Mohd Azrin The U.S. imposed sanctions on Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, accusing it of helping the Iranian government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and other sanctioned entities evade Western sanctions through digital asset transactions. The Treasury said Nobitex provided “significant support” to the Iranian government and facilitated a substantial number of tran...
Mohd Azrin The U.S. imposed sanctions on Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, accusing it of helping the Iranian government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and other sanctioned entities evade Western sanctions through digital asset transactions. The Treasury said Nobitex provided “significant support” to the Iranian government and facilitated a substantial number of transactions tied to the IRGC and Iran's central bank. "While Iran’s economy is in free fall, the regime has chosen to co-opt digital asset technologies for its own corrupt agenda, including evading sanctions and transferring wealth out of the country," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement . "As promised, Treasury will continue to follow the money in support of Economic Fury, whether it is through the banking system or through digital assets, to prevent the regime from developing a nuclear weapon." The U.S. Treasury Department alleged that Nobitex enabled the Central Bank of Iran to access hundreds of millions of dollars in stablecoins used to support the struggling Iranian rial, while also helping regime-linked individuals access global crypto exchanges and bypass sanctions across multiple jurisdictions. The Treasury also imposed sanctions on founder brothers Seyed Mohammad Ali Aghamir Mohammad Ali and Seyed Mohammad Aghamir Mohammad Ali, Amir Hossein Rad, who is Nobitex’s chairman, co-founder, and former CEO, as well as Seyed Ali Khoee, who is the current CEO of Nobitex. Other digital asset exchanges, including Bitpin, Ramzinex, and Wallex, were also blacklisted. In previous statements to Reuters , Nobitex had denied having any direct links to the Iranian government. Nobitex posted to its Telegram channel that the exchange had been preparing for potential sanctions-related challenges for years, citing "the unique challenges faced by Iranian businesses operating internationally." Dear readers: We recognize that politics often intersects with the financial news ...
Britain’s Sikh community has rejected calls to strip them of the rights to carry a ceremonial knife – known as the kirpan – as outrage snowballs over the murder of an 18-year-old student by a Sikh man. Vickrum Singh Digwa, 23, was handed a life sentence by a judge on Tuesday for stabbing to death Henry Nowak, an accountancy student, in Southampton in December 2025. The murder case has reopened a d...
Britain’s Sikh community has rejected calls to strip them of the rights to carry a ceremonial knife – known as the kirpan – as outrage snowballs over the murder of an 18-year-old student by a Sikh man. Vickrum Singh Digwa, 23, was handed a life sentence by a judge on Tuesday for stabbing to death Henry Nowak, an accountancy student, in Southampton in December 2025. The murder case has reopened a debate over race, religion and identity in the UK. Far-right figureheads, populist political leaders...
Mohamad Faizal Bin Ramli/iStock via Getty Images Market Review The U.S. financial landscape in March 2026 was shaped by heightened geopolitical volatility, most notably the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The war involving Iran and the resulting disruption to global energy markets following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz emerged as the dominant macroeconomic driver, pushi...
Mohamad Faizal Bin Ramli/iStock via Getty Images Market Review The U.S. financial landscape in March 2026 was shaped by heightened geopolitical volatility, most notably the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The war involving Iran and the resulting disruption to global energy markets following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz emerged as the dominant macroeconomic driver, pushing crude oil prices above $100 per barrel and fueling a sharp rise in inflation expectations. This energy shock reverberated across global markets, contributing to a pronounced selloff in U.S. Treasuries and a meaningful repricing of monetary policy expectations. Investors significantly reduced expectations for Federal Reserve easing, with rate cuts for the remainder of 2026 largely priced out. The Federal Reserve maintained its policy rate at 3.50%–3.75% during the quarter, adopting a more hawkish tone amid persistent inflationary pressures and elevated uncertainty tied to geopolitical developments. Domestically, leadership developments at the Federal Reserve added a layer of uncertainty. The nomination of former Governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chair raised questions regarding central bank independence, given his close alignment with the administration. Concurrently, Treasury yields moved higher across the curve, reflecting both the inflationary implications of rising energy prices and diminished expectations for policy accommodation. Credit markets also exhibited signs of strain. Concerns within private credit intensified as major financial institutions marked down exposures to software-related loans, while several large alternative asset managers implemented redemption restrictions in response to elevated withdrawal activity. These pressures were exacerbated by rapid technological disruption, as advancements in AI-driven digital co-working tools prompted a broad repricing of software valuations and associated credit instruments. Curve steepening continued in Q1 2026...
DeepSeek is raising $7.4 billion in its first external funding round at a valuation of between $52 billion and $59 billion. The investors include Tencent, battery giant CATL, gaming developer NetEase and e-commerce group JD.com, with founder Liang Wenfeng committing $2.9 billion of his own...
DeepSeek is raising $7.4 billion in its first external funding round at a valuation of between $52 billion and $59 billion. The investors include Tencent, battery giant CATL, gaming developer NetEase and e-commerce group JD.com, with founder Liang Wenfeng committing $2.9 billion of his own...
Global oil inventories risk declining to “critical levels” before the peak summer season – and the energy crisis could drag on for months even if a deal is agreed to end the US-Israel war on Iran, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). While China’s crude reserves remain relatively resilient, its onshore volumes have also begun to fall, analysts said. “We’re seeing stock draws continu...
Global oil inventories risk declining to “critical levels” before the peak summer season – and the energy crisis could drag on for months even if a deal is agreed to end the US-Israel war on Iran, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). While China’s crude reserves remain relatively resilient, its onshore volumes have also begun to fall, analysts said. “We’re seeing stock draws continuing into the summer, and with the possibility or the likelihood that we reach critical levels or...