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

On April 17, the interest rate swap market saw a dovish shift, with market pricing now pointing to a 15-basis-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve in December.

On April 17, Bitget market data showed S&P 500 Index futures and Nasdaq 100 Index futures hit intraday highs. The European STOXX 600 Index extended gains by 0.5%, hitting a new intraday high. Emerging market currencies surged, while spot platinum climbed 3% to $2,149.15 per ounce.

April 17 — Likely driven by news that Iran’s foreign minister announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz’s commercial shipping lane, WTI and Brent crude prices tumbled more than 6% intraday, last trading at $86.51 and $88.53 per barrel, respectively.

On April 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said commercial vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz has been reopened. Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, citing the Lebanon ceasefire agreement, announced that all commercial vessels will have full access to the strait for the remainder of the ceasefire period, and the transit route will stay the same as previously announced.

On April 17, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins said in his first official podcast that U.S. crypto regulation is at a key turning point, shifting its broader approach from enforcement-first to innovation-focused. On the podcast’s debut episode, Atkins joined Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda to signal policy priorities: building a more crypto- and fintech-friendly regulatory landscape to draw businesses to operate in the U.S. Policy-wise, the SEC has rolled out several adjustments: acknowledging most crypto assets aren’t securities, exempting some DeFi platforms, and dismissing or settling enforcement cases against firms like Ripple, Coinbase, and Binance. Data shows SEC crypto enforcement actions fell ~22% in fiscal 2025, with fines plummeting from $8.2 billion to $2.7 billion. The agency also admitted past crypto enforcement had, to some degree, “created misleading expectations.” Market watchers say this regulatory shift could open t

Axios reported on April 17 that two U.S. officials and two sources with knowledge of the talks said the U.S. and Iran are negotiating a three-page plan to end the conflict, with one discussed point being the U.S. unfreezing $200 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Iran surrendering its enriched uranium stockpile. Per the two sources, the U.S. initially proposed unfreezing $60 billion for humanitarian aid early in the talks, while Iran sought $270 billion. The latest figure under discussion is $200 billion, one U.S. official said, adding it was a U.S. proposal. Another U.S. official called the "cash for uranium" idea "one of many topics being discussed." Meanwhile, the U.S. is demanding Iran agree to send all its nuclear materials to the U.S., but Iran only will agree to dilute the material inside its borders. A proposed compromise calls for some highly enriched uranium to be sent to a third country (not necessarily the U.S.), while the rest is diluted under internatio