Finance

Gold futures settled significantly higher at the end of the week, rising more than 2% to close near $4,340 per troy ounce. The precious metal was buoyed by expectations that cooling employment data will deter immediate interest rate increases, alongside lingering geopolitical anxieties in the Middle East that keep overall energy costs and inflation on the radar.

The digital asset space is undergoing a structural transformation reminiscent of the dot-com era, with over 100 protocols and operations shutting down or filing for bankruptcy this year. Unlike historical market crashes driven by localized financial contagion, the current pullback reflects a broad-based industry reset, separating speculative asset distributions from models capable of generating real revenue through stablecoins.

Energy prices edged upward in late trading with Brent crude settling at $83.55 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate rising to $78.18. Despite these session gains, both global benchmarks closed the week down between 5% and 7.7% as market participants reacted to potential supply diplomacy regarding the Strait of Hormuz and broader global demand fluctuations.