Geopolitics

Iranian parliamentary speaker Qalibaf threatened on social media to block commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the strait’s importance to global oil and food transportation. In recent years, the Strait of Hormuz has been targeted by attacks from Houthi forces supported by Iran, and in 2023, about 12% of global seaborne oil passed through this area.

The UK government is working to help AI company Anthropic expand its operations in the UK, including an expansion in London and a dual listing, with plans to raise it during the company CEO's visit. The move comes amid the backdrop that Anthropic has been placed on a U.S. government blacklist due to national security risks, and it is currently challenging that decision.

Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor believes that Bitcoin (BTC) has gained overwhelming dominance in the global “media war.” However, he also warns that changes at the protocol level—especially the proposed BIP-110—could become the biggest remaining risk to the network

The head of the International Energy Agency, Birol, warned that if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened, the oil losses in April will be twice those of March. Currently, 72 energy assets have been damaged. Saudi Arabia has redirected some oil exports through a new pipeline, but if this route is attacked, the global economy will face serious consequences.

Google's Quantum AI team said earlier this week that a future quantum computer could derive a bitcoin private key from a public key in roughly nine minutes. The number ricocheted across social media and spooked markets. But, what does it actually mean in practice? Let's start with how bitcoin

Gate News message, April 5, the Kuwaiti side said that two power and seawater desalination plants were hit by Iranian drone attacks, causing "significant" material damage, and two generating units have been shut down.

Gate News message, April 5, economists said that the sudden jump in gasoline prices that American consumers can feel firsthand will be fully reflected in the key inflation data to be released this week. The U.S. is expected to see March CPI rise 1% month over month, which would be the largest monthly increase since 2022; core CPI could rise 0.3% month over month. Earlier, the Iran war pushed gasoline prices at U.S. gas stations up by about $1 per gallon. As a result, the Federal Reserve may find it difficult to carry out interest rate cuts this year.

The Iranian government’s attempt to block the Telegram messaging application in the country has backfired, as users find ways to circumvent national firewalls and online controls, according to Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov. “Iran banned Telegram years ago,” Durov said on Friday; however, tens

Kwasi Kwarteng, the former UK Chancellor, reflects on his short tenure and the missteps of the mini-budget while advocating for long-term economic thinking. He now focuses on bitcoin and monetary innovation as part of his role with Stack BTC.

Gate News message: On April 4, US President Trump posted a statement on social media, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran. Trump said that he had previously given Iran 10 days to reach an agreement or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the time is running out. He warned that after 48 hours, "hell will come down on their heads."

A Federal Reserve watcher said that the U.S. added 178k jobs in March, the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, but wage growth slowed to the lowest level in five years. The average monthly number of new jobs was only 22.5k, the economic outlook is fragile, and inflation concerns may further limit the room for rate cuts.

Gate News message, April 4, Iranian senior official Mohsen Rezaee posted on the social platform X in response to U.S. military personnel changes. He said: "They once claimed they had destroyed Iran's air defense system, as always, they're lying. Maybe instead of replacing military commanders, they should remove Trump." Earlier, it was reported that U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth had relieved several senior U.S. military officers from their posts, including multiple senior generals, among them the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gate News message, on April 4, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran has approved ships carrying essential supplies to travel through the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian ports.

Trump believes Iran’s new leadership is more moderate, but experts say that a regime change is only a change of leaders and does not alter its governance structure. War has strengthened the power of Iran’s hardliners, intensifying anti-American sentiment, and has not, in fact, led to any major change in the United States’ stance.

The International Monetary Fund recommends that the Bank of Japan continue raising interest rates, despite new risks to Japan’s economy stemming from the Middle East war. Rising oil prices and yen depreciation have intensified inflation pressures. The IMF expects inflation to return to the 2% target in 2027 and emphasizes the importance of a flexible interest-rate policy.

Gate News message, on April 4, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu said during a situation assessment with senior officials that the Israel Defense Forces will continue to carry out intense strikes with the U.S. against Iran. Netanyahu said that the Israeli forces are continuously removing Iranian military commanders and bombing infrastructure, including bridges. He revealed that the Israeli forces have destroyed about 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity, weakening the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ financial sources and reducing its ability to mass-produce weapons.

Gate News updates: On April 4, the Irish government officially launched the digital wallet testing phase on April 3. The wallet includes an age verification feature. According to a statement from Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, this digital ID will support social media platforms in verifying users’ ages, with the goal of protecting children and teenagers from online harms.

Google's Quantum AI team said earlier this week that a future quantum computer could derive a bitcoin private key from a public key in roughly nine minutes. The number ricocheted across social media and spooked markets. But, what does it actually mean in practice? Let's start with how bitcoin

Google’s Quantum AI team said earlier this week that a future quantum computer could derive a bitcoin private key from a public key in roughly nine minutes. The number ricocheted across social media and spooked markets. But, what does it actually mean in practice? Let’s start with how bitcoin