Wildest Gambit

About Wildest Gambit

The US Federal Reserve raised the effective federal funds rate by 0.25% to a range of 3.75%-4% on Wednesday, representing its first rate hike in three years as the economy grapples with sticky inflation, record-high energy prices and rising bond rates with no end in sight to the ongoing war with Iran that kicked off in February.

Investors began 2026 expecting multiple rate cuts, which tend to juice capital markets and spur dealmaking activity. But on 28 February things changed quickly after joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran largely curtailed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital Middle East waterway where some 20% of the world’s oil transited before the conflict began.

Several factors weighed heavily on the decision to raise rates. The average nationwide gas price now is $4.36 compared to $3.18 a year ago, per AAA, and the average diesel price of $6.31 is a record. Brent crude oil has crested over $100 per barrel compared to about $68 a year ago. Inflation was 3.4% in August, compared to 2.9% last year. And US 10-, 20- and 30-year Treasuries have reached their highest rates in decades.

How to play Wildest Gambit

Laos argues they were effectively indistinguishable from the companies that were ordered to pay and should therefore be held responsible for the debt.

A federal judge previously rejected Laos’ attempt to pursue Baldwin and Bridge Capital because they had not been parties to the original arbitrations.

But the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision Thursday (September 17).

How to play Wildest Gambit

Days after the US Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has sent a new rulemaking package on crypto markets for review to the White House.

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) received the filing on September 17, which is titled “Regulation Crypto Asset Transactions and Regulation Crypto Asset Markets.” The proposal remains in the early stages, and the details are not yet public, as reported by The Block. 

The move came shortly after the Senate declined to advance the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. The procedural vote on September 15 rejected it with 49-50, not meeting the 60 votes required to move forward.