Day: March 12, 2026

Bitget February Report Highlights 86% BTC Yearly Reserve Growth as TradFi and AI Trading Infrastructure Expands

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Bitget February Report Highlights 86% BTC Yearly Reserve Growth as TradFi and AI Trading Infrastructure Expands
Bitget February Report Highlights 86% BTC Yearly Reserve Growth as TradFi and AI Trading Infrastructure Expands
Bitget February Report Highlights 86% BTC Yearly Reserve Growth as TradFi and AI Trading Infrastructure Expands

VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has released its February 2026 Transparency Report, highlighting strong capital inflows, expanding Bitcoin reserves, and new AI-driven trading infrastructure as the platform continues to advance its Universal Exchange (UEX) strategy.

During the month, Bitget recorded $205.95 million in net inflows, ranking third globally among centralized exchanges as per DefiLlama. The performance placed Bitget ahead of several larger competitors during a period when multiple exchanges recorded net outflows. Along with this, Bitget’s Bitcoin reserves continued to climb. Data from CryptoQuant shows BTC holdings rising from roughly 19,700 BTC in early 2025 to around 36,700 BTC by late February 2026, representing an 86% increase over the past year. The accumulation occurred despite broader market volatility, suggesting that users continued to deposit assets onto the exchange even as prices retraced from previous highs.

February also saw Bitget expand its AI trading infrastructure with the launch of Agent Hub, a platform designed to support intelligent agents interacting directly with live markets. Built on Bitget’s API framework and a standardized Model Context Protocol toolkit, the system allows automated strategies to securely access market data and execute trades across crypto and tokenized traditional markets.

Alongside the infrastructure launch, Bitget rolled out a mobile app upgrade that places crypto and traditional financial instruments side by side on the platform’s homepage. The update introduces a dedicated TradFi tab providing access to stock-linked products, FX, indices, commodities, and precious metals, reflecting the growing convergence between crypto markets and global finance. Industry forecasts referenced by Bitget suggest that up to 40% of global stock trading could become tokenized by 2030, representing a potential $15 trillion to $30 trillion market opportunity.

Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, said the platform’s direction reflects how market infrastructure is evolving. “As markets move sideways, we’re doubling down on scaling our products for the next billion users. With crypto, TradFi now has a new home, and AI trading brings a multitude of opportunities to leverage the ongoing new-world finance.”

Beyond trading infrastructure, Bitget introduced Gracy AI, an initiative designed to deliver AI-powered market insights inspired by Chen’s leadership perspectives. The company also launched its Fan Club community program to strengthen localized engagement across its global user base through events and campaigns.

Outside the platform, Bitget supported the 2026 LALIGA Youth Tournament in Thailand through its Blockchain4Youth initiative, bringing together 86 youth teams from eight countries in one of Southeast Asia’s largest cross-border youth competitions.

The report also noted that Bitget ranked sixth globally by trading volume in 2025, reflecting continued growth across spot and derivatives markets as the exchange expands its Universal Exchange model.

For more information and to read the full February 2026 Transparency Report, visit here.

About Bitget

Bitget is the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry’s lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected] 

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/25f4c089-cd0d-4bd8-a4e4-550075879252

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001169300

Installation of a New Sculpture Signed by Pierre and Cedric Koukjian, Founders of SINCE Fine Art, “SAWA” at Beit Beirut Museum

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New sculpture representing peace and unity now installed atop historic museum, highlighting reconciliation and Lebanon’s cultural heritage.

“SAWA” by Pierre and Cedric Koukjian: Unity atop Beit Beirut.
"SAWA" by Pierre and Cedric Koukjian: Unity atop Beit Beirut.
“SAWA” by Pierre and Cedric Koukjian: Unity atop Beit Beirut.

“SAWA” by Pierre and Cedric Koukjian: Unity atop Beit Beirut.

BEIRUT, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Geneva-based designers Pierre and Cedric Koukjian, founders of SINCE Fine Art, have installed a new steel sculpture titled “SAWA” atop Beit Beirut. The piece represents peace and unity and reinforces the museum’s mission as a space for reflection, cultural dialogue, and reconciliation, contributing to the city’s growing presence in Beirut Lebanon art sculpture installations and public cultural landmarks.

Located along Beirut’s former Green Line, the museum once marked the city’s wartime division and has since been restored as a cultural and urban memory museum. The installation adds a contemporary artistic element that celebrates connection, resilience, and Lebanon’s enduring spirit.

Designed as an interconnected chain and crafted from hand-hammered stainless steel, the sculpture’s undulating surface echoes the building’s historic façade, integrating the artwork visually with the museum while emphasizing the strength of unity.

“This installation embodies the values of connection and hope,” said a spokesperson for the designer duo. “Signed by Pierre and Cedric Koukjian, it complements the museum’s mission of preserving history while encouraging reflection and dialogue about the city’s future.”

Installation logistics were coordinated by Blackblues, ensuring the sculpture was carefully integrated into the rooftop without compromising the building’s architectural integrity.

The addition demonstrates SINCE Fine Art’s continued commitment to creating public artworks that resonate with cultural and historical contexts, highlighting themes of unity and resilience through postmodernist design.

About Pierre and Cedric Koukjian

A designer duo specializing in postmodernist sculptures and installations that explore connection, identity, and resilience. Their works often combine materials such as metal, marble, and crystalline resin to produce large-scale installations blending architectural influence with contemporary artistic expression.

About Beit Beirut Museum

Beit Beirut preserves Lebanon’s history, art, and architecture. Located along the former Green Line, the restored building now symbolizes peace, reconciliation, and the enduring spirit of Beirut.

Media Contact:
Pierre and Cedric Koukjian
[email protected]
+41 79 107 97 29
www.sincefineart.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/504fc0e0-f193-4621-8a34-c370c5b66534

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9670170

EarthDaily Achieves CEOS Analysis Ready Data (CEOS-ARD) Compliance

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Validation Confirms Science-Grade Integrity of the EarthDaily Constellation

Perth captured by EDC-01

The EarthDaily Constellation satellite EDC-01 early image of Perth.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia and NEW YORK, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EarthDaily today announced that its data products have achieved CEOS Analysis Ready Data (CEOS-ARD) compliance, a globally recognized standard established by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS).

CEOS-ARD compliance confirms that EarthDaily data meet rigorous international requirements for radiometric calibration and geometric correction approaches, metadata completeness, and interoperability across time and datasets, enabling immediate quantitative analysis with minimal additional user processing.

Importantly, EarthDaily achieved CEOS-ARD compliance prior to full commercial availability of its complete constellation, a rare milestone for a commercial Earth observation system.

“This achievement validates the scientific foundation of our data,” said Don Osborne, Chief Executive Officer of EarthDaily. “We built the EarthDaily Constellation as a measurement system first. Daily coverage only matters if the data are stable, comparable, and trustworthy over time. CEOS-ARD compliance confirms we are delivering science-grade data at commercial scale.”

CEOS Analysis Ready Data standards are important to science mission interoperability and include a range of public government missions, including Sentinel and Landsat products. The framework was developed to address a persistent challenge in Earth observation: as global data volumes grow, users often lack the infrastructure and expertise required to process raw imagery for scientific and operational applications. Systematic provision of CEOS-ARD reduces that burden and supports more effective decision-making.

EarthDaily’s architecture was intentionally designed to ensure continuity with established scientific archives. Its radiometric calibration approach, spectral configuration, and geometric correction standards enable comparability and compatibility with Landsat and Sentinel data records. This design allows users to integrate EarthDaily data seamlessly into existing time-series analyses while benefiting from enhanced spectral diversity and daily revisit.

Compliance signals that EarthDaily delivers:

  • Science-grade radiometric and geometric correction
  • Interoperable datasets structured for robust time-series analysis
  • Immediate usability for advanced analytics and AI workflows
  • Reduced preprocessing burden and improved analytical reliability

The EarthDaily constellation was engineered around measurement integrity from inception. As highlighted in recent SpaceNews coverage examining the system’s development and on-orbit performance, the EarthDaily Constellation incorporates:

  • Rigorous radiometric calibration
  • Thermal characterization for spectral stability
  • Simultaneous collection across 22 spectral bands
  • Consistent local acquisition timing
  • Architecture aligned for interoperability with Landsat and Sentinel archives

These design principles ensure that EarthDaily data is globally consistent and scientifically reliable for long-term change detection.

With six additional satellites launching in May and continued expansion later this year, the EarthDaily Constellation will enter commercial operations in Summer 2026, delivering daily, consistent global coverage supported by CEOS-ARD compliant science-grade data.

This milestone reinforces EarthDaily’s position as a commercial provider bridging scientific rigor with scalable, AI-ready Earth observation infrastructure.

About EarthDaily

EarthDaily is a global Earth observation company focused on delivering science-grade data and analytics designed for broad-area change detection and decision-centric intelligence. With the upcoming launch of the EarthDaily Constellation, the company is building a foundation for daily, globally consistent Earth intelligence to support governments and enterprises operating in complex, high-impact environments.

To learn more, visit earthdaily.com and follow EarthDaily on LinkedIn (@EarthDaily) and X (@EarthDailyA).

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a00964c1-54f3-418d-800e-2c09394a2aa3

Contacts
Tanya Cross
Vice President, Global Marketing and Communications
EarthDaily
[email protected]

Alliance Advisors IR
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9670316

BitMEX Launches Crypto Olympus Trading Competition Featuring a 500,000 USDT Prize Pool

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BitMEX Launches Crypto Olympus Trading Competition Featuring a 500,000 USDT Prize Pool
BitMEX, one of the safest crypto exchanges, announced today the launch of its Crypto Olympus Trading Competition, featuring a 500,000 USDT prize pool.

VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMEX, one of the safest crypto exchanges, announced today the launch of its Crypto Olympus Trading Competition, featuring a 500,000 USDT prize pool.

The competition will run from 12 March 2026 at 12:00 PM (UTC) to 12 April 2026 at 11:59 PM (UTC). Users can participate in the competition anytime during the campaign period.

Rewards will be distributed across four categories:

  • Highest Trading Volume: 75% of the total prize pool will be shared by the Top 100 Traders ranked by trading volume.
  • Highest PnL: 10% of the total prize pool will be shared by the Top 100 Traders ranked by PnL.
  • Highest ROI%: 10% of the total prize pool will be shared by the Top 100 Traders ranked by ROI%.
  • Fortuna’s Favour: 5% of the total prize pool will be shared by 50 traders chosen via a lucky draw.

To participate in the Crypto Olympus Trading Competition, users must be fully verified on BitMEX. Competition details and registration can be found here.

About BitMEX
BitMEX is the OG crypto derivatives exchange, providing professional crypto traders with a platform that caters to their needs through low latency, deep crypto native liquidity and unmatched reliability.

Since its founding, no cryptocurrency has been lost through intrusion or hacking, allowing BitMEX users to trade safely in the knowledge that their funds are secure. So too that they have access to the products and tools they require to be profitable.

BitMEX was also one of the first exchanges to publish their on-chain Proof of Reserves and Proof of Liabilities data. The exchange continues to publish this data twice a week – proving assurance that they safely store and segregate the funds they are entrusted with.

For more information on BitMEX, please visit the BitMEX Blog or www.bitmex.com, and follow Telegram, Twitter, Discord, and its online communities. For further inquiries, please contact [email protected].

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e03a3a3d-7c33-42eb-b8e7-a9734449e3ca

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001169733

SEOUL RESTAURANT SAN NAMED ONE TO WATCH BY ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2026

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The new French-influenced, modern Korean fine-dining spot in Gangnam demonstrates exceptional culinary talent and potential for future glory  

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 March 2026 – Restaurant San, Seoul’s most outstanding new fine-dining restaurant, has been named the winner of the One To Watch Award 2026 by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. The award singles out a restaurant which has recently started making a big impact and has the potential to secure a spot in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in the coming years.

San’s nomination comes just over a year since opening in 2024 to widespread admiration in the South Korean capital. Located in the fashionable Gangnam district, San is acclaimed for its refined, French-influenced, modern Korean tasting menu conceived by chef Jo Seung-Hyun.

Chef Jo brings exceptional credentials to the venture, having honed his culinary skills at three distinguished restaurants – starting under the tutelage of Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Napa Valley and La Maison Troisgros in France, before going on to helm the kitchen at Korean-American celebrity chef Corey Lee’s fine-dining restaurant Benu in San Francisco. After eight years as chef de cuisine at Benu, he finally returned home to Seoul to realise his dream of opening San. The sophisticated tasting menu explores a vibrant range of seasonal dishes presenting his creative interpretation of classical French cuisine with a Korean twist.

A spokesperson for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants says: “San has quickly become one of the most talked-about fine-dining restaurants in Seoul. With richly deserved recognition as the winner of One To Watch Award, the team is raising the bar for culinary excellence, complexity and respect for national tradition – following an inspiring trend of innovative restaurants to emerge from the capital in recent years.”

On winning the One To Watch Award 2026, Chef Jo says, “I’m incredibly grateful and honoured for San to receive the One To Watch Award. San is still a young restaurant and to be recognised in this way so soon after opening means a great deal to us. Thank you to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for this encouragement.”

Showcasing Korean flavours through refined technique, Chef Jo’s cuisine focuses on familiar dishes reimagined with depth and precision. Signature creations include a prawn dish paired with a shrimp-gochujang crafted from a deeply concentrated broth extracted from shrimp heads, delivering intense umami, and a reinterpretation of ojingeo sukhoe, a classic Korean poached squid, using delicately prepared spear squid accompanied by squid-ink chojang. Drawing from his childhood memories growing up in Busan, Chef Jo also presents a refined interpretation of dwaeji-gukbap, traditionally enjoyed with salted shrimp but finished with caviar, offering a sense of familiarity while introducing an unexpected modern expression of Korean cuisine.

Beyond these innovations, signature dishes paying homage to iconic tradition include chamoe dongchimi, a water kimchi twist on Korea’s national dish. The wine pairing, led by Ju Jaemin, meanwhile enhances the dining experience at San. Guests can choose between a five or eight-glass pairing, with each wine meticulously selected to complement the multi-layered dishes.

San is the first restaurant from Seoul to win the award since 2017. Recent winners include Farmlore in Bengaluru (2025), a celebration of hyper‑local Indian ingredients; Lamdre in Beijing (2024), a sustainability focused restaurant inspired by Tibetan philosophy; and August in Jakarta (2023), which reinterprets Indonesian flavours through modern fine‑dining techniques.

The One To Watch Award is the final of three pre-announced awards ahead of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 awards ceremony, which will announce the region’s premier restaurants. The ceremony is being held for the first time in Hong Kong at the Kerry Hotel on 25 March 2026. The awards ceremony will also be streamed live on the 50 Best YouTube channel via the link here, beginning at 20:00 Hong Kong time.

50 Best works with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner to help protect the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026. See more details on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants voting process here.

How the voting works

The list is compiled by votes from the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of more than 350 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene. The Academy is divided into seven regions: India & Subcontinent; South-East Asia – South; South-East Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau; Mainland China; Korea; and Japan. Each voter casts ten votes based on their best restaurant experiences of the previous 18 months, with at least four of these from outside their home country/SAR. Voters are required to remain anonymous and voting is confidential, secure and independently adjudicated by professional services consultancy Deloitte. 

About the host destination partner: Hong Kong Tourism Board

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government-subvented body tasked with maximizing the contribution of tourism to Hong Kong’s economy and upholding Hong Kong as a world-class travel destination. The HKTB works in partnership with relevant government departments and organisations, the travel-related sectors, and other entities related to tourism, to market and promote Hong Kong worldwide, while enhancing visitors’ experiences through providing diverse and high-quality tourism products and services. The HKTB has a worldwide network of 15 offices and has representatives in seven different markets.

About the main partner: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna

S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna are the main sponsors of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being.

Our Partners:

  • Hong Kong Tourism Board – Official Host Destination Partner
  • Pellegrino & Acqua Panna – Main Partner & Official Water Partner; sponsor of The Best Restaurant in Asia
  • Inedit Damm – Official Beer Partner; sponsor of the Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award
  • SevenRooms – Official Booking Platform Partner; sponsor of the SevenRooms Icon Award
  • Doordash – Official Delivery Partner
  • Aspire Lifestyles – Official Concierge Partner
  • Lee Kum Kee – Official Sauces & Condiments Partner; sponsor of Highest Climber Award
  • Valrhona – Official Chocolate Partner; sponsor of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award
  • Vik – Official Wine Partner; sponsor of Asia’s Best Sommelier Award
  • Nongshim Shinramyun – Official Partner; sponsor of The Best Restaurant in South Korea
  • Maison Kaviari – Official Caviar Partner
  • Dassai – Official Sake Partner
  • Langjiu – Official Baijiu Partner
  • Woodford Reserve – Official American Whiskey Partner
  • Cinco Jotas – Official Iberico Ham Partner
  • Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong – Official Hotel Venue Partner
  • The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel – Official Hotel Venue Partner
  • Grand Hyatt Hong Kong – Official Hotel Venue Partner
  • The Peninsula Hong Kong – Official Hotel Venue Partner
  • Pier 1929 – Official Venue Partner 

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VinFast and the Rise of a New Gulf Lifestyle

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As Gulf cities hardwire sustainability into daily life, VinFast is shaping an electric lifestyle that feels like a smart, seamless routine, with its climate-ready design, long-term warranty confidence and software-driven convenience woven into everyday driving.

DUBAI, UAE – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 March 2026 – Over the past five years, GCC countries have made EV adoption a clear priority. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 strategy and Qatar’s National Vision 2030 have moved from policy language to pavement. Master-planned districts in Riyadh are wired for electric charging from day one. Residential towers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi market EV-ready parking as a premium amenity. In Doha and Manama, public chargers now stand in mall basements and along waterfront boulevards, quietly normalizing a different way to refuel.

With that, a new lifestyle is taking shape. The clearest sign is how refueling is moving into the home, often happening quietly overnight. In the not-so-distant future, some drivers may struggle to recall the last time they stood beside a pump in the heat, watching the numbers climb under fluorescent lights.

Into this transition steps VinFast, a young global brand intent on making those new habits stick. Its focus is to make the interactions around them feel at least as convenient as traditional ownership, if not more so. In other words, to make EV living workable at scale, for everyone.

The VF 8 sits at the center of that effort. Fine-tuned for Gulf conditions, it pairs vegan leather seating with ventilation and heating functions suited to dramatic seasonal swings. Dual-zone climate control integrates air-quality management and ionization, a practical feature in cities where dust storms are not rare events. The cabin is anchored by a large 15.6-inch infotainment display, sized generously enough that drivers are not left squinting at navigation prompts or climate settings mid-traffic.

More subtly, the VF 8 encourages new expectations around what a car should do. Over-the-air update capability allows the vehicle’s software to improve over time. Driver profiles synchronize settings and climate preferences, useful in households where one vehicle rotates between work commutes, school runs and weekend trips. Smart modes such as pet mode and camp mode extend the car’s role beyond transport, accommodating both urban density and the region’s fondness for desert getaways.

VinFast has also worked to address the psychological side of the green transition. An expectation-surpassing element of the VinFast ownership experience is its warranty package: a 10-year or 200,000-kilometer vehicle warranty, a 10-year unlimited battery warranty and five years of free maintenance up to 100,000 kilometers, all structured to make durability and cost predictability part of the standard equation rather than an added extra. A recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with PlusX Electric in the UAE focuses on portable charging pods, on-demand mobile charging and emergency roadside support.

Taken together, these elements frame sustainability as simply another way of moving through the world, rather than an act of sacrifice, and arguably a more efficient one at that. Fewer service visits. Predictable maintenance costs. Charging woven into the domestic routine.

Across the Gulf, greener living is unfolding in just that manner. The progress can be gradual, almost mundane, yet it is unmistakably forward. VinFast’s role is to ensure that when a driver chooses electric mobility, the surrounding experience feels stable, supported and suited to regional realities.