Markets Surge as Investors Anticipate Republican Control of Congress, Bitcoin Hits All-Time High

Markets surged as investors anticipated Republican control of both houses of Congress, fueling hopes for deregulation, tax cuts, and a business-friendly environment.

Markets soared on Friday as investors bet on Republican control of both houses of Congress, raising hopes for deregulation, tax cuts, and a business-friendly environment.

Small-cap stocks led the gains, surging 5.8% on expectations that Trump's protectionist policies would bolster domestic companies. Banking stocks also rallied, buoyed by speculation about lighter regulation and lower corporate taxes.

Key Market Highlights:

Treasury Yields and Currency Moves:

Treasury yields rose sharply, with the 10-year yield increasing by 17 basis points to 4.44%, as investors reassessed the likelihood of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. The dollar had its strongest day since 2022, rising 1.3% against a basket of currencies. The yen fell significantly, while the euro slid 1.8%.

Meanwhile, the Mexican peso recovered after an initial plunge of 3.5%.

Bitcoin's Surge

Commodities faced pressure, with gold and copper declining, and oil prices edging lower. In contrast, Bitcoin hit an all-time high, driven by Trump's pro-crypto stance during his campaign, reinforcing its status as a “Trump trade.”

Bitcoin Liquid Index, Brave New Coin

Bitcoin ETFs are set to record record inflows this week. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas wrote on X, “$IBIT just had its biggest volume day ever with $4.1b traded. For context that's more volume than stocks like Berkshire, Netflix or Visa saw today. It was also up 10%, its second best day since launching. Some of this will convert into inflows likely hitting Tue, Wed night”

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For context, the group of Bitcoin ETFs did $6 Billion in total volume, their best day since their launch month. Most of the stock market ETFs did twice their average. As Eric says, “Just an all-around banger day for an infant category that never ceases to amaze.”

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Finally, technical analyst Peter Brandt says the bull run is just getting started, writing on X, “Bitcoin $BTC is now in the sweet spot of the bull market halving cycle that should top in the $130k to $150K range next Aug/Sep. I measure cycles differently than most.”

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