Daily Crypto & Economic Pulse – August 8, 2025
Global markets remain tense as U.S. President Donald Trump escalates trade tensions, threatening a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors—a move that could disrupt tech supply chains and indirectly impact crypto infrastructure reliant on hardware. Meanwhile, the Fed leadership race heats up, with Trump narrowing candidates to four, including economist Kevin Hassett and Fed Governor Christopher Waller, whose policies could shape monetary liquidity and investor sentiment toward risk assets like crypto.
Polygon zkEVM advances its zero-knowledge scaling solutions, with new partnerships aimed at reducing gas fees for institutional DeFi adoption. Its focus on Ethereum-compatible ZK-rollups positions it as a leader in Layer 2 innovation.
Sei (SEI) gains traction as its orderbook-focused blockchain attracts high-frequency trading protocols, leveraging its parallelized VM for sub-second finality—a key draw for algorithmic crypto traders.
NEAR Protocol unveils "Chain Signatures," enabling cross-chain smart contracts without bridges, bolstering its interoperability narrative amid rising demand for modular blockchain designs.
Geopolitical volatility, from U.S.-China tariff uncertainties to EU delays in retaliatory trade measures, may drive crypto as a hedge. However, regulatory scrutiny over AI-linked projects (like SoftBank’s $500B "Stargate" data center plan) could spill over into crypto’s AI-driven tokens. Investors should monitor Fed appointments and trade policies for macro cues.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pulse!