Category: Business

Authorities in Argentina have ordered a nationwide block on the prediction market platform Polymarket following a ruling by Buenos Aires Judge Susana Parada on March 16, reporting from Clarín indicates.

Argentina’s ENACOM, which oversees telecoms, broadcasting, internet, radio, and postal services, is tasked with implementing the national measure through ISPs and app stores, preventing access to the platform on both Android and iOS.

The decision follows Polymarket’s accurate prediction of February inflation data ahead of INDEC’s publication, which has drawn scrutiny from authorities and journalists.

Data analysis highlighted small but unusually timed wagers from accounts that normally trade minimal amounts, raising suspicions of insider activity.

According to Clarín, complaints from LOTBA (Buenos Aires City’s lottery authority) and CASCBA (the national gambling industry association), supported by investigations by FEJA (the city’s gambling prosecutor) and CIJ (the technical investigative branch of the Public Prosecutor’s Office), found that the platform operated as an unauthorized online betting system.

The court highlighted that Polymarket allowed easy account creation, accepted crypto assets and credit cards, and lacked age verification, increasing risks for minors.

While some praise the move as protecting users, critics warn it may limit access to global prediction tools, making Argentina the second Latin American country to impose a full ban.

Colombia became the first country in Latin America to ban Polymarket after its gambling regulator, Coljuegos, declared the platform illegal to operate without a license in September 2025 and instructed ISPs to block access.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

The volatility created in global energy markets by the war with Iran in the Middle East could complicate the Fed’s interest rate cut plans. Rising oil and natural gas prices, creating new pressure on inflation, have significantly weakened expectations for an interest rate cut.

Economists expect the Fed to keep its policy interest rate unchanged at its March 18 meeting. However, many analysts had previously predicted a first rate cut in June. The war with Iran, however, has rapidly increased energy prices, leading to a reassessment of these predictions. According to Wall Street analysts, the increase in energy costs could lead to price increases in many areas, including transportation, food, and utilities.

This situation presents a difficult balance for the Fed. On the one hand, the central bank is trying to bring inflation down to its target level of 2% annually, while on the other hand, it has to support a labor market that is showing signs of slowing. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, one of the inflation indicators most closely watched by the Fed, which was released on March 13, showed that prices continued to rise in January. It is noteworthy that this increase occurred before the full impact of the Iran war was felt in energy markets.

According to CME FedWatch data, which is based on futures markets, there is a 99% probability that the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged at 3.5%–3.75% at its March 18 meeting. The same tool calculates a 95% probability that the Fed will not change rates at its April 30 meeting, and a 77% probability at its June meeting. A month ago, these probabilities were 70% and 31%, respectively.

Due to rising energy prices, some economists believe the Fed may not cut interest rates at all this year. EY-Parthenon Chief Economist Gregory Daco stated that they have revised their baseline scenario due to rising inflation expectations, now forecasting only a single 25 basis point rate cut in 2026, likely in December. According to Daco, the possibility of the Fed not cutting rates at all in 2026 cannot be entirely ruled out.

Some analysts go even further, suggesting that the Fed might even raise interest rates in 2026 to control inflation. Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist at Carson Group, stated that current conditions are already challenging for the Fed, and that if inflationary pressures increase, the central bank might begin discussing rate hikes later in the year instead of cutting them.

Another problem facing the Fed is the weakening labor market. In February, employers in the U.S. laid off 92,000 people, a development considered unexpected by economists. PNC economist Gus Faucher noted that the labor market has been gradually weakening in recent years and that inflation continues to run higher than the Fed would like.

According to Faucher, the fundamental dilemma for the Fed is this: cutting interest rates to support the labor market could accelerate inflation again, while keeping interest rates stable could lead to further weakness in the labor market.

On the other hand, the future leadership of the Fed is also a subject of debate. Gregory Daco stated that if Kevin Warsh is confirmed as Fed chairman, he will need to demonstrate that his monetary policy views are based on economic rather than political grounds.

*This is not investment advice.

IBM is expanding free access to its quantum computers, giving researchers more time with powerful hardware to run experiments as the threat of future quantum advancements hangs over the crypto industry.

The company said Monday it is updating the IBM Quantum Open Plan, a free cloud platform that lets anyone run experiments on real quantum machines. The changes increase runtime limits, add new training resources, and allow access to one of IBM’s more advanced processors.

“Starting today, researchers on the Open Plan who use 20 minutes of runtime within any 12-month period can opt in to a special one-time promotion and get 180 minutes of runtime for the next 12 months,” IBM said in a statement.

IBM’s Open Plan usually gives users 10 minutes of time on a quantum computer every 28 days, which lets researchers run small experiments, test algorithms, and try simple quantum programs.

The update comes as Bitcoin developers debate how soon quantum computing could eventually challenge the cryptography that secures the network.

IBM is also opening access to its Heron R2 processor, called ibm_kingston—a more advanced quantum system capable of running large numbers of quantum operations quickly while keeping error rates relatively low.

With the expanded runtime and hardware access, IBM said, researchers can run more advanced workloads, including hybrid optimization algorithms, error-mitigation experiments, and other research tied to quantum computing. IBM is also introducing a course focused on planning research programs, identifying use cases, and securing research funding.

Over the past year, IBM has reported a series of advances aimed at scaling up its quantum systems.

In October, IBM researchers entangled 120 qubits into a single GHZ “cat state,” demonstrating large-scale quantum entanglement. A month later, the company introduced its 120-qubit Nighthawk processor along with a roadmap targeting verified quantum advantage, when a quantum computer can outperform traditional computers, before the end of 2026.

These advances are part of IBM’s broader roadmap, aimed at building quantum computers stable enough to correct their own errors and run complex algorithms without the noise that currently limits quantum systems. The goal is to accomplish those tasks by the end of the decade.

“Open-access quantum computing shouldn’t just be for beginners running small circuits,” IBM said. “We want to ensure that even serious researchers can extract real value from the IBM Quantum Open Plan for serious experiments and proof of concept work. With 180 minutes of compute on our quantum hardware, you’ll be able to do that.”

As tech giants like IBM invest more and more heavily in quantum computing, blockchain researchers are sounding the alarm about the risk involved. Bitcoin developers recently advanced a proposed framework called BIP 360 for dealing with the quantum threat, though it still must undergo a formal review.

“The argument about whether quantum is real or whether we should take it seriously is something I tend not to engage with much, because I think long-term reality will make that argument,” cryptographer and BIP 360 co-author Ethan Heilman told Decrypt.

“What we’re trying to do is marshal the people who do believe it’s important to get everything set up—to think through all the issues and get the software ready—because by the time it becomes real, we’ll have won the argument and we’ll also be ready to implement,” he said.

Even so, the timeline for a real threat remains uncertain. A recent report from Ark Invest and Bitcoin financial services firm Unchained said quantum computing poses a long-term risk to Bitcoin, not an immediate one, noting that today’s quantum machines remain far below the capability needed to break the network’s cryptography.

IBM did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.

Lido’s new IDVTC design lets verified solo stakers form DVT clusters, slashing collateral needs while hardening Ethereum validator risk and sustaining staking yields.

Lido’s community staking module is about to stop pretending this is still a game for whales only. A new proposal to introduce an “Identified DVT Cluster” (IDVTC) operator type would let verified independent stakers pool into distributed validator clusters, cutting collateral requirements while hardening the protocol’s weakest link: operational risk.

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Under the plan, each IDVTC cluster consists of four independent community stakers, all running validators via Obol or SSV with keys created through distributed key generation (DKG). In practice, that means no single operator can take a validator down, mis‑configure a client, or disappear without the rest of the cluster absorbing the shock. Distributed validator technology (DVT) spreads duties and key shares across multiple nodes, so slashing and downtime events become outliers instead of structural risk.​

Because the risk profile improves, Lido can justify lowering collateral requirements for these operators. That is the capital-efficiency play: you move from over‑collateralized, quasi‑professional setups to leaner independent operators whose main constraint is competence, not balance sheet size. For Lido, this broadens the operator base without opening the door to pure anon fly‑by‑night nodes, since IDVTC membership is restricted to verified Independent Community Stakers (ICS) who pass onboarding checks.​

Timing matters. The IDVTC feature is targeted for launch with CSM v3 in Q2–Q3 2026, squarely into the next phase of Ethereum’s staking cycle and a more competitive liquid staking market. Restaking, AVSs and competing LSTs are already bidding for the same underlying validator set. Bring down collateral, keep slashing risk contained, and you have a better story for decentralization and yield sustainability than “more TVL, same handful of operators.”​

If executed, IDVTC pushes Lido closer to a model where independent stakers look more like a distributed credit book: risk‑tiered, clustered, and modular. For investors, the signal is simple: Lido is trying to buy resilience and decentralization with better engineering instead of higher issuance. In a market where basis trades and ETF flows are already compressing staking spreads, that is the only credible way to keep the yield machine running without blowing up the tail risk.

Read more: Ethereum price prediction $2.8K as bulls defend key levels and $1.8B in long liquidations

Etherfuse, a blockchain infrastructure company focused on tokenized bonds, has launched Etherfuse FX, a new platform for fast currency conversion between US dollars and Mexican pesos. The company says the system can reduce conversion costs by up to 90% for businesses that regularly move money between the United States and Mexico.

For Mexican peso exposure, the system uses tokenized CETES, short-term government treasury bonds issued by Mexico. According to the company, this structure is designed to provide the type of asset backing familiar to institutional finance while improving transaction speed and efficiency.

The solution is aimed at companies that frequently work with multiple currencies. This includes remittance services, payment processors, B2B software providers, and import-export businesses operating between the US and Mexico.

Businesses can connect to Etherfuse FX through standard APIs that integrate with existing payment and accounting systems. The company says most integrations can be completed within two to three weeks.

Image: Freepik

ShapeShift founder and Bitcoin pioneer Erik Voorhees is continuing his Ethereum buying spree after restarting purchases following a year-long break.

According to on-chain data tracked by Lookonchain, Voorhees on Sunday spent around $49 million acquiring 23,393 $ETH. He still holds over 35 million $USDT and is expected to buy more $ETH.

Erik Voorhees(@ErikVoorhees), an early #Bitcoin supporter and founder of ShapeShift, is buying $ETH like crazy after a one-year break!

He spent 49.08M $USDT to buy 23,393 $ETH at $2,098 through 2 wallets.

He still holds 35.25M $USDT and may buy more $ETH.… pic.twitter.com/18ifLc8Ghe

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) March 16, 2026

The prominent entrepreneur, who also founded Venice AI, reportedly resumed his $ETH purchases earlier this year after selling 12,886 $ETH at over $3,300 each.

Erik Voorhees(@ErikVoorhees), an early #Bitcoin supporter and founder of ShapeShift, is buying back $ETH after a one-year break.

One year ago, he sold 12,886 $ETH($42.83M) at $3,324.

In the past 5 days, he has spent 17.75M $USDT to buy back 8,576 $ETH at $2,069.

He still holds… pic.twitter.com/zTD1DdU6WU

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) March 15, 2026

The activity was linked to wallets believed to be controlled by Erik Voorhees and labeled as such by Arkham Intelligence. He has not confirmed that he controls them.

The latest transfers came as $ETH surpassed $2,200, representing a 7% increase in the last 24 hours, CoinMarketCap data shows.

The crypto market rallied over the weekend, pushing total market capitalization up about 3% to $2.5 trillion. Bitcoin advanced 2.5% to retake $73,500.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.