2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!

Summary:

The 2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 officially concluded on November 8, 2025, after two weeks of intense and exciting competition. Co-hosted by FastBull, BeeMarkets, and TMGM, the contest attracted outstanding traders from across Asia who showcased exceptional strategy execution and risk management skills in the dynamic gold market, delivering an impressive performance throughout the event.

2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!_1

With a virtual starting balance of $100,000 and 1:400 leverage, participants competed fiercely for the live funded account prizes sponsored by BeeMarkets and TMGM. After careful review and result verification, we are proud to announce the Top Five Traders and their remarkable achievements:

2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!_2

Contest Account Profile of the 1st Place: ZDYQ3593GK (Pakistan)

Learn more about the trader: https://www.fastbull.com/traders/user-zdyq3593gk/account/3695984422392578048

2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!_3

Contest Account Profile of the 2nd Place: RaGnRaG (Indonesia)

Learn more about the trader: https://www.fastbull.com/traders/user-ragnrag/account/3684532252875055104

2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!_4

Contest Account Profile of the 3rd Place: Aman Verma (India)

Learn more about the trader: https://www.fastbull.com/traders/user-dor71vq4m1/account/3704824530239635456

2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!_5

Contest Account Profile of the 4th Place: Dave (India)

Learn more about the trader: https://www.fastbull.com/traders/user-dave_insider/account/3703102213994209280

2025 FastBull Trading Contest Asia S1 Wraps Up, Top Five Traders Announced!_6

Contest Account Profile of the 5th Place: Mark Cipher (Philippines)

Learn more about the trader: https://www.fastbull.com/traders/user-marksz09/account/3693424999841284096

Taking home the championship title is ZDYQ3593GK from Pakistan, who earned the $3,000 live funded account sponsored by BeeMarkets. RaGnRaG from Indonesia and Aman Verma from India secured the second and third places, receiving $2,000 live funded accounts sponsored by BeeMarkets and TMGM respectively.

FastBull has contacted all winners via their registered contest emails, and the live funded accounts will be issued soon. We sincerely thank all traders for their participation, passion, and exceptional performance. This contest was not only a fierce competition of trading strategy and skill but also a high-level platform built by FastBull to connect global traders and showcase their talent.

We look forward to the upcoming FastBull Global Trading Contest, where even more talented traders will rise and shine on the global stage!

View the full rankings and account performance details:

https://www.fastbull.com/trading-contest/detail/10?contest=pro

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

You understand and acknowledge that there is a high degree of risk involved in trading. Following any strategies or investment methods may lead to potential losses. The content on the site is provided by our contributors and analysts for information purposes only. You are solely responsible for determining whether any trading assets, securities, strategy, or any other product is suitable for investing based on your own investment objectives and financial situation.

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Gerik

Economic

Proposed reforms threaten Vietnam’s competitive edge

Vietnam’s National Assembly is preparing to adopt amendments to its high-tech law in December that would eliminate special incentive provisions on taxes, duties, and land for foreign investors in high-tech industries. These revisions follow Vietnam’s implementation of the 15% Global Minimum Tax under OECD guidance, which already eroded favorable tax conditions for multinationals like Samsung, which previously paid effective tax rates as low as 5%.

This legal overhaul is seen by many Korean businesses as a potential reversal of the policies that initially drew them to Vietnam. The Korean Chamber of Commerce (Kocham) publicly warned Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh that the move could damage long-term goals like technology transfer, workforce development, and ongoing investment expansion.

Korean investors voice mounting unease

South Korean firms, which have invested a cumulative $92 billion in Vietnam (equivalent to around 20% of the nation’s GDP), are alarmed by the lack of clarity on how compensation for lost incentives will be administered. Samsung alone accounts for over 10% of Vietnam’s exports and produces 60% of its global phone output in the country.

While there’s no current threat of capital flight or halted expansion, Korean officials speaking anonymously acknowledged that firms like Samsung are closely monitoring the reforms and weighing the increased tax burden. These signals of investor discomfort could chill further investment in Vietnam’s critical high-tech sector unless clearer guidelines are provided.

U.S. trade friction complicates outlook

Vietnam’s internal reforms are unfolding amid external trade challenges, particularly with the United States its largest export destination. A 20% U.S. import duty imposed in August on Vietnamese goods has already stung local manufacturers, and the White House has floated the possibility of raising tariffs to 40% on electronics and goods that rely on foreign components.

These proposed duties disproportionately affect Vietnam’s electronics industry, which is largely dominated by Korean firms. Washington’s scrutiny of transshipment and rules-of-origin has left multinationals uncertain about how to structure their supply chains going forward.

Kocham has urged Vietnam and the U.S. to negotiate a “fair and reasonable” transshipment rule to ensure Korean investors can operate in a stable regulatory environment. The lack of clear criteria around U.S. tariff policy only deepens strategic risk.

Policy direction favors local champions

Amid this pressure, Vietnam appears increasingly focused on promoting domestic firms. Recent reforms suggest a shift toward supporting national champions with favorable policies, potentially at the expense of foreign-led export-driven growth.

This pivot could reflect Vietnam’s desire to strengthen technological sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign capital especially as global trade tensions and nearshoring strategies reshape international supply chains. However, such moves risk disincentivizing some of the very investors that transformed Vietnam into a global manufacturing hub over the past two decades.

Vietnam’s decision to restructure high-tech subsidies represents a pivotal moment in its economic model. While aligning with global tax standards and boosting domestic capacity may serve long-term development goals, the abrupt shift has unsettled key foreign investors like Samsung. With U.S. tariffs looming and investor incentives under threat, Vietnam’s ability to manage both internal reform and external trade pressures will determine whether it can sustain its role as a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse or risk losing its competitive edge in the region.

Source: Reuters

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Gerik

Economic

Fed signals pause after prior cuts, inflation still sticky

In her first public comments since the Federal Reserve’s October 29 policy meeting, Boston Fed President Susan Collins made it clear that while she had supported rate reductions previously, she sees no urgency to lower rates further in the near term. Speaking in Boston, she stated that the current economic environment marked by stubborn inflation and stable demand justifies maintaining current rates for an extended period.

Collins noted that while the U.S. labor market may face some pressure, it hasn’t shown significant deterioration since summer, weakening the argument for immediate monetary easing. Without a “notable deterioration” in employment or a clearer downward trend in inflation, she said further cuts could risk halting progress toward the Fed’s 2% inflation target.

Impact of data blackout due to shutdown

A key complication in the Fed’s current outlook is the lack of fresh inflation data following the U.S. government shutdown. Collins emphasized that without timely data, policymakers are essentially navigating in a partial fog. She stressed the need to first assess how recent rate cuts since September are impacting the economy before considering additional moves.

Her remarks echo broader Fed caution, with policymakers now aligning more closely on a wait-and-see approach. Collins, like others, wants to ensure inflation is moving “sustainably” toward the 2% goal before adjusting policy further.

Broader Fed sentiment shifts toward holding rates

Collins joins a growing group of Federal Reserve officials who are leaning against further easing. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic recently called inflation the “more urgent risk,” arguing that he sees no clear signs price pressures will dissipate before mid-2026. He warned against assuming inflation will subside on its own, especially with factors like tariffs pushing goods prices higher.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee also reinforced the higher bar for future cuts, particularly after the Fed has already made two reductions this year. Goolsbee emphasized the prolonged period over four and a half years during which inflation has stayed above target.

On the opposite end of the policy spectrum, Fed Governor Stephen Miran has advocated for more aggressive easing, arguing that interest rates are too restrictive. Miran continues to call for a 50-basis-point cut, believing that current inflation readings are backward-looking and that disinflationary trends, particularly in housing, are being underestimated.

Tariffs reemerge as key inflation driver

Collins acknowledged that recent inflation readings have been skewed by an uptick in goods prices, largely due to new tariffs. This development has offset the gradual cooling in housing inflation and has become a critical factor in assessing the inflation outlook. Her remarks suggest that external shocks, like trade policy, are playing an increasing role in short-term inflation dynamics a factor complicating the Fed’s calibration of interest rates.

Susan Collins’ comments reinforce a cautious monetary stance at the Fed. While acknowledging progress on inflation and the rationale for earlier rate cuts, she is firmly in the camp favoring a hold on additional easing. With limited data, ongoing tariff-driven price volatility, and still-resilient economic demand, the Fed appears content to pause possibly through early 2026 unless clear signs emerge that inflation is on a sustainable downward path or labor markets materially weaken. The next few months of data, once available, will likely determine the Fed’s trajectory heading into the new year.

Source: Yahoo Finance

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Daniel Carter

Economic

The U.K. economy grew a meager 0.1% in the third quarter, according to preliminary figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Economists polled by Reuters expected the economy to have grown 0.2% over the July-September period, following an expansion of 0.3% in the second quarter.

Month-on-month, the economy shrank by 0.1% in September, following no growth in August (which was revised down from a 0.1% expansion in the ONS' previous data).

The data comes ahead of the British government's highly anticipated Autumn Budget on Nov. 26, at which Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is expected to announce fresh tax hikes in order to fill a fiscal black hole.

There are concerns that tax hikes could put a dampener on consumer spending and economic activity but the economy could get a pre-Christmas boost if the Bank of England cuts interest rates at its last meeting of the year on Dec. 18.

At its most recent meeting last week, the central bank held off trimming rates with BOE Governor Andrew Bailey telling CNBC that he and the bank's monetary policy committee wanted to see another batch of inflation and labor market prints before acting.

Rob Wood, chief U.K. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, was among the economists expecting a Christmas rate cut whether the latest GDP data showed a bounce, or not.

"We believe the MPC [BOE's monetary policy committee) would reduce rates in December even with an upside GDP surprise, as a likely contractionary Budget on November 26 dominates its deliberations," Wood said in emailed analysis ahead of the GDP data.

"But growth is proving resilient, running close to the U.K.'s potential of 0.3% quarter-to-quarter despite strong headwinds from fiscal and global uncertainty."

Wood believed that resilient growth would limit the emergence of spare capacity, making it trickier for the BOE to cut interest rates again in 2026, although some economists predict there could be two rate cuts next year.

Source: CNBC

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Economic

Stocks

European equities set for positive start after U.S. relief rally

Major European stock markets are projected to open higher on Thursday, following gains in Asia-Pacific markets and U.S. futures, after President Donald Trump signed a funding bill that ended the longest government shutdown in American history. The resolution of the 43-day deadlock has restored near-term confidence in public-sector stability and eased investor concerns about prolonged policy paralysis.

According to IG market data, Germany’s DAX is expected to open up 0.4%, while France’s CAC 40 and Italy’s FTSE MIB are seen 0.25% higher. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 is anticipated to start just above the flatline, suggesting cautious optimism amid mixed commodity signals and ongoing economic headwinds in the British market.

U.S. political breakthrough reverberates across global markets

The shutdown’s end provides a much-needed boost to global equity sentiment. The House of Representatives passed the interim funding measure in a 222–209 vote late Wednesday, ensuring federal government operations will continue through January 30. The shutdown’s resolution not only avoids further disruption to key U.S. services and economic data but also removes a major source of political risk that had been weighing on risk assets worldwide.

Asia-Pacific equities responded positively overnight, while U.S. futures showed modest gains, with the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all trending slightly upward in pre-market trading. This global uptick sets the tone for a risk-on session in Europe.

Focus returns to macro data and earnings

With the immediate crisis in Washington resolved, market participants are refocusing on economic indicators, corporate earnings, and central bank policy. However, the data vacuum left by the U.S. shutdown including missing October jobs and inflation reports may temporarily complicate global economic forecasting and add volatility in upcoming sessions.

Still, investors are hopeful that stability in U.S. governance, even if temporary, will allow markets to move forward with greater clarity, especially heading into the holiday season and the European Central Bank’s year-end policy guidance.

The reopening of the U.S. government has removed a major source of global market tension, allowing European indices to track upward in early trading. While today’s relief rally reflects short-term optimism, investors remain cautious ahead of the next funding deadline in late January and amid persistent macroeconomic concerns, including inflation, energy market instability, and soft consumer demand across Europe.

Source: CNBC

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Gerik

Economic

Contango in WTI signals near-term supply pressure

The clearest indication of global oversupply appears in the U.S. oil market, where the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures curve is now in sustained contango for most of 2026. This structure where futures contracts for later months are priced higher than near-term deliveries implies weaker current demand and rising storage incentives. Such a configuration is typically associated with glutted markets where oil is more valuable in the future than today due to surplus conditions.

This trend is not isolated. According to the latest government data, U.S. crude exports reached their highest monthly level since July 2024, confirming robust domestic production and a strong outward flow of oil despite softening demand signals.

Brent market flat but equally vulnerable

In contrast, the global benchmark Brent shows a flatter forward curve beyond March 2026, but that doesn't imply strength. The absence of a strong backwardation (where near-term prices trade above future prices) highlights similarly sluggish demand for immediate supply.

Additional pressure is evident in North Sea markets, where the Brent-Dubai Exchange of Futures for Swaps (EFS), a key arbitrage indicator turned negative. This rare inversion means Brent is now trading at a discount to Dubai crude, further underlining weakening conditions in the Atlantic Basin.

OPEC and IEA projections confirm a rising surplus

Both the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) now anticipate oversupply in 2026, reversing earlier expectations of a tight market. OPEC has revised its forecast from a third-quarter deficit to a surplus due to a combination of stronger-than-expected U.S. production and internal supply increases. Meanwhile, the IEA is forecasting a record global surplus next year, amplifying market anxiety over excess inventories.

Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights, noted in a Bloomberg Television interview that although current trends point to continued weakness in prompt demand, a severe breakdown in pricing structures is unlikely. She expects the forward curve to remain flooded with contango signals but ruled out a sharp widening of the spread, indicating that traders may adjust positions gradually rather than aggressively dump futures contracts.

The structural contango in U.S. oil futures and the softness in Brent pricing point to a fundamental shift in global oil dynamics, where production is exceeding demand with increasing visibility. While the U.S. market shows the most acute signals of oversupply thanks to surging exports and high domestic output the global market is not insulated. With record surpluses looming in 2026 and weak prompt demand across regions, pricing pressure may persist absent a sharp production cut or unexpected geopolitical disruption. For now, oil traders will be watching futures spreads closely as the clearest signal of what lies ahead.

Source: Bloomberg

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Economic

Shutdown ends, but recovery lags behind

President Donald Trump has officially signed legislation ending the unprecedented 43-day government shutdown, allowing federal agencies to begin resuming operations on Thursday. While this marks the formal conclusion of the impasse, government officials and economists warn that the return to full function will be staggered and potentially delayed for weeks.

Major systems such as payroll, benefit distribution, and air travel regulation are still rebooting. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that it could take up to a week to lift flight restrictions imposed during the shutdown, a disruption that already impacted thousands of flights. Delta Air Lines expects the shutdown’s effect to dent quarterly earnings but anticipates a return to normal operations in time for the Thanksgiving travel surge.

Economic cost and data gap loom large

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the six-week shutdown would cut GDP growth by 1.5 percentage points in the current quarter. Although about half of that loss may be recovered through back pay and resumed federal activity in early 2026, some damage is likely permanent.

One particularly severe outcome is the disruption of federal economic data reporting. Key releases such as the October Jobs Report and Consumer Price Index (CPI) are unlikely to be published, according to the White House. This data blackout complicates monetary policy decisions and economic forecasting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to issue an updated release calendar in the coming days.

Benefits delayed, not restored instantly

While the bill mandates retroactive payment for furloughed federal workers, actual disbursements will take time. A senior administration official stated that paychecks will begin arriving Saturday, with a target of completing all back payments by November 19.

For the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the backlog is even more complex. Due to technical and logistical constraints only two companies manage all state EBT systems states need up to a week to restore full benefits to 42 million low-income Americans.

Healthcare policy fight unresolved

Democratic lawmakers largely opposed the funding bill because it excluded an extension of ACA (Obamacare) health insurance subsidies, which are set to expire at year’s end. Senate Democrats initially blocked a Republican-backed bill, demanding the subsidy extension. Ultimately, a small group of centrist Democrats crossed party lines to end the standoff, in exchange for a promise of a December Senate vote on the subsidies.

However, House Speaker Mike Johnson has made no commitment to allow a House vote on the matter, and President Trump has signaled strong opposition to simply renewing the subsidies. Instead, he suggested a broader overhaul of healthcare funding may be on the table. This leaves the future of ACA subsidies uncertain and sets up a likely policy flashpoint ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Political backlash and fractures within parties

Trump hailed the shutdown resolution as a Republican victory, stating that his party refused to bow to “extortion.” Speaker Johnson echoed this sentiment, calling the entire standoff “pointless,” while framing the outcome as confirmation that Democrats’ healthcare leverage had failed.

On the other hand, progressive Democrats and grassroots groups criticized the deal as a capitulation. Organizations like MoveOn have demanded Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s resignation over what they view as a failure to protect ACA beneficiaries. Despite this internal unrest, there is no evidence of a formal revolt within the Democratic caucus.

Short-term fix, long-term uncertainty

The new funding package only extends federal operations through January 30, 2026, meaning another shutdown battle could loom early next year. Notably, the stopgap includes provisions that protect certain key agencies and programs like SNAP, Veterans Affairs, military construction, and Congress through September 30, which would limit future disruptions to core services.

Senator Tim Kaine, who represents many federal employees in Virginia, successfully negotiated a provision barring federal layoffs through January 30. This was critical to garnering centrist support, but may also embolden conservative factions seeking deeper spending cuts in the next negotiation round.

The reopening of the U.S. government ends the longest and most politically contentious shutdown in modern history, but the effects will linger well beyond the resumption of normal operations. With delayed benefits, missing economic data, and unresolved healthcare conflicts, the short-term relief is overshadowed by long-term policy battles still to come. The countdown to the next deadline on January 30 has already begun and with it, a new round of political brinkmanship.