On May 12, the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day reduction in tariffs, with the U.S. lowering rates from 145% to 30% and China reducing its tariffs from 125% to 10% . This development led to significant gains in global markets:
Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by 1,092 points (2.6%)
S&P 500 increased by 3%
Nasdaq rose by 4.1%
In Asia, India's Sensex climbed 3.7%, and Pakistan's KSE 100 Index soared 9.4%, buoyed by the trade truce and an IMF aid announcement .
š Market Indices Snapshot
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š” Trading Strategy Insights
š GARP Strategy Gains Traction
With reduced policy uncertainty, the Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP) strategy is regaining popularity. UBS analysts highlight 29 companies with strong operational quality and growth prospects, including Broadcom and On Holdings .
Bitcoin reached a peak of $105,747 before settling around $103,800, marking a weekly gain of over 10% . Ethereum also saw significant gains, trading at $2,555 . Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, acquired 13,390 bitcoins for $1.34 billion, bringing its total holdings to 568,840 bitcoins .
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šļø Upcoming Economic Events
U.S. CPI Data Release: Scheduled for 8:30 AM ET on May 13. Traders anticipate potential volatility in both stock and crypto markets based on the inflation figures . #StrategyTrade #TradeStories
May 13, 2025, Binance Alpha has officially launched the NXPC airdrop event for eligible users. This marks the debut of NEXPACE (NXPC), the native token of Nexon's Web3 gaming ecosystem, which includes the MapleStory Universe.
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š Key Dates
Airdrop Claim Window: May 13ā14, 2025
NXPC Trading Launch: May 15, 2025, on Binance Alpha
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š How to Claim NXPC Tokens
To participate in the airdrop, users must:
1. Accumulate Alpha Points: Earned through trading activities on Binance Alpha.
2. Manual Claim: Visit the Binance Alpha event page between May 13 and May 14 to claim your NXPC tokens.
3. Points Deduction: Note that this is Binance Alpha's first airdrop requiring point deductions, rewarding active users.
For more details, refer to Binance's official announcement.
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š About NXPC and NEXPACE
NXPC serves as the primary ecosystem token for NEXPACE, Nexon's Web3-focused subsidiary. It plays a pivotal role in the MapleStory Universe, enabling users to create in-game items and participate in the blockchain-powered gaming ecosystem.
šø Visual Overview
Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the next big thing in GameFi. Ensure you've accumulated sufficient Alpha Points and claim your NXPC tokens before the window closes on May 14. #BinanceAirdropNXPC
May 12, 2025, Michael Saylor's company, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), has made a significant investment in Bitcoin. Between May 5 and May 11, the company acquired 13,390 BTC for approximately $1.34 billion, at an average price of $99,856 per coin. This purchase increases Strategy's total Bitcoin holdings to 568,840 BTC, valued at over $59 billion, representing about 2.7% of the total 21 million BTC supply .
Michael Saylor announced the acquisition on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting a year-to-date Bitcoin yield of 15.5% for 2025 .
This move coincides with Bitcoin's recent price surge, which briefly exceeded $105,000 before settling around $101,111 at the close of May 12 .
As of May 12, 2025, the cryptocurrency market remains in a transitional phase, with Bitcoin maintaining dominance but signs suggesting a potential shift towards an altcoin season.
š Altcoin Season Index & Market Sentiment
The CoinMarketCap (CMC) Altcoin Season Index currently stands at 32 out of 100, indicating that the market is still in "Bitcoin Season." This is a decrease from 37 the previous day, reflecting Bitcoin's continued outperformance over most altcoins.
However, the index has shown volatility recently, with a rebound to 41 noted on May 11, driven by a strong rally in Ethereum and related tokens. Such fluctuations suggest that while Bitcoin currently leads, the market is closely monitoring altcoins for potential breakout opportunities.
š Altcoin Performance Highlights
Several altcoins have demonstrated notable performance:
Ethereum (ETH): Experienced a significant surge, contributing to the temporary rise in the Altcoin Season Index.
XRP: Analysts predict a potential rise to $10, citing factors such as increased adoption and favorable market conditions.
Solana (SOL): Analysts suggest that SOL will outperform again, powered by a new Layer 2 solution amid a $34.6M ICO.
Shiba Inu (SHIB): Gained attention after NBA legend Scottie Pippen expressed bullish sentiments, claiming that the altcoin season has commenced.
š Market Capitalization and Bitcoin Dominance
The overall altcoin market capitalization has increased by 8.3%, reaching $1.2 trillion as of 10:00 AM UTC on May 12, 2025. Meanwhile, Bitcoin's dominance has dipped below 64%, suggesting a potential rotation of capital into altcoins.
š® Outlook
While Bitcoin continues to lead, the recent performance of key altcoins and shifts in market capitalization indicate a growing interest in alternative cryptocurrencies. Investors are advised to monitor these trends closely, as sustained momentum in altcoins could signal the onset of a full-fledged altcoin season. #AltcoinSeasonLoading #altsesaon #Altcoins!
#TradeWarEases As of May 12, 2025, the United States and China have agreed to a 90-day pause in their ongoing trade war, significantly reducing tariffs on each other's goods. This agreement, reached during high-level talks in Geneva, aims to de-escalate tensions that have impacted global markets.
President Donald Trump described the negotiations as a "total reset" in U.S.-China trade relations, highlighting substantial progress made during the discussions. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng confirmed the consensus to reduce tariffs and called for expanded cooperation between the two nations.
Market reactions have been positive, with global stocks and the U.S. dollar experiencing gains following the announcement. Additionally, gold prices have declined as investor concerns over the trade conflict have eased.
While this development marks a significant step towards resolving trade tensions, both sides acknowledge that further negotiations are necessary to address underlying issues. The 90-day period is intended to facilitate continued dialogue and the establishment of a more stable trade relationship.
Over the weekend, U.S. and Chinese officials convened in Geneva for two days of trade negotiations, marking the first face-to-face talks since the escalation of tariffs earlier this year. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the discussions as yielding āsubstantial progress,ā though specific details remain undisclosed. A joint statement is anticipated later today.
President Trump characterized the outcome as a potential ātotal resetā in trade relations, following the imposition of steep tariffsā145% by the U.S. and 125% by Chinaāthat have significantly disrupted bilateral trade. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng emphasized China's readiness for further dialogue but reiterated that China would firmly oppose any measures compromising its core principles.
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š WTO Warns of Global Trade Decline
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has forecasted a 0.2% decline in global merchandise trade for 2025, with North American exports expected to drop by 12.6%. In a worst-case scenario, global trade could contract by up to 1.5% if trade tensions escalate further. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that ongoing uncertainty poses a significant risk to global growth, particularly affecting the most vulnerable economies.
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š Market Reactions and Currency Movements
Global markets have responded positively to the news of U.S.āChina trade talks. European shares rose, with the Euro STOXX 50 up by 1.54%. The U.S. dollar strengthened against the yen and the Swiss franc, while the Chinese yuan also appreciated, reflecting investor optimism about a potential easing of trade tensions. #TradeStories #NewsTrade #TrendingTopic
#ETHCrossed2500 Certainly! Hereās a more detailed update on Ethereum crossing the $2,500 mark today:
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Ethereum Crosses $2,500 ā Whatās Driving the Surge?
As of May 12, 2025, Ethereum $ETH ETH) has officially broken past the $2,500 resistance level, trading at $2,507.74, and reaching as high as $2,587.64 during the day. This milestone marks a significant turnaround for Ethereum, which had been trading under $2,200 just two weeks ago.
Key Drivers of the Price Surge:
1. Pectra Upgrade: The recent Pectra upgrade, which went live last week, significantly improved Ethereum's scalability, lowered gas fees, and enhanced Layer 2 integration. This upgrade has reinvigorated interest in Ethereum from both institutional and retail investors.
2. Institutional Interest: Major investment firms are reportedly increasing ETH allocations in anticipation of Ethereum-based ETFs gaining traction later in 2025. A Goldman Sachs-backed fund was rumored to have purchased over 100,000 ETH last week.
3. NFT and DeFi Growth: Platforms like Uniswap, Aave, and Blur (an NFT marketplace) have seen a surge in activity. This has translated into higher demand for ETH as gas and collateral.
4. Positive Market Sentiment: Crypto market sentiment as a whole has turned bullish, partly driven by favorable U.S. regulatory developments and renewed interest in altcoins following Bitcoinās stability above $65,000.
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Technical Outlook:
Resistance: Strong resistance lies ahead near $2,600ā$2,650. A clear break could push ETH toward the psychological barrier of $3,000.
Support: Key support remains at $2,420, and if broken, it could drop to $2,300.
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Expert Commentary:
> āThe $2,500 level is not just a psychological barrier, but a technical pivot. If Ethereum closes the week above this level, we may be looking at a pre-summer altcoin rally,ā ā Analyst, CoinTelegraph.
> āWeāre seeing more DeFi builders return to Ethereum thanks to the Pectra upgrade. If the momentum continues, $3,000 is not far off,ā ā DeFiLlama developer.
$ETH has surpassed the $2,500 mark, signaling a potential bullish trend. Currently, ETH is trading at approximately $2,507.74, reflecting a 0.57% increase from the previous close. The day's trading range has seen a low of $2,452.84 and a high of $2,587.64.
This upward movement follows a significant 31% surge after the recent Pectra upgrade, which enhanced Ethereum's scalability and efficiency. The upgrade has renewed investor interest, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and non-fungible token (NFT) projects built on the Ethereum blockchain.
Market analysts are closely watching the $2,500 level, as breaking through this resistance could pave the way$ for ETH to reach $3,000. However, some caution that strong resistance at this level might lead to a short-term pullback.