In late May, President Donald Trump issued four executive orders aimed at expanding the nuclear energy sector in the United States. As these orders begin to take effect, several Washington-based political publications have highlighted their potential implications — most notably, the possibility of ending the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) role in approving new reactor designs, shifting that responsibility to the Pentagon and the Department of Energy.

One official within the administration described the NRC’s upcoming role as merely a “rubber stamp,” implying that the commission had been too slow in approving new reactor designs — a perceived obstacle to the president’s goal of dramatically expanding nuclear power in the country. In other words, the NRC is being “sidelined,” much like FEMA was in earlier contexts.

This shift raises the question: does this change represent a genuine deregulation of commercial nuclear technologies, especially if upcoming reviews overseen by the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy turn out to be less stringent than those traditionally conducted by the NRC?

Why Is This Administrative Shift Seen as a Prelude to a Nuclear Renaissance?

Several reasons support this view. First, setting aside nuclear power itself, US electricity demand forecasts are more optimistic than they've been in decades. And it’s not just about data centers, which may prove to be a passing trend. A new high-efficiency chip could soon be developed that consumes only a fraction of current electricity, instantly reducing that demand.

We’ve repeatedly seen boom-and-bust cycles tied to rare technologies like lithium or cobalt. Yet, the growing and steady demand for electricity isn’t solely driven by modern tech — it comes from broader electrification trends: heat pumps (used for heating and cooling), electric cars and trucks, and replacing fossil fuels with electricity in industrial applications. In our view, the AI boom is just “icing on the cake,” amplifying a demand cycle that was already underway.

In short, US electricity demand is growing significantly, with or without AI, which is a positive trend for all energy sources — including nuclear.

Will Reactor Licensing Be Accelerated?

It’s difficult to gauge how much faster the reactor approval process will be without NRC oversight. So far, the NRC has approved only one design — a 50-megawatt small modular reactor (SMR) by NuScale. However, NuScale soon requested a design modification to increase capacity to 77 megawatts, resulting in additional delays, making it a poor benchmark.

Still, there are many SMR designs in the pipeline, and any regulatory acceleration would benefit them all. Reducing or eliminating the NRC’s role removes a major obstacle to the commercial viability of these new reactor designs.

Adoption by the Military and Industrial Sector

A critical step toward commercial adoption is acceptance by utilities, government, and industry. Now, thanks to the president’s orders, the US military may become a major customer for two types of small reactors: ultra-small 5–10 MW reactors to power remote locations (like Westinghouse’s eVinci), and larger models like those being developed by NuScale and Holtec.

In some ways, this return to military use is a “back to roots” moment for nuclear energy. But industry is also getting involved. Dow Chemical, for example, has ordered four 80-megawatt reactors from X-Energy to provide power and steam to its plant in Seadrift, Texas.

Despite these promising developments, however, the volume of new demand remains modest.

A Massive Project on the Horizon: Fermi America

Former US Energy Secretary Rick Perry wants to build four Westinghouse AP1000 reactors as part of a massive energy project in Texas. His company, Fermi America, is proposing a “hypergrid” of 6,000 megawatts combining nuclear, gas, and renewables to power a giant data center complex in Amarillo, Texas.

Interestingly, Amarillo is not part of ERCOT, the grid that covers most of Texas. That means the generated power would be off-grid and non-exportable.

The project was met with some ridicule when a press release claimed the first reactor would be operational by 2032. Still, it remains one of the most important projects to watch. If Fermi America can secure the permits and funding to build over 4,000 megawatts of nuclear power at once, it could be a game-changer.

It’s worth noting that multiple-reactor construction was once common among major entities like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) or the Washington Public Power Supply System, which famously ended in financial disaster.

Funding Is the Biggest Hurdle… Always

It may be time to consider a new wave of multi-reactor nuclear builds. Given America’s electricity consumption, four new reactors would account for less than 5% of California’s grid capacity, for example.

The bigger question: can these projects be financed? Funding has always been nuclear energy’s Achilles’ heel. But the good news is that electricity prices are generally rising — a trend that favors high-cost producers like nuclear.

Conclusion: A New Nuclear Era?

Let’s consider new nuclear builds through the lens of the “energy triangle,” which says power must be affordable, sustainable, and safe. But you can’t optimize all three at once.

In this context, nuclear has never been cheaper than alternatives. But it is considered sustainable (low carbon emissions) and has reliable domestic fuel supplies.

This time, though, may be different. We believe the nuclear renaissance won’t be driven by price-sensitive utilities but by price-insensitive players like industrial firms, tech companies, chipmakers, district heating systems, or major universities.

Even high-cost energy markets like Hawaii or Puerto Rico could become promising nuclear customers.

The potential market for high-priced electricity — outside traditional distribution utilities — is substantial. And the current US administration has sent a clear message to the nuclear industry: “Find buyers for your products, and we’ll approve the contracts.” It’s hard to imagine a more supportive environment than that.

Palladium prices declined during Tuesday's trading amid a rise in the US dollar against most major currencies, but palladium is nearing a key threshold due to concerns about supply disruptions.

US President Donald Trump yesterday set a new deadline ranging from 10 to 12 days for Russia to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine to end the ongoing war between the two neighbors since early 2022.

This comes as a reduction from Trump's previously granted deadline to Russia, which had spanned 50 days — ending in early September — to end the war with Ukraine, or else face 100% tariffs on countries importing goods from Russia.

On Sunday, a trade agreement was announced between the United States and the European Union stipulating the imposition of a 15% tariff on most European goods, instead of 30%. US President Donald Trump also indicated that the deal includes a commitment from the European Union to purchase $750 billion worth of American energy products over the coming years.

Meanwhile, senior officials from the United States and China are scheduled to meet in Stockholm today, Monday, in an attempt to extend the trade truce before the August 12 deadline.

The Federal Reserve is also holding its meeting, which begins today and continues through Wednesday, amid expectations of keeping the interest rate in the range of 4.25% to 4.5%.

Traders will focus on the wording of the statement and accompanying remarks in search of potential signals for later interest rate cuts this year. A dovish tone from the Fed could further support Bitcoin by reducing returns on low-interest safe assets.

On the other hand, the dollar index rose by 0.4% to 99.01 points at 16:24 GMT, recording a high of 99.1 points and a low of 98.5 points.

As for trading, palladium futures for September delivery fell by 1.3% to $1275 per ounce at 16:24 GMT.

Bitcoin remained relatively stable over the past 24 hours, continuing to trade above the $118,000 mark despite reports of a major sell-off by Galaxy Digital.

Bitcoin Calms Near $119,000

The cryptocurrency dropped sharply on Thursday and Friday following a massive sale of 80,000 BTC led by Galaxy Digital on behalf of a third party, pushing Bitcoin to a two-week low of $114,500.

After the sell-off was completed, Bitcoin quickly regained momentum, surging back to its usual range near $117,000 over the weekend. Gains extended into Monday morning, with prices approaching $120,000 before encountering resistance and retreating to $117,500, later stabilizing near $119,000 — resulting in a near 0% daily change.

Analysts expect further volatility over the next two days as markets await the Federal Reserve's decision on whether to cut interest rates or maintain current levels.

With Bitcoin steadily approaching the $120,000 threshold, optimism is rising in the crypto market, particularly as institutional investment and large-scale treasury purchases grow.

Bitcoin Momentum Reignites Interest in Altcoins

Bitcoin is currently trading at $118,888.16, up 0.69% on the day, with its market capitalization surpassing $2.36 trillion. Daily trading volume surged by 33.22% to over $61.39 billion.

This activity has sparked renewed interest in identifying the best cryptocurrencies to invest in, especially among digital treasuries seeking alternatives to Bitcoin and Ethereum. There's a growing focus on projects offering low gas fees, decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, and multi-chain utility applications.

Emerging tokens like Remittix (RTX) are gaining attention as promising options due to their real-world solutions in global finance.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s dominance over the altcoin market remains above 59%, with its market cap stable at $2.365 trillion, according to CoinGecko data.

How High Can Bitcoin Go? Citi Forecasts Point to $200K

Citi Group analysts Alex Sanders and Nathaniel Robert issued diverging forecasts for Bitcoin’s future, setting a base target of $135,133, with an optimistic scenario reaching $199,340 by year-end.

They noted that this outlook marks a fundamental shift in how traditional financial institutions view the crypto market — no longer as a speculative asset but as an integral part of the global financial infrastructure.

“Crypto assets now represent a significant share of capital,” they added, “and the total crypto market cap is on par with the world’s largest publicly traded companies.”

Citi’s forecast aligns with other bullish reports, including a Bridge Capital analysis by Anthony Scaramucci predicting $200,000, and VanEck’s forecast of $180,000.

ETF Inflows Driving Bitcoin’s Price Surge

One key point in Citi’s analysis is that inflows into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become the main driver behind Bitcoin’s recent price rise. Data shows that 41% of Bitcoin’s price volatility can be explained solely by ETF activity since their launch.

Citi noted that the market has seen $19 billion in inflows so far this year, including $5.5 billion in recent weeks. They estimate that each $1 billion in weekly ETF inflows corresponds to a 3.6% price increase for Bitcoin, underscoring a direct mathematical link between institutional demand and price growth.

Oil prices rose on Tuesday, driven by optimism over easing trade tensions between the United States and its key trading partners, while US President Donald Trump increased pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine.

Brent crude futures climbed by 47 cents, or 0.7%, to $70.51 a barrel by 09:24 GMT, after hitting their highest level since July 18. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose by 53 cents, or 0.8%, to $67.24 a barrel.

Both benchmarks had ended the previous session more than 2% higher.

The latest increase followed the announcement of a trade agreement between the US and the European Union, which imposed 15% tariffs on most European goods but avoided a full-blown trade war between the two major allies. Such a conflict would have impacted nearly a third of global trade and weakened fuel demand prospects.

The deal also includes a pledge by the EU to purchase $750 billion worth of American energy over the next three years — a figure analysts say the EU has virtually no chance of meeting. It also stipulates that European companies will invest $600 billion in the US during Trump’s second term.

Meanwhile, top economic officials from the US and China continued their second day of talks in Stockholm, seeking to resolve long-standing trade disputes and step back from the brink of an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

Separately, Trump announced on Monday a new "10 or 12-day" deadline for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, threatening sanctions on Russia and its export buyers if no tangible progress is made.

ING Group said in a note: “Oil prices rose after President Trump’s remarks on shortening the deadline for Russia to reach an agreement with Ukraine to end the war, which sparked concerns about supply.”

At the same time, market participants are awaiting the results of the US Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, scheduled for July 29–30.

The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged, but may signal a dovish shift in light of signs of slowing inflation, according to Priyanka Sachdeva, senior analyst at brokerage firm Phillip Nova.