OKB Surges Over 50% in a Short Period, Market Cap Rises to $1.648 Billion

March 5 — Sources familiar with the matter told The Information that Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent are shifting to domestic chip manufacturers to ease the impact of the worsening global semiconductor shortage.

**CoinShares Report: Institutional Bitcoin Holdings Hold Steady Amid 23% Pullback** March 5: CoinShares’ latest report finds professional investors have held steady overall despite Bitcoin being down roughly 23% from last year’s peak. Advisory firms and hedge funds trimmed their BTC holdings slightly, but long-term investors—including university endowments, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds—continued accumulating during the dip. The report notes the recent drop in AUM (assets under management) is primarily driven by price volatility, not large-scale outflows of institutional capital. Meanwhile, global Bitcoin spot ETFs continue to see net inflows, indicating recent selling pressure stems more from early long-term holders taking profits than new institutional investors exiting. CoinShares adds that as ETFs have launched, future regulatory disclosures will more clearly reflect institutional activity during larger price swings.

**March 5** The U.S.-Israel joint military operation against Iran entered its sixth day Wednesday, with airstrike intensity continuing to escalate. Iran claims a U.S. torpedo struck one of its naval vessels off Sri Lanka’s coast, killing more than 80 sailors. Tehran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. at any location. Domestically, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died early in the airstrikes. Three days of funeral and mourning ceremonies scheduled in Tehran have been indefinitely postponed, with sources citing security concerns over fears gatherings could become new attack targets. Succession uncertainty has emerged: Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was widely seen as a likely immediate successor, but the funeral delay has injected doubt into Iran’s top power transition. Israel stated any successor continuing current policies could also become a target. Iran’s state television was hacked Wednesday, broadcasting a speech by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi—now a top sy

March 5 (FXStreet) — TD Securities strategists said in a report Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report won’t move the dollar much unless it shows meaningful weakness. They noted U.S. economic data could take a backseat as markets shift focus to the Middle East conflict and its potential to impact the Fed’s 2024 rate-cut plans. “You’d need a far weaker report — plus a rise in the unemployment rate — to get markets refocused on this week’s nonfarm payrolls and reverse recent price moves,” the strategists added. They noted U.S. energy independence and dimmer rate-cut odds mean the dollar should stay strong if oil prices hold high.

March 5 — Fed’s Barkin noted several months of elevated inflation, saying the data has temporarily paused the view that “we have tamed inflation.” Recent jobs data has been reassuring, he added: Fed policy remains somewhat tight, but demand is still robust.

On March 5, Qatar’s Ministry of Defense issued a statement confirming the country was targeted by a missile attack that day, with its air defense systems actively intercepting the projectile. Subsequently, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior issued a nationwide security alert, announcing the country had raised its security level.