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  • Anker’s ‘Thus’ chip brings AI to its headphones and other products

    Anker has announced its own chip that can give its small, wearable products AI capabilities that run locally on device. The company is planning to debut the chip called “Thus” on a new model of headphones, slated to be unveiled at its Anker Day event on May 21.

    Anker calls Thus the “first Compute-in-Memory (CIM) AI audio chip with neural networks.” The company explains that Thus is “inspired by the workings of the human brain” in that the storage and processing of information takes place in one location instead of keeping them separate, similar to how it works on modern chips for computers.

    Thus integrates computing power directly into NOR flash memory cells, which provide faster read speeds than NAND memory. A NOR-based CIM system requires only a tiny space inside devices, which makes it an ideal option for small products like headphones. Anker says headphones are a particularly challenging environment to demonstrate what a new chip can do, because “hardly any other device places higher demands on an AI chip.” They have a tiny space allotted for components and operate with just a few milliwatts of power, even though they have to consistently provide noise cancellation. If the model delivers, it could be a huge advertisement for Thus, which Anker plans to put in other mobile accessories and IoT devices, as well.

    While the company has yet to reveal all its upcoming headphones’ AI-powered capabilities, it did announce one particular feature. Clear Calls, as it’s called, will cancel noise “with a large neural network running entirely on the device, supported by eight MEMS microphones and two bone conduction sensors.” Anker says it will enable significantly clearer conversations even in environments that are challenging for conventional noise cancellation.

  • Lazarus Group has become especially dangerous with new Mach-O Man attack: CertiK

    Lazarus Group has become especially dangerous with new Mach-O Man attack: CertiK

    The North Korean state-run Lazarus Group is running a new campaign known as “Mach-O Man” that turns routine business communication into a direct path to credential theft and data loss, security experts warned Wednesday.

    The collective, with cumulative loot estimated at $6.7 billion since 2017, is targeting fintech, cryptocurrency and other high-value executives and firms, Natalie Newson, a senior blockchain security researcher at CertiK, told CoinDesk on Wednesday.

    In the past two weeks alone, the North Korean hackers have siphoned more than $500 million from the Drift and KelpDAO exploits in what appears to be a sustained campaign. The crypto industry needs to start viewing Lazarus the same way banks view nation-state cyber actors: “as a constant and well-funded threat, not just another news headline,” she said.

    “What makes Lazarus especially dangerous right now is their activity level,” Newson said. “KelpDAO, Drift, and now a new macOS malware kit, all within the same month. This isn’t random hacking; it’s a state-directed financial operation running at a scale and speed typical of institutions.”

    North Korea has turned crypto theft into a lucrative national industry, and Mach-O Man is just the latest product from that process, she said. While Lazarus created it, other cybercrime groups are also using it.

    “It is a modular macOS malware kit created by Lazarus Group’s infamous Chollima division. It uses native Mach-O binaries tailored for Apple environments where crypto and fintech operate,” she said.

    Newson said Mach-O Man uses a delivery method known as ClickFix. “It’s important to be clear because a lot of coverage is mixing up two separate things,” she noted. ClickFix is a social engineering technique where the victim is asked to paste a command into their terminal to fix a simulated connection issue.

    It works by Lazarus sending executives an “urgent” meeting invite over Telegram for a Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet call, according to Mauro Eldritch, a security expert and founder of threat intelligence firm BCA Ltd.

    The link leads to a fake, but convincing, website that instructs them to copy and paste one simple command into their Mac’s terminal to “fix a connection issue.” In doing so, the victims provide immediate access to corporate systems, SaaS platforms and financial resources. By the time they find out they were exploited, it is usually too late.

    There are several variations of this attack, security threat researcher Vladimir S. said on X. There are already cases where Lazarus attackers have hijacked decentralized finance (DeFI) projects’ domains with this new malware by replacing their websites with a fake message from Cloudflare, asking them to enter a command to grant access.

    “These fake ‘verification steps’ guide victims through keyboard shortcuts that run a harmful command,” said Certik’s Newson. “The page looks real, the instructions seem normal, and the victim initiates the action themselves — which is why traditional security controls often miss it.”

    Most victims of this hack will not realize their security has been breached until the damage has been done, at which time, the malware will have already erased itself as well.

    “They likely don’t know it yet,” she said. “If they do, they probably can’t identify which variant affected them.”

  • A $575 bet on a Shiba-themed token became $1.17 million in 5 days

    A $575 bet on a Shiba-themed token became $1.17 million in 5 days

    Memecoin season keeps printing life-changing trades for people willing to take a shot.
    An anonymous wallet bought 2.79 billion ASTEROID tokens for $575 on April 17 and sold the entire position for 503 ETH on Tuesday, worth roughly $1.17 million, according to on-chain tracker Lookonchain. The round trip took five days and produced a return of more than 2,000x.

    ASTEROID is an Ethereum-based memecoin branded as “First Shiba In Space.” It is themed after a Shiba Inu drawing by Liv Perrotto, a teenage cancer patient who died in January 2026 after a five-year battle with the disease.

    Two years before her death, Perrotto sketched the dog while serving as a volunteer on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn ground support team. The design, inspired by Musk’s own Shiba Inu named Floki, flew on the Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024 as the crew’s zero-gravity indicator.

    Liv’s Asteroid drawing that went to space with the @polarisprogram came today! They also took a special letter she got at Camp Cadet to space for her too. What an incredible gift! ❤️🚀🌎 @spacex @rookisaacman @kiddpoteet @annawmenon @gillis_sarahe pic.twitter.com/Vv0jbRN0oZ

    — Rebecca Perrotto (@rebeccaperrotto) March 17, 2025

    Before she passed, Perrotto had written down eight questions she hoped to ask Musk. The final one asked whether Asteroid could become SpaceX’s official mascot. Her mother shared the list publicly after her death, and media personality Glenn Beck amplified it on April 16. The post went viral, reached Musk, and he said “ok” in response to making Asteroid the official SpaceX mascot.

    That response ignited the token. ASTEROID’s market cap ran from roughly $50,000 to more than $20 million within hours of Musk’s reply, then pushed past $100 million over the following days on more than $100 million in 24-hour trading volume.

    At its peak the token briefly entered the top 200 cryptocurrencies by market cap. As of European morning hours on Wednesday, it trades at $0.0004435 with a $186.5 million market cap and $24 million in 24-hour volume.

    The token has no formal SpaceX endorsement, no licensing arrangement, and no confirmed Musk involvement beyond the social media replies.

    It trades on Uniswap against wrapped ether with a market cap of $186.5 million and 24-hour trading volume of $24.3 million. Price is up 20.69% over 24 hours, 28.54% over six hours, and has climbed about 10x from the wallet’s entry point on April 17, according to DEX Screener data.

  • Can Fireproofing Be Climate-Friendly?

    Can Fireproofing Be Climate-Friendly?

    An Amazon package arrived at my door a few days after the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited. It contained a small air purifier, sent by friends who were worried about the city’s air quality. It underlined that, despite my Miracle Mile address, I was not impervious to the fire’s consequences. Even if I couldn’t see or smell them, microscopic particles were being blown across the state by robust winds that would enable the fires to burn through 38,000 acres, incinerating 16,000 structures alongside their contents — Hoka Bondis, Tesla car batteries, Magna tiles, Vitamix blenders, iPads, Stanley cups, High Sport pants — the stuff of life in the 21st century. That air purifier is still on, every filter change a reminder that nothing about the device, designed to keep me safe, is recyclable. It’s a microcosm of the dilemma facing homeowners as rebuilding slowly begins to take shape throughout the city. How do we weigh sustainability against personal safety, durability against the future of the planet, comfort against conscientiousness? As interior designer Oliver Furth wonders, “Isn’t the most sustainable option the one that survives?”

    Architect Dustin Brammel, a founder of Case Study: Adapt, a program created in response to the fires, weighs in. His own rebuild employs RSG-3D, fabricated from layers of wire-reinforced foam sandwiched between wire mesh with a sprayed-on concrete exterior. I’m surprised by the inclusion of concrete, commonly understood to have a harmful impact on the atmosphere. “It’s a balancing act,” Brammel acknowledges. “While concrete does have marginally higher levels of embodied carbon initially, building with it ensures that our house will be noncombustible, earthquake-resistant and energy-efficient, allowing the embodied carbon to be amortized over centuries, not decades.”

    How long a project will take to construct and how much waste it will generate also influences a homeowner’s decision. Construction company Bevyhouse attempts to address these concerns by rethinking the entire building process, marrying the efficiency of factory construction (aka prefab construction) to the beauty of a custom home. Founder Bryan Henson compares it to children’s building blocks. “We manufacture the interiors, the boxes that make up a home’s rooms, in the factory while the foundation is being poured on-site. We deliver them, drop them in place and finish the build on-site, adding decks, garages and details.” Yellowstone’s Josh Lucas, who watched as his own home was installed, was impressed. “Seeing the pieces perfectly fit together, already wired with plumbing and insulation, puts you five months ahead of a conventional build.”

    One of Bevyhouse’s rebuilds in Malibu.

    Courtesy of Bevyhouse

    Henson’s experience with the Santa Barbara, Montecito and Malibu fires and his background in sustainability (he’s taught classes at UC Santa Barbara) impact his approach to construction: ventless attics and crawl spaces — which protect a home against flying embers — are standard. Clients are encouraged to add energy recovery ventilators, which swap stale air with fresh, filtered air, reducing the load on the HVAC system. And, instead of wood, the homes are constructed from fiber cement board. The multipurpose material — a mix of cement, sand and cellulose fibers that are noncombustible, fire-resistant and considered sustainable because of its longevity and low maintenance — also has won over architect Barbara Bestor, whose client list includes such heavyweights as LACMA CEO Michael Govan and Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson. Bestor admires its versatility: “You can do lap siding, you can do modern, you can do storybook.” Both Bestor and architect Tim Barber, who counts Matt Duffer and Ramin Djawadi as clients, employ Densdeck Roof Boards and Densinglas sheeting, a fiberglass-matt gypsum panel considered sustainable because of its durability and recycled content, in their work. “It also adds extra invisible layers of fire protection,” Barber notes.

    Some architects, including William Hefner, have swapped out wood framing in favor of steel, which is fire-resilient, recyclable and durable. “My clients want to live and build in more energy-efficient and conscientious ways,” Hefner stresses. While the bans on gas appliances have been lifted for homes that are being rebuilt, he’s preparing for the future by installing solar panels and electric systems: heat pumps that, despite their name, also cool the air, water heaters, dryers and induction stoves. Interior finishes also have undergone a recalibration with interior designers and clients focused on B-Corp brands (companies certified by the independent, nonprofit B-Corp Lab to meet its high standards for environmental and social responsibility) like Alkemis’ single-coat mineral paints, Fireclay’s domestically made tiles, Armadillo’s natural fiber rugs and Parachute bedding. Laun’s Rachel Bullock points out that even small moves, like multipane windows, can make a big difference in both a home’s energy-efficiency and its fire-resilience.

    “My vision isn’t just to rebuild structures; it’s to bring our communities back for another century,” says architect May Sung, articulating the sentiment that underlines every conversations about rebuilding. And isn’t that the sustainability we’re all after?

    This story appears in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Sustainability Issue. Click here to read more.

  • Brian Armstrong: New Satoshi Doc is the Best Yet

    Brian Armstrong: New Satoshi Doc is the Best Yet

    Brian Armstrong, the head of the leading US exchange, has endorsed a new documentary about Satoshi, claiming that it is the most “thoughtful take” yet on the identity of Bitcoin’s anonymous creator.

    The 101-minute film, which is debuting this Wednesday, is the culmination of a four-year investigation led by New York Times bestselling investigative journalist William D. Cohan and private investigator Tyler Maroney.

    The new documentary is being billed as part investigative thriller and part human portrait.

    The documentary features interviews with industry heavyweights of the likes of Michael Saylor (MicroStrategy), Joseph Lubin (Ethereum), Fred Ehrsam (Coinbase), and Brian Brooks. It also includes former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, journalist Kara Swisher, Haun Ventures CEO Katie Haun, and Bitcoin security engineer Jameson Lopp.

    The Coinbase CEO praised the film’s conclusion and announced that Coinbase users were granted exclusive early access to the documentary via the exchange’s mobile app.

    Investment manager Ross Gerber also lauded the release, calling it a “very well done” and “in-depth look” for crypto fans.

    A crowded field

    The media has had a long-time obsession with unmasking the Bitcoin creator.

    A recent HBO documentary controversially pointed the finger at early core developer Peter Todd.

    Journalist John Carreyrou recently stated with “99% confidence” that cryptography pioneer Adam Back is Satoshi. Back has vehemently denied the claim while arguing that Satoshi might indeed be British.

    However, some believe that Satoshi’s identity should remain hidden, and the cryptocurrency community should protect it.

  • ‘All We Imagine as Light’ Director Payal Kapadia Heads Up Cannes Critics’ Week Jury

    ‘All We Imagine as Light’ Director Payal Kapadia Heads Up Cannes Critics’ Week Jury

    Payal Kapadia, the Indian filmmaker whose All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024, will serve as president of the jury for the 65th Cannes Critics’ Week, running May 13-21 alongside the main festival.

    Kapadia will be joined on the jury by Canadian actor Théodore Pellerin (Lurker), French singer-songwriter Oklou, Ghanaian-British producer Ama Ampadu (My Father’s Shadow) and journalist and Bangkok World Film Festival director Donsaron Kovitvanitcha.

    Kapadia’s short films Afternoon Clouds and And What is the Summer Saying were selected at the Cinéfondation and the Berlinale, before her debut feature documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing went to Cannes in 2021, and won the L’Oeil d’Or for Best Documentary.

    All We Imagine as Light, her second feature, was a standout at the 2024 Cannes festival, and marked her arrival as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary world cinema.

    “My own journey as a filmmaker was supported early on because of film festival selections,” Kapadia said in a statement. “Through these, I had the opportunity to meet others like myself from across the world and helped me build a community of future collaborators.”

    Kapadia said she embraced the jury role at a time when independent cinema is “being eroded in every country,” adding that supporting first films is “almost a resistance to market forces.” With a nod to the Cannes Critics’ Week’s Raison d’être, she called film criticism “one of the key components of the independent and art house film ecosystem. The first films are often freer, more daring and fearless, having an individual voice and to champion those is absolutely essential. First films are also fragile, and to be nurtured in a section like Critics’ Week helps them blossom amongst already established filmmakers’ work.”

    The Critics’ Week jury will award the Ami Paris Grand Prize for best feature, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for best actor or actress, and the Sony Discovery Prize for best short film.

  • 4 takeaways: LeBron James defies age as Lakers limit Kevin Durant to take 2-0 lead

    Game Recap: Lakers 101, Rockets 94

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    Kevin Durant returned to the Houston Rockets’ starting lineup in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing Game 1 with a bruised right knee.

    His presence was welcomed by the Rockets, but it still wasn’t enough to defeat the shorthanded Lakers.

    Playing without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves – both sidelined by injuries – the Lakers took a 2-0 series lead with a 101-94 victory against Houston on Tuesday in a first-round Western Conference playoff game.

    Game 3 is Friday in Houston (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

    Here are four takeaways from Game 2:

    1. Is James 41 … or 21?

    LeBron James continues to defy the effects of aging on professional athletes.

    In a playoff game in 2026, the 41-year-old James led all scorers with 28 points and added eight rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes.

    He scored nine points in the fourth quarter – two on a soaring two-handed dunk that gave the Lakers a 99-92 lead with 55.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

    James was aggressive, getting to the free-throw line 14 times.

    “He brought a level of physicality, and he’s done it throughout his career,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “He’s just really comfortable playing that way whether it’s him on a back-down, getting to the basket or him drawing fouls. He forces you to match his physicality.”

    After the game, James told NBC he is “super blessed, super humbled” to play that way at his age. The Lakers need it, too, without Dončić and Reaves, and will need that kind of effort from him to win the series.

    2. Smart, Kennard rule in Lakers’ backcourt

    No Dončić, no Reaves, no big deal.

    Just add Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart to the starting lineup.

    Kennard followed up his 27-point performance in Game 1 with 23 points, six rebounds and three steals, and Smart produced 25 points, seven assists and five steals.

    Kennard, who led the league in 3-point shooting percentage (47.8%), and Smart were a combined 16-for-26 shooting from the field and 8-for-13 on 3-pointers – including five 3s from Smart.

    “He just had a killer game tonight,” Redick said of Smart.

    3. Lakers slow Durant after big first half

    Durant, who sustained a bruised knee last week in practice, was a game-time decision entering Game 2 and was cleared to play after going through pregame warmups.

    Durant looked good in the first half, scoring 20 points. However, he had just three points in the second half and committed nine turnovers.

    The Lakers often sent two defenders to Durant when he had the basketball, forcing him into a difficult shot or pass.

    “Glad to be out there, playing in high-pressure moments,” Durant said. “But bad game for me tonight.”

    Durant took just 12 shots and indicated he needs to shoot more even with the double-teams. “When two, three people are on me and I shoot, we can get an offensive rebound. …I’ve got to shoot more of those and put my teammates in better position,” he said.

    Redick and his coaching staff deserve credit for holding the Rockets to under 100 points in each of the first two games. Redick isn’t taking any credit.

    “We’re just getting this thing started,” he said. “He’s the type of player who can take over a series. We just have to continue to have great team defense and great activity.”

    4. Statistical oddities in this series

    The 3-ball is playing a role in the series. Through the first two games, the Lakers are shooting 48.9% on 3s and the Rockets are at 29%. Houston had one more made 3 in Game 1, but the Lakers had six more made 3s in Game 2.

    Also in Game 2, just two reserves scored – one from each team. Tari Eason scored 10 points for Houston, and Jaxson Hayes had six points for Los Angeles.

    * * *

    Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • Revolut Targeting $200 Billion Valuation in IPO—But Not Until 2028: FT

    Revolut Targeting $200 Billion Valuation in IPO—But Not Until 2028: FT

    In brief

    • Revolut is seeking a $200 billion valuation via an IPO, according to the Financial Times.
    • The report cited investors briefed on the firm’s plans, though it doesn’t intend to IPO until 2028 according to its CEO.
    • The firm last raised funding in November at a $75 billion valuation.

    Fintech firm Revolut aims to command a $200 billion valuation when it goes public, according to a new report from the Financial Times, citing investors briefed on the firm’s plans. 

    At that mark, the firm’s valuation would have jumped more than 160% since its November fundraise, when it completed a share sale that valued it around $75 billion. People at the firm told Financial Times that executives had discussed a target range of $150-200 billion when it goes public.

    Earlier this week, though, the firm’s CEO and co-founder Nik Storonsky told Bloomberg’s David Rubenstein that the event won’t take place for another “two years time.”

    A source close to the firm told Decrypt no formal valuation target has been made. Revolut declined to comment.

    Revenues for the global firm surged to a record $6 billion last year, representing a 46% jump year-over-year as it netted pre-tax profits of $2.3 billion, buoyed by its global market expansion. 

    As it stands, the firm now operates a licensed bank in 30 of its 40 geographies, including its home country, the United Kingdom. In March, it cleared the regulatory hurdles necessary to become a bank in the UK, earning approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) amid its $4 billion commitment to invest in the country. 

    Prior to that, it launched full banking operations in Mexico and later applied for a U.S. bank charter, with Storonsky calling the U.S. “a key pillar of our global growth strategy.”

    At this time, though, the firm does not offer any crypto services to its U.S. customers, but users in eligible jurisdictions can make use of its crypto exchange and custody solutions. In February, it was selected as one of four UK firms to participate in an exploratory stablecoin sandbox ahead of the nation’s launch of stablecoin regulations later this year.

    Last year, sources told Decrypt that the firm was actively exploring the launch of its own stablecoin product. It has not yet done so, and predictors on Myriad—the prediction market platform operated by Decrypt’s parent company, Dastan—place odds of the firm launching a stablecoin before July at just 16%. 

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  • YouTube Inks Deal Making SiriusXM Exclusive Audio Advertising Rep in U.S.

    YouTube Inks Deal Making SiriusXM Exclusive Audio Advertising Rep in U.S.

    Google and YouTube sell billions in advertising every month. But now they’re partnering with SiriusXM to handle a specific bucket of inventory: audio ads that run against YouTube content like podcasts, talk shows and music.

    SiriusXM struck a deal with Google making SiriusXM Media, the group that represents SiriusXM, Pandora and the company’s network of streaming and podcast networks, the exclusive advertising representative of YouTube audio advertising inventory in the U.S.

    More than 212 million monthly listeners in the U.S. engage in “audio-first” content or environments on YouTube, per a study by Edison Research commissioned by SiriusXM Media. The YouTube-SiriusXM deal will give advertisers access to “guaranteed impressions at scale” of audio spots for the first time, with targeting and measurement capabilities akin to YouTube, according to SiriusXM.

    Starting in the fall of 2026, advertisers will be able to buy guaranteed audio ad impressions against YouTube audiences for the first time directly through SiriusXM Media, powered by AdsWizz’s ad-tech platform.

    “YouTube has become a primary destination for audio-first content, where fans engage with their favorite podcasts, music, and creators,” Romana Pawar, senior director of product for YouTube Ads, said in a statement. “By partnering with SiriusXM Media, we are making it easier than ever for advertisers to tap into these high-attention moments.”

    Scott Walker, SiriusXM’s chief advertising revenue officer, commented, “By partnering with YouTube, a true leader in ad-supported content consumption, we’re uniting our unique skillset with their audience, creating an unparalleled opportunity for marketers and creators to grow their businesses.”

    Overall, SiriusXM Media now offers marketers access to 255 million monthly listeners, reaching nearly 90% of the U.S. population 13 and older, the company said.

  • Wall Street turns to ‘always-on’ RWA trading platforms as global conflicts escalate

    Wall Street turns to ‘always-on’ RWA trading platforms as global conflicts escalate

    The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran is accelerating Wall Street’s transition into tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) to allay the risk of geopolitical volatility. The crisis has solidified RWAs as essential “always-on” infrastructure for Wall Street, exposing the limitations of traditional financial markets that close during weekends.

    As of April 2026, financial institutions are increasingly adopting blockchain-based tokenized trading to reduce the risks posed by 24/7 geopolitical tensions that traditional markets are ill-equipped to handle.

    Closing on weekends when many geopolitical escalations occur has emerged as a critical vulnerability in traditional financial markets. Major attacks, such as the U.S. strikes on Iran in February 2026, have frequently happened during off-market hours.

    Accordingly, Wall Street desks now use tokenized assets and perpetual futures on platforms like Hyperliquid as the only open window for pricing gold, oil, and war risk when legacy exchanges are offline. The disruption of physical trade routes, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, has accelerated the shift toward instant “atomic” settlement.

    Tokenized U.S. Treasuries market surges to over $12B in April

    The tokenized U.S. Treasuries market has surged to $12.78 billion as of April 2026, as investors seek liquid collateral that can be moved instantly across borders. Tokenized commodities like gold and oil have also seen surging volumes as traders seek around-the-clock hedges against energy supply shocks.

    Meanwhile, institutional players are also transitioning from pilot programs to full-scale deployment of tokenized assets. Major firms like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton have integrated tokenized funds into their core offerings to avoid the bottlenecks of the traditional banking system during crises.

    These firms provide a digital-native structure that remains operational even as physical infrastructure, like in the Gulf, faces drone threats. As of April 2026, BlackRock has accumulated approximately $1.9 billion in tokenized U.S. Treasuries within its BUIDL fund.

    On the other hand, some nations, including Iran, are experimenting with blockchain to exchange value outside the U.S.-dollar-denominated system to bypass sanctions and naval blockades. Crypto-native platforms effectively became “the market” during critical moments, such as the February 2026 airstrikes. Legacy exchanges are now under intense pressure to adopt 24/7 trading models to compete with these digital-native structures, according to media reports.

    Consequently, on-chain perpetual futures for commodities like gold and oil now account for more than 67% of builder-deployed contracts on decentralized exchanges, with weekend volumes increasing ninefold since the beginning of 2026. The need for blockchain-based instant settlement has become a structural necessity, providing products that remain liquid even when physical trade routes are disrupted.

    IMF chief economist says U.S.-Iran war creates bigger risk than Trump’s tariffs

    IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas has emphasized that the U.S.-Iran conflict creates a far bigger risk to the global economy than President Donald Trump’s initial wave of steep tariffs a year ago.

    He further notes that several countries are likely to undergo outright recessions under this scenario, with oil prices averaging $110 per barrel in 2026 and $125 in 2027.

    “What’s happening in the Gulf is potentially much, much larger, and that’s what our scenarios are kind of documenting.”

    –Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Chief Economist at the IMF

    Based on these claims, the U.S.-Iran war is prompting investors to turn to tokenized oil and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms for hedging, with major financial players fast-tracking the launch of tokenized securities platforms. Traders are using 24/7 crypto-native markets to hedge against oil price volatility stemming from the conflict.

    The IMF also predicts that global GDP growth could fall to 2.5% under an adverse scenario of a longer conflict that would keep oil prices around $100 per barrel this year. The fund’s worst-case scenario assumes a deepening, prolonged conflict that could drive oil prices higher, prompting major financial market dislocations and tighter financial conditions, slashing global growth to 2%.