Topic: #macro
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Iran and Oman agree on Strait of Hormuz shipping route
Iran announced an agreement with Oman on a proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, potentially easing restrictions that have limited access to the critical waterway since February 2026 and signaling a strategic shift in managing regional energy flows.
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FCC optical transceiver ban threatens AI infrastructure delays for hyperscalers
The FCC is drafting rules to block Chinese-made optical parts from US data centers, threatening to create a 12- to 24-month supply gap for AWS, Microsoft, Meta, and Google as they scale AI infrastructure.
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Brent crude falls on U.S.-Iran deal optimism; energy prices stabilizing
Brent crude futures declined over 1% as markets price in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, reducing geopolitical risk premiums tied to Middle East supply disruptions. Analyst Bessent expects energy prices to gradually normalize, though the process typically takes time.
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Trump Iran Nuclear Deal Push Sends Oil Prices Lower
Oil prices declined following former President Donald Trump's announcement of efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, as markets perceived reduced geopolitical risk in the Middle East.
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Central banks boost gold purchases to 289 tonnes in Q2 2026
Central banks purchased 289 tonnes of gold in Q2 2026, marking the largest quarterly addition since Q4 2024 and driven significantly by acquisitions from Poland and China, reflecting ongoing economic and geopolitical considerations.
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Japan and US execute first coordinated yen intervention since 2011
Japan and the US conducted their first joint currency intervention since 2011 on July 31, deploying roughly $53 billion in yen purchases as USD/JPY exceeded 160, pushing the yen to 40-year lows. The move signals shifting market dynamics and heightened volatility for traders.
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OPEC+ signals output increase despite Strait of Hormuz constraints
OPEC+ has signaled willingness to boost oil production amid Middle East supply disruptions, but export constraints through the Strait of Hormuz may limit actual output gains. Prediction markets show declining odds of crude reaching new all-time highs.
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Trump's Gaza peace deal revives stablecoin infrastructure debate
Trump's July 31 disarmament agreement with Hamas includes discussions of a dollar-pegged stablecoin for Gaza reconstruction, raising regulatory questions about US oversight of crypto deployed in geopolitical contexts.
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Europe's heat waves disrupt power, spur fossil fuel imports
Intense European heat waves have disrupted nuclear, gas, coal, wind, and hydroelectric power generation, forcing the continent to increase reliance on imported fossil fuels. Market participants now assess a 4.9% probability of crude oil reaching a new all-time high by September 30, rising to 14.0% by year-end.
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Oil prices fall over $1 as Strait of Hormuz shipping improves
Brent crude settled at $89.03 and WTI closed at $83.59 as shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz recovered, easing supply concerns despite ongoing US-Iran tensions.
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Equinix raises $3B in bonds for AI data center expansion
The largest publicly traded data center operator is raising at least $3 billion through a new bond offering to support its AI infrastructure buildout across 77 global markets, underscoring the massive capital requirements driving the sector.
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US Private Credit Defaults Surge as Borrowers Flee to Europe
The US private credit market confronts rising defaults and commoditized lending as borrowers increasingly seek financing in Europe, where record capital raises and lower pricing offer relief from domestic pressures.
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Fed holds rates 9-3; three officials vote for hike, Bitcoin tests $64K
The Federal Reserve held rates at 3.50%-3.75% on July 29 in a 9-3 vote, with three officials preferring a hike—the first such split since 2016. Bitcoin briefly topped $64,000 before retreating, with analysts citing weak catalysts and low volume near key support levels.
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Crypto VC Firms Plummet to 150, Lowest Since November 2020
The number of active venture firms in crypto funding has collapsed to 150 through July 28, marking the lowest count since late 2020 and representing an 87% decline from the May 2022 peak of 1,177 investors.
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Insurance Index hits record high as Wall Street rotates from AI
The S&P 500 Insurance Index reached an all-time high Tuesday as institutional capital shifted from AI-exposed tech stocks to defensive sectors, signaling cooling risk appetite that could ripple across high-beta assets including crypto.
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Bond market cools on rate hikes as inflation eases, shifting crypto risk calculus
A softer-than-expected inflation reading in mid-July unwound aggressive rate-hike bets, pulling Treasury yields lower and easing the opportunity cost of holding Bitcoin and other risk assets. The 10-year yield now sits near 4.40-4.48%, leaving crypto with limited cushion before risk-off conditions return.
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Dow hits record as tech earnings and Fed meeting converge
The Dow Jones hit record territory on July 27 while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq lagged, as investors brace for Big Tech earnings, a Federal Reserve decision, and a major crypto derivatives expiration all within one week.
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Bitcoin stays range-bound near $65,500 as mega-cap earnings loom
Jeff Ko, chief analyst at CoinEx, expects bitcoin to remain range-bound this week as oil retreats, the 10-year Treasury yield approaches 4.7%, and Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon report earnings that could indirectly shape crypto liquidity.
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Red Sea shipping hits record low after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait dropped to eleven vessels on Sunday—the lowest level in months—after Houthi attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities disrupted Middle Eastern energy export routes.
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MAS tightens monetary policy for first time since 2022 as oil prices surge
The Monetary Authority of Singapore raised its core inflation forecast and steepened the Singapore dollar's exchange rate band on April 14, citing energy-driven price pressures from Middle East tensions. The move marks the first tightening in four years.
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US Oil Prices Fall 8% on US-Iran Ceasefire and Diplomatic Talks
US crude oil prices dropped over 8% following announcements of a US-Iran military halt and entry into negotiations, with market participants citing reduced geopolitical risk as the primary driver of the decline.
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Bitcoin trapped between $65K and $62.5K resistance levels
Bitcoin is trading near $64,500 this weekend, positioned between $65,000 resistance and $62,500 support—the two levels that will determine whether the week closes with a recovery rally or a breakdown toward $60,000.
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Ukrainian drone strike kills sailor on Caspian Sea vessel
A Ukrainian drone strike on a vessel in the Caspian Sea killed a sailor, according to Iran, marking an escalation in military operations that threatens regional energy markets and shipping insurance costs.
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Brent crude nears $100 as Trump faces limited price-control options
Brent crude is trading near $98.49 per barrel as geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions push oil toward the $100 psychological threshold. Trump has few levers left to control prices, while market odds for a new all-time high by year-end have climbed to 17.5%.