USD/JPY: A sustained rise above 144.50 is unlikely – UOB Group

EUR/USD holds gains for the third successive session, trading around 1.1790 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. On the daily chart, technical analysis indicates a persistent bullish bias, as the pair moves upward within the ascending channel pattern. Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index stands at 71 (overbought), which could temper immediate upside as momentum stretches. An RSI overbought status would favor consolidation phases before trend resumption.

GBP/USD retreats from session highs and trades slightly below 1.3500 in the second half of the day on Tuesday. The US Dollar stages a rebound following the better-than-expected Q3 growth data, limiting the pair's upside ahead of the Christmas break.

Gold sustains the record-setting rally near $4,500 in the Asian session on Wednesday. The Israel-Iran conflict and the escalating US-Venezuela tensions boost safe-haven flows into Gold. Furthermore, US Q3 GDP data fails to lift the US Dollar amid growing bets for two Fed rate cuts in 2026, underpinning the non-yielding bullion. 

Midnight, Pump.fun and Bittensor are leading losses over the last 24 hours as the broader cryptocurrency market declines. The altcoins under pressure risk further losses as the selling pressure rises just before the holidays.

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.

Dogecoin extends its decline as risk-off sentiment dominates across the crypto market. DOGE’s derivatives market remains weak amid suppressed futures Open Interest and perpetual funding rate.