Suehyeon Lee

Gold Surges 10% in August, Bitcoin Rallies 12% as Treasury Buybacks Pressure Dollar

Expanded U.S. Treasury buybacks of long-dated bonds are fueling concern over dollar weakness, lifting alternative stores of value in tandem. Gold has surged 10% in August, while Bitcoin has climbed 12%. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 30 that spot gold wa

Oil Jumps After Fresh US Strike on Iran, Brent Tops $90 a Barrel

Oil surged after the US directly struck Iran for the first time in about a month, reigniting military tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 30 that November Brent crude climbed above $90 a barrel, while West Texas Intermedi

Strategy Signals Return to Bitcoin Buying After Two-Month Pause as Saylor Says ‘We’re Back’

Strategy, the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has signaled it may resume purchases of the cryptocurrency after a pause of about two months. CoinDesk reported on Aug. 30 that Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor posted a chart of the company’

Chainalysis Sues ICE Over $94.66 Million Sole-Source Contract Award to TRM Labs

Chainalysis has sued US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging the agency unfairly funneled a $94.66 million blockchain analytics contract to rival TRM Labs through a sole-source award. The Block reported on Aug. 30 that Chainalysis Government

Bond Investors Question September Fed Hike Despite Warsh’s Hawkish Tone

The odds of a September interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve have risen in financial markets, but some global bond investors still doubt whether Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will follow through. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 30 that major asset manage

US Hits Iran’s Larak Island for First Time in a Month, Striking Hormuz Mine Launchers

Military tensions between the US and Iran are rising again after Washington directly struck Iranian territory for the first time in about a month. Reuters reported on August 30 that the US military carried out airstrikes on two launch sites on Iran’s

Kalshi Signs Exclusive US Open Partnership With USTA to Expand Sports Prediction Push

Kalshi has partnered with the United States Tennis Association to become the exclusive prediction-market platform partner of the US Open. Front Office Sports reported on Aug. 30 that Kalshi signed an official prediction-market platform partnership ag

BlackRock Says US Debt Above $40 Trillion Strengthens Long-Term Case for Bitcoin

Rising concerns about U.S. fiscal health after government debt climbed above $40 trillion could bolster Bitcoin’s appeal as a long-term investment. Cryptopolitan reported on Aug. 27 that Robbie Mitchnick, BlackRock’s head of digital assets, sees the

Bitcoin Enters Early Bull Market, but Needs Break Above $83,000 for Confirmation

Bitcoin has entered the early stages of a new bull market, but it must break above its 365-day moving average at $83,000 to confirm the trend, according to CryptoQuant. The Block reported on Aug. 27 that CryptoQuant Head of Research Julio Moreno wrot

StarkWare Says It Completed First Bitcoin Transaction Built to Resist Quantum Attacks

StarkWare said it has completed the first Bitcoin transaction designed to defend against attacks from quantum computers. The blockchain technology company told The Block on August 27 that the transaction demonstrated Bitcoin can achieve some protecti

Bitcoin Falls Below $79,000 After Breaking $80,000 as Rate-Hike Worries Temper Rally

Bitcoin slipped below $79,000 after climbing past $80,000 for the first time since May, as profit-taking combined with renewed worries over higher U.S. interest rates. CoinDesk reported on Aug. 27 that Bitcoin was trading slightly below $79,000 in As

US Spot Ether ETFs Draw $192.4 Million, Extend Inflow Streak to Eight Sessions

US spot Ether exchange-traded funds extended their buying streak with roughly $200 million in fresh inflows. Farside Investors data released on Aug. 27 showed US spot Ether ETFs recorded $192.4 million of net inflows the previous day, marking an eigh

US Spot-Bitcoin ETFs Take In $232.2 Million for Eighth Straight Session

U.S. spot-Bitcoin exchange-traded funds attracted more than $200 million, extending a streak of institutional inflows. Farside Investors data released on August 27 showed U.S. spot-Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $232.2 million on August 26. Tha

BOJ Deputy Governor Flags Upside Inflation Risks, Keeps September Rate-Hike Option Open

The Bank of Japan left open the possibility of another rate increase in September as it stepped up its warning over inflation risks. Bloomberg reported on August 26 that BOJ Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino told regional business leaders in Saitama Prefe

Treasury Buybacks Revive ‘Debasement Trade,’ Boosting Appeal of Bitcoin, Ether and Zcash

Rising US government debt and an expansion of long-dated Treasury buybacks could undermine confidence in fiat currencies, potentially benefiting digital assets including Bitcoin, Ether and Zcash, Grayscale said. In a report published on Aug. 26, Gray

BOK’s Shin Says Preemptive Inflation Response Needed, Leaves Door Open to More Hikes

Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song left the door open to further benchmark interest-rate increases, saying inflation pressures could persist longer than expected. In opening remarks at a press conference after the Monetary Policy Board meeting on

US Government Moves Small Amount of Seized Alameda-Linked Bitcoin, Raising Sale Questions

The US government has moved a small amount of Bitcoin seized from an account linked to Alameda Research. On-chain analytics platform Arkham said on Aug. 26 that the government transferred a portion of the Bitcoin it seized about three years ago from

BOK Raises Benchmark Rate to 3.00%, Signals Scope for Further Tightening

The Bank of Korea raised its benchmark interest rate to 3.00% and signaled it could tighten policy further. On Aug. 27, the BOK’s Monetary Policy Board voted to raise the base rate by 25 basis points to 3.00% from 2.75%. The board said the economy is

UK to Give BOE Innovation Mandate to Support Stablecoins, Payments

The UK government plans to give the Bank of England a new mandate to encourage innovation in digital money and payments. The UK Treasury plans to add “promoting innovation” as a secondary objective to the BOE’s regulation of payment systems, Bloomber

Nvidia Held Talks to Acquire Hugging Face at Valuation Above $13 Billion

Nvidia has discussed acquiring artificial intelligence startup Hugging Face, with the company potentially valued at more than $13 billion if a deal is completed. Bloomberg, citing Business Insider, reported on August 26 that Nvidia and Hugging Face h

Gold Pauses Above $4,600 as Market Awaits Fed Rate Signals at Jackson Hole

Gold traded above $4,600 an ounce as investors looked ahead to signals on US monetary policy from this week’s Jackson Hole symposium. Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,619.54 an ounce as of 7:38 a.m. in Singapore on August 26, according to Bloomberg. It gain

BOK Raises Benchmark Rate 25 Basis Points to 3.00%, Tightens for Second Straight Meeting

The Bank of Korea raised its benchmark interest rate to 3.00%, extending monetary tightening for a second straight meeting. On Aug. 27, the BOK's Monetary Policy Board raised the base rate by 25 basis points to 3.00% from 2.75%. The decision followed

Samsung, SK Hynix Rise After Nvidia’s $96.22 Billion Quarter Fuels AI Memory Demand

Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. rose in early trading on Aug. 27 after Nvidia Corp.’s stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results and upbeat sales outlook boosted expectations for sustained demand for memory chips such as high-band

DeFi Development Launches ‘State of Solana’ Real-Time Data Platform

Nasdaq-listed DeFi Development Corp. has launched a real-time data and research platform that lets users track Solana market and network metrics in one place. The Block reported on Aug. 26 that DeFi Development unveiled State of Solana, a platform th

Hyperliquid Policy Center Urges CFTC to Allow US Energy Perpetual Futures

The Hyperliquid Policy Center, or HPC, and perpetual futures trading platform TradeXYZ have asked the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to establish a regulatory framework that would allow perpetual futures tied to energy assets such as crude o

[Today’s Key Economic and Crypto Events] BOK Rate Decision, Jackson Hole Meeting

Today’s key economic events ▶ Aug. 27 (Thursday): △Bank of Korea August rate decision (10 a.m. Korea Standard Time, 8 p.m. US Eastern Time) △US Jackson Hole meeting (9 p.m. Korea Standard Time, 7 a.m. US Eastern Time) △US initial jobless claims (9:30

Better Mortgage, Coinbase Expand Crypto-Backed Mortgages to Coinbase One Members

Better Mortgage and Coinbase have expanded a mortgage offering that lets borrowers use digital assets as collateral without selling them, making the service available to Coinbase One members. The Block reported on Aug. 26 that Better Mortgage and Coi

Fed Governor Lisa Cook Again Denies Trump’s Mortgage Fraud Allegation

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has again denied President Donald Trump’s allegation that she committed mortgage fraud. In a letter sent to the White House on August 26, Cook’s lawyers called the allegation “baseless and false,” Bloomberg reported

Oil Falls on Hopes of Easing Middle East Tensions, With WTI Near $82

Oil fell after a volatile session as signs of diplomatic progress around the Strait of Hormuz offset rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 26 that West Texas Intermediate traded near $82 a barrel, down about 6% for th

77% of US Adults Say Crypto in Retirement Plans Is Risky, Clashing With Trump Deregulatory Push

Nearly eight in 10 US adults see adding crypto to workplace retirement plans as risky, highlighting a disconnect with the Trump administration’s push to widen access to alternative assets in retirement accounts. According to Cointelegraph on Aug. 26,