China’s exports increased by 5.7% year-on-year in November, exceeding the expected 3.8%. This shows a clear improvement in the country’s export performance for the month. The US Dollar Index fell below 99.0 due to rising speculation about a possible Federal Reserve rate cut. This change may affect various currencies, like the EUR/USD, which gained slightly, reaching about 1.1645. The GBP/USD pair settled around 1.3320-1.3325 as traders wait for the Fed’s rate decision. Despite a quiet start, prices remain close to their highest levels since late October. Gold is struggling to hold its ground around $4,200. Nonetheless, technical indicators suggest that buyers are cautiously optimistic as the US Dollar weakens. In the cryptocurrency market, Monero and other altcoins like Aster and Bonk may face further losses due to ongoing Ukraine-Russia peace talks. In contrast, silver has recently surged to all-time highs, while gold and mining stocks are seeing bearish reversals. Ripple’s value dropped to $2.06 for the second day in a row, even with steady investments into XRP spot ETFs, showing a continued negative outlook. Reflecting on last year, we saw that China’s strong 5.7% export growth hinted at a brief rise in global demand. However, this trend has since slowed. Recent data from China’s General Administration of Customs shows export growth for November 2025 cooling to only 2.3%. This suggests limited upside, making it appealing to sell call spreads on China-exposed ETFs in the coming weeks. Back in December 2025, heavy bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts had pushed the US Dollar Index below 99. Now, recent US inflation data has risen to 3.5%, leading to speculation that the Fed’s easing cycle may be coming to an end. Therefore, considering call options on the UUP ETF could be a wise move to prepare for a strengthening dollar. The gap between silver and gold has widened since silver reached new highs. The gold-silver ratio has recently exceeded 90:1, an unsustainable level compared to the average of around 65:1 in the early 2020s. This extreme suggests a possible reversion trade, making long silver futures contracts paired with short gold futures an appealing strategy. Previous market volatility in crypto, which caused drops in Monero and other altcoins, has shifted to renewed interest in major tokens as we approach the new year. However, Ripple continues to struggle to breach the $0.75 resistance level throughout 2025. Implied volatility remains high, making the sale of out-of-the-money puts on XRP a potential way to collect premiums while betting that the token will not face a significant crash soon.

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