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JPMorgan analysts pointed out in their latest report that although the overall cryptocurrency market has recovered after the Iran conflict, Ethereum and other altcoins continue to underperform compared to Bitcoin. The analyst team led by Managing Director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou stated that this trend, which began in 2023, "is unlikely to change unless we see meaningful improvements in network activity, DeFi, and real-world applications."The analysts noted that since the conflict triggered a market sell-off, Bitcoin's recovery in spot ETF fund flows and institutional futures positions has outperformed Ethereum. The spot Bitcoin ETF has recovered about two-thirds of the previous outflows, while the spot Ethereum ETF has only recovered about one-third. CME futures positions also indicate that institutional investors are rebuilding their Bitcoin exposure more aggressively than Ethereum.Regarding the upcoming Ethereum upgrades (Glamsterdam and Hegota), analysts questioned whether they would be sufficient to improve ETH's relative performance. Upgrades over the past three years have primarily reduced Layer 2 transaction costs, which has weakened the Ethereum network's fee generation and token burn mechanisms, leading to an accelerated net supply growth and weakened price support. Whether the new upgrades can generate enough new demand and network activity remains to be seen.For altcoins, analysts believe that since 2023, weak liquidity conditions, low market depth and breadth, limited growth in DeFi activity, and recurring hacking and security incidents have collectively eroded market confidence and hindered the deployment of new capital.

According to The Block, JPMorgan analysts have stated that despite the overall recovery of the cryptocurrency market following the Iran conflict, Ethereum and altcoins continue to underperform Bitcoin. The analysts believe that unless there is a substantial improvement in network activity, DeFi, and real-world applications, this trend that began in 2023 is unlikely to change.The analysts pointed out that the spot Bitcoin ETF has recovered about two-thirds of the previously withdrawn funds, while the spot Ethereum ETF has only recovered about one-third. CME futures positions indicate that institutions are rebuilding their Bitcoin exposure more aggressively than Ethereum, with Bitcoin futures positions nearly fully restored, while Ethereum futures positions remain below previous levels.The analysts also questioned whether the upcoming Ethereum upgrade could effectively boost network activity. They noted that upgrades over the past three years have primarily reduced Layer 2 transaction costs, leading to lower Ethereum network fees, a weakened token burn mechanism, and accelerated net supply growth, which has undermined ETH's price support.Regarding altcoins, the analysts pointed out that poor liquidity, insufficient market depth, limited growth in DeFi activity, and repeated hacking incidents have eroded confidence and hindered the allocation of new capital.

JPMorgan analysts stated that despite the overall recovery of the cryptocurrency market after the Iran conflict, Ethereum and other altcoins continue to underperform Bitcoin. This trend, which has formed since 2023, may be difficult to reverse in the short term unless there is a significant improvement in network activity, DeFi, and real-world applications.The report pointed out that, based on spot ETF fund flows and institutional futures positions, the recovery of Bitcoin is stronger than that of Ethereum. The spot Bitcoin ETF has recovered about two-thirds of the previous outflows, while the spot Ethereum ETF has only recovered about one-third. At the same time, CME futures data shows that institutional investors are more actively rebuilding their exposure to Bitcoin, with Bitcoin futures positions nearly fully restored, while Ethereum futures positions remain below previous levels.JPMorgan believes that the relative weakness of ETH and altcoins against Bitcoin may continue due to the lack of stronger on-chain fundamentals and real-world application support.

International oil prices continue to fluctuate at high levels, and market trading enthusiasm continues to rise. According to data from the Gate platform, WTI crude oil (XTIUSDT) reached a maximum of $99.69 in 24 hours, currently reported at $98.33, with a 24-hour increase of about 1.64%; Brent crude oil (XBRUSDT) reached a maximum of $105.58 in 24 hours, currently reported at $103.89, with a 24-hour increase of about 1.18%. Against the backdrop of high oil price fluctuations, the trading demand in the crude oil derivatives market has further been released.According to CoinGlass data, the 24-hour contract transaction volume of WTI crude oil (XTI) on the Gate platform reached $4.1903 million; the 24-hour contract transaction volume of Brent crude oil (XBR) reached $11.1608 million, both firmly ranking first in the industry. With continuous capital inflow, Gate's liquidity advantage and market influence in the commodity contract sector have further increased.Gate contracts pioneered the commodity contract sector, covering XBRUSDT (Brent crude oil), XTIUSDT (WTI crude oil), BZ (Brent crude oil), CL (WTI crude oil), and NG (natural gas) perpetual contract trading, providing 24/7 trading, USDT settlement, and up to 100 times leverage, assisting users in cross-market asset allocation and strategy layout in volatile markets.

According to a report by the analysis firm Kaiko on Monday, the open interest, funding rates, and on-chain trading patterns in the perpetual contract market indicate that some traders may have positioned themselves ahead of the announcement of the Robinhood cryptocurrency listing. The report highlights the most obvious case of wallet address 0xa1E, which opened a long position in Lighter (LIT) on Hyperliquid at 11:05 AM on January 15, about an hour before Robinhood announced the listing of the token, and this wallet subsequently closed the position after the announcement.The same address also opened a short position in HOOD a few hours before Robinhood reported lower-than-expected first-quarter revenue on April 28. Several tokens, including ZEC, SNX, and NEAR, experienced abnormal spikes in open interest and funding rates, as well as price drift, before their listing announcements. Researcher Fraussen told Cointelegraph that traders who understand microstructure may have noticed public signals such as rising funding rates and increased trading volume and positioned themselves accordingly, but this type of positioning is statistically consistent and has repeatedly occurred across multiple events, reflecting privileged access to Robinhood's listing pipeline or a highly reliable front-running method based on public signals.

According to market news, Bitcoin's on-chain activity has dropped to a two-year low, with an average of about 531,000 active wallets and 203,000 new wallets per day. This data is significantly disconnected from Bitcoin's recent breakthrough of $80,000 (the first time in three months).Santiment points out that typically, a price increase should attract more users and on-chain activity, but currently, the price rise is driven by smaller participants rather than a broad influx of new and returning users. Price increases lacking support from on-chain participation are often fragile, and when large holders take profits, there may not be enough new demand to take over. Historical data shows that a bottom in network activity often marks the end of a lull period, and once retail interest returns, there may be greater upside potential for prices.

According to CoinGlass data, index contracts have been overall active in the past 4 hours, with the Gate platform's HK50 contract seeing a position increase of up to 5769.9%, ranking first in the entire market.Gate has pioneered the global index perpetual contract, using mainstream global indices and volatility indices as underlying assets, introducing market sentiment indicators into the cryptocurrency derivatives trading system. While maintaining the advantages of USDT settlement and 24/7 trading, it provides users with trading options that are closer to the global macro market. At the same time, Gate has fully laid out traditional financial trading areas including stocks, metals, foreign exchange, indices, and commodities, and is continuously building a multi-asset contract system covering mainstream TradFi assets, creating the industry's most comprehensive index and traditional financial asset contract trading area.

Gold and silver opened slightly lower. Gold (XAU) reached a high of $4,826.60 in 24 hours and is currently at $4,795.56, down 0.49%; silver (XAG) peaked at $81.97 and is currently at $80.28, down about 0.52%. Against the backdrop of fluctuating metal prices, market trading sentiment remains active.According to CoinGlass data, the trading volume of gold (XAU) contracts on the Gate platform reached $79.3635 million in 24 hours, an increase of 326.77%, maintaining industry leadership; the trading volume of silver (XAG) in 24 hours was approximately $55.2903 million, with an increase of 964.24%, also ranking among the industry leaders. In the context of increased price volatility, trading enthusiasm continues to rise, further demonstrating Gate's advantages in liquidity and trading depth in the metal derivatives sector.Gate pioneered the metal contract trading sector, providing 24/7 uninterrupted trading, offering users greater strategic flexibility and asset management efficiency in volatile markets. Gate contracts cover various traditional financial assets, including stocks, metals, foreign exchange, indices, and commodities, supporting trading in core assets such as gold, silver, and globally popular stocks. Gate continues to build a more efficient and professional multi-asset one-stop trading platform for global users.

As the geopolitical situation shows signs of easing, the crude oil market has experienced a significant correction, with international oil prices falling and erasing some of the previous risk premiums.According to data from the Gate platform, WTI crude oil (XTIUSDT) has dropped by 3.68%, currently priced at $88.51, with a 24-hour low of $84.47; Brent crude oil (XBRUSDT) has also decreased by about 2.48%, falling to $90.76, with a 24-hour low of $86.62. Amidst a backdrop of high volatility, trading in crude oil-related derivatives remains active.According to Coinglass data, the 24-hour trading volume for WTI crude oil (XTIUSD) on the Gate platform reached $14.58 million, ranking first among all exchanges; Gate XBR had a 24-hour trading volume of $10 million, also leading the rankings. The increasing participation of funds in a high-volatility market further reflects the liquidity and depth advantages of derivative trading on the Gate platform.Gate Contracts has pioneered the commodity contract sector, covering XBRUSDT (Brent crude oil), XTIUSDT (WTI crude oil), and NG (natural gas) perpetual contract trading, providing 24/7 trading, USDT settlement, and up to 100x leverage, helping users to allocate assets and strategize across markets in volatile conditions.

CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost stated that the number of large transfers sent to exchanges by wholecoiners (investors holding at least 1 full BTC) has significantly decreased.Currently, the average monthly transfer volume of this type on Binance is only about 6,000 BTC, comparable to levels in 2018, and far below the 15,400 BTC seen in 2021. Globally, the transfer volume has dropped from a peak of 80,000 BTC in 2018 to about 27,500 BTC.Darkfost pointed out that this trend is partly due to the continuous rise in Bitcoin prices making it increasingly difficult to hold full BTC, and it also reflects a profound change in market structure: products like ETFs allow investors to gain exposure without directly holding BTC, while more and more investors are shifting to long-term holding strategies.He believes this means that selling pressure has eased, but it has also led to a gradual decline in the liquidity of Bitcoin supply on exchanges.

ChainCatcher has officially launched the "HK Web3 Feastival" peripheral activity inquiry section, featuring nearly 100 selected peripheral activities, making it easy for readers to quickly and conveniently find relevant information.It is reported that the "HK Web3 Feastival" will be held in Hong Kong from April 20 to 23. As a top industry event, it will not only attract high-level officials from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, decision-makers from traditional financial giants, representatives from leading technology companies, founders of top blockchain projects, partners from investment institutions, and well-known experts and scholars, but also a large number of peripheral themed activities, bringing together people from all sectors of the industry to discuss the future of Web3.During the event, ChainCatcher will also collaborate with RootData to hold the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum on April 19 at 14:00 (GMT+8), focusing on in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure.

According to CoinGlass data, in the past 4 hours, various assets have continued to rise in the contract position increase rankings. HK50 has a position of approximately $3.5027 million, with an increase of 1527.05%; US30 has a position of approximately $4.4947 million, with an increase of 152.44%. The core targets at the top of the increase rankings are all products that Gate has launched, significantly boosting the trading activity of related contracts.From a structural perspective, the targets with the highest increases are mainly concentrated in index and individual stock contracts, with funds continuously flowing into related derivatives. Against the backdrop of multi-asset volatility, this further reflects Gate's advantages in product coverage and liquidity.

Web3 wallet Zerion announced on the X platform that it has discovered abnormal activity on the platform, reminding users to temporarily refrain from using the web application services. Related services have been temporarily taken offline, but the iOS and Android applications, as well as the web extension, are safe. User funds within the wallet have not been affected, and the situation is being actively monitored. Users will be notified separately once the web application is restored.

SimpleChain announced that its testnet officially launched yesterday, simultaneously initiating an early ecosystem airdrop plan. Users can earn points by participating in testnet tasks, and these points will serve as the core basis for future public chain token airdrops.It is reported that the core members of the SimpleChain team come from former executives of Shuqin Technology and Ant Group. ChainCatcher previously reported that SimpleChain has completed a $15 million seed round of financing, led by traditional family offices and industrial investment institutions.SimpleChain is a Layer 1 infrastructure public chain specifically designed for RWA, and the testnet phase will focus on validating its core capabilities, including Trusted Data Services (TDS), Compliance as a Service (CaaS), and the complete link of the asset issuance protocol DataIPO.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Bitcoin futures market continues to weaken. Data shows that the average daily open interest (OI) in March 2026 has fallen below $8 billion, further dropping to about $7.2 billion in early April, marking a new low since February 2024, and it has declined for the fifth consecutive month. Meanwhile, the monthly trading volume in March fell to $163 billion, nearly halving from the peak of January 2025.Market analysis indicates that this round of decline is primarily due to large-scale liquidations of "basis trades." Previously, institutions profited from price differences by buying spot ETFs and shorting CME futures, which was the core driving force behind the growth of CME positions. However, as Bitcoin prices have retreated from a high of $120,000 to below $70,000, the annualized basis yield has significantly compressed. Currently, the basis yield of about 5% is close to the risk-free interest rate level of about 4.5%. When factoring in funding costs and counterparty risks, the arbitrage space has essentially disappeared, prompting leveraged funds to withdraw.

CryptoQuant stated that the Bitcoin network activity index has rebounded after months of decline, with daily transaction volume reaching approximately 615,000, the highest level since November 2024, involving multiple indicators such as addresses, transactions, and UTXOs.The analysis also pointed out that current Bitcoin fees remain low, and in this environment, exchanges and large holders may be conducting UTXO consolidation and fund restructuring. The surge in activity is partly due to operational behavior rather than purely organic demand.

According to the latest tracking data from Santiment, Ethereum's on-chain network activity has recently surged significantly, with the number of daily active addresses reaching 788,000. At the same time, the number of newly added wallet addresses has also recorded an increase of 255,000, bringing overall activity close to historical highs.

According to CoinGlass data, on March 31, the market activity of gold (XAUT) significantly increased, with the contract trading volume exceeding $2.96 billion, a rise of up to 169.22%. Among them, the XAUT contract trading volume on the Gate platform surpassed $106 million, ranking third globally.Gate pioneered the metal contract trading sector, providing 24/7 uninterrupted trading, offering users greater strategic flexibility and asset management efficiency in volatile markets. Gate contracts cover various traditional financial assets, including stocks, metals, foreign exchange, indices, and commodities, supporting trading in core assets such as gold, silver, and globally popular stocks. Gate continues to build a more efficient and professional multi-asset one-stop trading platform for global users.

According to official data, the on-chain activity of SunSwap has significantly increased, with all core indicators rising across the board. The data shows that the total locked value (TVL) of the platform has reached $502 million, growing by 2.29% within 24 hours; the trading volume over seven days has exceeded $621 million, surging by 50.37% month-on-month; and the number of trades in seven days has reached 74,290, an increase of 19.12%. With the continuous efforts of the SunSwap V4 version, the platform has further consolidated its core position in the TRON DeFi ecosystem with higher trading efficiency, providing users with a better trading experience.

Gate announced the official integration with the prediction market platform Polymarket, and a new entry has been added in the App (version 8.12.5 and above), becoming the first centralized exchange (CEX) to integrate Polymarket, which is now in the public testing phase. Users can directly participate in prediction trading for hot events in sports, finance, and crypto by buying Yes/No shares, allowing them to earn profits based on the event outcomes.This integration retains the core mechanism of Polymarket while Gate introduces a "prediction mode + trading mode" dual structure, catering to both novice understanding and professional trading needs, and supports order books, candlestick charts, and various order types. In terms of participation pathways, users can trade directly with USDT using their exchange accounts or participate using USDC on the Polygon network through a Web3 wallet, providing a more flexible participation method to meet different user needs. Additionally, the platform offers quick trading and various types of event markets, further promoting the development of event-driven trading scenarios.Gate is also launching a limited-time event. From March 23 to 30, during the event period, users can submit prediction event proposals to share a prize pool of 1,000 GT. The platform has also introduced a first-time prediction compensation benefit to lower the threshold for initial participation.