Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

In August 2026, Bitcoin’s price hovered around $64,000, down approximately 49% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,193. The figure itself is not surprising—crypto markets have long been known for extreme volatility. The more important question is this: now that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has incorporated Bitcoin into its institutional asset-allocation framework, spot ETFs have provided traditional capital with a compliant investment channel, and Wall Street giants such

According to Jin10 Futures, China's domestic liquefied petroleum gas prices declined and then rebounded in August, falling 164 yuan/ton from late July to an average of 5,839 yuan/ton as of August 18. Early-month price drops were driven by Middle East tensions easing and crude oil declining, but the

The USD-KRW exchange rate fell toward the 1,400 won level on the 19th as dollar selling from offshore markets and exporter negotiations dominated trading. As of 11:00 AM, the rate traded at 1,406.30 won, down 5.50 won from the previous Seoul session close of 1,411.80 won. The downward momentum

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing released its H1 2026 interim results on August 19, posting net profit attributable to shareholders of HK$10.568 billion, up 24% year-over-year. Revenue and other income totaled HK$16.702 billion, up 19%. Basic earnings per share reached HK$8.36, with an interim

South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-chul announced major foreign exchange regulation relaxations at an American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AmCham) meeting on August 19 at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu. The policy briefing addressed implementation strategies for

According to Yonhapinfomax, South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Gu Yun-chul announced today (August 19) that foreign exchange regulations will be significantly relaxed. Foreign bank branches' overseas borrowing reporting threshold and consolidated fund management limits will be

According to Zhitong Finance, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.24% (62 points to 25,533) in morning trading on August 19, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.82%. Morning trading volume reached 129.3 billion Hong Kong dollars. AI hardware stocks declined across the board, with Cambridge

Target is set to report fiscal second-quarter earnings Wednesday morning, offering investors a progress check on CEO Michael Fiddelke's turnaround efforts. Wall Street expects earnings per share of $2.33 and revenue of $26.14 billion, according to LSEG analyst surveys. The report comes as the

According to Jin10, foreign investors' net purchases in major Asian bond markets declined to $2.03 billion in July, marking the lowest monthly level since March. The figure covers combined purchases across India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand, reflecting investor caution amid

According to LSEG analyst survey, Target is expected to report fiscal second-quarter earnings Wednesday morning with earnings per share of $2.33 and revenue of $26.14 billion expected. The retailer's latest earnings come as CEO Michael Fiddelke pushes a turnaround strategy focused on inventory and p

According to ChainCatcher, Mekabot (Xiong'an) Robotics Technology Co. passed Hong Kong Bourse listing hearing on August 16, becoming the first enterprise registered in Xiong'an New Area to obtain approval. The company, founded in 2016 by a Tsinghua alumni team and relocated to Xiong'an in 2024,

According to Reuters, a U.S. antimony and tungsten producer has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to negotiate a potential contract valued up to $18 million for the ASCEND-SB project.

According to Bloomberg, TikTok is developing a peer-to-peer payment feature that would allow users to transfer funds via private messages, with evidence found in the U.S. version of TikTok's app code. The feature's interface design is nearly complete, enabling recipients to click to accept

According to Jin10, the Philippine peso hit a historic low against the U.S. dollar on August 19, pressured by rising oil prices. Brent crude climbed over 5% in the past four days. Since the Philippines imports nearly all its oil, the peso is vulnerable to energy cost fluctuations. Year-to-date, the

According to Jin10, China's gold jewelry prices fell approximately 21 yuan per gram on August 19, with most brands' prices now trading between 1,311 and 1,318 yuan per gram compared to the previous day.

According to Farside Investors data, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw net inflows of $189.3 million yesterday (August 19), with Grayscale IBIT accounting for $143.6 million. Ethereum ETFs received $71.4 million in net inflows, with ETHA capturing $64.7 million.

According to Thai Industrial Union, the country's industrial confidence index reached 90.0 in July, up from 88.2 in June, reflecting a month-on-month increase of 1.8 points.

Nasdaq targets Dec. 6, 2026 to launch a 9 PM-4 AM ET overnight session, extending its equities trading day to nearly 23 hours, five days a week. The exchange operator received SEC approval for its core 23/5 trading proposal in early Q2 2026, though additional sign-off is still required for

According to Edaily and Korea Exchange data, KOSDAQ-listed companies achieved simultaneous growth in revenue and profitability in the first half of 2026. Operating profit jumped 62% year-over-year while sales revenue increased approximately 30%, with over 60% of listed firms reporting net profitabil

Gate News reports that, according to an official Gate announcement, Gate ETF will launch five new ETF assets. The trading pairs include UNITREE3L/3S (Unitree Technology), SNDK5L/5S (SanDisk), SPCX5L/5S (SpaceX), SKHYNIX5L/5S (SK hynix), and MU5L/5S (Micron). Trading will begin on August 19, 2026, at 12:00 (UTC+8), with an initial NAV of 1 USDT. UNITREE offers 3x long and short options, while SNDK, SPCX, SKHYNIX, and MU each offer 5x long and short options. Gate ETF is a trading product with buil