Airbnb Beats Expectations, Forecasts Low Double-Digit Growth for 2026 on Strong Bookings

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Airbnb saw its biggest increase in ten months after reporting robust fourth-quarter bookings and releasing an optimistic revenue outlook, citing high travel demand and expanding adoption of its new flexible payment and booking options. The home-rental behemoth stated that its revenue for the quarter ending March 31 would range from $2.59 billion to $2.63 billion.

Wall Street anticipated $2.54 billion. According to analysts’ projections, the company’s revenue growth for the entire year was expected to accelerate to “at least low double digits” from the 10 percent it experienced in 2025. The stock had dropped roughly 15% so far this year.

The advice comes after positive reports from US airlines last month, which showed that travel demand is stable in spite of the country’s harsh winter weather and increased geopolitical tensions. That would be encouraging for Airbnb, which is drawing both new hosts and visitors to its platform in anticipation of this year’s major athletic events, such as the World Cup and the currently-running Winter Olympic Games.

According to Airbnb, its Reserve Now, Pay Later option, launched in the US last year, has been received by visitors and contributed to an increase in bookings during the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the key indicator of “nights and seats booked” increased 9.8 percent to 121.9 million, significantly exceeding forecasts.

By 2026, the company wants to offer the deferred payment option to more visitors worldwide.

Additionally, it claimed that more lenient cancellation policies reduced customer service interactions and increased reservations during the holiday season. The majority of reservations were made in Airbnb’s new overseas markets.

Ethereum Breaks Back Above $2,000 – Whale Indecision Clouds the Rally

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Ethereum is still under pressure following a recent drop that stopped the recovery’s momentum. ETH is not showing any signs of long-term growth, although it has recovered the $2,000 mark and is currently trading at $2,085.

Ethereum faces not only resistance levels but also indecision among key holders. In any cryptocurrency market, two of the most significant cohorts are whales and long-term holders. In Ethereum’s case, both groups are sending mixed signals.

Prolonged sideways price action results from this misalignment. Between February 9 and February 12, addresses with between 100,000 and 1 million ETH sold about 1.3 million ETH.

The value of that sale is approximately $2.07 billion. Nevertheless, within the next 48 hours, the same group bought 1.25% of ETH.

Long-term holders had been steadily accumulating ETH since late December 2025.

That trend shifted at the beginning of February. They started a modest distribution and reduced their purchasing activity.

Although the selling pressure hasn’t been very strong, it suggests that investors’ confidence is growing. Bullish momentum remains limited by cautious long-term holders and mixed whale activity.

Ethereum may struggle to rise above key resistance levels without consistent accumulation from these groups. The currency has successfully surpassed the $2,000 mark and is now trading at $2,087. The next major resistance level is $2,241. For the market to advance to that point, dominant holder groups need to have a clearly bullish outlook. The most probable scenario remains consolidation.

Ripple’s RLUSD Ignites on Binance via XRPL – Timing Perfect as DC Closes In on Crypto Clarity

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Binance has finished integrating the XRP Ledger (XRPL) for RLUSD. RLUSD deposits are now active, and trading on certain pairs—such as RLUSD/USDT and RLUSD/XRP—carries no fees. The total market capitalization of the RLUSD has surpassed approximately $1.52 billion.

A significant split for a stablecoin that many traders still primarily associate with the EVM ecosystem is that roughly $1.2 billion of that supply is on Ethereum, while 22% is currently on XRPL.

Binance’s integration essentially validates XRPL as a first-tier venue for stablecoin settlement, according to the analyst, who frames this as part of Ripple’s larger push to make RLUSD a cross-chain liquidity tool. Although cautious, the regulatory side is noticeably more upbeat than it has been in recent years.

The host characterized the Clarity Act as a significant legislative effort to define the structure of the cryptocurrency market rather than leaving it up to regulators, and Democratic Senator Mark Warner has indicated support for its advancement.

According to Paul Atkins, a former SEC official, “crypto policy rules require legislation to be permanent.” This is why the analyst cautions against “compromising too much,” especially when it comes to stablecoin yield. Meanwhile, Tim Scott, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, criticized the previous administration’s “regulation by enforcement,” claiming that it confused the sector.

Gold Climbs Above $5,000 After Cooling Inflation Lifts Fed Easing Outlook

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Traders increased their bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts following a low inflation reading, and some investors took advantage of Thursday’s steep selloff to purchase gold at a lower price. At the beginning of the year, US inflation was relatively low, which reduced worries about a larger increase and increased expectations that the Fed would lower interest rates.

After the release, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell, and swap traders estimated a third cut by December, with odds of about 50%. That contributed to a 2–5% increase in bullion prices. Non-yielding gold benefits from lower rates.

According to Ewa Manthey, a commodity strategist at ING Bank, “despite today’s move suggesting the correction may have overshot, with bargain-hunting and position-adjustments now providing support,” the overall environment remains one of elevated volatility following this week’s sharp liquidation across precious metals.

The rally reached a breaking point in late January when gold surged to a record above $5,595 drop at the end of the month brought it back below $5,000 an ounce due to a wave of speculative buying. Despite unpredictable price swings, gold is predicted to close higher this week.

The Lunar New Year holiday the following week will cause Chinese markets to close. The rally’s overall strength has been bolstered by the nation’s frantic demand for precious metals in recent months. As the Chinese market participants who contributed to the volatility, particularly in silver, are on vacation, Commerzbank analysts predict that precious metals will continue to consolidate for a while.

Bullish Signal? Goldman Sachs Confirms $153 Million Bet on Ripple’s XRP

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Goldman Sachs revealed substantial exposure to cryptocurrency, disclosing holdings of over $2.36 billion in digital assets in its Q4 2025 13F filing. According to the filing, $11 billion of its reported investment portfolio is in Bitcoin, $10 billion in Ethereum, $153 million in XRP, and $108 million in Solana.

The disclosure puts Goldman among the largest US banks most exposed to crypto-linked assets, worth a small portion of total holdings. A closer examination of the document reveals that Goldman’s exposure to XRP is primarily through XRP exchange-traded funds, which are worth about $152 million.

The total net assets of US Spot XRP ETFs are currently over $1.04 billion. After 56 days of trading, there have only been 4 days of outflows from XRP ETFs. One of the most significant investment banks in the world, Goldman Sachs counsels governments and businesses on capital markets, mergers, and restructuring.

The Big Silver Squeeze Ahead: Why 2026 Could Mirror 1980’s Historic Mega Rally

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Fundamental action suggests that a larger Silver rally, similar to the 1979–1980 event, might be coming. A significant gap between paper contracts and physical inventory has worsened the COMEX default, especially in the silver market.

The “default” scenario is based on a large difference between the amount of metal promised in future contracts and the actual metal in exchange vaults. Some analysts say silver prices could “reset,” possibly rising toward or above $200 per ounce, if the exchange cannot meet physical delivery demands.

COMEX is said to have between 103 and 120 million ounces of “registered” silver (metal ready for delivery) in stock. Open interest stands at about 429 million ounces.

The “Run” on the Bank indicates that the exchange could run out of silver if even 25% of contract holders demanded physical delivery instead of cash. Recent activity shows that in January 2026 alone, an unusual 40 million ounces were ordered for delivery.

The Bull Case (Robert Kiyosaki and Clive Thompson): Kiyosaki expected silver to hit $200 in 2026, citing a weakening fiat system and industrial demand from solar and AI. Clive Thompson warns that by March 2026, COMEX might run out of deliverable silver. Since gold is the ultimate “anti-dollar” hedge, a silver default could also impact gold, influence credit markets, and the broader financial system, as suggested by Bill Holter’s Systemic Risk Case.

The Skeptical Case (CPM Group): Traditional analysts often say that exchange rules prevent a full collapse by allowing Force Majeure or cash-only settlements, making a true “default” impossible

First Venezuelan Oil Cargo to Israel in Years Signals Export Shift

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Traders are sending Venezuelan oil to Israel as the Latin American nation’s exports become more accessible after its president, Nicolas Maduro, was captured.

According to people with knowledge of the deal, who asked not to be named because the information is confidential, the oil is being transported to Bazan Group, the leading crude processor in the Mediterranean.

Once Maduro was captured at the beginning of the year, the Trump administration tapped traders to handle the initial sales and declared it would take over Venezuela’s oil sales indefinitely.

Miguel Pérez Pirela, Venezuela’s minister of information, stated that the nation sells its crude oil through commodities traders and does not control the buyer or the location of the sale; in this instance, it did not sell barrels to Israel directly.

Israel doesn’t disclose the source of its crude oil, and tankers have occasionally vanished, so he called the report that Venezuela was sending oil to Israel “FAKE!” in a post on X. According to Kpler data, when the cargo arrives, it will be the first shipment of its kind since Israel took roughly 470,000 barrels in mid-2020.

Oil Refineries Ltd., another name for Bazan, chose not to respond. Regarding the source of Israel’s crude, the energy ministry declined to comment. The agreement is the most recent indication of how Venezuela’s oil flows are being redirected following the overthrow of President Maduro.

A large portion of the nation’s production was sold in China up until that point. Cargoes have been sold to buyers in the US, Spain, India, and now Israel during the past month.

Apple Stock Sinks on Siri Upgrade Delay Fears After Testing Snags

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Apple’s stock sank after recent testing issues for Apple’s long-planned Siri virtual assistant update could cause a delay in the release of several highly anticipated features.

Apple is now trying to spread them across future iterations of the operating system after first deciding to include the new features in the March operating system update, iOS 26.4, according to people familiar with the matter.

This could mean holding off on releasing some features until at least iOS 26.5, which is due out in May, and iOS 27, which is due out in September.

Apple has faced many challenges since the company first unveiled its plans for the updated Siri in June 2024, and the most recent setbacks are just one of them. During that year, the iPhone manufacturer showcased features that would enable the assistant to access personal data and on-screen content to fulfill requests.

Additionally, the updated Siri would enable users to control third-party and Apple apps with their voice commands

Apple postponed the rollout last spring to early 2025 as the deadline for all of the new features, stating that the new Siri would instead be available in 2026. It never made a more precise timing announcement. However, Apple internally decided on the March 2026 target, which was tied to iOS 26.4 and was still in effect as of last month.

According to the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are confidential, testing revealed new issues with the software, which led to the most recent delays. They claimed that Siri can take too long to process requests or doesn’t always process them correctly. The situation is still unstable, and Apple’s plans could alter even more

Gold Rebounds Sharply as Dip-Buyers Step In Amid Wall Street Turmoil

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold and silver, which had risen with stocks this year, bounced back from the last session’s decline as the volatility gauge rose. Treasuries lost some of Thursday’s gains as investors gravitated toward US government bonds, which were seen as safer. The benchmark 10-year yield increased by two basis points to 4.11 percent before Friday’s US inflation data.

Gold recovered some of its losses following a sharp selloff in the previous session, when dip-buyers seized the metal ahead of important US inflation data. Bullion saw its largest one-day decline in a week on Friday, rising as much as 1.5 percent after losing 3.2 percent the day before.

Wall Street experienced jitters as prices fell across asset classes amid concerns about how AI would affect businesses’ profits.

Profit-taking also likely contributed to the recent selloff in gold and silver, which saw a nearly 11% decline on Thursday. Since precious metals recovered some of their losses from a historic rout at the beginning of the month, trading has been unusually volatile. Despite unpredictable price fluctuations, gold is predicted to end the week mostly unchanged.

Investors focus on the US inflation data expected to be released later Friday to ascertain the Federal Reserve’s next move. Strong January jobs data released this week reduced the Fed’s pressure to cut interest rates by the middle of the year. Lower interest rates are advantageous for precious metals, which do not pay interest.

The steep fluctuations underscored the growing risks associated with the AI boom and the erratic repercussions across industries, geographies, and asset classes. With the rise of the so-called AI scare trade, the actions of the last two sessions also demonstrated how swiftly changes in perceptions of AI can have an impact well beyond the technology industry.

Investor Ancora Opposes Warner-Netflix Tie-Up, Backs Paramount Hostile Bid

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Ancora Holdings, an activist investor, is pleading with Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s board. to decline Netflix Inc.’s offer and give Paramount Skydance Corp.’s rival bid another look. giving one of the most significant takeover battles in Hollywood a new plot twist.

Warner Bros. is owned by Ancora, an $11 billion fund that has a track record of getting involved in transactions. Valuable at approximately $200 million, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Warner Brothers was estimated to be worth $69 billion on Tuesday, meaning Ancora owns less than 1% of the company.

However, Ancora’s pressure might push investors who have been considering whether to support the board’s support for Netflix or tender their shares to Paramount’s hostile bid at a future shareholder meeting.

Warner Bros. is the target of competing takeover offers from Netflix and Paramount.

However, Warner Bros. has been the target of Paramount, which is supported by its billionaire father, Larry Ellison, headed by technology entrepreneur David Ellison, for even longer, going straight to shareholders with its all-cash offer of $30 per share, which has an enterprise value of $108 billion for the entire company, including the cable network assets.

Warner Bros.’ terms were sweetened by Paramount on Tuesday by consenting to pay the $2.8 billion termination fee that Warner would be required to pay Netflix if the agreement fails.

Additionally, Paramount included a “ticking fee” of 25 cents per share that would be paid to Warner Bros. to demonstrate its confidence that the government would approve its offer quickly. investors for every quarter that its deal hasn’t closed since December. 30. Warner Bros. will also be supported by it. pay $1.05 billion in fees related to debt refinance, if required.