#defi News & Analysis

Crypto Venture Weekly: March 16-20, 2026

Cardano DeFi Hits Record 500 Million ADA TVL: Is One Billion Milestone Next?

Hashi Protocol Enables Native Bitcoin Collateral on Sui Network Without Wrapping or Custody

Can Bitcoin Really Do DeFi? A New Protocol Aims to Find Out

Bitcoin’s biggest DeFi drawback under attack as OpNet unlocks smart contracts on mainnet

Here’s what the CFTC’s Phantom letter really means for DeFi

Ethereum Foundation deepens DeFi treasury push with fresh Morpho deployment

Citigroup Lowers 12-Month Bitcoin Price Forecast To $112,000, ETH To $3,175—Here’s The Reason

Pyth Network Launches 24/7 Oil Index as Volatility Spikes Amid Iran Conflict

Pyth Network has launched a 24/7 crude oil index that combines institutional and onchain data sources to provide continuous oil price updates. This launch comes as oil markets experience heightened volatility due to the Iran conflict.

Is Hyperliquid’s $3.64B whale book about to pick a side?

Hyperliquid's whale positioning has reached $3.64 billion with leverage evenly split between long and short positions. The balanced positioning on the decentralized derivatives platform suggests major traders are waiting for a directional catalyst.

Elixir Launches USDC Recovery Portal for Lenders Impacted by Stream Insolvency

Elixir has launched a USDC recovery portal for lenders affected by Stream's insolvency, which led to concerns over $63M in collateral. The platform had previously suspended deUSD withdrawals in November due to the insolvency issues.

Circle (CRCL) Stock Surges as USDC Launches on Injective Network

Circle's USDC stablecoin has launched natively on the Injective Network with Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) support, driving Circle's stock price up 2.83%. This integration enables secure cross-chain transfers and enhanced liquidity for USDC across different blockchain networks.

Tally shuts down operations amid reduced demand for DAO tools

Tally, a DAO governance tools platform, has shut down operations after six years due to declining demand in the decentralized governance sector. The closure reflects broader challenges facing DAO infrastructure providers amid regulatory uncertainties and market consolidation.

Injective to support native USDC and cross-chain transfers via Circle

Injective Protocol will integrate native USDC support through Circle, enabling cross-chain transfers of the stablecoin. This integration will provide Injective traders and DeFi applications with a mainstream dollar-denominated asset for use as collateral, liquidity provision, and trade settlement.

Solana (SOL) DeFi Tops $19B Amid Declining Yields As Taurox Turns AI Performance Into 80% Staker Gains

Solana's DeFi total value locked surged 65% from $11.5B to over $19B between December 2025 and March 2026, with JitoSOL holding over $2B. However, native SOL staking yields have declined for three consecutive months, dropping from over 8% to 5.9-7.5%.

Cardano Founder Praises ShieldUSD Milestone On Midnight

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson praised ShieldUSD's milestone progress on the Midnight privacy protocol, calling it one of the most exciting initiatives. He highlighted privacy-preserving stablecoins as a key strategic bet for Cardano's ecosystem growth and utility expansion.

Ondo Tokenized Stocks Go Live on Bitget, Expanding Access to U.S. Equities on CEXs

Ondo tokenized stocks have launched on Bitget, allowing direct access to U.S. equities through cryptocurrency exchanges. The integration includes major stocks, ETFs, and commodities, strengthening Bitget's position as a multi-asset trading platform while Ondo Global Markets surpasses $600M in total value locked.

Analyst Says Hyperliquid Isn’t A Buy Right Now: Here’s Why

Michael Nadeau from The DeFi Report warns that Hyperliquid's HYPE token appears overvalued in the short term despite long-term bullishness, citing declining metrics including 56% lower fees, 55% lower volumes, and stagnant user growth. While maintaining positive long-term outlook, he argues current price action has outrun fundamental data support.

Orbs Launches Agentic Execution Layer for DeFi Automation

Orbs has launched an Agentic Execution Layer designed to automate DeFi operations and improve efficiency in decentralized finance protocols. The new infrastructure aims to reduce manual intervention and streamline complex DeFi transactions through automated execution capabilities.

Stand With Crypto stakeholders ramp up pressure on Senate Banking Committee on DeFi protections, stablecoin rewards

Stand With Crypto stakeholders from multiple states sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee this week advocating for DeFi protections and stablecoin rewards. The coordinated effort represents growing political pressure on lawmakers to establish favorable regulatory frameworks for decentralized finance.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) Surges to $40 as Whale Activity and Open Interest Soar

Hyperliquid (HYPE) token surged 10% to reach $40 amid significant whale activity and record-breaking open interest of $1.67 billion. Tokenized assets achieved a milestone by representing 33% of the platform's weekly trading volume.

DeFi lobby drops airdrop lawsuit against SEC, citing crypto shift

The DeFi Education Fund and Beba voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit against the SEC regarding airdrop regulations, citing shifts in the crypto regulatory landscape. The dismissal was filed without prejudice, allowing them to potentially refile the case in the future.

Trump-backed crypto platform WLFI sells $5 million access while pitching “democratized” finance

Trump-backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is selling $5 million "Super Node" access packages that provide guaranteed direct access to its business development team, creating a privileged tier above regular governance participants. This premium access model contradicts the platform's stated mission of democratizing finance by establishing financial barriers to meaningful participation.

Cardano Founder Calls For Insider Recusal In Liqwid Governance Dispute

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has called for insiders connected to the Liqwid protocol to recuse themselves from a governance revote regarding disputed asset distribution. He argues that token holders should decide whether earlier public commitments should be honored, highlighting ongoing tensions in DeFi governance structures.

Spark Protocol votes to reactivate WBTC collateral and expand liquidity layer: Sky Ecosystem

The Spark Foundation has proposed reactivating WBTC as collateral on SparkLend after a 1.5-year operational review. The proposal also includes expanding the protocol's liquidity layer with new rate limits and pools within the Sky Ecosystem.