Precious metals hit a new all-time high. The Federal Reserve minutes and employment data will be released midweek. How will they impact the crypto market?

【Blockchain Rhythm】Last week, despite the arrival of the Christmas holiday, precious metals experienced a series of spectacular rallies. Gold, silver, and platinum continuously hit record highs. Spot gold reached a high of nearly $4,550 per ounce on Friday, continuing the streak of record highs since the beginning of the year, with a cumulative increase of over 70%. Silver’s performance was even more aggressive—surging over 10% in a single day on Friday, breaking through the integer threshold and surpassing $79 per ounce.

What is behind this frenzy in safe-haven assets? The rising risk aversion sentiment and the resonance of rate cut expectations have become the core factors supporting the continuous rise of precious metals.

Next, there are three key economic data points to watch: Tuesday at 3:00 AM, the Federal Reserve will release the minutes of its latest monetary policy meeting, which usually signals market direction; Wednesday at 21:30, the US initial jobless claims will be announced, reflecting the health of the labor market; Friday at 22:45, the US December Manufacturing PMI final reading will be released. These data directly influence the Federal Reserve’s future policy decisions.

From the equity market perspective, US stock investors are expecting a strong finish. Major stock indices are expected to close higher in December, having already digested the volatility caused by the tech sector’s weakness at the beginning of the month—this decline was driven by concerns over slowing AI spending growth. Now, it seems investors are reassessing the attractiveness of risk assets.