Financial news, budget and personal finances
The Bank for International Settlements warns: hyperscalers are financing AI infrastructure through opaque structures that remain off-balance sheets. If profitability disappoints, the crisis could spread far beyond Silicon Valley.
By a 5-4 vote, the court refused Trump the right to remove a member of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, whom the president is attempting to fire for the first time in the central bank's 111-year history. However, the final word has not yet been spoken.
Over eight months, more than 210 million hryvnias passed through the accounts of five shell companies — with each transaction allegedly generating 0.15% commission for the banker personally. The investigation states that the scheme was sustained by an agreement between the bank's head and the businessman, confirmed by their correspondence.
The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange lost its license through Greece, but is already planning a new application through Paris. Millions of users in Poland, Spain, Italy, and France received letters with instructions on how to withdraw their funds.
# Nasdaq Changed Rules Specifically for Low-Float Companies. SpaceX Became the First to Use the Innovation — and Will Force Passive Funds to Automatically Buy Its Shares for $4.3 Billion.
The Fund and Kyiv reached a staff-level agreement after two structural benchmarks were completed with delays, and one was not completed at all. The Board of Directors will consider the matter by mid-July.
In Gdansk, agreements were signed to launch the Flagship Reconstruction Fund for Ukraine — the largest equity fund for the country's recovery. The initial capital from five European state banks is expected to attract 26 times more private investments, but the mechanism for attracting funds has only been declared so far.
At URC 2026 in Gdańsk, the Ministry of Development signed an agreement with the Council of Europe Development Bank: €251 million for vouchers, compensation, and preferential mortgages for those who lost their homes due to the war. However, 32,000 submitted applications and a budget for only 10,000 families—this is already the arithmetic of a queue, not a solution.
The budget declaration for 2027–2029 exists in two versions depending on whether the war ends this year. The figures diverge dramatically — and this is the key thing to understand about the document.
# International Investment Bank Challenges National Bank Fine in Court. NBU Says It Will Stand Its Ground. What's Behind This Conflict—and Why the Outcome Matters More Than the Amount.
The NBU opens applications for a limited banking license starting June 26. But while the state operator was fighting for this law, private Nova Group quietly bought BTA Bank to occupy the niche first.
The NBU for the second consecutive time left unchanged the list of 16 systemically important banks. Behind the stable list are new capital requirements that will take effect in 2027.
The NBU allowed insurance company "Veles" to wind down its portfolio and surrender its license. About 38 companies left the market in 2025 — and the process is not yet complete.
# The Hryvnia Exchange Rate to the Euro Has Hit a Historic Low. Here's What's Behind It and What to Expect Next.
# From June 16 in circulation — the last banknote without a patriotic slogan. Two years before that, the NBU didn't print new "hundreds" at all — and here's why.
Canadian payment company Nuvei is acquiring American Payoneer, which is actively used by Ukrainian freelancers and exporters. By 2027, both platforms are expected to merge into one with an annual turnover of $500 billion.
On the night of June 15, Russia struck directly at the Stefaniv Chapel of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Now priority repair work will be financed from the state reserve fund — the same fund that was spent on 87% of its annual limit by the beginning of summer.
# US-Iran Deal on Strait of Hormuz Pushed BTC Above $65,600, but Growth Mechanism Is More Complex Than "Crypto Saved by Geopolitics"
A staff-level agreement between the IMF and Ukraine has recorded the failure of three structural benchmarks from the first quarter. Funds will be disbursed along with a list of new commitments, ranging from VAT on parcels to utilities tariff reform.
In the first quarter of 2026, Russia directed almost half of its federal budget toward the war — and for the first time in three years showed economic contraction. The money is there, but the price keeps rising.
The Fund approved the first review of the EFF program, although one structural benchmark remains unmet and two were implemented with delays. Kyiv will receive the funds — if the Board of Directors approves the agreement in the coming weeks — and in return takes on new commitments on taxes, tariffs, and public administration.
The Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court annulled provisions of Law No. 2136 that allowed reducing paid leave for minors and people with disabilities. The norms became invalid immediately — from May 19, 2026.
Following SpaceX's record share placement at $75 billion, Elon Musk's wealth crossed the $1.11 trillion mark — with the majority of this fortune tied up in the company that remains unprofitable by GAAP standards.
On June 18, Kyiv will officially request $20 billion from allies beyond its own record defense spending — while the combat advantage still exists, but the financial reserves for new purchases are running out.
The Verkhovna Rada failed to gather even 226 votes for the law required by the IMF. The Fund still approved the tranche — but postponed the condition rather than canceling it.
The Fund agreed to a staff-level agreement despite the failure of a crucial vote — but made it clear this is the final extension. Parliament must pass the law by the end of July.
# The "We Are Strong. We Are Together" Series is More Than Just a Souvenir. These Are Circulating Coins That Pass Through the Hands of Millions Daily and Gradually Replace Mazepa With a Map of Regional Resilience.
The Rada has just voted for a record defense budget of 4.4 trillion hryvnias, but even it fails to cover the current deficit in military payments. Svyrydenko promised a reform in July — the third time this year.
The World Bank has lowered its forecast for global GDP growth to 2.5% — the lowest level since the pandemic. Under the base scenario, oil is expected to cost $94 per barrel, fertilizer prices have surged by 80%, and 12% of the global population is already facing hunger ahead of a new wave of inflation.
# Translation The Verkhovna Rada allocated additional funds for maintaining the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, but the internal logic of the figures reveals the true scale of the problem: Ukrainian money covers operational expenses, while after a drone strike in February 2025, the confinement structure has still not been restored.