Binance News

Elon Musk's net worth has surpassed $850 billion after SpaceX acquired his AI company, xAI, in a deal valued at $1.25 trillion. According to NS3.AI, SpaceX now stands as Musk's largest asset, with a valuation of $1 trillion, while xAI contributes $250 billion to his portfolio. The merger presents regulatory challenges and positions SpaceX for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in 2026, significantly reshaping Musk's investment portfolio and market influence.

U.S. Treasury yields remained relatively unchanged during the Asian trading session as investors anticipate the upcoming quarterly refinancing announcement and the ISM Services PMI data. According to Jin10, analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expect the ISM Services PMI for January to decrease from 54.4 to 53.5. Michael Brown from Pepperstone highlighted that this data will be closely watched, not only due to the significant outperformance of the ISM Manufacturing data earlier in the week but also because the employment sub-index will be a focal point in the absence of the January employment report on Friday. Tradeweb data indicates that the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose by 0.3 basis points to 4.274%, while the 30-year Treasury yield remained stable at 4.906%.

A previously inactive wallet for nearly five years was compromised following a malicious increaseApproval transaction. According to Foresight News, the attacker managed to steal approximately $66,000 worth of QNT.

Gold call options have seen limited increases, indicating weak upward momentum. According to Jin10, the market activity around gold call options suggests a lack of strong bullish sentiment. Meanwhile, silver is experiencing a divergence in long and short positions, with both sides betting on increased volatility.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should not expect intervention from the Bank of Japan to curb the sharp rise in Japanese government bond yields, according to sources. The intervention is deemed costly and poses significant risks, including the potential for an undesirable depreciation of the yen. Last month, Japanese government bonds experienced a sharp decline, causing turmoil in global bond markets. According to Jin10, Takaichi announced an early election and promised a two-year suspension of the food tax, raising concerns about further expansion of fiscal spending and exacerbating Japan's already substantial debt burden.

Despite the market volatility triggering internal warnings at the central bank, three sources familiar with the bank's thinking indicated that the risks of intervening in the bond market currently outweigh the benefits. Insiders revealed that the central bank believes the recent market fluctuations have not yet reached its very high intervention threshold. Sources noted that the Bank of Japan would only step in if speculative trading leads to panic selling or if the market falls into a disorderly state requiring the central bank to act as the last market maker, neither of which is currently occurring.

U.S. Treasury investors are closely monitoring the quarterly refinancing announcement set for Wednesday. According to Jin10, Barclays rate strategists have indicated in a report that the Treasury Department is expected to maintain the current size of its bill and bond auctions this quarter. The department is likely to reaffirm its guidance that nominal bond and floating rate note auction sizes will remain unchanged for at least the next few quarters. Strategists also anticipate that the auction size for inflation-protected bonds will stay stable. They noted, "We will focus on whether the Treasury will reintroduce forward guidance regarding its expected market share."

A South Korean cryptocurrency management firm's CEO has been sentenced to three years in prison for manipulating market prices, resulting in illegal gains exceeding $5 million. According to NS3.AI, this case marks the first conviction under South Korea’s Virtual Asset User Protection Act, which has been in effect since July 2024. The Financial Supervisory Service swiftly forwarded the case to prosecutors, leading to fines and asset forfeiture in addition to the prison sentence.

Leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) designed to profit from declines in bitcoin prices have hit unprecedented levels. According to NS3.AI, this increase coincides with substantial downward pressure on shares related to bitcoin holders. Investors are increasingly employing strategies that capitalize on bitcoin price volatility and market downturns.

Dogecoin experienced a 1.7% rise within 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned plans to send a Dogecoin to the moon. According to NS3.AI, despite this increase, Dogecoin's value remains significantly lower when viewed over weekly, monthly, and yearly periods. Broader market weakness and macroeconomic concerns indicate that this rally might be temporary.

PANews posted on X (formerly Twitter). Kevin Warsh, the anticipated new chairman of the Federal Reserve, has already stirred global markets despite not yet assuming the position. Concerns are mounting over Warsh's potential influence, given his familial ties to the Estée Lauder empire and his proposed monetary policies.

Warsh, known for his shift from hawkish to dovish stances, advocates a dual-track policy approach: simultaneously lowering interest rates to stimulate the economy while tightening liquidity through balance sheet reductions. This strategy has been likened to pressing both the accelerator and brake pedals at once, creating uncertainty in the markets.

His decision to eliminate forward guidance has plunged the market into an information void, exacerbating fears. As the White House pushes for interest rate cuts, Wall Street demands balance sheet reductions, and his influential family seeks stable exchange rates, questions arise about Warsh's ability to independently craft monetary policy.

A Wall Street adage warns that when a Federal Reserve chairman begins to compromise, market instability follows. The outcome of this high-stakes gamble remains to be seen.

Foresight News posted on X (formerly Twitter). In the current on-chain economy, security issues remain a significant barrier to the entry of institutional funds. Without ensuring long-term certainty of funds, the scalable growth of on-chain finance faces substantial limitations. Consequently, security has become a core infrastructure of on-chain finance rather than an optional expense. Security platform Immunefi is developing a systematic security coordination network through its Magnus platform and IMU token.

Fidelity International portfolio manager George Efstathopoulos recently sold most of his gold holdings just days before gold prices experienced their largest drop in four decades. According to Jin10, Efstathopoulos is now preparing to reinvest in gold. He stated, "If gold prices see another 5% to 7% correction, I will make significant purchases. Many market bubbles have been deflated due to this decline, yet the structural, long-term rationale supporting gold's strength remains solid."

Efstathopoulos manages approximately $3 billion in Fidelity's income and growth strategy fund. He believes that the factors driving gold prices to record highs are still in place, citing persistent inflation and a weakening U.S. dollar as additional drivers. Last year, the fund he managed achieved a 20% return. Efstathopoulos primarily gains exposure to gold through ETFs, ETCs, and gold mining stocks. He plans to increase the proportion of gold in the fund back to around 5%, emphasizing, "We aim to buy on dips because, from a diversification perspective, gold enhances the robustness of an investment portfolio."

Cuba experienced a historic weather event as temperatures in Matanzas Province dropped to 0°C on Tuesday morning at 7 a.m., marking the first time the tropical island nation has recorded freezing temperatures. According to Ming Pao, this unprecedented cold snap broke the previous national record of 0.6°C set in February 1996. The event highlights the unusual weather patterns affecting the region.

Credit Agricole's fourth-quarter profit did not meet analyst expectations due to increased costs from restructuring its Italian operations, according to Jin10. The bank's operating expenses rose by 4.7% to €4.1 billion, surpassing the €3.9 billion forecast by analysts. This increase was primarily driven by restructuring charges and contributions to the Italian deposit protection fund. Additionally, provisions amounted to €629 million, exceeding expectations, and included funds set aside for legal risks related to UK car loans and the recovery plan for Italy's Banca Progetto.

These negative factors offset the strong performance of the asset management division and highlighted the challenges faced by CEO Olivier Gavalda in emphasizing growth in overseas markets. Amid a wave of mergers and acquisitions in Italy, Credit Agricole increased its stake in Banco to over 20%. The initial consolidation of this stake resulted in a €607 million reduction in fourth-quarter earnings, although it is expected to contribute approximately €100 million in recurring earnings each quarter in the future.

In January, pension funds experienced a positive performance, with the comprehensive index reaching 296.2 points, marking a 3.4% increase. According to RTHK, the average earnings per person amounted to 11,085 HKD. Major indices recorded positive returns, with equity funds achieving an overall return of 4.8%. Regionally, Asian equity funds performed the best with an 8.7% return, followed by Greater China and Hong Kong equity funds, which saw returns of 7.4% and 6.9%, respectively. U.S. equity funds had the weakest performance, with only a 1% return.

Mixed asset funds returned 3.5%, while fixed income funds saw a return of 0.3%. Notably, Hong Kong dollar bond funds recorded a negative return of 0.3%. GUM highlighted that the ongoing development of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to drive demand for memory and semiconductors, maintaining strong growth momentum in regions such as Greater China, Japan, and South Korea, which are integral to the AI supply chain. Additionally, market expectations of a weakening U.S. dollar have attracted capital inflows into Asia.

GUM believes that global stock markets remain on an upward trend, with non-dollar assets appearing more attractive. The Asian market is viewed most favorably, followed by Europe, although the latter is susceptible to changes in U.S.-Europe relations, such as the recent trade dispute over Greenland.

Jack Kong, CEO of Nano Labs, posted on X. BlackRock has made another significant move by investing $60 million in a Bitcoin ETF. This institutional-level buying is reshaping the market structure. The entry of traditional financial giants is no longer a tentative exploration but a strategic positioning. As the world's largest asset management company actively allocates digital assets, retail investors remain hesitant. However, this concentrated buying in the short term may drive up valuations, with profit-taking pressures potentially emerging.

A significant Bitcoin transaction occurred involving two anonymous addresses. According to ChainCatcher, data from Arkham revealed that at 13:32, 584.44 BTC was transferred from an address starting with 1AJb to another address beginning with 14aa. The transaction highlights ongoing activity in the cryptocurrency market, where anonymity remains a key feature for many users.

Bitcoin's market capitalization has fallen to $1.526 trillion, placing it 13th among global assets. According to Foresight News, this data comes from 8Marketcap, highlighting a shift in Bitcoin's standing in the global financial landscape.

Germany's Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is focusing on the Middle East to diversify energy supplies and reduce reliance on U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), aiming to secure Europe's largest economy. According to Jin10, Scholz, accompanied by a delegation of business leaders, will depart for Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On Thursday, he will continue to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, returning to Berlin on Friday night.

Susanne Nies, an energy expert at the Helmholtz Research Center in Berlin, highlighted the risks associated with high dependency on the U.S., citing the authoritarian developments in the U.S. government and geopolitical blackmail risks. She suggested Germany consider alternatives such as increasing pipeline gas from Norway and LNG from Canada or Australia.

Claudia Kemfert, head of the Energy, Transport, and Environment Department at the German Institute for Economic Research, emphasized the problems of high dependency on the U.S., which creates new geopolitical and price risks. She advised that Germany should learn from this situation by reducing overall reliance on fossil fuels, rather than merely changing supplier countries.

Nvidia's sales of its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China are currently on hold due to an ongoing U.S. national security review. According to Ming Pao, the Financial Times reported that the completion of this review is necessary before any sales can proceed. The delay highlights the impact of security considerations on international technology trade.