Regulation & Policy

Vietnam plans to launch a pilot program for licensed cryptocurrency exchanges in March, restricting domestic users from trading on overseas platforms. Five enterprises have already passed the review. The pilot will run for 5 years, with limitations on the number of exchanges and foreign equity holdings. Violations in unauthorized trading will result in fines up to 100 million Vietnamese dong.

A judge in Buenos Aires, Argentina ordered the blocking of crypto prediction market platform Polymarket on March 16, 2026, due to unusual betting activity that occurred 15 minutes before official inflation data was released, raising insider trading concerns. The platform was accused of operating without authorization and lacking identity verification among other legal violations. The court ordered the website to be shut down and related applications to be removed from app stores, but as of that afternoon it remained normally accessible.

Israeli *Times of Israel* military reporter Emanuel Fabian recently disclosed that after reporting on an Iranian ballistic missile that struck an empty field in Beit Shemesh, a suburb of Jerusalem, he faced sustained harassment from bettors associated with Polymarket, including receiving death threats. This incident is particularly striking not only because it involves frontline war reporting and a prediction market with a funding pool exceeding $14 million, but also because it reveals an increasingly acute question: when market participants' profits begin to depend on media narratives, public information, and even violent events themselves, is the prediction market truly "price discovery," or is it creating dangerous incentives for the real world? Why did a frontline report trigger a mob of bettors? "That day, I reported on the *Times of Israel*'s live blog that the missile struck an empty field, with no

A Buenos Aires court ordered telecom regulator ENACOM to block Polymarket nationwide. Apple and Google must remove the app from stores after authorities classified it as illegal gambling. The investigation cited inflation prediction activity and potential access by minors. Argentina has or

The Senate will initiate review of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, with discussions focusing on stablecoin yield controversies. Banks are concerned about potential deposit outflows, while crypto companies are wary of tightening regulations. The probability of the bill's passage has declined, with analysts warning that if review is not completed by April, it could impact the crypto market. Investors are closely monitoring policy changes and capital flows.

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service and other institutions signed an agreement on March 17 aimed at blocking phone scam and virtual asset crime funding chains by analyzing overseas credit card usage data and entry/exit records. The new mechanism will enable information sharing among various institutions and strengthen monitoring and response to abnormal transactions.

DeFi Education Fund and Beba have withdrawn their lawsuits against the SEC, reflecting that the SEC's cryptocurrency regulation is gradually becoming more relaxed under new leadership, particularly on airdrop policies. Industry insiders believe this will provide more legal certainty for DeFi projects, attract greater institutional participation, and will impact market sentiment and investment strategies in the crypto market.

Polymarket platform sparked public controversy after an Israeli journalist reported on Iran's missile attacks. The journalist faced threats demanding modification of the report, raising concerns about market manipulation and information interference. This incident reveals structural risks inherent in prediction markets, underscores the urgent need to protect media independence, and highlights challenges regarding transparency and regulatory compliance.

A reporter covering Iran's missile attack on Israel received death threats from Polymarket bettors who aimed to force him to modify his reporting to influence betting outcomes. The incident has sparked discussions about the ethics of prediction markets, and the United States has proposed legislation to ban related bets. Police have opened an investigation into the threats.

Argentina has blocked access to the crypto prediction platform Polymarket after a court ruled it operates as unlicensed gambling, indicating heightened regulatory scrutiny of such services amid increasing digital asset adoption.

Beba in Texas and the DeFi Education Fund withdrew their lawsuit against the SEC following improvements in the SEC's policy environment, including Commissioner Pierce's statement that free airdrops do not constitute securities. The withdrawal demonstrates a positive response to the SEC's new policies while preserving the right to refile in the future.

Texas apparel company Beba and DeFi Education Fund voluntarily withdrew their lawsuit against the U.S. SEC, as statements from the SEC's crypto task force and Commissioner Peirce may influence regulatory treatment of airdrops. The withdrawal preserves the right to refile the case in the future.

Argentina has blocked the prediction market platform Polymarket, citing unusual market reversals that occurred before official inflation data releases, which raised insider trading concerns. A court ordered internet service providers to execute the block, bringing the number of countries restricting the platform to over 30. The legal basis for the block involves consumer protection and gambling regulation issues.

US trading influencer ImanTrading has accused fellow trading influencer TJR of performance fabrication, over-enrolling in courses, and profiting from promoting and then dumping cryptocurrencies, which has garnered widespread attention. The video points out that TJR's trading records appear to be manually entered rather than from actual accounts, and accuses him of creating illusions through exaggerated wealth narratives and simulated account displays. These issues are similar to long-standing phenomena in Taiwan's crypto community, reminding investors to carefully assess the true capabilities of trading influencers.

Decentralized prediction market platform Polymarket has blocked multiple bettors due to death threats issued against journalist Fabian. The incident stemmed from a report about Iranian missile strikes. The threatened journalist stated that people attempted to pressure him into modifying the report to influence betting outcomes. The incident has sparked discussions about prediction market regulation, highlighting potential threats to press independence and professional ethics.

Korea's National Police Agency completes draft virtual asset management directive, first time including dark coin management and clarifying software wallet solutions. Over the past 5 years, virtual assets worth approximately 54.5 billion won have been seized, with police planning to select private custodian institutions. Experts recommend establishing a government-led custody system.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed two regulatory measures: First, revising Rule 15c2-11 to apply only to equities, explicitly excluding other asset classes, which would have a positive impact on the cryptocurrency market; Second, considering the elimination of mandatory quarterly financial reports in favor of semi-annual reporting, which could reduce corporate costs but raises concerns about transparency and market volatility. Both proposals are currently under review.

Gate News reported that on March 17, the originally scheduled U.S. cryptocurrency tax roundtable was postponed again due to severe storms and tornado warnings. The severe weather caused widespread flight disruptions, and the two congressmen hosting the conference were also affected by flight delays and unable to arrive on time.