Markets and trading
Stocks, indexes, oil and interest rates, with the data and policy decisions that move them.
- WikiBitcoin (BTC)Bitcoin is a digital currency with a 21 million coin cap and a mining reward that halves every four years. How it works, its price history and ETFs.Updated
- WikiBrent crude oilBrent is the world's most widely used crude oil benchmark. What it measures, how spot and futures prices differ, and how it moved in 2026.Updated
- WikiCFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) and cryptoThe CFTC regulates US derivatives markets. Its current crypto powers, its 2026 crypto rulemaking, and the spot-market role the CLARITY Act would give it.Updated
- WikiEthereum (ETH)Ethereum is a programmable blockchain whose token, ether, secures the network through staking. How it works, ether's price in 2026 and ether ETFs.Updated
- WikiFederal ReserveThe US central bank: how it is structured, its dual mandate and 2% target, who leads it in 2026, and why it raised rates in September 2026.Updated
- WikiFederal Open Market Committee (FOMC)The FOMC is the Fed committee that sets US interest rates. Who votes in 2026, how often it meets, and what its statements and dot plot mean.Updated
- WikiOPEC+OPEC+ links OPEC's members with Russia and other producers under the Declaration of Cooperation. Who is in it and what it decided in 2026.Updated
- WikiS&P 500What the S&P 500 index is, how it is built and weighted, who publishes it, and where it stood in 2026, with dated closing levels.Updated
- WikiSEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission) and cryptoThe SEC regulates US securities markets. Its role in crypto, its 2026 token taxonomy and Regulation Crypto Assets, and what the CLARITY Act would change.Updated
- WikiSpot crypto ETFs (bitcoin and ether)Spot crypto ETFs hold bitcoin or ether directly and trade on stock exchanges. How US approval happened, the biggest funds, flows and staking in 2026.Updated
- WikiWTI crude oil (West Texas Intermediate)WTI is the main US crude oil benchmark, priced at Cushing, Oklahoma. What it is, why it trades below Brent, and how it moved in 2026.Updated
- ● DevelopingBitcoin price tracker: milestones and drivers, 2024-2026Dated bitcoin price milestones and what drove them: ETFs, the 2024 halving, the $126,000 record, the 2026 slump and the rebound to October 2026.Updated 15 confirmed
- ● DevelopingEther ETF flows tracker: US spot ETH funds, 2024-2026A dated record of US spot ether ETF approvals, staking launches and fund flows, from the 2024 debut to the late-September 2026 inflows and outflows.Updated 11 confirmed
- ● DevelopingFed interest rate decisions 2026: every FOMC meeting trackedA dated record of each 2026 FOMC rate decision from Fed statements: holds, dissents, the September hike to 3.75-4.00%, and what comes next.Updated 14 confirmed
- ● DevelopingOil prices 2026 tracker: dated moves and their causesA dated, sourced timeline of 2026 oil price moves, from the Strait of Hormuz closure to the October 2026 stock releases, using EIA, IEA and OPEC data.Updated 24 confirmed
- ● DevelopingUS stock market 2026 tracker: S&P 500 milestones and sell-offsDated S&P 500 closes, records, sell-offs and their reported drivers in 2026, from the Iran war slump to October records, with sources.Updated 20 confirmed
- AnalysisWhat's driving crypto in 2026? Flows, leverage, rates and policyWhy bitcoin and ether slumped then rebounded in 2026: the evidence on ETF flows, leverage, Fed policy and Washington, with competing views as of October 2026.Updated
- AnalysisEthereum ETFs compared: fees, issuers and staking (October 2026)A sourced comparison of US spot ether ETFs by sponsor fee, issuer, size and staking, from fund filings and issuer pages. No hands-on testing; not advice.Updated
- AnalysisHow far will the Fed raise rates? The 2026 rate-path debateAfter the September 2026 hike, Fed officials disagree on how many more increases are needed and how fast. The evidence and views, attributed.Updated
- AnalysisOil supply and demand outlook 2026: EIA vs IEA vs OPECEIA, the IEA and OPEC disagree sharply on 2026 oil demand after the Hormuz shock. Their forecasts side by side, with what each assumes, as of October 2026.Updated
- ExplainerHow is bitcoin's price determined? Supply, demand and halvingsWhy bitcoin's price moves: a fixed supply, trading on many exchanges, leverage, ETF flows and interest rates. A plain guide with dated 2026 examples.Updated
- ExplainerWhat a Fed rate hike or cut does to markets, mortgages and loansHow Federal Reserve rate hikes and cuts reach stocks, bonds, mortgages and credit lines, explained simply and in depth, with 2026 figures.Updated
- ExplainerHow to read the stock market: what indexes like the S&P 500 measureA beginner-friendly guide to stock indexes: what the S&P 500 and Dow measure, how weighting works, and how to read points, records and sell-offs.Updated
- ExplainerOil prices in 2026: a crash courseWhere oil prices stand as of October 2026, why they surged after the Strait of Hormuz closure, and how Brent, WTI, OPEC+ and pump prices fit together.Updated
- ExplainerWhat are Ethereum ETFs? Spot ether funds, flows and stakingSpot Ethereum ETFs hold ether and trade like stocks. How they work, who issues them, what flow data shows, and how staking ETFs differ, as of October 2026.Updated
- ExplainerWhat moves oil prices, and why pump prices lagSupply, demand, inventories, OPEC+ and geopolitics set crude prices. Why gasoline and diesel follow crude unevenly, explained with 2026 examples.Updated