Archive: July 2026· page 3
Sanctions and currencies: how can a political decision sink a currency?
In 2022 a currency lost close to a third of its value in days — not because of its economy, but because of a political decision. Here is how sanctions hit a currency, and why the effect is not always what it looks like.
The geopolitical risk premium: why does fear have a price in the market?
Two near-identical assets, one in a calm region and one in a tense one, trade at different prices. That gap is the geopolitical risk premium — and it moves currencies before anything happens.
Petrocurrencies: why does the Canadian dollar rise and fall with oil?
Crude ticks up and the Canadian dollar tends to follow, almost like a reflex. It is not a coincidence — it is what makes a currency a petrocurrency. Here is the mechanism.
The Strait of Hormuz: how can one stretch of water move the entire forex market?
Around a fifth of the world's oil squeezes through one narrow strait. Threaten it, and crude spikes and currencies lurch. Here is how a choke point ripples into forex.
Safe havens: why does the dollar rise when fear hits the market?
A war headline hits and the dollar jumps while your AUD/USD sinks. That reflex has a name — the flight to safe havens. Here is the mechanism, not just the news.
Dollar gains on Middle East tensions; AUD leads intraday strength
Geopolitical risks in the Middle East drive safe-haven demand for the dollar amidst a Neutral FSI of 57, while upcoming US inflation data is keenly awaited.
Bill Lipschutz: the sultan of currencies who lost everything first
He turned a $12,000 inheritance into $250,000 in college — then lost it all on one trade. That loss made him one of the greatest currency traders alive.
George Soros: the man who broke the Bank of England
On one day in 1992, a single fund bet $10 billion the pound would break — and a central bank surrendered. A clean lesson in price versus fundamentals.
Jesse Livermore: the boy who shorted the 1929 crash
He made $100 million betting the 1929 crash would come — then lost every cent. The Boy Plunger’s real lesson isn’t timing; it’s discipline and risk.
Why is GBP/USD called 'Cable'?
Traders call GBP/USD 'Cable' after the 1866 transatlantic telegraph that carried the rate between London and New York — still the market's most storied liquid pair.
Why is AUD called the 'aussie'?
The Australian dollar is the 'aussie' — plain slang, no coin story. What's interesting is that it's the market's risk barometer, tied to iron ore, China and the carry trade.
Why is CAD called the 'loonie'?
The Canadian dollar (CAD) is nicknamed the 'loonie' after a bird on its coin — and it trades almost in lockstep with oil, which is where the FOTSI comes in.
Why is the New Zealand dollar called the 'kiwi'?
No, it's not the fruit. The New Zealand dollar (NZD) is called the 'kiwi' after the national bird on its coin — and it's a carry-trade star the CTS tracks.
Daily forex roundup: Geopolitical tensions drive safe-haven flows, oil prices higher
Global geopolitical concerns escalated, bolstering the dollar and crude oil, while some pacific currencies saw mixed trading.
6 forex curiosities you probably did not know
$9.6 trillion a day, a dollar on 9 of 10 trades, and why GBP/USD is called 'Cable' — six forex facts, each with the tool it connects to.
Andrew Krieger: the man who shorted an entire country
The 1987 legend who shorted the New Zealand dollar with a position bigger than the country's money supply — and what it really teaches about currency strength, liquidity and leverage.
Week ahead: US CPI, Warsh, and a crowded yen trade
US inflation sets the tone this week, the yen is the crowd's favourite trade, and our indicators show a market coiled tight ahead of Tuesday.
What Are the Risks and Limits of Using AI in Forex Trading?
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) in forex trading means leveraging these technologies as a co-pilot for advanced information processing…
