Global financial sell-off on recession and inflation fears

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has hit the most across the board, as it trades nearly 30% below its intraday all-time high from Nov. 22, 2021, as investors worry that the growth and tech stocks might see their revenues declining from higher interest rates, at a time the consumer and global economy is slowing.

A similar bearish picture was spotted in the overseas markets on Thursday morning as well, with stocks across the Asian area losing more than 2% following the overnight sell-off on Wall Street, while the European markets traded down nearly 2% with the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and higher energy prices weighing on European assets as well.

The Wednesday’s sell-off was triggered after the disappointing back-to-back Q1 and Q2 corporate earnings from giant retailers Target and Walmart driven by the soaring inflation, higher operation costs, and diminishing consumer demand.

Growth and yield-sensitive assets have been pressured since the start of 2022 by the fear of much higher interest rates since all the major central banks are using all the available monetary tools to curb the soaring inflation by hiking their Covid-era zero rates, which had led to worries about a potential growth slowdown or even a global economic recession.

The soaring energy, metal, and food prices have pushed inflation rates in the U.S to the 40-year highs of 8,3% in April year-to-year, increasing the likelihood of an aggressive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, potentially hiking 50 bps at the next meetings in June and July, or 200 bps higher by year-end.

Nasdaq Composite, Daily chart

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has hit the most across the board, as it trades nearly 30% below its intraday all-time high from Nov. 22, 2021, as investors worry that the growth and tech stocks might see their revenues declining from higher interest rates, at a time the consumer and global economy is slowing.

A similar bearish picture was spotted in the overseas markets on Thursday morning as well, with stocks across the Asian area losing more than 2% following the overnight sell-off on Wall Street, while the European markets traded down nearly 2% with the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and higher energy prices weighing on European assets as well.

The Wednesday’s sell-off was triggered after the disappointing back-to-back Q1 and Q2 corporate earnings from giant retailers Target and Walmart driven by the soaring inflation, higher operation costs, and diminishing consumer demand.

Growth and yield-sensitive assets have been pressured since the start of 2022 by the fear of much higher interest rates since all the major central banks are using all the available monetary tools to curb the soaring inflation by hiking their Covid-era zero rates, which had led to worries about a potential growth slowdown or even a global economic recession.

The soaring energy, metal, and food prices have pushed inflation rates in the U.S to the 40-year highs of 8,3% in April year-to-year, increasing the likelihood of an aggressive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, potentially hiking 50 bps at the next meetings in June and July, or 200 bps higher by year-end.

Nasdaq Composite, Daily chart

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has hit the most across the board, as it trades nearly 30% below its intraday all-time high from Nov. 22, 2021, as investors worry that the growth and tech stocks might see their revenues declining from higher interest rates, at a time the consumer and global economy is slowing.

A similar bearish picture was spotted in the overseas markets on Thursday morning as well, with stocks across the Asian area losing more than 2% following the overnight sell-off on Wall Street, while the European markets traded down nearly 2% with the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and higher energy prices weighing on European assets as well.

The Wednesday’s sell-off was triggered after the disappointing back-to-back Q1 and Q2 corporate earnings from giant retailers Target and Walmart driven by the soaring inflation, higher operation costs, and diminishing consumer demand.

Growth and yield-sensitive assets have been pressured since the start of 2022 by the fear of much higher interest rates since all the major central banks are using all the available monetary tools to curb the soaring inflation by hiking their Covid-era zero rates, which had led to worries about a potential growth slowdown or even a global economic recession.

The soaring energy, metal, and food prices have pushed inflation rates in the U.S to the 40-year highs of 8,3% in April year-to-year, increasing the likelihood of an aggressive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, potentially hiking 50 bps at the next meetings in June and July, or 200 bps higher by year-end.

The growing worries over a 40-year high inflation, higher energy and food prices, and potential higher interest rates had led to concerns about a potential global economic recession in the next quarters, sparking selloffs in risk assets like equities, cryptocurrencies, and growth-sensitive currencies.

The Dow Jones fell 3,57% or down by 1,164 points to 31,490 on Wednesday, marking its worst sell-off in nearly two years, the S&P 500 also suffered its worst one-day decline since June 2020, losing about 4% or 165 points to 3,923, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite tumbled 4.7% to 11,418.

Nasdaq Composite, Daily chart

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has hit the most across the board, as it trades nearly 30% below its intraday all-time high from Nov. 22, 2021, as investors worry that the growth and tech stocks might see their revenues declining from higher interest rates, at a time the consumer and global economy is slowing.

A similar bearish picture was spotted in the overseas markets on Thursday morning as well, with stocks across the Asian area losing more than 2% following the overnight sell-off on Wall Street, while the European markets traded down nearly 2% with the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and higher energy prices weighing on European assets as well.

The Wednesday’s sell-off was triggered after the disappointing back-to-back Q1 and Q2 corporate earnings from giant retailers Target and Walmart driven by the soaring inflation, higher operation costs, and diminishing consumer demand.

Growth and yield-sensitive assets have been pressured since the start of 2022 by the fear of much higher interest rates since all the major central banks are using all the available monetary tools to curb the soaring inflation by hiking their Covid-era zero rates, which had led to worries about a potential growth slowdown or even a global economic recession.

The soaring energy, metal, and food prices have pushed inflation rates in the U.S to the 40-year highs of 8,3% in April year-to-year, increasing the likelihood of an aggressive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, potentially hiking 50 bps at the next meetings in June and July, or 200 bps higher by year-end.

Global financial markets have been under pressure this week with the U.S. stock indices posting their biggest one-day drop since 2020 on Wednesday under a gloomy trading environment for the investors.

The growing worries over a 40-year high inflation, higher energy and food prices, and potential higher interest rates had led to concerns about a potential global economic recession in the next quarters, sparking selloffs in risk assets like equities, cryptocurrencies, and growth-sensitive currencies.

The Dow Jones fell 3,57% or down by 1,164 points to 31,490 on Wednesday, marking its worst sell-off in nearly two years, the S&P 500 also suffered its worst one-day decline since June 2020, losing about 4% or 165 points to 3,923, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite tumbled 4.7% to 11,418.

Nasdaq Composite, Daily chart

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has hit the most across the board, as it trades nearly 30% below its intraday all-time high from Nov. 22, 2021, as investors worry that the growth and tech stocks might see their revenues declining from higher interest rates, at a time the consumer and global economy is slowing.

A similar bearish picture was spotted in the overseas markets on Thursday morning as well, with stocks across the Asian area losing more than 2% following the overnight sell-off on Wall Street, while the European markets traded down nearly 2% with the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and higher energy prices weighing on European assets as well.

The Wednesday’s sell-off was triggered after the disappointing back-to-back Q1 and Q2 corporate earnings from giant retailers Target and Walmart driven by the soaring inflation, higher operation costs, and diminishing consumer demand.

Growth and yield-sensitive assets have been pressured since the start of 2022 by the fear of much higher interest rates since all the major central banks are using all the available monetary tools to curb the soaring inflation by hiking their Covid-era zero rates, which had led to worries about a potential growth slowdown or even a global economic recession.

The soaring energy, metal, and food prices have pushed inflation rates in the U.S to the 40-year highs of 8,3% in April year-to-year, increasing the likelihood of an aggressive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, potentially hiking 50 bps at the next meetings in June and July, or 200 bps higher by year-end.

Global financial markets have been under pressure this week with the U.S. stock indices posting their biggest one-day drop since 2020 on Wednesday under a gloomy trading environment for the investors.

The growing worries over a 40-year high inflation, higher energy and food prices, and potential higher interest rates had led to concerns about a potential global economic recession in the next quarters, sparking selloffs in risk assets like equities, cryptocurrencies, and growth-sensitive currencies.

The Dow Jones fell 3,57% or down by 1,164 points to 31,490 on Wednesday, marking its worst sell-off in nearly two years, the S&P 500 also suffered its worst one-day decline since June 2020, losing about 4% or 165 points to 3,923, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite tumbled 4.7% to 11,418.

Nasdaq Composite, Daily chart

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has hit the most across the board, as it trades nearly 30% below its intraday all-time high from Nov. 22, 2021, as investors worry that the growth and tech stocks might see their revenues declining from higher interest rates, at a time the consumer and global economy is slowing.

A similar bearish picture was spotted in the overseas markets on Thursday morning as well, with stocks across the Asian area losing more than 2% following the overnight sell-off on Wall Street, while the European markets traded down nearly 2% with the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and higher energy prices weighing on European assets as well.

The Wednesday’s sell-off was triggered after the disappointing back-to-back Q1 and Q2 corporate earnings from giant retailers Target and Walmart driven by the soaring inflation, higher operation costs, and diminishing consumer demand.

Growth and yield-sensitive assets have been pressured since the start of 2022 by the fear of much higher interest rates since all the major central banks are using all the available monetary tools to curb the soaring inflation by hiking their Covid-era zero rates, which had led to worries about a potential growth slowdown or even a global economic recession.

The soaring energy, metal, and food prices have pushed inflation rates in the U.S to the 40-year highs of 8,3% in April year-to-year, increasing the likelihood of an aggressive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, potentially hiking 50 bps at the next meetings in June and July, or 200 bps higher by year-end.

Russian Rouble is the world’s best-performing currency in 2022 despite war and sanctions

Rouble gained 2,5% to 66,90 against Euro on Wednesday morning, its highest since June 2017, while it added about 3% to near 63 level against the U.S. dollar, its strongest mark since early February 2020, despite the recent dollar strength across the board on higher rates by Federal Reserve.

Rouble resilience:

The Rouble’s appreciation and resilience have surprised economists since it went from an all-time low of 155 and 168 levels to the U.S. dollar and Euro respectively on March 07, 2022, in the backdrop of the first sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion, coming up to the current mid-May multi-year high levels of 63-67 respectively.

The currency is getting support from multiple actions taken by President Putin to defend the falling Rouble in the aftermath of Western sanctions in early March.

One of the major measures that gave strong support to the currency has been the obligation of the export-oriented Russian corporations in the energy, metals, grains, and other exporting sectors to convert their sales revenues in foreign currency into the local currency.

Hence, Putin has demanded the natural gas sales be paid in Roubles instead of U.S. dollars or Euro, while the Central Bank of Russia had artificially supported the currency by imposing capital controls.

The inflation rate in Russia climbed to a 20-year high of 17,8% y-o-y in April vs 16,7% in March, at a time the Central Bank of Russia has already cut its benchmark interest rate by 3% to 14% at the end of April and prepares for another 2% rate cut in June according to cnbc.com. Furthermore, the strong Rouble could help subdued inflation by doing imports of goods into Russia cheaper for the consumers, increasing the demand and consumption.

Let’s remind that the Central Bank of Russia implemented an emergency rate hike from 9.5% to 20% in late February after the of Ukraine, in a bid to rescue the rouble which hit all-time lows as we explained above in the second paragraph.

USD/RUB pair, Daily chart

Rouble gained 2,5% to 66,90 against Euro on Wednesday morning, its highest since June 2017, while it added about 3% to near 63 level against the U.S. dollar, its strongest mark since early February 2020, despite the recent dollar strength across the board on higher rates by Federal Reserve.

Rouble resilience:

The Rouble’s appreciation and resilience have surprised economists since it went from an all-time low of 155 and 168 levels to the U.S. dollar and Euro respectively on March 07, 2022, in the backdrop of the first sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion, coming up to the current mid-May multi-year high levels of 63-67 respectively.

The currency is getting support from multiple actions taken by President Putin to defend the falling Rouble in the aftermath of Western sanctions in early March.

One of the major measures that gave strong support to the currency has been the obligation of the export-oriented Russian corporations in the energy, metals, grains, and other exporting sectors to convert their sales revenues in foreign currency into the local currency.

Hence, Putin has demanded the natural gas sales be paid in Roubles instead of U.S. dollars or Euro, while the Central Bank of Russia had artificially supported the currency by imposing capital controls.

The inflation rate in Russia climbed to a 20-year high of 17,8% y-o-y in April vs 16,7% in March, at a time the Central Bank of Russia has already cut its benchmark interest rate by 3% to 14% at the end of April and prepares for another 2% rate cut in June according to cnbc.com. Furthermore, the strong Rouble could help subdued inflation by doing imports of goods into Russia cheaper for the consumers, increasing the demand and consumption.

Let’s remind that the Central Bank of Russia implemented an emergency rate hike from 9.5% to 20% in late February after the of Ukraine, in a bid to rescue the rouble which hit all-time lows as we explained above in the second paragraph.

USD/RUB pair, Daily chart

Rouble gained 2,5% to 66,90 against Euro on Wednesday morning, its highest since June 2017, while it added about 3% to near 63 level against the U.S. dollar, its strongest mark since early February 2020, despite the recent dollar strength across the board on higher rates by Federal Reserve.

Rouble resilience:

The Rouble’s appreciation and resilience have surprised economists since it went from an all-time low of 155 and 168 levels to the U.S. dollar and Euro respectively on March 07, 2022, in the backdrop of the first sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion, coming up to the current mid-May multi-year high levels of 63-67 respectively.

The currency is getting support from multiple actions taken by President Putin to defend the falling Rouble in the aftermath of Western sanctions in early March.

One of the major measures that gave strong support to the currency has been the obligation of the export-oriented Russian corporations in the energy, metals, grains, and other exporting sectors to convert their sales revenues in foreign currency into the local currency.

Hence, Putin has demanded the natural gas sales be paid in Roubles instead of U.S. dollars or Euro, while the Central Bank of Russia had artificially supported the currency by imposing capital controls.

The inflation rate in Russia climbed to a 20-year high of 17,8% y-o-y in April vs 16,7% in March, at a time the Central Bank of Russia has already cut its benchmark interest rate by 3% to 14% at the end of April and prepares for another 2% rate cut in June according to cnbc.com. Furthermore, the strong Rouble could help subdued inflation by doing imports of goods into Russia cheaper for the consumers, increasing the demand and consumption.

Let’s remind that the Central Bank of Russia implemented an emergency rate hike from 9.5% to 20% in late February after the of Ukraine, in a bid to rescue the rouble which hit all-time lows as we explained above in the second paragraph.

The Russian Rouble has become the world’s best-performing currency in 2022 as it continues to post fresh multi-year highs against its major peers and its up more than 10% against the U.S. dollar and Euro in 2022 so far, showing an unexpected resilience to the ongoing and unprecedented Western economic sanctions on the country after the invasion of Ukraine, and the record-high inflation.

USD/RUB pair, Daily chart

Rouble gained 2,5% to 66,90 against Euro on Wednesday morning, its highest since June 2017, while it added about 3% to near 63 level against the U.S. dollar, its strongest mark since early February 2020, despite the recent dollar strength across the board on higher rates by Federal Reserve.

Rouble resilience:

The Rouble’s appreciation and resilience have surprised economists since it went from an all-time low of 155 and 168 levels to the U.S. dollar and Euro respectively on March 07, 2022, in the backdrop of the first sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion, coming up to the current mid-May multi-year high levels of 63-67 respectively.

The currency is getting support from multiple actions taken by President Putin to defend the falling Rouble in the aftermath of Western sanctions in early March.

One of the major measures that gave strong support to the currency has been the obligation of the export-oriented Russian corporations in the energy, metals, grains, and other exporting sectors to convert their sales revenues in foreign currency into the local currency.

Hence, Putin has demanded the natural gas sales be paid in Roubles instead of U.S. dollars or Euro, while the Central Bank of Russia had artificially supported the currency by imposing capital controls.

The inflation rate in Russia climbed to a 20-year high of 17,8% y-o-y in April vs 16,7% in March, at a time the Central Bank of Russia has already cut its benchmark interest rate by 3% to 14% at the end of April and prepares for another 2% rate cut in June according to cnbc.com. Furthermore, the strong Rouble could help subdued inflation by doing imports of goods into Russia cheaper for the consumers, increasing the demand and consumption.

Let’s remind that the Central Bank of Russia implemented an emergency rate hike from 9.5% to 20% in late February after the of Ukraine, in a bid to rescue the rouble which hit all-time lows as we explained above in the second paragraph.

Exclusive Capital sponsoring fundraising concert in Limassol

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

On the night of Friday, June 10, a very special concert will take place at Kourion Ancient Theatre in Limassol, Cyprus. The event is organized by the Non-Profit Group, Epidrasi, in the context of its social action.

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

At Exclusive Capital, we are honoured and pleased to be raising money for “Unique Smiles” via an amazing fundraising concert.

On the night of Friday, June 10, a very special concert will take place at Kourion Ancient Theatre in Limassol, Cyprus. The event is organized by the Non-Profit Group, Epidrasi, in the context of its social action.

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

“Unique Smiles” is a non-profit association that aims to provide effective help for patients with rare diseases. The remarkable association comprises people with rare diseases, parents, friends and health professionals who strive to bring awareness to the huge needs that people with rare diseases have to face.

At Exclusive Capital, we are honoured and pleased to be raising money for “Unique Smiles” via an amazing fundraising concert.

On the night of Friday, June 10, a very special concert will take place at Kourion Ancient Theatre in Limassol, Cyprus. The event is organized by the Non-Profit Group, Epidrasi, in the context of its social action.

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

So, Exclusive Capital is thrilled to be sponsoring this fantastic fundraising concert to support the Pancyprian Association of Rare Genetic Diseases “Unique Smiles”.

“Unique Smiles” is a non-profit association that aims to provide effective help for patients with rare diseases. The remarkable association comprises people with rare diseases, parents, friends and health professionals who strive to bring awareness to the huge needs that people with rare diseases have to face.

At Exclusive Capital, we are honoured and pleased to be raising money for “Unique Smiles” via an amazing fundraising concert.

On the night of Friday, June 10, a very special concert will take place at Kourion Ancient Theatre in Limassol, Cyprus. The event is organized by the Non-Profit Group, Epidrasi, in the context of its social action.

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

At Exclusive Capital, we are committed to making a positive impact – on our clients, our employees and our local community. One of the core pillars of our company’s mission is Corporate Social Responsibility. That is why the Exclusive Family is always eager to support a good cause and give back to our local community. Through fundraising projects and charity partnerships, we aim to help people and support causes and organizations that positively impact the local community.

So, Exclusive Capital is thrilled to be sponsoring this fantastic fundraising concert to support the Pancyprian Association of Rare Genetic Diseases “Unique Smiles”.

“Unique Smiles” is a non-profit association that aims to provide effective help for patients with rare diseases. The remarkable association comprises people with rare diseases, parents, friends and health professionals who strive to bring awareness to the huge needs that people with rare diseases have to face.

At Exclusive Capital, we are honoured and pleased to be raising money for “Unique Smiles” via an amazing fundraising concert.

On the night of Friday, June 10, a very special concert will take place at Kourion Ancient Theatre in Limassol, Cyprus. The event is organized by the Non-Profit Group, Epidrasi, in the context of its social action.

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

At Exclusive Capital, we are committed to making a positive impact – on our clients, our employees and our local community. One of the core pillars of our company’s mission is Corporate Social Responsibility. That is why the Exclusive Family is always eager to support a good cause and give back to our local community. Through fundraising projects and charity partnerships, we aim to help people and support causes and organizations that positively impact the local community.

So, Exclusive Capital is thrilled to be sponsoring this fantastic fundraising concert to support the Pancyprian Association of Rare Genetic Diseases “Unique Smiles”.

“Unique Smiles” is a non-profit association that aims to provide effective help for patients with rare diseases. The remarkable association comprises people with rare diseases, parents, friends and health professionals who strive to bring awareness to the huge needs that people with rare diseases have to face.

At Exclusive Capital, we are honoured and pleased to be raising money for “Unique Smiles” via an amazing fundraising concert.

On the night of Friday, June 10, a very special concert will take place at Kourion Ancient Theatre in Limassol, Cyprus. The event is organized by the Non-Profit Group, Epidrasi, in the context of its social action.

The concert will feature performances by the great artists Alkistis Protopsaltis and Michalis Hatzigiannis in the enchanting space of the Ancient Kourion Theater in the Diocese of Limassol.

We are thrilled and humbled that our work to make a positive impact on our community is gaining so much broad support. A huge ‘’Thank You’’ to our fellow sponsors who helped bring this initiative to fruition.

Bitcoin falls to as low as $26,000 on crypto exodus

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

BTC/USD, Daily chart

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

BTC/USD, Daily chart

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

Stable coins were introduced to address the high price volatility of Bitcoin and other altcoins and designed to maintain a relatively stable value pegged to an underlying asset such as a fiat currency in a fixed ratio (US dollar, Euro), or a commodity (Gold, Silver), or crypto-assets, or algorithmically controlled.

Bitcoin lost nearly 12% at one point this morning to $25,500, down more than 60% from its record highs of 69,000 in November 2021, while the price of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap Ether was also down 17% to near $1,700 mark.

BTC/USD, Daily chart

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

The collapse of the TerraUSD stable coin and the fall of the most popular TETHER to as low as $0,95 has shaken the crypto foundation, triggering a massive “Exodus” and a general sell-off in the crypto sector, affecting some blue-chips coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Mana as well.

Stable coins were introduced to address the high price volatility of Bitcoin and other altcoins and designed to maintain a relatively stable value pegged to an underlying asset such as a fiat currency in a fixed ratio (US dollar, Euro), or a commodity (Gold, Silver), or crypto-assets, or algorithmically controlled.

Bitcoin lost nearly 12% at one point this morning to $25,500, down more than 60% from its record highs of 69,000 in November 2021, while the price of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap Ether was also down 17% to near $1,700 mark.

BTC/USD, Daily chart

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

The world’s largest digital currency Bitcoin briefly fell below the $26,000 level on Thursday morning as a recent sell-off in the cryptocurrency ecosystem continues amid the record-high U.S. inflation rate, the collapse of LUNA and TerraUSD stable coin, and the soaring greenback and bond yields.

The collapse of the TerraUSD stable coin and the fall of the most popular TETHER to as low as $0,95 has shaken the crypto foundation, triggering a massive “Exodus” and a general sell-off in the crypto sector, affecting some blue-chips coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Mana as well.

Stable coins were introduced to address the high price volatility of Bitcoin and other altcoins and designed to maintain a relatively stable value pegged to an underlying asset such as a fiat currency in a fixed ratio (US dollar, Euro), or a commodity (Gold, Silver), or crypto-assets, or algorithmically controlled.

Bitcoin lost nearly 12% at one point this morning to $25,500, down more than 60% from its record highs of 69,000 in November 2021, while the price of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap Ether was also down 17% to near $1,700 mark.

BTC/USD, Daily chart

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

The world’s largest digital currency Bitcoin briefly fell below the $26,000 level on Thursday morning as a recent sell-off in the cryptocurrency ecosystem continues amid the record-high U.S. inflation rate, the collapse of LUNA and TerraUSD stable coin, and the soaring greenback and bond yields.

The collapse of the TerraUSD stable coin and the fall of the most popular TETHER to as low as $0,95 has shaken the crypto foundation, triggering a massive “Exodus” and a general sell-off in the crypto sector, affecting some blue-chips coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Mana as well.

Stable coins were introduced to address the high price volatility of Bitcoin and other altcoins and designed to maintain a relatively stable value pegged to an underlying asset such as a fiat currency in a fixed ratio (US dollar, Euro), or a commodity (Gold, Silver), or crypto-assets, or algorithmically controlled.

Bitcoin lost nearly 12% at one point this morning to $25,500, down more than 60% from its record highs of 69,000 in November 2021, while the price of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap Ether was also down 17% to near $1,700 mark.

BTC/USD, Daily chart

The same bearish picture on the other major digital currencies, with Solana falling to as low as to $35 level, down 60% in only a few days and down 85% from the record high of $256 in November 2021, while Metaverse-led coins MANA and SAND also plunged to levels haven’t seen since their price rally in October 2021 of $0,65 and $1 respectively, down 90% from November’s all-time highs.

The Crypto market has been under pressure since the beginning of April, with Bitcoin falling from the levels of $50,000 to today’s $26,000 range, down almost 50%, mainly due to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to fight the soaring inflation which stood at a 40-year record of 8,3% in April.

TERRA and LUNA projects collapse:

The recent crypto sell-off was triggered after the TerraUSD (UST), a so-called decentralized, algorithmic stable coin that’s meant to maintain a $1 peg or a 1-to-1 peg with the U.S. dollar using a combination of digital assets such as bitcoin and applying a complex system of minting and burning tokens to adjust supply and stabilize prices, plunged to as low as 0,25 cents on Wednesday morning, before recovering above 0,60 range on Thursday morning.

The Terra creator will try to return UST to its $1 peg by increasing the rate at which new Luna tokens are minted per day, allowing the supply of its stable coin to be eaten up, a move it hopes will boost the price towards $1.

As a result, the collapse in Terra stable coin caused the wipe-out of the value of the sister token LUNA in only a few days, devaluated-diluted by a higher supply of the token as we mentioned above. The LUNA/USD, which posted a record-high of $120 on April 05, 2022, dropped to as low as $0,15! on Thursday morning, down nearly 99% in the past days.

Risk aversion sentiment grips the global markets

A general risk aversion sentiment dominates financial markets as investors weigh the prospects of rising interest rates and soaring inflation against the potential of slower economic growth.

The global equity markets have recently fallen to their lowest in nearly two years since the economic growth momentum after the pandemic is facing significant headwinds.

The risk-sensitive tech stocks are the worst performers among major sectors so far this year, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite recording losses up to 30% from its yearly highs.

With Treasury yields sharply rising to their highest level since late 2018, the U.S. dollar is threatening to break higher across the board, adding pressure on the risky assets and currencies.

The monetary policy divergence between Federal Reserve with other major central banks have also pressured the yield-sensitive currencies, pushing Euro, Pound Sterling, and Japanese Yen to their lowest level in this decade.

Growing fears of construction and manufacturing recession and a slowdown in China dragged down commodity-linked currencies Australian and New Zealand dollars, while the lower oil prices hurt the Canadian dollar.

The risk-off mood has also hit hard cryptocurrencies, with the price of Bitcoin briefly falling below the $30,000 level for the first time since July 2021, and almost 60% down from its November peak.

Nowhere to hide (continued)

As expected, and as economists expected, the Fed raised rates by 50 basis points and announced policy pertaining to QT (quantitative tightening). The wording from Chairman Powell suggests that there are at least 1-2 more 50 basis point hikes ahead, and then a slowing down of tightening policy. The Fed has no easy choices because as rates increase, the risk to growth also increases. However, Powell made it clear again and again that his No1 priority is inflation and will use all means to combat it no matter what the cost.

Chairman Powell made the point that the labor market was very tight, with job openings outstripping the available supply of labor. In fact, he even said that unemployment needed to go up a bit for labor supply imbalances to even-out.

But as depicted in the above chart, employment levels in the US have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. There is plenty available labor out there, it just does not want to return to work.

The Fed wants to reduce the “surplus demand” in the US economy, and it admitted that there is no easy way to do that. As such, the Fed has decided to increase the cost of capital as a way of achieving this goal. The latest data from FreddieMac shows that 30-year fixed mortgages in the US are 5.27%, up from about 2.5% of a year ago.

And as the chart above from the US Mortgage Bankers Association shows, the average monthly mortgage payment went from about $1300 between 2019 and 2021, to a little over $1700 today. So yes, eventually consumers and business will reduce their “surplus demand” and the Fed will get its wish. The question is will this combat inflation?

The US had negative GDP in the first quarter. Generally speaking, as long as the US consumer is doing well, the US economy is generally ok.

However, as the chart above shows, consumer confidence in the US is falling off a cliff and is rivaling the recessions of 2008 and 1980s.

Over the past several years US consumers for a whole host of reason had accumulated lot of savings on the side. Today those savings are gone.

As the chart above shows consumer savings are at the lows of 2013. What this basically means is that it will be very difficult for the consumer to keep the US economy growing over the next several quarters. In other words, it is very likely that the US will see negative GDP growth, perhaps for the next several quarters ahead.

At the same time the Fed admitted (finally) that most of the inflationary pressures have to do with supply shocks, that are outside of tis control. As a reminder, these supply shocks are the on-going Covid pandemic, high energy prices, and the recent war in Ukraine. And since the Fed can’t do anything about energy prices — which is he biggest component of recent inflationary pressures – it has decided to lower demand by making everyone in the US poorer.

Please note this is the opposite of what the ECB has done, saying that monetary policy should still stay as is, because the reason for inflationary pressures are outside of its control.

Adding everything up, in my opinion the Fed is making a policy mistake. In fact, this will prove to be the second policy mistake chairman Powell will make, the first being his insistence on raising rates and trying to shrink the balance sheet in 2018-2019.

Insofar as the markets, after the Fed announcement on Wednesday US market rallied hard, only to give everything back and then some on Thursday.

As I said in our 2022 outlook, there is nowhere to hide with Fed policy being so hawkish. Mind you that the carnage is not limited to equities but has also spread to bonds. On a positive note, a lot of hot air is coming out of the market, especially in Cathie Wood type companies, and overall equity prices here and there are once again becoming compelling investments. But finding companies that can go against this tide requires hard work, and in many cases nerves of steel.

As expected, and as economists expected, the Fed raised rates by 50 basis points and announced policy pertaining to QT (quantitative tightening). The wording from Chairman Powell suggests that there are at least 1-2 more 50 basis point hikes ahead, and then a slowing down of tightening policy. The Fed has no easy choices because as rates increase, the risk to growth also increases. However, Powell made it clear again and again that his No1 priority is inflation and will use all means to combat it no matter what the cost.

Chairman Powell made the point that the labor market was very tight, with job openings outstripping the available supply of labor. In fact, he even said that unemployment needed to go up a bit for labor supply imbalances to even-out.

But as depicted in the above chart, employment levels in the US have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. There is plenty available labor out there, it just does not want to return to work.

The Fed wants to reduce the “surplus demand” in the US economy, and it admitted that there is no easy way to do that. As such, the Fed has decided to increase the cost of capital as a way of achieving this goal. The latest data from FreddieMac shows that 30-year fixed mortgages in the US are 5.27%, up from about 2.5% of a year ago.

And as the chart above from the US Mortgage Bankers Association shows, the average monthly mortgage payment went from about $1300 between 2019 and 2021, to a little over $1700 today. So yes, eventually consumers and business will reduce their “surplus demand” and the Fed will get its wish. The question is will this combat inflation?

The US had negative GDP in the first quarter. Generally speaking, as long as the US consumer is doing well, the US economy is generally ok.

However, as the chart above shows, consumer confidence in the US is falling off a cliff and is rivaling the recessions of 2008 and 1980s.

Over the past several years US consumers for a whole host of reason had accumulated lot of savings on the side. Today those savings are gone.

As the chart above shows consumer savings are at the lows of 2013. What this basically means is that it will be very difficult for the consumer to keep the US economy growing over the next several quarters. In other words, it is very likely that the US will see negative GDP growth, perhaps for the next several quarters ahead.

At the same time the Fed admitted (finally) that most of the inflationary pressures have to do with supply shocks, that are outside of tis control. As a reminder, these supply shocks are the on-going Covid pandemic, high energy prices, and the recent war in Ukraine. And since the Fed can’t do anything about energy prices — which is he biggest component of recent inflationary pressures – it has decided to lower demand by making everyone in the US poorer.

Please note this is the opposite of what the ECB has done, saying that monetary policy should still stay as is, because the reason for inflationary pressures are outside of its control.

Adding everything up, in my opinion the Fed is making a policy mistake. In fact, this will prove to be the second policy mistake chairman Powell will make, the first being his insistence on raising rates and trying to shrink the balance sheet in 2018-2019.

Insofar as the markets, after the Fed announcement on Wednesday US market rallied hard, only to give everything back and then some on Thursday.

As I said in our 2022 outlook, there is nowhere to hide with Fed policy being so hawkish. Mind you that the carnage is not limited to equities but has also spread to bonds. On a positive note, a lot of hot air is coming out of the market, especially in Cathie Wood type companies, and overall equity prices here and there are once again becoming compelling investments. But finding companies that can go against this tide requires hard work, and in many cases nerves of steel.