JH Kim

The three major U.S. stock market indices are showing a downward trend. As of 00:18 on the 15th, the Nasdaq Composite Index is trading at 21,710.80 points, down 0.01% from the previous day. The Dow Jones Index has dropped 0.27% to 44,802.78 points, and the S&P 500 Index is currently at 6,462.06 points, down 0.07%.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed higher. On the 14th, the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.14% from the previous day to close at 21,713.14 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 1.04% at 44,922.14 points, and the S&P 500 Index closed with a gain of 0.32% at 6,466.31 points.

According to Crypto Briefing, a virtual asset (cryptocurrency) media outlet, on the 13th (local time), Google Play Store has banned unlicensed virtual asset wallet apps. Under the new policy, non-custodial wallet apps operating in the United States and the European Union (EU) are required to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures. To this end, in the United States, registration with the Treasury Department's FinCEN or obtaining a state banking license is required, while in Europe, holding a MiCA license is necessary. The media outlet assessed, "This action effectively bans non-custodial wallets in the EU."

According to foreign news sources on the 13th (local time), Raphael Bostic, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, stated that since the US labor market is essentially showing strength at a full employment level, the Fed now has the "room" not to rush policy changes. President Bostic, at an event held in Alabama that day, said it is important to avoid policy volatility that could confuse the public and expressed a preference for "waiting until it becomes a bit clearer where things are heading." He emphasized, "Because the current labor market is essentially maintaining full employment, we now have that kind of room." He also highlighted the difference in the Fed's approach to managing inflation and employment, adding that "the maximum employment mandate is not being threatened in the same way as the inflation target."

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that 'very serious consequences' would follow if a ceasefire deal is not reached ahead of his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 15th (local time). According to CNN on the 13th (local time), President Trump told reporters at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following a phone conference with European leaders, 'We are preparing a prompt second meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy through this summit,' and 'the second meeting is likely to be more productive than the first.' He said that a comprehensive peace agreement is unlikely to emerge from the Anchorage, Alaska talks, but made it clear that he would prioritize pushing for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy as requested by European allies.

According to Bloomberg on the 13th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he may announce the successor to the current Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair, Jerome Powell, "a little earlier" than originally planned. At an event at the Washington Kennedy Center that day, President Trump said, "I will soon nominate a new Chair," and added, "I'm thinking about making the announcement a little earlier." He explained that the pool of candidates has been narrowed down to 3 to 4 people and introduced them as "all excellent individuals."

The three major U.S. stock indices are showing mixed trends. The Nasdaq Composite Index is trading at 21,680.34 points as of 00:25 on the 14th, down 0.01% from the previous day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 0.74% at 44,787.22 points, and the S&P 500 Index is up 0.12% at 6,453.54 points.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed higher. On the 13th, the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.39% from the previous day to close at 21,681.90 points. The Dow Jones Index climbed 1.10% to 44,458.73 points, while the S&P 500 Index ended trading up 1.13% at 6,445.68 points.

According to the BBC on the 12th (local time), the White House of the United States reaffirmed that Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, will not be invited to the US-Russia summit to be held in Anchorage, Alaska on the 15th (local time). White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt explained at a regular briefing, “This summit was proposed by the Russian side through Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East,” adding, “The goal is to enhance understanding of how the war can be brought to an end.” Leavitt emphasized that “President Donald Trump is keeping open the possibility of a summit in which all three leaders discuss ending the war together in the future,” and that he plans to meet with President Zelensky after talks with President Vladimir Putin. She stated, “President Trump respects all parties and is working to resolve the conflict,” adding, “After Special Envoy Witkoff returned from Russia, the first people President Trump called were President Zelensky and European allies.” She also said, “We are maintaining close dialogue with Ukraine and European allies,” and that the possibility of holding a joint press conference after the summit “is still being coordinated and is under discussion with the Russian side.” When asked if President Trump has plans to visit Russia in the future, she replied, “It is possible.”

According to CNBC on the 12th (local time), Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at the world's largest asset management firm BlackRock, projected that the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) could lower its benchmark interest rate by as much as 0.5 percentage points in September. In an analyst note sent to clients that day, CIO Rieder stated, "Inflationary pressures in the U.S. have proven to be weaker than expected," adding, "It would be reasonable for the Fed to take a 'big step' by lowering rates by 0.5 percentage points instead of the customary 0.25 percentage points at the September meeting." Previously, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) under the U.S. Department of Labor released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for July. The core CPI rose 3.1% year-on-year, slightly above the market forecast of 3.0%, but the overall CPI rose by 2.7%, below the projected 2.8%. This suggests that President Donald Trump's tariff policies are not currently putting significant pressure on prices.

On the 12th (local time), according to economic news account Walter Bloomberg, the White House announced that a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to be held this Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.

According to Fox Business on the 12th (local time), E.J. Antoni, the Chief Economist at The Heritage Foundation who was nominated by President Donald Trump as Director of the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, suggested suspending the monthly employment report releases. This statement was made during an interview conducted before he was nominated as the Bureau of Labor Statistics Director.

The three major U.S. stock indices are showing an upward trend. As of 12:40 a.m. on the 13th, the Nasdaq Composite Index is trading at 21,583.95 points, up 0.40% from the previous day. The Dow Jones Index is up 1.01% at 44,419.90 points, and the S&P 500 Index is up 0.84% at 6,426.80 points.

The three major U.S. stock indices closed lower. On the 12th, the NASDAQ Composite Index fell 0.30% from the previous session to 21,385.40 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.45% to 43,975.89 points, while the S&P 500 ended at 6,376.98 points, down 0.20%.

According to Cointelegraph, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, on the 11th (local time), Paul Engelmayer, judge at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, stated that Do Kwon, founder of Terraform Labs, may submit an amended answer (plea) on the 12th (local time). This suggests that Do Kwon may partially or fully change his previous not guilty plea to admitting guilt to the nine felony charges he was facing. Previously, in January, Do Kwon had declared not guilty to the charges in question.