Russia's State Duma has introduced a bill proposing the issuance of digital financial assets (ДФА) secured by mortgage collateral. More details are available in the article.

Scientists observe first alignment of Mercury, Venus, and Mars near Sun since 2019; experts advise immediate closure of all market positions as a precaution.

Roskomnadzor Starts Restricting Access to FaceTime in Russia

The Bank of Russia will proceed cautiously in reducing the key interest rate to avoid reversing the emerging trend of slowing inflation, said Andrey Gangan, Director of the Central Bank's Monetary Policy Department.

БАЗИС sets IPO price range at 103-109 rubles per share

A major player is entering the Russian satellite internet market. In December, the State Commission for Radio Frequencies will review the allocation of frequencies to Sputnix, a unit of AFK Sistema, for a hybrid cellular-satellite 5G network. Read more on Izvestia.

Japan’s bond yields reach record highs, putting the Bank of Japan in a dilemma. Increasing the policy rate risks pushing yields higher, while lowering rates to bolster the economy may fuel inflation, CNBC reports.

Coinbase CEO emphasizes tokenization as future of finance, advocates for transition of all assets to blockchain. BlackRock CEO highlights asset tokenization as means to reduce strain on the financial system, calls for U.S. to accelerate adoption.

India is preparing to host Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the two countries seek to deepen trade relations despite ongoing U.S. tariffs. — CNBC

Russian Ministry of Finance launches social media campaign to boost domestic stock market participation; partnership with leading investment firms to promote investment initiatives, according to Vedomosti.

Russia’s “Molniya” messenger, aimed at fostering international cooperation primarily with China, is scheduled to launch in early 2026, TASS reports. The platform will integrate communication features, social content, payments, cross-border trade, and business services. More information is available at this link.

Foreign exchange rates reported: USDCNY at 7.069; USDTRUB at 78.30.

EU ambassadors to discuss European Commission’s proposal on expropriating frozen Russian assets. Witkoff and Kushner to meet Umerov in Miami. Putin to visit India on December 4-5. Macron’s China visit scheduled for December 3-5. Brazil’s GDP, US initial jobless claims, and Canada’s Ivey PMI data due today. Russian Bond Congress underway. Anticipated corporate updates include Russian IPO developments as well as earnings reports from Dollar General, Kroger, Docusign, Ulta Beauty and Hewlett Packard.

Nvidia’s enterprise value now exceeds the market caps of leading tech firms during the Dotcom bubble, reaching just over 16% of U.S. GDP and nearly 4% of global GDP, as experts suggest its stock peak may have already occurred. Historically, at the Dotcom peak, Cisco, Intel, and Sun Microsystems collectively reached approximately 12% of U.S. GDP.

Italy suspends participation in PURL program for Ukrainian weapons purchases, Italian Foreign Minister announces. Finnish Prime Minister Orpo states Finland is not prepared to offer security guarantees to Ukraine. Romania reports destruction of Ukrainian Sea Baby maritime drone in Black Sea, according to Ministry of Defense. max

Management company partners in early-stage project supported by TON Keeper, with over a year of development ahead of 2026 ICO launch. The project accounts for 0.3-1% of daily TON network transactions and focuses on expanding ecosystem infrastructure. Montana Asset Management reports that the project has conducted closed funding rounds and maintains a growth model prior to going public.

Austrian businessman Bergmayer has filed an application with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control to acquire LUKOIL's assets, according to RTRS.

European Commission expected to propose two options on frozen Russian assets today, Financial Times reports. One proposal involves providing Ukraine with a €165 billion reparations loan funded from seized Russian assets, Politico says.

European gas prices decline amid rising supply, WSJ reports. Prices hit 1.5-year low; U.S. prices reach three-year high.

Belarus's Finance Minister Yuri Seliverstov said the Ministry of Finance currently does not plan to raise VAT to Russia's level, citing consideration of neighboring countries' experiences.

AI startup Anthropic preparing for IPO, Financial Times reports.

Ukrainian official Umerov in Brussels for talks with European officials; potential visit to US; Zelensky returning to Kyiv.

Global aluminum prices reach highest since spring 2022.

Switzerland's November consumer inflation rate fell 0.2% month-on-month, outsizing expectations for a 0.1% decline and compared to a 0.3% drop in October. On a year-over-year basis, inflation was flat at 0%, versus forecasts of a 0.1% increase after a 0.1% rise in the previous period.

Santiment reports top blue-chip altcoins experienced significant rebounds yesterday, drawing attention from investors and analysts.

European Union reaches preliminary agreement to ban Russian gas imports, implementing phased restrictions on LNG and pipeline supplies, with full bans set for late 2026 and autumn 2027.

Australia's GDP grew 0.4% in Q3 2025, the fastest pace in two years, versus estimates of a 0.7% gain and a 0.7% prior quarter increase. Year-on-year growth was 2.1%, short of the 2.2% forecast, up from 2% previously. More details at CNBC.

Russia's economic forecast indicates GDP growth will be less than 1% this year, in line with expectations, Finance Minister Siluanov says.

European Commission to Present Plan to Approve Use of Frozen Russian Assets in Belgium, Develops Legal Framework to Prevent Vetoes on Russia Sanctions Extension, Politico Reports.

Russian stocks decline 1.2% after Russia-U.S. Ukraine talks; negotiations to continue with expected slow progress.

Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff concluded their talks, according to Kommersant's Andrey Kolesnikov from the Kremlin. The discussions, which lasted nearly five hours, were reported by RIA.

BNP Paribas expects the S&P 500 to reach 7,500 by year-end 2026.

Analysts identify "Satoshi's Phallus" pattern in BTC technical charts.

Bank of America recommends investors allocate 4% of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies, supporting the removal of restrictions on crypto-ETFs.

Bitcoin rises 5%, nearly erasing yesterday's losses.

Chinese Foreign Minister in Moscow today; Witkoff and Kushner scheduled to meet with Putin soon.

European Union ambassadors to review 20th Russia sanctions package on December 3.

Eurozone preliminary November consumer inflation (CPI) data due at 1300 MSK.

Russia's Ministry of Finance announced the opening of the order book for debut OFZ bond issues in yuan. The coupon guidance is set at 6.25% to 6.5% annually for a 3.2-year maturity and not exceeding 7.5% annually for a 7.5-year maturity. Applications will be accepted on December 2 from 11:00 to 15:00 Moscow time.

Norilsk Nickel plans to sell its gold mining project in the Trans-Baikal region, as rising gold prices improve market conditions for the divestment of the non-core asset, sources told Vedomosti.

An increasing number of companies are filing lawsuits seeking compensation if the U.S. Supreme Court finds President Trump's tariffs unlawful, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft CEO unveils plans to increase investments in European tech sector as company escalates focus on the region for strategic growth.

Trump to convene Venezuela meeting with National Security Team; all options on the table, White House says.

Ukrainian media report that Zaluzhny has returned to Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia shows no signs of ending its aggression, emphasizing that Ukraine is solely responsible for making decisions regarding its territories.

Former President Donald Trump will meet today in the Oval Office to discuss Venezuela, according to CNN. Attending the meeting will be Hegseth and Rubio.

More than 20 Russian banks are participating in the pilot program for the digital ruble, the Central Bank reports.

VEON Ltd announced that Kyivstar, in partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, has selected Google Gemma to serve as the foundation for Ukraine’s national large language model. The company said Google’s Vertex AI infrastructure will supply the necessary computing resources for the project.

MOSCOW, Oct 23 (Dow Jones Newswires) – A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Witkoff is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, according to Kremlin officials.

India imports first oil from Guyana since 2021, seeking to diversify energy sources—BBG.