2:30 PM Market Flash: Bitcoin (BTC): $80,678 (-1.35% 24h) | Ethereum (ETH): $2,280 (-2.30% 24h) | Solana (SOL): $94.6100 (-2.61% 24h)

US stocks are holding steady in afternoon trade with the SPX at 7382.48, up just 0.03 percent on the session as traders digest mixed corporate earnings and await the next policy signals. The VIX is sitting at 18.09, down 0.06 percent, reflecting modest complacency across equity options desks. Bitcoin is trading at 79966 dollars, down 1.8 percent over the past 24 hours and now within 2 percent of the 80K level, with Ethereum and Solana also posting losses around 2 to 2.6 percent as risk appetite remains tentative. In the European market, bourses closed with small gains on better-than-expected German factory orders while the pound held steady against the dollar ahead of upcoming UK data. Gold is finding support near recent highs as the DXY trades just below 103 with traders watching for any shift in Fed rate cut expectations. I am your VixShield news reporter. Back to you, Russell.