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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.

SimpleChain announced the completion of a $15 million seed round financing, focusing on building RWA Layer1 infrastructure and continuously promoting the implementation and development of the ecological protocol DataIPO. It is reported that the core members of the team come from former executives of Shuqin Technology, NetEase, and Ant Group.According to public information, Xinhua News Agency previously reported that Shuqin Technology has made forward-looking layouts in China around trusted data, financial technology, and compliance links. The launch of SimpleChain is also seen as a further extension of the team's historical experience in the direction of RWA infrastructure.

OKX founder and CEO Star responded to the tweet "Xu Mingxing rarely attends Hong Kong meetings," stating that he will gradually distance himself from the rumors and focus more on internal management, strategy, and technological products. OKX is also abandoning businesses it is not good at, concentrating on building great products, a comprehensive compliance and governance system, and establishing long-term, solid trust with regulators.He mentioned that the people in the photo are all old friends, and he is also an investor in some of the companies. Although there has been competition among peers in the past, essentially, everyone has worked together for many years and are all close brothers.At the same time, he acknowledged some inherent flaws in his personality—low emotional intelligence, being too straightforward, overly serious, and too persistent about right and wrong, as well as not being good at handling complex interpersonal relationships and individual business negotiations.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced the appointment of David Woodcock as the new head of the enforcement division, succeeding the previous director who has stepped down.Woodcock previously served as the director of the SEC's Fort Worth office (2011--2015), overseeing enforcement attorneys, examiners, and accounting teams, and participated in investigations across nearly all major enforcement areas. Recently, he was a partner at the law firm Gibson Dunn. Notably, Woodcock does not have a clear background in the cryptocurrency industry, and this appointment comes at a time when the SEC is facing controversy over its enforcement direction in the crypto space. Previously, disagreements over case handling and enforcement standards led to a short tenure for the former director and drew congressional attention. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated that this appointment will help strengthen the crackdown on "misconduct that causes the greatest harm to investors."

Yili Hua posted on platform X, stating the establishment of the AI fund OpenX_Labs, focusing on investing in and collaborating on AI projects.Jack Yi believes that the golden age of primary investment has arrived, and the AI era provides tremendous opportunities for founders, putting startups and medium-sized enterprises on the same starting line. He plans to use the upcoming time for primary investment to learn from AI founders and expresses his willingness to assist excellent AI projects without compensation, as AI also provides him with opportunities and motivation for a second entrepreneurial venture.

According to Jinshi News, at 2 AM Beijing time tonight, the Federal Reserve will release the minutes from the March monetary policy meeting. This document was created against the backdrop of escalating conflicts in the Middle East and an increasingly complex market environment, and it will reveal how Federal Reserve officials assess supply shocks and inflationary pressures, as well as their framework for judging risk balance. Investors are advised to pay attention.

Drift Protocol, which had $285 million in cryptocurrency assets stolen, posted an update on the X platform regarding the incident handling progress. It stated that it is currently actively working with partners to develop a coordinated recovery plan. The current focus is on stabilizing the situation and providing protocol-level assurances to all affected users and partners.In addition, Drift stated that it will participate in the security project STRIDE under the Solana Foundation, with more details to be announced later.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is making significant adjustments to its enforcement strategy in the cryptocurrency sector for the fiscal year 2025. The SEC has successively withdrawn seven cryptocurrency-related enforcement actions initiated by the previous commission, involving institutions such as Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Cumberland DRW, Consensys, Dragonchain, and Balina, on the grounds that these cases lack sufficient federal securities law basis.At the same time, the SEC has established a Cyber and Emerging Technologies Division, focusing on combating violations of securities trading related to blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. In terms of specific enforcement actions, the SEC has filed lawsuits against the following cases: New York cryptocurrency company Unicoin and its four executives for allegedly making false statements to mislead investors; PGI Global founder Ramil Palafox for allegedly orchestrating a cryptocurrency and forex fraud scheme amounting to $198 million and misappropriating over $57 million; and the founder of AI company Nate, Inc. for allegedly raising over $42 million illegally through false advertising of artificial intelligence capabilities.

According to the official website of the Cardano Foundation, Cardano and the venture capital firm Draper Dragon announced the launch of the Orion Fund (Draper Dragon Ecosystem Fund), with a target size of $80 million, aimed at investing in Cardano native and integrated projects, focusing on Real-World Assets (RWA) and institutional-grade DeFi, to enhance Cardano's TVL and on-chain activity.The fund is managed by Draper Dragon, with the Cardano Foundation providing ecological and technical support as the constitutional manager, and part of the profits will be funneled back to the Cardano treasury through the non-ownership entity Arouet Holdings. Draper University will act as an acceleration partner to provide startup acceleration and talent development. The fund will prioritize projects that utilize the UTXO model to bridge Bitcoin liquidity and Cardano functionality, and will enhance transparency and community oversight through a public KPI dashboard and quarterly ecological roundtables.