Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

Diesel fuel prices in the US surged 54% from January to mid-August, climbing from $3.53 per gallon to $5.454 per gallon. The spike is driven by the ongoing conflict in Iran affecting the Strait of Hormuz, which carries an estimated 20% of global oil traffic, combined with refinery disruptions in

Mexico implemented tariff increases on selected Chinese products at the start of 2026, following Senate approval of measures proposed by President Claudia Sheinbaum in September 2025. The tariff overhaul covers approximately 1,463 tariff lines—about 12% of Mexico's tariff schedule—with rates

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit on August 18 against Daniel Chu, founder of Tricolor Holdings, and two former executives. The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, accuses them of defrauding investors through more than $800 million in fabricated auto-loan

According to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, diesel prices have surged 54% since January, rising from $3.53 per gallon to $5.454 by mid-August 2026. August is tracking to become the most expensive August on record, with prices averaging around $5.40 per gallon. The spike is

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Daniel Chu, founder of Tricolor Holdings, on August 18, 2026, accusing him and two former executives of defrauding investors through approximately $800 million in fabricated auto-loan receivables funneled through asset-backed

Mexico began implementing increased tariffs on Chinese products at the start of 2026, affecting approximately 1,463 tariff lines—roughly 12% of Mexico's total tariff schedule. The tariff rates range between 20% and 35%, with some categories reaching 50%, covering about $52 billion in annual

According to Syria's official news agency, the export pipeline at Jabusah natural gas plant experienced an explosion on Aug 18, disrupting gas exports. Syrian oil officials attributed the incident to intentional sabotage and confirmed no

Today, the U.S. storage chip index fell 7.5%, while the Philadelphia semiconductor index declined 5.1%. The Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.6%, with CoreWeave, Lumentum, and Teradyne leading declines at 11.8%, 10%, and 9.8% respectively. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, with technology sector sliding 2%. Energy was the

According to trade.xyz, Cloudflare (NET) went live today with support for 10x leverage and around-the-clock trading available 365 days a year.

According to Jin10, the U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.02% to close at 99.657 on August 19 at the close of New York forex trading. At the same time, the euro strengthened to 1.1576 per dollar; the British pound weakened to 1.3534 per dollar; the yen rose to 159.60 per dollar; the Swiss franc climbed to 0.

Spot gold fell below $4,350 per ounce today, declining 1.51% within the 24-hour period.

According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, CCC Intelligent Solutions stock surged 14% today as automotive retailer Copart joined the bidding process for the software company.

Metaplanet announced today it is acquiring a controlling stake in Nasdaq-listed Super League Enterprise for approximately $134.6 million, comprising 2,100 Bitcoin (worth roughly $132.1 million) and $2.5 million in cash. The transaction is targeted to close in Q4 2026, with Metaplanet obtaining appro

According to Aco Brasil, Brazil's steel imports fell 37.8% year-over-year in July, while exports declined 2.6% year-over-year. Crude steel production grew 0.1% year-over-year during the same period.

According to its announcement, Citi plans to launch its Custody+ platform later in 2026, beginning with Bitcoin support. The U.S. banking giant stated the new platform will integrate its traditional asset custody services with digital asset custody solutions, enabling institutional clients to

According to PDVSA, Venezuela's state oil company aims to reach crude oil production of 1.245 million barrels per day by the end of August 2026.

On Tuesday (August 18) at the New York close, the ICE Dollar Index held steady at 99.638, trading between 99.521 and 99.693 for the session. The Bloomberg Dollar Index rose 0.08% to 1201.24, with intraday trading range of 1199.46 to 1201.60.

Two Texas-focused exchange-traded funds, the Texas Equity Index and Texas Oil Index, will move to the Texas Securities Exchange (TXSE) in Dallas in September following regulatory approval, marking a milestone for the exchange as it competes to attract listings from NYSE and

According to Jin10 data citing a survey by Venezuela's Industrial Federation released on August 19, manufacturers in the country faced critical power shortages in the second quarter, with enterprises operating an average of 488 work hours while 214 hours lacked electricity supply. The survey

According to Venezuela's Central Bank, oil-related activities grew 9.10% in the second quarter, while the non-oil sector expanded 5.79% during the same period.