WTI and Brent Prices Rise, Brent Crude Up 3.5% Intraday
March 18th — Per Bitget market data, WTI and Brent crude prices climbed Wednesday. Brent crude rose 3.5% intraday, last trading at $104.6 per barrel; WTI crude was last at $97.7 per barrel, up 2.3% over the past 24 hours.
Per PolyBeats tracking, the probability that WTI will close above $100 in a single session before March wraps up has jumped to 82% on prediction market Polymarket.
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Iran to Retaliate Against Attacked Energy Infrastructure, Revolutionary Guard to Issue Warning to Gulf States
March 18 — Per Iranian media reports, Iran will retaliate for attacks on its energy infrastructure by targeting enemy assets once deemed secure. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is also set to issue a warning to Gulf states.
Per monitoring by PolyBeats, the prediction market Polymarket has a new market asking “When will Iran take military action against a Gulf state?” It shows 88% odds for today (March 18), 88% for March 19, and 87% for March 20.
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After PPI Release, US Stock Index Futures Hit Pre-market Lows, Crypto-related Stocks Experience Widespread Decline
On March 18th, Bitget market data shows that following the release of U.S. PPI figures, futures for the three major U.S. stock indices turned lower to pre-market lows. Crypto-related company stocks posted broad declines:
MicroStrategy (MSTR) dropped 2.85%,
Coinbase (COIN) fell 2.42%,
Circle (CRCL) declined 0.9%,
MARA Holdings (MARA) was down 2.06%,
Riot Blockchain (RIOT) slipped 1.7%,
Bit Digital, Inc. (BTBT) fell 3.7%.
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Insight: Expectation of a sharp increase in next month's US PPI data further reduces bets on Fed rate cut in 2026
March 18
Adam Button, analyst at U.S. financial website InvestingLive, noted this is the last uninterrupted PPI reading ahead of the Iran war outbreak. The U.S. March PPI is expected to jump, though it’s not a reliable benchmark—its year-on-year (YoY) reading will hit the highest level since January 2025.
Earlier, the U.S. February PPI YoY rose to 3.4%, topping market expectations of 2.9% to mark a new high since February last year. The prior reading was 2.90%.
Additionally, traders have further pared bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026.
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Binance Will List KAT USDT-Margined Perpetual Contract
Binance to Launch Support for Katana (KAT) Across Multiple Products on March 18
Binance will add Katana (KAT) to its Savings, Buy Crypto with One Click, Swap Pool, Leveraged Tokens, and Futures platforms on March 18.
Additionally, Binance Futures will start the gradual conversion of its USDT-based KAT perpetual contract trading pair to a standard perpetual contract at 21:00 Beijing Time (UTC+8) on March 18, 2026. The transition period may last up to three hours.
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Inflation Concerns Strengthen Fed Hawkish Bet, Gold Falls Over 2%
March 18th – Per Bitget market data, gold prices hit a one-month low, falling below $4,890 per ounce with a 2.36% intraday drop. Investors are weighing risks from a more hawkish Fed stance, while high oil prices have amplified inflation concerns—pushing gold to its lowest level since February 18th.
Nemo.money market analyst Jamie Dutta noted that investors fear surging energy costs will keep interest rates elevated longer. The longer the Iran conflict persists, the higher the likelihood of this scenario. However, long-term drivers like central bank gold purchases, stagflation risks, and diversification demand remain intact—suggesting gold prices will rise by the end of 2026.
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