Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Taiwan stocks surged 775 points in the morning, spurred by news that Trump spoke with Iran, breaking through the 36,232-point all-time high. TSMC rose to 2,040 yuan, hitting a new high, and other electronics stocks also moved higher in tandem. Although market sentiment is optimistic, there is still uncertainty around the conditions Trump has for Iran’s nuclear weapons agreement.

Following AI development center to promote generative AI and B2B and B2C applications, with the goal of improving company efficiency and player engagement, and hoping to turn things around. However, many players remain skeptical, worried that AI will only become a tool for cutting costs and will affect game quality.

Lianyi (3081) has seen a default settlement case involving NT$68.9M, stemming from a single investor’s mismanagement of their funds. Intraday trading allows investors to buy and sell the same underlying asset on the same day, but it must meet specific conditions; the risk is that insufficient funding liquidity may lead to losses. High-frequency traders need to carefully manage cash flow to avoid problems with short funds, and should establish a rational investment plan.

Broadcom and Meta have extended their partnership until 2029, focusing on custom accelerators and AI chip development. The collaboration aims to empower billions through advanced computational infrastructure, while Broadcom's stock has risen significantly.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, MINIMAX (MINIMAX-W 00100.HK) has dropped by 12% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

FTSE Russell has launched the FTSE Asia Pacific Liquid Government Bond Index Series, covering sovereign debt in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, with tenors of 3, 5, and 10 years. SGX will start trading futures on this index on April 20.

Yellen said in Hong Kong that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates later this year, even though the Iran war is creating upward pressure on inflation. She emphasized that this situation depends on how inflation evolves, and warned that Trump’s political pressure on the Federal Reserve is an unprecedented threat that affects central bank independence.

SoftBank has initiated a soft launch for a $40 billion bridge loan to finance its OpenAI investment, inviting other lenders to participate. This follows SoftBank's previous $30 billion investment in OpenAI and anticipated revenues of $11.6 billion by 2025.

On April 15, Hong Kong dollar interbank offered rates (HIBOR) fell for most tenors, with the one-month and three-month rates declining, while longer-term rates saw slight increases.

Data from April 13 shows that weekly net inflows into Bitcoin spot ETFs reached $786 million. Of this, BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for $612 million alone, indicating market concentration. Although IBIT investors are facing paper losses, they continue to add to their positions, reflecting an institutional strategy of lowering the average cost through averaging. For other crypto assets, Ethereum ETF inflows were $187 million, XRP fund inflows were $12 million, and Solana products saw outflows of $6 million.

Recently, the AI wave has disrupted the global SaaS market, causing the stock prices of many companies to plummet. However, Microsoft executives believe that the rise of AI agents could bring new growth opportunities to SaaS. At the same time, the industry’s debate over whether AI agents can be considered employees will shape the future economic models and competitive landscape of the software industry.

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.