KEYTAKEAWAYS
- U.S. Core PCE data on Friday may shift Fed rate expectations.
- Q4 GDP and jobless claims offer insights into economic strength.
- OP token unlock Saturday may cause short-term crypto price pressure.
CONTENT
WEEKLY NEWS OVERVIEW
Key Events This Week (Eastern Time, GMT-4)
Monday, March 24
- 09:45 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Manufacturing PMI (March)
- 09:45 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Services PMI (March)
- 02:00 AM: 🔓 VENOM unlocks 59.26M tokens (2.9% of supply), worth ~$7.05M
Tuesday, March 25
- 10:00 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Consumer Confidence (March)
- 10:00 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. New Home Sales (February)
- 01:00 AM: 🔓 ENA unlocks 7.93M tokens (0.15% of supply), worth ~$3M
Wednesday, March 26
- 09:30 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Weekly Crude Oil Inventory Report
Thursday, March 27
- 08:30 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Q4 GDP Final Estimate
- 08:30 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Initial Jobless Claims
Friday, March 28
- 08:30 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Core PCE Price Index YoY (February)
- 08:30 AM: 🇺🇸 U.S. Core PCE Price Index MoM (February)
Saturday, March 30
- 08:00 PM: 🔓 OP unlocks 31.34M tokens (1.93% of supply), worth ~$27.11M (Important)
KEY EVENTS TO WATCH THIS WEEK
PCE Inflation Data
This Friday, the U.S. will release the PCE Price Index — the inflation gauge the Federal Reserve watches most closely. Markets expect the February PCE to remain at 2.5%, while Core PCE might rise slightly from 2.6% to 2.7%. Also coming this week are PMI data for March, Q4 GDP (final), and University of Michigan inflation expectations.
At the March 20 meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell still called inflation “temporary,” but new projections show slowing U.S. growth, with rising inflation and unemployment. This may affect expectations for interest rate cuts.
GDP & Jobless Claims
On Thursday, the U.S. will release the final Q4 GDP data and weekly jobless claims. Investors are watching to see if GDP is revised down. Also, jobless claims are rising slightly in recent weeks — a sign the labor market may be cooling. A weaker job market could push the Fed toward rate cuts sooner.
Optimism (OP) Token Unlock
On Saturday, Optimism (OP) will unlock 31.34 million tokens, about 1.93% of its supply, worth roughly $27.11 million. OP has been doing well recently, but this large unlock may create short-term selling pressure. Investors should watch how the market reacts and whether there’s strong selling after the unlock.
MARKET OUTLOOK THIS WEEK
This week, markets will focus on U.S. economic data and policy expectations. The PCE inflation report is the key event — if Core PCE is higher than expected, the Fed may keep rates high longer, which could lower market risk appetite.
The Q4 GDP report will give more insight into U.S. growth, and jobless claims will show how strong the labor market is.
In crypto, the OP token unlock could bring price swings. The VENOM and ENA unlocks are smaller and may have less impact. Overall, with so many key data releases, both traditional and crypto markets could be more volatile this week. Investors should watch closely.
Also Read：
Crypto Weekly Outlook (3/17-3/23)｜Federal Reserve Interest Rate Decision
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