The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced Project Agorá successfully completed real-value testing of tokenized wholesale cross-border payments. The trials involved 28 financial institutions and central banks, settling 800,000 Swiss francs across 17 scenarios with an average settlement time of 80 seconds.
Hedge fund manager John Paulson believes gold is in the early stages of a long-term bull market, citing declining faith in paper currencies and growing demand from central banks and the private sector. He advises investing in early-stage gold miners, specifically mentioning NovaGold Resources.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) warns that the AI investment boom, while driven by genuine technological progress, may mirror the dot-com bubble's speculative excess. Concerns focus on whether current investments will yield sustainable returns, the concentration of financing, and the risk of inflated valuations despite AI's transformative potential.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh stated that US central bankers will decide on interest rate hikes in four weeks. He noted that while US-Iran peace talks and falling energy prices offer reassurance, the "AI boom" and increased capital expenditures pose potential inflationary challenges for monetary policy.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) warns that the global AI spending boom, projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2026, could trigger financial stress if expected returns disappoint. This could tighten liquidity across equities and credit, potentially impacting Bitcoin as a risk asset.
Gold prices are seeing limited gains despite falling oil prices, as central banks signal potential rate hikes to combat inflation. Geopolitical developments, including US-Iran talks and Israeli-Lebanese deconfliction, are also influencing the market, alongside a strengthening US Dollar.
European Central Bank board member Gabriel Makhlouf warned that a temporary agreement to end the Middle East conflict might not immediately end the global energy shock, potentially prolonging inflationary pressures due to energy infrastructure damage. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve begins a new phase under Kevin Warsh, with expectations of holding interest rates steady amid rising inflation and a strengthening labor market.
Central banks are increasingly storing gold bullion domestically, driven by geopolitical tensions and concerns over accessibility of overseas reserves. The World Gold Council survey shows a rise in domestic storage and diversification of foreign locations, with expectations of continued central bank gold purchases.
Gold prices are holding strong, supported by central bank purchases and an interim US-Iran peace agreement that shifted focus from geopolitics to economics. Easing tensions reduced inflation fears and Fed tightening expectations, leading to lower Treasury yields and a softer dollar.
A World Gold Council survey reveals 45% of central banks plan to increase gold reserves due to geopolitical uncertainty and declining trust in the US dollar. Most expect global reserves to rise, with gold seen as a crisis hedge and inflation buffer.
US and UK central banks are anticipated to maintain current interest rates this week. A recent Middle East peace deal is expected to reduce inflationary pressures, influencing these decisions. The Fed's new chair, Kevin Warsh, will be closely watched for his inflation outlook.
Asian markets and European futures rallied Monday following a tentative US-Iran peace agreement, which is expected to ease global inflation and reduce central bank rate hike pressure. Oil prices dropped significantly, with Brent crude falling 4.7% to $83.24 a barrel.
Asian markets and European futures surged, while oil prices dropped significantly following a tentative peace agreement between the US and Iran. The deal is expected to ease global inflationary pressures, potentially reducing the need for further interest rate hikes by central banks.
Major central banks are on high alert to reset monetary policies due to the oil shock from the US-Iran war. The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates significantly, while the Bank of England may adopt a cautious approach.
A study presented at a joint symposium by the Korea Capital Market Institute, the Korean-American Finance Society, and the Korea Institute of Finance found that central banks significantly reduce inflation when they focus on their core mandate of price stability. Analyzing speeches from 24 central banks and the ECB, researchers observed that a shift in policy messaging from 'diversified' to 'focused' led to a 0.31 percentage point decrease in inflation over eight quarters.
The Bank of England is warning the public about AI-generated scams after deepfake videos depicting Nigel Farage and Governor Andrew Bailey fighting circulated on X. Bailey urged vigilance and reporting of such content, highlighting the rise of fake adverts impersonating central banks.
The Bank of England warns of rising AI-generated scams after deepfake videos of Nigel Farage and Governor Andrew Bailey fighting spread online, urging vigilance and reporting of such content.
Central banks are increasing their gold holdings, with China being the largest buyer since early 2022. Gold's share in global foreign reserves surpassed US Treasuries and the euro in 2025, driven by valuation effects and a desire for diversification and geopolitical risk hedging.
Bitcoin's price is heavily influenced by upcoming US jobs reports, particularly the JOLTS survey and payrolls data. These figures will signal the Federal Reserve's monetary policy direction, affecting interest rates, dollar strength, and overall market liquidity.
Robert Kiyosaki notes central banks are reducing US debt holdings for gold, signaling increased trust in gold as a safe-haven asset. He highlights gold's recent 65% price surge versus traditional savings accounts' 4% interest.
African central banks, including BCEAO, are accelerating discussions on regulating digital finance due to the rise of crypto and stablecoins. They aim to build public alternatives to prevent foreign private infrastructure dominance in regional financial flows.
Global central banks are collectively changing their stance, impacting stocks and gold. Meanwhile, Zheng Liwen fiercely criticized Lai Ching-te for 30 minutes, accusing him of deception.
Mainland Chinese investors reduced their holdings of US Treasury bills in March due to global market uncertainties, including the US-Israel war on Iran, which fueled inflation and energy price concerns, analysts said.
Rising sovereign yields, high public debt, energy shocks, and sticky inflation raise concerns of a global economic crash, though policy settings differ from 2008, with better-capitalized banks and constrained rescue options due to higher debt levels.
