#bojratehike

The Asian session was dominated by the Bank of Japan’s historic 25-basis-point rate hike to 1.00%, its highest level since 1995, as markets shifted focus toward Wednesday’s crucial FOMC decision. USD/JPY held near 160.26 while the yen strengthened modestly. Silver consolidated around $69.39 after its recent rally, and natural gas remained under pressure near $3.13/MMBtu amid rising inventories and weaker LNG exports. The Hang Seng slipped 1.66% as profit-taking hit technology and financial stocks. In cryptocurrencies, Solana outperformed with strong gains driven by World Cup-related network activity, while Dogecoin remained supported by favorable regulatory developments. Investors now await Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s guidance, which could set the tone for global currencies, commodities, equities, and digital assets in the days ahead.