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According to Jinshi reports, Danske Bank analyst Asger Wilhelm Dalsjo stated in a report that as the Middle East conflict enters its ninth week, central banks will assess its current impact and future expectations. This week, the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Canada, the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, and the European Central Bank will hold policy meetings. The analyst said, "This week, monetary policy decisions will become the main driving force for the market." It is expected that the aforementioned five central banks will keep interest rates unchanged, but their assessments of the economic impact of the Middle East conflict will be closely monitored.

According to Jinshi reports, U.S. Treasury yields rose during the Asian trading session, and the lack of relief in the Middle East situation kept oil prices high. This week's intensive central bank meeting schedule has become the market focus, including the Federal Reserve's interest rate meeting. The market generally expects that the Federal Reserve will maintain the federal funds rate target range at 3.5% to 3.75% for the third consecutive meeting. According to Tradeweb data, the 2-year U.S. Treasury yield rose by 2.3 basis points to 3.798%, and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield increased by 1.4 basis points to 4.323%.

According to Jinshi reports, as the situation in the Middle East drives up oil prices, traders in the U.S. Treasury market are closely monitoring this week's Federal Reserve meeting to assess officials' views on the inflation outlook. The market generally expects the Federal Reserve to maintain interest rates on Wednesday, but traders tend to believe that there will still be rate cuts before the end of the year. Swap market data shows that the probability of a rate cut before the end of the year has risen to around 40%. Traders will listen carefully to Powell's remarks at the post-meeting press conference to gather insights on his plans after his term ends in May next year. Meanwhile, a series of U.S. Treasury auctions will also take place this week to test market demand at the current yield levels.

According to CoinDesk, Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor stated "Winter's over" when Bitcoin was around $78,000. Analyst Mati Greenspan pointed out that the previous "flash crash" was more of a correction in a bull market, and he believes the bottom for Bitcoin has been reached, with the next phase of growth driven by "national-level adoption," including central banks incorporating BTC into reserves alongside gold.The report mentioned that the U.S. government currently holds about 300,000 BTC and is discussing the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve; El Salvador continues to purchase daily, and Bitcoin has also been included in asset allocations by the UK government and some state-level pension funds in the U.S.

Gate will hold the "Institutional Circle: Al Reshaping Crypto Liquidity & Market Access" institutional exchange event in Hong Kong, aimed at institutional participants, focusing on discussions related to "AI Reshaping Crypto Liquidity and Market Structure." The event will invite institutional founders and business leaders from the Asia-Pacific region to explore the direction of industry evolution from a practical perspective.On the day of the event, Addis Hu, Global Head of Institutions at Gate, will deliver the opening speech and a keynote address; Ethan Hui, Senior Regional Business Development Manager at AWS, and Chen Zhao, Executive Director of Digital Assets and CEO of FinChain, will also attend as special guests and give speeches.In addition, the event will include registration and gift distribution, free networking, and a dinner segment, providing attendees with opportunities for in-depth communication and resource connection, further promoting institutional collaboration and industry cooperation.

Dr. Han, the founder and CEO of Gate, has been invited to give a keynote speech at the main campus of the University of Hong Kong on the evening of April 21, and to participate in a fireside chat and open Q&A session.The event is titled "Web3 Dialogues @ HKU - Academia x Industry," supported by the School of Computing and Data Science at HKU in collaboration with the HKU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre and the Core Curriculum Office, and organized by Blockchain@HKU. It is primarily open to students interested in Web3, blockchain, digital finance, and emerging technologies. As a collaborative academic event, such activities are rare at HKU.The event will focus on core topics such as the evolution of Web3 technology, the integration of AI and digital assets, and industry regulatory trends, exploring these issues in depth from both academic research and industry practice perspectives. In addition to the keynote speech, Dr. Han will engage in a fireside chat with HKU professors and discuss topics such as industry development paths, technological transformation, and career planning with the attending students.As Web3 and artificial intelligence technologies continue to intersect, the interaction between academia and industry is becoming an important aspect of talent development and cognitive renewal. Such exchanges not only provide students with opportunities to gain firsthand industry experience but also help expand their understanding of technological application scenarios and future career directions, further promoting the connection between academia and industry.

According to official social media news, the HTX Genesis Hackathon, hosted by HTX DAO and B.AI, and co-hosted by TinTinLand and OpenCity, has entered a 1-day countdown. The event gathers industry VCs, builders, and leaders of top ecological projects. High-quality projects that stand out in the HTX Genesis Hackathon will receive ongoing computing power support, technical ecological integration, joint promotion, and deep cooperation from TRON, HTX, and B.AI.Huobi HTX global advisor Sun Yuchen and HTX DAO ambassador Molly will deliver keynote speeches at the opening ceremony. Sun Yuchen will share the latest judgments on the future development direction of the industry, focusing on the trend of AI × Web3 integration; Molly will interpret the ecological progress and collaborative path of HTX and HTX DAO.

The "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum, sponsored by Monera Digital and co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData, will be held today, April 19, from 14:00 to 18:00 (GMT+8) in Hong Kong. This forum has received joint support from partners including Tencent Cloud, HashKey Chain, Alchemy Pay, Kite AI, Sentient, Sign, Predict.fun, Monad, Brevis, UXLINK, OneBullEx, SVP Chain, OmenX, TurboFlow, LOTUS, Mentis, NeoSoul, Swap315, Electric Soul, and others.As an important peripheral event of the "Hong Kong Web3 Carnival," this forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and the crypto network, engaging in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure.Event registration: https://luma.com/18v6vwpf

According to Jinshi reports, global markets significantly rebounded over the past week driven by expectations of easing tensions in the Middle East, but core uncertainties remain unresolved. Iran once announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a rapid decline in oil prices, a broad strengthening of risk assets, U.S. stocks reaching new highs, a weakening dollar, and gold approaching the $4900 mark. However, Iran subsequently signaled that it "is still under military control," combined with the U.S. maintaining sanctions against Iran, which has heightened market concerns about the volatility of the situation.On the macro level, the biggest variable next week will still be the progress of U.S.-Iran negotiations. U.S. President Trump stated that negotiations may advance over the weekend and warned that if an agreement is not reached by next Wednesday, the ceasefire could end, and there is a risk of renewed conflict; meanwhile, Iran's attitude towards negotiations remains cautious, especially with significant differences on key issues such as uranium enrichment. The market has currently shifted from "pricing in conflict escalation" to "pricing in a path to easing," but any sudden changes could still trigger sharp asset fluctuations.In terms of interest rate expectations, the decline in energy prices has alleviated inflationary pressures, and the market's expectations for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve this year have risen to about 60%. At the same time, Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh will attend a Senate hearing next week, and his policy stance (especially whether it leans dovish) will become an important variable affecting gold and risk assets.On Tuesday at 20:30, U.S. March retail sales month-on-month;On Thursday at 20:30, U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending April 18;On Thursday at 21:45, U.S. April S&P Global Manufacturing/Services PMI preliminary;On Friday at 22:00, U.S. April University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index final value, one-year inflation expectations final value;In the short term, the market's main focus will revolve around three major variables: progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations, oil price trends, and signals from the Federal Reserve.

Bank of AI and the Peking University Blockchain Association PKUBlockchain have officially released their first research report titled "Web4.0: When AI Agents Become Economic Entities------Infrastructure, Track Patterns, and Investment Outlook." The report systematically outlines the three-layer infrastructure gaps of the x402 payment protocol, ERC-8004 identity standard, and MCP tool invocation protocol, and focuses on how Bank of AI can package five core components into a one-stop Agent financial operating system, becoming a typical case of a closed-loop from protocol to product. The research report points out that the daily average transaction volume on the TRON chain exceeds $22 billion, with a circulation of $86 billion USDT, providing a scalable foundation for high-frequency micro-settlement for Agents. Both parties will continue to promote the coordinated development of Web4.0 infrastructure and the agent economy.

The "2026 Digital Asset Institutional Investor Survey" released by financial giant Nomura Securities shows that nearly 80% of institutional investors plan to allocate 2% - 5% of their total managed assets to the cryptocurrency sector. 65% of the surveyed institutions view cryptocurrencies as a diversification tool on par with stocks, bonds, and commodities.The survey covered institutional investors and family offices managing over $60 billion in assets. In terms of investment direction, more than two-thirds of respondents hope to earn returns through DeFi mechanisms such as staking, 65% are focused on lending and tokenized assets, and 63% are exploring derivatives and stablecoins. Additionally, 63% of respondents believe that stablecoins have practical uses for managing cash, cross-border payments, and investing in tokenized assets, with stablecoins issued by major financial institutions being the most trusted.Nomura Securities stated that regulatory clarity, increased awareness, and improved risk control frameworks are key to expanding investments. Although challenges such as the lack of clear methods for asset valuation and regulatory uncertainties still exist, the development of diversified investment products and improvements in risk management practices are accelerating institutional adoption.

According to FinanceFeeds, Morgan Stanley stated that the tokenization of real-world assets has become the "next major step" in its global business and has incorporated it into its strategic focus on upgrading traditional financial infrastructure with blockchain.The institution mentioned plans to integrate traditional assets with digital assets in a regulated environment, advance near real-time on-chain settlement, and launch an institutional digital wallet in the second half of 2026, supporting tokenized traditional investment products as well as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. At the same time, Morgan Stanley is also advancing the tokenization of the private equity secondary market and the construction of on-chain and off-chain settlement processes.

The themed forum "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy", sponsored by Monera Digital and co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData, is now in the final 5-day countdown. This forum has received joint support from partners such as Tencent Cloud, HashKey Chain, Alchemy Pay, Kite AI, Sentient, Sign, Predict.fun, Monad, Brevis, UXLINK, OneBullEx, SVP Chain, OmenX, TurboFlow, LOTUS, Mentis, NeoSoul, Swap315, and is scheduled to be held on April 19 from 14:00 to 18:00 (GMT+8) in Hong Kong.As one of the important peripheral activities of the "Hong Kong Web3 Carnival", this forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and cryptocurrency networks, engaging in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and cryptocurrency infrastructure. At the intersection of technological leap and economic form reconstruction, this themed forum is not only an insight into the current state of the industry but also a forward-looking reflection on the future intelligent economic system.Event registration: https://luma.com/18v6vwpf

The "Global RWA Digital Agriculture Ecological Summit" co-hosted by RWA Global Incubation Alliance and City Arrow Tower was successfully held today in Hong Kong. This summit focused on in-depth discussions on the application of RWA in the agricultural sector, as well as how agricultural infrastructure can achieve assetization and connect with global capital through digitization and financial structures.The conference emphasized the construction of agricultural RWA models, IoT data-driven asset confirmation, and pathways for SPVs and capital markets. Guests shared cutting-edge insights and practical experiences from multiple dimensions of industry, technology, and finance, further promoting the integrated development of physical agriculture and the Web3 financial system.This event received strong support from strategic partners such as GreenX, GreenPro Capital Corp, the Malaysia ESG Association, and the XGT Foundation, collectively facilitating the exchange and cooperation of the global RWA digital agriculture ecosystem.

According to Crypto in America, former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Chris Giancarlo, known in the industry as "Crypto Dad," announced at the end of April that he officially stepped down as a senior advisor at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, transitioning to focus on digital asset strategic consulting, private investment, and public policy research.Giancarlo has been deeply involved in the firm for six years, leading the development of its cryptocurrency legal practice. Additionally, his new book "CryptoDad's New Adventures: The Path to Financial Freedom in the 21st Century" is expected to be published this October, documenting the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry through the 2024 election and into Trump's second term.

The Zcash core development team Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL) founder Josh Swihart released the latest progress on Zcash, proposing a strategic direction centered on "post-quantum security, scalability, and user experience," and using the Artemis II lunar mission as a metaphor to emphasize achieving seemingly impossible goals through technological breakthroughs. The ZODL team stated that Zcash is entering the "Zcash IV" phase, which will build infrastructure similar to a "lunar base" to support the protocol and application security scaling to billions of users, while promoting the vision of privacy transactions without large-scale financial surveillance.On the product and technology front, ZODL continues to iterate, with its 3.3.x version now launched on iOS and Android, adding hardware wallet connection management, SDK upgrades, and multiple experience optimizations, while advancing key developments such as Keystone wallet functionality and address system upgrades (ZIP 316, UIVK/UFVK). Meanwhile, the Zcash core team has fixed multiple system issues and is advancing the development of the Zallet alpha version, while strengthening unified address standards and wallet interaction experiences, laying the groundwork for future scalability and performance improvements.In addition, ZODL disclosed that its application data continues to grow and participated in a stablecoin privacy summit to strengthen industry collaboration. However, due to upgrades in regulation and network restrictions, ZODL has temporarily removed its app from the Russian app store. The team emphasized that privacy is not an option but a fundamental need in the digital age, and will continue to accelerate delivery pace to promote the popularization of ZEC and ecological development in the future.

According to Jinshi reports, the failure of peace negotiations between the United States and Iran has led the bond market to focus on inflation issues and strengthened expectations that interest rates will remain high. Investors in the U.S. Treasury market face the risk that rising energy costs may exacerbate price pressures, delaying the Federal Reserve's rate cut actions.Last Friday, the monthly increase in the U.S. March CPI reached its highest level since 2022, prompting the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield to exceed 4.3%, with yields further rising by 3 basis points on Monday to reach 4.35%.

According to Cointelegraph, after the release of the U.S. CPI data, Bitcoin briefly rose to $73,000, attempting to refresh the new high for the phase. The data shows that overall inflation in the U.S. is slightly lower than market expectations, but the significant rise in energy prices has created a divergence signal.Specifically, the U.S. CPI rose 3.3% year-on-year, with the month-on-month data 0.1% lower than expected; among them, energy prices increased by 10.9%, and gasoline prices surged by 21.2% month-on-month, marking the largest single-month increase since 1967.The financial market's reaction was relatively restrained, with U.S. stocks opening basically flat, and Bitcoin did not experience significant fluctuations. Meanwhile, influenced by previous PCE data, the market has largely ruled out the possibility of a short-term interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve.On the trading front, analysts believe that Bitcoin is operating within a converging range. If it attempts to hit key highs again in the short term, the market's reaction will become an important signal for subsequent trends, with around $74,000 seen as a key liquidity area.