Suehyeon Lee

BOK Weighs Back-to-Back Rate Hikes as Growth, Inflation Stay Firm

The Bank of Korea’s Monetary Policy Board meets on Aug. 27 to decide the benchmark interest rate, with markets split on whether it will follow last month’s move with another increase or pause after a single hike. There is broad agreement that the BOK

Gold, Bitcoin ETFs Pull In $7 Billion in Five Days as US Fiscal Fears Fuel Scarce-Asset Buying

Investors are buying gold and Bitcoin in tandem as concerns mount over US fiscal health and the dollar’s value. Data compiled by Bloomberg on August 26 show gold- and Bitcoin-related exchange-traded funds drew a combined $7 billion over the past five

Samsung, SK Hynix Shareholder Returns May Strengthen Won; Dollar-Won Seen Finding Support at 1,340-1,350

Large shareholder return programs by Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. could add to downward pressure on the dollar-won exchange rate through related foreign-exchange conversions. In Seoul trading on Aug. 26, the dollar-won rate stood at 1,38

Nvidia Sees Fiscal 2028 Revenue Rising About 70%, Brushing Off AI Spending Slowdown Fears

Nvidia forecast about 70% revenue growth for fiscal 2028, brushing aside market concerns that spending on artificial intelligence may be starting to cool. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 26 that Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress told investors on a co

Crypto Fear and Greed Index Hits 74, Highest Since October Peak Before Market Rout

Sentiment in the cryptocurrency market has climbed to its highest level in about 10 months, with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index swinging from fear to greed in less than two weeks. CoinDesk reported on Aug. 26 that Alternative's Crypto Fear and Greed

Galaxy Digital Launches Crypto-Backed Credit Line for Retail Clients Using Bitcoin, Ether and Solana

Galaxy Digital has launched a collateralized lending service for retail clients, allowing them to borrow cash without selling their crypto holdings. The Block reported on Aug. 26 that Galaxy Digital rolled out a product called the Crypto Portfolio Li

US Spot Ether ETFs Extend Net Inflow Streak to Seven Sessions With $179.8 Million Haul

U.S. spot Ether exchange-traded funds attracted more than $100 million of net inflows in a single day. U.S. spot Ether ETFs posted total net inflows of $179.8 million on August 25, according to Farside Investors. The gains extended the streak of net

US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Attract $314.3 Million, Marking Seven Straight Sessions of Inflows

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds drew more than $300 million in fresh capital in a single day. According to Farside Investors, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted combined net inflows of $314.3 million on August 25. That extended their streak of net

BitMine Linked to $48.9 Million Purchase of 20,000 More Ether

BitMine, led by Tom Lee, appears to have bought an additional $48.9 million worth of Ether. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain said on August 26 that a wallet linked to BitMine received 20,000 Ether from crypto exchange Kraken. The tokens were w

Bitcoin Pauses After 23% Weekly Surge, Slips Back Below $79,000

Bitcoin slipped back below $79,000 as traders took profits after a 23% rally over the past seven days. CoinDesk reported on Aug. 26 that Bitcoin was trading during Asian morning hours at around $79,000, down about 1% from a day earlier. The move foll

Bitwise Launches Automated Tokenized US Stock Portfolios With Coinbase, Glider

Crypto asset manager Bitwise has launched a service for non-US investors that automatically builds and rebalances portfolios of tokenized US stocks. Bitwise introduced Automated Token Portfolios, or ATP, for eligible non-US investors, The Block repor

South Korea’s People Power Party to Announce Crypto Tax Stance After Aug. 27 Workshop

South Korea’s People Power Party said it will announce a detailed position on virtual-asset, or digital-asset, taxation after discussing the issue and related policies at a party workshop on Aug. 27. Jang Dong-hyuk, the party’s leader, made the remar

Japan Service Inflation Accelerates to 3.6%, Reinforcing BOJ September Rate-Hike Bets

Prices for services traded between Japanese companies accelerated in July, reinforcing market expectations that the Bank of Japan may raise its benchmark interest rate in September. Bloomberg reported on August 26 that the BOJ's corporate services pr

South Korea to Introduce Digital Asset Law in Early September With 20% Cap on Crypto Exchange Major Shareholders

South Korea’s financial authorities plan to submit a government-backed draft of the Digital Asset Basic Act to the National Assembly as early as next week, including a provision to cap major shareholders’ stakes in crypto exchanges at 20% regardless

Citadel Sees Greater Scope for Long-Term US Treasury Yields to Fall as Shorts Get Crowded

Crowded bearish bets on long-dated US Treasuries, combined with softer inflation data, have increased the chances that long-term yields will decline. Frank Pliete, Citadel Securities' head of macro strategy, wrote in a note that “the current asymmetr

Tessa, Stockkeeper Sign Pact to Build IXO-NET Ledger for Tokenized Securities

Tessa, which runs fractional investment businesses in art and solar assets, and Stockkeeper, operator of the Korean beef cattle investment platform Bankcow, signed a framework agreement to cooperate on building IXO-NET, a distributed ledger network f

Gold Holds Near Three-Month High as Oil, Treasury Yields Decline

International gold prices held near a three-month high as easing tensions in the Middle East pushed down oil prices and US Treasury yields. Bloomberg reported on August 25 that spot gold rose 0.1% from a day earlier to $4,659.52 an ounce, leaving bul

Coinbase Urges SEC, CFTC to Resolve Overlapping Jurisdiction on Perpetual Futures

Coinbase, the largest US cryptocurrency exchange, called for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to resolve overlapping jurisdiction to spur growth in perpetual futures and prediction markets in the US.

US-Canada Trade Tensions Escalate as Trump Administration Weighs Additional Tariffs

The Trump administration is considering additional trade measures in response to Canada’s announcement of retaliatory tariffs, signaling a further escalation in the tariff dispute between the two countries. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 25 that the Whit

Oil Extends Decline as Iran, Oman Discuss Temporary Shipping Route in Strait of Hormuz

Oil extended its decline as Iran and Oman moved to establish a temporary maritime route to resume vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. West Texas Intermediate traded below $81 a barrel on August 25, according to Bloomberg. WTI has fallen abou

Japan Pushes Blockchain Settlement Network for 24/7 Instant Stock, JGB Trades

Japan is moving to build next-generation financial infrastructure using blockchain technology to enable 24-hour, real-time settlement of stock and Japanese government bond trades. Japan’s Financial Services Agency, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank o

US July PCE, Q2 GDP Revision Headline Wednesday's Economic Calendar

Today’s Key Economic Events ▶ Aug. 26 (Wednesday): US July personal consumption expenditures price index (9:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time; 7:30 a.m. US Eastern Time); US second-quarter preliminary GDP estimate (9:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time; 7:30 a.m.

Bill to End South Korea’s ‘One Exchange, One Bank’ Rule Heads to National Assembly

A bill that would allow cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea to secure real-name accounts from multiple banks is set to be taken up by the National Assembly. Edaily reported on Aug. 26 that the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee will

Zerohash Retries for US Bank Charter After First Application Was Returned

Zerohash is making a second attempt to secure a US bank charter, a month after regulators returned its initial application. CoinDesk reported on August 25 that the crypto infrastructure firm resubmitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller

Grayscale Launches Zcash ETF ‘ZCSH,’ First Exchange-Traded Fund for a Privacy Coin

Grayscale has launched the first exchange-traded fund that invests directly in Zcash, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency. Crypto news outlet The Block reported on August 25 that Grayscale listed the Zcash ETF on NYSE Arca under the ticker ZCSH. The p

Bitcoin Enters New Bull Market After 24% Weekly Surge, With $83,000 as Final Confirmation Level

Bitcoin has entered a new bull-market phase after surging 24% in a week, according to a CryptoQuant analysis. In a report published on Aug. 25, Julio Moreno, CryptoQuant's head of research, wrote that Bitcoin has climbed 24% since Aug. 17 and shifted

Bank Groups in 39 US States Launch Blockchain Alliance to Support Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits

Banking associations in 39 US states are moving to build an industry-owned blockchain network to support digital financial services such as stablecoins and tokenized deposits. The state banking groups said on August 25 they launched the BankChain All

Solana July Transactions Hit Record 4.2 Billion as SOL Jumps 40% in Eight Days

Solana processed a record 4.2 billion transactions in July, while the SOL token jumped 40% in eight days to retake the $100 level. Cointelegraph reported on August 25 that on-chain data released by The Kobeissi Letter showed Solana's July transaction

US to Hold Off on More Iran Strikes, Turn to Sanctions and Maritime Pressure

The US plans to refrain from launching additional airstrikes on Iran for the time being and instead keep up pressure through economic sanctions and a maritime blockade. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently told several allied foreign ministers tha

Japan Underlying Inflation Gauge Rises 2.3%, Strengthening Case for BOJ September Rate Hike

A key underlying inflation gauge tracked by the Bank of Japan rose above 2%, reinforcing expectations that the central bank may raise interest rates in September. Bloomberg reported on August 25 that Japan’s consumer price index excluding fresh food