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The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -1.23%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -1.07%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -1.36%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -1.16%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -1.20%.Stock indexes are sharply lower today, with the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrials, and the Nasdaq 100 falling to 2-week lows. Rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Europe over control of Greenland have led to a risk-off mood in asset markets.  President Trump’s push to take over Greenland is reviving fears of trade confrontations between the US…

Key Takeaways South Korean customs busted a $107 million crypto laundering operation run by three Chinese nationals. The ring disguised illicit transfers as payments for cosmetic surgery and university tuition from 2021 to 2025. Funds passed through overseas crypto exchanges before operators converted them into Korean won through local bank accounts. South Korean customs authorities have uncovered an international cryptocurrency laundering ring involving approximately 150 billion Korean won ($107 million). The operation reportedly ran from September 2021 to June 2025. It exploited legitimate cross-border payments for services such as cosmetic surgery and education to disguise illicit foreign exchange transactions. How…

Data shows Ethereum layer 2 MegaETH hit network speeds of up to 47,000 transactions per second in testing as the project prepares for a stress test ahead of its mainnet launch.  In an X post on Monday, MegaETH said it will launch a “global stress test” on Thursday, with an official launch to follow. “On Jan 22nd, we’re opening mainnet to users for several latency-sensitive apps while the chain is under intense, sustained load,” MegaETH said, adding:“Stress tests only matter if they’re uncomfortable. We’re targeting sustained, true TPS of 15-35K, totaling 11B transactions across 7 days.” Source: MegaETHThe stress test will…

Soybeans are showing 2 to 3 cent gains on Friday, reverting from early weakness. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price is 2 1/2 cents higher at $9.85 1/2. Soymeal futures are down 70 cents to $1.10 higher at midday, as Soy Oil futures are down 20 to 25 points. The markets will be off on Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. They will open back up on Monday evening.  Don’t Miss a Day: From crude oil to coffee, sign up free for Barchart’s best-in-class commodity analysis.  Export Sales data shows total soybean commitments now at 30.637 MMT as of 1/8,…

Overregulation of the crypto industry would negatively impact markets and gut decentralized finance (DeFi), according to Michaël van de Poppe.The failure of the CLARITY crypto market structure bill to advance in the United States Congress is positive for crypto markets and the industry, according to market analyst Michaël van de Poppe. Van De Poppe cited crypto exchange Coinbase withdrawing support for the bill on Wednesday and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s X post listing several concerns with the most recent version of the bill. Van De Poppe breaks down why the CLARITY Act stalled and why it is good for the crypto…

Cotton futures are trading with 15 to 30 point losses on Friday. The US dollar index is down 343 points, with crude oil losing $1.64 per barrel. USDA’s Export Sales report showed 4.213 million RB of cotton sold or shipped so far for the 2024/25 marketing year. That is 37% of the current USDA export projection from the WASDE balance sheet and 12 percentage points behind the 5-year average pace.ICE cotton stocks were unchanged on August 15, leaving 15,526 bales of cert stocks. The Cotlook A Index was down another 100 points on August 15 to 78.45 cents/lb. The USDA Average World Price…

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of crypto exchange Coinbase, denied reports that the White House is considering pulling support for the CLARITY Act, a crypto market structure bill, and also denied rumors that the administration is “furious” with Coinbase.“The White House has been super constructive here. They did ask us to see if we can go figure out a deal with the banks, which we’re currently working on,” Armstrong said. On Friday, independent journalist Eleanor Terrett reported a clash between Coinbase and the administration of US President Donald Trump, with the White House threatening to withdraw support for the market structure bill…

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Friday closed down -0.06%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down -0.17%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down -0.07%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) fell -0.06%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) fell -0.08%.Stock indexes gave up an early advance on Friday and settled slightly lower as bond yields rose.  The 10-year T-note yield rose +6 bp to a 4.5-month high of 4.23% on Friday after President Trump expressed reluctance to nominate Kevin Hassett as Fed Chair.  Hassett was seen by markets as the most dovish candidate and the top contender for…

With a markup of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY) in the US Senate Banking Committee postponed indefinitely, leaders in decentralized finance are using the delay to press lawmakers on concerns with the bill.Before Republican leaders on the Banking Committee moved late Wednesday to postpone the markup, crypto industry groups had raised concerns about provisions related to tokenized equities, stablecoin rewards and their potential impact on DeFi platforms. The DeFi Education Fund said on Wednesday that some proposed amendments could “seriously harm DeFi technology and/or make market structure legislation worse for software developers.”Crypto venture capital companies said the legislation…

Lean hog futures were in rally mode on Thursday, with contracts $1.90 to $2.30 higher at the close. USDA’s national base hog price was not reported on Thursday afternoon due to light volume. The CME Lean Hog Index was down 11 cents on Jan 13 at $80.39. USDA’s Export Sales data showed pork bookings at 26,826 MT in the week of January 8. Mexico was the largest buyer of 9,200 MT, with 5,200 MT sold to Japan. Shipments were pegged at 40,672 MT. The top destination was Mexico at 21,000 MT, with 4,200 MT. Don’t Miss a Day: From crude oil to…