Tensions flare as Venezuela challenges US over oil tanker seizures—Caracas is pushing back hard against what it calls outright extortion. The dispute centers on the impounding of oil-carrying vessels, escalating an already fraught standoff between the two nations. This kind of geopolitical friction doesn't just play out on the diplomatic stage—it ripples through global energy markets, rattling oil prices and, by extension, impacting the broader macro backdrop that shapes crypto sentiment. When supply chains get weaponized and commodity markets turn volatile, traders start hunting for alternative hedges. The broader takeaway: international power plays over critical resources like crude keep reminding us why on-chain assets matter to the bigger economic picture.