Odaily Planet Daily reports that Minnesota legislators have introduced a bill to completely ban cryptocurrency ATMs statewide, one of the strictest regulatory measures ever taken against such devices in the United States. House File 3642, introduced on February 23, 2026, by DFL Representative Erin Koegel, aims to prohibit the "placement or operation of virtual currency ATMs" anywhere in Minnesota and repeal the existing regulatory framework established in 2024. The proposal has received support from law enforcement and consumer advocacy groups, who point out that these devices have become a primary tool for scammers, especially in "pig butchering" scams targeting the elderly. The Minnesota Department of Commerce strongly supports the bill, arguing that existing safeguards are ineffective against sophisticated fraud. The bill must pass the state House of Representatives and Senate before being sent to the governor for signature; the Minnesota legislative session will continue until May 2026. (Ibtimes)

According to a research report by CITIC Securities, as reported by Odaily Planet Daily, the situation in Iran entered a phase of military conflict on February 28th local time. The situation in Iran continues to evolve rapidly, and CITIC Securities anticipates that it is difficult to predict and interpret the final scenario in one go. It is more likely that the situation will fluctuate continuously following important signals. CITIC Securities believes that whether there are potential changes in three key signals—US military mobilization, changes in the Iranian political situation, and the scope of the conflict's spillover—will determine whether the global market impact will be an amplified version of the "12-Day War" in June 2025, or a more extreme scenario. To provide a reference for the potential market impact, CITIC Securities reviewed the market impact of eight major conflicts in the Middle East since 1970, summarizing the following patterns: gold is a better safe-haven asset than the US dollar; oil prices still depend on supply and demand in the long term; US stock market performance is directly related to the degree of US military intervention and the course of the war; and there is no significant impact on Chinese assets. (Jinshi)

According to Odaily Planet Daily, Hareesh V, head of commodities research at Geojit Investments, stated that escalating geopolitical risks could trigger a buying frenzy in precious metals, potentially pushing New York silver futures back above $100 per ounce. Furthermore, the analyst noted that while a global gold price reaching $6,000 cannot be ruled out in extreme circumstances, its trajectory will largely depend on how the conflict evolves. In the short term, increased market volatility and risk aversion are likely to continue supporting gold prices. Jigar Trivedi, senior research analyst at IndusInd Securities, believes that the unprecedented strikes by the US and Israel against Iran have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East and raised concerns about potential disruptions to global energy supplies, potentially driving new upward momentum in New York gold futures. Since the beginning of the year, ongoing geopolitical tensions have supported prices. Gold closed higher last Friday, and the precious metals market is likely to open higher again on Monday. (Jinshi)

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Nasdaq-listed Sui Group Holdings released its 2025 full-year operating results, disclosing a net loss of $221.8 million in Q4. As of February 23, its SUI token holdings increased to 108,368,594, almost all of which are used for staking, yielding approximately 5,000 SUI tokens daily. The company also disclosed that it has completed the repurchase of 7,801,042 common shares under a previously approved $50 million share repurchase program, representing 8.80% of its outstanding common stock. (Businesswire)

Huoxun Finance reported on March 1st that, according to CCTV News, ahead of the impending military strike against Iran by the US and Israel, the CIA had already identified the possible whereabouts of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Multiple sources revealed that US intelligence agencies had been tracking Khamenei's movements for months, continuously improving their understanding of his travel patterns and possible locations. Subsequently, the US learned that several high-ranking Iranian officials planned to hold a meeting on the morning of February 28th in a leadership office area in downtown Tehran, and that Khamenei himself would attend. After obtaining this intelligence, the US and Israel decided to adjust the originally planned strike time. Neither the White House nor the CIA commented on this.