Commodities (Crude Oil & Copper) & Macro Outlook

U.S. President Trump threatens to impose an additional 50% tariff on China, claiming China is preparing to deliver air defense systems to Iran. This has heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. Trump’s threat is largely political pressure, and implementation would require legal procedures. China denies providing military aid and calls for restraint. The incident shakes the market, drives up oil prices, and affects the outlook for cryptocurrency.

On April 13, gold and silver prices fell to $4,732.92 per ounce and $74.209 per ounce, respectively. The BTC volatility index rose by 0.42%, and the ETH volatility index rose by 0.31%. The U.S. dollar versus the Chinese yuan and the Japanese yen edged up slightly, major European stock indexes generally fell, while WTI and Brent crude oil prices rose. The Gate platform supports trading for multiple asset types.

The peace talks between Iran and the United States have broken down. The U.S. has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz and is considering airstrikes, causing international oil prices to break above $100. Bitcoin has fallen below $71,000. Experts warn that the world is facing a severe crude-oil supply shock, and stored oil is about to run out.

Bloomberg strategist Mike McGlone says that after a big surge in 2025, Bitcoin could face a sharp pullback, while similar risks exist for silver, gold, copper, natural gas, and crude oil—especially if crude oil prices spike, which could trigger even larger market ripple effects.

The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz caused oil prices to surge sharply, but global stock markets responded relatively calmly. The VIX index suggests that market panic sentiment has eased, and investors have started to factor geopolitical risks into their considerations. Analysts believe that the worst period of panic may already be over and expect oil prices to fall back.

Gate News message: On April 13, the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran’s armed forces said that in the face of U.S. threats, Iran will decisively implement a “permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz.” The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and it is a major global oil shipping route.

The U.S. Navy began blockading the Strait of Hormuz starting April 13, U.S. Eastern Time, with all passage halted. Crude oil prices jumped nearly 10% in a single day, while Bitcoin fell 1.2% over the past 24 hours.

SigmaIntell predicts that global DRAM prices will continue to rise in 2026 Q2, but the rate of increase will slow significantly to 30% to 50%. Driven by strong AI demand and weakening consumer electronics demand, the DRAM market is being restructured, and the supply-demand shortfall is widening. Although AI server demand is forecast to grow year over year by as much as 105%, demand for traditional consumer products is falling, so the overall supply-demand balance will shift from a surplus in 2025 to a shortage in 2026.

U.S. Central Command confirms that, starting April 13, it will impose a maritime blockade on Iranian ports, while international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is not affected. WTI crude oil prices break above $105, and Bitcoin falls back to around $71,000, with global energy and crypto asset markets responding in sync.

A single address on the Hyperliquid platform held a $73.05 million crude oil short position in a day; its floating profit of $5.89M turned into a floating loss of $2.10 million. Of this, the CL and BRENTOIL short positions were down $1.4M and $620k respectively. The address became the largest leveraged position in BRENTOIL.

Trump said that because of Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will impose blockade measures, and the world’s reliance on American oil will deepen. He emphasized that U.S. oil reserves have increased significantly, and ships no longer need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

On April 13, the precious metals market was under pressure, with gold and silver prices falling by 0.86% and 1.70%, respectively. The crypto market volatility index rose, the U.S. dollar against the Chinese yuan and the yen edged up, crude oil prices surged significantly, with WTI up 8.99%. The Gate platform supports trading a variety of traditional financial products.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Qalibaf warned that the U.S. oil price would rise due to blockade measures, hinting at retaliation against the United States. At the same time, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are escalating, and market forecasts suggest that oil prices could break above $115 per barrel. The U.S. and Britain differ on their stance toward the blockade of Hormuz, and there are also differences in statements between Trump and the Central Command, affecting the likely future direction of oil prices.

The U.S. imposes a naval blockade on Iran, causing the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks to fall apart. Market risk sentiment intensifies, and Bitcoin drops to $71,000, with a 24-hour decline of 3.1%. Traditional market capital flows into safe-haven assets, and analysts are divided on Bitcoin’s future trend, with $70,000 support acting as a key level.

The U.S. announces a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to respond to the collapse of U.S.-Iran peace talks, triggering a sharp surge in oil prices. Oil prices rebound to above $100, and U.S. stock index futures fall. Gold and cryptocurrencies also slip; Bitcoin falls back to above 70K, and the total market value drops to $2.41 trillion.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, XTIUSD (WTI Crude USOIL) has surged by 8% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

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

Trump posted on Truth Social that many large tankers are delivering low-sulfur, high-quality crude oil to the United States, reflecting that geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran have led to rising demand in the market for alternative supplies. The United States has currently become the world’s largest crude oil producer, and its sweet crude oil has advantages in refining costs and efficiency. This kind of situation could reduce reliance on Middle Eastern oil, stabilize oil prices, and affect global risk assets, including the Bitcoin market.

U.S. President Trump blockaded the Strait of Hormuz because Iran refused to give up its nuclear weapons program, causing crude oil futures prices on the decentralized platform Hyperliquid to surge by 7%. The market saw intense fluctuations due to concerns about a supply disruption, making it an important venue for price discovery. Strategic petroleum reserves are about to run out, supply risks in the oil market are intensifying, and this could trigger even more severe inflation pressure.

Gate News update, on April 12, U.S. President Trump said that once the situation calms down, oil and natural gas prices will ultimately fall. He noted that oil and natural gas prices could be lower before the midterm election, or they could be slightly higher.