Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

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.

Key Insights Dogecoin holds above $0.094 despite market weakness as Bitcoin and Ethereum stabilize, reflecting resilience and sustained demand across major cryptocurrencies during the consolidation phase. X launches smart cashtags enabling real-time crypto and stock tracking, improving marke

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

Kalshi and Polymarket face a potential Supreme Court showdown over the legality of prediction markets as inflation rises and stock markets hit record highs. The outcome may redefine how traders hedge economic risks amid conflicting court rulings on their operations.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, FCEL (FuelCell Energy Inc) has surged by 12% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Global crypto investment funds experienced significant inflows this week, driven by Bitcoin ETFs and improved investor sentiment amid stabilized markets. Factors influencing this trend include greater institutional participation, risk appetite, and macroeconomic signals.

Key Insights Institutional XRP ETF inflows reached $41.6 million over four days, lifting assets under management above $1.08 billion and strengthening market confidence. XRP faces strong resistance near $1.45, where CoinGlass data highlights a short max

Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has established a regulatory framework for round-the-clock trading of tokenized products on licensed platforms. With 13 tokenized products and approximately HK$10.7 billion in assets, this initiative aims to integrate traditional finance with Web3 through regulated stablecoins and tokenized deposits, enhancing liquidity.

Key Insights Solana ETF inflows reached $22.14 million this week, signaling sustained institutional accumulation and reinforcing short-term support above the 50-day EMA level. Futures open interest climbed to $5.53 billion, highlighting increased retail participation and growing

Digital asset treasury (DAT) companies are emerging as the focal point at Bitcoin Conference 2026 in Las Vegas, according to BTC Inc. head of growth partnerships Sean Hagan. After months of market drawdowns, nearly all firms that loaded their balance sheets with Bitcoin remain operational and are

Trump first directly mentioned Iran’s “regime change” in a public statement, and explicitly said that the U.S. side would not be influenced by Israel. He used Venezuela as an analogy, implying that the U.S. may adopt a long-term pressure strategy against Iran. This will change the negotiation framework and increase the risk of oil-price and market volatility. Taiwan investors need to pay attention to the oil price trend, the reaction at the Fed hearing, and the agenda of the U.S.-China summit.

JSCC, under the JPX Japan Exchange Group, partnered with Mizuho, Nomura, and Digital Asset to launch a concept proof-of-concept project based on the Canton network. The project will test the feasibility of Japanese government bonds as digital collateral, with the aim of improving liquidity and management efficiency in financial markets, and ensuring it does not conflict with existing regulations. The initiative also covers cross-border trading scenarios, signaling the application potential of Japanese government bonds in the digital asset space.

Russian cryptocurrency exchange Grinex ceased operations after a cyberattack caused losses over $13 million. The shutdown impacts Russian businesses' ability to convert rubles internationally and challenges the country's shadow finance system.

Indonesia aims to halt diesel imports by July 1, 2026, as it prepares to launch its B50 biofuel policy, blending 50% biodiesel with conventional diesel, according to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman.

President Trump deemed it "highly unlikely" that the ceasefire with Iran will be extended and indicated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until a deal is finalized, with the current agreement expiring soon.