White House reportedly issued secret order to throttle Starlink! Oil above $100 forces rate hikes—what’s next for risk assets?

**White House reportedly issued secret order to throttle Starlink! Oil above $100 forces rate hikes—what’s next for risk assets?**
Reuters **reported on October 15** that Western officials said the White House had privately ordered restrictions on Starshield satellite services supplied to Ukraine. Ukraine reported this week that military terminals were restricted above **160 km/h**, with some units losing their connections for **10–20 seconds** at just **110–120 km/h**, forcing the cancellation of drone interception and strike missions. This means satellite communications have become a bargaining chip, and cutting off service or imposing speed limits are the cheapest tools for applying pressure.
Zelenskyy made a face-to-face request to Musk in London to restore the service. Musk responded that speed limits were determined by the U.S. military and the president, while a senior White House official denied that the president had made such a request (accounts differ). Meanwhile, as rising energy prices threaten to hurt Republicans in the midterm elections, Trump is pressuring Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries. Zelenskyy, however, told the British media that Ukraine would resume the attacks. This means both sides are using energy prices as leverage, with oil prices serving as a barometer of geopolitical negotiations.
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The war between the US and Israel and Iran has led to the closure of most of the Strait of Hormuz. On **October 16**, Brent crude traded at **$105.5–$105.9 per barrel** during the Asian session (year-to-date range: **$58.59–$116.20**), while WTI traded at **$97–$98 per barrel**. On Thursday, the International Energy Agency announced the release of more than **20 million barrels** of diesel and around **100 million barrels** from emergency reserves. But over the past **7 days**, an average of just **11.6 million barrels** passed through the strait each day—only **68%** of the baseline of **17.1 million barrels**. In other words, reserve releases may cool oil prices, but traffic through the strait is down to less than 70% of normal, so supply remains constrained.
US **September** CPI rose **3.7%** year over year (forecast: **3.6%**), while PPI rose **6.3%** (forecast: **5.3%**), its highest level since **May** this year. The **10-year** Treasury yield briefly surged to **5.33%** (currently **5.09%**), and the market’s odds of a Fed rate hike in **October** rose to **30%**, up from **17%** a week ago. In other words, after this one-two punch from inflation, a rate hike is no longer a low-probability event, and the anchor for pricing risk assets is starting to loosen.
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$BTC is currently around **$82,100** (up **0.6%** in **24 hours**), after falling overnight to a near-one-month low of **$79,800–$80,247**. $ETH is around **$2,450**. In other words, $BTC is repeatedly testing the **$80,000** level, with neither bulls nor bears gaining the upper hand.
The Dow rose **550 points**, gold gained **2.1%** to **$4,195 per ounce**, and the US Dollar Index fell **0.5%** to **102.04**. Nvidia and TSMC ADRs both fell nearly **2%**. In other words, money is shifting toward 'old money' assets like gold and the Dow, while tech and crypto wait for a clear direction. $BNB is around **$730**, grinding along with the broader market.
Today, Beijing time, Bank of England Governor Bailey will speak at **10:00**, Fed Chair Waller at **11:30**, and Bank of Canada Governor Macklem at **12:15**. In other words, Waller’s **11:30** address at the IMF annual meeting is the first potential catalyst of the day that could break the stalemate. Follow along, and let’s keep a close eye on market moves at this key moment.