“Cut It!”

Hi There! My heart filled right up this past weekend, watching my powerlifting family kick ass at the USPA Tested and Open Comeback Powerbody 2.0 meet in O’Fallon, Missouri. My fellow teammates showed up and showed out! Sixty lifters came from all over Missouri, but our CFMH crew brought the heat, the heart, and the heavy weights.

I didn’t compete this time around, but that didn’t stop me from showing up in full “Momma Rhoda” mode. That’s what they call me at the gym and I wear that title with pride. I had the honour of training alongside these athletes in the weeks leading up, and it felt like sweet reward just to be there cheering them on, helping them warm up, calming nerves, fixing wraps and things, and reminding them, “You got this.”

And that, they did! One by one, I watched them take the platform with power and poise.

Squats - To depth.

Bench - Strong.

Deadlifts - Heavy af.

The results gold medals, state records, personal bests, and one of our very own crowned Best Female Lifter overall. Yes, overall! That’s no small feat.

It was the kind of weekend that reminded me what strength really looks like. Not just in the weight we move, but in the support we give, the hours we grind when no one is watching, and the way we show up for each other when it matters most.

To my teammates, thank you. Thank you for giving your all. For letting me be part of your process. For making me beam with pride. To our coach, who poured into us every single training session, you did it again. Your leadership and programming laid the foundation for this team to thrive.

To anyone reading this, if you lift weights or lift yourself up after a hard season, take this as a reminder: when you stay consistent, surround yourself with good people, seek the support from a coach/expert, and keep showing up, the win appears.

Alright, let’s dig in!

After notching a ‘perfect week’ the prior week, U.S. equities lost steam as July closed. Markets started out steady but quickly turned red last Friday following an unwelcome combo: a fresh round of global tariffs from the White House and disappointing U.S. labour data. All three major indexes closed lower last week. Global equities followed suit, rattled by trade war tensions. Meanwhile, Treasury yields dropped sharply as investors recalibrated rate cut expectations, and the dollar wrapped up its best month of the year. Commodities were broadly weaker, dragged down by a historic plunge in copper prices.

U.S. Markets Recap (July 27 - August 2, 2025)

Equities:

The S&P 500’s five-week winning streak ended with a modest pullback. After starting last week sideways, equities faltered midweek following Fed Chair Powell’s press conference, where he hinted that rates may stay higher for longer despite leaving them unchanged. That message, combined with the first dual Fed dissents since 1993, spooked markets. Stocks then fell sharply last Friday after President Trump introduced sweeping new tariffs and the July jobs report signaled unexpected labour market weakness.

Earnings Highlights From Last Week:

• Meta (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) reaffirmed bullish AI investment plans.

• Amazon (AMZN) shares slipped on soft AWS growth and margin concerns.

• Apple (AAPL) impressed with strong iPhone sales and solid EPS.

• Reddit (RDDT) jumped on earnings beats, defying the broader selloff.

Fixed Income:

Treasuries rallied, with the 2-year yield falling 21 basis points and the 10-year yield down 16 basis points on the week. Last Friday’s drop was the largest single-day decline for short-term yields in nearly a year, fueled by revised payroll data and rising fears that the Fed may have waited too long to pivot.

The July Non-Farm Payrolls report was the catalyst: only 73,000 jobs were added, and prior months were revised down by a combined 258,000. These revisions, along with a 4.2% unemployment rate, reinforced the view that the labour market is cooling faster than expected.

Markets are now pricing in two rate cuts this year, with a September cut increasingly likely.

Commodities:

• Copper plunged over 23%, its steepest weekly drop in decades, after refined copper was exempted from tariffs, collapsing the U.S. price premium over London-traded copper.

• Oil (WTI) closed higher on the week, supported by rising tensions with Russia and White House comments warning India against buying Russian oil. OPEC+ headlines added further support.

• Gold rebounded last Friday, helped by falling yields and dovish rate speculation.

Currencies:

The U.S. dollar index gained 1.5% for the week and ended July as its strongest month of 2025. Safe-haven demand and economic divergence pushed the greenback higher before last Friday’s soft economic data cooled the rally.

• EUR/USD: -1.33%

• GBP/USD: -1.18%

• USD/JPY: -0.20%

U.S. Economic Recap (July 27 - August 2, 2025)

Labour Market:

The July jobs report revealed a stark slowdown. Headline payrolls rose by just 73,000 and unemployment ticked up to 4.2%. Revisions to May and June were significant, erasing more than a quarter million jobs previously counted. While wage growth remained above inflation at 3.9% year-over-year, the softening labour demand may push the Fed toward cutting rates sooner.

GDP:

Q2 GDP beat expectations at 3.0% (annualized), but average growth for the first half of the year was just 1.25%, a full percentage point slower than 2024. Consumer spending, the backbone of the economy, rose just 1.4%. Net exports propped up growth, but that strength was largely a function of tariff-driven inventory distortions.

Inflation:

The core PCE price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, ticked up to 2.8% year-over-year. While elevated, slowing real income and consumer spending point to waning inflationary momentum ahead.

Fed Watch:

Two FOMC members dissented for the first time since 1993, advocating for an immediate cut. Powell held steady, but softened language around economic conditions. Markets are now watching September’s meeting closely.

Global Markets Recap (July 27 - August 2, 2025)

Europe:

European markets ended last week lower as the August 1 tariff deadline loomed. Q2 GDP data showed modest growth, and July inflation matched expectations. Notable earnings:

• Barclays beat expectations and announced a £1B buyback.

• AstraZeneca met guidance but stayed cautious.

Asia:

Asian equities had their worst week since April.

• China: No new stimulus; manufacturing data disappointed.

• Hong Kong: Led regional losses.

• Japan: Outperformed, buoyed by lighter-than-feared U.S. tariffs and BOJ rate cut hopes.

• South Korea: Slid on tax hike announcements and 15% U.S. tariff.

• India: Fell after White House announced 25% tariffs on agricultural exports.

• Taiwan: Managed to eke out a small gain despite a 20% tariff rate.

Crypto Recap (July 27 - August 2, 2025)

After a strong seven-week rally, crypto markets corrected sharply last week:

• Bitcoin (BTC): -3.7%

• Altcoins: Many fell 10–15%

• Spot BTC ETF Flows: $643 million in net outflows

• CME Open Interest: Dropped 13% for BTC, 21% for ETH futures

Institutional sentiment has cooled, with many traders stepping to the sidelines. Still, there were pockets of strength.

Regulatory Spotlight:

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins launched Project Crypto, a new commission-wide effort to modernize securities laws for digital assets. He reiterated that many crypto tokens are not securities and emphasized clear guidelines for token distribution, custody, and trading.

Last Week’s Top Altcoin Gainers: MemeCore (M), Mantle (MNT), Litecoin (LTC)

Here are other key highlights from last week:

• Corporations have acquired 1% of Ether supply: Standard Chartered.

• Bitcoin Mining profitability last month hit highest level since the halving.

• NFT sales surged to $574 million in July, second-highest in 2025.

• Polygon x Kaito Leaderboard is live: Grow Mindshare, Grow Rewards.

This week is light on U.S data, heavy on earnings!

Here’s what happened so far:

• Factory Orders: May’s 8.3% jump reversed with June’s 4.8% plunge, showing a whiplash economy distorted by trade moves and Boeing-related volatility.

• ISM Services PMI: Slipped to 50.1, barely above expansion, signaling soft services demand.

• Trade Balance: June’s deficit narrowed more than expected to -$60.2B, driven by a 45% jump in exports to China and a drop in imports.

Key U.S. Economic Releases remaining this week:

• Jobless Claims (Thurs.)

• Wholesale Inventories (Thurs.)

• Consumer Credit (Thurs.)

Fed Watch

• Wed: FOMC Members Collins, Cook, Daly

• Thurs: Bostic

• Fri: Musalem

Neel Kashkari also joined the dovish chorus, stating that the Fed needs to respond to a slowing economy and reiterated his expectation of two rate cuts this year.

Earnings: 

 Reported So Far:

• Palantir (PLTR): Beat earnings and revenue

• Hims & Hers (HIMS): Beat EPS, missed revenue

• AMD: Beat on top/bottom line but warned on China sales, posted an $800M write-down.

Other key names on outlined in red in the chart below.

Medium-to-High Impact Global Economic Events This Week:

Week 7/27/25 - 8/02/25 Recap

Special Tools and Strategies - BlackRock’s BUIDL

BlackRock’s BUIDL Stablecoin Should Be On Your Radar

In case you haven’t noticed, Polygon (POL) has quietly become one of BlackRock’s favourite playgrounds. While most people associate BlackRock with Wall Street’s biggest moves and massive ETFs like $SPY or $QQQ, their presence in crypto has taken a very real shape. If you’re paying attention to where BUIDL, BlackRock’s new stablecoin fund, is circulating, Polygon ranks right behind Ethereum (ETH) in activity. That alone should make you curious.

So, what exactly is BUIDL, and why should you care?

What is BlackRock's BUIDL Fund?

BUIDL stands for the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund. It’s a tokenized money market fund, which means that instead of buying into a fund through a brokerage, investors hold tokens that represent shares in the fund on the blockchain. These tokens are backed 100% by U.S. Treasury bills, cash, and repurchase agreements (repos), which are traditional, low-risk government-backed financial instruments.

Yes, BUIDL is a crypto coin. It is a digital version of a familiar TradFi (traditional finance) vehicle, packaged in a way that makes it accessible through blockchain technology. The fund pays out yield daily, and investors see their earnings show up right in their crypto wallet in the form of new tokens.

Initially launched on Ethereum, BUIDL has expanded to Polygon, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Optimism, Aptos, and Solana making it one of the most accessible institutional-grade tokenized products on the market.

How Does BUIDL Work?

Imagine your savings account had the speed of Zelle, the transparency of a public ledger, and the yield of a government bond all in one. That’s essentially how BUIDL operates.

Here’s the breakdown:

• You buy BUIDL tokens, each worth $1

• The fund invests that money into short-term U.S. Treasury bills and repos

• Yield (interest) is earned daily and automatically distributed to your wallet as additional BUIDL tokens

• You can transfer your tokens 24/7 to other approved investors, with no middlemen

  

  From: Cointelegraph

Why BUIDL Matters for Crypto

BUIDL acts as a bridge. It brings credibility and infrastructure from the $10 trillion world of TradFi into the faster-moving, decentralized world of crypto.

For years, crypto traders have looked for stablecoins that offer both stability and yield. Most stablecoins (like USDT or USDC) are great for preserving capital but don’t generate any income (that’s beginning to change though). BUIDL flips the script by offering yield from U.S. Treasuries while remaining transferable like any other token.

In fact, BlackRock’s BUIDL has already surpassed $2.5 billion in tokenized treasury assets, making it the largest on-chain fund of its kind.

What Does This Mean for Traditional Finance?

TradFi institutions like BlackRock, BNY Mellon, and Securitize (which handles the issuance and compliance for BUIDL) are reshaping what it means to invest. This isn’t theoretical. BUIDL is showing that tokenized assets can:

• Settle faster than ACH transfers or wire payments

• Reduce administrative overhead and middlemen

• Provide real-time audit trails thanks to blockchain transparency

BNY Mellon acts as custodian and fund administrator, proving that trusted names from traditional finance are now active participants in the token economy.

Simply put, this is the future of bonds, savings products, and retirement accounts.

How the Genius Act and Clarity Act Come Into Play

Two new U.S. laws, the Genius Act and the Clarity Act, have cleared the path for BUIDL’s growth.

The Genius Act, signed into law in July 2025, sets clear rules for stablecoins. It requires full backing with safe assets like U.S. Treasuries, mandates transparency, and enforces consumer protections. This directly supports BUIDL’s structure, which already holds only cash, Treasuries, and repos.

The Clarity Act defines which digital assets are securities or commodities, giving platforms like Securitize the legal clarity to tokenize funds like BUIDL across multiple blockchains.

Together, these laws give BUIDL the regulatory green light to scale securely, transparently, and compliantly.

Benefits for Investors and Traders

If you’ve ever asked how to earn yield on your idle cash without diving into volatile altcoins, BUIDL could be your answer. Here’s why:

• Daily Yield: Interest paid daily via blockchain to your wallet

• Liquidity: Tokens can be transferred instantly, 24/7

• Transparency: You can verify fund holdings and transactions on-chain

• Diversification: It’s one of the easiest ways to hold U.S. Treasuries in your crypto portfolio

For traders, BUIDL also acts as a "parking zone" for profits between trades, especially in bear markets. For long-term investors, it’s a crypto-native way to earn from safe, yield-generating assets.

What Are the Risks?

No investment is without risks, and BUIDL is no exception. While it is backed by cash and short-term Treasuries, consider the following:

• Access is limited to qualified or pre-approved investors (for now)

• Smart contract risks exist, as with any blockchain product

• Liquidity could vary based on network demand and volume

• Regulatory changes could affect future token transfers or yields

Still, compared to most crypto assets, the risk profile here is significantly lower.

BUIDL and the Future of Retirement for Individual Investors

Right now, BlackRock’s BUIDL isn’t directly available to most individual investors or retirement savers. It’s designed for institutional investors like large corporations, hedge funds, and family offices with a high entry point (typically $5 million or more). It also operates under strict regulatory compliance, including Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules, and tokens can only be traded among pre-approved wallets.

But even if you can’t access BUIDL today, its existence signals a meaningful shift.

By successfully tokenizing a traditional money market fund and moving it onto the blockchain, BUIDL is helping lay the foundation for more accessible financial tools. As this technology matures and regulations evolve, future tokenized funds could be built specifically for retirement savers, offering:

• Lower fees through automation and blockchain-based settlement

• Daily income payouts from safe, yield-generating assets like U.S. Treasuries

• Real-time transparency into fund holdings and performance

• Faster liquidity, with 24/7 access to your assets—not just Monday through Friday

In the long run, BUIDL’s success could help bring about a new era where everyday investors can access sophisticated, low-risk financial products, without needing a high net worth.

It may not be in your IRA yet, but it’s paving the way for retirement portfolios that are more efficient, transparent, and personalized than anything traditional systems offer today.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.