Iran’s decision to include Bitcoin as a payment option for oil tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz signals a growing shift in how nation-states view crypto—not just as an asset, but as geopolitical infrastructure.

At the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026, Binance co-CEO Yi He delivered a wide-ranging conversation that offered some of her most candid strategic signals to date — from an audacious user-growth target and a deliberate decision not to follow Silicon Valley's layoff playbook, to a clear-eyed assessment of how AI, crypto and traditional finance are colliding into a single, rewired global financial system.Three Priorities: AI's Singularity, Organizational Efficiency, and Crypto-TradFi ConvergenceAsked how she spends her time amid the current market cycle, Yi He laid out three focus areas beyond day-to-day operations.The first is what she called the "approaching AI singularity" — a moment she described as impossible to ignore and genuinely historic for humankind. She said she devotes significant thought to how AI will intersect with blockchain and finance, and what products and services will look like ten years from now.The second is organization and talent. Early-stage companies, she noted, are driven by the strengths of their founders. But beyond a certain scale, the question becomes how organizational efficiency can enable a company to "grow itself" — a challenge she said she continuously calibrates.The third is the deeper integration between crypto and traditional finance. Yi He pointed to unusually friendly regulatory signals from both the United States and the Hong Kong government, predicting an "earth-shaking" transformation ahead. In her view, the next decade could see global FX settlement migrate from SWIFT onto blockchain rails, and 24-hour, borderless asset trading — long the norm in crypto — become the global default.A Contrarian Stance: Binance Will Not Join the Big Tech Layoff WaveAgainst the backdrop of sweeping layoffs across major tech firms — many of which have seen their share prices rise on efficiency narratives — Yi He drew a clear line: "Binance does not plan to do mass layoffs like most tech companies in the name of cost-cutting."She shared an internal episode in which a Binance employee was caught moonlighting at multiple jobs, enabled by AI coding tools that boosted his productivity roughly tenfold. The employee was ultimately dismissed — but the incident reinforced her conviction that AI makes strong people stronger, rather than simply replacing them.Instead of shrinking headcount, Yi He said Binance's strategy is to use AI to amplify output and innovation across the existing team.The New Headline Number: 3 Billion UsersIn one of the most striking moments of the conversation, Yi He disclosed a target that she acknowledged sounds "a bit crazy" to outsiders: Binance is now aiming for 3 billion users, up from a previous goal of one billion. The company currently serves approximately 300 million users.The implication, she stressed, is that Binance is no longer positioning itself as an exchange. "It means Binance is global financial infrastructure," she said — one that must serve ordinary people in their day-to-day payments, savings and financial lives.She acknowledged user feedback on product friction and said she has spent much of the year personally pushing product optimization: "Give me a few more months, and we'll make it significantly better."AI Has "Grown Hands": A New Phase BeginsYi He offered a vivid framing of where AI now stands. Until recently, she said, AI resembled a highly intelligent but young child — smart, but prone to fabrication and lacking structural logic and continuous memory.Within just a few months, however, "AI has grown its own hands." She pointed to the recent wave of agentic capabilities being embedded in leading large models — AI is no longer a concept but an executor reshaping daily life.She was blunt about why coding has been the first profession transformed: "Because programmers are among the best-paid people in the world. Of course AI replaces the most expensive group first." Workers in traditional roles today, she suggested, resemble candle-factory workers at the dawn of electricity.On the US–China AI rivalry, Yi He pushed back against what she called "technological arrogance," arguing that the ultimate measure of AI is not geopolitical posturing but whether it actually improves individual lives — whether it warns a rural grandmother about a fraudulent health supplement, or gives a lonely elderly person someone to talk to.Quietly Becoming a Commodities PlayerOne of the most newsworthy disclosures came when Yi He revealed that Binance has begun listing major commodities including crude oil, gold and silver, and that trading volumes are already "significant within traditional market scale.""They may now see us as a threat, and perhaps shout 'down with crypto,'" she said — an echo of crypto's own early "down with Wall Street" slogans from 2014 and 2017. But she argued that convergence, not confrontation, now defines the market: Futu and Tiger in Hong Kong, and Robinhood in the US, all offer crypto alongside traditional assets.Her conclusion: "When you want to become foundational financial infrastructure, you shouldn't care too much whether you're labeled crypto or TradFi. Labels are a form of self-imposed confinement."Two Paths for Crypto: Dark Web or GoogleAsked how a crypto-native company should navigate regulation, Yi He drew a historical parallel. The early internet, she recalled, was dominated by hippie culture and dismissed as the domain of "geeks and freaks." Eventually, the industry bifurcated: those who turned left built the dark web in pursuit of absolute freedom; those who turned right built Google and Amazon, serving the global public.Binance, she declared, will "unwaveringly" take the second path.She also delivered a sober message to the industry: the early-adopter dividend is fading, and crypto is entering the "crossing the chasm" phase. Complaints grow louder precisely because easy gains are rarer. Her standing challenge to technologists has not changed: What is your technology for? What problem does it solve? Will anyone pay for it?Ten Years of Binance: "We're Not Building a Startup, We're Making History"Reflecting on CZ's newly released book and Binance's nearly decade-long arc, Yi He said her WeChat Moments have carried a single refrain since 2017: "We are not building a startup — we are making history."That path, she acknowledged, is never linear, and stigma comes with the territory. But she cast recent debates about AI's disruption of crypto as unremarkable: AI disrupts everything; Web3's disruption of finance is equally real. "Isn't finance a vast industry? Improving its efficiency even slightly is a remarkable innovation."Her philosophy: do hard but right things; advance a little every day.Advice for Web3 Newcomers: Don't Copy CZ's "Sell-the-House" MoveAddressing the large number of non-crypto attendees present, Yi He offered unusually direct advice:Buffett-style value investing applies in crypto too: if you don't understand the space, buy the leading assets. She described Bitcoin as "the largest decentralized asset" and BNB as "the largest centralized asset" — both reasonable small-allocation starting points.Distinguish between "revolving-door" and "one-way-door" decisions. Reversible mistakes are learning opportunities; irreversible ones require deep caution."CZ once sold his house and went all-in. I really don't recommend that."The best way to learn an industry is often to own a small piece of it — then iterate your understanding through action.AI follows the same rule: "Just start using it. Execution and cognition — iterate your cognition through execution."Above all: make sure your cost of entry is controllable.She also pushed back against zero-sum thinking: when a business creates real value and customers willingly pay for it, "earn the money you deserve to earn — that's enough." Growth, in her view, is a spiral process accompanied by controversy and pain. And among those who achieve financial freedom, she noted, only a small handful choose to keep going — driven by curiosity about how far the journey can reach.

BIT released a chart today stating that Bitcoin has been in a correction phase since October of last year, with weak liquidity being a significant contributing factor. During the same period, Tether's market capitalization hovered around $183 billion, with limited overall growth and a lack of significant new capital inflows, putting downward pressure on prices and fostering cautious sentiment. Recently, this situation has begun to ease. Tether saw an increase of approximately $3 billion in circulating supply, leading to a rebound in the overall stablecoin market capitalization and signs of improved market liquidity. Combined with other fund flow indicators, the signals are trending positive, but this is still in its early stages. Marginal improvements in fund flows are worth noting, as these signals often precede price action. If this trend continues in the coming weeks, it could provide some support for prices.

On April 20, tensions within the Pentagon have escalated as the Trump administration advances its military restructuring efforts. According to BlockBeats, U.S. President Donald Trump's government has seen increasing rifts between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll over personnel appointments and authority boundaries. Dan Driscoll publicly supported the dismissed Army Chief of Staff Randy George during a congressional hearing, which was perceived as a direct challenge to Pete Hegseth. Previously, Hegseth had swiftly removed Randy George from his position via phone during his vacation, causing significant unrest within the military. The core of the conflict stems from disputes over a series of personnel appointments. Sources indicate that Pete Hegseth had requested the removal of certain officers from the promotion list, which Dan Driscoll opposed, leading to a rapid deterioration in their relationship. Subsequently, the internal struggle within the Pentagon over high-ranking officer appointments and power distribution has intensified. Additionally, the Trump administration's previous decision to bypass the Department of Defense and directly involve Dan Driscoll in coordinating external affairs has been seen as a significant factor exacerbating the conflict between the two officials. This ongoing power struggle has affected the appointments of several senior officers and raised concerns about the stability of the U.S. military command structure.

In her talk at the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival, themed "From Leap to Reconstruction: The Future of Finance is Being 'Reprogrammed'," He Yi stated that she spends a lot of time thinking about the potential global transformation brought about by the integration of AI and blockchain, and AI and finance, and what the future of finance will look like. This means she needs to consider what Binance's products and services will likely look like ten years from now. She also mentioned spending considerable time on organizational and talent development, noting that while early-stage companies may rely on founders, co-founders, or individual strengths to drive growth, as companies reach a certain size, organizational efficiency becomes crucial—how to enable the organization to grow autonomously. This is an area she has been constantly reflecting on and refining. She added that the further integration of crypto and traditional finance is a topic of discussion, and given the current favorable environment for the blockchain industry, both the US and Hong Kong governments are showing significant support. Therefore, she believes the industry may undergo a radical transformation in the future, especially when the singularity arrives. When it arrives, we will be completely unaware. It might happen on a typical day, amidst our daily routines of eating, drinking, and sleeping, but the changes it will bring to our lives could mean that all global foreign exchange transactions will take place on the blockchain, no longer relying on the old SWIFT system. We might see all asset transactions no longer limited to a few hours, but rather operating 24/7 globally, like the cryptocurrency market. The entire world is rapidly entering a state of "push-back" momentum.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform is set to expand its trading options by introducing new trading pairs on Binance Spot. Trading for 币安人生/U, 币安人生/USD1, ENJ/U, GIGGLE/U, and ORDI/U will commence on 2026-04-21 at 08:00 (UTC). Additionally, Binance will activate Trading Bots services for these pairs at the same time, enhancing the trading experience for users. The introduction of these pairs aims to provide more choices and flexibility for traders on the platform. Binance is also launching a zero fee promotion for U spot and margin trading pairs, applicable to eligible users. This promotion will start on 2026-04-21 at 08:00 (UTC) and will continue until further notice. During this period, zero maker fees will apply to 币安人生/U, ENJ/U, GIGGLE/U, and ORDI/U spot and margin trading pairs. However, standard taker fees will remain in effect. The trading volume of these pairs will contribute to users' VIP tier volume calculation. Users are encouraged to check the trading fee structure for more details once the validity period ends. Binance emphasizes that trading eligibility is subject to the user's country or region of residence. Currently, users from Canada, Cuba, Crimea Region, Iran, Netherlands, North Korea, Syria, the United States and its territories, and non-government controlled areas of Ukraine are restricted from trading these pairs. Account verification is required to participate in trading these new pairs. Binance reserves the right to amend the promotion terms and conditions or disqualify participants involved in dishonest behavior. The platform remains committed to maintaining a fair and transparent trading environment.

Brent crude oil prices surged by up to 7.9% on Monday following the US Navy's action to fire upon and seize an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. According to NS3.AI, this geopolitical tension has impacted various markets, with gold, silver, platinum, and Bitcoin experiencing declines. Trading Economics data revealed that silver decreased by 1.07% to $79.89, platinum fell 2.22% to $2,094.20, and gold slipped 0.85% to $4,792.48. Meanwhile, BeInCrypto Markets data indicated that the total cryptocurrency market capitalization dropped by 1.15% over the past 24 hours, with Bitcoin initially falling below $74,000 before recovering to $74,190 by press time. Attention is now shifting to Wednesday's ceasefire deadline and the possibility of Iran participating in another round of talks in Islamabad.

Former NBA star Scottie Pippen has disclosed his interest in the cryptocurrency market, highlighting Shiba Inu as part of his watchlist. According to NS3.AI, Pippen's list comprises ten tokens, with Bitcoin being his primary investment focus. Additionally, he mentioned Dogecoin, XRP, and Cardano's ADA as other notable assets he is monitoring.

Gold's confidence in breaking through upper resistance levels has noticeably cooled, with its near-term structure shifting towards a defensive stance. According to Jin10, silver's downward momentum has further compressed, while there is a clear divergence in opinions regarding its potential upward movement.

Binance Co-CEO He Yi, during a fireside chat on the theme "Reshaping Convenience: The Next Decade of Web3, AI, and the Smart Economy," stated: "When the internet first emerged in Silicon Valley, it had a very strong hippie culture. In that era, many people considered those involved in the internet and technology to be geeks or oddballs. However, I think the internet branched out dramatically during that time. Those who went left created the dark web, advocating absolute freedom, while those who went right created Google and Amazon, becoming ordinary commercial companies serving a wider global audience. If you ask me where Binance will go, we will definitely move unwaveringly towards becoming a commercial company serving the masses. But at the same time, as we serve the masses, I think we haven't forgotten that technological innovation is still extremely important, whether it's blockchain technology or AI." Technology, often perceived as subject to stigma or controversy in the crypto space, is a normal phenomenon for new things. If everyone understood it and there were no disputes, how could there be so many arduous challenges and continuous innovation? Looking back at my childhood experiences of going to internet cafes, my mother probably wanted to break my legs. Therefore, when we see blockchain being embraced by both Wall Street and traditional finance in a complete 180-degree turn, I think it precisely indicates that the industry is becoming increasingly mature, and the early-stage dividends are diminishing. When early dividends decrease, complaints tend to increase. The early-stage dividend period is over, and we enter the so-called maturity stage. Crossing the chasm means that all these products need to truly have value and be practically applied. Therefore, I have great respect for many professional technical experts in the industry, but I often ask them a question: What is your technology used for? What problems can it solve? And will anyone be willing to pay for it?

Nayib Bukele leads a 26-country survey with 94% approval while El Salvador keeps buying about 1 Bitcoin a day and holds over 7,600 BTC. His support comes mainly from improved security, not Bitcoin, which most people say has little impact on their lives.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival, comprehensively outlining Ethereum's five-year technology roadmap, clarifying Ethereum's core value proposition, phased technology upgrade plan, and underlying principles for long-term development.

The key to survival in a bear market lies in understanding how to identify complex, structured commodities and protect oneself.

This attack originated from a highly sophisticated state-sponsored hacking group, most likely North Korea's Lazarus Group. The underlying reason is that KelpDAO uses a single DVN (Decentralized Authentication Network) setup.

Sometimes, reality is more absurd than a script. Even if a screenwriter dares to write it that way, the audience might not believe it.

From April 20th to 23rd, the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Numerous guests from regulatory bodies, the crypto ecosystem, traditional finance, and cutting-edge technology sectors shared their insights. Jinse Finance has compiled the keynote speeches from these speakers.

A US federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Caitlyn Jenner, ruling that her JENNER memecoin does not qualify as a security under US law—marking a significant moment for the legal treatment of celebrity-backed crypto tokens.

Hackers stole about $292 million from KelpDAO’s bridge and used it on Aave, leaving over $236 million in bad debt. Justin Sun urged the attacker to negotiate returning the funds.

As AI agents begin to manage real-world systems, who controls the underlying models? Furthermore, blockchain can fill in the gaps in AI's infrastructure in four other ways.