Finance & Banking — Strait of Hormuz Escalation Jolts Markets as DeFi Contagion Wipes $13B and IMF Warns U.S. Treasuries Are Losing Their Safety Premium

Finance & Banking · 2026-04-20

TODAY'S SIGNAL — Three converging risk vectors demand attention from Finance & Banking professionals this morning. First, the Strait of Hormuz has effectively become a combat zone after the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian-flagged vessel and fired on another, sending Brent crude up 5.7% and S&P 500 futures sharply lower after a three-week rally that carried the index past 7,000. The UAE is already…