$WATERWATER Price

On Saturday, Mohsen Paknejad, the Minister of Oil of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held talks with Azim Ibrohim, the Minister of Transport of Tajikistan, and Daler Juma, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources. The discussions focused on cooperation in the energy sector.

On August 15, a new report from the Oxford Economics Institute revealed that global trade is highly dependent on 27 key maritime 'chokepoints.' Any severe disruption at one of these points could impact energy, commodity transport, and the global economy. The report highlights that nearly six months of conflict between the U.S. and Iran has led to disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a core passage for global energy transport, with approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply passing through it. Due to the rising risk of attacks on commercial vessels, shipping slowdowns have driven international oil prices up, with U.S. gasoline prices surpassing $4 per gallon, further exacerbating inflationary pressures. In addition to the Strait of Hormuz, global trade is also highly concentrated in other critical nodes such as the Strait of Malacca, the Taiwan Strait, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Panama Canal. Notably, Asia has the densest trade route network globally, with the Strait of Malacca connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, serving as a vital corridor for energy and commodity transport; the Taiwan Strait accounts for about one-quarter of global trade flow. The report warns that geopolitical conflicts pose one of the greatest risks to global trade. Some countries may exploit key waterways as tools for political maneuvering, while climate change is also increasing shipping risks. For instance, the Panama Canal has experienced reduced water levels due to drought and El Niño effects, limiting vessel cargo capacity and raising transport costs. The Oxford Economics Institute states that the risk levels of different 'chokepoints' depend on the availability of alternative routes. The Strait of Hormuz is particularly vulnerable due to the lack of effective alternative passages; while some routes can be bypassed, the longer transport distances increase fuel, labor, and operational costs, driving up global freight rates. As geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather, and supply chain vulnerabilities rise, the global trade system's dependence on critical shipping nodes is becoming a new source of economic risk.

On August 15, the Cboe BZX Exchange, a subsidiary of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe), submitted a rule change application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch the first U.S. 3x leveraged Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. According to the documents, Cboe plans to list a 3x Bitcoin ETF, a 3x Ethereum ETF, as well as 3x ETFs for gold, silver, crude oil, and natural gas. These products aim to achieve three times the daily return of the underlying assets by holding futures contracts from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) or the New York Mercantile Exchange (COMEX), using cash and cash equivalents as collateral. The proposed ETFs will operate as a 'commodity pool' and will be regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), rather than the traditional ETF structure regulated by the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Since leveraged products do not meet the existing general listing standards of the exchange, Cboe needs to submit a specialized rule change application to the SEC and plans to concurrently file an S-1 registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933. Cboe stated that this structure will provide an additional layer of federal oversight. The funds will be issued by Volatility Shares LLC and will be incorporated under VS Trust. Market analysts indicate that 3x leveraged ETFs are primarily aimed at short-term trading and professional investors, and are not suitable as long-term holding tools. Previously, Volatility Shares launched 2x Bitcoin and Ethereum strategy ETFs in the U.S., while the first 3x and inverse 3x Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF products appeared in the European market last year.