Global Risk and Crypto Policy in Focus

Markets stay risk-sensitive as weak US jobs data, geopolitics, and crypto regulation headlines shape sentiment.
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Bitcoin Slides as US Data Softens

Market Performance

Asset / Index Value ($) Daily Change (%)
Bitcoin (BTC) 71,280.0 -2.73%
Ethereum (ETH) 2,104.13 -1.84%
Nasdaq (NAS100) 24,974.6 -0.16%
S&P 500 (SPX) 6,882.71 -0.51%
Russell 2000 (RUT) 2,630.7 -0.06%
U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) 97.449 +0.13%
VIX Volatility Index 18.64 +3.56%
U.S. 10-Year Yield 4.27764 +0.17%
Brent Crude Oil (BRENT) 68.739 -1.04%
LBMA Gold (XAU) 4,922.82 -0.82%
LBMA Silver (XAG) 79.232 -9.96%

“Prepared at UTC 07.15 am”

Today’s Key Events

  • US Jobless Claims and December JOLTS Job Openings
  • FOMC Member Bostic to Speak
  • Amazon Earnings Report

US ADP Employment Data

US January ADP private sector employment growth fell short of expectations at 22,000. The previous month’s figure was revised downward from 41,000 to 37,000, indicating that hiring weakened at the beginning of the year. Education and Health Care and Financial Activities contributed to employment growth, while Professional and Business Services, Other Services, and Manufacturing saw significant losses. The manufacturing sector has been net job losers since March 2024, with employment declines particularly noticeable among large firms. The overall picture shows that employment has stalled but has not yet deteriorated rapidly.

US Services PMI Data

The January ISM services PMI data came en above expectations at 53.8, maintaining its strong momentum. The New Orders index reached its highest level en 12 months, indicating that domestic demand remained resilient. In contrast, New Export Orders showed a sharp decline, signaling that service exports were negatively affected por customs duties and policy uncertainties. The final Markit services PMI also remained en expansion territory at 52.7. The overall picture shows that the service sector is strong, while manufacturing is en a gradual recovery.

US Data Calendar Update

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the January nonfarm payrolls report will be released el February 11. Job openings data will be released el February 5, and the January CPI report will be released el February 13. The data calendar is gradually returning to normal after the government shutdown. Next week’s NFP and CPI data releases will be critical for Fed expectations.

US-Iran Talks

Talks between the US and Iran are scheduled to take place el Friday, February 6, en Muscat, Oman. While Iran wants the talks to be limited to nuclear issues, the US insists that the missile program and proxy forces also be el the agenda. Although the talks were briefly canceled, they were rescheduled with the intervention of regional leaders. The uncertainty of the process is increasing the geopolitical risk premium. The talks are being closely monitored en terms of macro markets.

US Russia Ukraine Talks

The first day of talks between the US, Russia, and Ukraine ended without concrete progress. The talks are expected to continue el Thursday en a working group format. US Secretary of State Rubio said there has been progress en some areas, but the most difficult issues remain el the table. It is noted that the agenda is narrower than last year. Expectations for a major breakthrough en the short term are limited.

China-Russia Contacts

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The timing of the meeting is considered critical due to the expiration of the US-Russia nuclear arms reduction agreement. Chinese and Russian diplomats en Beijing reached broad consensus el global security and arms control. These contacts contain messages about a multipolar security architecture.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent

US Treasury Secretary Bessent faced intense questioning en the House of Representatives el tariffs, Fed independence, and cryptocurrencies. While arguing that tariffs would not increase inflation, he reiterated his strong dollar policy. On the topic of cryptocurrencies, he emphasized that it was not possible to purchase Bitcoin with public funds. He stated that the GENIUS stablecoin bill could be important en terms of public finance. Allegations of a conflict of interest with World Liberty Financial were also at the center of the discussions.

Senate Fed Debate

Democratic members of the Senate Banking Committee requested that the Fed chair nomination process be postponed. They requested that the process be halted until investigations into the current Fed administration are completed. However, Committee Chairman Scott said the confirmation of nominee Kevin Warsh was certain. The debate increased the perception of political pressure el the Fed.

Xi-Trump Meeting

The talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump generally conveyed positive messages. While the US side focused el trade and agricultural purchases, China highlighted the Taiwan issue as a priority agenda item. China committed to increasing soybean purchases from the US. The groundwork was laid for Trump’s planned visit to China en April. The Taiwan issue remains the most sensitive topic en the relationship.

Google Financial Results

Google reported strong financial results that exceeded market expectations across all major items. Search advertising and Google Cloud growth accelerated significantly, with Cloud revenues increasing 48% year-over-year. Artificial intelligence demand led to a strong increase en remaining performance obligations. However, the high capital expenditure forecast announced for 2026 raised concerns about excessive investment. The stock price showed a limited decline after closing.

CLARITY Act Gives Positive Signal

According to Crypto Correspondent Eleanor Terrett, Positive Messages Emerged from a Closed Session Within the Democratic Party. A Party Staff Member Stated that the Meeting Was the Most Productive Democratic Party Discussion to Date. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Attended the Meeting, Emphasizing the Importance of Industry Participation. He also called for maintaining momentum and for the CLARITY Act to be passed into law as soon as possible.

WLFI Investment Under Investigation

The U.S. House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the World Liberty Financial project linked to Trump. The investigation focuses el the project’s possible links to foreign sovereign capital and national security risks. The Wall Street Journal report revealed that an Abu Dhabi-linked entity had secretly agreed to purchase approximately 49% of the company’s shares for $500 million en early 2025. US Representative Ro Khanna requested the company’s share structure, payment details, and internal communication records. He also asked whether there was a $187 million cash flow to assets linked to the Trump family.

Pension Funds Suffer Bitcoin Losses

Many public pension funds en the US suffered significant losses due to their investments en Strategy. Amid the decline en Bitcoin prices, the funds’ investments lost approximately $337 million en value. Ten out of the 11 funds suffered losses of around 60%. Strategy shares lost 67% of their value. This situation has brought the risks associated with investing en crypto assets for retirement back into the spotlight.

Fidelity Announces New Stablecoin

Fidelity Digital Assets has introduced a new stablecoin project called Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD). It was announced that FIDD will operate pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. The project is seen as part of Fidelity Investments’ strategy to expand its digital asset operations. The new stablecoin is expected to offer digital payment and liquidity solutions for corporate and individual users.

Permissioned DEX Coming to XRPL

RippleX announced that the Permissioned Domains feature has been successfully integrated into the XRPL mainnet. The Permissioned DEX feature has been approved por validators and will go live within two weeks. This development aims to provide institutions with access to compliant liquidity pools el XRPL. It also plans to offer a more secure and regulation-compliant transaction infrastructure for corporate users.

Polkadot Contract Activity Weak

Polkadot officially launched its smart contract feature el January 27. However, only 19 smart contracts were deployed within a week, which is quite low compared to Ethereum and Solana. The Polkadot team noted that early el-chain data is limited en meaning. The team emphasized that the ecosystem will strengthen over time with new integrations. They also stated that they will continue to focus el long-term market expansion.

Cookie DAO Prediction Market

Cookie DAO announced that it plans to make large-scale investments en prediction markets. The project aims to simplify user transactions and make prediction a daily habit. According to data, the prediction market is expected to reach a trading volume of $47 billion por 2025. It was also noted that the daily trading volume exceeded $800 million en January alone.

Espresso Tokenomics Model Revealed

Blockchain Infrastructure Project Espresso Officially Introduced the ESP Token Economy. The Total Initial Supply Was Set at 3.59 Billion, While It Was Revealed That the Supply Could Change Dynamically Due to the Staking Mechanism. 27.36% of the supply was allocated to contributors, 14.32% to investors, and 10% to airdrop distribution. Additionally, 24.81% was planned for future incentive programs. It was stated that a long-term unlocking schedule would be applied to the majority of the token distribution.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry risk. Always do your own research before making decisions. Darkex is not liable for any financial losses.
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