Markets

Alphabet and Meta gave Wall Street the same broad story this week: AI spending is exploding. The market reaction could not have been more different. Alphabet rallied to a record high after Q1 results showed that AI demand is already feeding revenue growth inside Google Cloud. The stock added more than $400 billion in market value on April 30, according to MarketWatch, pushing Alphabet’s valuation above $4.6 trillion. Meta moved the other way. The company beat on revenue and earnings,…

Crude oil has surged back into the center of global markets after Brent climbed near $119.50 a barrel, its highest level of the Iran War, as supply fears, shipping disruption, and falling inventories intensified at the same time. The move was flagged by The Kobeissi Letter, which noted that Brent had officially reached the highest level of the conflict. The level is not an all-time high for crude, since oil traded higher during prior historical spikes, but it is still…

Crypto prices declined Tuesday as traders cut exposure ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s final Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.  CME Group’s FedWatch tool shows a 100% probability of a hold at 3.50% to 3.75% on April 29, leaving Powell’s press conference as the primary focus for risk assets. Crypto markets pull back as derisking takes hold Bitcoin (BTC) fell to levels below $76,000, while the broader market capitalization slid 1.8% to $2.62 trillion, representing losses nearing $40…

Capital Gathering, the private community connecting the region’s active founders, investors, and C-level executives across Web3, AI, and emerging tech, is hosting its third edition in Dubai. The theme: Prediction Markets, one of the fastest-growing verticals in finance right now. With Token2049 Dubai postponed, the community didn’t disperse. Capital Gathering continues the momentum. The evening takes place at Birds, a fine dining venue 63 floors above the city with Burj Khalifa views with no panels and no pitch decks. The…

Prediction markets are supposed to be the internet’s truth machine. They offer a place where real money forces honest thinking. Yet, they have a structural vulnerability. Hype, fear, and confirmation routinely push the odds of absurd outcomes far higher than reality warrants. Recognizing this truth, a small minority of level-headed contrarians have sniffed out a predictable, exploitable pattern. Betting Against the Crowd Vitalik Buterin was notably the first public figure to confirm this trend. In January, the Ethereum co-founder revealed…

XRP is one of the most popular and high-volume altcoins in the market, drawing tremendous attention across the board. It’s also oftentimes the subject of interesting price predictions from both macro and technical analysts, some of which raise more than a few eyebrows. XRP Price Predictions: Technical Analysts Most recently, Ali Martinez, a frequent commentator and technical analyst, wrote: A multi-year triangle on XRP points to $0.90 as a potential bottom for the bear market and $13 as a target…

Prediction markets are pulling in more attention across crypto and finance, and Phemex wants a piece of it.  Its new product, built through Polymarket, gives users a way to trade on real-world outcomes without leaving the exchange. Instead of focusing only on asset prices, users will be able to trade around elections, macro events, sports, tech, and culture. Each market turns probability into a price. A simpler route into prediction markets Prediction markets have grown fast, but access still feels…

The Attorney General for New York filed a lawsuit against the prediction market arms of Coinbase and Gemini on Tuesday. The claim is that these platforms violate state laws against illegal gambling. According to the petitions filed in the state court in Manhattan, Attorney General Letitia James argues that both Gemini and Coinbase have not obtained New York State Gaming Commission licenses to operate these markets. The AG also says that the event contracts that the platforms allow users to…

Foreign investors purchased a record $1.55 trillion in US financial assets in 2025, according to Treasury Department data. That figure held even as Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on April 21. The contrast between surging capital inflows and a worsening Middle East standoff highlights the two forces pulling global markets in opposite directions right now. Record Capital Inflows Defy Geopolitical Risk The triple-decline days, when US stocks, the dollar, and bonds all fall simultaneously, have dropped to…