• Top Stories
• Markets & Finance
• Tech & Innovation
• Geopolitics
• Quick Hits

§Top Stories

UK confirms Russia killed Navalny with dart frog toxin. British intelligence released findings that opposition leader Alexei Navalny was assassinated using a rare poison derived from dart frogs. The Foreign Office says there is “no innocent explanation” for the toxin found in post-mortem samples. Secretary Rubio notably did not dispute European assessments, a subtle but significant diplomatic signal.

Gold pulls back after breaching $5,000/oz. Traders locked in profits after mild US CPI data (2.4% YoY, below the 2.5% forecast) pushed gold above the historic $5,000 mark. The benign inflation print has strengthened expectations for Fed rate cuts this year, keeping the precious metals bull run alive.

Japan’s Q4 GDP barely grows at 0.2% annualized, badly missing forecasts. The yen weakened on the news. Meanwhile, investors are still digesting PM Takaichi’s landslide win, with Jupiter Asset Management making its first-ever strategic long bet on JGBs.

Apollo deepens crypto push with Morpho token deal. The Wall Street giant’s move into DeFi lending tokens signals institutional appetite hasn’t cooled despite recent volatility. BlackRock’s digital assets head simultaneously warned that leverage-driven volatility threatens bitcoin’s institutional narrative.

§Markets & Finance

• US CPI: January inflation came in at 2.4% annually, below the 2.5% consensus — supporting the case for Fed cuts
• Gold: Pulling back from above $5,000/oz as traders take profits; still up massively YTD
• Oil: Steady ahead of US-Iran talks resuming Tuesday; geopolitical risk premium holding
• Swiss franc: Relentless rise alarming Swiss companies; safe-haven flows intensifying
• US markets closed Monday for Presidents Day
• Wall Street CEO pay: Six major bank chiefs pulled in a combined $250M in 2025, each earning $40M+
• Mag 7 breaking down: Defensive consumer staples on a tear as growth-to-value rotation accelerates

§Tech & Innovation

• “I fixed Windows native development” (651 pts on HN) — a deep dive into fixing the Windows dev toolchain that resonated with hundreds of developers
• EU bans destruction of unsold apparel (750 pts) — new rules prohibit fashion brands from destroying unsold clothing and shoes, the top HN story today
• Google’s NotebookLM accused of stealing radio host’s voice — David Greene says the AI podcast tool cloned his voice without consent
• LT6502: A 6502-based homebrew laptop (295 pts) — retro computing project turning heads
• “I gave Claude access to my pen plotter” — creative AI-hardware integration project
• Audio AI: Small labs are reportedly winning against big tech in audio model quality

§Geopolitics

• Iran signals openness to nuclear compromises ahead of Tuesday talks with the US, with energy, mining, and aircraft deals reportedly on the table
• Gaza: At least 11 killed in Israeli strikes; Trump says his “Board of Peace” members have pledged $5B+ for Gaza reconstruction
• Israel bombs Lebanon-Syria border, killing four in a vehicle strike
• Rubio tours central Europe, bolstering ties with pro-Trump leaders
• Ukraine’s ex-energy minister detained trying to flee the country amid corruption proceedings

§Quick Hits

• Saylor signals another Bitcoin buy amid the market rout — Strategy keeps stacking
• Mirae Asset acquires 92% of Korean exchange Korbit for $93M — traditional finance eating crypto infrastructure
• Hong Kong building up crypto regulations — racing to become Asia’s digital asset hub
• CZ says lack of onchain privacy is the main barrier holding back crypto payments
• Rents finally falling in parts of the US, though still elevated from pandemic-era run-ups
• XRP outrunning BTC and ETH after investors piled into the recent crash
• $61B Indian lender merger expected to boost energy financing in world’s fastest-growing major economy