Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Gate News message, April 17 — Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index Futures (Hong Kong's benchmark equity index) closed 1.22% higher at 26,502 points in night trading, trading at a premium of 342 points.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller expressed his readiness to maintain interest rates steady until 2026 if inflation remains a significant concern, despite a stagnant labor market. He warned about prolonged inflation and potential job losses amid ongoing Fed leadership discussions.

Cerebras, an Nvidia-backed chipmaker, plans to file for an IPO on April 18, pivoting to provide cloud computing power after a lucrative partnership with OpenAI. The IPO comes amid significant investment in AI chip startups and rising valuations.

In 2026, the aviation industry faces a crisis as three airlines, EcoJet UK, Royal Air Philippines, and Dove Airlines, entered administration or liquidation due to soaring jet fuel prices linked to geopolitical tensions. This has led to thousands of flight cancellations and increased operational costs for remaining carriers.

HIVE Digital Technologies aims to raise $75 million through exchangeable notes to expand into data centers and AI infrastructure, shifting from crypto mining. The funds will support capital investments, despite recent financial losses.

Yuanjie, a Chinese laser chip company, surged 9.6% to top China's stock market, surpassing Kweichow Moutai, which faced its first sales decline in 20 years. Global chipmakers like TSMC posted strong earnings driven by AI demand, while European startups pursue Nvidia alternatives amid new U.S. tech restrictions on China.

XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have exceeded $1.08 billion in net assets, driven by significant institutional demand and daily inflows. Bitwise holds the largest share with $313.69 million, indicating strong market interest in XRP investments.

On April 17, investors sold significant Brent crude futures amid news of open passage in the Strait of Hormuz, causing prices to drop sharply. Lawmakers are investigating potential insider trading linked to these trades before key policy announcements.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, USDKRW (US Dollar vs South Korean won) has dropped by 1% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Figure Technology Solutions faced allegations from Morpheus Research of overstating its blockchain technology use, resulting in a significant drop in share prices. Figure defended its operations, highlighting its digital asset features and strong performance metrics.

Alcoa Corp. is negotiating to sell its Massena East smelter site in New York to Bitcoin mining firm NYDIG, with a deal anticipated to close mid-year as part of Alcoa's asset divestiture strategy.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, MSTR (Microstrategy Inc - Class A) has surged by 14% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

The NYSE proposed a rule change to allow eligible securities to trade in a tokenized form, following similar SEC-approved Nasdaq rules. Tokenized securities must match traditional ones in identifiers and rights, initially focusing on Russell 1000 Index constituents and ETFs, with T+1 settlement and existing regulations.

Gate News message, according to the April 17 update, Bitcoin ETFs recorded a 1-day net outflow of 142 BTC ($10.98M) and a 7-day net inflow of 7,093 BTC ($550.09M). Ethereum ETFs showed a 1-day net inflow of 22,357 ETH ($54.55M) and a 7-day net inflow of 89,684 ETH ($218.83M). Solana ETFs posted a 1-

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, US30500 (Dow Jones 30) has surged by 1.5% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Gate News message, April 17 — U.S. 5-year Treasury yields (benchmark measure of medium-term U.S. government borrowing rates) fell 10 basis points intraday.

The U.S. White House announced that the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, allowing all commercial vessels to pass, but the maritime blockade against Iran remains in effect until the transaction is completed. Iran’s foreign minister confirmed compliance with the Lebanon ceasefire agreement, and the strait has resumed normal passage. This move is expected to have far-reaching implications for global energy supplies.

On April 17, U.S. stocks rose significantly, with the Dow Jones increasing by 2%, the S&P 500 by 1.12%, and the Nasdaq Composite by 1.34%. Key gainers included Boeing, Home Depot, and major tech companies like Tesla and Apple.

Schwab Wealth Management has launched a spot cryptocurrency trading platform named Schwab Crypto, where retail customers can directly trade Bitcoin and Ether. The platform will offer investment, research, and wealth management services, and will partner with Paxos to help ensure asset security. In addition, Schwab Wealth Management charges a 75-basis-point fee per trade, and will gradually increase the number of supported cryptocurrencies in the future.