Oil jumped over 20% in July. Bitcoin's down nearly 30% this year. And your rand is caught in the middle.
Tensions near the Strait of Hormuz pushed crude to $84.67 a barrel, the sharpest monthly move since March. At the same time bitcoin's trading near multi-year lows, rattled by a hawkish Fed split, a $70 million wallet hack, and $61 million pulled from US bitcoin funds last week. Money's moving fast. Just not in one direction.
Here's the part that actually lands on you. SA's mining output cooled 5.4% this quarter, and a pricier oil import bill won't help the rand hold its line. Meanwhile AI money keeps flowing regardless, with fresh funding rounds this week touching fintech, defence and robotics. Capital's picking winners. Fast.
None of this means panic. Markets move both ways, and past moves don't preview what's next. It just means knowing what's actually moving, not just what's loud.
We broke down how to protect your money while the rand wobbles. Worth five minutes: The Rand Is Weakening: How to Protect Your Money
Until next time,
The 80eight Team
