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The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Thursday closed down -0.28%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down -0.54%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down -0.41%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) fell -0.25%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) fell -0.40%.Stock indexes settled lower on Thursday, led by losses in chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks, amid renewed caution over the outlook for artificial intelligence.  Concerns remain that AI could disrupt entire sectors of the economy and that the huge investments in the technology may not pay off.  Stocks also face some negative carryover from Wednesday, when the minutes of the…

Key Takeaways Crypto is generally treated as zakatable wealth. Zakat on crypto is usually calculated at 2.5%. You must total your holdings across wallets and exchanges. As Muslims around the world enter Ramadan in 2026, many are reviewing their finances ahead of Zakat season — but for a growing number, that includes assets beyond cash or savings accounts. Bitcoin and Ethereum are increasingly becoming mainstream investments, raising a practical question for many Muslims: does crypto count as zakatable wealth — and if so, how do you calculate it? What Is Zakat? Zakat is one of Islam’s five pillars, a compulsory…

Bitcoin-backed loan platform Ledn sold about $188 million of bonds tied to Bitcoin‑collateralized consumer loans into the mainstream asset‑backed securities (ABS) market, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. In a first-of-its-kind deal, one of the two tranches — the investment‑grade portion — was reportedly priced at a spread of about 335 basis points over a benchmark rate, implying that investors are demanding 3.35 percentage points in extra yield to hold crypto‑linked credit risk rather than conventional consumer ABS.The deal is structured through Ledn Issuer Trust 2026‑1, which securitizes a pool of 5,441 short‑term, fixed‑rate balloon loans extended…

Executive Summary  With Treasury yield spreads compressed versus German Bunds and U.K. Gilts, term premium near historical lows, and inflation expectations firming, questions remain whether markets are embedding enough sovereign or geopolitical risk in Treasuries.  From Risk‑Free to Political Instrument  For decades, U.S. Treasuries functioned as the world’s de facto risk‑free asset: deep, dollar‑denominated and as close to a zero‑default instrument as markets could find. Even today, the 10‑year note trades around 4.10%–4.20%, and the probability of outright non‑payment remains extremely low. What has changed is the tail: in an era of sanctions, reserve freezes and more explicit weaponization of financial channels, investors can no…

The dollar index (DXY00) rallied to a 1-week high on Wednesday and finished up by +0.57%.  The dollar moved higher on Wednesday and found support on better-than-expected US economic reports on Dec capital goods new orders, Dec housing starts and building permits, and Jan manufacturing production.  Also, higher T-note yields on Wednesday have strengthened the dollar’s interest rate differentials.  Gains in the dollar accelerated on Wednesday on the hawkish minutes of the Jan 27-28 FOMC meeting, after “several” officials suggested the Fed may need to raise interest rates if inflation stays above its goal.US MBA mortgage applications rose +2.8% in…

The US state of Nevada has sued Kalshi after the prediction market company lost its court challenge to stop the state’s regulator from taking action over its sports prediction markets.The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday denied Kalshi’s bid to stop Nevada’s gaming regulator from taking action on its sports event contracts, removing a block on the regulator launching a civil suit against the company.After the decision, the Nevada Gaming Control Board promptly filed a civil enforcement action in state court against Kalshi, which it said sought to block the company “from offering unlicensed wagering in…

March arabica coffee (KCH26) on Tuesday closed down -15.45 (-5.15%), and March ICE robusta coffee (RMH26) closed down -171 (-4.44%).Coffee prices plummeted on Tuesday, with arabica posting a 7.25-month low and robusta posting a 6-month low.  Coffee prices have been under pressure over the past 3 weeks amid signs of a bumper Brazilian coffee crop.  On February 5, Conab, Brazil’s crop forecasting agency, said that Brazil’s 2026 coffee production will climb by +17.2% y/y to a record 66.2 million bags, with arabica production up +23.2% y/y to 44.1 million bags and robusta production up +6.3% y/y to 22.1 million bags.…

Key Takeaways Some analysts warn XRP could “normalize” toward $1 or lower in 2026. The Federal Reserve staff proposal referenced XRP as part of plans to create a dedicated crypto risk class. Bullish $15 price projections generated by Grok on X have fueled online optimism, but analysts have urged caution. XRP’s price slid again on Monday, extending a broader crypto pullback that has pushed the token toward a key psychological threshold. Analysts now warn XRP could fall below $1 as investors rotate into safer assets. The decline comes even as XRP has been cited in a new Federal Reserve staff…

A global survey commissioned by BVNK and conducted by YouGov found that 39% of crypto users and prospective users across 15 countries receive income in stablecoins, while 27% use them for everyday payments, citing lower fees and faster cross-border transfers as key drivers.The survey of 4,658 respondents, conducted online in September and October 2025 among adults who currently hold or plan to acquire cryptocurrency, found that stablecoin users hold an average of about $200 in their wallets globally, though holdings in high-income economies average around $1,000. It also found that 77% of respondents would open a stablecoin wallet with their primary…

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Friday closed up +0.05%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) closed up +0.10%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed up +0.18%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) rose +0.03%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) rose +0.14%.Stock indexes recovered from early losses on Friday and settled higher. Falling bond yields were bullish for stocks on Friday after US January consumer prices rose less than expected, which may prompt the Fed to keep cutting interest rates.  The 10-year T-note yield fell to a 2.25-month low of 4.05% on the tame inflation news. Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why…