Bitcoin Rose Above $80,000

On Monday, US stock markets ended the session mixed. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones (US30) rose by 0.26%. The S&P 500 (US500) fell by 0.28%. The tech‑heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed in the green at 0.76%. Shares of companies tied to artificial‑intelligence infrastructure came under heavy pressure due to concerns about investment returns and excessive capital spending in chip manufacturing. Broadcom shares fell 2.6%, Micron 5.8%, AMD 3.5%, Intel 3.1%. Nvidia declined by 2.9% ahead of Wednesday’s key earnings report, which will set the tone for the entire tech sector. Inflation fears are mounting amid US plans to economically isolate Iran, a growing budget deficit, and Treasury measures to buy back government bonds.

On Tuesday, Bitcoin (BTC/USD) surged sharply, rising above $80,000 and reaching its highest level since May. Since mid‑August, the first digital asset has gained about 28%. The main drivers of the rally were renewed interest in safe‑haven assets amid US Treasury plans to increase long‑term bond buybacks (which weakened the dollar), as well as a record 10‑month inflow of capital into US spot bitcoin ETFs totaling $1.92 billion. The rapid rise triggered a massive wave of short liquidations – last week alone, about $7.2 billion worth of bearish positions were closed. Experts warn that the current spike is largely technical and driven by forced short covering rather than sustainable organic demand.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) continued to decline, falling to around 1.38 per US dollar from the three‑month high (1.376) recorded on August 21. Pressure on the currency is coming from the escalation of the trade conflict between the US and Canada after bilateral negotiations collapsed. US President Donald Trump announced that starting January 1, 2027, tariffs on all Canadian cars (passenger and commercial), auto parts, and steel will be raised to 50%. This was Washington’s response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to impose mirror measures against the first wave of US tariffs. The US has already introduced 50% tariffs on furniture, plastics, plywood, and electrical equipment, adding pressure on key sectors of Canadian exports on top of the existing 25% tariffs on steel, lumber, and autos.

The Mexican peso (MXN) strengthened to 19.65 per US dollar, reaching its highest level in two years. The main drivers were the broad weakening of the US currency and a significant interest‑rate differential that makes peso‑denominated assets extremely attractive to investors. The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) keeps its benchmark rate at 6.5%. Meanwhile, headline inflation in the country accelerated to 3.26% in mid‑August (from 3.12% in July) amid high energy prices.
By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.11%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.37%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) rose by 0.69%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) finished the session up 0.35%.

On Monday, crude oil prices (WTI) continued to decline, falling below $85 per barrel for US WTI (while Brent corrected toward $92). Pressure on the market came from statements by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about plans to impose harsh sanctions aimed at isolating Iran’s economy, affecting individuals, legal entities, and potentially financial institutions in third countries.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell by 0.74%, China’s FTSE China 50 closed down 1.06%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) dropped 1.89%, while Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed Monday up 0.49%.

The Australian dollar (AUD) is holding above $0.71, trading near an 11‑week high. The currency is supported by the recent minutes of the RBA’s August meeting, which showed that the regulator’s leadership remains vigilant regarding inflation risks. Soft employment data reduced the likelihood of an immediate rate hike (markets price the September move at just 13%), but the probability of tightening by February 2027 is priced at roughly 67%.

• S&P 500 (US500) 7,652.96 -21.41 (-0.28%)

• Dow Jones (US30) 53,416.99 +139.98 (+0.26%)

• DAX (DE40) 26,106.60 -29.96 (-0.11%)

• FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,854.32 +37.76 (+0.35%)

• USD Index 99.01 +0.21 (+0.21%)

News feed for: 2026.08.25

• Australia RBA Meeting Minutes at 04:30 (GMT+3) – AUD (MED)

• German Ifo Business Climate (m/m) at 11:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)

• US CB Consumer Confidence (m/m) at 17:00 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)

• US New Home Sales (m/m) at 17:00 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)