Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

The UK has decided not to participate in the U.S.’s blockade operation in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the importance of supporting freedom of navigation and keeping the strait open, and is working with countries such as France to form a protection alliance.

The U.S. announces a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to respond to the collapse of U.S.-Iran peace talks, triggering a sharp surge in oil prices. Oil prices rebound to above $100, and U.S. stock index futures fall. Gold and cryptocurrencies also slip; Bitcoin falls back to above 70K, and the total market value drops to $2.41 trillion.

Gate News message. On April 13, following a marathon-style peace negotiation in Islamabad that failed to reach an agreement, countries across the Middle East are rushing to push the United States and Iran back onto the negotiating table. Despite strong statements from both the U.S. and Iran, the door to diplomacy remains open, and the second round of talks could take place within the next few days. Regional countries are consulting with the United States to ensure they can extend the two-week, highly fragile ceasefire period announced on Tuesday evening. Iranian officials have put forward alternative proposals, including continuing symbolic uranium enrichment activities or reducing its stockpile of enriched uranium, but the two sides were unable to reach a compromise.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, XAGUSD (Silver) has dropped by 2% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market activity.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, XTIUSD (WTI Crude USOIL) has surged by 8% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

TD Cowen adjusted its price target for Bitcoin-focused Strategy while maintaining a positive outlook, contrasting it with its new buy rating for Ethereum-based Sharplink, which offers a more active digital asset growth model through staking.

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compilation of the most relevant crypto news from Latin America over the past week. In this edition, Argentinian banks start a JPM Coin-based interbank settlement pilot, TRM Labs underscores compliance advances, and Milei backpedals on dollarization. Key Takeaways:

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has shifted his stance, now supporting the CLARITY Act after previously criticizing it. He believes recent negotiations improved the bill, which he calls strong, and emphasizes the need for Congress to pass it.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, XTIUSD (WTI Crude USOIL) has dropped by 2% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, USDKRW (US Dollar vs South Korean won) has surged by 0.5% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

2026-04-12 20:30 to 2026-04-12 20:45 (UTC), the ETH price surged quickly within the range of 2197.57 to 2218.26 USDT. The 15-minute return recorded +0.68%, and the range reached 0.94%. During the event window, market attention increased; short-term volatility intensified, drawing investors to focus on on-chain fund movements and the direction of mainstream capital flows. The main driver behind this deviation is the significant inflow of ETF and institutional-type capital. Since the beginning of April, ETH-related ETFs have accumulated a net inflow of $114.66 million, total

With Taiwan’s Virtual Assets Service Act (expected to take effect in 2026), financial holding groups are accelerating their transformation and launching M&A competitions to find virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to strengthen their market positioning. Financial institutions such as Fubon and the Federal Bank have demonstrated and are actively evaluating M&A opportunities. Emerging platforms like HOYA BIT show strong potential, and future collaboration will promote deep integration between the financial and crypto industries.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) successfully moved up to the NYSE main board on Thursday, and Chairman Tom Lee said this is an important milestone. The company also increased the authorization for its share repurchase program to $4.0 billion; however, the stock price still faces challenges, down about 90% from its peak last year. Bitmine holds about 4.8 million ether (ETH), and its future performance will be influenced by the overall economy and geopolitical factors—especially as market risk appetite rises, the crypto market is expected to benefit.

Trump posted on Truth Social that many large tankers are delivering low-sulfur, high-quality crude oil to the United States, reflecting that geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran have led to rising demand in the market for alternative supplies. The United States has currently become the world’s largest crude oil producer, and its sweet crude oil has advantages in refining costs and efficiency. This kind of situation could reduce reliance on Middle Eastern oil, stabilize oil prices, and affect global risk assets, including the Bitcoin market.

Australia passed the “2025 Corporations Amendment Act (Digital Assets Framework)” on April 1, establishing a nationwide digital asset regulatory framework and requiring all cryptocurrency exchanges and custodians to obtain financial services licensing within six months. The law aims to strengthen investor protection, regulate the conduct of managing operators, and reduce the risks arising from the collapse of crypto platforms in the past.

On April 11, the U.S. and Iran began 20 hours of negotiations in Pakistan. The core issue was freedom of passage through the Strait of Hormuz. After Bitcoin briefly rose to $73,800, it quickly fell back to $71,557. The U.S. side took a hardline stance, demanding that Iran open the strait, while Iran insisted that easing restrictions must wait until a comprehensive agreement is reached. The two sides have not yet reached a consensus.

U.S. President Trump blockaded the Strait of Hormuz because Iran refused to give up its nuclear weapons program, causing crude oil futures prices on the decentralized platform Hyperliquid to surge by 7%. The market saw intense fluctuations due to concerns about a supply disruption, making it an important venue for price discovery. Strategic petroleum reserves are about to run out, supply risks in the oil market are intensifying, and this could trigger even more severe inflation pressure.

Gate News message: April 12, Iranian President Pezeshkian, on the day he spoke with Russian President Putin, said that Iran is fully prepared to reach an agreement that can safeguard lasting regional peace and security, while being balanced and fair.

Gate News update, on April 12, U.S. President Trump said that once the situation calms down, oil and natural gas prices will ultimately fall. He noted that oil and natural gas prices could be lower before the midterm election, or they could be slightly higher.

Bitcoin demand is set to expand rapidly as Morgan Stanley deploys its 16,000 advisors and launches a low-cost ETF, driving institutional inflows and strengthening crypto’s position in mainstream portfolios. Key Takeaways: Morgan Stanley’s 16,000 advisors unlock major bitcoin demand, driving