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According to data as of April 17, 2026, the trading volume in the first 15 minutes before the US market opened was at the 73rd percentile, with opening orders significantly stronger than the 30-day average level. At the same time, the momentum for continued price action surged to the 90th percentile, clearly exceeding the 30-day average, indicating that the current market's sustainability capability is at a relatively high level.

Central Bank of Kenya Governor Kamau Thugge stated on Thursday during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings that the country has applied to the World Bank for rapid financing support to address the economic shock caused by the Iran-related conflict. As an energy-import dependent country, Kenya is making every effort to prevent the risk of shortages of essential goods such as fuel, while at the same time suppressing pass-through pressure on inflation caused by rising costs.Thugge did not disclose the specific amount applied for, but said the scale was "significant." This rapid response support will be independent of the budget support loan previously under discussion between the two parties. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva previously stated that at least twelve countries are in contact with the organization for assistance to respond to the crisis.Goldman Sachs senior economist Andrew Matheny pointed out that although Kenya's external buffers are relatively adequate, its dependence on oil imports makes it one of the countries in the region most exposed to oil price shock risks. If high oil prices persist for an extended period, pressure on the Kenyan shilling to depreciate will intensify. According to Tradeweb data, Kenya’s dollar bonds saw some of the highest gains among African issuers on Friday, with prices of bonds maturing in 2034 and 2048 rising to 89.21 and 99.25 US cents, respectively.Kenyan President Ruto signed a bill on Friday to reduce the value-added tax on petroleum products from 13% to 8% for the next three months, cushioning the impact of surging crude oil prices on consumers. Last week, the central bank reduced this year's economic growth forecast from 5.5% to 5.3%, noting that the conflict poses risks to key economic sectors.Thugge said the Kenyan shilling, after weakening slightly at the peak of the conflict, has largely recovered its ground, with the central bank currently holding more than $13 billion in foreign exchange reserves, equivalent to 5.8 months of import coverage, which is sufficient to curb excessive exchange rate fluctuations. If further pressure arises, depreciation will occur in an orderly manner. At the same time, the central bank is promoting a plan to include gold in its reserves; the next interest rate decision will depend on economic data prior to the June policy meeting.

BlockBeats News, April 17th, according to Coinglass data, a liquidation of $23.68 million occurred in the past 1 hour in the crude oil market, with only $0.06 million coming from short positions. The affected trading pairs include: xyz:CL (WTI Crude Oil Perpetual Contract), XYZ:BRENTOIL. The liquidation amount in the crude oil market ranks third in the entire network, following only BTC and ETH (Bitcoin liquidated $78.23 million, Ethereum liquidated $31.38 million). On the news front, Iran announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, causing both WTI and Brent oil prices to drop by over 9%.