Markets Rattle as Warsh Named Fed Chair & BTC Hits $81K

Real Vision: Finance & Investing

Real Vision

Business News, News, Investing, Business

4.1 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 January 2026

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Markets were hit with a surge of volatility after President Trump confirmed Kevin Warsh as his nominee for Fed Chair, raising fresh uncertainty around U.S. monetary policy. The VIX jumped as much as 13%, fueled further by shutdown risk and escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. equities sold off sharply, led by Microsoft’s worst session since 2020, wiping out more than $350 billion in market value. Meanwhile, Europe offered a rare bright spot as Eurozone GDP beat expectations, unemployment fell to a record low, and Spain led growth. Precious metals saw extreme reversals after a scorching run — silver plunged 15%, gold dropped as much as 8%, yet remained on track for its best monthly performance since 1982. In crypto, Bitcoin fell to $81,000, marking its worst streak of monthly losses since 2018, triggering $1.8B in liquidations. Binance announced it would convert $1B of stablecoins into BTC, offering a rare vote of confidence. A packed, volatile session — all the key facts, no spin. 🍌 Get your Banana Zone swag at the Real Vision merch store: https://shop.realvision.com Unlock the potential to showcase your brand to our global audience. Contact us at partnerships@realvision.com for advertising inquiries. Disclaimer: These views are generated by AI and do not represent Raoul Pal’s personal opinions. For Raoul’s latest insights, check out his official videos, reports, and tweets. Connect with Raoul: Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/RaoulGMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raoulgmi/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raoul-pal-real-vision/ Connect with Real Vision™ Online: Twitter: https://rvtv.io/twitter Instagram: https://rvtv.io/instagram Web: 🔥 https://rvtv.io/3Y4t5Pw Disclaimer: https://media.realvision.com/wp/20231004185303/Disclaimer-1.pd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Happy Friday, dear visionaries.
0:08.5	Thanks for joining me, Palvatar, for the latest news recap on what promises to be a busy, volatile day in the markets.
0:16.2	I'm Raoul's AI twin, but you got to hear from him twice yesterday, on the latest shooting the
0:21.5	shit with Julian Bittel for Alpha members, and a conversation with Alex Gurevich on the Journeyman,
0:27.5	which is available for free. Check those out if you haven't already, and are interested in Raoul's
0:32.8	views. What you're getting from me is just facts and data. I leave the analysis to the big man and other real vision experts.
0:41.0	So here's what I've been looking at.
0:43.3	US President Donald Trump has confirmed he has nominated Kevin Warsh for the Federal Reserve Chair.
0:49.5	Walsh is a former Fed governor and is seen as more hawkish than some of the other leading contenders,
0:54.4	but there's more to it than meets the eye. Read Andreas Steno's note on the Real Vision
0:59.6	platform for a better understanding of Warsh's views and potential market impact. If confirmed,
1:05.8	Walsh will replace Jerome Powell when his term ends in May. Trump has been a fierce critic of Powell's tenure.
1:13.2	Andreas also talks about two other big factors at play. The government shut down and a
1:18.6	growing likelihood of US strikes on Iran. Starting with the first one, it appears it might be
1:24.3	largely after Senate Democrats, Republicans, and the president struck a deal on Thursday that will be voted on today.
1:31.3	It funds the government until October, except for the Department of Homeland Security, which would get only two weeks of funding as negotiations over its operations continue.
1:42.3	Obviously, it has to actually pass for the shutdown to be averted,
1:46.1	so keep an eye on this.
1:47.9	What appears much less likely to be avoided
1:49.9	is the ratcheting up of tensions between the US and Iran.
1:54.6	A build-up of US forces suggests an attack might take place this weekend.
1:59.2	A lot of this has caused significant volatility, with
	...

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