Inflation, Markets, Crypto Shifts and Global Power Plays | The Integrity Ledger

Welcome to the Integrity Ledger — Markets whisper while power consolidates: inflation lingers, crypto trembles, regulators circle, and global politics harden. Beneath calm indexes, money moves quietly, testing trust, institutions, and investors who misread today’s signals before consequences surface worldwide soon.

The author maintains a 'higher for longer' inflation outlook, expecting rates near 3–4% rather than a return to 2%. Recent inflation figures are skewed by outliers, with underlying price growth remaining close to 3%. Market rotation favors cyclical value sectors like industrials, energy, and materials for better inflation protection and alpha generation.

Investors should focus on high-quality, low-valuation, cash-generative cyclicals to navigate this inflation regime. Emphasizing these sectors can help portfolios benefit from sustained inflation pressures while capturing growth opportunities.

Seeking Alpha

Foreign institutional investors sold Indian equities worth Rs 22,530 crore in the first fortnight of January, accelerating outflows despite selective Q3 earnings optimism. Tariff uncertainties, geopolitical risks, elevated valuations, and AI-driven global shifts underpin cautious FII positioning amid net outflows of Rs 1.66 lakh crore so far in 2025.

Sustained FII selling exerts downward pressure on the rupee and equity markets, prompting investors to prioritize quality large-cap and midcap stocks with strong earnings visibility. Sectors like IT, metals, and select PSUs may attract interest, while rate-sensitive sectors such as realty and capital goods warrant caution in portfolio exposure.

The Economic Times

Between January 19 and 23, the primary market will see significant activity highlighted by the Shadowfax Technologies mainboard IPO valued at Rs 1,907.27 crore. Additionally, three SME IPOs—Digilogic Systems, KRM Ayurveda, and Shayona Engineering—are set to open and close within the week, offering fresh equity investment opportunities.

Investors should prepare for a busy week with multiple IPO subscriptions and listings across mainboard and SME platforms, enabling portfolio diversification. The large Shadowfax IPO may attract substantial institutional interest, while the SME issues present options for exposure to emerging growth companies.

Times Now News

BlackRock has withdrawn a large amount of Bitcoin from its Coinbase Prime account shortly after BTC fell to $95,000, fueling market speculation of a potential sell-off. While some analysts believe these are routine custody transfers to BlackRock's IBIT ETF, others note the timing is unusual given recent market volatility and historical patterns. Despite these outflows, BlackRock added 6,647 BTC in a recent session, holding over 781,000 BTC, close to 4% of circulating supply.

The withdrawals have raised investor caution, as similar moves preceded past market events like options expiries. Institutional demand for Bitcoin remains evident with IBIT ETF showing net inflows, but broader market uncertainty—exacerbated by regulatory concerns and delayed Supreme Court decisions—may sustain volatility in crypto and related assets.

Bitcoin Ethereum News

CryptSync has launched a self-custody crypto wallet featuring consumer-grade insurance, seedless account creation, and social payment capabilities. The new Sync Plus membership provides wallet balance insurance starting at $7.99 per month, addressing user concerns over irreversible losses and security risks. Additional features include encrypted messaging for payments, wallet freeze controls, and proactive fraud detection to enhance user confidence and usability.

By combining insurance with non-custodial ownership, CryptSync bridges the gap between total control and total liability, potentially accelerating mainstream crypto adoption. The seedless onboarding and social payments may reduce friction for new users, while security enhancements align the wallet experience more closely with traditional financial products.

Benzinga

India’s Union Budget 2026 arrives amid heightened AI ambitions, following strong government investments including the Rs 10,372 crore IndiaAI Mission and expanded GPU capacity from 10,000 to over 38,000 units. Industry leaders urge the budget to address structural challenges such as power availability, regulatory clarity, and scalable compute access to move AI from pilots to production.

The budget’s success in ensuring affordable green power, streamlined approvals, and a clear AI governance framework will be critical for expanding data centres and domestic AI innovation. Prioritizing compute-as-infrastructure and government procurement could unlock significant growth in Indian AI startups and position the country as a global AI leader.

The Economic Times

Researchers at KU Leuven University uncovered a critical flaw in Google’s Fast Pair protocol, threatening hundreds of millions of Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, and speakers. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-36911, allows hackers within 14 meters to connect to devices wirelessly, potentially enabling eavesdropping and location tracking, even on iPhones not linked to Google accounts.

This flaw highlights the urgent need for users to update Bluetooth devices and limit pairing activity in public spaces. Cybersecurity professionals and consumers should prioritize patching affected devices and monitor for unusual device behavior to mitigate risks of unauthorized access and surveillance.

Zee News

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a Rs 22.2 crore fine on IndiGo following extensive flight cancellations and delays between December 3 and 5, 2025. IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 during the period, triggering a regulatory probe that revealed significant operational and administrative lapses. The DGCA also demanded a Rs 50 crore bank guarantee and issued formal warnings to the airline's CEO and COO.

This penalty highlights intensified regulatory scrutiny of airline operational readiness, especially during peak travel periods. IndiGo faces not only financial consequences but also heightened obligations to improve service reliability, signaling stricter enforcement that could affect its future operations and reputation among passengers.

ABP News

The Department of Justice is reportedly probing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for possible obstruction of law enforcement amid ongoing protests. A grand jury has issued subpoenas for both, although Walz’s office has not yet received official notice. The investigation follows tensions related to federal law enforcement actions, including a fatal shooting by an ICE officer and subsequent protests.

This investigation underscores escalating federal-state tensions and raises concerns over political retaliation against local leaders. The probe may deepen divisions and influence law enforcement operations amid heightened civil unrest in Minneapolis.

The Daily Beast

The Enforcement Directorate has attached land and buildings worth nearly ₹140 crore of Haryana's Al Falah University and filed charges against chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui for an alleged fraud involving fake patients, non-existent doctors, and regulatory violations. Siddiqui was arrested in November for money laundering linked to cheating students through Al Falah Charitable Trust institutions. Over 60 doctors were appointed only on paper to meet National Medical Commission norms, while fake patients were used to simulate hospital occupancy during inspections.

This case highlights systemic regulatory manipulation within educational institutions, raising concerns over oversight and governance in the higher education sector. Investors and stakeholders should monitor potential wider investigations, while regulators are likely to tighten scrutiny on compliance and accreditation processes.

ABP News

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez has submitted a bill to partially reform the Organic Law of Hydrocarbons to attract investment in undeveloped oil fields, incorporating mechanisms from the Anti-Blockade Law. This reform aims to grant legal certainty to investors and enable more flexible foreign participation, while creating sovereign funds for social programs and infrastructure.

UPI

Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced the Abolish ICE Act to dissolve U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within 90 days, citing incidents of violence and expanded agency powers under the Trump administration. The bill, supported by 46% of Americans in recent polls, faces strong opposition from DHS officials who defend ICE's role in immigration enforcement. This proposal highlights rising national tensions over immigration policy and enforcement practices.

News Week

Russian political journalist Nastya Rodionova, now in exile in France, warns that Putin's regime is on the brink of inevitable collapse due to internal contradictions, regional tensions, and economic pressures worsened by the war in Ukraine. She highlights the vast disparities between Russia's diverse regions and the unsustainable crisis fueled by Kremlin resource allocation. Rodionova believes these fractures could eventually dismantle the current authoritarian system.

Daily Express Us

China has reduced its holdings of US Treasuries to $682.6 billion, the lowest since 2008, reflecting a strategic shift away from dollar assets amid geopolitical tensions. Concurrently, China has increased its gold reserves to 74.15 million ounces, reinforcing gold as a hedge against global volatility. This diversification aims to strengthen reserve stability and reduce exposure to US fiscal risks.

The Times Of India

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