Group 1 - CME Group is changing the margin setting method for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium futures contracts due to soaring precious metal prices and increased trading volatility [1] - The new margin method will be based on a percentage of the nominal value, replacing the previous fixed dollar amount approach [1] - This change will take effect after the market closes on Tuesday and is described as a normal assessment of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage [1] Group 2 - Recent price surges in precious metals have been unusual, with gold and silver reaching record highs, and silver increasing by approximately one-fifth in 2026 [1] - Factors driving the current metal price surge include concerns over a weakening dollar, prospects of further interest rate cuts in the U.S., and the independence of the Federal Reserve [2] - Market speculation regarding potential U.S. import tariffs on silver has also contributed to its increased attractiveness [2]

Core Insights - Mike Selig has recently assumed the role of chairman at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and is restructuring the agency with a new innovation committee focused on cryptocurrency insiders [1][2] Group 1: Innovation Committee Formation - The new Innovation Advisory Committee will include executives from prominent crypto firms such as Gemini, Kraken, Bitnomial, Crypto.com, and Bullish, which is the parent company of CoinDesk [2] - The committee's formation builds on a previous initiative by former Acting Chairman Caroline Pham, who had assembled a group of CEOs focused on innovative financial technology [2][3] Group 2: Committee Objectives and Leadership Vision - Selig emphasized the importance of modernizing financial systems through technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing, aiming to create regulations that are suitable for the evolving financial landscape [4] - The Innovation Advisory Committee will assist the CFTC in drafting new market structure regulations, becoming one of five external committees designed to guide the agency based on members' expertise [4] Group 3: Public Engagement and Future Steps - The CFTC is inviting the public to submit additional nominees for committee membership and suggest topics for consideration, with a deadline set for the end of January [5]

Core Insights - Nasdaq and CME Group have unified their crypto indexing efforts, reintroducing the Nasdaq Crypto Index as the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index [1][9] - The new index aims to serve as a foundational benchmark for investors seeking diversified exposure in the crypto market as regulatory clarity and institutional participation grow [3][4] Index Structure and Purpose - The Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index combines two established market standards to provide governance and diversification comparable to traditional asset classes [4] - It tracks a basket of major digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Chainlink, Cardano, and Avalanche, reflecting a broader market rather than focusing solely on Bitcoin [4][5] - The index is designed to align with institutional risk and compliance expectations, featuring a governance structure overseen by a joint committee and a published methodology [6][7] Market Trends and Future Applications - There is a growing trend among investors towards index-based exposure in the crypto market, similar to the evolution seen in equity and commodity markets [5][6] - The index is expected to support a wider range of regulated products, including exchange-traded funds and structured investment vehicles [8][9]

Group 1 - The global precious metals market is experiencing increased volatility as the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) begins its annual weight rebalancing, which will last until January 15, 2026 [1][2] - The overall target weight for precious metals in BCOM will be adjusted to 18.84%, with gold's target weight increasing from 14.29% to 14.90%, while silver's target weight will decrease from 4.49% to 3.94% [2] - This adjustment is expected to create significant selling pressure, particularly on silver, which may face over $6 billion in passive selling pressure, accounting for approximately 10% of silver futures open interest [2][3] Group 2 - The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has raised the margin requirements for precious metals futures, indicating an increase in perceived market volatility risk [4][5] - The margin increase varies by contract, with silver contracts seeing the largest increase of up to 40%, while gold and platinum contracts have increased by around 20% [6] - This move is aimed at curbing speculative trading and may lead to short-term price fluctuations in precious metals [5][6] Group 3 - The U.S. non-farm payroll report is set to be released on January 9, 2026, with expectations of an increase of 60,000 jobs, down from a previous value of 64,000 [7] - Analysts suggest that if the non-farm data falls short of expectations, it could lead to increased rate cut expectations, benefiting risk assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies, while potentially pushing gold and silver prices to new highs [7]

Core Viewpoint - Nasdaq and CME have announced a deepened collaboration to reintroduce the Nasdaq Crypto™ Index as the Nasdaq CME Crypto™ Index, aimed at serving as a benchmark for regulated crypto investment products such as ETFs, structured products, and actively managed funds [1] Group 1 - The new index will be overseen by a joint governance committee and calculated by CF Benchmarks [1] - The initiative aims to promote the indexation and institutional allocation of crypto assets [1]

Group 1 - The global precious metals market is experiencing increased volatility as the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) begins its annual weight rebalancing, which will last until January 15, 2026 [1][2] - The overall target weight for precious metals in BCOM will be adjusted to 18.84%, with gold's target weight increasing from 14.29% to 14.90% and silver's decreasing from 4.49% to 3.94% [2] - This adjustment is expected to create significant selling pressure, particularly on silver, which may face over $6 billion in passive selling pressure, representing about 10% of silver futures open interest [2][3] Group 2 - The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has raised the margin requirements for precious metals futures, indicating an increase in perceived market volatility risk [4][5] - The margin increase varies by contract, with silver contracts seeing the largest increase of up to 40%, while gold and platinum margins are raised by around 20% [6] - This move is aimed at curbing speculative trading and may lead to short-term price fluctuations in precious metals [5][6] Group 3 - The U.S. non-farm payroll data is set to be released on January 9, 2026, with expectations of an increase of 60,000 jobs, down from a previous value of 64,000 [7] - Analysts suggest that if the non-farm data falls short of expectations, it could lead to increased rate cut expectations, benefiting risk assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies, while potentially pushing gold and silver prices to new highs [7]

Gold Market - The recent adjustment in gold prices has allowed them to recover previous losses, despite the CME raising margin requirements for precious metals for the third time in a month, which is interpreted as a necessary measure to maintain market order rather than an end to the bull market [2][8] - The increase in margin requirements indicates a significant shortage of precious metal inventories, which cannot meet the strong demand from investors and speculators, thus supporting the ongoing bull market [2] - Technical analysis suggests that gold prices are likely to continue rising, with a key support level at $4,440 [2] Oil Market - International oil prices are currently in a sideways trend, supported by heightened market tensions due to U.S. actions against Venezuela, but the long-term outlook remains troubled by oversupply [3] - A Goldman Sachs survey indicates that over 59% of institutional investors are bearish or slightly bearish on the oil market, marking the most pessimistic outlook in nearly a decade [3] - The IEA reports that global oil supply is expected to increase by 2.5 million barrels per day by 2026, leading to a projected surplus of 4.09 million barrels per day, equivalent to 4% of global demand [3] Dollar Index - The dollar index has recently reversed its downward trend, gaining over 1.3% since late December, but this upward momentum may not be sustainable due to anticipated significant interest rate cuts following the appointment of a new Federal Reserve chairman [4][5] - The new Fed chairman is expected to support President Trump's push for lower interest rates, with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin emphasizing the need for the Fed to stimulate investment [5] Nikkei 225 - The Nikkei 225 index has shown signs of support from moving averages, with a potential for new highs as it forms a bullish continuation pattern [6] Copper Market - Copper prices have returned to the moving average system, indicating that the adjustment in divergence may be complete, with an upward trend likely to continue [7]

Group 1 - President Trump has ordered the purchase of $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities, aimed at reducing housing costs ahead of the midterm elections [1] - The Federal Reserve's interest rate is projected to decrease to 3.4% by the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the Congressional Budget Office [3] - The unemployment claims in the U.S. rose to 208,000, slightly below market expectations, remaining in a historically low range [2] Group 2 - The Bank of Japan maintained its economic assessment across all nine regions, with many companies indicating a need for significant wage increases in 2026 [4] - The CME Group has raised margin requirements for precious metals futures for the third time in a month, effective January 9 [5] - A survey by Goldman Sachs revealed that geopolitical factors have led institutional investors to hold the most pessimistic outlook on oil in nearly a decade [5] Group 3 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 270.03 points, closing at 49,266.11, a rise of 0.55% [6] - COMEX gold futures rose by 0.57% to $4,487.90 per ounce, while silver futures fell by 1.19% to $76.69 per ounce [6] - The U.S. 2-year Treasury yield rose by 1.86 basis points to 3.488% [6]

Ernest HoffmanErnest Hoffman is a Crypto and Market Reporter for Kitco News. He has over 15 years of experience as a writer, editor, broadcaster and producer for media, educational and cultural organizations. Ernest began working in market news in 2007, establishing the broadcast division of CEP News in Montreal, Canada, where he developed the fastest web-based audio news service in the world and produced economic news videos in partnership with MSN and the TMX. He has a Bachelor's degree Specialization in ...

Core Insights - CME Group reported an all-time high international average daily volume (ADV) of 8.4 million contracts in 2025, representing an 8% increase from 2024, driven by significant growth in various asset classes [1][4] Group 1: Regional Performance - EMEA ADV reached a record 6.1 million contracts in 2025, up 6% from 2024, with notable increases in Equity Index (25%), Metals (23%), Agricultural (8%), Energy (7%), and Interest Rate products (1%) [2] - APAC ADV grew to an all-time high of 1.9 million contracts in 2025, up 13% from 2024, driven by record growth in Metals (66%), Energy (32%), Agricultural (14%), and Interest Rate products (8%) [3] - Canada ADV achieved a record 180,000 contracts in 2025, up 10% year on year, with records in Equity Index (23%), Interest Rate (6%), Agricultural (3%), and Energy products (1%) [3] - LatAm ADV remained unchanged at 173,000 contracts in 2025, with records in Foreign Exchange (42%), Metals (29%), and Equity Index products (7%) [4] Group 2: Global Performance - Globally, CME Group reported a record ADV of 28.1 million contracts in 2025, up 6% over 2024, primarily driven by record growth in Interest Rate ADV (4% to 14.2 million contracts) and Metals ADV (34%) [4] - Additional records were noted across Agricultural and Energy ADV, both increasing by 8% [4] Group 3: Company Overview - CME Group is recognized as the world's leading derivatives marketplace, providing clients with the ability to trade futures, options, cash, and OTC markets, while also offering tools for risk management and opportunity capture [5]