JH Kim

Binance.US, the U.S. unit of global crypto exchange Binance, has appointed a compliance specialist as its new chief executive officer (CEO). According to crypto-focused media outlet CoinDesk on the 11th (local time), Binance.US named Stephen Gregory as its new CEO. Gregory previously served as U.S. CEO of crypto trading platform Currency.com. He also held senior compliance roles at several platforms, including Gemini and CEX.io, overseeing regulatory compliance work. The appointment is seen as a move to respond to the U.S. regulatory environment.

The U.S. military has reportedly acknowledged preliminary findings that a missile strike on an Iranian elementary school was a misfire. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 11th (local time), the U.S. military confirmed in its preliminary review that it launched a Tomahawk missile strike on an elementary school in Iran on Feb. 28, and determined it stemmed from a “targeting error.” The review found that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out the strike based on outdated information from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The building had previously been part of a naval base facility, but was reportedly being used as an elementary school at the time. At least 175 people were killed in the attack, most of them children, according to reports. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump had suggested the incident could have been staged by Iran, but later said he would accept the findings of the investigation.

U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) issued a warning to civilians to refrain from approaching areas near port facilities in Iran. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 11th (local time), USCENTCOM advised civilians to avoid areas around ports and navy-related facilities where the Iranian navy is active. The command said it cannot guarantee civilian safety because areas near facilities where military operations are under way could become military targets. Previously, the U.S. had warned of the potential for civilian casualties, noting that Iran is conducting some military activities near civilian areas.

The three major U.S. stock indexes closed mixed. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.01% from the previous session on the 11th to 22,697.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.07% to 47,706.51, while the S&P 500 declined 0.21% to 6,781.52.

US President Donald Trump said the United States struck and completely destroyed 10 vessels that could be used to lay mines. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), President Trump said, "We struck 10 inactive vessels or boats that could be used to deploy mines, and completely destroyed them." He added that the vessels could have been used to lay naval mines. With military tensions between the United States and Iran rising in recent days, concerns over maritime security are growing as the possibility of mine deployment in the Strait of Hormuz is being raised.

Multicoin Capital projected that the digital-asset (cryptocurrency) market will evolve from directly buying tokens to a structure in which tokens are earned through network contributions. According to crypto-focused media outlet CoinDesk on the 10th (local time), Multicoin Capital investment partner Shayon Sengupta said the next-generation digital-asset market could develop into a form of 'Internet Labor Markets.' "So far, digital assets have been used by directly purchasing and trading tokens," he said. "In the future, earning tokens rather than buying them could become the market’s primary driver." He added that "the shift from speculation to revenue generation is at the core of internet labor markets," and that "users will provide work or resources to decentralized networks and receive tokens in return."

Concerns have been raised that Congress should prohibit stablecoin legislation if it undermines the existing financial system. According to CoinDesk, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, many respondents to a survey conducted by the American Bankers Association (ABA) said the impact of stablecoin legislation on the financial system should be examined with extreme caution. In particular, respondents agreed by roughly a 3-to-1 margin that Congress should ban it if stablecoin reward payments risk reducing the size of bank deposits. In addition, about one-sixth of respondents said community banks that support local economic activity should be protected, adding that measures that could weaken these banks should not be taken.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned of possible military action, demanding the immediate removal of any mines that might be laid in the Strait of Hormuz. On the 10th (local time), Trump wrote on Truth Social, "There are no reports that Iran has laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but if they have, they must be removed immediately." He added, "If, for any reason, mines are laid and are not removed immediately, the military consequences for Iran will be at a level never seen before." He continued, "If there are any laid, removing them would be a major step forward in the right direction."

The White House said oil prices could fall if measures taken in response to Iran achieve their objectives. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said regarding the Iran issue that "if national security options are achieved, oil prices will fall." She explained, "The president and the energy team are closely monitoring market conditions and are preparing additional measures," adding that "President Donald Trump is not afraid to use additional options in the energy sector." She added, "President Trump is confident he can achieve the objectives quickly."

The U.S. government has reportedly asked Israel to refrain from further attacks on Iran’s energy and oil infrastructure. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), the U.S. government made an informal request that Israel not carry out additional strikes on Iran-related energy facilities. This is said to be the first instance since the start of the two countries’ joint military operation in which the U.S. sought to limit the scope of Israel’s attacks. The U.S. is reportedly concerned about the possibility of escalating civilian casualties, issues surrounding cooperation with Iran’s oil industry after the war, and the risk that retaliatory escalation in the Middle East could roil global energy markets.

Reports have emerged that up to 150 US troops were wounded during the course of the military clashes between the United States and Iran. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), two sources familiar with the matter said they understand that as many as 150 US service members have been wounded so far in the war. The figure is said to include both minor and serious injuries. The US military, however, has not released an official tally of the total number of wounded. Earlier, reports said US forces suffered casualties after US bases and military facilities in the Middle East came under drone and missile attacks.

US intelligence has assessed that Iran is preparing to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. On the 10th (local time), Walter Bloomberg reported that US intelligence believes Iran could lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz using small vessels. Intelligence officials said Iran is estimated to possess about 2,000–6,000 naval mines, some of which are believed to include equipment from China and Russia in addition to domestically produced Iranian items. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy transit route through which about 20% of global seaborne crude oil shipments pass, and analysts say that if mines were actually deployed, they could affect international maritime shipping and energy markets.

Reports say that, contrary to claims that the U.S. military is escorting tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, no such military escort has actually taken place. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), it has been confirmed that there have been no cases to date of U.S. military assets escorting tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. This contradicts earlier remarks by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright that tanker escorts were being conducted. Military officials said there have been no confirmed cases so far of U.S. military assets carrying out tanker-protection missions in the strait.

The three major U.S. stock indexes are trading higher. As of 02:19 on the 11th, the Nasdaq Composite is up 0.83% from the previous session at 22,885.13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 0.66% at 48,085.24, while the S&P 500 is up 0.63% at 6,838.68.

A U.S. senator said some compromise will be necessary to pass the CLARITY Act, a market-structure bill for virtual assets (cryptocurrencies). According to Eleanor Terrett, host of Crypto in America, on the 10th (local time), Sen. Angela Alsobrooks made the remarks at an American Bankers Association (ABA) summit held in Washington. “Perfect cannot be the enemy of good when it comes to getting this bill across the finish line,” she said. “I think I need to be candid that everyone will probably walk away at least a little dissatisfied.” She added, “I believe the compromise that Sen. Thom Tillis and I have been working on is designed to prevent deposit outflows while supporting innovation.”

xStocks, a tokenized equities platform linked to Kraken, is reportedly preparing to roll out a rewards program. According to CoinDesk, a media outlet specializing in digital assets (cryptocurrencies), xStocks is planning an “xPoints” rewards program targeting traders, liquidity providers and DeFi developers who use on-chain stock tokens. Under the program, users will be able to earn points based on their activity, with the points reportedly potentially convertible in the future into ecosystem rewards such as governance tokens. While xStocks has not yet announced any official token launch plan, the outlet said the rewards program could be a preliminary step toward a potential token issuance.

Iran’s parliament speaker warned that the country would respond in kind if an adversary attacks Iran’s infrastructure. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, "If the enemy starts a war targeting Iran’s infrastructure, Iran will respond in the same way." He stressed that if Iran’s key infrastructure is attacked, the other country’s infrastructure could also become a target. As military clashes between the United States and Iran have continued in recent days, tensions in the Middle East are escalating, and the risk of conflict over critical infrastructure—such as energy facilities and military bases—is also rising.

U.S. President Donald Trump is said to be considering options to control the Strait of Hormuz. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 9th (local time), Trump is internally reviewing potential U.S. measures to control the Strait of Hormuz as military tensions in the Middle East intensify. The Strait of Hormuz is a key energy shipping lane through which about 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil shipments pass. With military clashes between the United States and Iran continuing, tensions surrounding the strait are also rising. No specific implementation plan or official decision related to the measure has been made so far, according to the report.

The three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher. The Nasdaq Composite on the 10th rose 1.38% from the previous session to 22,695.95. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.50% to 47,740.95, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.83% to close at 6,795.90.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the military operation against Iran is progressing faster than initially expected and that the war has effectively moved close to the final stage. On the 9th (local time), according to Walter Bloomberg, President Trump said in an interview with CBS, "The operation is moving far ahead of the 4 to 5-week timetable we initially anticipated." He added, "I think the Iran war is in a very completed state. It’s essentially almost over." Previously, President Trump had projected the duration of the military operation against Iran at about 4 to 5 weeks. He also said the operation could last longer depending on circumstances, and the United States and Israel have carried out the operation with the primary goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

A senior Iranian official said Iran is ready to wage a long war with the United States. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 9th (local time), Kamal Kharazi said in an interview with CNN, "Iran is ready to wage a long war with the United States." He claimed, "We will continue attacks on Gulf countries so that allies pressure U.S. President Donald Trump to step down." With military clashes between the United States and Iran continuing in recent days, tensions in the Middle East are escalating.

The three major U.S. stock indexes are trading mixed. The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.10% from the previous session at 22,410.66 points as of 03:38 on the 10th. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.76% at 47,140.32, and the S&P 500 was down 0.24% at 6,723.69.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to hold a press conference and comment on key issues. According to Walter Bloomberg on the 9th (local time), President Trump will hold the press conference at 5:30 p.m. ET that day. This corresponds to 6:30 a.m. on the 10th in Korea. The agenda for the press conference has not been disclosed in detail. However, there is growing speculation that he may address major issues such as heightened military tensions in the Middle East and U.S. military operations against Iran.

Wilson, founder of CyberConnect and SurfAI, has reportedly been investigated by authorities in mainland China. According to WuBlockchain, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, on the 9th (local time), Wilson was recently investigated by Chinese authorities, though the specific reason has not yet been disclosed. SurfAI previously closed a $15 million funding round led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Digital Currency Group (DCG), among others. So far, there has been no additional official announcement related to the Chinese authorities’ investigation.