anyone.

Toncoin spikes after Telegram founder leaves France

• Telegram founder Pavel Durov, detained in France since last August, was granted temporary permission to leave the country for Dubai, according to Agence France Presse (AFP).
• Toncoin (TON), the digital token linked to Telegram’s Telegram Open Network (TON), subsequently saw a dramatic surge in its trading volume. It’s currently up by 16.8%.

El Salvador, Paraguay agree on crypto regulations

• The two Latin American countries formed a cooperative framework to allow cryptocurrency sector development and regulatory alignment.
• According to Paraguay’s SEPRELAD, the agencies will collaborate on detecting and controlling unlicensed crypto operations.

South Korea plans institutional investment guidelines

• South Korea’s Financial Services Commission will issue comprehensive guidelines for institutional cryptocurrency investment by the third quarter of 2025.
• Non-profit organizations and crypto exchanges will receive guidance earlier, with their frameworks targeted for April release.

Garantex operator arrested in India

• Indian authorities arrested Aleksej Besciokov, one of two alleged operators of the illicit cryptocurrency exchange Garantex.
• According to a Justice Department announcement, the Lithuanian national allegedly served as the exchange’s principal technical administrator from 2019 to 2025. The indictment accuses both individuals of allowing money laundering through the platform.

Ripple receives Dubai regulatory approval

• The blockchain payments company secured authorization from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to provide regulated cryptocurrency payments and services in the UAE.
• Approximately 20% of its global customer base already operates in the Middle East.

Argentine lawyer seeks international arrest for LIBRA founder

• Attorney Gregorio Dalbon requested an international arrest order for Hayden Davis, founder of the controversial memecoin LIBRA, according to Buenos Aires newspaper Pagina 12.
• The legal filing cites concerns about flight risk.

MoonPay acquires stablecoin infrastructure platform

• The cryptocurrency payment application purchased Iron, an API-focused stablecoin infrastructure platform. The acquisition was done in a deal reportedly worth at least $100 million, according to Thursday’s press release.
• This acquisition will expand MoonPay’s enterprise offerings by enabling businesses to accept stablecoin payments.

Ethereum developers announce new Hoodi testnet

• The Ethereum (ETH) Foundation plans to launch a new “long-lived” testnet called Hoodi on March 17, as announced during Thursday’s All Devs Call.
• This development follows recent difficulties with the Holesky and Sepoli hard forks, which both experienced technical issues during implementation.
• Meanwhile, Ethereum remains in a deep bear market after falling by over 53% from its highest level in December. One reason for the ongoing sell-off is that investors remain on the sidelines as the crypto and stocks market retreats amid President Trump’s tariffs.

Three Arrows Capital claim against FTX expanded

• The Delaware bankruptcy court overseeing the FTX estate approved Three Arrows Capital’s petition to increase its claim from $120 million to $1.53 billion.
• The development is an important milestone in resolving the ongoing financial aftermath of two major cryptocurrency collapses.