Barnacle Scrapers Cash In As Persian Gulf Shipping Bottleneck Eases

JPMorgan Activates BTC & ETH As Institutional Collateral Via Sentora Research, JPMorgan has officially bridged the gap between "Digital Gold" and "Wholesale Credit."  The activation of direct BTC and ETH collateralization allows institutional giants to finally turn their dormant holdings into immediate USD liquidity without selling a single satoshi. Operating through the Kinexys (formerly Onyx) digital financing platform, the bank now allows institutional clients like hedge funds and corporate treasuries to pledge BTC and ETH for USD-denominated liquidity. Unlike previous years where only ETF-wrapped products were supported, this move enables borrowers to leverage their direct on-chain...

Dispute Whether Hormuz Is Open Intensifies As Ships Continue Transiting The US and Iran exchanged another round of strikes overnight, extending a weeklong surge in fighting and casting dark clouds of uncertainty over whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping. US Central Command revealed US forces unleashed air-delivered munitions on dozens of Iranian air-defense systems, coastal radar systems, missile launch sites, and drone capabilities, bringing the weekend total to about 140 targets. This move aimed to degrade the IRGC's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Hormuz chokepoint,...

Lavrov Says NATO Military Activity In Arctic Threatens Russia's Security Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times, NATO military activity in the Arctic poses a direct threat to Russia's security and could lead to disastrous consequences, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote in an article published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday. A Russian soldier stands guard beside a Pansyr-S1 air defense system on Kotelny Island, part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea, in Russia on April 3, 2019. Vladimir...