Crypto Macro News and Global Policy Updates

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on April 16 to review Kevin Wosch’s nomination to serve as the Chair of the Federal Reserve. At the same time, the ongoing criminal investigation into the current Chair, Powell, may affect Wosch’s confirmation process. Committee members have said they will not vote to confirm before the investigation concludes, which could create a potential clash between two tracks of the Trump administration.

In March, the U.S. added 178,000 jobs, recovering from February's losses and reducing the unemployment rate to 4.3%. The stronger-than-expected report may influence future interest rate decisions by the Fed amidst fluctuating oil prices.

A Federal Reserve watcher said that the U.S. added 178k jobs in March, the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, but wage growth slowed to the lowest level in five years. The average monthly number of new jobs was only 22.5k, the economic outlook is fragile, and inflation concerns may further limit the room for rate cuts.

Gate News message, April 4, Iranian senior official Mohsen Rezaee posted on the social platform X in response to U.S. military personnel changes. He said: "They once claimed they had destroyed Iran's air defense system, as always, they're lying. Maybe instead of replacing military commanders, they should remove Trump." Earlier, it was reported that U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth had relieved several senior U.S. military officers from their posts, including multiple senior generals, among them the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gate News, April 4, market pricing shows that bets on the Federal Reserve cutting rates in 2026 have eased.

The World Gold Council report shows that in February 2026, central banks in various countries net bought 19 tons of gold. Although this is below the 2025 average, it is up from January’s 5 tons. Central banks’ acceptance of gold continues to strengthen, with both the Czech Republic and China maintaining consecutive gold-buying records. Goldman Sachs and UBS predict that gold prices may rise in the future.

Gate News message, on April 4, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran has approved ships carrying essential supplies to travel through the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian ports.

Trump believes Iran’s new leadership is more moderate, but experts say that a regime change is only a change of leaders and does not alter its governance structure. War has strengthened the power of Iran’s hardliners, intensifying anti-American sentiment, and has not, in fact, led to any major change in the United States’ stance.

According to Glassnode data, in the first quarter of 2023, the average daily losses for “sharks” holding between 100 and 1,000 BTC and “giant whales” holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC were 188.5 million and $147.5 million, respectively, totaling approximately $337 million. Meanwhile, the year-to-date cumulative losses have already reached $30.9 billion, approaching the level of the 2022 bear market. Long-term holders’ average daily losses are still around $200 million, with the market affected by macro risks and weakening confidence.

The International Monetary Fund recommends that the Bank of Japan continue raising interest rates, despite new risks to Japan’s economy stemming from the Middle East war. Rising oil prices and yen depreciation have intensified inflation pressures. The IMF expects inflation to return to the 2% target in 2027 and emphasizes the importance of a flexible interest-rate policy.

What to know: Digital asset ETP assets surged past $250B at their peak following U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF approvals, with $184B in AUM at year-end 2025 and the U.S. accounting for nearly 80% of global assets. The market remains concentrated, with Bitcoin-based products

Gate News message, on April 4, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu said during a situation assessment with senior officials that the Israel Defense Forces will continue to carry out intense strikes with the U.S. against Iran. Netanyahu said that the Israeli forces are continuously removing Iranian military commanders and bombing infrastructure, including bridges. He revealed that the Israeli forces have destroyed about 70% of Iran’s steel production capacity, weakening the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ financial sources and reducing its ability to mass-produce weapons.

Gate News updates: On April 4, the Irish government officially launched the digital wallet testing phase on April 3. The wallet includes an age verification feature. According to a statement from Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, this digital ID will support social media platforms in verifying users’ ages, with the goal of protecting children and teenagers from online harms.

James Seyffart predicts that Bitcoin spot ETFs may surpass gold ETFs in assets under management as investor demand evolves. Bitcoin is seen as a versatile investment option, while gold remains traditional. Despite recent declines, both asset classes have seen significant fund flow activity.

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could surpass gold ETFs in total assets under management (AUM) as investor demand expands beyond the traditional “digital gold” narrative, according to ETF analyst James Seyffart. “There are just more use cases of why somebody would put a Bitcoin ETF in a p

Google's Quantum AI team said earlier this week that a future quantum computer could derive a bitcoin private key from a public key in roughly nine minutes. The number ricocheted across social media and spooked markets. But, what does it actually mean in practice? Let's start with how bitcoin

Google’s Quantum AI team said earlier this week that a future quantum computer could derive a bitcoin private key from a public key in roughly nine minutes. The number ricocheted across social media and spooked markets. But, what does it actually mean in practice? Let’s start with how bitcoin

A research report from China International Capital Corporation (CICC) notes that the Iran–U.S. conflict has pushed up oil prices, increasing inflation risks, affecting expectations for Fed rate cuts, and driving selling of gold ETFs. Geopolitical developments put oil prices at a crossroads, while the gold market is focused on how an economic downturn could affect it; in the future, it may reassess expectations for rate hikes. Demand for gold investment and prices may have room to rise.

Crypto and banking industry representatives are meeting to discuss stablecoin yield provisions in a market structure bill. Compromise language, led by Senators Alsobrooks and Tillis, has raised concerns in the crypto sector, particularly regarding yield based on stablecoin balances. The release of the revised text has been delayed, with ongoing negotiations over technical details. A markup hearing is anticipated later in April. Other regulatory concerns, including the definition of DeFi and potential ties to former President Trump's family, remain unresolved.

JPMorgan Chase’s analysis shows that in Q1 2026, digital-asset fund flows totaled only $11 billion, market momentum slowed, and the main sources of capital were corporate allocations and crypto venture capital; meanwhile, traditional investors’ participation declined, and the overall market exhibited the characteristics of being dominated by a few large players.