Macroeconomics

China’s GDP grew 5% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, showing that it is still holding steady and making progress toward its policy goals under external pressure. High-tech and equipment manufacturing industries became the main drivers of growth, with year-over-year increases of 12.5% and 8.9%, respectively. Total imports and exports rose 15% year over year, demonstrating resilience. This data is also a bargaining chip for the upcoming Trump-Xi summit negotiations, which could affect the crypto market and Taiwan’s supply chain.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, USDKRW (US Dollar vs South Korean won) has dropped by 1% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, US30500 (Dow Jones 30) has surged by 1.5% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Gate News message, April 17 — U.S. 5-year Treasury yields (benchmark measure of medium-term U.S. government borrowing rates) fell 10 basis points intraday.

On April 17, U.S. stocks rose significantly, with the Dow Jones increasing by 2%, the S&P 500 by 1.12%, and the Nasdaq Composite by 1.34%. Key gainers included Boeing, Home Depot, and major tech companies like Tesla and Apple.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, XTIUSD (WTI Crude USOIL) has dropped by 8% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Gate News message, April 17 — The U.S. Dollar Spot Index has wiped out all gains accumulated since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict.

Gate News message, April 17 — WTI crude oil futures declined 10.14%, trading at $85.09 per barrel, while Brent crude oil futures (London-traded benchmark) fell 9.03%, settling at $90.41 per barrel.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged U.S. authorities to draw up contingency plans to address a potential collapse in demand for U.S. national debt when he was interviewed by Bloomberg on April 17, 2026 (Thursday). He said that once a crisis erupts, the consequences would be extremely severe. On the same day, the U.S. Department of the Treasury completed the largest debt buyback in a single transaction in history, accepting approximately $15 billion in old bonds maturing from 2026 to 2028.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warns of a potential collapse in U.S. Treasury demand, which could destabilize the financial system and erode confidence in the dollar, shifting investments to Bitcoin and gold. Tether may face risks as well.

U.S. stock indices closed higher on April 16, with the S&P 500 reaching a record. Tech stocks surged, particularly within the semiconductor sector and Chinese companies. Crude oil prices rose, while precious metals declined. Analysts offer mixed views on the rally's sustainability amidst geopolitical tensions involving Israel and Lebanon.

The Investment Company Institute reported a $175.81 billion drop in U.S. money market fund assets to $7.64 trillion for the week ending April 15, with significant declines across taxable and tax-exempt funds.

On April 17, South Korea's KOSPI index dropped 4.55 points, while Japan's Nikkei 225 fell by 227.62 points, indicating weakness in major Asian equity benchmarks.

Israel and Lebanon reached a 10-day ceasefire agreement, U.S. stock index benchmarks hit new highs, and market sentiment is optimistic. Bitcoin is hovering around 75K; with capital flowing in, the rally is gradually gaining momentum. Keep an eye on the 78K resistance level.

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, XBRUSD (Brent Crude UKOIL) has surged by 2% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

From 15:00 to 15:15 (UTC) on 2026-04-16, BTC logged a +0.46% return within 15 minutes. The price fluctuated in a range of 73,939.7 to 74,440.0 USDT, with an amplitude of 0.68%. During this time window, market attention increased, short-term volatility intensified, and fund-flow characteristics changed noticeably. The main driver of this deviation is the continued outflow of large amounts of capital from exchanges. According to on-chain data, in the past 24 hours the net flow was -14,408.84 BTC, mainly concentrated in large transfer ranges of more than $1 million (especially>$10M net outflow -12,987.03 BTC). This shows that institutions and large holders actively reduced their BTC holdings on exchanges, and short-term selling pressure was significantly lowered. Against the backdrop of persistently weak liquidity, with order book depth remaining at a low level for a long time, the price has become more sensitive to medium-sized buy orders—amplifying the impact of even modest inflows on spot market price action. In addition, macro conditions changed in parallel and produced a synchronized effect: easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East boosted overall market sentiment. International gold prices rose, global equity markets hit new highs, and the market re-evaluated the probability of the Federal Reserve cutting rates within the year, further increasing investor attention to safe-haven assets (including BTC). At the same time, on-chain data indicates that the “whale” trading activity during this phase is at an annual low (>$1M transfers fell to 1,485 transactions). With heavy market wait-and-see sentiment and limited short-term supply, BTC’s responsiveness to sudden buy-side capital was further enhanced. Investors should be reminded that current market liquidity is still fragile. Insufficient order book depth increases the market’s sensitivity to large capital movements, and short-term volatility may intensify. Going forward, focus on further shifts in on-chain large-fund flows, changes in price action as it breaks through support or resistance regions, and the risks and opportunities brought by related macro policies and geopolitical developments. Please continue to track key data and stay alert to any sudden shocks during the period of abnormal moves.

Gate News message, April 16 — U.S. Energy Secretary Wright announced that the United States will take additional measures to lower gasoline prices, according to Golden Ten.

A generational shift in wealth is poised to influence investment strategies, with younger investors likely to increase crypto allocations. Grayscale notes that as $110 trillion in wealth transitions from baby boomers, $2.2 trillion could flow into digital assets, enhancing their portfolio roles.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's Manufacturing Index rose to 26.7 in April, far exceeding the expected 10 and surpassing the forecast range, signaling robust manufacturing activity in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Trump administration will not renew sanctions waivers for Iranian and Russian oil, prompting threats of secondary sanctions against countries, particularly China, buying Iranian oil. This decision ends efforts to stabilize global oil prices amidst ongoing Middle East tensions.