Key TakeawaysWTI crude oil surged more than 5% intraday on April 29 to $106.58 per barrelBrent crude broke through $109.10 per barrel for the first time since March 23, rising 4.90% on the dayThe continued oil price surge keeps inflation expectations elevated and poses a direct headwind for risk assets including BitcoinOil prices extended their sharp rally on April 29, with WTI crude surging more than 5% intraday to $106.58 per barrel and Brent crude breaking above $109.10 -- its highest level since March 23 -- as the Strait of Hormuz standoff showed no signs of resolution and supply concerns continued to build.The moves represent a significant escalation from the already-elevated price environment that has persisted since the Iran conflict began in late February, when WTI was trading below $70 per barrel. The latest surge marks a more than 50% increase in crude prices since the outbreak of hostilities, a move that is feeding directly into global inflation expectations and central bank policy calculus.The timing is particularly significant for financial markets. The Federal Reserve concludes its two-day policy meeting Wednesday, and the renewed oil spike complicates the already difficult balance between slowing growth and persistent inflation that policymakers must address in their statement. Any signal of a more prolonged hold on rates -- amplified by a fresh energy price shock -- could add further pressure to Bitcoin and risk assets already navigating a rejection from the $79,000--$80,000 resistance zone.

Blockworks has successfully raised an undisclosed amount in its Series A funding round, achieving a valuation of $192 million. According to NS3.AI, the company plans to utilize the newly acquired capital to pursue acquisitions and enhance its data and research infrastructure, specifically targeting on-chain asset investors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be traveling to Washington next week, as confirmed by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. According to NS3.AI, the cancellation comes amid ongoing discussions and developments in Israeli-U.S. relations. The decision has sparked various speculations regarding diplomatic engagements and future meetings between the two nations. Further details on the reasons behind the cancellation have not been disclosed.

The Iranian currency, the rial, has reached a historic low against the US dollar, with the exchange rate surpassing 1 USD to 1.81 million rials. According to Odaily, the rial's value accelerated its decline, dropping more than 230,000 rials since the downward trend began two days ago.

The Ethereum Foundation has announced a funding allocation of approximately $9.86 million for the first quarter of 2026 through its Ecosystem Support Program. According to Foresight News, the funds will be directed towards projects in various fields, with a focus on protocol development, security, and zero-knowledge proof infrastructure. The funding will support clients and development tools such as EthereumJS, Lighthouse, Erigon, and Besu, as well as data and dashboard projects like L2BEAT and Pectra for post-state monitoring. Privacy-focused initiatives, including Kohaku, Tor integration, and RPC load balancing, will also receive support, alongside cryptanalysis projects like the Poseidon series and zkVM formal verification research. Additionally, the foundation will fund strategic forums in Hong Kong, developer events, and policy research institutions to foster global dialogue on Ethereum's ecosystem and regulatory discussions.

Key Takeaways Silicon Motion Technology surged more than 32% after first-quarter results exceeded expectations, hitting a new highSeagate Technology rose more than 15%, also reaching a new highWestern Digital gained nearly 10%, SanDisk rose nearly 7%, and Micron Technology added nearly 4%The broad-based rally signals renewed institutional appetite for data storage and semiconductor infrastructure plays US-listed storage stocks surged across the board on April 29, led by Silicon Motion Technology's 32%-plus gain after the company reported first-quarter results that beat market expectations, triggering a sector-wide rally that lifted peers to multi-month highs. Seagate Technology was the second-biggest mover, rising more than 15% to hit its own new high alongside Silicon Motion. Western Digital followed with a nearly 10% gain, while SanDisk added nearly 7% and Micron Technology rose approximately 4%. The broad-based nature of the rally suggests the Silicon Motion beat was interpreted by markets as a positive read-across for the entire storage sector rather than a company-specific event -- a signal that demand for data storage infrastructure remains robust despite the uncertain macro environment. For crypto markets, the storage stock surge carries indirect relevance. Strong performance in semiconductor and storage infrastructure plays reflects sustained demand for AI compute and data center buildout -- a backdrop that has historically supported risk appetite across tech-adjacent assets including Bitcoin and AI-related crypto tokens.

欧州の金融大手BNPパリバは、最新の四半期見通しにおいて、世界経済の先行きについて厳しい警告を発し、原油価格が1バレル200ドルに達するなどの3つの潜在的なシナリオが、世界経済を景気後退に陥らせる可能性があると指摘した。イラン情勢はすでに世界経済に明らかな打撃を与えているが、まだ完全に軌道から外れるには至っていない。年初の予想に比べ、世界のGDP成長率は鈍化し、インフレは高止まりし、各国中央銀行はよりタカ派的な金融政策を維持することになるだろう。現在、原油価格は急騰しており、WTIとブレントの両原油は上昇を続けており、WTI原油の日中の上昇率は一時5％に達した。ブレント原油は1バレル109ドルに達し、3月23日以来の高値を記録した。これは、イランが米国の海上封鎖に対し「前例のない」軍事的反撃を行うと脅したためであり、ホワイトハウスの当局者は、トランプ大統領が石油会社と、必要に応じてイランへの封鎖措置を数ヶ月間継続する計画について協議したと述べた。BNPパリバは、原油価格が200ドルまで急騰することに加え、世界的な景気後退を引き起こす可能性のある2つの要因があると指摘している。そして、紛争が長期化した場合、これら3つの要因が同時に発生し、相互に悪影響を及ぼす可能性が高い。第一のリスクは、中東のエネルギー供給が途絶え、世界的なサプライチェーンのボトルネックが深刻化することだ。ホルムズ海峡での航行が阻害されれば、世界のエネルギーや重要部品の輸送が滞り、一部の物資は供給制限を余儀なくされる可能性がある。第二のリスクは、高止まりするインフレにより、各国中央銀行が金融引き締めを迫られることだ。継続的な金融引き締めは、経済活動をさらに抑制し、景気後退のリスクを増幅させるだろう。

Solanaエコシステムのマルチシグプロトコル「Squads」は、1,800万ドルの戦略的資金調達を完了したと発表した。本ラウンドはSolana Venturesが主導し、Coinbase Ventures、Haun Ventures、L1Dなどが参加した。これにより、同社の累計調達額は4,290万ドルに達した。報道によると、Squads傘下のステーブルコイン決済プラットフォーム「Altitude」は、企業がセルフホスティングウォレットを通じてステーブルコイン形式で24時間365日のグローバル決済・清算を行えるようにし、コンプライアンスおよびリスク管理システムを通じてグローバル決済ネットワークに接続することを可能にしている。（The Block）

Key Takeaways Standard Chartered says DeFi was "bent, not broken" by the $292 million KelpDAO exploit on April 18, which triggered a bank-run dynamic at AAVE with deposits falling 38% and active loans dropping 31%A $300 million industry backstop led by AAVE and a coalition of DeFi firms helped stabilize the system, with yields normalizing and deposits recoveringStandard Chartered maintained its forecast that tokenized real-world assets will reach a $2 trillion market cap by end-2028, up from $35 billion in October 2025AAVE's V4 upgrade and the forthcoming Ethereum Economic Zone aim to reduce cross-chain bridge dependency -- a primary attack vector in the KelpDAO exploitJPMorgan said hacks and stagnant capital levels continue to weigh on DeFi's institutional appeal, citing a $20 billion hit from the KelpDAO incident The $292 million exploit on KelpDAO on April 18 sent shockwaves through decentralized finance, triggering contagion at AAVE and exposing the systemic vulnerabilities of interconnected blockchain infrastructure -- but Standard Chartered argues the sector's response demonstrated a new level of institutional maturity that leaves its long-term outlook intact. In a Wednesday research report, Geoff Kendrick, head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, described DeFi as having been "bent, not broken" by the attack, and maintained the bank's projection that tokenized real-world assets will reach a $2 trillion market cap by end-2028. "We still project that tokenised real-world assets will reach a market cap of $2 trillion by end-2028, up from $35 billion in October 2025," Kendrick wrote. How the Contagion Spread The KelpDAO exploit triggered a cascading effect that extended well beyond the initial hack. Stolen tokens were used as collateral on AAVE, the largest DeFi lending protocol, to borrow other assets -- a mechanism that rapidly spread the damage across the ecosystem. The resulting liquidity crunch saw AAVE deposits fall by approximately 38% and active loans drop by 31% in what Standard Chartered described as a bank-run dynamic, as users rushed to withdraw capital amid uncertainty about exposure and solvency. The episode highlighted the amplifying risks inherent in DeFi's interconnected architecture. Cross-chain bridges -- while expanding functionality across blockchain networks -- widen the attack surface significantly, and have accounted for billions in aggregate losses due to complex designs, shared validation systems, and intricate cross-chain mechanics that create multiple potential failure points. Industry Backstop Stabilizes the System AAVE and a coalition of DeFi firms moved rapidly to contain the damage, committing more than $300 million to stabilize the protocol. According to Standard Chartered's report, the intervention succeeded in normalizing conditions, with borrowing yields easing and deposits beginning to recover. The speed and scale of the industry response was cited as evidence of growing DeFi institutional maturity -- a sector capable of self-organizing a credible backstop without relying on centralized intermediaries or government intervention. Structural Upgrades Accelerated Standard Chartered noted that the incident is accelerating planned infrastructure improvements. AAVE's V4 protocol upgrade and the forthcoming Ethereum Economic Zone are both designed to reduce reliance on cross-chain bridges -- the primary attack vector in the KelpDAO exploit and a recurring vulnerability across major DeFi hacks. The upgrades represent a structural response to a structural weakness rather than a cosmetic patch. JPMorgan Takes a Harder Line Not all institutional observers share Standard Chartered's measured optimism. JPMorgan said the KelpDAO exploit and its broader market impact -- estimated at a $20 billion hit to DeFi capital levels -- underscore the persistent barriers to institutional adoption of decentralized finance. The bank highlighted hacks and stagnant capital formation as the two primary factors suppressing DeFi's appeal to regulated institutional participants, a more skeptical read of the sector's resilience than Standard Chartered's assessment. The divergence between the two Wall Street banks reflects a broader institutional debate about DeFi's trajectory -- one that will likely be resolved less by individual opinions than by whether the structural upgrades being accelerated by the KelpDAO aftermath can demonstrably reduce the frequency and scale of future exploits.

イランの通貨リアル対米ドル為替レートが過去最低水準まで下落し、現在1米ドル＝181万リアルを突破している。報道によると、同日のリアル対米ドル為替レートは、2日前から続いていた下落傾向が加速し、23万リアル以上下落した。（新華社）

AI加速の時代において、イーサリアムが真に答えなければならない問いは、もはや「いかにしてより速く、より安く」かという問題にとどまらない。

香港証券先物委員会（SFC）は2026年4月20日、SFCが認可したトークン化投資商品（以下、「トークン化商品」という）の二次市場における売買に関する通達を発表し、この種の商品に対して新たな取引チャネルの選択肢を提供した。

FRBは依然として「次回の政策決定では利下げの可能性が高い」という政策シグナルを維持する意向なのか、それともリスクが両方向に転じていることを認め始めているのか。

この期間は、アラブ首長国連邦がペースを調整し、全面的に増産を図るための重要な時期となるだろう。

仮想通貨業界の外にいる人々がまだ気づいていないうちに、金融インフラの再構築プロセスはすでに転換点を越えていた。

このAIの目まぐるしいアップデートはひとまず一段落したと思っていたが、先週V4をリリースしたばかりのDeepSeekが、突然さらなるサプライズを披露してきた。

自律型コーディングエージェントが、わずか数秒の間に本番環境のデータベースとそのバックアップをすべて削除してしまったと報じられたことを受け、あるソフトウェア創業者が語った大失敗の体験談が、本番環境へのAI導入に伴うリスクへの懸念を再燃させている。

KelpDAO、人工知能、AIは人間の愚かさを救えない：KelpDAOの2億9200万ドル事件から見るブロックチェーンセキュリティの真の盲点　金色財経、AI監査では解決できない問題は、人間が解決しなければならない。

あるハッカーが、Polymarketのユーザー記録30万件以上を入手したと主張し、ダークウェブ上でそれらを販売しようとした。Polymarketは、そのデータは同社のオンチェーンシステムやツールを通じてすでに公開されているものだとし、情報漏洩の事実を否定した。

「Bitcoin 2026」カンファレンスは、ビットコインの機関投資家時代にとって検証の時をもたらし、法執行機関、ETFファンド、企業の資産保有、そしてオンチェーンでの自主管理という概念がここで激しく交錯した。