Let’s start with what just happened this weekend, because it shook things up.
The Weekend Drama: Moody’s Drops the Hammer
Moody’s, one of the big global credit rating agencies (think of it like a teacher grading how safe it is to lend a country money), downgraded the US credit score from Aaa to Aa1. That’s not a disaster, but it’s not an A+ anymore.
Why? The US is borrowing too much and struggling with rising interest payments. When investors hear that, they panic a little. So, they run away from anything risky.
Crypto got hit immediately. Ethereum, Dogecoin, and XRP all dropped around 3%.
Meanwhile, things got louder on the political side:
- Trump called out Fed Chair Jerome Powell, calling him “legendary for being late” to cut interest rates.
- Ukraine is reportedly close to adding Bitcoin to reserves.
- Michael Burry (the guy who predicted the 2008 crash) just sold almost all his stocks… except Estee Lauder. Weird, right?
- Basel Medical Group announced a massive plan to buy $1B worth of Bitcoin.
- Trump also said he’s ready to fly to Beijing to restart trade talks with China.
- MoonPay and Mastercard are launching stablecoin-powered cards that work at 150 million stores.
- Chainlink’s CCIP is now powering cross-chain transfers for USD1, a new stablecoin from World Liberty Finance.
- And in Japan? Their economy is shrinking, and 40-year bond yields just hit the highest level in 20 years. The Prime Minister said it’s “worse than Greece.” That’s not comforting.
Token Unlocks: Watch These Closely
Here are the major token unlocks this week, citing Tokenomist:
Moca Network (MOCA)
Date: May 23, 2025
Unlock Value: 215.28K USDT
% of Circulating Supply: 0.09%
Number of Tokens: 2.43M MOCA
1inch (1INCH)
Date: May 23, 2025
Unlock Value: 4.53K USDT
% of Circulating Supply: 0.00%
Number of Tokens: 21.43K 1INCH
Venom (VENOM)
Date: May 25, 2025
Unlock Value: 6.08M USDT
% of Circulating Supply: 2.86%
Number of Tokens: 59.26M VENOM
EigenLayer (EIGEN)
Date: May 20, 2025
Unlock Value: 1.75M USDT
% of Circulating Supply: 0.43%
Number of Tokens: 1.29M EIGEN
Pyth Network (PYTH)
Date: May 19, 2025
Unlock Value: 307.42M USDT
% of Circulating Supply: 58.62%
Number of Tokens: 2.13B PYTH
The big one here is PYTH. Over 58% of the circulating supply is getting unlocked. That’s massive and could add selling pressure to the token unless there’s a strong reason for holders to keep it.
Upcoming US Numbers: Why They Matter
This week, we’ve got several US economic reports coming that can shake up both traditional and crypto markets.
- Monday – The fallout from Moody’s downgrade will keep weighing on investor mood. Expect cautious trading.
- Wednesday – We get Crude Oil Inventory numbers. If oil stocks are down, prices may go up, not great for inflation.
- Thursday – Two major data points:
- S&P Global Manufacturing PMI: This shows how US factories are doing. If it drops, it could mean a slowing economy.
- Existing Home Sales: A key measure of consumer confidence. If people aren’t buying homes, something’s wrong.
- S&P Global Manufacturing PMI: This shows how US factories are doing. If it drops, it could mean a slowing economy.
- Friday – New Home Sales report comes out. Similar story gives a feel for how the housing market is holding up.
And also 14 different speeches from Fed members are scheduled this week. Each one is a chance to hint at future interest rate decisions, and traders will hang on every word.
Final Thoughts
Between a Moody’s downgrade, and heavy US data, this week isn’t just busy, it’s critical. Every piece fits into a bigger puzzle about where money is flowing and how much risk people are willing to take.
Keep an eye on the numbers. Watch the unlocks. And stay sharp.
This article is not financial advice. For more crypto insights, check out blog.millionero.com, and if you’re trading, don’t forget to try spot and perpetuals on Millionero.