Ripple Torches 10 Million Tokens Amid Minting Surge

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Ripple’s stablecoin treasury completed a massive 30 million RLUSD burn across two transactions after a week of aggressive supply management that saw 45 million tokens destroyed compared to just 10 million minted.

Over the past week, there has been a huge surge in activity in Ripple’s stablecoin treasury, characterized by several multi-million dollar token burns and sporadic minting.

The 10 million RLUSD burn today was actually the second significant supply reduction of the day, according to blockchain data identified by the automated tracker @RL_Tracker. The RLUSD Treasury has burned 45 million RLUSD over the past seven days while minting 10 million RLUSD.

“Burning” is not an indication of network trouble in the world of fully-backed fiat stablecoins, but rather a routine operational process. The corresponding stablecoins are sent to a “null” address (burned) to be permanently removed when institutional clients or partners exchange their RLUSD for underlying US dollars.

This guarantees that the fiat reserves kept in Ripple’s bank accounts always precisely match the circulating supply of RLUSD. On the other hand, when new money enters the ecosystem, Ripple must issue new tokens on the blockchain, which is known as the “minting spree” (such as the 10 million RLUSD created on March 19).

The substantial institutional redemptions or a deliberate rebalance of inventory by Ripple’s treasury department are suggested by the heavy burning observed on March 23, which totaled 30 million RLUSD in a single day. These significant advancements in on-chain supply are turning into a regular, but closely monitored, aspect of its lifecycle.

Gold’s Longest Losing Streak Hits High as Iran War Stokes Panic

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The precious metal declined as investors weighed conflicting statements regarding the Middle East conflict, and the delay of US strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure only offered a brief respite from the precious metal’s precipitous decline during the war.

Bullion lost as much as 1.8 percent during a volatile session that followed stocks and posted an inverse with oil after rising by nearly 1 percent earlier. US President Donald Trump announced a five-day postponement of the attacks he had threatened on Iranian power plants and said that “productive discussions” had taken place.

However, the Wall Street Journal stated that US allies in the Persian Gulf might become involved in the conflict, and an Iranian official ruled out negotiations. The conflict’s high energy prices have made investors give up their relatively profitable and liquid gold holdings in favor of other assets, which also raises the risk of inflation.

The outcome of any negotiations and future ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain despite Trump’s announcement of a pause. Rebuilding even the current energy infrastructure damage will take time. As a result, non-yielding precious metals continue to face the threat of inflation and the anticipation of rate increases by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks.

Ripple Torches 10 Million Tokens Amid Minting Surge

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Over the past week, there has been a huge surge in activity in Ripple’s stablecoin treasury, characterized by several multi-million dollar token burns and sporadic minting.

TotalEnergies Exits U.S. Offshore Wind with $1 Billion Reimbursement

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

TotalEnergies SE and its partners were released from $1 billion in offshore wind leases by the Trump administration, allowing the French energy giant to use the money for investments in US oil and natural gas.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated on Monday at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston that Total is no longer committed to building wind farms off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, and North Carolina as a result of the agreement.

According to a statement from the Interior Department, TotalEnergies will receive “dollar-for-dollar” reimbursement from the US for the new fossil-energy investments up to the amount it paid for the original leases. President Donald Trump’s campaign against offshore wind is part of his wider effort to roll back Biden-era climate policies and to champion fossil fuels.

Recent court rulings have undermined his attempts to stop the construction of five wind farms at sea. According to Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of TotalEnergies, the company will “accelerate” its investments in US LNG. At a press conference in Houston, he stated that the US deal has no bearing on the company’s commitment to wind power in other countries

According to TotalEnergies’ research on these leases, offshore wind projects in the US are more expensive than those in Europe and may affect consumers’ ability to afford power, the French company said in a follow-up statement.

The energy giant, which is currently the largest LNG exporter from the United States, will reinvest the refunded lease fees to support both the Rio Grande LNG plant, which is presently being built in Texas, and its other oil and gas operations in the country.

Fannie, Freddie Step In With Massive MBS Purchases to Calm Volatility

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have started placing large orders to buy mortgage-backed securities, entering a market turbulent by widening bond spreads amid a spike in volatility.

The government-controlled companies are expanding their already substantial portfolios of bonds and loans to capitalize on a sharp selloff.

President Donald Trump gave instructions two months ago to buy $200 billion in MBS to increase housing affordability. The recent spike in spreads that caused mortgage rates to rise to a three-month high may be mitigated by the increased buying.

However, it might only partially counteract broader market pressures from the US-Iran conflict, which has raised borrowing costs and resulted in a noticeable increase in Treasury yields on Friday.

Through their so-called retained portfolios—the bonds and loans they hold onto rather than selling to investors—Fannie and Freddie, which buy and package home loans into securities and financially guarantee them to buyers, are among the biggest holders of US mortgage debt. Before being placed under federal conservatorship in 2008, the two had a combined value of $1.5 trillion; by late 2022, that amount had fallen to just $158 billion.

The portfolios have been increasing since the middle of last year, reaching $278 billion as of January. The roughly $9 trillion MBS market moved almost immediately after Trump ordered Fannie and Freddie to increase bond and loan purchases. The relative yields on recently issued securities relative to Treasuries narrowed by roughly 0.2 percentage points.

Gold Extends Decline for 10th Straight Day as Iran War Concerns Persist

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold Hits Nine-Session Slump: Mideast Tensions Stoke Inflation

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold fell for a ninth day as the Middle East conflict increased inflation risk and raised expectations of higher interest rates, wiping out this year’s gains.

Silver fell by over ten percent. Spot gold fell as much as 8.8% to almost $4,100 per ounce. Expectations of rate increases by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks have risen since the start of the conflict amid rising energy prices. Non-yielding gold, which recently recorded its largest weekly decline since 1983, is facing this challenge.

Crude was trading close to its highest close since mid-2022, and equity markets were likewise erratic during gold’s turbulent session. Three weeks have passed since the war started in February. 28, forced selling by investors looking to offset losses in other areas of their portfolios has contributed to bullion’s decline.

Wayne Gordon, an investment advisor at UBS Group AG’s wealth management division, stated, “The size of the gold selloff is not unprecedented, but the pace of the selloff has been much quicker than on many historical occasions.”

US President Donald Trump issued a two-day deadline over the weekend for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face having its power plants bombed. Iran retorted that if its power plants were attacked, it would “completely” shut down the vital waterway and target infrastructure related to energy, information technology, and desalination.

David Wilson, director of commodities strategy at BNP Paribas SA, stated that bullion’s response “to the current macro-economic shock has a clear market precedent.”. “Gold initially fell as markets reacted to news flow, with investors typically selling assets to hold the US dollar, if you look at all three previous economic-shock cycles – in 2008, 2020, and 2022,” he stated.

The 14-day relative-strength index for bullion, which measures momentum, continued to decline below 30, a level that some traders believe signals an oversold situation. According to weekly US government data released on Friday, hedge funds and other major speculators increased their net-long position for gold to the highest level in seven weeks as of March 17.

European Gas Rally Resumes as US-Iran Hormuz Threats Escalate

Posted on March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

European natural gas futures continued to rise, adding anxiety to an already erratic market as traders watched the US and Iran trade threats over the Strait of Hormuz.

Early trading saw benchmark contracts rise more than 5%, reversing the decline from the previous session. Iran threatened to attack vital infrastructure throughout the Middle East if US President Donald Trump followed through on his two-day deadline to reopen Hormuz or have its power plants bombed on Saturday.

There is no indication that the conflict will lessen as it enters its fourth week. This month, nearly 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas flows have been cut off by shipping through Hormuz, and the largest LNG plant in Qatar has been shut down, with roughly 17% of its capacity damaged. The nation has stated that it might take five years to get back to pre-war levels.

Given a greater detrimental effect on the world’s LNG supply, gas prices in Europe and Asia might need to “rally further,” according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Samantha Dart and other analysts stated in a note on Sunday. They further raised their price projections, stating that “last week’s widespread attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East suggest that energy supply disruptions will last longer than we previously expected.”

Traders are also keeping a close eye on gas stockpiling on the continent because Europe needs a lot of LNG this year to replenish its depleted stockpiles.

The European Union’s energy chief has advised member states to begin filling gas storage early to prevent supply competition during the summer. Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen wrote in a letter that governments should also reduce their storage filling targets to 80% and maximize the flexibilities provided by EU law.

China Pulls Silver From Global Markets at 8-Year High

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

China’s insatiable appetite for silver drove overseas purchases to an eight-year high at the beginning of 2026 as importers fueled a spike in industrial and investment demand

According to Chinese customs data released on Friday, the largest buyer in the world received over 790 tons in the first two months, including nearly 470 tons in February—the highest amount ever for that month. Due to strong demand, local prices have risen significantly above global benchmarks, reducing already low exchange reserves and prompting the acquisition of metal from overseas.

A wave of speculative buying from China and other countries drove silver prices up by roughly 70% at the beginning of the year, but by the end of January, they abruptly gave up their gains. This is the most volatile start to a year for silver prices.

The robust import numbers indicate that, despite changes in trade flows, physical consumption in China has continued. Demand has come from solar manufacturers front-loading production and retail investors hoarding silver bars as a substitute for the increasingly expensive gold.

A significant amount of the metal has traveled through Hong Kong, which acts as a gateway for precious metals traveling to the mainland, in an effort to seize an enticing arbitrage opportunity.

Stanley Cheung, AC Precious Metals Refinery Ltd.’s managing director, claimed that while large silver bars traded by banks normally trade at a discount to the benchmark in London, during the first two months, prices in the area have drawn a premium of up to $8 per ounce.

China’s massive imports haven’t yet disrupted the London market because of a record inflow of silver into the global trading hub following a historic squeeze last year.

The quantity of silver held in exchange-traded funds globally has dropped by more than 1,900 tons this year, making more metal available.

However, markets are breathing more easily for the time being. Yuan Zheng, an analyst at Henan Jinli Gold and Lead Group Co.’s Shanghai-based trading division, stated that as the rebate deadline approaches, the Chinese premium on silver has decreased and solar demand has slowed. “In the near future, there will be more supply than demand.

Fannie, Freddie Unleash Large MBS Bids to Stabilize Market and Lower Rates

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have started placing large orders to buy mortgage-backed securities, entering a market turbulent by widening bond spreads amid a spike in volatility.

The government-controlled companies are expanding their already substantial portfolios of bonds and loans to take advantage of a sharp selloff.

However, it might only partially counteract broader market pressures from the US-Iran conflict, which has raised borrowing costs and resulted in a noticeable increase in Treasury yields on Friday.

The portfolios have been increasing since the middle of last year, reaching $278 billion as of January. The roughly $9 trillion MBS market moved almost immediately after Trump ordered Fannie and Freddie to increase bond and loan purchases. The relative yields to Treasuries on recently issued securities narrowed by roughly 0.2 percentage points.