News

LME copper prices have fallen to a one-week low as inflationary pressures and interest rate hike expectations boost the US dollar. Morgan Stanley warns that scrap copper supplies are running short. Can tightening supply support prices?

Odaily reported that the escalation of the Iran situation is becoming a practical stress test for the financial market’s “24/7 trading” capabilities. Market analyst Huang pointed out that, under the latest geopolitical tensions, traders did not wait for traditional financial markets to open, but instead traded directly via blockchain infrastructure, using on-chain platforms like Hyperliquid for round-the-clock price discovery and risk hedging of assets such as crude oil and gold. Analysis indicates that the speed of information dissemination now far exceeds the traditional market’s response mechanisms. News spreads instantly across time zones, but the traditional trading system is still constrained by opening hours and weekend closures, making it impossible for prices to immediately reflect the latest information and often causing concentrated volatility and liquidity shocks when markets reopen. In contrast, blockchain networks offer 24/7 operation and real-time settlement capabilities, allowing traders to continuously adjust their positions outside traditional trading hours. These networks are seen as a supplement—or even an alternative—to conventional market structures. During the recent Iran conflict, this “always-on market” model further highlighted its value. Analysts noted that the core issue lies in the structural mismatch between market infrastructure and the information environment. While the traditional financial system still dominates in terms of liquidity and scale, time constraints are increasingly becoming a source of efficiency loss, especially in today’s highly volatile and event-driven macro environment. At the same time, on-chain derivatives platforms such as Hyperliquid are proving the feasibility of round-the-clock markets and gradually taking on some risk pricing functions during weekends and outside regular trading hours. However, the industry generally believes that current on-chain systems still face limitations in liquidity depth, performance, and institutional-level risk management, making it difficult to fully replace traditional exchanges in the short term. Overall, the market is gradually shifting from “trading session-driven” to “information-driven perpetual trading,” and competition at the infrastructure level is accelerating. (CoinDesk)

The BNB Chain report indicates that due to increased transaction data, post-quantum upgrades may reduce throughput by 40-50%. (Cointelegraph)