Global Macroeconomic Trends & Policy Dynamics

Samsung Securities analysts predict that renewable energy, secondary battery, and energy storage system (ESS) stocks could benefit if the Democratic Party achieves a 'Blue Wave' by controlling both chambers in the US midterm elections on November 3. Park Hye-ran, a researcher at Samsung Securities,

South Korean crypto investors and exchanges face a 22% income tax starting January next year, as transaction volumes fell 44% and exchange operating profits dropped 78% in the first half, according to a survey by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). The tax

According to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on October 4, South Korea's virtual asset trading volume dropped 44% in the first half of 2026 compared to the second half of 2025, while exchange operating margins fell 78%. The market faces additional

According to South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC), token securities issued on one distributed ledger cannot be transferred to another ledger, a restriction outlined in policy guidelines released in September. The framework allows securities firms to build separate ledgers and connect th

The Central Bank of Iran plans to block rial bank accounts and payment gateways belonging to crypto exchanges, citing concerns over market manipulation. The move follows temporary restrictions introduced in late September 2026 that capped USDT purchases at 2,000 per user per day and suspended

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis attributed the $387 million Bitget exchange hack to North Korea-linked actors in a report published Wednesday. The firm said the Sept. 24 breach pushed the total value of crypto stolen by North Korea-linked groups in 2026 past $1 billion. Chainalysis has been

According to Forbes, on October 3, U.S. President Trump stated that moderate inflation could rapidly help reduce the nation's $40 trillion federal debt through nominal economic growth, sparking market discussion on this approach. Market participants are renewing focus on the "debasement trade"

According to the IMF statement issued Friday (October 2), the International Monetary Fund approved a $139 million disbursement to El Salvador while demanding the country scale back its Bitcoin-related activities. The IMF said it would seek to "reduce the state's involvement in Bitcoin-related activi

According to Bitcoin Magazine and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bitcoin surged above $87,000 on October 2 after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data showed nonfarm payrolls increased by only 29,000 in September. The cryptocurrency climbed 2% in the 24-hour period, buoyed by exchange-traded fund

According to MarketWatch, investors are increasingly turning to alternative assets including managed futures, equity derivatives ETFs, gold, and Bitcoin as U.S. Treasury bonds remain depressed with yields at historically elevated levels this year. The shift reflects concerns that traditional bonds n

According to ChainCatcher and Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan, the Senate's failure to advance the CLARITY Act has created regulatory openings for four crypto segments: stablecoin platforms can now continue offering yield to customers, exchanges like Coinbase retain state licensing and integrated

According to Cointelegraph, on October 3, only 15 countries have GDP higher than Bitcoin's market cap, highlighting the cryptocurrency's significant economic valuation relative to global economies.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, FinCEN proposed blocking U.S. financial institutions from fund transfers involving A7 Network sub-agents, while OFAC designated the broader A7 Network as a significant transnational criminal organization under "Operation Economic Outcast" on October 2. Fin

According to Bitcoin News, in August, core PCE rose 0.2% month-over-month and 3.0% year-over-year, below the Wall Street Journal's forecast of 3.3%. Bitcoin briefly surged above $85,000 before falling back, while the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield dipped to around 5.20% before rebounding to

According to Chainalysis, DPRK-linked threat actors carried out the $387 million Bitget exchange hack recently. The stolen funds rapidly moved across four blockchain networks—Ethereum, XRP, Zcash, and Tron—within the first few hours, with Ethereum accounting for 49.7% of transactions and XRP 40.8%.

On October 1, ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel presented three models for putting central bank money onchain at the Bank of England's Future of Money conference in London. The approaches would either tokenize central bank reserves directly on a programmable platform, connect existing

Citi raised its 12-month Ethereum price forecast to $3,028 from $2,240, marking a roughly 35% increase. The investment bank cited stronger digital-asset activity, a more supportive macroeconomic backdrop, and renewed institutional participation when raising forecasts for both Bitcoin and Ethereum. E

According to America.gov on September 29, the White House's new government information portal confirmed that President Trump's strategic Bitcoin reserve initiative remains without public disclosure regarding current BTC holdings or operational status. The website referenced Trump's March 2025

Bitcoin and the broader crypto market face nine scheduled events in October with the potential to drive price action, starting with the September jobs report on 2 October and concluding with the Federal Reserve's rate decision on 28 October. Bitfinex analysts identified 17 macro catalysts for the

Bitcoin traded at $86,757 on Friday, up 3% over 24 hours and 2% on the week, following August core PCE inflation data that came in at 3.0% against expectations of 3.3%. The repricing shifted Federal Reserve rate hold odds for the October 28 meeting to 74%, from 35.8% a week ago, according to CME's F