Monetary Policy

During the week of October 26, 2026, global markets face two highly concentrated sets of pricing variables. On one side are the FED interest rate decision and the core inflation and growth data that follow; on the other are earnings reports from roughly one-third of S&P 500 constituents. Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon—the three tech giants with a combined marketcap of nearly $11 trillion—will put front and center a question that has hung over markets for months: Can AI capital expenditures gene

According to a Reuters poll conducted October 16-20, 94 of 100 economists expect the Federal Reserve to hold rates unchanged at 3.75%-4.00% on October 28, while all 100 respondents forecast a rate increase at the December meeting. Market odds have shifted dramatically, with October hike

Spot gold closed last week near $3,996 an ounce on Friday 23 October, marking its first close below $4,000 since mid-July after a 4 percent weekly decline that Reuters described as the worst week since June, while December futures settled at $4,007.90. Silver finished near $53.97, its lowest level s

Bitcoin is trading in a narrow range without establishing a clear direction as investors await potential catalysts from the US midterm elections on Nov. 3, the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision on Oct. 28, and earnings reports from major technology companies. Tim Enneking, managing partner at

According to CoinShares, Bitcoin demonstrated relative resilience this week amid broader market volatility, bolstered by improving spot demand and short covering. The market is gradually shifting focus from AI narrative enthusiasm toward corporate earnings delivery. While poor earnings reports

QCP Capital reported on Oct. 23 that rising funding costs for artificial intelligence infrastructure companies are weighing on technology stocks and the broader cryptocurrency market. CoreWeave bond yields surged to 15%, with credit strains spreading across the AI infrastructure sector. CoreWeave

Bank Negara Malaysia and the Bank of Thailand joined the Monetary Authority of Singapore's BLOOM initiative as policy institution members on Oct. 23. The two central banks are joining the cross-border stablecoin payments initiative to lower costs and speed service launches by reducing the need for s

According to CoinDesk, Sweden's central bank is urging lawmakers to reassess the necessity of issuing the e-krona, citing concerns that the Swedish krona's payment position could face long-term pressure from foreign stablecoins and the digital euro. Central Bank Deputy Governor Per Jansson noted tha

Bitcoin has remained within a 6% trading range over the past month and is currently trading at around $81,735, down 1.2% on the day, according to Decrypt data. The broader crypto market has shown similar stability, with all top five cryptocurrencies moving less than 2% over the past seven days and t

According to Bitcoin Magazine, on Thursday, October 22, Bitcoin fell nearly 4% to lows of $81,331 after oil prices jumped above $110, triggering inflation concerns. The cryptocurrency had climbed near $85,000 on Wednesday following tech stock gains, but Middle East tensions and Houthi attacks on

Bitcoin (BTC) hit an intraday low of $80,989 on Oct. 23, down 3.2% over 24 hours, with its marketcap falling to around $1.64 trillion. CoinGlass data shows that about 100,605 traders were liquidated over the past 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching $441 million, including about $397 million in long liquidations (90%). CoinGecko: Bitcoin Hits 24-Hour Low of $80,989; Nasdaq Falls 2.6% According to CoinGecko data, Bitcoin hit a 24-hour low of $80,989 and was trading at around $81,500 (-3.2%)

The American Bankers Association (ABA) issued a statement on October 22 criticizing the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) final rules for payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act. It said that by removing a protective provision from the final version—a provision in the original proposal that presumed violations in indirect third-party arrangements involving affiliates, exchanges, and other issuance partners—the OCC has enabled payment stablecoin issuers to technically circumvent

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the GENIUS Act a turning point in American financial history in a social media post on October 21. Bessent stated the law strengthens the country's position as the world's capital for virtual assets, or cryptocurrencies. The GENIUS Act establishes a

According to Farside Investors, US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds attracted $526.7 million in inflows on October 19, reversing an $82.4 million withdrawal from the previous session. BlackRock's IBIT led with $665.2 million in inflows. Bitcoin climbed to approximately $82,830 on October 19,

Bitcoin (BTC) has given back its overnight gains and is trading at around $81,450 as of Oct. 20. The U.S. CFTC challenged CME’s standing to sue, saying CME failed to prove that the new Perpetual Contract policy caused it harm. JPMorgan is bringing JPM Coin to Ethereum to test bank-money settlement. Macro Events & Crypto Market Highlights According to CoinDesk, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a complaint with the court last Friday, stating that CME failed to prove it ha

CME Group plans to launch standard and micro futures tied to Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap on Oct. 19, subject to regulatory review, as crypto investors monitor a series of macroeconomic data releases scheduled for this week. The futures launch coincides with purchasing managers' index data from the