Global Markets

Since the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has stalled, causing Gulf oil-producing nations losses of approximately $15.1 billion, with millions of barrels of crude oil stranded, severely affecting Middle East energy supply and global oil markets.

BlackRock's "iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB)" had a trading volume of over $15.5 million on its first day of listing, showcasing strong performance and highlighting the potential for institutional capital to flow into Ethereum. ETHB will directly hold Ether and participate in staking; in addition to benefiting from price fluctuations, investors can earn staking rewards, with 82% of the yields distributed to holders on a monthly basis.

Gate News reported that on March 13, The Wall Street Journal reported that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is cooperating with Southeast Asian cloud service provider Aolani Cloud to deploy approximately 500 NVIDIA Blackwell computing systems in Malaysia, totaling approximately 36,000 B200 chips, to build a high-performance computing cluster outside China for accelerating AI research and development.

Mitsubishi UFJ analysts point out that the oil price surge triggered by the Iran conflict may prompt some central banks to raise rates, but rate hikes amid weak economic conditions are unfavorable for currencies. The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to raise rates by 25 basis points, with the Australian dollar becoming one of the best-performing G10 currencies.

Gate News, March 13th: According to Gate data, crude oil prices from both the US and Brent experienced short-term declines. WTI crude oil (US West Texas Intermediate) fell sharply by 3.00% intraday, currently trading at 93.45 USD/barrel. Brent crude oil (international benchmark crude) is currently down 2.2%, trading at 96.74 USD/barrel.

Spot XRP ETFs have recorded a net outflow of just 9 days since their launch at the start of November; cumulative net inflows hit $1.4 billion. At the end of 2025, Goldman Sachs held $154 million worth of the ETFs, topping the list of the 30 largest holders. Spot XRP exchange-traded funds hav

International oil prices remain elevated, with Brent crude futures holding above $100 per barrel. Despite the U.S. allowing purchases of Russian oil to increase supply, experts believe this will do little to ease pressure. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains a major concern. The U.S. Treasury Secretary has called for international escort operations, but Iran has vowed to continue the blockade.

Gate News report: On Friday, March 13, New York gold futures (NYMEX gold) fell below $5,100 per ounce, with the week poised to record a weekly decline. A stronger US dollar, rising oil prices, and uncertainty surrounding Federal Reserve policy are putting pressure on gold prices. Analysts from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group stated: "The US dollar strengthens due to its safe-haven status, particularly as rising oil prices benefit the United States as a net energy exporter. Market concerns about the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut path are intensifying, and rising oil prices increase the likelihood of inflation pressures re-emerging."

Recently, analysts have pointed out that Bitcoin's price movements often lead traditional risk assets, reflecting the weakness in global stock markets. After experiencing volatility, Bitcoin is currently stabilizing around $70,000, with market sentiment being affected by geopolitical tensions and rising oil prices. Historical data shows that Bitcoin often exhibits signs of peaking before stock market corrections, and investors are beginning to regard it as an important indicator for monitoring risk asset sentiment.

As the Federal Reserve is about to hold an FOMC meeting, liquidity in the U.S. private credit market is tight, with several funds restricting investor redemptions, potentially triggering a chain reaction and causing capital to flow out to more liquid assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Market risks are increasing, and it is important to monitor the Fed's policy moves and shifts in capital flows.

Bitcoin price has recently approached $72,000, driven by improved regulatory signals, reduced exchange bitcoin reserves, and institutional capital inflows. The U.S. SEC and CFTC will launch a cryptocurrency regulatory coordination program, which is expected to reduce regulatory uncertainty in the industry. Additionally, bitcoin reserves on centralized platforms have fallen to three-year lows, with significant market supply tightening phenomena, driving price increases. If it breaks through $72,000, it could further strengthen market momentum.

As AI computing demand grows, Bitcoin miners' power infrastructure is attracting Wall Street attention. Mining companies possess advantages in land and power resources and are transforming into AI data centers, with the market not yet fully recognizing their potential. Some miners have begun scaling up their power capacity, with total computing power expected to reach 20 gigawatts by 2027. Additionally, mining operations' grid regulation capabilities are increasingly valued and are expected to play a key role in meeting AI data centers' energy demands in the future.

The cryptocurrency market is showing overall strength, with total market capitalization reaching $2.51 trillion. Bitcoin is approaching $72,000, while Ethereum is around $2,100. The rally has been driven by declining crude oil prices and institutional capital inflows, while the U.S. stock market decline has created a divergence with independent cryptocurrency market movements. Leveraged market short positions are being squeezed, capital flows into spot ETFs remain robust, and geopolitical factors have also improved market sentiment.

The MOVE Index surged 21% on March 12, signaling that inflation concerns are spreading to global bond markets. Options data for Bitcoin and Ethereum show conservative market sentiment, with put ratios rising. Despite increased financial risks, implied volatility in crypto markets remains relatively stable, but if US Treasury volatility continues to rise, it could put pressure on crypto markets. Overall, the market currently maintains a cautious stance toward risk assets.

Gate News, March 13 - According to market data, the US Dollar Index (DXY) has returned above the 100 mark for the first time since November of last year.

Strategy subsidiary's STRC securities trading volume is rapidly rising, potentially creating a record single-day Bitcoin purchase funding for the company. Anticipated financing-backed Bitcoin purchases are approaching 1500 BTC. STRC currently offers annualized dividends of up to 11.5%, with recently enhanced liquidity, as the market focuses on its role as an important financing tool for Bitcoin purchases.

BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust recently increased its Bitcoin holdings by approximately $46.36 million, signaling a recovery in institutional investor demand for Bitcoin. Despite previous outflow pressures, the recent reinflow of funds is viewed as a market stabilization signal, with growing confidence in Bitcoin's long-term value, and the importance of ETF capital flows continuing to strengthen.

On March 13, Hyperliquid monitoring shows that affected by rising oil prices, CL and BRENTOIL funding rates have turned positive. Currently, the trading volume of WTI and Brent crude oil reaches $1.3 billion. Unstable Middle East situation has caused oil price volatility, with WTI crude oil once surging to $98, currently trading at $95.7.

Global asset management giant BlackRock's staking Ethereum ETF iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) achieved $15.5 million in trading volume on its first day of trading, demonstrating strong market reception. The ETF generates returns for investors through a staking mechanism and distributes most of the returns in the form of monthly dividends, potentially opening new pathways for crypto investment models.

The bubble threat “Stupid” macro data Legendary investor Stanley Druckenmiller predicted that crypto could eventually supplant the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency Druckenmiller is doubtful about the greenback’s ability to maintain its much-coveted status 50 years from now "I do