US: Initial Jobless Claims rose to 221K last week

EUR/USD posts small gains above 1.1700 in early European trading hours on Monday. The US Dollar remains broadly subdued amid a risk-on market profile, underpinning the pair. 

GBP/USD is clinging to recovery gains near 1.3400 in early Europe on Monday. The pair capitalizes on an upbeat market mood and a steady US Dollar as traders digest the recent

 monetary policy decisions by the Fed and the BoE.

Gold is hitting fresh record highs above $4,400 early Monday, helped by renewed geopolitical tensions. Israel-Iran conflict and US-Venezuela headlines drive investors toward the traditional store of value, Gold. 

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are approaching key technical levels at the time of writing on Monday as the broader crypto market stabilizes. Market participants are closely watching whether BTC, ETH, and XRP can sustain breakouts and achieve decisive daily closes above nearby resistance levels, which could signal the start of a short-term recovery.

2026 may be less about a neat “base case” and more about a regime shift—the market can reprice what matters most (growth, inflation, fiscal, geopolitics, concentration). The biggest trap is false comfort: the same trades can look defensive… right up until they become crowded.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) trades at $25 at press time on Monday, holding the 3% gains from the previous day. The perpetual exchange sees a recovery in active users, while weekly fees collected decline to the lowest level so far this month.