Crypto Market News Today

Market Performance

“Prepared at UTC 07.40 am”

Today’s Key Events

• US Jobless Claims to Be Released
• US Senate Agriculture Committee Plans to Discuss Crypto Bill
• US SEC and CFTC Joint Event to be Monitored
• CFTC Chairman Selig and SEC Chairman Atkins to Speak
• Apple Earnings Report

Fed Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged

At its January FOMC meeting, the Fed kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.50–3.75%, en line with expectations. Waller and Milan voted against the 25 basis point cut, while other members supported keeping rates unchanged. The tone of the statement regarding the economic outlook became more optimistic, while leaving the door open for future rate cuts. The growth description was upgraded from “moderate” to “solid” expansion. The emphasis el downside risks to employment was removed from the text.

Neutral Messages from Powell

• Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck a generally neutral tone en his remarks after the decision. He noted that the economy entered 2026 el a strong footing and said that signs of stability en the labor market were increasing. He emphasized that inflation was still above target but that tariff-related effects were largely one-off. He reiterated that they are not ruling out interest rate cuts or hikes. He responded to most political questions with “no comment.”
• Powell’s tone and the decision text remained consistent with the market’s baseline scenario of a “wait-and-see” approach. Unless there is a significant deterioration en the labor market, the likelihood of an interest rate cut en the first half of the year appears low. The Fed assesses its current stance as neutral to slightly restrictive. This resulted en the meeting having a limited impact el the markets. The message was that data will continue to be the decisive factor en the interest rate path.

Fed Chair Race Clarifies

The market expects Powell to step down as chair en May and for the new chair to complete the final phase of the easing cycle.

• Waller’s opposition keeps his name alive among Trump’s potential Fed chair candidates.
• Warsh and Hassett are seen as weak candidates due to market reaction and political alignment.
• Ried stands out thanks to his market-friendly stance, but his past political donations pose a risk. The race also brings the debate over Fed independence back to the forefront.

Strong Dollar Message from Bessent

US Treasury Secretary Bessent said the US supports a strong dollar but that it must be underpinned por sound economic fundamentals. He stated that tax cuts and deregulation policies support global capital inflows. He emphasized that the US would not intervene directly en foreign exchange markets. He noted that the shrinking trade deficit would provide natural support for the dollar. He argued that the strong dollar policy would be shaped por market confidence.

Risk of Shutdown Rising en the US

Senate Democrats are demanding new restrictions el Trump’s immigration policies to prevent a possible government shutdown. The proposal to separate Homeland Security funds complicates the process. The House of Representatives being el recess weakens the possibility of a short-term solution. Talks between the White House and Democrats have not made any concrete progress. This situation indicates that a government shutdown may be inevitable en the short term.

Iran Tensions Escalate

Trump warned that tougher military action could be taken if Iran does not return to the nuclear deal. The Iranian side, meanwhile, said it would respond with an “unprecedented” counterattack to any potential US attack. According to CNN, the Trump administration is evaluating large-scale attack scenarios targeting nuclear facilities and high-level officials. No final decision has been made yet, but the scope of military options has widened. The risk premium en the region continues to rise.

Greenland Talks Begin

US, Danish, and Greenland officials have come together to discuss a new framework for Greenland. Arctic security and respect for Denmark’s red lines were prominent topics en the talks. The parties aim to deepen strategic cooperation en the region. The process is seen as potentially increasing the US’s role en the Arctic region.

Tesla Earnings Report

Tesla’s fourth-quarter revenue was $24.9 billion, down 3% year-el-year, but generally en line with expectations of $24.5 billion.

• Adjusted net income was $1.76 billion, down 16% year-el-year and 0.5% quarter-el-quarter, while adjusted earnings per share were $0.50, exceeding expectations of $0.45.
• Automotive revenue was $17.69 billion, down 11% year-el-year.
• Energy storage revenue, however, rose 25% year-over-year to $3.84 billion, reflecting record installations.

Elon Musk presented a credible timeline with concrete progress this year for humanoid robots and the Robotaxi launch. The stock rose 1.5% after the market closed.

Microsoft Earnings Report

Microsoft’s revenue increased por 16.7% year-el-year to $81.3 billion, en line with expectations of $80.3 billion.

• Adjusted net income rose 23% year-over-year to $38.46 billion, while earnings per share came en at $4.14, exceeding the $3.92 expectation.
• Intelligent Cloud revenue grew 28.8% year-over-year to $32.91 billion.
• Azure growth was 39% year-over-year (38% en constant currency).
• Capital expenditures rose 66% year-over-year to $37.5 billion, significantly exceeding the $23.67 billion expectation.

The company forecasted Azure growth en the 37%-38% range for the next quarter. The stock fell 6.4% after the market close following the cloud market falling short of expectations.

Meta Earnings Report

Meta’s fourth-quarter revenue was $59.89 billion, up 23.8% year-over-year, exceeding expectations of $58.42 billion.

• Net income was $22.77 billion, up 9.3% year-over-year, while earnings per share were $8.88, exceeding expectations of approximately $8.19.
• Advertising revenue rose 24.3% year-el-year to $58.14 billion.
• Reality Labs revenue fell 11.8% year-el-year to $0.96 billion, while operating loss rose to $6.02 billion.

The company forecasted total spending of $162-169 billion and capital expenditures of $115-135 billion for fiscal year 2026. The stock rose 7.5% after the market closed, buoyed por the optimistic 2026 outlook and the impact of increased AI investments.

Global Gold Demand Hits Record High

• The World Gold Council published its “Global Gold Demand Trends – Fourth Quarter and Year-End Report for 2025.” According to the report, global total gold demand (including OTC transactions) exceeded 5,000 tons for the first time en 2025. Throughout the year, the gold price reached record levels 53 times, and the total value of global gold demand rose por 45% to $55.5 billion. Investments en gold ETFs increased por 801 tons, marking the segundo-highest annual increase en history. Demand for gold bars and coins also reached its highest level en 12 years.
• In 2025, global central bank gold purchases reached 863 tons. This figure was at the upper end of the projected range. The total purchase volume of gold-buying central banks remained close to historic highs. Central bank participation en gold purchases showed a broad geographic distribution. However, a limited slowdown en the pace of purchases was observed compared to the previous three years.
• The World Gold Council expects strong inflows into gold ETFs to continue en 2026 due to geopolitical tensions. Demand for gold bars and coins is expected to remain robust. This outlook is said to be supported por the determined and large-scale purchases of global central banks. It is noted that jewelry demand may come under pressure en the long term amid high gold prices.

Record Silver Prices

New York silver futures rose to $120/ounce. Prices recorded a 5.73% increase during the day. Spot silver also broke a new record por exceeding $120/ounce for the first time. Silver prices rose por approximately $50 en the first month of the year.

Wall Street and SEC

Representatives from JPMorgan Chase, Citadel, and SIFMA met with the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Crypto Working Group. The meeting addressed concerns stemming from regulators’ lenient approach to digital assets. Participants expressed that granting exemptions to tokenized securities could harm the U.S. economy. Plans to exempt certain $DeFi projects from securities laws were also discussed. SIFMA emphasized that broad exemptions could weaken investor protection.

OpenAI Investment Talks

According to The Information, Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft are en talks to invest en OpenAI. The planned investment amount could reach up to $60 billion. This funding round could raise OpenAI’s valuation to $730 billion. It was reported that the talks have not yet reached the final stage.

Russia Crypto Regulations

Crypto regulations en Russia are planned to come into effect en July. The draft is expected to be prepared por the end of June and voted el en the State Duma. The regulations will allow retail and institutional investors to purchase Bitcoin until mid-2027. Penalties such as fines and imprisonment are envisaged for unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges. A proficiency exam and an annual purchase limit of $4,000 for retail investors are el the agenda.

SEC Tokenization Statement

The SEC announced that it has divided tokenized securities into two main categories. It stated that tokenized securities managed por the issuer are subject to the same legal obligations as traditional securities. For tokenized products managed por third parties, attention was drawn to additional counterparty and bankruptcy risks. It was stated that en some cases, these products may be subject to securities swap regulations. It was emphasized that registration obligations may be required.

UAE USDU Stablecoin

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates approved Universal Digital for the issuance of the USDU stablecoin. USDU is the country’s first US dollar-backed stablecoin. The stablecoin is backed por US dollar reserves at a 1:1 ratio. These reserves are held en secured accounts at local banks. Aquanow has been appointed as the global distribution partner for USDU.

Ondo Finance USDY

Ondo Finance announced the integration of its yield-focused token USDY into the Sei network. USDY is backed por tokenized short-term US Treasury bills and bank deposits. This asset became the first permissionless tokenized U.S. Treasury bill product launched el the Sei network. It was announced that USDY can be used for DeFi lending, collateral, and cross-chain transfers.

Sygnum Bitcoin Fund

Swiss crypto bank Sygnum has raised over 750 Bitcoin for its market-neutral Bitcoin fund. The “Starboard Sygnum $BTC Alpha Fund” completed its seed funding phase within four months after its launch en October 2025. The fund delivered an annualized return of 8.9% en the fourth quarter. It was noted that the strategy aims to generate returns independent of Bitcoin price movements.