The Bitcoin network mining difficulty, a metric tracking the relative challenge of adding new blocks to the Bitcoin ledger, fell by about 11% within 24 hours, the worst drop in a single adjustment period since China’s 2021 ban on crypto mining.
Gold rebounded and notched a weekly gain, helped by bargain hunting, a slightly weaker dollar and lingering concerns over U.S.-Iran talks in Oman, while silver recovered from a 1-1/2-month low.
Indian refiners are avoiding Russian oil purchases for delivery in April and are expected to stay away from such trades for longer, refining and trade sources said, a move that could help New Delhi seal a trade pact with Washington.
The Canadian dollar edged lower against its U.S. counterpart as investors grew risk averse, but the move was limited after Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem pushed back against prospects of additional interest rate cuts to support the economy.
Commodities prices slid, led by silver, part of a broad market sell-off as investors reversed an earlier rush for hard assets after global geopolitical tensions eased.
Amazon joined its Big Tech peers in projecting massive capital expenditures in 2026, the freshest sign yet that tech companies will not be hitting the brakes on their hefty AI investments anytime soon.
