Hey there! Welcome to this week’s edition of The Market Brief, where we break down the biggest moves, key trends, and events to watch in the days ahead.
MARKET SUMMARY
Markets were risk-on but uneven; crypto was initially volatile and then flat. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and gold stole the show with powerful rallies.
Crypto Market Capitalisation (TOTAL)
$2.19T +0.19%
Crypto market cap swung wild through the week, rebounding from an early dip before a late pullback left it nearly flat at $2.19T.
$64,548 +0.16%
Bitcoin was chaotic too, rebounding multiple times before a late drop leaving it where it started.
S&P 500 Index (SP500)
$7,757 +2.48%
The S&P 500 surged early, consolidated through midweek, then rallied back toward weekly highs.
Gold (XAUUSD)
$4,327 +9.72%
Gold climbed steadily through the week, with brief midweek consolidation before pushing to a strong breakout at press time.
Values as of 7:55PM, 10th August 2026
COIN OF THE WEEK
LayerZero (ZRO)
$0.864 +18.7%
LayerZero (ZRO) posted a very strong rally in the week gone by, following its collaboration with the Global Dollar Network, deploying its Omnichain Fungible Token standard to power the USDG stablecoin
Read more
Values as of 8:01PM, 10th August 2026
TOP NEWS
- The U.S. Senate has pushed the CLARITY Act vote to Sept. 15, despite earlier hopes for action before the August recess. Lawmakers now have more time to negotiate key sticking points, including ethics rules, stablecoin yield, and developer protections.
- A volunteer Bitcoin Red Team using AI tools and human review has identified 7,958 potential security issues, including 168 critical flaws, across Bitcoin-related open-source projects. The effort began with the Coldcard wallet exploit, which has reportedly led to more than $100 million in thefts from 7,300 wallets.
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $853.5 million in weekly inflows, their best week since April and about five times July’s total. Ether ETFs added another $243.7 million, so there’s greater institutional demand for crypto exposure. Some industry figures suggested the Coldcard hack may also be making institutional custody through ETFs and exchanges look more attractive.
NARRATIVE HEATMAP
A look at the market categories gaining buzz (and those slipping out of focus) this week.
AI Software and Tech Models
E-commerce and Marketplaces
Consumer Finance and Lending
See a narrative picking up? Trade the markets shaping it!
KEY EVENTS TO WATCH THIS WEEK
12th August, Wednesday • High Impact
July CPI Inflation
The key inflation reading for consumers, likely to shape expectations around the Fed’s next interest-rate moves.
13th August, Thursday • Medium Impact
July PPI Inflation
Tracks inflation at the producer level and can indicate future pressure on consumer prices.
14th August, Friday • High Impact
July Retail Sales
Shows strength of consumer spending and provides an important read on US economic momentum.
11th August, Tuesday • Low Impact
July Existing Home Sales
Measures activity in the US housing market; a snapshot of housing demand and affordability.
