macro

According to QCP Capital's latest market report, Bitcoin has fallen approximately 11.6% this week, continuing to be under pressure. Market sentiment has been affected by the rare news of Strategy selling 32 BTC, although the sale size was only about $2.5 million, which had almost no substantial impact on its holdings of over 840,000 coins. However, it broke the long-standing market expectation of Strategy's "never selling coins," weakening the confidence of some investors.On a macro level, the situation is also unfavorable. The escalation of the Middle East situation and the stagnation of US-Iran negotiations have driven oil prices up, with the risk premium in the Strait of Hormuz being re-emphasized. Meanwhile, US job vacancy data was stronger than expected, reducing the market's bets on a short-term rate cut by the Federal Reserve and reinforcing the expectation of "higher rates for longer." The options market shows a significant increase in defensive sentiment. The 30-day at-the-money implied volatility (ATM IV) rose to about 41.4%, with a weekly increase of about 7 volatility points. The risk reversal indicator remains biased negative, with a short-term inverted yield curve reflecting strong demand for downside protection in the market.QCP believes that the current market is not in a panic sell-off but is re-pricing downside risks. Weak spot demand, rising oil prices, increasing real interest rates, and macro uncertainty are collectively suppressing the performance of risk assets. Meanwhile, AI concept stocks and large tech companies continue to attract significant capital inflows, further diverting risk appetite from the crypto market. QCP points out that if BTC cannot regain a foothold in the $67,000 to $68,000 range, the rebound may still face significant selling pressure. The current market is more inclined to purchase downside protection rather than actively increase risk exposure, as investors await a clearer direction from the macro environment between the paths of "soft landing" and "high inflation, high interest rates, low liquidity."

The latest market intelligence report released by the digital asset trading firm Wintermute shows that global financial markets are undergoing a large-scale macroeconomic repricing, with the market narrative shifting from discussions about the timing of interest rate cuts to preparing for potential rate hikes. This structural shift has been triggered by unexpectedly strong economic data and reignited inflationary pressures, creating significant headwinds for digital assets.The report notes that Bitcoin saw a sharp decline after briefly breaking through $83,000, giving back significant gains within a week, while mainstream alternative tokens experienced double-digit percentage drops. Global wealth managers are actively de-risking under macro constraints, highlighting the fragility of digital asset expansion. On-chain trading indicators suggest that the previous price increases were not driven by genuine spot market demand or organic retail accumulation, but rather primarily from short squeezes in the perpetual futures market.The total open interest in Bitcoin derivatives rapidly expanded by $10 billion to $58 billion within a month, while the underlying spot trading volume simultaneously fell to a two-year low. When Bitcoin broke through $80,000, a large number of short positions were forcibly liquidated, triggering a brief buying frenzy, but failed to establish a lasting structural bottom.The main driving factor behind the current market reversal is that global CPI data continues to exceed expectations, reigniting widespread concerns about interest rate hikes. At the same time, ongoing uncertainty surrounding the nomination of the next Federal Reserve chair has injected unpredictability into the market. Despite long-term positive signals, including a recent net inflow of $623 million into spot ETFs and Bitcoin reserves on trading platforms dropping to a seven-year low, Wintermute emphasizes that these long-term trends are insufficient to alleviate recent structural risks.As international asset managers shift capital towards short-term sovereign debt instruments, digital platforms are struggling to maintain momentum. The near-term outlook for the tokenized market will depend on whether genuine spot buyers return to stabilize the weak liquidity gap.

Cryptocurrency analyst Marcel Pechman stated that Bitcoin rapidly fell back after being rejected at $82,000 on Friday, dropping below $79,000. The movement is highly synchronized with the U.S. small-cap stock index, indicating that macro factors are the main driving force behind this round of decline. The Russell 2000 index, which covers small and medium-sized enterprises, has a higher capital cost and is more sensitive to interest rate trends. The high correlation between Bitcoin and this index suggests that the market currently characterizes Bitcoin as a risk asset rather than a safe-haven tool.The funding rate for Bitcoin perpetual contracts briefly turned deeply negative on Thursday and remained close to 0% on Friday, with continued absence of long leverage demand—this indicator has been below the neutral threshold of 6% for several weeks. Multiple attempts to breach $82,000 have failed to boost market confidence. Macro pressures have been piling up: the outcome of the U.S.-China summit disappointed the market, with no specific tariff agreements reached aside from a commitment to accelerate U.S. agricultural exports over the next three years; meanwhile, the ongoing war in Iran continues to weigh on market sentiment, with Brent crude oil prices jumping from $99 to $106 in the past week, further exacerbating inflationary pressures.Additionally, the inflation-adjusted Shiller price-to-earnings ratio shows that the S&P 500 index is currently only about 5% lower than its peak during the internet bubble in January 2000, indicating a significant contraction in overall market risk appetite. However, the massive sell-off in the fixed income market may provide mid-term support for Bitcoin. The yield on Japan's 10-year government bonds has risen to its highest level in over 20 years, while the yield on the Eurozone's 10-year government bonds has also surged to 3.18%, a 15-year high. Analysts believe that in response to recession risks, central banks may be forced to inject liquidity, and funds flowing out of fixed income may ultimately seek other asset allocations, with Bitcoin likely to benefit from this.

According to Jinshi reports, the US and Israel are expected to resume strikes against Iran as early as next week. Amidst the soaring expectations of interest rate hikes in the bond market, the last meeting minutes of the "Powell era" are coming. Here are the key points that the market will focus on next week (all in Beijing time):Tuesday 9:30, the Reserve Bank of Australia will release the minutes of the May monetary policy meeting;Tuesday 20:00, Federal Reserve Governor Waller will speak at the European Central Bank research conference;Tuesday 20:15, the weekly change in ADP employment numbers for the week ending May 2 in the United States;Wednesday 7:00, 2026 FOMC voting member and Philadelphia Fed President Harker will speak;Thursday 2:00, the Federal Reserve will release the minutes of the monetary policy meeting;Thursday 20:00, European Central Bank Chief Economist Lane will speak at the European Central Bank research conference.The AI boom and consumer spending under inflationary pressure are the two main themes currently influencing the direction of US stocks. Next week, semiconductor giant Nvidia (NVDA) and a number of retail companies such as Walmart (WMT) will successively disclose their earnings reports. Nvidia will release its earnings report after the US market closes on Wednesday, and Walmart will release its earnings report before the US market opens on Thursday.

According to Jinshi reports, this week, significant signs of peace have emerged in the US-Iran conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, greatly easing geopolitical risks. Next week, it is worth paying close attention to whether these two geopolitical conflicts can further cool down. In addition, next week's macro events will focus on the US April CPI data, as detailed below:Tuesday 15:15, FOMC permanent voting member and New York Fed President Williams will participate in a panel discussion on monetary policy;Tuesday 20:15, US ADP employment change for the week ending April 25;Tuesday 20:30, US April CPI data;Wednesday 04:30, US API crude oil inventories for the week ending May 8;Wednesday 20:30, US April PPI year-on-year and month-on-month;Friday 05:30, Fed Governor Barr will deliver a speech;Friday 21:15, US April industrial production month-on-month.Finally, next week the Federal Reserve will undergo significant personnel changes. Nominee Chairman Kevin Warsh is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday and will officially take over from Powell on May 15.In terms of US stocks, as of this Friday, a new round of surges has pushed the S&P 500 index up 8% cumulatively in 2026, continuing to rise on the basis of achieving double-digit returns for three consecutive years. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index has risen nearly 13% year-to-date, with both major indices reaching all-time highs. Although the first quarter earnings season is nearing its end, corporate reports will still be a key driver of stock prices in the coming days.AI

According to Gate Ventures' latest weekly report, as the situation in the Middle East has temporarily eased and energy prices have fallen, global risk appetite has marginally improved, stock indices have reached new highs, and both the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields have declined. However, gold remains strong, indicating that while the market is flowing back into risk assets, the demand for safe-haven assets has not completely faded. Against this backdrop, the cryptocurrency market has seen a slight rebound overall, with BTC and ETH rising 4.3% and 3.3% respectively. ETF funds continue to see net inflows, but market sentiment remains cautious. Mainstream assets have performed relatively steadily with institutional support, while the recovery in the altcoin market remains limited.At the industry level, regulatory advancements and infrastructure development continue to deepen. France supports promoting the euro stablecoin plan under the MiCA framework to enhance the competitiveness of the local currency system; Circle has launched USDC Bridge to further improve the cross-chain liquidity structure of stablecoins; the X platform has introduced the Cashtags feature to accelerate the integration of trading and social scenarios. In terms of investment and financing, a total of 12 financing deals were disclosed this week, with a total amount of $41.8 million, among which Paxos Labs completed a $12 million financing focused on compliant DeFi infrastructure development, reflecting that capital is still continuously laying out around compliance and underlying capability upgrades.

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.

According to official social media news, Huobi HTX will hold a live broadcast today at 20:00 (UTC+8) on the theme "Collapse of US-Iran Negotiations, Return of Macroeconomic Uncertainty: Can Bitcoin Still Serve as a Safe Haven?" At that time, crypto KOLs such as Oxpink, Domingo, Michill, Amber, AlanSun, and Qie Ge will be invited to attend and discuss hot topics such as the impact of geopolitical conflicts, oil price fluctuations, and increased uncertainty in Federal Reserve policies on the crypto market, as well as whether the market has entered an "institution-led phase."

According to Cryptopolitan, Coinbase Institutional has given a neutral outlook for the second quarter market, citing macro and geopolitical uncertainties such as the Iran conflict that make predictions highly unreliable.Coinbase referenced a Bank of America fund manager survey indicating that cash holdings rose nearly one percentage point to 4.3% in a single month, the fastest accumulation rate in five years. Despite the recent S&P 500 experiencing declines of three to four standard deviations, Bitcoin only underwent a one standard deviation pullback, showing relative strength. The U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF recorded approximately $471 million in net inflows on April 6, marking the strongest single-day performance in six weeks, with BlackRock's IBIT leading the way.The institutional holding ratio has increased from 24% a year ago to about 38%, with hedge funds, pension funds, and others collectively holding over $40 billion in shares. Morgan Stanley began listing its Bitcoin ETF on the NYSE on April 8, becoming the first major U.S. bank to directly issue a spot Bitcoin ETF.

QCP's weekly report pointed out that against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions and rising oil price volatility, Bitcoin remains around $67,000, demonstrating a certain level of resilience; Ethereum shows steady performance, while altcoins lag behind.Market positions have been cleared, selling pressure has eased, and short-term hedging demand remains active, indicating that the market is no longer overly crowded. There is indeed support, but it is relatively limited. There is buying support for Bitcoin, but a comprehensive chase for higher prices has not yet emerged.

In response to today's significant decline in the U.S. stock market, with over $1 trillion in market value evaporating in a single day, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen pointed out that this round of adjustment reflects that global markets are reassessing macro risks at a faster pace. As rising oil prices once again elevate inflation concerns, the impact of geopolitical changes is no longer limited to the energy market but is beginning to more directly affect global capital allocation.Gracy believes that, in this context, Bitcoin will still maintain high volatility in the short term, but compared to previous phases where risk appetite sharply declined, Bitcoin's performance this time is relatively robust. This reflects that the overall leverage in the crypto market has significantly decreased, thereby limiting the scale of forced liquidations that typically amplify downward pressure during market stress. This relative resilience releases a more noteworthy signal that, in an increasingly fragmented macro environment, Bitcoin is starting to be viewed by some portfolios as a more neutral allocation choice.

According to Beincrypto, French President Macron will deliver a speech at Paris Blockchain Week on April 15. The event will take place from April 15 to 16 at the Carrousel du Louvre, and he will also become the first sitting G7 head of state to speak at an institutional-level conference focused on digital assets. This move is seen as a historic milestone and further confirms France's institutional leadership position in the European digital finance sector.President Macron will outline the strategic priorities for shaping European digital sovereignty to approximately 10,000 attendees, including the development of stablecoins denominated in euros, the launch of the digital euro, and the establishment of relevant regulatory frameworks to promote Europe's core position in the global digital economy. The conference will also invite several senior French government officials directly involved in European digital asset regulation, stablecoin policy, and the construction of institutional financial infrastructure to attend.