Kitco News
FOMC minutes show a Fed united on rates and communications, but concerned about impacts of Iran, tariffs and AI on inflation -
(Kitco News) – The minutes from the June 16-17 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting showed members united on monetary policy and changes to the Fed’s post-meeting communications but concerned about the economic impacts of the Iran war, tariffs, and the AI buildout, with the majority still seeing upside risks to inflation.
Investors flee gold ETFs in June as hawkish Fed expectations drive liquidation -
(Kitco News) - Although gold prices are holding support above $4,000 an ounce, June proved to be a difficult month as rising opportunity costs continued to push investors out of gold-backed exchange-traded funds, according to the latest report from the World Gold Council.
Russia’s gold reserves fall below $300 billion in June after sixth straight monthly decline -
(Kitco News) – Russia's state gold reserves fell below $300 billion at the end of last month amid a broader drop in the country's total reserve assets, according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Russia (CBR).The CBR valued the country's gold reserves at $298.99 billion at the end of last month, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Gold slides toward $4,050 as oil spike, Fed-rate repricing lift yields - Kitco AM Report -
(Kitco NewsWire) - Spot gold and silver prices are lower ahead of the North American market open Wednesday, as renewed U.S.-Iran escalation pushed crude oil, Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar higher, overwhelming the safe-haven bid from Strait of Hormuz risk.
Gold and silver slip as Hormuz attacks lift oil, Fed-risk premium - Kitco PM Report -
(Kitco NewsWire) - Spot gold and silver prices are weaker late Tuesday in North American trade, as higher Treasury yields, a firmer dollar and renewed Strait of Hormuz attacks offset the support metals had carried after last week’s weak payrolls report.
China’s central bank buys the dip, increasing gold reserves by 15 tonnes in June -
(Kitco News) - As many analysts expected, central banks used gold’s further selloff last month to tactically increase their official gold reserves, with the People’s Bank of China continuing to dominate the market.
Digital gold could unlock bullion's next bull market by solving liquidity challenges, but trust remains a challenge - Gold Token SA’s Hemecker -
(Kitco News) - Not only has gold surpassed U.S. Treasuries to become the world’s top central bank reserve asset, but the recent global energy crisis provoked by the war in Iran has proven the precious metal’s worth as an important source of liquidity, and according to one market executive, the yellow metal's evolution is just beginning.
Hong Kong begins trial of new central gold trading system, with first transactions complete and first bullion deposited -
(Kitco News) – Hong Kong has begun the trial operation of a new central clearing and settlement system for gold, part of a broader set of policy and market initiatives intended to strengthen the city’s position as an international hub for the precious metals market.Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) announced the launch of the initiative earlier today.
Gold correction has reset the market, but MKS’ Shiels still sees $4,500 average price in 2026 -
(Kitco News) - Gold's sharp correction from its record highs may have rattled investors, but MKS PAMP is urging them not to mistake the recent selloff for the end of the precious metal's secular bull market.
Gold and silver’s 2026 price lows are likely in, and a return to fundamentals will see renewed gains – Sprott’s Hemke -
(Kitco News) – It’s been a frustrating four months for precious metals investors since the Iran War caused inflation expectations and rate hike projections to rise. But the lows of the year for gold and silver prices are already in, and gold and silver should begin benefitting from the long-term rally’s drivers once again, according to Craig Hemke at Sprott Money.
Zero Hedge
Coffee Lovers, Take Note: Lavazza Sounds Alarm, Suggest It May Be Time To Stock Up -
Coffee Lovers, Take Note: Lavazza Sounds Alarm, Suggest It May Be Time To Stock Up
Following the largest daily surge in Arabica coffee futures since the Dot-Com bubble, the head of Italian coffee giant Lavazza Group warned that prices are unlikely to fall over the next two years.
Giuseppe Lavazza, chairman of the Italian roaster, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying, "The market need...
Are Flattening Curves And Style Rotations Deceptive Omens? -
Are Flattening Curves And Style Rotations Deceptive Omens?
Authored by Michael Lebowitz via RealInvestmentAdvice.com,
Bond market pundits often warn that bear yield curve flatteners or inverted yield curves ultimately lead to recessions. Similarly, some equity experts caution that periods of violent back-and-forth rotations among stock sectors and/or style factors are precursors t...
FOMC Minutes Show 'A Few' Fed Members Wanted To Hike In June, 'Majority' Fear Higher Inflation -
FOMC Minutes Show 'A Few' Fed Members Wanted To Hike In June, 'Majority' Fear Higher Inflation
Tl;dr: The minutes underscored a more hawkish tone on inflation. UBS traders noted that most participants cited scenarios in which price pressures could remain elevated, including stronger AI-related demand, the ongoing Middle East conflict and tariffs. In those cases, nearly all of those...
Bezos' Blue Origin Seeks $10 Billion In First-Ever Outside Funding Round -
Bezos' Blue Origin Seeks $10 Billion In First-Ever Outside Funding Round
Fresh off Elon Musk's SpaceX IPO, it appears that, for the first time, Blue Origin is preparing to raise outside capital in a deal that would value Jeff Bezos' rocket company at about $130 billion.
Andrew Ross Sorkin, financial columnist for The New York Times and a co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box, wrote in a...
The Great Migration: What The Dow-To-Gold Ratio Is Telling Us -
The Great Migration: What The Dow-To-Gold Ratio Is Telling Us
Authored by Bryan Lutz, Editor at Dollarcollapse.com,
It takes about 13 ounces of gold to buy the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Dow-to-gold ratio prices the entire American stock market. And it does it in the one currency no central bank can print. Over the past century, it tells the same story.
It measures when th...
Stellar 10Y Auction Stops Through, With 3rd Highest Foreign Demand On Record -
Stellar 10Y Auction Stops Through, With 3rd Highest Foreign Demand On Record
Following yesterday's stellar 3Y auction, moments ago - with yields surging to the highest level since mid-May - the Treasury completed the sale of $39BN in a 9 Year 10 Month reopening of 10Y cusip QQ7, in what was another spectacular auction.
The note sale, which priced just after 1pm ET, stopped at a hi...
Russia Bans Diesel Exports, Assuring Even Higher Prices -
Russia Bans Diesel Exports, Assuring Even Higher Prices
As was widely speculated in recent days, Russia banned exports of diesel in order to avoid domestic shortages after a flurry of attacks by Ukrainian drones on the nation’s refineries.
“Today we introduced ban on exports of diesel,” Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said at the government’s meeting with President Vladimir ...
Iran Threatens To Choke Off Hormuz Again As US Readies Blockade; Trump Says Tehran Wants To Assassinate Him -
Iran Threatens To Choke Off Hormuz Again As US Readies Blockade; Trump Says Tehran Wants To Assassinate Him
Summary
Trump tells NATO summit that Iran wants to assassinate him: "on every single one of their list."
Iran threatens to reclose the Strait of Hormuz and suspended final talks with the US.
The US earlier revoked an Iranian oil waiver & now signals readiness to restore a ...
George Soros Angers Hamptons Residents After Massive Land Purchase -
George Soros Angers Hamptons Residents After Massive Land Purchase
Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,
George Soros has long used his billions to influence politics, but now his family appears to be using that wealth to reshape its own backyard through a massive land grab in the Hamptons.
The Soros family has purchased 18 plots of land on Shelter Island, a Hamptons comm...
FOMC Minutes Preview: Scrutiny For Hawkish Bias -
FOMC Minutes Preview: Scrutiny For Hawkish Bias
Today's FOMC minutes will be scrutinized for further insight into policymakers' appetite for additional rate hikes and the thinking behind the Committee's hawkish shift at last month's meeting. The minutes are an account of the June 17th meeting and therefore will not reflect subsequent developments, including the softer-than-expected...
MarketWatch - Top Stories
CNBC Top News
CNBC Economy
Christine Lagarde leaves door open to early ECB exit, as she mulls French politics -
The European Central Bank's Christine Lagarde has declined to rule out an early end to her term as president, as she mulls a foray into French politics.
Job seekers giving up: Labor force participation rate falls to lowest in 50 years, outside of Covid era -
A drop in the unemployment rate helped provide some upside to what was an otherwise downbeat jobs report — but it was for all the wrong reasons.
U.S. job creation cools in June with payrolls growth of just 57,000; unemployment rate at 4.2% -
Nonfarm payrolls were expected to rise by 115,000 in June and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 4.3%.
Europe wants to rebalance trade with Beijing, but can't quit Chinese air conditioners -
A historic heat wave has driven unprecedented demand for Chinese-made air conditioners in Europe, underscoring the tough task Brussels faces in rebalancing trade with Beijing.
World Cup could boost the June jobs report by 40,000, Goldman estimates -
Nonfarm payrolls are projected to post a gain of 115,000, according to the Dow Jones consensus.
GATA
U.S. isn't the only government that falsifies economic data -
Outspoken Chinese Economist Who Doubted Official GDP Data Dies
By Joe LeahyFinancial Times, LondonWednesday, July 8, 2026
The death of a prominent Chinese economist who openly questioned official GDP data has prompted an outpouring of mourning for a figure many saw as a "daring truth teller" in a country intolerant of independent voices.
Gao Shanwen, former economist of SDIC Securities, a gover...
India silver import curbs create shortages, push premiums to six-month high -
By Rajendra JadhavReutersWednesday, July 8, 2026
MUMBAI -- India's restrictions on silver imports have created shortages in the world's biggest market for the precious metal, pushing premiums to their highest levels in six months despite weaker-than-usual demand.
Lower imports by India, which meets more than 80% of its silver demand through overseas purchases, could weigh on global prices, whil...
Gold is getting a new shine amid volatile geopolitics -
By Chris Anstey and Augusta SaraivaBloomberg NewsWednesday, July 8, 2026
Sometime during the crash in the price of gold in the mid-2010s, one veteran financial-market journalist declared that "this is the moment when the world realized gold isn't a financial asset." Famous last words, as they say.
After gold's surge over the past several years, and continuous debate about the long-term durabili...
Tanzania's central bank bought 28 tons of gold over past 18 months for reserves -
From ReutersWednesday, July 8, 2026
DAR ES SALAAM -- Tanzania's central bank has bought about 28 metric tons of gold over the past 18 months to bolster its international reserves and support the shilling currency, its governor, Emmanuel Tutuba, said.
Tutuba was quoted in a finance ministry statement as saying the purchased gold was worth $3.68 billion at current prices.
... Dispatch continu...
China gold reserves rose in June the most since 2023 even as bullion tumbled -
By Dylan Duan and Ryan WooReutersTuesday, July 7, 2026
China's central bank reported its biggest monthly increase in gold reserves in more than 2 1/2 years in June, official data showed today, though bullion prices tumbled.
The People's Bank of China maintained gold purchases for a 20th straight month, with its reserves hitting 75.44 million fine troy ounces by the end of June, versus 74....
Wolf Street
QT plus Rate Hikes: ECB Sheds €149 billion of QE Assets in Q2, -52% since mid-2022, Marks Gold Down by €160 Billion -
Fed’s anti-QT faction, take a look: ECB shed €3.7 trillion ($4.2 trillion) of its QE assets, nearly double the Fed’s QT, and nothing bad has happened.
Consumer “Inflation Expectations” Throw the Fed another Curveball -
The Fed watches inflation expectations closely. It wants them to remain “anchored.” But consumer inflation expectations have become unanchored.
Home Prices in the Largest Countries of Europe in Q1 2026, from Splendid Housing Bubbles to a Market that’s Back to 2010 -
Prices for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Romania, Czechia, Finland, Portugal, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria.
Legal Tender News
CoinDesk
Polymarket bets on U.S. marketing blitz to win back trust after 4-year ban: Report -
The prediction market's head of U.S. operations says the business is taking steps to legitimize itself after years of legal scrutiny.
Crypto Long & Short: With MSTR concerns assuaged, look to traditional signals around BTC -
In this week's Crypto Long & Short, FalconX’s Gaspar Martin writes that BTC is reaching a market bottom and is poised for a turnaround.
Crypto VC Paradigm launches $1.2 billion AI fund as it broadens beyond digital assets -
The firm's latest fund backs AI and robotics startups but leadership says it remains committed to crypto investing.
Dinari, tZERO join forces on turnkey platform for tokenized U.S. equities -
The move comes as firms race to build the infrastructure for blockchain-based stocks and debate how tokenized stocks should work.
Adam Back's BSTR scraps SPAC merger, seeks new deal -
BSTR and Cantor Equity Partners will not complete their merger under the original July 2025 agreement, with the shareholder postponed indefinitely.
BNB Chain is building a new layer-1 for high-frequency trading and AI agents -
The network aims to process over 100,000 transactions per second by streaming them directly, eliminating public queues to make trades faster and more secure.
Citadel abandons multi-year crypto lawsuit to focus on bankruptcy order against an ex-employee -
After winning a 6 million-pound London arbitration award, Citadel dropped its U.S. trade secrets case, saying another judgment would likely go uncollected.
SpaceX's first bitcoin wallet movements in six months likely don't signal sales -
Onchain trackers found the newly public company shifted a tiny amount of bitcoin between its own addresses. Nothing reached an exchange.
Bitcoin's inflation quagmire gets stickier as renewed MidEast conflict sends oil price soaring -
Your day-ahead look for July 8, 2026
Crypto and stocks tumble after Trump declares ceasefire 'over' following Iran strikes -
Bitcoin fell, altcoins slid after Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is "over" as U.S. and Iran traded airstrikes.
bitcoin.com
Crypto Bulls Lose $310M as Bitcoin Falls to $61,481 on Middle East Escalation -
A sudden escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions and military exchanges halted bitcoin’s July rally, triggering a 3.5% drop below $62,000. Geopolitical Tensions Halt Bitcoin Uptrend Bitcoin’s July uptrend came to a screeching halt Wednesday, tumbling below $62,000 as escalating Middle East tensions sparked fears that the shaky U.S.-Iran ceasefire had unraveled. Market data shows bitcoin nosedived […]
$2 Million on the Line: 8 Teams Prepare for Call of Duty League Championship 2026 -
The 2026 Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship represents the pinnacle of the professional Black Ops 7 competitive season, set to take place July 16–19 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. As the season’s final high-stakes event, the tournament features a $2 million prize pool and determines which of the top eight teams […]
Prediction Market Volume Jumped 75% to $44.8B in June as the World Cup Drove Record Trading -
Combined trading volume across the two largest prediction-market platforms surged 75% in June to $44.8 billion, a record for the sector, as the FIFA World Cup pulled a wave of event-contract activity onto Kalshi and Polymarket. The month tested whether prediction-market infrastructure could sustain trading around a single global event – and, by the volume […]
Jack Mallers’ Strike Cuts Bitcoin Loan Terms to 6 Months to Kill Price Liquidations -
Strike CEO Jack Mallers rolled out a new bitcoin-backed loan product on July 7 that removes price-triggered liquidations from the loan term entirely. The product, called volatility-proof loans, lets borrowers keep their bitcoin in place no matter how far the price falls, as long as they keep making payments. Mallers posted the announcement on X: […]
Report: Paradigm Raises $1.2 Billion as AI Funding Outpaces Crypto Deals in 2026 -
Paradigm has closed a $1.2 billion fund built to chase artificial intelligence and robotics deals outside its crypto roots. Bloomberg’s Rebecca Torrence reported the news on July 8, 2026, describing the vehicle as the venture firm’s third fund. Matt Huang and Fred Ehrsam founded Paradigm in 2018. Huang previously worked as a partner at Sequoia […]
Reason
Cato Institute
Tenth Amendment Center
Five Weapons. One Target: Your Freedom. -
The top tools of tyrants aimed right at your liberty. Washington, Webster, Paine, Madison, and more - they saw every one of them coming and warned us. On this Episode - what they use against us and what’s self-inflicted.
The post Five Weapons. One Target: Your Freedom. appeared first on Tenth Amendment Center.
They’re not Grievances. They’re STOLEN Power -
Declaration of Independence: That long list of charges against the king aren’t mere “grievances.” That word isn’t even in the text. They Founders didn't secede and fight a long, bloody war over mere complaints about bad policy. American Independence was built on something else spelled out in the text itself, and understood by everyone at the time. On this Episode - It's the foundation of the de...
Let’s Not Forget What Madison Said About War -
What Madison is pointing out is that among all the ways that government destroys the liberty of its own people, its wars are the worst.
The post Let’s Not Forget What Madison Said About War appeared first on Tenth Amendment Center.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Automated Moderation Is Here to Stay -
This blog post is part 1 of a 2-part series. The second part will set out recommendations for companies and policymakers.Six years ago—one month into a global pandemic—we argued that the automated moderation processes many platforms were rapidly adopting should be highly transparent, easily appealable, and temporary. We warned that "protocols adopted in times of crisis often persist when the cr...
Help EFF Cut the AI Hype -
In the global race to build and dominate the AI industry, it can sure seem like the interests of ordinary people sit last on the agenda. It's just the opposite for EFF. While companies furiously jam AI tools into their veins and your eyeballs, EFF’s technologists, activists, and attorneys have been meticulously cutting through the hype to ensure AI can serve your privacy and free expression. Te...
LGBT Q&A: How Can I Wipe Online Data That Points To My Queer Identity? -
This Pride, we’re answering all your digital rights questions in season two of our initiative, LGBT Q&A.
You Asked: Is there a way for me to wipe data about me online that could point to my queer identity?
EFF’s Answer: You cannot protect everything all the time, but there are ways to wipe information about yourself online.
Most information available about you online will typically be found i...
The Institute For Justice - Press Releases
Second Amendment Foundation
TAURUS RENEWS PLATINUM-LEVEL CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP -
BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 24, 2025 — The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is pleased to announce that Taurus Holdings Inc. has renewed their commitment to the organization as a Platinum-level corporate partner. “At Taurus, we believe that the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to the American way of life,” said Taurus USA
The post TAURUS RENEWS PLATINUM-LEVEL CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP appear...
CA NON-RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR CARRY PERMIT STARTING APRIL 22 -
BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 22, 2025 — Thanks to a preliminary injunction in the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) case CRPA v. LASD, starting Tuesday, April 22, non-resident SAF members can apply for a California carry permit. The injunction requires that California accept permit applications from any United States resident outside the state who is a
The post CA NON-RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR CARR...
SCOTUS DENIES CERT IN WORTH, SAF WIN IN EIGHTH CIRCUIT STANDS -
BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 21, 2025 — In a case that could potentially have far-reaching implications for similar lawsuits across the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied Minnesota’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari in Jacobson v. Worth, the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) challenge to the 18-20-year-old carry ban in the state. Minnesota asked the
The post SCOTUS DENIES CERT IN WORTH, SAF ...
Gun Owners of America
GOA and GOF File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Pennsylvania’s Lifetime Carry Ban for Citizens with Minor, Decades-Old Drug Misdemeanors -
GOA and GOF File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Pennsylvania’s Lifetime Carry Ban for Citizens with Minor, Decades-Old Drug Misdemeanors FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 8, 2026 Springfield, VA — Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), alongside Craig Philips, an honorably discharged Air Force and Gulf War veteran, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s statutory li...
VA: Major Victory – Court Rejects Richmond’s Attempt to Kill GOA’s Gun Ban Lawsuit -
We have another important victory in the fight against Virginia’s unconstitutional gun and magazine bans. A three-judge panel has denied the Commonwealth’s attempt to consolidate the lawsuits challenging Virginia’s new gun control laws. That means Crump v. Katz, GOA and VCDL’s lawsuit against the so-called “assault firearm” and magazine bans, can continue in Lancaster County. This matters. Rich...
VA: Jay Jones Launches Emergency Attack on Virginia Gun Owners’ Court Victory -
Attorney General Jay Jones did not waste any time attacking Virginia gun owners. Just days after GOA, GOF, VCDL, VCDF, and gun rights journalist John Crump secured a preliminary injunction in Crump v. Katz, Jones and the Commonwealth are running to the Supreme Court of Virginia to try to bring the gun bans back. GOA’s attorneys will be working throughout the Independence Day weekend … Read more...
Banking Dive
American Banker
Bank of International Settlements
Project Insight: uncovering the complexities of global value chains -
Project Insight developed a proof-of-concept dashboard to enhance policymakers' understanding and monitoring of global supply chain developments. By unifying detailed firm-level datasets, macroeconomic information and advanced analytics within a collaborative platform, the project demonstrated how granular and complex GVC dependencies can be studied more effectively.
On the comparison of capital requirements for global systemically important banks -
Basel III introduced a comprehensive package of capital reforms to bolster the resilience of the global banking system. While the standard supports regulatory convergence across jurisdictions by establishing a common minimum set of requirements for internationally active banks, it also gives national authorities flexibility to exceed the minimum standards. Heterogeneous applications of Basel II...
Blockchain consensus mechanisms and fragmentation -
by Daniel Eidan, Jon Frost, Rudraksh Kansal, Ulf Lewrick, Sang Hyuk Lim, Tomasz RybarczykWhile all permissionless blockchains use token-based incentives to sustain honest validation, differences in how validator rewards, coordination and participation are structured lead to distinct equilibria and trade-offs between decentralisation, security and scalability. These trade-offs underpin the emerg...
Federal Reserve - Press Releases
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, June 16-17, 2026 -
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, June 16-17, 2026
Federal Reserve Board requests comment on a proposal to amend its requirements for banks to maintain anti-money laundering programs -
Federal Reserve Board requests comment on a proposal to amend its requirements for banks to maintain anti-money laundering programs
Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with Small Business Bank and announces termination enforcement actions with BNP Paribas S.A., BNP Paribas USA, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., an... -
Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with Small Business Bank and announces termination enforcement actions with BNP Paribas S.A., BNP Paribas USA, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., and Community Bankshares, Inc.
FDIC - Press Releases