{"id":48220,"date":"2026-03-21T11:35:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T11:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/21\/evening-digest-bitcoin-stalls-uk-gilt-yields-hit-2008-highs\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T11:35:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T11:35:40","slug":"evening-digest-bitcoin-stalls-uk-gilt-yields-hit-2008-highs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/21\/evening-digest-bitcoin-stalls-uk-gilt-yields-hit-2008-highs\/","title":{"rendered":"Evening digest: Bitcoin stalls, UK gilt yields hit 2008 highs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<p>On Friday, Bitcoin traded sideways while UK borrowing costs saw a sharp increase with Amazon reportedly planning an AI-integrated smartphone.<\/p>\n<p>Super Micro computer stock fell sharply after being caught in a federal indictment involving the company&#8217;s co-founder.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bitcoin stalls amid risk-off sentiment<\/h2>\n<p>Bitcoin traded in a narrow range as investors adopted a risk-off approach following escalating geopolitical tensions and a more hawkish stance from the Federal Reserve.<\/p>\n<p>Institutional demand appeared to cool, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording net outflows of more than $250 million in the latest session. <\/p>\n<p>The broader crypto market briefly pushed total market capitalization above $2.5 trillion before stabilising near $2.49 trillion.<\/p>\n<p>The Crypto Fear and Greed Index remained unchanged at 31, firmly in \u201cFear\u201d territory, underscoring cautious sentiment. <\/p>\n<p>Bitcoin hovered just below<a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/bitcoin-trades-sideways-near-70k-as-macro-pressure-caps-upside\/\"> $70,000, with the $69,450\u2013$70,000 range acting<\/a> as a key support zone. <\/p>\n<p>A sustained hold above this level could open the path toward $72,500, while a breakdown may expose downside risk toward $65,000.<\/p>\n<p>Bitcoin was trading at $69,856 at the time of writing. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UK borrowing costs hit highest since 2008<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/explained-why-uk-gilt-yields-are-at-2008-levels-and-what-it-means-for-the-economy\/\">UK government bond yields surged to their highest levels since the Global Financial Crisis<\/a>, highlighting mounting inflation concerns and expectations of further policy tightening.<\/p>\n<p>The yield on the 10-year gilt climbed to 4.94%, while the two-year yield rose to 4.58%. <\/p>\n<p>The sell-off in bonds reflects investor concerns over rising energy costs linked to Middle East tensions, particularly disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>Oxford Economics warned inflation could reach 4% later this year, while growth forecasts have been revised lower. <\/p>\n<p>Markets are now pricing in multiple rate hikes by the Bank of England, despite efforts by Governor Andrew Bailey to temper expectations.<\/p>\n<p>The rise in yields reflects a broader policy dilemma, as weak growth limits aggressive tightening while inflation risks remain elevated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Amazon explores AI-driven smartphone comeback<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/amazon-developing-new-ai-integrated-smartphone-report\/\">Amazon is developing a new smartphone<\/a> more than a decade after the failure of its Fire Phone according to a Reuters report.<\/p>\n<p>The project, internally dubbed \u201cTransformer,\u201d is expected to focus on artificial intelligence integration, particularly through its Alexa voice assistant. <\/p>\n<p>The device could function as a continuous interface for users, enabling seamless access to services such as shopping and streaming.<\/p>\n<p>The initiative aligns with a broader industry trend toward AI-powered hardware, though challenges remain. <\/p>\n<p>Analysts note that breaking into the smartphone market\u2014dominated by Apple and Samsung\u2014will be difficult.<\/p>\n<p>The company is also reportedly exploring a simplified \u201cdumbphone\u201d variant inspired by minimalist devices like the Light Phone, reflecting experimentation with alternative form factors.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Super Micro shares plunge on smuggling probe<\/h2>\n<p>Shares of Super Micro Computer plunged more than 32% after US prosecutors unsealed an indictment alleging a <a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/how-nvidia-chips-were-smuggled-to-china-via-supermicro\/\">$2.5 billion scheme to smuggle restricted AI server technology to China.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The case involves three individuals, including co-founder Yih-Shyan \u201cWally\u201d Liaw. <\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors allege that servers containing advanced chips from Nvidia were diverted through third countries using falsified documentation and staged inspections.<\/p>\n<p>The fallout has raised concerns about compliance risks and potential disruptions to Super Micro\u2019s business, including its relationship with Nvidia. <\/p>\n<p>The company has said, \u201cSupermicro maintains a robust compliance program and is committed to full adherence to all applicable US export and re-export control laws and regulations.\u201d It added, \u201cThe Company has been cooperating fully with the government&#8217;s investigation and will continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Investor sentiment has deteriorated sharply, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/one-simple-reason-to-avoid-buying-the-dip-in-smci-stock-today\/\">stock now down significantly from recent highs.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Analysts warn that repeated controversies could weigh on long-term valuation and competitiveness, particularly in a sector where trust and regulatory compliance are critical.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/evening-digest-bitcoin-stalls-uk-gilt-yields-hit-2008-highs\/\">Evening digest: Bitcoin stalls, UK gilt yields hit 2008 highs<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/invezz.com\">Invezz<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Friday, Bitcoin traded sideways while UK borrowing costs saw a sharp increase with Amazon reportedly planning an AI-integrated smartphone. Super Micro computer stock fell sharply after being caught in a federal indictment involving the company&#8217;s co-founder. Bitcoin stalls amid risk-off sentiment Bitcoin traded in a narrow range as investors adopted a risk-off approach following <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-48220","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-investing"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}