Global markets see record gold inflows and shifting central bank policies

Global financial markets are seeing significant shifts across gold, equities, and central bank policies. Physical gold-backed ETFs saw a massive influx of $17.9 billion in August, the second-largest monthly intake on record, bringing total holdings to a record 4,189 tonnes. Europe led these purchases, followed by North America and Asia.

In Asia, the Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to 1.25% by September 18, with potential further increases through 2027. Meanwhile, China has purchased approximately one million tonnes of U.S. soybeans ahead of Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to the United States.

In the digital asset and equity space, research from Binance indicates that tokenized equities (bStocks) are increasingly capturing price discovery during weekend hours when traditional markets are closed, accurately anticipating the direction of Monday opening gaps in most significant cases. Additionally, market analysts are weighing the potential impact of Donald Trump’s proposed $5,000 stimulus dividend on Bitcoin, noting historical parallels to the liquidity-driven surges seen during the 2020 pandemic.