U.S. CFTC Acting Chairman: Enforcement Division Restructured, Refocused on Combating Fraud

**April 10th Quick Recap: Key Geopolitical Developments** - **Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire**: Putin announced a 32-hour Easter ceasefire; Ukrainian President Zelensky immediately matched the move. The ceasefire window opens at 9:00 PM Beijing time on April 11th. - **Market & Policy Updates**: - Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) hiked margin requirements for Brent and European Diesel futures contracts. - U.S. media reports: The U.S. government is expected to extend Russian oil sanction waivers this week, potentially clearing the way for future Iran oil waiver arrangements. - Polish Central Bank President reaffirmed commitment to growing gold reserves (current holdings: 580 tons), reiterating its 700-ton target. - **Iran & Middle East: Multiple Fronts Progressing** - **Negotiations**: Iran’s deputy foreign minister confirmed a delegation will travel to Islamabad for peace talks—but laid out a condition: Israel must halt attacks on Lebanon. Sources note Iran will not ho

On April 10, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “Regarding Iran’s actions allowing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, its behavior has been very bad, to put it mildly. It’s almost a form of piracy. This is nothing like the agreement we struck!”

On April 10, the public feud between OKX CEO Star and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) escalated further, with the pair clashing again in a heated exchange on social media this morning. Zhao demanded Star “apologize like a man” for his prior remarks, criticizing him for pivoting the conversation, launching ongoing baseless attacks, and noting Binance’s equity ownership “has nothing to do with you.” He added: “You’ve wasted enough of my time. Back to ignore mode. Not worth it.” In a post, Star — as OKX’s CEO — said he could not participate in a public “bet” due to the company’s compliance culture, and reminded that gambling is prohibited for UAE nationals. He clarified he has no interest in CZ’s personal life, but if Zhao makes untrue statements about him in books or public interviews, he reserves the right to question and clarify the facts. Star also took aim at divorce asset division, stating that after a 20-year marriage, the lawful splitting of family assets (including c

**WSJ: White House Warned Staff Against Abusing Power to Bet on Prediction Market Timing Hours After Trump Suspended Iran Airstrike** Per a Wall Street Journal report on April 10th, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a warning on March 23rd telling staff not to abuse their power by betting on timing in prediction markets—just hours after former President Trump suddenly announced he was halting a planned airstrike on Iran last month. Earlier that March 23rd day, Trump revealed the airstrike suspension via Truth Social. Roughly 15 minutes before the abrupt policy shift, Dow Jones market data shows a surge in mysterious trading activity: over $760 million worth of oil futures contracts changed hands in less than two minutes. More recently, three accounts on the Polymarket platform netted over $600,000 in profits by accurately predicting the timing of Iran’s ceasefire this week. Trump critics—including many Democrats—immediately alleged individuals profit

April 10 — In a Kremlin statement late on April 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Orthodox Easter ceasefire effective from 4 p.m. Moscow time on April 11 through midnight April 12 (equivalent to 9 p.m. April 11 to 5 a.m. April 13 Beijing time). He called on Ukraine to follow suit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately responded: “Ukraine has repeatedly stated we are ready to take reciprocal steps. We have proposed a ceasefire for this year’s Easter holidays and will act accordingly.” This is a rare ceasefire window where both sides have publicly agreed amid the ongoing conflict. Whether the ceasefire will be implemented and if there are additional conditions remain to be seen.

April 10 – European and Asian refineries are scrambling to secure oil supplies, driving a historic surge in North Sea crude prices, per the Financial Times. Meanwhile, Iran’s ongoing control of the Strait of Hormuz has stoked fresh market concerns. London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) data shows Brent North Sea Forties crude— the spot-delivery crude benchmark—neared $147 a barrel Thursday, topping the high hit on the eve of the 2008 financial crisis. That’s well above the roughly $50 level for front-month Brent futures, a further sign of tightness in the oil market. Traders noted that as prices jumped above $30 a barrel (hitting Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)’s threshold), they couldn’t buy next week’s Brent crude CFDs (contracts for difference), which track the spread between spot and forward prices. These contracts are widely used to hedge against higher oil price risks.