according to Yonhap News Agency, Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential candidate for the ruling party National Power Party in South Korea, promised to significantly reduce regulations on blockchain and cryptocurrency at a policy forum. This conservative candidate stated that he will emulate the regulatory approach of the Trump administration in the United States. He pledged to implement blockchain technology in government services and promote virtual assets as a separate industry.

 according to Cointelegraph, Vanuatu has regulated digital assets through legislation and has established a licensing system for crypto companies wishing to operate in the Pacific island nation, described by a government regulatory advisor as "very strict." The local parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act on March 26, granting the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) the power to license crypto companies and to enforce the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and travel rule standards. Under these laws, the VFSC has broad investigative and enforcement powers, with fines of up to 250 million Vatu (approximately 2 million USD) and a maximum of 30 years in prison.

The law establishes a licensing and reporting framework for exchanges, NFT markets, crypto custody service providers, and initial token offerings. It is worth noting that the law allows banks to be licensed to provide crypto trading and custody services. The VFSC stated that while stablecoins, tokenized securities, and central bank digital currencies "may have some similarities in practice with virtual assets," this legislation does not affect them. The legislation also allows the VFSC Commissioner to create a sandbox, allowing approved companies to offer a variety of crypto services for a period of one year, renewable.

In a statement on March 29, the regulatory agency said that after years of "assessing the risks associated with virtual assets," it has developed a legislative framework that will bring "numerous opportunities" to Vanuatu and improve financial inclusion by allowing regulated services for crypto cross-border payments.

US Congressman Tom Emmer and Darren Soto reintroduced the "Token Taxonomy Act", aimed at clarifying the legal distinction between cryptocurrency assets and securities contracts, providing a compliance path for innovative projects. The bill is supported by Coin Center, the Blockchain Association, and others, and is seen as an important prelude to legislation on the market structure of cryptocurrencies in the US. The bill emphasizes that "investment contract assets" should be independent of the securities issued to which they were originally attached, laying a legal foundation for reclassifying digital assets as commodities after decentralization.

according to Crypto in America, the White House is actively pushing for the "GENIUS Act" to enter the Senate for review as soon as possible, and aims to be signed into law by President Trump within two months. The bill was approved by the Senate Banking Committee on March 13 by a vote of 18 to 6, establishing a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins pegged to the US dollar. The House version, the "STABLE Act," will begin consideration on April 2, with the White House hoping the Senate version will receive enough support to push the House to pass it directly, avoiding the legislative negotiation process.

reported by Bitcoin Magazine, the Kentucky State Senate unanimously passed a bill to protect the right to self-custody of Bitcoin and digital asset mining by a vote of 37-0. The bill, named "AN ACT relating to blockchain digital assets" (HB 701), has now been sent to the Governor's office for final approval.

The bill, introduced by Adam Bowling and T.J. Roberts, confirms the right of individuals to self-custody digital assets through self-custody wallets. Additionally, the bill prevents local zoning laws from discriminating against digital asset mining companies, ensuring that Bitcoin miners can operate freely within the state.

South Korean financial regulatory agency announced on Wednesday that it plans to release comprehensive guidelines for institutional cryptocurrency investments in the third quarter. The Financial Services Commission made this announcement during a meeting with local cryptocurrency industry experts. While investment guidelines for listed companies and professional investors are expected to be introduced in the third quarter, the Financial Services Commission stated that its goal is to release investment guidelines for non-profit organizations and cryptocurrency exchanges in April. The Financial Services Commission first announced in January that it would gradually lift the ban on institutional investors investing in cryptocurrencies. Last month, the regulatory agency revealed that it intends to first allow charities and universities to sell their cryptocurrency assets in the second quarter. The upcoming detailed guidelines further solidify South Korea's shift in stance towards cryptocurrencies, no longer strictly opposing the entry of crypto assets into traditional financial markets.

according to Reuters, Trump's proposal to increase the actual tariffs on steel and aluminum imported by the United States to 25% has officially taken effect, with no country exempted. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is considering using blockchain and stablecoin payments to monitor subsidies. The meeting also discussed the idea of ​​experimenting with stablecoin payments to recipients of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which may first be tested in one office of the department and then widely implemented in other offices.

The ruling party of Canada, the Liberal Party, announced that Mark Carney has been elected as the new leader of the party. Carney will succeed current Prime Minister Trudeau as the Prime Minister of Canada and form a new cabinet.

Previously, Mark Carney retweeted Musk's tweet about Bitcoin payments in 2021 and expressed support, "We need a resilient, high-performance, and carbon-free new payment system."

The Bitcoin bill in Utah has passed the state Senate, but the core provisions of the bill have been removed. The provision was originally intended to make Utah the first state in the United States to have its own Bitcoin reserve. The "HB230 Blockchain and Digital Innovation Amendment" bill now only provides basic custody protection to Utah citizens, giving them rights to mine Bitcoin, run nodes, and participate in staking. On March 7, the bill passed with 19 votes in favor, 7 votes against, and 3 abstentions, and will now be sent to Utah Governor Spencer Cox for signature into law.