Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

On April 15, Hong Kong AI concept stocks saw significant declines, with Zhipu AI falling over 10% and MINIMAX-W and Xunce each dropping more than 5%.

X (formerly Twitter) launched its Smart Cashtags feature for iPhone users in the U.S. and Canada, allowing precise tagging of stocks and crypto assets to enhance accuracy and provide real-time data, marking a step toward becoming a leading finance platform.

Kevin Warsh, nominated for Federal Reserve Chair, has disclosed investments in various crypto projects including Solana and Compound. Experts believe he likely invested indirectly through digital asset-focused funds ahead of his confirmation hearing.

ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet reported increased chip demand surpassing supply, leading customers to expedite capacity expansion plans for 2026 and beyond, with strong order intake and heightened expectations for ASML products.

Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen believes the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates this year, despite uncertainty from the Iran war and oil price volatility. She sees a broad supply shock impacting various sectors but suggests stable inflation expectations make rate hikes unlikely.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, ZHIPU (ZhiPu 02513.HK) has dropped by 8% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Saudi Arabia's PIF invested an additional $550 million in Lucid Group, boosting its total investment to $8 billion, while Uber committed to purchasing 35,000 vehicles for its robotaxi service. Lucid aims for full-scale production in Saudi Arabia this year, targeting 150,000 vehicles annually by 2029, despite a significant drop in market capitalization.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies’ 10-Q quarterly report, released on April 14, shows that as of February 28, 2026, although its revenue grew by 7 times to $11.04 million, it recorded unrealized losses of $3.78 billion due to a decline in the price of ETH, resulting in a net loss of $3.82 billion for the quarter. The company is shifting from traditional mining to an ETH treasury management strategy, emphasizing growth in staking income while also facing price volatility risk.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported ongoing operations in southern Lebanon, where they discovered and seized Hezbollah weaponry, including launchers and missiles. The IDF, alongside the Air Force, targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and will maintain their offensive actions.

On April 15, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.76% amid gains in the biotech sector and rebounding airline stocks. Notable movers included Wuyi Vision and Lingrui Holdings, while Weijun Biotech saw a significant decline.

Singapore's MS Capital has secured a $1 billion investment mandate for Chinese equities from a Middle Eastern sovereign fund, highlighting rising interest in quantitative strategies amid regional volatility. The firm managed $1.5 billion and plans expansions.

The SEC has repealed the Pattern Day Trader rule, eliminating the $25,000 minimum balance requirement for day trading accounts, intended to limit frequent trading and investor risk.

Global smartphone shipments fell 4.1% in Q1 2026, the first drop since 2023, due to supply issues and rising costs from the Iran conflict. Apple and Samsung grew, while emerging markets saw price surges dampen demand.

The minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting show that the federal funds rate remains unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75%, emphasizing factors such as stability in the labor market, limited impact from AI investment, and still-present inflation pressures. The unanimous approval reflects the stability of monetary policy, and it remains cautious about any further rate cuts; the outlook going forward needs to be determined by observing inflation data.

Chinese aluminum exports are set to rise as buyers seek alternatives due to supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf. March exports increased by 13%, with forecasts predicting annual sales could reach or exceed past records due to heightened demand.

A trader known as epsteinfiles has placed a $12,300 bet with Lookonchain, predicting that MicroStrategy will hold over 1 million BTC by December 31, 2026, with a flawless track record in past bets.

Oracle shares rose 5% as it expanded its partnership with Bloom Energy, which will provide 2.8 gigawatts of fuel cell systems. Bloom Energy's stock surged 20%. This deal follows Oracle's $400 million warrant to buy Bloom shares and is part of broader AI infrastructure initiatives.

Anthropic is set to roll out its latest AI model, Claude Opus 4.7, boosting its ability for multi-agent collaboration and autonomous generation of websites and presentations. This move has caused the share price of design software companies to fall. Despite improvements in model capabilities, Anthropic will still implement strict safety controls to reduce potential risks.

Ziguan Technology established an AI Development Center to promote generative AI as well as B2B and B2C applications. The company hopes to improve operational efficiency and player engagement, and also aims to make a turnaround. However, many players remain skeptical, fearing that AI will only become a tool for cutting costs and could negatively affect game quality.

Huaqin Technology launched a Hong Kong share offering on April 15, aiming to raise up to HK$4.55 billion. The company, a leader in the global consumer electronics ODM market, targets significant revenue growth through advanced data center designs.