MANTRA DAO Initiates Survey Vote to Solicit Feedback on Team Token Burn Execution

On May 9, British media reported that the UK’s HMS Defender will be redeployed to the Middle East to take part in escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz. (Jinse)

May 9th As the Suez Canal blockade enters its 71st day, expectations are growing for progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations. That’s pushed gold prices to rebound quickly after dipping below $4,500 an ounce, with spot gold hitting a weekly high of $4,764.73 an ounce—up roughly 2.15% on the week. Even as geopolitical tensions ease marginally, global funds keep pouring into gold assets. World Gold Council data shows global physical gold ETFs posted a net inflow of $6.6 billion in April, reversing a prior outflow trend. Asian gold ETFs have seen net inflows for eight straight months. Meanwhile, the People’s Bank of China added 260,000 ounces to its gold reserves in April—marking its 18th straight month of net purchases. Major institutions still see gold’s long-term bull case intact. Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio notes that amid global sovereign debt expansion and currency depreciation, gold remains a critical store of value. Goldman Sachs forecasts gold could hit $5,400 an o

On May 15, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will officially step down, concluding an eight-year tenure defined by extraordinary challenges—from the COVID-19 pandemic and a 40-year high in inflation to aggressive rate hikes and fights to preserve the Fed’s independence. An unconventional central bank leader who lacks an economics background, Powell navigated a turbulent term: - Early on, he continued the Fed’s gradual rate hikes and balance sheet reduction. - When the pandemic struck in 2020, he led a historic response: zero interest rates, unlimited quantitative easing (QE), and emergency lending facilities. These moves quickly stabilized market liquidity, averted a deep U.S. recession, and fueled a V-shaped recovery. - A key misstep: Powell and the Fed infamously labeled early inflation “transitory.” By 2022, U.S. CPI hit 9.1% (a 40-year high), triggering the Fed’s most aggressive rate-hike cycle since the 1980s—11 consecutive hikes pushing rates to 5.25%-5.5%. - The U.S

**Crypto Whale’s Short Positions: All-Time Profit $86.36M, Still Adding Shorts** Per Auntie Ai’s monitoring data as of May 9, a crypto whale known for shorting a basket of altcoins still maintains an all-time total profit of $86.36 million. Currently, the whale holds 28 altcoin short positions—including ZEC, TON, NEAR, and LIT—plus a short on crude oil (CL), with a total position value of roughly $47.66 million. It is actively adding to its short positions. **May 4 Turning Point for P&L** May 4 marked a turning point for the whale’s profit and loss (P&L). Before then, its entire position set was still in floating profit. However, as expectations grew for a resolution to the Middle East conflict and the broader crypto market rebounded, its short position portfolio gradually moved into negative territory.

May 9 – The chairman of Iran’s parliamentary Energy Commission said Wednesday local time that production continues at multiple Iranian oil fields. He called attacks on Iranian oil tankers “completely illegal” and noted U.S. pressure on Iran’s oil exports has not had a significant impact. No official reports of oil leaks near Khark Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, have been received, he added. Earlier, some media outlets cited satellite imagery showing a large crude oil spill near Khark Island, covering tens of square kilometers of sea. The spill has raised market concerns over Middle East energy supplies and maritime security. In the past 24 hours, former President Trump threatened to resume the “Freedom Plan” — which he described as an “upgraded version” — if the current situation “does not make progress.” He also said he expects a formal response from Iran on a U.S. agreement proposal. However, Trump did not answer questions upon returning to the White House about whether

On May 9, crypto influencer BroLeon shared a post noting a Binance “aura maxxxing” tweet had inadvertently spurred market speculation. After a brief surge for Solana-based meme coin Aura, the tweet in question was deleted. The community initially took the tweet as a sign Binance was mending ties with Solana, drawing parallels to the prior listing of meme coin Usduc on Binance US. That sparked FOMO buying of Aura, with market data showing the token surged sharply in a short window. Later, some community members spotted Binance’s main platform had removed the tweet. Market watchers say the deletion likely aims to curb overspeculation and hype around meme coins.