Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

SenseTime Group is raising HK$3.25 billion through a share placement in Hong Kong, issuing 1.7 billion shares at an 8.6% discount. Funds will support its AI infrastructure and research, while the stock has seen a year-to-date decline of 9.6%.

Tesla is hiring semiconductor engineers in Taiwan for its Terafab project, which aims to create a comprehensive semiconductor manufacturing hub. The roles require over five years of experience in advanced technologies and processes.

SBI Holdings has launched SBI START Bonds, a 10 billion yen blockchain-based bond program for retail investors, offering interest payments and XRP token rewards. The initiative highlights SBI's partnership with Ripple and aims to integrate digital assets into traditional finance.

This week's strong rebound of the New Taiwan Dollar was driven by significant foreign investment in the Taiwan stock market. The exchange rate rose to a 1.29% increase, reaching a recent high. However, the central bank is monitoring these changes to prevent excessive appreciation affecting export competitiveness.

On April 17, Hong Kong interbank offered rates (HIBOR) increased across all tenors, with the one-month rate rising to 2.55143% and overnight rates hitting the highest level since January at 3.36536%.

HIVE Digital Technologies plans to raise $75 million via 0% exchangeable senior notes to enhance GPU procurement and data center growth. Following the announcement, its stock dropped 11.5%, underperforming the mining sector.

According to an ETH Rangers project recap report published by the Ethereum Foundation on April 17, 2026 (Thursday), within its six-month funding period the Ketman project funded by the Ethereum Foundation identified 100 North Korean IT workers using false identities to infiltrate Web3 organizations, and contacted roughly 53 crypto projects to warn them they may have hired active North Korean agents.

The LME index soared due to geopolitical tensions causing aluminum supply disruptions and rising copper prices. Since February, aluminum prices surged 15%, with significant production halts in the Middle East. JPMorgan reports a severe supply deficit, predicting prolonged market challenges and further price increases.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged U.S. authorities to draw up contingency plans to address a potential collapse in demand for U.S. national debt when he was interviewed by Bloomberg on April 17, 2026 (Thursday). He said that once a crisis erupts, the consequences would be extremely severe. On the same day, the U.S. Department of the Treasury completed the largest debt buyback in a single transaction in history, accepting approximately $15 billion in old bonds maturing from 2026 to 2028.

Tennessee's “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act” (SB 2639) will be heard by the Senate Finance, Revenue and Appropriations Committee on April 21 (next Tuesday). The bill was introduced by Senator Kelly Roberts, has passed the Senate Business and Labor Committee, and now moves to the Finance Committee responsible for overseeing tax and spending measures. If it passes, the Tennessee State Treasurer may allocate up to 10% of eligible state funds to bitcoin (BTC).

Ganfeng Lithium anticipates a Q1 net profit of 1.6 to 2.1 billion yuan, recovering from a loss last year due to higher lithium prices and strong demand. The company aims for over 50% self-supply by 2025 and benefits from strategic projects amid rising fuel costs impacting electric vehicle adoption.

Gate News message, April 17 — Spot silver rose over 1% intraday, trading at $79.20 per ounce.

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.