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International oil prices continue to show a fluctuating upward trend, and market trading sentiment remains active. According to data from the Gate platform, WTI crude oil (XTIUSDT) reached a 24-hour high of $92.31, currently reported at $89.47, with an increase of 3.08%; Brent crude oil (XBRUSDT) reached a 24-hour high of $95.58, currently reported at $92.87, with an increase of 3.05%. Driven by the continuous price fluctuations, the trading heat of oil-related derivatives has further intensified.According to CoinGlass data, the 24-hour contract trading volume for WTI crude oil (XTIUSD) on the Gate platform reached $18.8854 million, while the 24-hour contract trading volume for Brent crude oil (XBR) was $13.6128 million, both ranking first globally. Continuous capital inflow has further strengthened Gate's liquidity and leading advantage in the commodity contract sector.Gate contracts pioneered the commodity contract segment, covering XBRUSDT (Brent crude oil), XTIUSDT (WTI crude oil), and NG (natural gas) perpetual contract trading, providing 24/7 trading, USDT settlement, and up to 100 times leverage, assisting users in cross-market asset allocation and strategic layout during volatile market conditions.

The State Duma of Russia (the lower house of parliament) has passed the "Digital Currency and Digital Rights Bill" in the first reading, marking a key step towards the legalization of cryptocurrency assets in the country.According to the bill, the Bank of Russia will become the core regulatory body for the cryptocurrency market, responsible for issuing licenses, approving or prohibiting related transactions, and defining the legality of transactions. The bill proposes to classify cryptocurrencies as "property," but explicitly prohibits their use as a means of payment domestically, with the ruble remaining the only legal tender. However, in the context of Western sanctions, cryptocurrency assets can be used for cross-border trade settlements, including service payments, intellectual property transfers, and other scenarios.In addition, the bill allows Russian residents to legally invest in cryptocurrency assets through licensed institutions, but will implement a tiered investor system, setting testing and annual investment limits for ordinary investors (with a suggested cap of 300,000 rubles). Initially, only high-market-cap mainstream assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum will be allowed for trading, with a whitelist established by the central bank. The bill is expected to be formally passed and come into effect by July 2026 at the latest. However, some lawmakers and banking industry figures have criticized the overly strict regulations, which may affect market activity and even lead to funds remaining in the gray market. At the same time, accompanying legislation is also proposed to introduce criminal penalties, with a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison for illegal cryptocurrency trading.

According to DL News, the Russian government has published a draft bill on the State Duma website, proposing to hold criminal liability for organizing the circulation of digital currencies without registration or permission from the Central Bank of Russia, with a maximum penalty of 7 years of forced labor.The draft states that ordinary violators could face fines of up to approximately $4,000 and a maximum sentence of 4 years; operators of large cryptocurrency trading platforms could face fines of up to approximately $13,000, and responsible individuals could be sentenced to 5 to 7 years. The bill also proposes that most cryptocurrency transactions be completed through commercial bank apps and imposes penalties on industrial cryptocurrency miners for unreported activities. If approved by the State Duma and the president, the new regulations are set to take effect on July 1, 2027.

ChainCatcher reported live that Celine Tan, Head of Liquidity Distribution at BNY Mellon Investment Management Hong Kong Limited, Kelly Sohn, Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Mirae Asset Securities (HK) Limited, Victor Jung, Head of Digital Assets at Hamilton Lane, and Xu Ping, Managing Director of Global Investment Banking at JPMorgan, attended the HK Web3 Feastival roundtable to share "The RWA Moment in Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong vs Singapore."The attendees generally believe that RWA is currently transitioning from proof of concept to broader implementation, driven mainly by the gradual maturity of technology, increasingly clear regulatory frameworks, and the rising market demand for stable, yield-generating asset allocations.Kelly Sohn stated that this round of RWA warming is different from the past, not driven by a single factor, but rather the result of the combined effects of technology, regulation, and capital flow. She also pointed out that the assets currently more suitable for tokenization include standardized products such as money market funds and commodities, and the combination of stablecoins and tokenized assets will further enhance on-chain transaction and settlement efficiency.Xu Ping mentioned that Singapore has become more cautious overall after the FTX incident, with a greater focus on institutional investors; in contrast, Hong Kong has advantages in retail access, licensing systems, and market innovation inclusiveness, making it more attractive to exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and custodians. She also noted that banks will play a key role in infrastructure, custody, and payment settlement within the RWA ecosystem.Victor Jung indicated that the market has previously focused too much on the institutional narrative, but the retail side is also an important source of demand for tokenization. He summarized the current demand into two categories: one is to obtain more yield through on-chain solutions, and the other is to reduce costs by improving efficiency. In his view, the industry driving force has gradually shifted from early technology supply to being driven by real investor demand.The roundtable discussion also mentioned that for RWA to further expand its application in the next phase, it still needs to address issues such as regulatory clarity, institutional infrastructure readiness, and investor education, as these factors remain key variables affecting the further development of the market.

The Malaysian digital asset trading platform Hata has completed an $8 million Series A financing round, led by Bybit, with participation from several global family offices. Hata holds dual licenses from the Malaysian Securities Commission and the Labuan Financial Services Authority, allowing it to provide digital asset trading and custody services locally. The funds from the financing will be used to enhance liquidity, expand the user base, and develop more products.

According to DL News, the major Russian cryptocurrency exchange Grinex has ceased operations due to a suspected major cyber attack, reportedly resulting in losses exceeding 1 billion rubles (approximately 13 million USD). The platform claimed on Telegram that the attack showed "signs of involvement from foreign intelligence agencies."Grinex is the successor to the previously sanctioned and closed Garantex exchange, providing a financial channel for the Russian economy to evade sanctions. Experts point out that Grinex's closure is not only due to the hacker attack itself but, more importantly, it removes the trading platform that Russian businesses relied on to convert rubles into usable international currencies, causing "serious damage" to the infrastructure that allows Russia to evade sanctions, making it more difficult for the Russian economy to escape the pressure of sanctions.The exchange was sanctioned by Western authorities such as the U.S., U.K., and the European Union in August 2025. Meanwhile, the Russian economy continues to weaken, with Putin revealing that GDP fell by 1.8% in January-February this year, and maritime oil exports may drop to their lowest level since 2023.

Gate's "Racing the Future" outdoor crossover exhibition held at K11 MUSEA's waterfront promenade in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, is gaining momentum, with media day and public opening generating significant attention. On the first day of the media day, hundreds of stars, KOLs, and media attended, with the highlight being the unveiling of a giant driver helmet for Max Verstappen, sparking a wave of interest both on-site and online.After opening to the public on the 18th, the number of visitors significantly increased, with over ten thousand attendees on the first day. A large crowd continued to gather along the Victoria Harbour, creating a vibrant exhibition atmosphere. The exhibition prominently features the F1 Red Bull Racing Team's brand new car and core equipment for 2026, and through immersive interactive experiences, it visually presents the engineering of racing and speed culture, attracting many visitors to stop, participate, and take photos.It is reported that Gate will also hold the "Gate 13 Blue Carpet Ceremony" on April 20, where the F1 Red Bull Racing Team's display car will be unveiled along with brand collaboration showcases. That evening, Gate will host a high-end anniversary dinner at the Rosewood Hong Kong, with platform founder and CEO Dr. Han in attendance. Over 300 representatives from top industry institutions and partners are expected to be invited for networking.Gate Live will start the live broadcast of the blue carpet ceremony on April 20 at 17:30 (UTC+8), and will simultaneously broadcast the Gate 13 anniversary high-end dinner event at 20:00 (UTC+8), inviting several industry guests to participate in discussions and interactions, providing frontline perspectives and the latest insights.

ChainCatcher reported live that HashKey Capital CEO Deng Chao and Sharplink CEO Joseph Chalom jointly attended the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival roundtable discussion, exploring "From Finance to Strategy: How Public Companies Are Positioning Themselves Based on Digital Assets."Chalom, who worked at BlackRock for 20 years, began leading BlackRock's blockchain and digital assets team six years ago, during which he launched Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, raising about $100 billion at its peak. He stated that the choice to establish a digital asset treasury with Ethereum rather than Bitcoin is because Ethereum is a "native productive asset," which can earn nearly 3% returns through staking, while Bitcoin can only be held in anticipation of appreciation. Sharplink has been listed on Nasdaq and has raised billions of dollars to purchase Ethereum since launching its digital asset treasury strategy last June, currently holding approximately 770,000 ETH and earning about 17,000 ETH and over $35 million in rewards for investors through staking.Regarding industry trends, he pointed out that Ethereum is dominating three major use cases: stablecoins (over 60% occur on Ethereum), asset tokenization, and decentralized finance. He specifically warned that currently over 95% of stablecoins are denominated in US dollars, and if stablecoins are to become the payment rail for trillions of transactions in the AI economy, Asian regulators should not allow them to be dominated by the US dollar and US Treasury bonds, as this will trigger a geopolitical competition to advance local stablecoin legislation.Discussing market cycles, he noted that the crypto market has experienced significant pullbacks since last October, with short-term prices being unpredictable, but in the long term, the current risk-reward ratio is at its best level in a long time. He emphasized that digital asset treasuries are not passive investments; Ethereum is a high-volatility asset, and volatility is a characteristic of capital appreciation rather than a defect.

ChainCatcher reported live that Li Guoquan, Dean of the Global Fintech Academy, Hong Kong Legislative Council member (Technology and Innovation Sector) Kenneth Lau, Chief Public Mission Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport, Chan Sze Yuen, and Executive Director of the Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) & Japan Crypto Asset Business Association, Koji Takeda, attended the HK Web3 Feastival roundtable discussion, focusing on "Balancing Regulation and Innovation to Co-build a Sustainable Asian Digital Financial Ecosystem."Kenneth Lau stated that the legislative process has been significantly advanced, and he hopes to see innovation-driven developments next, exploring how to leave space for new products and business models while improving the regulatory framework. He cited the startup exemption mechanism in U.S. legislation as an example, emphasizing the importance of a nurturing environment for innovation. He also pointed out that the Hong Kong stock market currently does not allow for a market maker system, and the liquidity provision rules in virtual asset trading will be addressed in legislative discussions within the year. Regarding prediction markets, he personally believes that Hong Kong currently does not have the conditions to open them.Chan Sze Yuen introduced that Cyberport launched a pilot subsidy program for blockchain and digital assets last year, with nine projects participating, more than half of which involve RWA tokenization, aiming to promote projects from proof of concept to commercialization. He stated that Cyberport has gathered over 300 Web3 companies from 19 countries and regions, emphasizing that trusted digital identity (KYC/AML compliance) is the foundation for scaling RWA and payment projects, while secondary market liquidity determines whether tokenized assets can become real market products.Koji Takeda revealed that the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan submitted a new bill to the Diet on April 10, proposing to move the regulation of crypto assets from the Financial Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, which means the government officially recognizes the investment attributes of crypto assets, marking a significant shift. He also pointed out that Japan had previously seen over 200 companies relocate to places like Singapore due to strict regulations, but recently, through adjustments to corporate tax systems and discussions on personal crypto tax reforms, companies are gradually returning.Host Li Guoquan summarized that the various jurisdictions in Asia are not in competition but are part of the same ecosystem. Excessive compliance costs may push quality institutions into gray areas, and how to lower compliance thresholds in regulatory dialogues and promote responsible innovation is a common challenge facing the Asian digital financial ecosystem.

Gate's outdoor crossover exhibition "Racing the Future" officially opened at the K11 MUSEA waterfront promenade in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. On the opening day, the event attracted a large number of citizens and tourists, with attendance exceeding ten thousand, and the waterfront area remained crowded, creating a lively atmosphere.As the official sponsor of the F1 Red Bull Racing team, Gate showcased the team's brand new 2026 racing car and related equipment at this exhibition, and set up an interactive experience area to attract visitors to closely experience the combination of racing engineering and speed culture. Many visitors stopped to take photos and engage with the interactive content. The racing suits, equipment, and gloves of champion driver Max Verstappen and driver Isack Hadjar were also on display, along with a giant driver helmet installation of Max Verstappen, drawing many fans to the event.In addition, Gate will hold the "Gate 13 Blue Carpet Ceremony" on April 20, where the unveiling of the F1 Red Bull Racing team's display car and brand collaboration will take place; that evening, Gate will also host a high-end anniversary dinner at the Rosewood Hong Kong, with platform founder and CEO Dr. Han in attendance, and over 300 representatives from top industry institutions and partners expected to participate in the exchange.

KiteAI Asia Pacific Head Laughing confirmed attendance at the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum to be held in Hong Kong on April 19, and will participate in a roundtable discussion. This event is co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData, and is one of the important peripheral activities of the Hong Kong Web3 Carnival.Kite AI is building the foundational layer of the Agentic Internet, aiming to create a vertically integrated artificial intelligence ecosystem to promote the realization of real business value and the long-term sustainable development of the network. This forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and crypto networks, engaging in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure. At the intersection of technological leaps and economic restructuring, this themed forum not only provides insights into the current state of the industry but also offers a forward-looking reflection on the future intelligent economic system.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a cryptocurrency company linked to "Russian gangs and intelligence agencies" is funding political opponents and influencing domestic cryptocurrency regulatory legislation.During a parliamentary vote on Friday, Tusk pointed out that some Polish politicians obstructing cryptocurrency regulatory legislation are serving the interests of a company named Zondacrypto, which is accused of providing "financial support" to political figures and has ties to Russia. Tusk further claimed that the company sponsored the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) event held in Poland last year, during which former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly supported President Karol Nawrocki's campaign. Tusk bluntly stated that the company's funding sources involve not only "money related to the Russian mafia (Bratva)" but may also be connected to Russian intelligence agencies.Meanwhile, President Nawrocki won the election in June last year, with support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The president's office responded that it does not oppose cryptocurrency regulation itself but opposes the "flawed regulatory model" proposed by the government. This controversy arises amid the political tug-of-war in Poland over the cryptocurrency regulatory bill. The bill aims to align with the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) framework, but the president previously vetoed the related bill and blocked parliament from overturning the veto in December, hindering the regulatory process.

The trading platform Grinex, linked to the Russian crypto market, suspended withdrawals and trading on Thursday, citing a "massive cyber attack." The exchange stated that over 1 billion rubles (approximately 13.1 million USD) were stolen, but blockchain analysis firm Elliptic's tracking shows the actual loss is about 15 million USDT.The stolen funds have been exchanged for TRX and ETH through the Tron and Ethereum networks to evade freezing. It is reported that Grinex is seen as the successor to the sanctioned Garantex trading platform, which was targeted by U.S. authorities last year for facilitating the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal funds.

The Central Bank of Russia stated that it plans to require its citizens to declare their cryptocurrency assets held overseas after the new round of cryptocurrency regulatory rules comes into effect.Vladimir Chistyukhin, the First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Russia, pointed out that the new regulations will strengthen KYC requirements for exchanges to enhance transaction transparency. He also emphasized that regulation does not prohibit individuals or institutions from holding cryptocurrency assets in overseas wallets, but they must declare them to the federal tax authority. This measure is expected to come into effect in July along with the relevant regulatory framework.

According to DL News, the state-owned power company Irkutskenergosbyt in the Irkutsk region of Russia recently discovered over 8,000 suspected illegal cryptocurrency mining sites, which were disguised as chicken coops, greenhouses, forests, paper mills, and abandoned gas stations.Since 2019, the company has filed 2,170 lawsuits against illegal miners, seeking a total compensation of $18.5 million. The courts have ruled fines amounting to about half of that total, and some cases have been settled out of court. Miners often disguise their activities as electric vehicle charging or agricultural electricity use, leading to power losses. In many regions of Russia, to ensure grid stability, licensed industrial mining sites have been shut down, and there are plans to use artificial intelligence tools to trace illegal mining.

On April 12, ARCB officially held the Asia Launch Ceremony in Malaysia, gathering over a hundred representatives from government agencies, the business sector, the education sector, and youth students to witness the event, marking its official entry into a new phase of expansion in Asia.During the event, ARCB signed strategic cooperation memorandums with Kanzun Ventures and Rakyat Trustee, and the three parties will engage in deep cooperation in areas such as capital synergy, financial product development, and the construction of sustainable development mechanisms.At the same time, ARCB also completed the signing of a tripartite cooperation agreement with ReSkills and JLM AI Agent, focusing on education and the cultivation of technical talent. In addition, ARCB allocated 1.2 million USD in special funds to UiTM University to promote the JLM AI Agent artificial intelligence project into the campus system.

According to the "News" report, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) recently arrested three Telegram investment channel owners, accusing them of manipulating stock prices through a "Pump&Dump" strategy, involving over 55,000 illegal transactions related to 19 large companies on the Moscow Exchange.Research from Moscow State University shows that 11% of Telegram investment signals can have a substantial impact on stock returns, with over 60% of private investors relying on such signals to make decisions. The Central Bank of Russia stated that it will continue to monitor abnormal trading and warned that "punishment is inevitable" for illegal bloggers. Experts remind that manipulative signals are often presented in emotional language, promise quick profits, and do not disclose risks; investors should prioritize consulting licensed advisors.

According to a statement from the Kremlin on the evening of April 9, Russian President Putin announced that Russia will implement an Orthodox Easter ceasefire from 16:00 Moscow time on April 11 to 24:00 on April 12 (from 21:00 Beijing time on April 11 to 5:00 on April 13), lasting 32 hours, and called on Ukraine to follow suit.Ukrainian President Zelensky immediately responded, "Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready to take reciprocal measures. We have proposed a ceasefire during this year's Easter holiday and will act accordingly."This is a rare opportunity for both sides to publicly agree on a ceasefire amid recent conflicts, but whether it can be implemented and if there are any additional conditions remains to be seen.

On-chain investigator ZachXBT posted on platform X, stating that Spartans co-founder Gurhan Kiziloz may be the mastermind behind Blockdag Network. The project raised over $300 million from retail investors through social media advertising and has been accused of unrealistic profit promises and misleading partnership promotions.ZachXBT noted that the token sale of Blockdag has been ongoing for over two years, while gradually liquidating pre-sale funds through Middle Eastern over-the-counter (OTC) channels; during this period, Gurhan Kiziloz has been accused of high-end luxury spending, including luxury cars, real estate, and luxury goods. Relevant individuals have a significant amount of paid PR content in public information, and it was claimed that as early as October 2025, it was revealed that the management of Blockdag were "nominal leaders," with the actual controller being Gurhan Kiziloz, who later publicly admitted to his involvement.ZachXBT stated that he has received feedback from at least 10 to 15 victims regarding financial losses and reminded the market to remain highly vigilant about projects related to Gurhan Kiziloz.