As reported by Reuters on April 4, 2025, JPMorgan has sharply increased the probability of a global recession to 60%. This comes in response to the Biden administration’s newly imposed tariffs on Chinese imports—reviving trade tensions at a time when the global economy is already navigating inflationary pressures and interest rate uncertainty.
The recent $1.5 billion cryptocurrency hack by North Korean cybercriminals has raised new concerns about the security of digital assets. The attack, which targeted the crypto exchange Bybit, underscores a fundamental weakness in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies: their vulnerability to theft. In response to the hack, Bitcoin’s price fell more than 10% within days. While some analysts dismiss the drop as a temporary setback, others argue that these ongoing security issues prevent cryptocurrency from becoming a reliable store of value.
What makes the current situation so precarious? Excessive risk-taking, overreliance on government intervention, and increasing global uncertainty have all contributed to a financial landscape that feels more unstable than ever. If history has taught us anything, it is that periods of complacency often precede major financial downturns.
Gold demand surged in 2024, as central banks continued their record-breaking gold purchases, a trend expected to persist through 2025 and beyond. According to the World Gold Council (WGC) Annual & Fourth-Quarter Trends Report, global central banks bought 1,045 tonnes of gold last year, marking the third consecutive year of demand exceeding 1,000 tonnes—more than double the annual average (473 tonnes) from 2010-2021.