Weekly Smart Pills #71
Financial Markets
Cryptocurrency Market
This week, the cryptocurrency market experienced notable fluctuations. Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 1.68%, settling at $82,852.8, with a trading volume of $11.36 billion. Ethereum (ETH) saw a sharper decline of 2.48%, closing at $1,884.2, with a trading volume of $3.83 billion.
These downward trends are attributed to investor uncertainty regarding a potential economic slowdown and concerns over new U.S. tariffs, which could raise inflation and hinder growth.
Traditional Financial Markets
Traditional financial markets, on the other hand, posted modest gains this week. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) closed at $562.81, marking a 2.07% increase from the previous week. Similarly, the Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) rose by 2.07%, closing at $72.46. These movements suggest cautious optimism among investors, despite ongoing global economic uncertainties.
Economy and Regulation
Germany’s incoming Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has reached a historic agreement to loosen debt limits, unlocking €500 billion for defense and infrastructure. Markets reacted positively, with the euro rising and German stocks surging as investors anticipate economic acceleration.
The deal exempts defense spending above 1% of GDP from debt limits and includes €100 billion for climate projects. Analysts have revised GDP growth forecasts upward, though concerns remain about inflation and potential interest rate hikes by the ECB. This move represents a major shift in German fiscal policy with broad implications for the Eurozone economy.
Meanwhile, Italy’s national statistics institute (Istat) warned that U.S. tariffs on EU products could significantly impact the Italian economy. In 2024, over 48% of Italian exports were destined outside the EU — a higher share than Germany, France, or Spain. The U.S. accounted for about 10% of total Italian exports and over 20% of non-EU trade. The tariffs could hit key sectors, threatening export-driven growth.
Blockchain and Innovation
This week we highlight the launch of DeepLink Protocol (DLC), a decentralized cloud gaming platform. MEXC introduced spot and futures trading for DLC, offering 16,000,000 DLC tokens and 149,000 USDT to support the project’s growth.
DeepLink aims to revolutionize the gaming industry by leveraging blockchain technology to deliver decentralized cloud gaming services, potentially enhancing efficiency and accessibility in the gaming experience.
Trends and Statistics
In 2023, women in the EU earned on average 12% less than men, receiving €88 for every €100 earned by men — an improvement from the 16% gap in 2013.
The gender pay gap ranged from -0.7% in Luxembourg (where women earned slightly more) to 19% in Latvia, with Austria and the Czech Republic at €82 per €100.
Among major economies: Germany recorded €82, the UK €86, France €88, Spain €91, while Italy, with €98, ranked among the most equitable.
The employment rate gap between men and women in the EU stood at 10 percentage points, 80.9% for men vs. 70.9% for women, exceeding 18 points in Italy, Greece, and Romania.
Women work more total hours than men due to unpaid labor, face sectoral segregation, and occupy fewer leadership roles: only 27% of top media editors and less than 10% of CEOs are women.
