BREAKING: Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's joint military command said Saturday that control measures in the Strait of Hormuz have been reinstated, walking back a Friday statement by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the strategic waterway was open to commercial shipping. A few hours later, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported that two gunboats from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire on a tanker transiting the strait. The ship and its crew were safe, according to the Associated Press. Tehran blamed the move on what it described as a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, accusing Washington of breaching the April 7 ceasefire framework. Under the arrangement, Iran agreed to keep the strait open in exchange for a two-week pause in hostilities. Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran's parliamentary National Security Commission, said vessels will once again need authorization from Iran's navy and must pay a toll before transiting. The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20% of global seaborne oil and LNG. Brent was trading near $130 a barrel before Friday's reopening announcement, which sent prices down more than 10%.

Odaily Planet Daily cited CoinGlass data showing $29.32 million in liquidations across the crypto market over the past hour. Long positions accounted for $24.20 million, while short positions made up $5.12 million. By asset, RAVE recorded $7.6837 million in liquidations during the hour, and BTC saw $7.2747 million.

RT and Zerohedge report that Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker, as the reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz fuels widespread disruption and confusion across key shipping routes.

Kraken parent Payward has agreed to acquire Bitnomial for up to $550 million in cash and stock, a deal that would give Payward a fully licensed U.S. crypto-derivatives stack under Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversight. Payward said the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026. Bitnomial holds all three CFTC licenses required to run a U.S. derivatives business: an exchange, a clearinghouse and a brokerage. With that infrastructure in place, Payward plans to expand Kraken's regulated U.S. offering to include products such as spot margin, perpetual futures and options. Executives framed the purchase as an infrastructure play more than a front-end trading upgrade. Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said clearing and settlement systems shape market access and determine which products can be offered. Payward highlighted Bitnomial's crypto-native build for settlement, collateral management and 24-hour trading, developed over more than a decade, including support for unified trading across spot and derivatives. Founder Luke Hoersten said the firm pioneered features such as regulated perpetual futures and native crypto settlement. Payward also plans to distribute regulated derivatives via its Payward Services division through a single API aimed at fintechs and financial institutions, including banks, brokerages and payment providers. Partners would be able to pair derivatives access with staking, tokenized equities and fiat on-ramps, as Payward pursues a vertically integrated suite of services. The deal also addresses a geographic gap. Payward already operates regulated derivatives businesses in the U.K. and the European Union; Bitnomial would provide a comparable foundation in the United States as regulatory clarity continues to improve.

BlockBeats, April 18 — U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a series of comments over the past 24 hours that shaped expectations around the Middle East and broader geopolitics. On the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the waterway has reopened, while stressing that U.S. maritime restrictions on Iran will remain in place until any deal is "100% completed." He also said no tolls will be imposed on vessels transiting the strait. On the nuclear file, Trump said Iran has agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely. He added that the United States would take part in removing Iran's enriched uranium and bringing it to the U.S., while reiterating that no frozen Iranian funds would be released. Trump indicated talks will continue through the weekend. He warned that if no agreement is reached by next Wednesday, a return to hostilities cannot be ruled out. Addressing discrepancies between U.S. and Iranian messaging, he said Iran "needs to say different things domestically." On regional security, Trump said the U.S. has barred Israel from continuing strikes on Lebanon and plans to handle Hezbollah independently. Trump also used the moment to send broader political signals, calling NATO "useless at critical moments" and criticizing some allies for a lack of coordination. He again accused The New York Times and CNN of inaccurate reporting. He thanked Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Pakistan for supporting the operation. Separately, Trump said the first batch of UFO-related documents will be released soon, and that he will sign an executive order and hold a press conference on Saturday. Overall, Trump's frequent statements are driving market and diplomatic expectations, projecting a mix of hardline posture and uncertainty as ceasefire efforts, negotiations, and blockade measures proceed in parallel. (Jinshi)

The total cryptocurrency market has gained $430 billion in value since Feb. 5.

REKT: Of the $773 million in liquidations recorded over the past 24 hours, nearly 77% came from short positions.

BlockBeats reported on April 18 that Ark Invest founder Cathie Wood reshuffled her portfolio a day earlier, cutting about $2.57 million in cryptocurrency-related stocks and adding to positions in large-cap tech and biotech. Ark trimmed: · Circle Internet Group: 11,465 shares, about $1.21 million · Bullish: 31,417 shares, about $1.36 million Circle is facing pressure from a class-action lawsuit tied to allegations it failed to freeze related assets during the Drift Protocol attack. Bullish shares rose about 5% as broader markets rebounded on easing Middle East tensions. Ark added: · Netflix: 26,161 shares, about $2.54 million · Alamar Biosciences: 537,463 shares, about $11.96 million Netflix posted first-quarter revenue of $12.25 billion and profit of $5.28 billion, but the stock fell nearly 10% as results only modestly beat expectations. Alamar jumped about 33% in its Nasdaq debut, valuing the company at roughly $1.53 billion.