News

Oil prices fell on Tuesday after a phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin laid the groundwork for a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. The call included an agreement to halt attacks on energy and infrastructure sites for 30 days and plans for negotiations in the Middle East to establish a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.

Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., has acquired cloud security platform Wiz for $32 billion, marking the tech giant's largest acquisition ever and strengthening its position in the cybersecurity market. The deal, which is expected to close in 2026, has raised concerns about regulatory scrutiny but is anticipated to be approved due to the current administration's less aggressive stance on mergers and acquisitions.

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged at 0.5%, citing economic uncertainty due to potential U.S. tariff impacts and domestic inflation exceeding their target. The central bank acknowledged moderate economic recovery but noted ongoing weakness in certain sectors and highlighted significant uncertainties surrounding Japan's economic outlook.

Coinbase has launched Verified Pools, a new initiative designed to improve transparency and security in DeFi liquidity pools by integrating identity checks and utilizing the Uniswap v4 protocol on Coinbase's Base layer-2 network. This move aims to address growing concerns about risks associated with DeFi platforms, particularly regarding opaque liquidity sources and counterparty risks.

Leading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum showed sideways movement on Tuesday, potentially influenced by signals of a possible end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The market remains cautious, with high-net-worth individuals accumulating Bitcoin and analysts anticipating further price fluctuations.