MEXC Alpha Trader – Industry Daily (August 18, 2026)

I. Macro and Market Sentiment

(Market Data)

· BTC Price: $64,125 (24h +1.67%)

· Funding Rate: +0.0047%

· Fear & Greed Index: 40 (Neutral)

(Key Events Ahead)

· Three major events are in focus this week: the Federal Reserve’s July meeting minutes, scheduled for release early Thursday morning, followed by preliminary Eurozone and US PMI data on Friday. If the Fed minutes signal a dovish stance and PMI data weakens, expectations for rate cuts will strengthen. Otherwise, investors should remain alert to liquidity-tightening risks.

· Goldman Sachs’ chief economist believes the probability of a Fed rate hike in September is “extremely low.” The market has pushed expectations for the next rate hike to January next year, but Goldman Sachs believes those expectations have further room to recede.

II. Trading Signals / Hotspots

(BTC · Capital Inflow)

· UBS increased its exposure to call options on BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, from 80,000 to 1.95 million contracts in Q2, representing a 24-fold increase. Its direct holdings rose 12% to 407,900 shares, valued at approximately $13.6 million, while its put option exposure declined 53%.

· Key Catalyst: A traditional financial giant significantly increasing its Bitcoin ETF call option position reflects stronger institutional confidence in BTC’s medium- to long-term outlook.

(South Korea KOSPI · Major Catalyst)

· South Korea’s KOSPI Index rose 11.5% in a single week, returning to technical bull market territory and becoming the strongest-performing market in the Asia-Pacific region this week.

· Key Catalyst: The return of South Korea’s stock market to a technical bull market, combined with a recovery in regional risk appetite, is driving capital back into Asia-Pacific markets.

(Japanese Government Bonds · Extreme Sentiment)

· Japan’s 10-year government bond yield rose as much as 5.5 basis points to 2.93%, its highest level since 1996, while the 30-year yield climbed 5 basis points to 4.06%, approaching its record high from May.

· Key Catalyst: The market expects a potential Bank of Japan rate hike. If this triggers an unwinding of carry trades, it could affect global liquidity and risk asset pricing.

(HYPE · Major Catalyst)

· Hyperliquid’s AQAv2 stablecoin revenue-sharing mechanism will launch on August 26. Circle has transferred $4.4 billion in USDC through AQAv2 on HyperEVM, setting a record for the largest single transfer. The mechanism is expected to contribute $200 million annually toward HYPE buybacks, with the first payment expected on October 3.

· Key Catalyst: The launch of the revenue-sharing mechanism is expected to provide sustained buyback support, strengthening expectations for capital inflows into the DEX sector.

III. Capital Flows / Anomalies

· A Q2 13F filing from Duquesne Family Office, the former employer of Fed Chair Walsh, showed that it had established a $23 million position in HYPE treasury company Hyperliquid Strategies Inc. (NASDAQ: PURR) as of June 30. The position demonstrates recognition of crypto exposure among traditional financial elites.

· Glassnode data shows that capital is accelerating out of cash and into US stocks, AI assets, and commodities. However, Bitcoin has been notably neglected during this round of capital rotation, indicating that market allocations remain concentrated in traditional risk assets and AI-related themes.

IV. Regulation and Major Events

(Regulation / Sanctions / Licenses)

· Prediction market platform Novig filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Attorney General in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, arguing that its sports contracts are swap products under the Commodity Exchange Act and should fall under the CFTC’s exclusive jurisdiction. Wisconsin has previously sued platforms including Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, Crypto.com, and Coinbase. The ruling in this case will affect compliance boundaries for the prediction market sector.

V. Platform Exclusive Benefits

〔Global/Universal〕

· Platform-Upgrade User Rewards Hub Tasks-August (Futures)

· Alpha User August Merchandise Benefits Collection Page (Futures)

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Recommended Reading: MEXC On-Chain Daily Report: U.S. Treasury Seeks Public Comment on GENIUS Act Stablecoin Rules

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