Microsoft (MSFT.US) cloud revenue surged 48%, and Bezent hinted that interest rate hikes were right

According to Woofun AI, Microsoft's (MSFT.US) Azure cloud business revenue increased 48% more than expected, driving its stock price to soar 6% in after-hours trading. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Bessent downplayed financing risks in the field of artificial intelligence and pointed out that if the Federal Reserve takes measures to raise interest rates in the future, it is not necessarily a wrong decision.

This statement echoes market concerns that inflation continues to be high. Walsh previously emphasized that US inflation is still high. The more critical variable is that the US midterm elections may cause Congress to shift to tighter crypto regulations, making the Clarity Act forward facing significant resistance.

Notably, the US CFTC is planning to hold a round table on December 15 to discuss the 24/7 trading mechanism for the derivatives market, which indicates that the regulatory level's focus on the 24/7 trading model is heating up.

Additionally, Anthropic plans to open IPO subscriptions to retail investors in the UK and Europe, showing the ambition of AI startups to expand in the capital market. At the enforcement level, the US Treasury announced sanctions against 10 individuals and 1 entity to crack down on fraudulent and cryptographic money laundering networks involving North Korean IT workers.

From a structural point of view, the uncertainty of macroeconomic policies, the strong performance of tech giants, and the tightening of regulations together form the main narrative logic of the current market. This is another tough stance shown by US regulators following many recent crypto compliance incidents, which indicates that the industry will face a stricter review environment.