Mastercard Adds Binance & Ripple for Crypto Partner Program

Payments titan Mastercard recruited over 85 digital asset firms, including Binance and Ripple, to join its newly unveiled Crypto Partner Program. This massive alliance intends to advance practical use cases for blockchain technology within traditional commerce.

The global initiative launched officially on 11 March 2026 across major financial networks to unify crypto-native companies with established payment providers. These collaborations center on enhancing cross-border remittances and settlement speed for billions of users worldwide.

Mastercard initiated this specific program because they seek to merge onchain programmability with existing global card rails and financial infrastructure. By engaging industry leaders, the firm aims to inform the design and direction of future services.

Participants will achieve these goals by integrating various blockchain networks like Solana and Avalanche directly into everyday merchant flows. Consequently, this bridge ensures that emerging digital asset innovations translate smoothly into reliable tools for global businesses.

Binance Sues Wall Street Journal Over Defamation

Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal this Wednesday in a New York federal court. The exchange alleges that the newspaper published false claims regarding a Justice Department probe into Iran's use of the platform. Attorneys for Binance are currently seeking damages and legal fees while demanding a jury trial to resolve these ongoing reporting disputes.

The lawsuit specifically challenges recent articles claiming that Binance dismantled internal compliance investigations into roughly $1 Billion in suspicious fund flows. Exchange officials stated they are not aware of any new federal probe and continue to cooperate with global law enforcement. This legal clash follows a 2023 settlement where Binance paid $4.3 Billion to resolve previous anti-money-laundering violations.

Android Crypto Wallets Targeted By MediaTek Exploit

Ledger security researchers discovered a critical vulnerability this Wednesday that impacts millions of Android smartphones powered by MediaTek processors. This specific exploit allows attackers to extract encrypted seed phrases and device PINs through a simple USB connection in under 45 seconds. The flaw targets the secure boot chain which enables hackers to decrypt sensitive wallet storage before the operating system loads.

The internal Donjon team demonstrated the hack using a Nothing CMF Phone 1 to retrieve data from popular software wallets like Phantom. MediaTek reportedly issued a silent fix to manufacturers in January but only publicly addressed the widespread security risks earlier this month. Experts recommend that high-value users transition to hardware wallets to isolate their private keys from these general-purpose mobile chips.

FantasyTop Founder Denies Soft Rugpull Allegations

The pseudonymous founder of FantasyTop publicly denied allegations of a soft rugpull after angel investors claimed the team stopped communicating. High-profile venture capitalists reported that they had not received any financial statements or roadmaps since the social trading game generated millions in revenue. This conflict surfaced on X as participants questioned whether the project had shifted its core focus toward prediction markets.

Founder Travis Bickle responded by stating that the company remains fully self-funded through product earnings rather than using original seed capital. He claimed the team has multiple years of runway and recently reduced founder salaries to ensure the protocol's long-term sustainability. The platform originally gained notoriety on the Blast network by allowing users to trade influencer cards alongside other major DeFi protocols.

Data of the Day

Ethereum network activity reached historic levels this March even as the price of Ether remained 60% below its previous market peak. Data from CryptoQuant shows that active addresses have doubled over the past year to surpass 1.1 million during the recent monthly period. This specific adoption paradox highlights a growing divergence between record onchain transactions and the actual performance of the underlying asset.

Analysts suggest that capital outflows are currently overshadowing the big growth seen in decentralized finance and Layer 2 ecosystems. Total realized capitalization has turned negative which indicates that liquidity is exiting the network despite the record-high usage of stablecoins like USDC. Ether continues to consolidate near the $2,000 level as the broader cryptocurrency market struggles with a persistent global liquidity drought.

More Breaking News

• Wells Fargo filed a trademark for WFUSD, signaling a potential move into tokenized deposits or stablecoins to compete with JPMorgan’s digital assets.
• Democratic lawmakers introduced the DEATH BETS Act to prohibit prediction market contracts tied to war, assassinations, and other sensitive geopolitical tragedies.
• Revolut secured a full UK banking license, enabling the fintech giant to offer deposit protections and compete directly with traditional British banks.
• Ripple is seeking an Australian Financial Services License through an acquisition, aiming to integrate its blockchain infrastructure into the nation's regulated system.
• Ghana launched a cryptocurrency trading sandbox with 11 firms to test digital asset services under a newly established regulatory oversight framework.
• Crypto theft declined sharply in February, but security experts warned that phishing and malicious wallet approvals have become the primary threat vectors.
• Bitpanda reported $430 million in adjusted revenue for 2025 as its user base grew 25% following strategic investments in European regulatory expansion.
• Foundry Digital announced plans to launch a Zcash mining pool next month, targeting institutions with a regulated US-based privacy coin mining infrastructure.
• Actor Ben McKenzie released a trailer for his anti-crypto documentary, featuring interviews with Sam Bankman-Fried and other fallen digital asset executives.

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