Cryptocurrency markets rallied sharply into the weekend as the Strait of Hormuz reopened, easing a key geopolitical pressure point that had weighed on risk assets. The strait, through which roughly 20% of global oil supply transits, had been a focal point of tension, and its reopening reduced the near-term risk premium embedded across commodity and financial markets. Crypto, which had traded in correlation with broader risk sentiment during the period of elevated tension, moved higher as that overhang lifted. The rally suggests traders interpreted the reopening as a signal to rotate back into higher-beta assets. What to watch: whether the crypto move holds into next week will depend on whether the Hormuz situation remains stable and whether broader risk appetite sustains the bid across equities and commodities as well.
Indian startups raised $5.2 billion across 501 deals in H1 2026, down 9% in value but up 7% in deal count year-on-year, per the Inc42 Indian Tech Startup Funding Report. The drop is driven by fewer mega-rounds, while AI funding surged 317% and growth-stage deal activity hit a multi-year high.
The BSE Sensex fell 893 points and the Nifty 50 shed 279 points on June 30, 2026, wiping out roughly Rs 6 lakh crore in investor wealth in a single session. Both indices dropped 1.16%, closing at 76,200.68 and 23,824.10 respectively.
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares fell nearly 3% to Rs 397.6 after CEO Ashok Vaswani announced plans to exit the bank. Investor concern now centres on succession timing and whether the bank's ongoing digital and deposit-growth strategy will stay on track.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 3% at Monday's open while Japan's Nikkei fell 1%, as escalating US-Iran conflict triggered a broad risk-off move across Asian markets. South Korea's heavy reliance on Middle East oil imports makes it especially vulnerable to geopolitical shocks of this kind.
