Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Apple announced that John Ternas will take over as CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook, and that Cook will move to Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition. During Cook’s tenure, Apple’s market value grew by more than 20 times. As Ternas assumes the role, he will need to tackle technology transformation and AI challenges. Cook has full confidence in Ternas’s abilities.

The 2012 STOCK Act mandates disclosure of trades over $1,000 by US lawmakers. Bitcoin is the most popular among them, with many holding substantial amounts. Other coins like Ethereum, Solana, and lesser-known cryptocurrencies are also present in their portfolios.

Gate News message, April 21 — According to on-chain analyst Onchain Lens, BlackRock withdrew 3,372 BTC, valued at approximately $255.86 million, from a major CEX over the past 8 hours.

The U.S.–Iran ceasefire agreement expires on Wednesday, and attention is focused on whether the two sides can resume negotiations. U.S. stocks fell amid heightened tensions, while bitcoin rebounded to $75K, driven mainly by institutional capital and ETF inflows, with MicroStrategy becoming the world’s largest bitcoin-holding institution.

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

The essay discusses the crowded positioning in the semiconductor market, with growing institutional interest amid AI investments. It highlights bearish sentiments from notable investors and pressures facing China's A-share sector, while also noting a shift towards exploring niche subsector opportunities.

Peter Moaciur, head of Hungary's Fidesz party, announced plans to unblock EU funds by meeting key requirements within three months, focusing on anti-corruption, media freedom, and judicial independence to restore economic stability and investor confidence.

The Trump administration has launched a claims portal for U.S. companies to recover over $160 billion in tariff refunds after a Supreme Court ruling. Major retailers like Walmart and Target are among those filing claims, with refunds processed by Customs and Border Protection in stages, typically issued within 60 to 90 days.

Gate News message, April 20 — Hang Seng Index (HSI) futures (Hong Kong's benchmark equity index) closed 0.39% higher in the night session, settling at 26,494 points with a premium of 133 points.

COMEX gold futures dropped 0.79% to $4,841 per ounce, while silver futures fell 2.41% to $79.87 per ounce on April 20.

Digital asset investment products saw $1.4 billion in inflows, driven by eased geopolitical tensions and a Bitcoin surge above $76,000. Bitcoin led with $1.116 billion in inflows, while Ethereum attracted $328 million. Solana showed resilience despite minor outflows, with analysts predicting potential gains if key resistance levels are surpassed.

The BIS's Pablo Hernandez de Cos warned that differing stablecoin regulations threaten cross-border markets and create arbitrage opportunities. He noted stablecoins' inadequacy for payments, potential market destabilization risks, and regulatory challenges linked to money laundering and sovereignty.

Grayscale has submitted an amendment for its S-1 registration to the SEC for a HYPE-based ETF. If approved, it will trade on Nasdaq, offering direct exposure to HYPE tokens through a trust and may include staking income.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, in the first 100 days after taking office, Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO, Greg Abel, has already begun to show clear signs of change. For the market, Greg Abel is not only the successor chosen by Buffett, but also the person who will determine Berkshire’s capital allocation over the next decade, the governance of its subsidiaries, and its investment style. 63-year-old Buffett successor, Berkshire CEO Greg Abel At 63, Greg Abel officially took over as Berkshire’s CEO in January this year. Although he has repeatedly emphasized that Berkshire’s most core culture, values, the foundation of its insurance business, its conglomerate structure, and the model in which the CEO leads the stock investment portfolio will not change, The Wall Street Journal bluntly notes that the real situation is this: change has already started—and it is proceeding with direction and in rhythm.

The Strait of Hormuz has once again become a focal point for Taiwan’s energy security in recent days, especially as Formosa Petrochemical Shipping’s “Jun Shan” vessel is transporting 2 million barrels of crude oil from Saudi Arabia, en route to Taiwan’s Mailiao Port. Although tensions in the Middle East are high and the volume of ship traffic has reached a new high, U.S. President Trump has openly said that the Iranian regime could face a regime change, which may keep the risks in the Strait of Hormuz rising, and the market needs to prepare for longer-term volatility.

Battery-electric vehicle registrations in Europe surged 29.4% in Q1 2026, reaching nearly 560,000 units, driven by rising fuel costs. Significant growth was seen in major countries, contributing to energy security and reduced oil consumption. Global electricity demand grew 3% in 2025, mainly fueled by emerging markets, with buildings and data centers as key drivers.

On April 20, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck Japan’s northeastern region, with seismic intensity reaching 5 in Aomori Prefecture, and it also triggered a tsunami warning. The earthquake has a major impact on the semiconductor supply chain, especially the Kioxia Iwate plant, which accounts for 4% of global NAND capacity. Shutdown inspections and restart status will affect memory market supply; in addition, the entire semiconductor manufacturing network across the northeastern region also faces risks, which could squeeze future supply growth.

Israeli Security Forces Charged in Crypto Theft Case Israeli authorities have charged seven military and police officers with running a multimillion-dollar theft and bribery ring involving cryptocurrency, marking the second crypto-related criminal case to hit the country's defence establishment in

Google is discussing collaboration with Marvell to develop dedicated memory processing units (MPU) and tensor processing units (TPU) to address memory bottlenecks. If successful, the design will be completed in 2027. The collaboration is intended to strengthen Google’s competitiveness in the custom ASIC market, and Marvell’s operating performance has been strong, which has pushed the stock price up.

Nvidia's stock fell to $199.48 amid increased competition in the AI chip market, particularly with Google launching new TPUs focused on inference. AI chip startups raised $8.3 billion in 2026, signaling a robust sector, with Rebellions raising substantial funding to target U.S. customers.