Key Takeaways The S&P 500 jumped 1% and the Nasdaq added 0.9%, both reaching all-time highs, driven by strong corporate earnings and resilient US GDP growth of 2.0% in Q1 2026Brent crude spiked to $126 per barrel -- a four-year high -- before slumping 3.4% to close at $114.01 as initial Middle East escalation fears easedAlphabet surged 10% on strong AI-driven earnings; Meta fell 8.6% on concerns over heavy AI spending; Apple beat forecasts after the bell with shares up 4.7% in after-hours tradingThe Fed, ECB, and Bank of England all held rates unchanged; the ECB warned that war-related energy disruptions have "intensified" risks to eurozone growth and inflationUS Q1 2026 GDP grew at an annualized rate of 2.0%, defying fears of a near-term slowdown despite cooling consumer spending US equity markets surged to record highs on Thursday as strong corporate earnings and resilient economic growth outweighed an extraordinary intraday spike in oil prices that briefly pushed Brent crude to $126 per barrel -- its highest level in four years -- before a sharp reversal closed the session with crude sharply lower. The S&P 500 gained 1% and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.9%, both reaching all-time highs as investor optimism around tech earnings and AI-driven corporate profit growth overcame the morning's geopolitical anxiety. European markets also closed higher, taking their cue from the broadly positive US tech earnings backdrop. Oil's Wild Session The day's most dramatic price action came in energy markets. Brent crude surged to $126 per barrel in early trading -- its highest level since 2022 -- after President Trump warned that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports could last months and reports emerged that he would be briefed on potential fresh military strike options. The combination of escalation fears and the expiry of monthly futures contracts amplified the move. The rally proved short-lived. Markets calmed as the initial panic subsided, and Brent closed down 3.4% at $114.01. "Fears about escalation in the conflict between the US and Iran fueled the initial move higher before the market calmed down," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB. Despite the intraday reversal, Brent remains significantly elevated relative to its pre-conflict levels before US-Israel strikes targeting Iran began on February 28. Earnings Drive the Record Rally The equity market's record-setting session was powered by a split tech earnings picture that nonetheless left the bulls in control. Alphabet -- Google's parent company -- surged 10% as investors applauded the firm's successful pivot to artificial intelligence and solid revenue performance across its major divisions. Apple reported after the closing bell with earnings that beat forecasts on strong iPhone demand, sending shares up 4.7% in after-hours trading. Meta was the session's major disappointment, falling 8.6% amid investor concern over the scale of its artificial intelligence capital expenditure commitments -- a reminder that AI spending enthusiasm has limits when it comes at the cost of near-term profitability. Angelo Kourkafas of Edward Jones attributed the broader market strength to corporate profit resilience. "A lot of that comes down to corporate profits," he said, adding that US GDP data "continues to defy fears of a near-term slowdown." GDP Beats, Consumer Spending Cools The macro backdrop supported the bullish equity narrative. The US Commerce Department reported Thursday that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.0% in the first quarter of 2026 -- a figure that defied expectations of sharper slowdown given the geopolitical and inflationary headwinds of the period. A surge in AI-related investment was identified as a key growth driver, though consumer spending cooled during the quarter. Central Banks Hold as Europe Warns Thursday also brought a coordinated hold from three major central banks. The European Central Bank and Bank of England both kept rates unchanged, following the Federal Reserve's hold on Wednesday. The ECB issued a warning that risks to eurozone growth and inflation have "intensified" due to the war's impact on global energy supplies, while the Bank of England cut its UK growth forecast. Eurozone GDP data released Thursday showed the bloc's economy grew just 0.1% in Q1 2026 -- a near-stagnation reading that underscores the divergence between the resilient US economy and a Europe absorbing a more direct energy shock. Crypto Market Implications For Bitcoin and crypto markets, Thursday's session delivered a mixed but broadly constructive signal. S&P 500 and Nasdaq all-time highs reduce the risk of a broader equity-driven risk-off move that could drag crypto lower, while the oil price reversal from $126 to $114 eases -- at least temporarily -- one of the key inflationary pressures that has been capping Bitcoin's ability to clear $79,000. Apple's after-hours beat and Alphabet's 10% surge suggest the tech earnings season is broadly supportive of risk appetite heading into Friday's session.

Bloomberg posted on X that U.S. President Donald Trump is encountering difficulties in the ongoing conflict with Iran, which is increasingly resembling a quagmire. As the situation becomes more complex, there is speculation that the president might seek alternative strategies or take risks in other areas to offset the challenges faced in Iran. This development comes amid broader geopolitical tensions and strategic considerations.

Hyperliquid News reported on the X platform that Tradexyz has added a Pre-IPO market feature to its documentation. This system allows users to gain exposure before a stock goes public. The market oracle prices based on the company's latest funding round, with the price determined by the market via Hyperp. After the IPO, perpetual contracts are automatically converted to the IPO price; if no IPO occurs, settlement is based on the average Pre-IPO price. The CBRS Pre-IPO market is currently tradable, with the expected IPO date being May 7th.

The global cryptocurrency market cap now stands at $2.54T, down by -1.29% over the last day, according to CoinMarketCap data. Bitcoin (BTC) has been trading between $75,876 and $77,500 over the past 24 hours. As of 09:30 AM (UTC) today, BTC is trading at $77,329, up by 1.40%. Most major cryptocurrencies by market cap are trading mixed. Market outperformers include MEGA, QI, and NFP, up by 185%, 33%, and 29%, respectively. Market movers: ETH: $2284.26 (+0.74%) BNB: $617.39 (-0.11%) XRP: $1.3763 (-0.06%) SOL: $84.02 (+0.80%) TRX: $0.3263 (+0.40%) DOGE: $0.108 (+0.41%) WBTC: $77152.62 (+1.49%) U: $1.0002 (-0.01%) XAUT: $4568.36 (-1.11%) BCH: $443.3 (-0.74%) Top gainers on Binance: MEGA/USDT (+185%) QI/USDT (+33%) NFP/USDT (+29%)

Riot Blockchain has announced its financial results for the first quarter, revealing a revenue of $167 million. According to NS3.AI, the company's expanded data center operations contributed $33.2 million to this figure. Riot Blockchain also disclosed that it currently holds approximately 15,679 Bitcoin.

Trade.xyz has announced plans to introduce Pre-IPO stock perpetual contracts, according to Foresight News. These contracts will reflect the prices of companies preparing for public listing, rather than representing actual shares. The platform stated that the opening prices will be based on the company's most recent public funding rounds, disclosed valuations, IPO documents, or other relevant public information. Before the target company goes public, the Pre-IPO perpetual contract market will operate using a mechanism similar to Hyperp. Once the company completes its public listing, the corresponding perpetual contract market will transition to a standard external pricing perpetual contract based on the listed stock. This conversion will occur when there is sufficient external market data to support standard oracle pricing.

Mike Wilson has highlighted that increasing bond volatility poses a greater threat to stocks than the ongoing Iran conflict, particularly if the 10-year Treasury yield surpasses 4.50%. According to NS3.AI, Wilson emphasized that heightened bond volatility could diminish market liquidity and present a more significant challenge to equity multiples than the mere level of interest rates. He also noted that the current market rally is bolstered by widespread earnings growth, with the median Russell 3000 company experiencing nearly 14% year-over-year earnings growth.

According to BitMart's market observations on May 1st, BTC is currently trading at approximately $77,329, with an intraday high of approximately $77,435; ETH is trading at approximately $2,284.82, with an intraday high of approximately $2,289.71; and SOL is trading at approximately $84.15, with an intraday high of approximately $84.25. Overall, major assets continued their relatively strong performance today, with BTC returning above $77,000, and ETH and SOL stabilizing in tandem. Market sentiment has improved somewhat compared to the previous trading day. BTC's continued high-level trading indicates that the core asset is still supported; ETH's volatility has been relatively subdued, reflecting more of a follow-up correction; and SOL has returned to the $84 level, showing that risk appetite for popular cryptocurrencies has not cooled significantly. Currently, there are no signs of further accelerated expansion in the market, but active selling pressure is also relatively limited, with the overall trend still dominated by a corrective movement after consolidation at high levels. BitMart X Insight: The Wall Street Journal reported that May 1st was a holiday, with markets in many parts of Europe and Asia closed, resulting in relatively light trading. Meanwhile, oil prices remained high, and US Treasury yields were largely stable, with market focus remaining on the balance between inflation and risk appetite. Reflecting on the crypto market, BTC, ETH, and SOL remained generally stable today, indicating that short-term sentiment has not weakened significantly. However, given the weak liquidity in external markets, the willingness to further chase prices remained relatively restrained. Investors are advised to continue monitoring the support level of BTC around $77,000 and whether ETH and SOL can achieve a clearer correlation and recovery after the holiday. This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice. The crypto market is highly volatile and risky; please make rational decisions and manage your personal risk.

Brazil's Central Bank (BCB) has issued Resolution No. 561, prohibiting the use of virtual assets for settlement in regulated eFX international payment and transfer services. According to Odaily, the resolution mandates that payments between eFX service providers and their foreign counterparts must be conducted exclusively through foreign exchange transactions or non-resident Brazilian real accounts, strictly forbidding the use of virtual assets. This regulation also applies to eFX providers in the transition phase who have not yet been approved. These companies must seek authorization from the central bank by May 31, 2027, to continue offering services. The measure does not constitute a complete ban on crypto asset transfers within Brazil but aims to confine cross-border payment flows to regulated foreign exchange channels. The Brazilian Central Bank stated that the decision was prompted by the surge in stablecoin usage in cross-border payments, raising concerns about money laundering, taxation, and monetary sovereignty.

Visa has introduced its 'Visa Agentic Ready' global initiative in Hong Kong, focusing initially on preparing card issuers. According to Foresight News, the program offers a comprehensive testing process for issuers, integrating tokenization technology, identity verification, risk management, and authorization mechanisms to explore reliable agent-based payments across various applications. The 'Visa Agentic Ready' initiative is now officially available in Hong Kong and several Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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