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Foresight News reported, citing NADA NEWS, that Kazuto Hatano, head of the on-chain business for Soneium, Sony's Ethereum Layer 2 network, stated that Sony's blockchain business is moving from the experimental phase to the business development phase. The former "Advanced Infrastructure Business Exploration Department" has been renamed the "On-Chain Business Strategy Department," repositioning blockchain as a core company strategy. This year, Sony will focus on exploring on-chain applications in the IP sector, leveraging Soneium to build on-chain IP infrastructure for core assets such as music, animation, games, film, and sports. Currently, Sony is simultaneously working on designing relevant legal and regulatory frameworks. In addition, Sony is preparing to establish a GP/LP-type investment fund to accelerate investment in Soneium-based applications and the entertainment sector by introducing external capital. At present, its incubation program SPARK has received over 2,000 DApp applications, with 23 projects already receiving investment. The Sony ecosystem also includes the cryptocurrency exchange S.BLOX, which aims to connect fiat currency and digital assets.

Golden Ten Data reported on April 17 that the Indian government issued a notice on Friday regarding the import of gold and silver, following policy confusion that had previously caused these precious metals to be held up at customs. The notice listed banks approved to import the precious metals. Surendra Mehta, National Secretary of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association, said the notice resolved the import issue. India's gold purchases are closely linked to religious festivals and weddings. For instance, the Akshaya Tritiya festival on April 19 typically triggers a surge in demand, as households buy gold jewelry, coins, and bars for cultural and investment purposes. However, in recent months, India's consumption has slowed as high prices have dampened consumer demand. Madhavi Arora, an economist at economic services firm Emkay Global, noted that this situation appears not to be an intentional “or outright gold ban, but rather a temporary glitch and administrative delay.”

Despite both the US and Pakistan sending positive signals about the end of the conflict and the reopening of Hormuz, the situation in Iran remains the biggest risk hanging over the global markets. Stock markets are fully betting on a perfect resolution, reaching record-high levels, with both the S&P 500 and the Nikkei Index hitting new all-time highs.The pricing logic among traders is straightforward yet fragile: should peace be achieved, the pre-war logic of strong corporate earnings supporting valuations will seamlessly return. However, spot crude oil prices remain near historical highs—even though Brent futures have fallen below $100 per barrel, they are still 33% higher than in late February.The cognitive gap between the two major markets has reached a dangerous width. The stock market simplifies complex geopolitics into a binary switch, ignoring the lingering impact of energy costs on both consumption and production. Meanwhile, the oil market, through its persistent near-term premium structure, continues to send warnings that supply disruptions are unresolved.If diplomatic efforts fail to achieve substantial navigation through the Strait, elevated energy prices will eliminate any room for central banks to cut interest rates, forcing rates to remain at restrictive highs. In that case, companies will not only suffer from cost pressures but also from a double blow to valuations due to higher discount rates. The current optimistic pricing in equities hardly includes any tail-risk compensation for a breakdown in negotiations.