Crypto Markets Brace for Inflation Data and Key Ethereum Upgrade Discussions -

Crypto Week Ahead: Inflation Figures, Ethereum Development and Market Catalysts

Markets are preparing for a busy week, with U.S. inflation figures likely to influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate policy ahead of its October meeting. Investors currently expect rates to remain unchanged, while a possible increase is anticipated in December.

Third-quarter earnings from major banks will provide additional insight into lending trends, trading revenues and investor appetite.

In crypto, Ethereum developers are scheduled to discuss future network upgrades, while Singapore’s consultation on stablecoin regulation will reach its deadline.

Key Dates and Events

All times are Eastern Time (ET), unless indicated otherwise.

Cryptocurrency Events

October 15: ArbitrumDAO’s proposed USDG initiative is expected to move to an off-chain vote, with the voting period scheduled to end October 22.
October 15, 10 a.m.: Ethereum developers will hold All Core Devs Consensus Call No. 189, reviewing the Glamsterdam and Hegotá upgrade plans.
October 16: Balancer partners have until this date to request extensions for selected v3 pools through November 30 under the protocol’s approved wind-down process.
October 16, 11:59 a.m.: The Monetary Authority of Singapore will conclude its public consultation on stablecoin regulation.

Economic Calendar

October 12: U.S. bond markets will be closed for Columbus Day, while equity markets will remain open.
October 13, 9:30 p.m.: China’s September CPI is expected to rise 1.0% year over year, compared with 0.8% previously. Annual PPI is projected at 4.5%, up from 3.8%.
October 14, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. September CPI is forecast to increase 0.6% month over month, compared with 0.4% previously. Annual inflation is expected to reach 3.6%, up from 3.4%.
October 14, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. core CPI is projected to rise 0.2% monthly, compared with 0.3% in the previous reading. Its annual rate is expected to climb to 2.5% from 2.4%.
October 15, 2 a.m.: U.K. GDP for August is expected to contract 0.1% month over month, following a 0.4% increase previously.
October 15, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. PPI for September is forecast to increase 0.5% monthly, versus 0.4% previously. Annual producer inflation is expected to ease to 5.3% from 5.4%.
October 15, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. core PPI is expected to rise 0.3% month over month, up from 0.2%, while its annual rate is forecast to fall to 4.4% from 4.6%.
October 15, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. retail sales are projected to grow 0.3% in September, compared with the previous 1.2% increase.
October 15, 8:30 a.m.: Initial jobless claims for the week ending October 10 are estimated at 195,000, down from 197,000 previously. Continuing claims for the week ending October 3 were last recorded at 1.716 million.
October 15, 11:30 p.m.: U.S. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh is scheduled to speak with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
October 16, 5 a.m.: Final eurozone CPI data for September is expected to show annual inflation of 3.8%, compared with 3.2% previously.

Corporate Earnings

October 14: BlackRock (BLK) is due to report before the market opens, with an estimate of $14.24.
October 15: BNY (BNY) is scheduled to release earnings before the market opens, with an estimate of $2.27.

Token Governance Developments

Balancer: Voting on a proposal to establish an independent fork with separate funding is scheduled to close October 13.
Compound: A proposal to withdraw wrapped Ether (wETH) reserves from the deprecated Ronin market and bridge them to Ethereum mainnet is open for voting until October 13.
Gitcoin: The community is considering reducing the Snapshot quorum from 2.5 million GTC to 1.5 million GTC, lowering the minimum voting power required for a valid proposal. Voting ends October 15.

Scheduled Token Unlocks

October 15 — Starknet (STRK): Tokens equal to 3.37% of circulating supply are due to unlock, with an estimated value of $13.2 million.
October 15 — Connex (CONX): Approximately 1.39% of circulating supply is scheduled for release, worth around $12.18 million.
October 16 — Arbitrum (ARB): An unlock representing 1.56% of circulating supply is expected, valued at about $18.07 million.
October 17 — Cronos (CRO): Tokens accounting for 2.33% of circulating supply are scheduled to unlock, with an estimated value of $73.08 million.