Weekly Smart Pills #88
Financial Markets
Cryptocurrency Market
Bitcoin remains range-bound between $115,000 and $120,000, while Ethereum holds steady between $3,000 and $3,200 with no major moves. According to market data from July 7–13, weekly DEX activity ranges between $20 and $30 billion, with BNB Chain leading for the sixth consecutive week — a sign of strategic investor rotation into DeFi rather than panic selling.
Traditional Financial Markets
In the U.S., equity indices remain near record highs: the S&P 500 gained around 0.3% for the week, the Dow rose 0.4%, and the Nasdaq advanced by approximately 0.1%, supported by better-than-expected wholesale inflation data. Treasury yields retreated slightly, boosting risk appetite, while gold stayed stable between $3,330 and $3,360 per ounce.
Economy and Regulation
Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 35% tariff on Canadian goods and a broad 15–20% hike on most other countries, citing trade barriers and concerns over fentanyl. Canada pushed back against the accusations, defending its workers and ongoing anti-fentanyl efforts; negotiations have been extended to August 1. So far, Trump has threatened tariffs on 23 countries, with automatic increases expected at the end of a 90-day negotiation window. Despite market volatility, Trump claims tariffs are popular and that markets remain strong. He also teased an upcoming “major announcement” on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva warned of a 50% retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods if Trump follows through on threats tied to the Bolsonaro trial. Lula cited Brazil’s new reciprocity law, emphasizing national sovereignty and mutual respect. The move raises fears of a U.S.–Brazil trade war reminiscent of previous U.S.–China tensions. Protests erupted in São Paulo against Trump’s tariffs and in favor of higher taxes on the wealthy. Trump's increasing use of tariffs is widely seen as a political tool aimed at influencing Brazil's internal affairs.
Blockchain and Innovation
The Graph has released its Token API in beta — a new interface allowing wallets, explorers, and dApps to query token balances, transaction history, and real-time prices across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, and Base. This marks a significant step toward better accessibility and usability of on-chain data for developers and users alike.
Trends and Statistics
Dating Costs in Europe:
Geneva (€400) and Zurich (€393) top the list as the most expensive cities for a date; Istanbul is the cheapest at €163.
The average cost of a “cheap date” across 28 European cities is €264; London ranks 5th at €313.
Paris (€268), Berlin (€248), Madrid (€224), and Rome (€200) are all cheaper than major UK cities.
From 2020 to 2025, dating costs rose by 25–30% in most European cities; Istanbul saw an 84% increase in euros — over 840% in Turkish lira.
Rome is the only city where dating costs have decreased over the past five years, with a 2% drop.