Iran Warns of Military Response to US 'Naval Blockade Plan,' International Oil Prices Spike Short-Term

Wednesday, April 29 The U.S. Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday approved Kevin Warsh’s nomination as the next Federal Reserve chair in a 13-11 vote, as proposed by President Trump. The nomination now heads to the full Senate for a final vote. The vote revealed a clear partisan split: all Republican members supported the nomination, while all Democratic members opposed it. Nick Timiraos—widely known as the "Fed Whisperer"—noted this is a rare party-line vote for a Federal Reserve chair nomination in recent years; Jerome Powell’s two prior chair nominations earned broad bipartisan backing. Earlier, Republican Senator Thom Tillis had blocked advancing the nomination over Justice Department (DOJ) investigations involving Powell. The process resumed after the DOJ announced it was terminating the criminal probe and referring the matter to the Federal Reserve Inspector General. On the Democratic side, ongoing concerns persist that Warsh could undermine the Fed’s independence. S

On April 29, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures show: - U.S. net crude imports turned negative, hitting a record low; - Weekly U.S. crude exports hit a record high of over 6 million barrels per day. U.S. crude inventories posted a sharp unexpected drop, triggering a brief uptick in crude futures before prices turned lower. (Gold10)

April 29: Per Bitget market data, Intel surged 7% to a new all-time high, posting a 105% monthly gain.

April 29 (CNN) — After U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a previous peace proposal, Pakistan’s mediation team is expecting Iran to submit a revised version, CNN has learned. Sources familiar with the matter say Iran could respond as early as today or delay its reply until Friday. They add the delay signals challenges in reaching Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, noting all parties are showing patience in different ways. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told his cabinet the Iranian foreign minister — who led negotiations in Islamabad last weekend — “assured me he would give a reply.” While no specific timeline was provided, this public push to Iran is notable, especially after the White House signaled its patience is wearing thin.

On April 29, the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance Lael Brainard’s nomination as Federal Reserve Chair to the full Senate.

April 29th Official sources confirm OKX Onchain OS has launched the Agent Payments Protocol (APP)—an open payment standard for AI Agent commercial activities. The protocol outlines payment methods for AI Agents in commercial settings, allowing them to move beyond single transactions to end-to-end business workflows. It supports multiple payment models, including one-time, batch, pay-as-you-go, and escrow payments. The APP uses a multi-chain open architecture, enabling any blockchain to deploy its own version. Initial partners include the Ethereum Foundation, Uniswap, Aptos, Nansen, Paxos, MoonPay, Altlayer, Zerion, and QuickNode, among others. OKX Onchain OS noted the APP’s launch will deliver critical payment infrastructure for the Agent economy, advancing AI Agents from "payment execution" to the "business era".