Gate Crypto Flash News and Market Updates

According to CEO Matt Cole's disclosure on Aug. 17 via X and an SEC filing, Strive purchased 79 bitcoin between Aug. 10 and Aug. 14 at an average cost of roughly $63,231 per coin, including fees. The purchase lifted the Dallas-based public asset manager's total bitcoin holdings to 20,246 BTC, valued at approximately $1.273 billion at recent BTC prices near $62,895. The acquisition extends Strive's strategy of regular bitcoin accumulation throughout 2026, funded through at-the-market stock sales

According to TheStreet, Gerber Kawasaki CEO Ross Gerber recently posted on X questioning Bitcoin's practical usability compared to gold, arguing that gold remains more accessible for most people in most locations despite years of promises about Bitcoin's payment and financial inclusion use cases. Gerber criticized stablecoins as insufficient justification for a monetary system that cannot be readily used. He notably contrasted his position with Michael Saylor, chairman of Strategy Inc., stating

According to Russian state media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on August 17 suggested that Japan concentrate on resolving its domestic problems rather than attacking Russia. Commenting on Japan's response to President Putin's visit to Iturup Island, Lavrov said Japan appears to be using criticism of Russia to redirect international attention away from its "aggressively expansionist" military policies. He noted that Japan is attempting to rewrite international law alongside the United S

According to Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius on August 16, the Federal Reserve is very unlikely to raise rates in September. Hatzius said in a report that the market is currently pricing in an overly hawkish outlook on monetary policy, and recent economic indicators including July retail sales suggest inflation will continue improving rather than deteriorating, making a rate increase unlikely.

According to SEC filings, Peter Thiel's Thiel Macro hedge fund has invested approximately $76 million in Argentine energy company Vista Energy (NYSE: VIST), holding around 1.2 million ADRs as of the end of the second quarter. Vista Energy's U.S.-listed shares surged 5.1% to $71.74 on August 17. The position ranks as Thiel Macro's second-largest individual stock holding, after Amazon at approximately $118 million.

World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture backed by President Donald Trump and his family, is working with WorldClaw, a Hong Kong-based AI platform that provides access to models developed by Chinese companies including Alibaba, Baidu and Z.ai. Several of these companies have been targeted by U.S. government restrictions or national-security designations. WorldClaw accepts World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin as a payment method for AI services. USD1 is backed by traditional assets includin

According to Jin10 Data, large wildfires in eastern Belgium entered their fourth day on August 17 and remain uncontrolled. Local emergency authorities stated that fire spread toward the German border has halted, but the overall fire situation is not yet contained. Weather changes could potentially cause the situation to deteriorate.

WTI crude oil futures intraday gains reached 2.00% today, with prices trading at $84.05 per barrel.

Brent crude oil gained 2% intraday on August 17, trading at $88.95 per barrel.

According to Bloomberg, on Monday the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission sent a request for comment to the White House Office of Management and Budget regarding futures contracts tied to computing capacity for artificial intelligence. CME Group plans to launch two compute futures contracts on October 5, pending regulatory approval, with Silicon Data providing the pricing benchmarks. The White House review typically precedes a 30–60 day public comment period.

According to the World Gold Council's 2026 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey released on August 17, 89% of central bank reserve managers expect global gold holdings to increase over the next 12 months, while a record 45% expect their own institutions to boost reserves—the highest figure in the survey's nine-year history. Reserve managers cited gold's crisis performance, long-term store-of-value function, and portfolio diversification benefits as primary reasons to hold the metal. Gold traded nea

According to ChainCatcher, Yield Guild Games (YGG) announced the official launch of YGG 3.0 today, transitioning from a Web3 gaming pioneer to a cross-domain infrastructure platform. The new version provides communities with tools for organizing labor, skills, and capital across digital economy collaboration. YGG 3.0's core is built on the Guild Protocol open framework, comprising three components: Guilds (social layer), Assets (capital management), and Activities (operations). The platform also

The Federal Reserve's overnight reverse repurchase agreement (RRP) usage totaled $2.55 billion on Monday, August 17, with six counterparties participating.

According to BlockBeats data on August 18, the 30-year U.S. Treasury yield hit 5.29%, marking its highest level since 2007. The increase reflects heightened market concerns about long-term inflation, sustained high interest rates, and the sustainability of the nation's fiscal deficit and debt.

According to Press TV citing regional intelligence sources, the Pentagon concluded on August 18 that current military plans cannot guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz or ensure stable energy supplies in the region. A defense official stated, "The Pentagon's assessment is that no current military plan has sufficient political and security capacity to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and ensure safe shipping."

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright stated today that crude oil supply from the Middle East has not yet fully recovered. The comments reflect ongoing concerns about production disruptions in the region.

Canadian Prime Minister Kany said he plans to speak with U.S. President Trump ahead of the August 19 tariff deadline (local time).

According to Iran's Press TV, regional nations are increasingly seeking bilateral agreements with Iran rather than relying on U.S. decision-making, with an Arab diplomat stating on August 18 that the United States lacks the ability and confidence to reach diplomatic understanding with Tehran. The diplomat noted that regional countries now believe they must take urgent action through direct negotiations to resolve issues with Iran independently.

According to the U.S. Central Command, as of August 17, the command has forced 64 commercial vessels attempting to breach a blockade to alter course, rendered 3 non-compliant ships inoperable, and inspected 2 vessels to ensure compliance with relevant requirements.

According to Iranian media Fars News, Iran seized a UAE-owned oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz today.