Cleveland Federal Reserve President Hammark said on Tuesday that the Fed has no urgent need to adjust its interest rate policy stance this year, given its "cautiously optimistic" view of economic activity. Given the likely outlook, "we're likely to keep the target range for interest rates unchanged for quite some time." She stated, "I think we're in a good position to keep the federal funds rate at its current level and see how things develop," adding that monetary policy is most likely to remain close to a stance that neither inhibits nor stimulates economic activity. "Rather than trying to fine-tune interest rates, I prefer to remain patient as I assess the impact of recent rate cuts and observe economic performance." Hammark noted that the economic outlook remains positive, but emphasized that inflation is still "too high," adding that with the risk of inflation remaining around 3% this year, a decline in price pressures is crucial. Regarding hiring, relevant information indicates that the current situation is relatively stable.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Federal Reserve Bank of New York Governor Jennifer Logan said on Tuesday that she is "cautiously optimistic" that the Fed's current policy rate level can keep the labor market stable while pushing inflation back to the 2% target, and that economic data in the coming months will test this assessment. Logan stated, "If this happens, it would indicate that our current policy stance is appropriate and that we do not need to cut rates further to achieve our dual mandate." However, she added that if inflation falls while the labor market cools significantly, "another rate cut might become appropriate. But right now, however, I am more concerned that inflation remains stubbornly high." She said that after three rate cuts last year, the downside risks to the labor market "seem to have eased significantly," but at the same time, this has also brought additional risks to inflation. She pointed out that with short-term borrowing costs already in what is widely estimated to be a "neutral" policy range, the current interest rate level has limited restraining effect on the already strongly rebounding economy and inflation that has been consistently above the Fed's target for nearly five years. Logan expects inflation to make progress this year, with some initial signs of improvement already seen.

According to Axios, Trump stated in an interview on Tuesday that he is considering sending another carrier strike group to the Middle East in preparation for possible military action should negotiations with Iran fail. The US and Iran resumed talks in Oman last Friday, marking their first return to the negotiating table since June of last year. However, Trump is simultaneously pushing forward with a large-scale military buildup in the Gulf region. Trump said he expects a second round of US-Iran talks to be held next week. He said, "We have one fleet heading to the region, and another might be heading there too." A US official confirmed that discussions have indeed taken place regarding the deployment of a second carrier strike group to the region. However, Trump also expressed optimism about a diplomatic approach, saying that Iran "very much wants a deal" and, under military pressure, is more serious about negotiations than ever before. "Last time they didn't believe I was really going to do it, and they misjudged. This time the negotiations are very different."

Ahead of Coinbase's upcoming Q4 earnings report, JPMorgan lowered its price target for the company from $399 to $290, citing factors including declining crypto trading volume, weaker asset prices, and slower USDC growth. However, the bank maintained its "Overweight" rating on Coinbase. Analysts expect Coinbase's adjusted EBITDA for the quarter to fall to approximately $734 million, a significant decline from the previous quarter, primarily due to reduced spot trading volume and weaker stablecoin-related revenue. JPMorgan projects spot trading volume of approximately $263 billion and stablecoin-related revenue of approximately $312 million for the quarter. While the acquisition of the derivatives exchange Deribit will contribute new revenue, the overall market downturn continues to put pressure on performance. Besides JPMorgan, institutions such as Barclays and Compass Point also hold a more cautious stance, believing that retail trading, blockchain rewards, and subscription and service revenue may fall short of expectations and remain highly dependent on the overall performance of the crypto market.

Braden John Karony, the former CEO of SafeMoon, has been convicted and sentenced to 100 months (approximately 8 years) in prison, ordered to pay $7.5 million in restitution, and have two properties forfeited. Prosecutors accused Karony and accomplices of illegally obtaining millions of dollars from the SafeMoon project by manipulating its token price and liquidity pools, using the funds to purchase luxury homes, cars, and other personal luxuries. After a three-week trial, Karony was found guilty of multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Among those involved in the case, conspirator Thomas Smith pleaded guilty in February 2025 but has not yet been sentenced, while another person involved, Kyle Nagy, remains at large. US prosecutors stated that they will continue to strengthen enforcement against digital asset economic crimes that harm investors' interests. (Coindesk)