5 Crypto Market Moves to Watch Before Traditional Markets Open

The old guard's waking up—but digital assets never sleep. While Wall Street pours its first coffee, the blockchain is already three trades deep. Here’s what’s moving before the opening bell rings for legacy finance.

The DeFi Dominance Play

Decentralized exchanges are quietly siphoning volume from traditional equity platforms. Why queue for a broker when a smart contract executes in seconds? It’s not disruption—it’s a bypass.

Institutional On-Ramps Multiply

Another major custodian just green-lit direct crypto holdings for its clients. The pipes are being laid. The flow of capital from traditional portfolios into digital assets isn’t a trickle anymore—it’s being plumbed.

Regulatory Chess, Not Checkers

Watch for nuanced guidance dropping in Asia. It’s not about blanket bans; it’s about framing the game. The smart money is reading between the lines of these policy documents, positioning for the next legal clarity surge.

The ATH Psychological Barrier

Bitcoin flirts with its previous all-time high. This isn't just a number—it's a mass sentiment trigger. A clean break above it doesn't just chart a new price; it rewires mainstream risk perception.

Stablecoin as the Settlement Layer

Forget T+2. Major payment corridors are testing real-time, cross-border settlement using dollar-pegged digital tokens. The legacy system isn't being upgraded—it's being offered a retirement package.

So, as the stock market prepares for another day of trading within its walled garden, remember: the real innovation is happening in the open, global, 24/7 market. The future of finance isn't waiting for an opening bell—it's already ticking on the blockchain. (And if your fund manager still calls it 'cyber money,' maybe it's time for a new fund manager.)

Stock Futures Point Higher After Sell-Off

Stock futures are ticking higher after major stock indexes plunged in the prior session amid uncertainty about tariffs and heightened worries over the AI trade. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.1% recently after the blue chip index gave up more than 800 points on Monday. Futures linked to the S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq, which each dropped about 1% yesterday, were flat and up 0.3%, respectively, this morning. Stocks tumbled to start the week after President Trump announced a new 15% global tariff in response to Friday's Supreme Court decision to strike down many of the tariffs that the administration imposed last year. Traders also reacted to fears that big tech firms are spending too much on the AI buildout. Gold futures, which had surged yesterday as investors turned to the traditional safe haven, were down 1% recently at $5,175 an ounce. bitcoin was at $63,200, down from an overnight high of $65,000 and nearing its lowest levels of the month. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which affects interest rates on a wide array of loans, was holding steady at 4.03%.

Trump Eyes New National Security Tariffs

The Trump administration is considering a slate of new national security tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of the tariffs enacted last year, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The national security tariffs WOULD be in addition to the 15% global tariff he announced in the wake of the court ruling. The tariffs would target a handful of industries, including large-scale batteries, cast iron and iron fittings, plastic piping, industrial chemicals, and power grid and telecommunications equipment, The Journal reported. Meanwhile, global shipper FedEx (FDX) on Monday filed suit against the government seeking a full refund for tariffs paid. FedEx is the first major company to file suit to recover tariff payments following last week’s court ruling. Shares of FedEx were flat in premarket trading.  

AMD Shares Soar on News of AI Deal with Meta

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shares are surging after the semiconductor giant inked a deal with Meta Platforms (META) to provide the Facebook and Instagram parent with 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs to power its AI infrastructure. As part of the transaction, AMD issued Meta a performance-based warrant for up to 160 million shares of its stock, "structured to vest as specific milestones associated with Instinct GPU shipments are achieved." AMD currently has just over 1.6 billion outstanding shares. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but The Wall Street Journal is reporting it's worth more than $100 billion. AMD shares, which coming into today's session were down 8% so far in 2026, ROSE about 10% in premarket trading. Meta shares were down slightly ahead of the opening bell.

Home Depot Shares Rise After Strong Results

Shares of Home Depot (HD) are rising after the home improvement retailer posted results that came in ahead of analysts' estimates. Home Depot’s 2025 fourth quarter revenue of $38.2 billion was almost 4% lower than the year-ago quarter, but topped estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. The retailer’s adjusted earnings per share of $2.58 was also better than the consensus estimate of $2.52, while its comparable store sales growth of 0.4% was better than the decline of 0.2% that analysts projected. Home improvement retailers have faced declining sales amid a sluggish housing market, but analysts see tailwinds for the sector this year, including tax refunds and housing affordability measures. Home Depot’s shares were up 3% recently. Rival retailer Lowe’s (LOW)  is also scheduled to report earnings this week.

Trump Set to Deliver State of the Union Address

President Trump is expected to highlight the economy when he delivers the State of the Union address tonight, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that the theme of the speech will be: “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected.” Trump is expected to highlight the tax cuts laid out in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill” while also pointing to efforts to lower prescription drug prices. The Journal reported that Trump is expected to call on Congress to pass healthcare legislation that would redirect federal subsidies to consumers from health insurers. He’s expected to address other affordability measures, including protecting consumers from paying higher electricity rates for AI data center power consumption. Border security and a drop in crime are other topics The Journal reported that Trump will lay out in the speech.