logo
Bitcoin exceeds $120,000 before House 'Crypto Week'

Bitcoin exceeds $120,000 before House 'Crypto Week'

UPI6 days ago
Bitcoin hit a new milestone, exceeding past 120,000 on Monday as the House of Representatives addressed crypto related legislation. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- Bitcoin was trading above $120,000 on Monday as U.S. lawmakers were set to consider a series of crypto-related bills.
As of 6:20 a.m. EDT, Bitcoin was trading at $121,921, according to data from Coin Metrics.
"We believe that Bitcoin's surge is driven by longer-term institutional buyers and this will propel it to $125k in the next month or two," Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at cryptocurrency exchange BTSE, said in a statement.
The U.S. The House of Representatives was set to begin looking at a trio potential laws this week, which it dubbed "Crypto Week."
The legislation aims to regulate stablecoins, shifting crypto jurisdiction to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and outlawing a Fed-issued central bank digital currency.
"The mood in Washington has turned risk-on at least for digital assets as lawmakers load the legislative order book with three pro-crypto bills under the banner of 'Crypto Week,'" said Stephen Innes, of SPI Asset Management. "Like a breakout trade that's waited months for a clean catalyst, the industry is hoping this is the moment crypto sheds its legal ambiguity and steps onto firmer regulatory ground. But even the cleanest chart can turn into a bull trap if momentum stalls."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump's Epstein birthday card news rocks $9B PBS clawback vote in House: ‘I don't know anything'
Trump's Epstein birthday card news rocks $9B PBS clawback vote in House: ‘I don't know anything'

Yahoo

time26 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump's Epstein birthday card news rocks $9B PBS clawback vote in House: ‘I don't know anything'

The story from The Wall Street Journal that President Donald Trump reportedly sent a birthday card with a picture of a naked woman to Jeffrey Epstein rocked the House of Representatives late on Thursday evening. The House had gone into overdrive to pass a bill that would claw back appropriated money for foreign aid and public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS, that the president demanded from Congress. The House passed the bill by a vote of 216-213. It now goes to Trump for his signature. 'We need to get back to fiscal sanity and this is an important step,' said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. No Democrats supported the measure when it passed the Senate, 51-48, in the early morning hours Thursday. Final passage in the House was delayed for several hours as Republicans wrestled with their response to Democrats' push for a vote on the release of Jeffrey Epstein files. But the news that Trump had reportedly sent a bawdy birthday card to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Epstein created another headache for Republicans, many of whom have pushed for the declassification of files related to Epstein's trafficking of underage girls. House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he did not know anything about the potential communication between Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump. (Getty Images) 'I don't know anything about it,' House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told The Independent as he headed onto the floor before the vote. Trump vehemently denied the story, saying on Truth Social that he would sue The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorps, and Rupert Murdoch 'shortly.' In addition, Trump said that he would instruct Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain files related to Epstein and grand jury testimony 'subject to court approval.' Prior to the vote on the floor, the House Rules Committee held a markup to prepare the legislation for final passage. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) asked for The Wall Street Journal report to be added to the record of the markup. However, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), a member of the hardline Freedom Caucus, pushed back. 'The president is saying it's artificial intelligence,' he said. 'That will be proven in due time.' The news is just the latest wrinkle in the saga surrounding Republican fixation about Epstein's trafficking and death in custody. Earlier this month, the Justice Department released a two-page memo saying that Epstein had no 'client list' and that he died by suicide. This came despite the fact that Bondi had pledged on Fox News that she had files related to Epstein 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' The Republican majority on the committee voted down an amendment by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the top Democrat on Rules, to declassify memos related to Epstein. Instead, the committee's Republicans passed a non-binding resolution calling on the Department of Justice to release information related to Epstein. McGovern dismissed the efforts as 'such a pathetic attempt at ass-covering.' 'I mean, they don't even have a date to bring it up,' he told The Independent. 'They're gonna find out that voters are paying attention, and they're not easily bulls***ted.' When asked why Republicans voted down the amendment in committee, Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) pushed back. 'Because we had our own,' she told The Independent. 'We had our own need... we didn't need that.' When asked about The Wall Street Journal's report, Foxx remained silent. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who represents a district Kamala Harris won, was initially silent and threw up a hand when The Independent asked him about the story, and then said 'no' when asked again. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), another member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, said he did not know if House leadership would put the bill up to a vote. 'Go talk to those guys,' he told The Independent. When asked about why the House GOP voted against the amendment in committee about Epstein, Roy said, 'Because we had a resolution.' Other Republicans attempted to strike a balance. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who leads a task force that focuses on declassification of federal secrets, referred to a tweet where she drew a stick figure and said, 'I hope you guys don't show this to The Wall Street Journal. They might think I'm a sex trafficker.' 'I think that President Trump announced that he's going to be suing The Wall Street Journal because it was not his artwork,' she told The Independent. She also said she trusted Bondi. Ahead of the recissions Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) attempted to force a vote on his amendment to disclose information on Epstein, but Republicans blocked the effort. 'Isn't it striking that they aren't even putting that for a vote,' Khanna told The Independent about the non-binding resolution put forth by Republicans. 'I would have thought at least put that for a vote, but they're so afraid of offending the president.' Republicans might not be able to avoid voting on Epstein matters. Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a sharp critic of Trump, co-sponsored a discharge petition. If a majority of members sign a discharge petition, it can go to the floor for a vote without going through the committee process. So far, conservative members like Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Tim Burchett (R-TN) all support it. Earlier in the day, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said he would also sign onto it. 'The stakes are high, but I'm betting, 'yes,'' Raskin told The Independent. But a discharge petition must ripen for seven legislative days before it goes to the floor. Khanna accused House Republican leadership of bolting early to lengthen amount of time for the petition to 'ripen.' 'They're trying to avoid that and then they're hoping that the momentum is lost during the August recess, but this issue is not going away,' he said. After the vote, Johnson, the pious Christian conservative who once said he and his son monitor use an app to monitor whether the other watched pornography, spoke to reporters in a gaggle. He received only a few questions about the recissions package, while almost every other reporter asked him about Trump and Epstein.

Russia faces intense barrage of drones, shutting down Moscow airports
Russia faces intense barrage of drones, shutting down Moscow airports

UPI

time2 hours ago

  • UPI

Russia faces intense barrage of drones, shutting down Moscow airports

Passengers wait for their flights at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow, Russia, on July 7, 2025. Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA July 20 (UPI) -- Russia faced a penetrating barrage of drones from Ukraine over the weekend that caused Moscow airports to close amid the intensifying war. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a series of statements that between 7:45 a.m. local time on July 19 and 5:40 p.m. on July 20, its air defense systems reportedly shot down at least 272 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones across more than a dozen regions. The Bryansk region saw the heaviest concentration of drone activity, with 108 destroyed across eight separate reporting intervals. Kaluga followed with 55 intercepted drones, and Moscow region accounted for 46, including dozens reportedly flying toward the capital. Russian officials said drones were also intercepted over Tula, Kursk, Oryol, Smolensk, Belgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Ryazan, and Crimea. The most intense barrage occurred overnight, when 93 drones were downed between 11:30 p.m. and 7 a.m., including 16 reported to be heading for Moscow. The sustained and geographically dispersed attacks marked one of the highest-volume drone operations reported by Russian authorities to date. The drone strikes caused all four of Moscow's major airports to close and reopen about ten times in a 24-hour period from Saturday into Sunday, according to a statement from Russia's Association of Tour Operators, a nonprofit travel industry group. The airport in Kaluga remained mostly closed for 14 hours. The nonprofit, citing data from the airports, said that the closures led to 140 cancelled flights to and from the airports, particularly at Sheremetyevo International Airport - the busiest in Russia. The drone strikes and airport closures come after Ukraine launched more than 500 drones toward Russia in a 24-hour period, leaving at least 60,000 passengers stranded. In other parts of the war, Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed its forces made tactical advances across multiple fronts in Ukraine, including in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as part of its ongoing "special military operation." Russian officials said troops from its North, West, South, Center, East and Dnipro groupings inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian brigades and destroyed key infrastructure and depots. According to the ministry, Russian units captured the village of Belaya Gora in Donetsk and targeted Ukrainian positions with airstrikes, artillery and drones in 148 areas. Moscow said Ukrainian forces lost more than 1,200 personnel, along with dozens of armored vehicles, artillery systems -- including U.S.-made Paladins -- and several electronic warfare stations. The air campaign coincides with an intensifying intelligence war between the two countries. Ukraine said earlier this month it killed two Russian agents accused of assassinating a Ukrainian colonel in Kyiv. Russia, in turn, claimed it had detained several Ukrainian operatives and prevented sabotage attacks.

Tesla Earnings, Powell Speech and Other Can't Miss Items this Week
Tesla Earnings, Powell Speech and Other Can't Miss Items this Week

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Tesla Earnings, Powell Speech and Other Can't Miss Items this Week

Markets enter this week with the S&P 500 ($SPX) (SPY) digesting the implications of last week's banking earnings and inflation data while preparing for another wave of high-profile quarterly results and critical Fed commentary. The week features a diverse earnings lineup spanning telecommunications, automotive, technology, and materials sectors, providing a comprehensive view of corporate America's health amid ongoing trade tensions and economic uncertainty. Fed Chair Jerome Powell's Tuesday speech at 8:30am takes center stage as investors seek clarity on monetary policy direction following recent economic data and the central bank's assessment of current conditions. Housing market data Wednesday and Thursday will offer crucial insights into residential real estate trends, while manufacturing and services PMI readings Thursday provide a timely pulse check on business activity across major economic sectors. Here are 5 things to watch this week in the Market. More News from Barchart OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Calls DeepSeek's Bluff: 'I Don't Think They Figured Out Something Way More Efficient' Vanguard Is Now the Top Investor in MicroStrategy Stock. Should You Buy MSTR Too? Warren Buffett Used These 4 Simple Rules to Acquire 76 Businesses Worth Over $173 Billion Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, analysis, and headlines. Mega-Cap Tech Earnings Wednesday brings a blockbuster day for technology earnings with Tesla (TSLA) and Alphabet (GOOGL) reporting results that could significantly influence market direction. Tesla's quarterly results will be closely scrutinized for delivery trends, margin performance, and progress on autonomous driving initiatives amid ongoing competitive pressures and the recent elimination of U.S. EV credits. Management commentary on the Optimus robot program, Supercharger network expansion, and energy storage business will be particularly important for assessing the company's diversification beyond automotive. Alphabet's results will provide insights into search advertising trends, cloud computing growth, and AI investments as the company navigates an evolving competitive landscape. YouTube's performance, Google Cloud's momentum against rivals, and capital expenditure plans for AI infrastructure will be key focus areas. Thursday's Intel (INTC) earnings will offer perspective on the semiconductor industry's health and the company's turnaround efforts in an increasingly competitive chip market. Powell's Policy Perspective Fed Chair Jerome Powell's Tuesday speech at 8:30am represents the week's most significant monetary policy event, coming as markets continue to assess the central bank's next moves amid mixed economic signals. Powell's commentary will be closely analyzed for insights into the Fed's thinking about current interest rate levels, inflation progress, and labor market conditions. His remarks could provide important guidance on the timing and pace of potential policy adjustments, particularly given recent tariff announcements and their potential inflationary impact. The speech timing, early in the trading day, creates potential for immediate market reactions across rate-sensitive sectors including technology, utilities, and financials. Powell's assessment of economic resilience in the face of trade policy changes and his view on the balance between growth and inflation risks could significantly influence market expectations for the remainder of 2025. Housing Market Health Check Wednesday and Thursday deliver back-to-back housing market assessments with existing home sales at 10am Wednesday followed by new home sales at 10am Thursday. These reports will provide crucial insights into residential real estate activity amid elevated mortgage rates and ongoing economic uncertainties. Existing home sales data will reflect completed transactions and offer perspective on buyer behavior in the current interest rate environment. Thursday's new home sales figures will gauge demand for newly constructed properties, particularly important for assessing builder confidence and future construction activity. Housing inventory levels, median prices, and regional variations will be closely watched for signs of market stabilization or continued pressure. The housing data takes on added significance given its traditional role as a leading economic indicator and its sensitivity to both interest rates and consumer confidence. Industrial and Consumer Bellwethers The week features several key earnings that will provide insights into different sectors of the economy. General Motors (GM) Tuesday will offer perspective on automotive demand, supply chain conditions, and the transition to electric vehicles amid changing government incentives. Coca-Cola (KO) Tuesday will provide insights into global consumer trends and pricing power in beverages. Chipotle (CMG) Wednesday will offer perspective on restaurant industry health and consumer discretionary spending patterns. Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) Wednesday will provide insights into copper and precious metals demand, particularly important given infrastructure spending and green energy trends. IBM (IBM) Wednesday will offer perspective on enterprise technology spending and cloud computing adoption. Business Activity Assessment Thursday's dual PMI readings at 9:45am will provide a comprehensive view of business conditions across manufacturing and services sectors, offering timely insights into economic momentum. The Manufacturing PMI will be particularly important given ongoing trade tensions and supply chain considerations, while the Services PMI will offer perspective on the largest component of the U.S. economy. These readings will complement Friday's durable goods orders data at 8:30am, which will provide insights into business investment trends and capital expenditure patterns. The convergence of business sentiment surveys and hard economic data creates potential for significant market reactions if the reports collectively suggest strengthening or weakening economic conditions. Thursday's initial jobless claims will add another data point on labor market health, rounding out a comprehensive week of economic indicators that could influence Fed policy expectations and sector rotation patterns. Best of luck this week and don't forget to check out my daily options article. On the date of publication, Gavin McMaster did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store