Uk Jin

 Bithumb announced on the 4th that it is recruiting the 3rd generation of its college student supporters 'Thumbs Up.' Thumbs Up is a college student ambassador program that enhances Bithumb's brand value and strengthens its future competitiveness through differentiated ideas. The 3rd generation will begin with a launch ceremony on April 4th and carry out various projects over a four-month period, which is one month longer than previous generations. In addition to existing Thumbs Up activities such as ▲creative offline promotions for Bithumb branding ▲presenting service improvement ideas ▲conducting social contribution activities that can enhance Bithumb's brand value, this generation will also perform a large-scale group offline promotion mission that all members of the 3rd Thumbs Up will participate in together. Supporters will receive monthly activity stipends, business cards, a welcome kit containing special goods and team uniforms exclusive to the 3rd generation of Thumbs Up, and separate funds for experiencing the exchange platform. The top-performing team will receive a prize of 5 million won (1 team), and four outstanding individual performers will each receive 2 million won in prize money along with the opportunity to serve as Bithumb college student ambassadors. A total of 20 participants will be recruited. Any college student residing in Korea who has an understanding of Bithumb and virtual assets can apply through the Bithumb recruitment page. The application period runs from February 28th to March 14th, and applicants with experience using virtual asset platforms or experience operating promotional booths or planning campaigns will receive preferential consideration. Detailed information about the recruitment of Bithumb's 3rd generation of college student supporters Thumbs Up can be found in the announcements section of the Bithumb website or by email inquiry. A Bithumb representative stated, "The 3rd generation of Thumbs Up will provide broader activities and collaboration opportunities in line with the extended activity period, and we expect it to be an opportunity for participants to grow together over a longer timeframe," adding, "We will actively support creative projects through Thumbs Up activities that can help the public develop a more positive perception of virtual assets."

Blockchain and fintech company Dunamu announced on the 4th that it has introduced a Compliance Program (CP) for fair trade. CP is a program established by the Fair Trade Commission, which is an internal compliance system where companies establish their own code of conduct and implement it to comply with fair trade-related regulations. Dunamu CEO Lee Seok-woo declared the introduction of CP through the company's bulletin board and expressed the company-wide commitment to compliance with relevant laws to internal employees. "The virtual asset industry is growing at an unprecedented pace, and the importance of transparency and fairness across the industry is intensifying," said CEO Lee. "Dunamu has introduced the Fair Trade Compliance Program to pursue these social values." CEO Lee emphasized compliance policies including ▲prohibition of abuse of superior position ▲prohibition of unfair support for affiliates ▲prohibition of collusion with competitors ▲prohibition of directing or abetting fair trade violations to employees ▲providing accurate information to customers ▲pursuing fair transactions when dealing with partner companies. Meanwhile, Dunamu has appointed Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Lim Jong-heon as the compliance manager and formed a dedicated organization for CP implementation and promotion. Dunamu plans to actively conduct education for establishing fair trade systems and internal control and compliance with regulations in the future. Currently, Dunamu proactively operates a strict internal control system related to virtual asset trading, prohibiting not only employees but also their immediate family members from trading on Upbit, and requiring them to report transaction details to the company quarterly when using other exchanges.

Arthur Hayes, founder of BitMEX, has claimed that the virtual asset (cryptocurrency) market is still in a bull market cycle. On the 3rd (local time), Arthur Hayes stated through his official blog, "I believe the market is still in a bull market. However, in the worst case scenario, Bitcoin (BTC) could drop to $70,000." Specifically, he warned, "If the S&P500 or Nasdaq100 falls 20-30% from all-time highs, and major financial institutions experience crises, risk asset sentiment could significantly deteriorate, causing Bitcoin to drop to $70,000." However, he also mentioned that Bitcoin could reach new all-time highs with economic recovery. Arthur Hayes said, "If the global economy recovers under U.S. leadership, I believe Bitcoin could break through $1 million."

According to the virtual asset data provider Alternative on the 4th, the virtual asset Fear & Greed Index recorded 15 points, down 18 points from the previous day. As of 9:35 a.m. that day, Bitcoin is trading at $86,044 on CoinMarketCap, down 8.14% from the previous day. At the same time, Ethereum (ETH) fell by 13.98%, and both XRP and Binance Coin (BNB) decreased by 16.63% and 7.13%, respectively. Additionally, Solana (-18.80%), ADA (-24.62%), Dogecoin (-15.56%), and Tron (-4.85%) also showed a downward trend. The Fear & Greed Index is an indicator that expresses market sentiment, with a score closer to 0 indicating extreme fear and closer to 100 indicating extreme greed. This index is calculated based on volatility (25%), trading volume (25%), social media (15%), surveys (15%), Bitcoin market cap dominance (10%), and Google search trends (10%).

 On the 4th, Bloomberg and other foreign media outlets reported, citing a senior Defense Department official, that U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a temporary suspension of military aid to Ukraine. President Trump reportedly issued this order to Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth. According to sources, the U.S. will suspend all military assistance until Ukrainian leaders demonstrate a willingness for peace. As a result, all U.S. military equipment not currently on Ukrainian soil, including weapons waiting for transport in Poland or being transported by aircraft and ships, is expected to have its support suspended.

<Today's Major Economic Schedule> ▶March 4 (Tuesday): △US February ISM Manufacturing PMI (Korean time 00:00, US time March 3 10:00), △Korean January Retail Sales (Korean time 08:00) <Today's Major Cryptocurrency Schedule> ▶March 4 (Tuesday):

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Crypto Task Force (TF) is scheduled to hold a roundtable meeting. According to crypto media outlet The Block on the 3rd (local time), the SEC announced in a statement that the Crypto TF will hold its first roundtable meeting on the 21st from 1 PM to 5 PM (3 AM to 7 AM on the 22nd, Korea time). The topic of the meeting is the security status of cryptocurrencies. The meeting will be broadcast live on the SEC's official website.

 It has been reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its investigation into Yuga Labs, the developer of the prominent non-fungible token (NFT) BAYC. According to cryptocurrency news outlet The Block on the 3rd (local time), Yuga Labs announced via X (Twitter) that "the SEC has concluded its investigation into Yuga Labs, which had been ongoing for three years," adding that "this is a win for NFTs and all creators in the ecosystem. NFTs are not securities." The SEC has recently been withdrawing investigations against numerous cryptocurrency companies. Previously, the SEC withdrew investigations into Robinhood Crypto, Gemini, Uniswap Labs, Consensys, and OpenSea, and also ended lawsuits against cryptocurrency exchanges such as Coinbase and Kraken.

 The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced the members of its virtual asset (cryptocurrency) task force (TF). On the 3rd (local time), the SEC revealed through its official website the members who will lead the TF alongside SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce. First, Richard Gabbert will serve as the Chief of Staff. Michael Selig, a former partner attorney at the major US law firm Wilkie Farr & Gallagher, has been recruited as Chief Counsel. Taylor Asher and Samira Younis have been appointed as Chief Policy Advisor and Chief Operating Officer, respectively. In addition, 10 senior advisors are expected to join the TF. Hester Peirce, the virtual asset TF leader, said, "The virtual asset TF exists to find viable solutions to difficult virtual asset regulatory issues."

Trump-initiated 'Tariff War' Intensifies "No Room for Negotiation with Canada and Mexico" Reconfirms 'Reciprocal Tariffs' to be Imposed from April 2 New York Stock Market and Bitcoin Plunge Simultaneously U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will impose a 25% across-the-board tariff on Canada and Mexico as planned, starting from the 4th (local time). In addition, he signed an order to impose an additional 20% tariff on China, which includes an extra 10%, signaling the full-scale escalation of a global tariff war. President Trump announced these tariff plans during a White House event unveiling TSMC's (Taiwan's foundry semiconductor manufacturing company) new investment plans in the United States on the 3rd. When reporters asked about tariffs on Mexico and Canada, President Trump responded that there was "no room left" for negotiation. Regarding China, he had already imposed a 10% tariff as planned on the 4th of last month, and has now added another 10%, raising the additional tariff rate to 20%. Originally, President Trump had delayed imposing tariffs for 30 days, saying he would examine measures to prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the United States. For China, he implemented the planned 10% additional tariff measure as scheduled. He also reconfirmed that 'reciprocal tariffs,' which consider tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers on American products by other countries, will be imposed from April 2. The core of reciprocal tariffs is that the U.S. imposes tariffs on foreign imports based on the tariff rates and non-tariff barriers that foreign countries impose on American imports. Locally, it is projected that if President Trump implements the tariff measures on Mexico, Canada, and China as planned, imports totaling $1.5 trillion annually will be affected by the tariff increases. President Trump also announced plans to impose tariffs on imported agricultural products on this day. In a post titled 'To America's Great Farmers' on his social media platform Truth Social, he said, "Get ready to start producing many agricultural products that will be sold within the United States," adding that "tariffs will be applied to external goods from April 2." However, he did not mention specific items that would be subject to tariffs or whether there would be any exceptions. On this day, President Trump expressed the view that he does not expect China to retaliate excessively against the tariff impositions. He also mentioned that he is considering signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Argentina. As President Trump announced that he would impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico as planned, the New York stock market plunged across the board. Bitcoin, which had surged the previous day following Trump's strategic reserve cryptocurrency remarks, also crashed by more than 8% on this day. Jeong-dong Noh, Hankyung.com reporter dong2@hankyung.com

 The hacker who stole approximately 2 trillion won worth of funds from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit is expected to soon complete laundering the stolen funds. On the 3rd, cryptocurrency on-chain data analysis account Amber CN announced via X (Twitter) that "The Bybit hacker is expected to soon complete laundering the 499,000 Ethereum that was stolen. Currently, only 60,000 Ethereum remains unlaundered." Previously, on the 21st, approximately $1.5 billion worth of Ethereum was stolen from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. North Korean hacker group Lazarus has been identified as the suspected perpetrator.

As President Donald Trump mentioned strategic cryptocurrency reserves, negative opinions have emerged regarding the United States' strategic cryptocurrency reserves. On the 3rd, BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes stated in an X (Twitter) post about strategic cryptocurrency reserves, "It's nothing new. It's just talk. Let me know when they get authorization to borrow money from Congress, or when they revalue gold at a higher price," adding, "Without this, they won't have the money to strategically stockpile Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies."

<Today's Major Economic Events> ▶March 3rd(Mon) : △EU February Consumer Price Index(KST 19:00, Local time 10:00) △US February Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index(KST 23:45, Local time 09:45) <Today's Major Cryptocurrency Events> ▶March 3rd(Mon) : △Hatom Mainnet Launch, △Onyx Coin Goliath Mainnet Launch, △dydx 220th, 221st Votes