“Classic!”

Hi There! Yesterday, May 20, was World Bee Day. I started reading about bees just to pass time with a cup of tea, and before I knew it, I was completely drawn in. The more I read, the more I realized: bees have something to teach all of us.

These tiny creatures, often overlooked, are a masterclass in how to live with intention, clarity, and purpose. They don’t waste time questioning their worth or role. They show up, do their part, and trust that their contribution matters to the whole.

Bees remind us that every role counts. Every bit of effort, seen or unseen, helps build something bigger. When you see that one bee buzzing off on her own to find nectar, she’s part of a well-organized mission. She communicates through dance and vibration, building and rebuilding when seasons shift or storms hit.

They’re efficient with their resources, innovative in their design (that honeycomb hexagon is no joke!), and adaptable when the environment demands it. Bees do not operate from ego. They serve the hive. They work with a goal.

I sat with that for a bit. Sometimes we forget the power of small, consistent acts. We forget that our efficiency, our communication, and our sense of shared purpose shape the strength of our community, too.

So this week, I’m carrying this quiet question with me:

Am I building something sweet and lasting, like the bees do? Or am I just staying busy?

Let that cousoumeh for a bit!

Alright, let’s dig in!

U.S. Markets Recap (May 11- May 17, 2025)

Wall Street found its groove last week, with the major U.S. averages closing sharply higher. The market rallied for five straight sessions, shrugging off prior concerns over trade tensions and regulatory investigations. This renewed confidence stemmed from a major U.S.–China tariff rollback, solid AI-driven headlines, and tempered inflation data. Globally, markets in Europe and Asia also closed in the green, though they lagged the tech-powered surge in the U.S. Meanwhile, bond yields dropped slightly as the Fed’s path forward remains murky with only two rate cuts now priced in for 2025.

Equities:

After a flat showing the previous week, the major indices surged. The S&P 500 now sits more than 19% above its April 8 low, lifted by:

• Tariff Truce: A 90-day agreement between the U.S. and China slashed tariffs significantly. U.S. duties dropped from 145% to 30%, while China cut theirs from 125% to 10%.

• Tech Strength: Big Tech led the charge, helped by easing chip export rules and Saudi-backed AI infrastructure expansion (notably Humain’s data center investment).

• Earnings Snapshot: Walmart beat earnings but warned of future tariff-driven price hikes, sending its stock lower. UnitedHealth fell on fraud concerns, dragging down healthcare (last week’s weakest sector).

Fixed Income:

• Yields slipped despite positive economic news. The 2-year and 10-year both closed the week three basis points lower.

• Only two Fed rate cuts are currently priced in for 2025, down from four earlier this month.

• A new wildcard: debt ceiling concerns. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned the U.S. could run out of money by August. Bills maturing that month now yield slightly more as markets price in potential payment delays. While history suggests a resolution will come, the bond market remains jittery.

Commodities:

The Bloomberg Commodities Index dropped 1.5% as investor capital rotated into higher-beta assets:

• Gold fell 4%, breaking technical support.

• Copper slid for the third week in a row, down 1.3%.

• Oil gained 2.5% on Middle East tensions,

• Natural Gas plunged nearly 12% on weak demand and rising storage.

Currencies:

The U.S. Dollar Index notched a fourth consecutive weekly gain, bolstered by higher short-term yields and risk-off sentiment in emerging markets. A sustained move above 102 could suggest this rebound is more than just a bounce.

U.S. Economic Recap (May 11 - May 17, 2025)

Retail Sales & Home Renovations Surge

April retail sales were up 0.1%, following a 1.7% jump in March. Consumers showed strong demand for home improvement goods as housing supply remains tight. Restaurants also saw robust gains, reflecting confident discretionary spending.

Inflation Slows Again

April’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose just 0.2% month-over-month and 2.3% year-over-year—its lowest annual rate since February 2021. Still, inflation isn’t easing evenly. Medical care and auto insurance costs climbed, while clothing and airfare dipped.

The Fed remains cautious. Despite lower inflation, the University of Michigan’s inflation expectations spiked—a red flag that could complicate the central bank’s next moves if uncertainty persists into June.

Global Markets Recap (May 11 - May 17, 2025)

Europe:

European stocks climbed alongside Wall Street, supported by trade optimism and strong sentiment in Germany and the U.K. Key outperformers included the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain. While no breakthrough emerged in Russia-Ukraine talks, U.K. GDP surprised to the upside.

Asia:

China’s markets got a lift from the 90-day tariff pause, but tech exposure remains light. Taiwan performed well on relaxed U.S. chip export rules. India saw a strong rally, driven by iPhone production shifts and a willingness to cut tariffs. Japan, however, underwhelmed, breaking a 13-day winning streak as its Q1 GDP showed contraction.

Crypto Recap (May11 - May 17, 2025)

Bitcoin: New All-Time High

• After bouncing between $101.3K and $105.5K last week, Bitcoin (BTC) has surged to a new record high of $110,145.14 (at the time of writing).

• Despite a -0.57% weekly BTC performance, demand last week remained strong: U.S. spot BTC ETFs added $603M in inflows.

• Corporate buyers are now dominating, with $16B (157K BTC) acquired in 2025. This is more than ETFs and retail combined.

Coinbase Hack and Fallout

Coinbase suffered a data breach via contractor bribery, impacting <1% of users and prompting a $20M ransom demand (refused). Estimated damage could reach $400M. The breach, coupled with SEC scrutiny, weighed on the stock, which fell 3%.

Top crypto gainers last week: $XMR, $HYPE, $ENA

Here are other key highlights from last week:

• Moody’s cut U.S. credit rating, citing rising debt.

• U.S. Senate's stablecoin push still alive.

• Brave adds Cardano blockchains support to browser and web3 wallet.

• TON-based NFT marketplace MRKT launches as a Telegram mini app.

Not much high-impact U.S. economic data this week!

So far this week:

Markets have opened the week cautiously as Fed officials speak and investors digest last week’s strong rally.

Upcoming U.S. Economic Releases:

• Thursday:

  • Initial Jobless Claims: Labour market temperature check

  • Services & Manufacturing PMI: Signals on business activity

  • Existing Home Sales: Housing market health

• Friday:

  • New Home Sales: A forward-looking indicator tied to consumer confidence

Fed speeches this week:

• Monday:

  • Bostic, Williams (8:30 AM)

  • Vice Chair Jefferson (9:45 AM)

  • Logan (1:15 PM)

• Tuesday:

  • Musalem (1:00 PM)

  • Daly & Hammack (7:00 PM)

• Thursday:

  • Williams (2:00 PM)

Expect commentary around inflation, rate cuts, and economic growth to shape market sentiment heading into June.

Earnings: 

Companies reporting this week include:

• Home Depot (HD)

  • EPS: $3.56 vs. $3.60 est.🔴

  • Revenue: $39.86B vs. $39.30B est. 🟢 

• Palo Alto Networks (PANW)

  • EPS: $0.80 vs. $0.77 est. 🟢

  • Revenue: $2.29B vs. $2.28B est.🟢

• Target (TGT)

  • EPS: $1.30 vs. $1.61 est. 🔴

  • Revenue: $23.85B vs. $24.23B est.🔴

Keep an eye on retail and tech earnings, especially as they relate to consumer demand and AI adoption.

Other notable earnings for the week is outlined in red in the chart below.

Medium-to-High Impact Global Economic Events This Week:

Week 5/11/25 - 5/17/25 Recap

Special Tools and Strategies - Gains Trade Updates

If you’ve been in the crypto game for a while, chances are you’ve heard of Gains Trade ( gTrade). But what many still don’t realize is this: gTrade is one of the oldest and most resilient on-chain perpetuals platforms in the market today, and it just got a major upgrade.

Launched before some of the big names like GMX, gTrade has quietly built a reputation for reliable, permissionless, and non-custodial leveraged trading. If you're a seasoned DeFi degen or just dipping your toes into on-chain leverage, this platform is built to give you speed, control, and unmatched market access, without giving up your keys or your privacy.

Core Platform Benefits You’ll Love

At its core, gTrade is all about empowering the trader. Here’s what sets it apart from centralized and even some decentralized competitors:

• Permissionless Access

  No KYC, no long sign-up forms. If you have a wallet, you’re in.

• Smart Contract Execution

  Trade without middlemen. Every position is executed on-chain via open-source, audited contracts.

• Self-Custody First

  You never deposit funds into the platform. Your assets stay in your wallet until the moment you trade.

• Transparent and Secure

  gTrade is fully open-source and third-party audited, with no hidden logic. What you see is what you get.

Recent Network Expansions: Welcome to Multichain Freedom

gTrade is no longer just on one chain (as was discussed in Issue #27). In 2025, they’ve expanded their reach, making it easier than ever to access powerful DeFi tools no matter where you prefer to trade.

You can now access gTrade on:

• Arbitrum

• Base

• Polygon

• ApeChain

And for those new to crypto or DeFi:

• On-Ramp With Ease: Buy crypto directly using CashApp, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or VISA, and start trading, staking, or lending in minutes.

Spotlight on gTrade Solana: Where Speed Meets Scale

This is a big one! The Solana expansion (gTrade Solana) takes everything that works on gTrade and injects it with lightning-fast speed, zero slippage execution, and native Solana wallet compatibility. Let’s break it down:

270+ Trading Pairs Across Categories

• Bluechips – BTC, ETH, SOL and more with up to 150x leverage

• DEGEN Pairs – BTC, ETH, SOL with 500x leverage and zero slippage

• Memecoins – 45+ high-volatility tokens with up to 150x leverage

• Solana-Native Tokens – 35+ options from NFT to DeFi ecosystems

• Forex & Commodities – 25+ traditional markets with up to 1000x leverage

  Yes, you can trade Gold, EUR/USD, and Stocks fully on-chain.

Special Solana-Only Features

• 1-Click Trading Setup

  Solana users can open/close trades instantly with automated wallet integration—no complicated dApps or browser hoops.

• Gasless Trading

  Forget juggling SOL for gas. Fees are automatically deducted from your USDC balance, keeping your trading flow friction-free.

  

  gTrade Solana Trading Platform. Trade Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto and more.

By the Numbers: gTrade's Proven Track Record

gTrade isn’t new to this—it's true DeFi OG status. The stats speak volumes:

• $91+ Billion in total trading volume

• 33,000+ active traders across networks

• 270+ assets available for long/short trades

• 0% slippage on major trading pairs

• Up to 1000x leverage available in select markets

And under the hood:

• Revenue Allocation: Approximately 55% of all trading fees go to $GNS buybacks and burns, creating long-term sustainability

• Dynamic Tokenomics: A portion of trader PnL is also recycled into $GNS buybacks, strengthening token utility

• Staking Opportunities: Users can stake $GNS to earn yields, further incentivizing participation.

Ready to Trade Smarter?

If you're looking for:

• A decentralized platform that respects your privacy

• Lightning-fast execution without the CEX risk

• A serious playground for leveraged trading with real depth...

Then gTrade should be added to your crypto toolbox, especially now. With the Solana expansion, there’s never been a better time to get in, test it out, and see what this next-generation trading environment can do for you.

Disclaimer: Leverage trading is high risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Always do your own research and never trade more than you can afford to lose.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.