Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Park Jong-han visited Algeria and Libya to discuss emergency oil supply and energy cooperation. He confirmed potential purchases of Libyan heavy crude oil and sought trading quotas from the National Oil Corporation, which expressed willingness to assist pending technical conditions.

NC Soft permanently sanctioned approximately 150,000 abnormal accounts on April 16, 2026, as part of an escalating effort to eliminate illegal macros from 'Lineage Classic,' according to the gaming industry report dated April 17, 2026. The company has implemented a total of 63 game usage

American Express will acquire AI startup Hyper to enhance its expense management tools for commercial clients. The acquisition, expected to close in Q2 2026, follows a partnership that launched a co-branded rewards card in 2024.

Vale's first-quarter 2026 report shows iron ore production at 69.7 million tonnes (up 3%), sales at 68.7 million tonnes (up 4%), copper production at 102,300 tonnes (up 13%), and nickel production at 49,300 tonnes (up 12%).

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson reminded the U.S. to develop a debt-crisis contingency plan in advance to deal with a potential collapse in U.S. Treasury securities. He worries that the fiscal deficit will form a “death spiral,” with debt possibly reaching 108% of GDP by 2030. But former Federal Reserve trader Wang believes a Treasury crisis will not occur; the real threat is a collapse of the U.S. dollar’s credit and runaway inflation. Although the two viewpoints differ, both point out that U.S. fiscal risk will ultimately show up.

The SFPA advocates for lowering financial thresholds for dual-class shares in Hong Kong to attract more innovative companies, proposing new requirements aimed at easing entry for mid-sized tech firms and enhancing the city's competitive edge.

Kailera Therapeutics raised $625 million in its IPO, the largest for a U.S. biotech since 2021, with a market cap of about $2 billion. The company is developing obesity treatments and has strong backing from major investors.

Japan is set to provide Sony with 60 billion yen to support a new image sensor manufacturing plant in Kumamoto, enhancing supply for autonomous driving and AI applications while strengthening local semiconductor capabilities.

A 2026 digital asset institutional investor survey by Nomura Securities (Nomura) and its crypto subsidiary, Laser Digital, shows that nearly four-fifths of surveyed institutional investors plan to allocate 2% to 5% of their total assets under management (AUM) to the crypto market. Most institutions say they plan to do so within the next year rather than investing immediately.

HIVE Digital Technologies released an announcement on Thursday, saying it plans to issue 0% exchangeable senior notes due in 2031 to qualified institutional investors through a private placement, targeting to raise $75 million, with an additional $15 million option; the funds raised will be used for GPU procurement, data center construction, and other capital expenditures.

NiSource has partnered with Google and Amazon to provide long-term power for a new Indiana data center, launching a "GenCo" model to balance energy demands without raising consumer costs. This partnership is expected to yield substantial savings for residents and underscores Indiana's growing role in tech energy resources.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warns of a potential collapse in U.S. Treasury demand, which could destabilize the financial system and erode confidence in the dollar, shifting investments to Bitcoin and gold. Tether may face risks as well.

Manycore Tech raised $156 million in its Hong Kong IPO, shifting focus from home renovation to AI and robotics services using proprietary 3D design data. Despite an 8.6% revenue increase, it remains loss-making, reflecting investor interest in specialized design software.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the acquisition of 570,000 barrels of diesel from Brunei and South Korea during his visit to Malaysia. This marks the first strategic material secured under new procurement powers aimed at strengthening energy cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Nvidia's new AI product suite, Ising, launched on April 14, enhances quantum error correction, boosting speed by 2.5 times and accuracy by three times. This announcement spurred a significant rise in quantum computing stocks, indicating strong market interest, even amid volatility.

GoTyme Bank has introduced an in-app stock trading feature, allowing users to invest in the Philippine Stock Exchange directly from their banking app. This service, in partnership with DragonFi Securities, aims to simplify investment for new and existing customers.

Wipro reported Q4 revenue of 242.4 billion rupees, a 7.7% increase but below expectations. The decline reflects decreased tech spending from clients, particularly Estee Lauder, and a broader trend in the Indian IT sector towards specialized hiring amid AI adoption.

Crypto ETP issuer 21Shares AG, headquartered in Zurich, has launched its Strategy Yield ETP (ticker: 21ST), which has been listed on Xetra and four other European exchanges. According to a 21Shares announcement, this is the company’s first ETP providing exposure to equity-related instrument structures, with the underlying asset being priority securities issued by MicroStrategy (Strategy).