Weekly Crypto Round-up for March 8 – March 14, 2025

A comprehensive overview of the week's events, updates and movements in the crypto space to stay up-to-date on the most important crypto stories and market-shaping events.

1. KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Deutsche Boerse to introduce cryptocurrency custody and settlement services for institutional clients
• Aave integrates Circle's EURC stablecoin
• $3.29 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire today
• Russian oil firms begin using Bitcoin and USDt for trade with China and India
• Mercado Bitcoin integrates with Polygon to expand investment opportunities
• Putin instructs the Russian Central Bank to reassess Bitcoin policies

2. CONTENT

🏢 Germany's Deutsche Boerse is launching Bitcoin and crypto custody services for institutional clients, expanding Europe's crypto market. The new offering from Clearstream, Deutsche Boerse's settlement arm, will enable the secure management of bitcoin and ether for trading purposes. This move signifies the company's foray into the realm of crypto services, following the successful launch of its institutional crypto trading platform last year. With this initiative, Deutsche Boerse aims to facilitate seamless crypto trading across multiple platforms, enhancing accessibility and security for institutional investors.

🌐The decentralized lending and borrowing platform Aave announced its Base chain market will support Circle's Euro stablecoin EURC. Users can now benefit from EURC as

Aave users can now earn and borrow MiCA-compliant EURC thats 1:1 redeemable for Euro on Base and use it as collateral for lending transactions. This addition expands the options for Aave users in terms of borrowing and leveraging their assets beyond USD-pegged stablecoins available on the platform, namely USD Coin (USDC), Dai and Tether (USDT).

This development represents a part of the growing trend where lending and borrowing DeFi platforms are expanding their offerings beyond dollar-pegged stablecoins. Last year, the DeFi protocols Fluid and Moonwell also activated a market for EURC on Base. It’s also part of the growing trend where crypto service providers are making an effort to comply with MiCA regulations for stablecoins.

📊 On March 14, the crypto market is set to see $3.29 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire. A development that analysts predict could trigger short-term price volatility and affect traders’ profitability. Of this total, Bitcoin (BTC) options account for $2.88 billion, while Ethereum (ETH) options represent $417 million. As the options contracts near expiration at 8:00 UTC today, Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are expected to approach their respective maximum pain points.

Price pressure on BTC and ETH will likely ease after Deribit has settled the contracts. However, the sheer scale of these expirations could still fuel heightened volatility in the crypto markets further driven by President Trump’s tariffs and inflation.

️🌏 Russian companies have been circumventing international sanctions by using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and USDt to facilitate trade with China and India. While the Russian finance minister publicly declared in 2024 that Russia will use assets like Bitcoin in foreign trade, the use of crypto in oil transactions with China and India has not been officially announced.

According to Reuters, Russia’s foreign oil trade in crypto involves intermediaries who manage offshore accounts and facilitate transactions in the buyer’s local currency.

🌎 Mercado Bitcoin, one of Latin America's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has integrated Polygon's infrastructure to offer investment products with lower costs and improved settlement times. The move will expand access to tokenized credit and other real-world assets, making them more attractive to Latin American investors.

The exchange will use Polygon’s network to improve transaction costs and settlement times. The initiative aims to issue more than $200 million in tokenized assets this year, more than doubling the platform’s current total.

💲 Russian Central Bank reports President Putin has instructed Bitcoin policy shift. After comments from the Russian President that “no one can ban Bitcoin”, The Bank of Russia announced a plot for a limited group of qualified investors to purchase and sell cryptocurrencies.

In accordance with President Vladimir Putin's directives, the initiative targets "particularly qualified" investors and companies already classified as qualified investors.

3. MARKET MOVES

📈 In the last 24 hours, Bitcoin's price moved -0.55% to $82.73k and trading volume moved -18.66% to $29.10b.

The crypto market remains as dynamic as ever, with new opportunities coming up every day. Whether you’re a seasoned trader, an investor or a beginner, this is your chance to stay ahead in the world of crypto.

Register on Freedx for insights, trends, and exclusive updates delivered straight to your inbox!

The information does not constitute financial advice or recommendation and should not be considered as such. All content, including opinions and analyses, is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as solicitation or recommendation for any investment decisions. We encourage you to conduct your own research prior to investing.