The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

On April 3, Bloomberg reports the U.S. has doubled reinsurance guarantees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to $40 billion, adding new partners including American International Group (AIG) and Berkshire Hathaway. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)—which launched a $20 billion reinsurance plan last month—said Wednesday the extra $20 billion in support comes from insurers Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Berkshire Hathaway, AIG, Starr, CNA, and Chubb. DFC CEO Adam Boehler noted in a statement: “These top U.S. insurers bring deep expertise in maritime and war risk coverage, boosting our efforts to restore confidence in global maritime trade.” The agency added it will collaborate with partners to vet qualifying vessels. Eligible applicants must submit details including the vessel’s origin/destination, primary beneficiary and location, cargo owner and location, and lender financing information for the ship.

On April 3rd, per Iran's Press TV citing an Iranian official, Iran can keep the Strait of Hormuz closed for years and would cut off U.S. military logistical support.

Per Crowdfund Insider, Charles Schwab will soon launch cryptocurrency trading on its investment platform as part of its push to build a "super app" or "all-in-one platform." Crypto-native platforms like Coinbase have led the way in creating such all-in-one hubs, while once-forward-thinking online brokers have been hesitant to embrace the concept—for some, likely due to lengthy internal debates and countless memos. Schwab’s new crypto account will launch with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading, with plans to expand its digital asset offerings over time. The firm previously rolled out cryptocurrency-themed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) following approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At launch, the crypto account will be accessible to customers in all U.S. states except New York and Louisiana, and the platform was built entirely in-house by Schwab.

On April 3, CNN reported—citing White House Press Secretary Levitt—that U.S. President Trump has been informed Iran shot down a drone.

On April 3rd, per monitoring from HyperInsight (https://t.me/HyperInsight), the whale address “pension-usdt.eth” currently holds short positions of 1,000 BTC with 3x leverage (average entry price: $67,992.1) and 20,000 ETH with 3x leverage (average entry price: $2,131.94). Total floating profit from these positions stands at $2.6 million.

On April 3rd, escalating tensions in the Iran conflict have amplified global stagflation risks. KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk noted that if stagflation takes hold, a "deep recession" may be the only resolution. Stagflation is a concerning economic scenario marked by persistent high inflation and weak growth. “The Strait of Hormuz blockade and the resulting oil price surge have impacts far beyond a simple oil shock,” Swonk said. She argues the current situation’s effects are more severe than any prior oil crisis in history—directly driving up costs across sectors (spurring price hikes) while slashing businesses’ hiring intentions, which hits the job market. With multiple intertwined factors, stagflation risks keep rising. Swonk’s view aligns with market investors. “Odds of a Fed rate hike in the second half of the year are climbing; I expect the Fed will be forced to act, with other central banks following suit,” she explained. (Source: Jinse)