US-Iran tensions boost crude prices, lift Sinopec and CNOOC earnings

Tech  US-Iran tensions boost crude prices, lift Sinopec and CNOOC earnings  The Polymarket contract for Crude Oil by End of June has moved to 15% YES as the US-Iran conflict drives crude prices higher, with Chinas Sinopec and CNOOC gaining from the rally.  Market reaction  The WTI Crude Oil Price April 2026 market, with one day remaining, has odds for hitting $160 sitting at speculative levels, driven more by geopolitical tension than concrete supply disruptions. The contract has recorded no trades in the last 24 hours, and the order book is thin enough that even a moderate order could shift odds substantially.  Why it matters  The $90 crude oil contract is pricing in expectations that the Middle East conflict will produce real supply constraints, not just headline risk. At current levels, a YES share offers a high potential payout, but that price reflects the markets judgment that actual supply disruption remains unlikely. The gap between geopolitical noise and physical oil market impact is what traders are betting on.  What to watch  OPEC+ production decisions are the most direct catalyst. Any announcement of additional cuts would tighten supply into an already nervous market. Changes in US-Iran relations, whether escalation or de-escalation, would move these contracts quickly. Saudi Arabia‘s and

04-29

USD/CHF holds losses below 0.7900 ahead of ZEW Swiss Survey Expectations

Finance  USD/CHF holds losses below 0.7900 ahead of ZEW Swiss Survey Expectations  USD/CHF inches lower after registering nearly 0.5% gains in the previous day, trading around 0.7890 during the early European hours on Wednesday. The pair declines as the Swiss Franc (CHF) receives support ahead of the release of ZEW Survey – Expectations for April.  However, the upside for the Swiss Franc (CHF) may be limited as traders anticipate intervention by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to weaken the currency. SNB Chairman Martin Schlegel reiterated at the April meeting that the central bank stands ready to intervene in FX markets by purchasing foreign currencies to curb CHF strength and maintain price stability.  Additionally, the US Dollar (USD) gains ground against its major peers on safe-haven demand after reports that the United States (US) may extend its blockade on Iran, prolonging supply disruptions across the Middle East.  The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US officials said President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran. The report noted that Trump opted to continue pressuring Irans economy and oil exports by restricting shipping to and from its ports. Sources added that he considers alternative options, such as resuming bombing or

04-29

Europes central banks in wait-and-see mode on interest rates

When the Iran war started in late February, it upended the BOEs forecasts for inflation to start cooling towards its 2% target.  The bank said in March it expected inflation is now likely to peak between 3% and 3.5% in the second and third quarters of 2026, due to higher energy prices, but cautioned that uncertainty over the war made predictions tricky. The last data showed inflation jumped to 3.3% in the twelve months to March, up from 3% recorded the month before.  A series of interest rate cuts were expected in 2026, but those predictions reversed once the war broke out with the expectation that the bank will hike rates this year.  Those expectations have diminished, however, and economists now expect the majority of BOEs nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC), led by Governor Andrew Bailey, to show extreme caution on monetary policy.  Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England (BOE), during the Monetary Policy Report news conference at the banks headquarters in the City of London, UK, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024.  Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images  A majority of economists polled by Reuters last week said they expected the BOE to keep rates unchanged for the rest of the year, arguing policymakers

04-29

WLD Price Prediction: Sub-$0.20 Breakdown Imminent as Technical Collapse Accelerates

WLDs Technical Reality Check  Worldcoin is bleeding out in slow motion. Trading at $0.25 with RSI sitting at 39, we‘re watching a textbook breakdown unfold. The MACD histogram flat-lining at zero tells the story – momentum has completely evaporated, and buyers have thrown in the towel. What’s particularly damning is WLD‘s position within the Bollinger Bands at just 0.20, meaning it’s hugging that lower support like a desperate climber on a cliff edge.  The moving average cascade paints an even grimmer picture. Price is trading 51% below the 200-day SMA at $0.51, while even the shorter-term 20-day SMA at $0.28 acts as concrete resistance overhead. This isnt a dip – this is structural damage that screams further downside.  Volume & Price Alignment  Here‘s where things get interesting from a contrarian perspective. Despite the technical carnage, Binance spot volume remains relatively healthy at $5 million daily, suggesting this isn’t complete capitulation yet. But the derivatives market tells a different story entirely.  The funding rate has flipped negative at -0.0322%, meaning shorts are actually paying longs – a classic late-stage bearish signal where even the bears are getting exhausted. More telling is the aggressive selling pressure with taker buy/sell ratio at 0.87, showing market makers are getting

04-29

Bitcoin Stable Around 77.300$, Oil Surpasses 111$

Bitcoin  Bitcoin Stable Around 77.300$, Oil Surpasses 111$  Bitcoin remains stable around $77.329 amid geopolitical storms, while other major cryptocurrencies are giving back their gains. Oil prices exceeded $111 in Brent due to news of the US extending the Strait of Hormuz blockade against Iran. BTC rose +%0,60 in the last 24 hours to hold at $77.329, but declined %0,8 weekly. Ether fell %2,6 to $2.310; majors like XRP, Solana, BNB, and Dogecoin lost value.  Critical Support and Resistance Levels for BTCSupports: S1: 76.439$ (Strong, %84 score, -%1,18 distance); S2: 72.632$ (Strong, %71 score, -%6,10 distance)Resistances: R1: 80.313$ (Strong, %75 score, +%3,83 distance); R2: 77.551$ (Medium, %59 score, +%0,26 distance)  RSI 58,80 (neutral), sideways trend, Supertrend bearish. EMA 20: 75.603$. Click for detailed BTC analysis. Bitget analysts see 75.000$ as the trend break boundary; a loss would push down, while 80.000$ protects the rally.  Bitcoins Market Dominance and Analyst Views  According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump ordered the blockade extension. Warm to opening the strait if the Iran port blockade is lifted. The oil surge is increasing inflation pressure. Zaheer Ebtikar from Split Research: BTC supply excess has depleted, sellers have capitulated; market is thin, sensitive to volatility. BTC dominance rises amid macro tensions. Fed

04-29

Pump.fun Burns $370M in PUMP, Launches New Buyback Plan

Tech  Pump.fun Burns $370M in PUMP, Launches New Buyback Plan  The Solana-based platform also launched a new one-year buyback-and-burn program that will use 50% of future net revenue to purchase and permanently burn PUMP tokens through a locked smart contract. The remaining 50% of revenue will be used for business expansion.  Pump.fun Burns 36% of PUMP Supply  , the Solana-based meme coin launchpad, a major shift in its token strategy by burning all previously bought-back PUMP tokens and introducing a new long-term buyback-and-burn program.  According to the company, the tokens destroyed were worth approximately $370 million and represented around 36% of PUMPs circulating supply. The move was presented as a direct response to from the community about transparency, trust, and the long-term future of the project.  Pump.fun acknowledged that many users questioned the platforms longevity, whether buybacks would continue, and how repurchased tokens would eventually be used. By permanently burning all of the accumulated tokens, the company said it wanted to remove uncertainty and clearly prove a stronger commitment to token holders.  tokens reduces supply permanently, which can create scarcity and potentially support value over time.  Alongside this one-time burn, Pump.fun also launched a new automated buyback-and-burn system that will run for one year. Under the new plan,

04-29

CoinMarketCap and LitVM Push Litecoin Beyond Payments into DeFi

CoinMarketCap (CMC), the worlds most-referenced, real-time cryptocurrency price-tracking website and data aggregator in the blockchain industry, has announced its landmark collaboration with LitVM (Litecoin Virtual Machine), the first fully trustless, Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) – compatible Zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup layer-2 network built on Litecoin. The purpose is to bring smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), and Web3 functionality.  LitVM is purposefully made on a battle-tested modular stack consisting of Arbitrum Orbit, Espresso‘s decentralized sequencing, Succinct’s SP1 zkVM for zero-knowledge validity proofs, and BitcoinOS Grail Bridge for trustless LTC connecting. This means that every single transaction on the network is completely handled by hard money, not a speculative token. CoinMarketCap has released this news through its official social media X account.  CoinMarketCap and LitVM Advance Litecoins Journey Toward Web3 Programmability  LitVM has a satisfactory experience of more than 14 years in terms of security and decentralization as its foundation. LitVM is able to bring Web3 programmability to a worldwide community of millions of LTC holders. LitVM has good support from the creator of Litecoin, Charlie Lee. This endorsement underscores LitVMs acceptance as a productive Web3 expansion for the Litecoin ecosystem.  Rush, CEO of CoinMarketCap, expressed his thoughts. He said, “We are supportive of LitVM joining the

04-29

Hesder Yeshiva students mobilize for defense amid Hezbollah tensions

Tech  Hesder Yeshiva students mobilize for defense amid Hezbollah tensions  Hesder Yeshiva students have mobilized for defense in Kiryat Shmona, reinforcing local forces amid ongoing tensions with Hezbollah. The Israel x Hezbollah ceasefire extension by April 26, 2026, market sits at 99.8¢ YES, down slightly from 100% yesterday.  Market reaction  The April 26 sub-market has 362 days remaining and trades at $3,109,612 in actual USDC daily volume. Moving the price by 5 points would require $1,625,475 in capital. The largest recent move was a 50-point drop, so sharp volatility has happened before even at these elevated levels.  Why it matters  Hesder Yeshiva students split their time between Torah study and military service, and many have combat experience from recent operations. Their mobilization in Kiryat Shmona suggests residents expect possible escalation regardless of the ceasefire. The slight dip from 100% to 99.8% is small in absolute terms, but at these price levels any movement away from certainty is worth noting.  What to watch  Buying YES shares at 99.8¢ offers almost no upside unless youre parking capital. The trade worth watching is on the NO side: any major Israeli or Hezbollah military action, statements from Netanyahu, or unexpected cross-border incidents could create a sharp repricing. Diplomatic channel updates are the

04-29

ASTEROID Whales Pivot to New Memecoins but Lose All of Their Money

Tech  ASTEROID Whales Pivot to New Memecoins but Lose All of Their Money  In a matter of hours, one of the most aggressive traders in the Solana memecoin ecosystem turned a very lucrative run into a complete wipeout.  Taking a huge loss  Previously a top whale in ASTEROID, the address that ends with MBYiv lost everything after exiting a winning position and rotating into another high-risk token. The wallet contained 52.8 million ASTEROID tokens at its height of visibility. The position closed about five hours ago at $0.00306 after being built early with an average entry of about $0.00148. The realized profit from that trade alone was about $83,700, which more than doubled the initial investment.  Source: ai_9684 on X  But that entire gain was negated by what came next. The same wallet actively rotated into the memecoin SCAM shortly after closing the ASTEROID position, committing $135,000 at an average entry price of $0.00856. It was the worst possible timing. The action was almost exactly in line with the waning hype cycle associated with Elon Musks social media activity, which had previously encouraged speculative inflows of funds into the token.  ASTEROID Whales Pivot to New Memecoins but Lose All of Their Money  Ripple CEO on XRP: ‘Lock In’  Liquidity

04-29

Equities: Tech-led pullback as AI concerns resurface – Danske Bank

Tech  Equities: Tech-led pullback as AI concerns resurface – Danske Bank  Danske Research Team notes that global equities slipped, led by technology, even as the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) declined, suggesting the move was not driven by macro data. They attribute the sector rotation to renewed concerns about AI (Artificial intelligence) monetisation after OpenAIs revenue warning, while stressing that differing signals from other AI firms argue against extrapolating a broad demand slowdown.  AI monetisation worries hit tech  “Equities moved lower yesterday, with most regions in the red and the sector rotation tilting more defensive. What is worth noting, however, is that tech led the decline while the VIX actually fell. In other words, this was not primarily a classic negative macro-data sell-off. ”  “It was at least as much about renewed concerns around the AI space, triggered by OpenAI warning on revenue developments.”  “That naturally brought one of the key underlying concerns in the AI narrative back to the surface: monetisation. But investors should be careful not to extrapolate too aggressively. What we have heard from OpenAI does not match what we have heard from Anthropic.”  “Put differently, this may be less a story about broad-based AI demand disappointment and more about a meaningful shift in users

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