
Risk sentiment softened sharply Monday after news broke that the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, part of a broader political tug-of-war around rate policy and central bank independence. Powell pushed back hard in a rare public statement, framing the subpoenas as politically motivated attempts to influence monetary policy, and markets responded accordingly. U.S. stocks and futures pulled back, the dollar weakened, and safe havens rallied as traders priced in rising uncertainty around policy credibility.
Gold futures jumped more than 2.5% to new all-time highs above $4,600 as buyers leaned into the hedge play amid diminished confidence in central bank autonomy and fresh geopolitical flashpoints involving Iran and Venezuela. Onchain in crypto, Monero reclaimed prominence driven by renewed interest in privacy and upcoming protocol upgrades, breaking a long-term ascending triangle that had been in place for years, that technical breakout puts the next meaningful upside target around $800. Price moves in privacy coins like XMR often reflect positioning ahead of fundamental upgrades and structural narrative flows.
Corporate treasury activity continues to shape sentiment. BitMine (Tom Lee’s vehicle) has been aggressively accumulating Ethereum, adding tens of thousands of ETH to its treasury, while Michael Saylor’s Strategy continues sizable BTC accumulation, underscoring ongoing institutional balance sheet buying.
On macro data, U.S. labor markets ended 2025 on a soft note with December payrolls below expectations and annual average gains far softer than the prior year, a backdrop that keeps traders focused on the Fed’s next moves even as political noise ramps up. With earnings season kicking off and key tariff rulings pending from the Supreme Court, markets are bracing for fresh catalysts that could swing risk appetite later this week.





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