On March 9th, as the "Epic Rage Action" escalated, the global energy markets experienced intense volatility, with oil prices soaring to $116 at one point, raising concerns about supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump predicted that oil prices would fall back, but gasoline prices have already risen to $3.45. The stock and cryptocurrency markets declined sharply, and investors should pay attention to the impact of geopolitical events on the markets and future monetary policies.

Gate News Report, March 9 — According to The Kobeissi Letter analysis, with U.S. oil prices currently near $120 per barrel, their model indicates that if current levels persist for 3 months, the U.S. CPI inflation rate will rise to approximately 3.7%. This would bring U.S. inflation to its highest level since September 2023.

Gate News reports that on March 9th, market strategist Michael McCarthy stated that the threat to attack refineries is very concerning because it points to the worst economic scenario. He said that if 15% to 20% of global oil supplies are cut off, it will not only drag down the growth of all economies worldwide but also trigger inflation shocks. When inflation is combined with slowing growth, it results in stagflation (i.e., inflation and economic stagnation coexist), which would be an economic disaster.

Gate News Announcement, March 8 — On March 9, U.S. President Trump posted on social media: "The short-term rise in oil prices — which will quickly fall after the Iran nuclear threat is eliminated — is just a very small price to pay for the safety and peace of the United States and the world. Only fools would hold a different view."

Gate News Report, March 8, - Prediction market platform Kalshi was sued collectively. The platform failed to pay appropriate winnings to users of prediction event contracts related to the Iran war. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour previously stated opposition to profiting from individual deaths and claimed he would refund fees for the "Will Khamenei step down" event contract market.

On March 8th, the discussion of the U.S. CLARITY Act sparked debates between the banking industry and White House officials. The president of the Texas Independent Bankers Association stated that a compromise would impact the local economy, while White House advisors warned that no compromise could lead to disastrous consequences.

Gate News Report, March 6 — Schroders Global Chief Economist David Rees commented on the U.S. non-farm payroll data. Rees pointed out that the non-farm employment figures were significantly below expectations, providing a basis for dovish discussions within the Federal Reserve. He stated that at least part of the deviation below expectations was due to strikes in the healthcare industry, which are expected to be reversed. Additionally, despite the soft employment report, the continued growth in labor demand persists amid the ongoing strong U.S. economic expansion. Rees mentioned that Kevin Woor, who is about to become the Federal Reserve Chair, previously expressed the view that the application of artificial intelligence would greatly enhance U.S. productivity and create room for rate cuts. However, he also noted that the recovery of the labor market and inflation risks from Middle Eastern events would weaken the need for rate cuts in the short term.

ChainCatcher News reports that Federal Reserve Board Member Waller stated that he would be more concerned if rising energy prices lead to broader price increases.

Bitwise Asset Management announced on March 6th that it donated $100,000 to Ethereum developers to support Protocol Guild and PBS Foundation. The company pledged that 10% of the annual earnings from the ETHW ETF would be used to support the development of the Ethereum network, with a total of over $361 million in funds accumulated so far.

Gate News Report, March 6: According to data from the Polymarket website, the probability of "Iran's next Supreme Leader being Ayatollah Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei," rose to 82% at one point, currently falling back to 50%, with trading volume exceeding $5 million. Previously, Trump stated that he would not accept Khamenei's son taking over as Supreme Leader and that he would need to be personally involved in Iran's succession arrangements.