News

Golden Ten Data, March 6 – As traders increase their bets that the Iran war will trigger an oil price shock, the policy outlook for central banks in developing Asian countries is undergoing a shift. Overnight index swaps show significant changes in interest rate pricing across many parts of Asia. The changes are most notable in India and the Philippines, where the market now expects rate hikes instead of cuts; while Thailand and Indonesia are still expected to cut rates, the probability of such moves is rapidly decreasing. Selena Ling, Head of Research at OCBC Bank, said on Friday: “Given that the Iran conflict may persist, Asian central banks will remain highly sensitive to oil price trends and may closely monitor whether there is still room for monetary policy easing in the short term.” CPI growth in Indonesia and the Philippines accelerated in February and is expected to rise further in the future. Both countries are highly dependent on imports for fuel supply, and the weakening of their local currencies has further pushed up import costs. Investors are also preparing for higher interest rates in Malaysia, whose economic growth is among the fastest in the region. Even in Thailand, where inflation has been in negative territory for nearly a year, the Ministry of Commerce has warned that as the Middle East conflict pushes up food and fuel prices, this indicator may start to rebound from this month.

Golden Ten Data, March 6 – State Street Global Advisors stated in a report that geopolitical tensions and the global macroeconomic environment continue to support gold. Strategists pointed out that "geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have once again become the focus," which has triggered safe-haven buying in macro markets including gold and the US dollar. "Gold allocations in investment portfolios remain low, both tactically and strategically, and there is significant room for expansion before 2026." They added that if the Iran conflict escalates, gold prices may retest the $5,500 to $5,600 per ounce range in March.

PANews, March 6th – According to Cointelegraph, since October last year, publicly listed bitcoin mining companies have sold more than 15,000 bitcoins. TheEnergyMag's Mining Weekly newsletter pointed out that several major mining companies were the main participants in this sell-off, including Cango, which sold about 60% of its holdings, totaling 4,451 bitcoins, in February; Bitdeer, which liquidated all its bitcoin inventory in January; Riot Platforms, which made multiple sales in December; and Core Scientific, which also plans to sell about 2,500 bitcoins in the first quarter. The largest listed mining company, MARA Holdings, stated in its latest regulatory filing that it may buy and sell bitcoin to maintain flexibility and optionality. This statement has attracted market attention. The company's vice president clarified that the filing allows for flexible sales, but does not mean that most holdings will be liquidated. MARA currently holds more than 53,000 bitcoins, making it the second largest bitcoin holder among listed companies, second only to Strategy. Analysts believe that as profit margins shrink and debt pressure increases, mining companies are being forced to reassess the previously common holding strategy. Previously, Bloomberg published an article stating that the AI boom is prompting bitcoin mining companies, with total holdings exceeding $8 billion, to transform, raising concerns about market sell-offs.