Finance

In contrast to the broader tech-driven selloff, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished in positive territory on Monday. Investors shifted capital into defensive blue-chip names, including healthcare and financials, helping the index post a modest gain amid choppy market conditions.

Cryptocurrencies extended their recent strong performance, with Bitcoin pressing toward the $80,000 threshold on Monday afternoon. The digital asset has capitalized on its strongest weekly rally of the year, driven in part by institutional custody moves, a surprise U.S. Treasury buyback strategy, and growing regulatory optimism.

Safe-haven assets saw robust demand on Monday, driving spot gold prices to surpass $4,650 per ounce, while futures briefly cleared the $4,700 mark. The precious metal's strong upward momentum has been accelerated by an influx of ETF buying, lingering geopolitical tensions, and an overall retreat in long-term Treasury yields.