Track the evolution of major financial and economic events
Iran threatens to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz as part of its asymmetric strategy following the degradation of its conventional naval capabilities. These threats have led to a surge in oil and natural gas prices, with military escalations occurring through U.S. airstrikes on Iranian sites. There are also international efforts for a ceasefire, while Iran continues to use crypto payment systems to fund its operations.
On March 13, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a temporary easing of sanctions on Russian oil until April 11, 2026, amid rising energy prices due to the war in Iran. Tensions escalated in the region following attacks on oil and gas facilities, causing oil prices to surge above $100 per barrel. On April 8, a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was announced, leading to a drop in oil prices below $100 per barrel.
Japanese Finance Minister Seiko Katayama warned about the impact of high oil prices on financial markets and household costs. The Japanese government signaled readiness to intervene in FX markets as USD/JPY approached the 160 level. Subsequently, Japan issued a 'Final Warning' as USD/JPY breached 160, causing the exchange rate to fall below this level.
On March 13, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, began assembling computing power using high-end Nvidia chips outside of China, aiming to compete with tech giants like Google and OpenAI. On March 20, U.S. prosecutors accused Super Micro Computer executives of illegally smuggling AI servers to China. By March 24, Alibaba announced the launch of its new AI chip, while customer testing of Huawei's new chip was progressing well. By March 30, Mistral AI raised $830 million to build a Nvidia-powered data center.
Bitcoin exchange reserves have hit their lowest level since 2019, with long-term holders controlling approximately 14.5 million BTC. Meanwhile, other cryptocurrencies like XRP and Ethereum have seen notable increases, with trading volumes surging in the crypto markets. However, the market remains under pressure due to geopolitical tensions and rising oil prices, affecting investor sentiment.
PagSeguro Digital reported a 16% year-over-year revenue growth and a 51% increase in its banking segment. Management is guiding for a 25-35% growth in the credit portfolio by 2026, returning 87.5% of net income to shareholders. Meanwhile, other companies like DLocal and Nu Holdings also reported strong financial results, reflecting ongoing growth in the financial sector.
The GBP/CAD pair is testing a major technical support level at 1.80, with UK January GDP and Canada's February employment data set for release. On March 18, the Bank of Canada held its interest rate at 2.25%, citing downside growth risks. Markets reacted negatively due to the ongoing war in Iran, impacting UK gas prices. On March 19, the Bank of England surprised markets by keeping the rate unchanged at 3.75%, pushing rate cut expectations further into 2026.
Petco's stock surged 34.6% after Q4 results indicated a potential end to years of declining revenue and profits. Management expects EBITDA to be between $415 and $430 million in 2026, focusing on profitable growth. The company is executing its 'Reach for the Sky' turnaround strategy, emphasizing operational improvements and digital expansion.
AUD/USD faced heavy selling pressure on March 13 as expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts faded. The pair failed to break above the 0.7160 level after three attempts, leading to a bearish engulfing candle on the daily chart. On April 7, the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz became a key risk event for AUD/USD, with Trump warning of strikes on Iranian facilities if deadlines were not met. Following Trump's two-week suspension of strikes, AUD/USD surged past 0.7050.
On March 12, Iran's new leader maintained the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, raising supply concerns. This led to a further spike in crude oil prices due to escalating geopolitical tensions. Additionally, the downbeat risk appetite pressured the DAX index while supporting the US dollar.
On March 12, the Hyperliquid network recorded a new ATH in usage with 11.1 billion weekly transactions, breaking above the key resistance level of $35. Price predictions target a move to $50 following this breakout. On March 19, the crypto market saw $458 million in liquidations within 24 hours, wiping out a Hyperliquid whale. By March 20, HYPE flipped Cardano (ADA) in market cap and gained around 21% this week, trading near the $40–$43 range.
US-based spot XRP ETFs have experienced $1.4 billion in inflows since their launch. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expressed optimism regarding the performance of these ETFs. This figure indicates strong investor interest in the market.
On March 12, Hyperliquid's oil-linked perpetual contracts surpassed $1 billion in trading volume. This surge comes as crude oil prices are spiking toward $100 per barrel amid turmoil in the Middle East. Hyperliquid has emerged as a hub for trading tokenized essential assets, including oil and metals.
On March 11, President Trump stated that he is not worried about Iran carrying out terror attacks within the U.S. in retaliation for the ongoing war. He also threatened that the U.S. military could destroy certain things in Iran so quickly that the country would never be able to be rebuilt. These remarks come amid an ongoing military conflict involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
Uber shares surged 3.65% in pre-market trading on March 11 following the announcement of a new partnership with Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary focused on robotaxi services. This partnership marks a strategic move by Uber to enhance its offerings in the smart transportation sector.
On March 11, REalloys announced the construction of a heavy rare earth metallization facility in partnership with the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC). The project is fully financed, with operations expected to commence in the first half of 2027. The facility is designed to comply with 2027 U.S. defense procurement standards that ban Chinese sourcing.
On March 11, QatarEnergy halted its LNG production, resulting in five consecutive days with no shipments. No LNG carriers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, including vessels from the UAE. This shutdown represents the removal of 20% of the world's LNG exports from the market.
Broadcom's AI-related revenues are expected to double in fiscal Q1 2026. However, concerns about margin pressure and stock valuation are clouding the earnings outlook. On March 5, Broadcom reported Q1 financial results that beat earnings expectations, with AI revenue more than doubling. The company also provided positive guidance despite geopolitical tensions and rising oil prices.
SpaceX is planning to file for a confidential initial public offering (IPO) as early as March 2026, targeting a historic valuation of $1.75 trillion. The IPO could raise over $50 billion, surpassing Saudi Aramco's record $29 billion offering. The S-1 filing will disclose 8,285 BTC on the company's balance sheet, positioning SpaceX as a top-tier corporate Bitcoin holder.
CoreWeave's revenue more than doubled in the latest quarter, driven by strong demand for AI-specialized cloud infrastructure services. However, the company's shares slumped around 12% before the market opened, raising investor concerns about margin pressure and returns from its AI investments. CoreWeave plans to increase its capital expenditure to $30–35 billion by 2026, indicating its ambitious data center expansion plans.
Solana's price rallied over 17% in two days as the broader crypto market recovered. However, the price has fallen 57% since the launch of its ETFs, testing critical support at $80. Despite this, Solana ETFs have attracted $1.5 billion in inflows since their launch, indicating strong institutional interest despite the disconnect between market performance and inflows.
Bitcoin has experienced significant price movements, starting a major increase on February 26, surpassing the $68,000 level. However, it is struggling to break the $70,000 resistance level, which could lead to a correction if it fails. On March 5, Bitcoin surpassed the $71,000 mark, reaching its highest level since February 8, 2026, driven by a shift in macro sentiment and positive market dynamics.
CoreWeave (CRWV) is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it misled investors about its AI infrastructure scaling and revenue guidance. Concerns over the transparency of the Denton data center completion have led to a $14 billion market cap loss for the company. Additionally, CoreWeave reported a $452 million loss for the fourth quarter of 2025, raising investor concerns due to its soft financial guidance amidst ongoing litigation.
The crypto market has experienced significant institutional inflows and regulatory developments. After Bitcoin's price fell below $65,000, it reclaimed this level following panic selling. The upcoming CLARITY Act in the U.S. is expected to provide regulatory clarity, potentially triggering a new growth wave in the market. Coins like XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin are seen as top candidates for growth with the arrival of new regulations.
