Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

According to Goldman Sachs, gold surged over 7% in five days following the US Treasury's August 19 announcement to double its buyback program for long-dated bonds to $4 billion, pushing prices near $4,700 per ounce. The options market showed notable conviction, with gold call option demand rising an

According to ETF CHECK data, South Korean retail investors recorded net inflows of 114.02 billion won (approximately $79 million) into 10 gold-linked exchange-traded funds over the past month through August 30. The inflows included 108.652 billion won into five spot gold ETFs, with ACE KRX Gold

Apple named John Ternus as its next CEO on April 20, with the 25-year company veteran set to officially take charge on September 1. He succeeds Tim Cook, who will transition to executive chairman of the board, capping a 15-year tenure that added approximately $3.6 trillion to Apple's market

According to The Energy Mag, the Swedish Tax Agency issued proposed VAT decisions against subsidiaries of Northern Data AG and HIVE Digital starting in September 2025, disputing computing and infrastructure services classified as cryptocurrency mining outside the VAT system. HIVE's Bikupa subsidiari

Grayscale's Zcash Trust converted to the first ZEC spot ETF on August 25, beginning trading on NYSE Arca. The conversion marks the latest expansion of cryptocurrency ETF offerings following recent approvals for Bitcoin and Ethereum

According to CME's Fedwatch Tool, as of Aug. 30, federal funds rate hike odds for September 16 jumped to 57%, up from just 39.9% on Aug. 21 following Fed official Warsh's Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium keynote. The probability of rates holding steady dropped to 43%. Warsh emphasized the Fed'

The Swedish Tax Agency has issued proposed value-added tax decisions against subsidiaries of Northern Data AG and secured appellate rulings against two Swedish units of HIVE Digital (NASDAQ: HIVE). The companies maintain their facilities supplied computing capacity or infrastructure services to

The crypto industry implemented multiple token economic improvements and product launches this week, led by stablecoin issuer Tether minting three billion USDT last Friday and Grayscale converting its Zcash Trust to the first ZEC ETF on August 25. U.S. equities remained flat to slightly positive thr

According to Korea Exchange, the KOSPI index fell 124.07 points (1.79%) to 6,788.88 during the week of August 24-28, as foreign investors sold a net 8.3 trillion won and institutional investors net-sold 361.5 billion won. Individual investors purchased 634.4 billion won during the same

According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations office, a tanker came under attack from unidentified projectiles on August 30 while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, approximately 22 kilometers north of Oman's Salalah. No casualties or environmental damage have been reported. The authority advised

According to the week's developments, BlackRock completed $5 billion in tax-deferred bitcoin-to-ETF swaps, available for minimums as low as $1 million, citing custody security and kidnapping risks as key selling points. Meanwhile, Grayscale's Zcash Trust converted to the first ZEC spot ETF on

Apple Inc. prepares for a dual transition as John Ternus becomes chief executive on September 1, ending Tim Cook's fifteen-year tenure, and launches a foldable iPhone on September 9 at the Steve Jobs Theater. In the nine months to 27 June 2026, Apple increased research and development spending

According to Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's Jackson Hole speech on August 28, spot gold fell 3.2% to roughly $4,456 per ounce as he signaled underlying inflation has not meaningfully improved and the Fed may still have work to do. Warsh noted the six-month PCE inflation rate stands at 4.1%,

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) completed a blockchain-based pilot on July 15. Its subsidiary The Depository Trust Company converted eligible US Treasuries and equities into tokenized digital assets, with BitGo Bank & Trust serving as custodian. The conversion focused on repo and

The Federal Reserve faces a Sept. 16 federal funds rate decision with CME's Fedwatch Tool now showing a 57% probability of a 25-basis-point hike, up sharply from 39.9% on Aug. 21. The shift followed remarks at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, where Fed official Warsh highlighted 3.7%

US President Donald Trump announced on May 30 (local time) plans to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) using Venezuelan oil, stating the reserve was 'virtually depleted' due to former President Joe Biden. Trump posted on Truth Social that the refilling operation would begin soon,

According to The Energy Mag, HIVE Digital (NASDAQ: HIVE) and Northern Data AG face VAT decisions from Sweden's Tax Agency in September 2025, which classified certain cryptocurrency mining activities as outside the VAT system and denied input-VAT recovery. HIVE recognized an 822

The US Treasury doubled its bond buyback program to $4 billion on August 19, prompting gold traders to increase bullish options positions as the metal surged over 7% in five days to near $4,700 per ounce. The expanded buyback program aims to smooth market functioning and manage long-term yields by p

Apple named John Ternus as its next CEO on April 20, with the 25-year company veteran set to officially take charge on September 1. He succeeds Tim Cook, who will transition to the role of executive chairman of the board after a 15-year tenure that added approximately $3.6 trillion to Apple's

The Depository Trust Company, DTCC's subsidiary, successfully tokenized eligible US Treasuries and equities on July 15, with BitGo Bank & Trust serving as the OCC-regulated custodian for settlement and onchain asset movement. Over 30 financial firms, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and J.P.