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GBP to gain after the UK election
GBP to gain after the UK election. We expect that the British Pound will gain after a period of consolidation around current levels ahead of the UK election next week. The latest polling indicates that Prime Minister May’s lead has declined, prompting a modest pullback in the local currency. We expect that although GBP could soften further in the coming week, as the Conservative party’s lead see-saws, but believe it will stay above key support of 200-dma, which is currently 1.2595.
While we expect a Conservative election win, the future EU negotiations remain an important driver of GBP direction. We continue to believe that the worst case scenario has already been priced in regarding the Brexit negotiations and its impact on the economy and the financial services sector in particular. In coming years, a rising rate environment and further clarity surrounding the EU-UK negotiations should be reflected in rising banking sector valuations.
Investor positioning has begun to rebound from the lowest levels on record in the futures market, indicating that there is growing optimism for the UK’s economic prospects as ‘Brexit’ negotiations begin. Although still in negative territory, GBP net shorts have more than halved since the record pessimistic positions seen at the end of March 2017. In contrast, Euro positioning is at the highest level since November 2013, and any further dovish comments from ECB Board members, could prompt a sharp decline in EUR/GBP in coming weeks.
Investors have become more positive on the outlook for GBP because the domestic economic environment has remained resilient. Nonetheless, the Bank of England expects some softer numbers from the household sector as wage growth has been revised down at the same time that inflation is rising.
With headline inflation expected to peak near current levels, we believe that real rates are forming a bottom. Accordingly, GBP has responded in line with the modest rebound in real yields and we expect the gradual move higher in yields to continue. Not only do we expect the Bank of England to reverse the Brexit-induced rate cut of last year, but inflationary pressures are expected to moderate as the impact of the exchange rate plunge on prices begins to fade.
After the UK election next week, as FX volatility continues to moderate, GBP could again test the 1.30 level and potentially break to the upside as the domestic economy remains resilient, targeting 1.35.
Martin Arnold, Global FX & Commodity Strategist at ETF Securities
Martin Arnold joined ETF Securities as a research analyst in 2009 and was promoted to Global FX & Commodity Strategist in 2014. Martin has a wealth of experience in strategy and economics with his most recent role formulating an FX strategy at an independent research consultancy. Martin has a strong background in macroeconomics and financial analysis – gained both at the Reserve Bank of Australia and in the private commercial banking sector – and experience covering a range of asset classes including equities and bonds. Martin holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of New South Wales (Australia), a Master of Commerce from the University of Wollongong (Australia) and attained a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia.
Amid ongoing market volatility, gold has surged to a new record high above the $3,400 threshold, fueled by growing demand for safe-haven assets. With a YTD performance that places it as the top-performing major asset class, gold has benefitted from concerns over inflation, macro uncertainty, and a weakening US dollar. Investors have sought protection in stores of value, driving strong inflows into gold despite mixed equity performance and sluggish economic indicators. This shift reflects a broader trend that began in 2023, when both gold and bitcoin started showing strong price momentum amid rising global instability.
As digital assets continue to gain legitimacy in global finance, bitcoin increasingly stands alongside gold as a modern alternative store of value. Given gold’s significantly larger market cap, it’s reasonable to expect that fundamentals-driven triggers—such as the opening of the US institutional market and the establishment of a BTC strategic reserve—could have an even more pronounced impact on bitcoin’s price trajectory. With the same macro tailwinds now propelling gold, BTC may be poised for an outsized rally in the coming months as investors seek resilient, decentralized hedges against systemic risk.
Source: Hashdex Research with data from CF Benchmarks and Bloomberg (from Dec 31, 2022, to April 20, 2025). The last price for bitcoin and gold is from April 20 as the month is not closed yet.
MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
Apr 14 2025 – Apr 20 2025
Powell signals easing of crypto rules for banks
• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled the potential easing of crypto-related regulations applicable to banks.
• Such a shift could facilitate greater institutional adoption of digital assets globally, as cryptocurrencies become more closely integrated into the traditional financial system of the world’s largest economy.
Arizona advances crypto reserve legislation
• Arizona’s Senate Bill 1373, which seeks to establish a state-managed digital asset reserve, has passed a House committee.
• This development positions Arizona as a leader in state-level crypto initiatives and may set a precedent for other states to follow.
Hyperliquid dominates on-chain perp market
• It was recently disclosed that the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid has captured 70% of the on-chain perpetual contracts market.
• This underscores the growing relevance of perpetual contracts for this protocol within DeFi and signals the emergence of another potential blue-chip in the digital assets space.
• The emergence of solid players in this niche could trigger a shift from centralized derivatives platforms to decentralized alternatives highlights the evolving landscape of crypto trading.
MARKET METRICS
The Nasdaq Crypto Index™
NCI™ constituents delivered mixed results last week. SOL (+6.9%) and LINK (+6.1%) stood out as top performers, while ADA lagged behind with a 3.3% decline—underperforming all other constituents. This divergence likely reflects a neutral macro backdrop, combined with token-specific catalysts, such as software company Janover (JVNR) purchasing $10.3 million of SOL as part of its Solana-focused digital asset treasury strategy.
Source: Hashdex Research with data from Messari (from April 13, 2025 to April 20, 2025).
MARKET METRICS
The Nasdaq Crypto Index™
This week, the NCI™ had relatively flat performance, rising 0.8% and helping it close the gap with the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500, which saw declines of 2.3% and 1.5%, respectively. The standout performer, however, was gold — the top-performing asset class of the year — which surged 4.7%, reaching a new record high above $3,400 amid rising global uncertainty. Gold’s strong performance may signal that other store-of-value assets, such as bitcoin, could see upward momentum soon, as it continues to lag behind gold YTD.
Source: Hashdex Research with data from CF Benchmarks and Bloomberg (from December 31, 2024 to April 20, 2025).
MARKET METRICS
Indices tracked by Hashdex
Source: Hashdex Research with data from CF Benchmarks and Vinter (from April 20, 2024 to April 20, 2025).
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