News

Golden Ten Data reported on March 18 that Alicia Garcia, Chief Economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis, stated that the Israel-Iran war has complicated the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision this week, further increasing uncertainty as economic growth faces multiple adverse factors. This conflict will trigger cost-driven inflation in Japan, making the Bank of Japan consider raising interest rates to stabilize the yen and imported inflation. However, Alicia Garcia believes the Bank of Japan will act cautiously. Global uncertainty may dampen companies' willingness to raise wages, and as rising oil prices put pressure on private consumption and corporate investment, preventive rate hikes could undermine the momentum of nominal wage growth. The central bank is likely to take a hawkish stance and remain on hold to avoid interfering with spring wage negotiations, while maintaining a tightening tendency to alleviate a new round of imported inflationary pressures.

Golden Ten Data reported on March 18 that Mitsui Sumitomo Trust economist Kei Fujimoto stated that the Bank of Japan is expected to keep its policy rate at 0.75% this week. The Bank of Japan will focus on how rising crude oil prices are driving up the costs of petrochemical products and other commodities that use crude oil as a raw material, as well as how these cost pressures are transmitted to domestic prices. Although the increase in crude oil prices will directly push up energy prices such as gasoline in the short term, such temporary fluctuations are unlikely to prompt the central bank to raise interest rates ahead of schedule.

BlockBeats News, March 18, according to Hyperinsight monitoring, last night and this morning, the "largest ZEC short" address (0xd475…) made another move, continuously averaging down and increasing its ZEC short position by about $1.01 million. This position was initially established on March 10. Currently, the 5x leveraged ZEC short position holds about 17,157 ZEC, equivalent to approximately $4.78 million, with an average opening price of $231.7. The current unrealized loss on the short position is $800,000 (-84%), making it the largest ZEC short on-chain. This address is known for "persistently shorting" ZEC positions. Previously, it started shorting ZEC from the $184 price level and kept rolling over the position. During this period, it once endured a massive unrealized loss of up to $21 million, but eventually turned the losing position profitable through long-term holding and averaging down. The address currently also holds a $35 million short position on ETH, maintaining an overall bearish stance.