Final Nail in the Coffin: Why SEC Can Never Reopen the Ripple Case

Posted on January 19, 2026January 19, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

An Australian lawyer has argued that the SEC/Ripple case is legally closed and cannot be reopened using the legal theory of res judicata. According to lawyer Bill Morgan, this principle forbids parties from relitigating claims that a court has already decided.

He underlined that Judge Analisa Torres has already rendered a decision on the primary issues in the case, including the legal status of XRP and Ripple’s various token sales between 2013 and 2020. He contends that since the court resolved these cases on their merits, the SEC is permanently barred from reopening them.

Morgan’s remarks came after the House Democrats chastised SEC Chair Paul Atkins for abandoning over a dozen enforcement actions about cryptocurrencies, including those against Ripple and Binance. The lawmakers asked the SEC to pursue the Justin Sun lawsuit. Morgan retorted that res judicata is applicable once a court renders a final decision, so the SEC cannot just bring back closed cases.

He added that by broadly claiming that XRP itself and several categories of Ripple’s XRP sales constituted securities, the SEC undermined its own position. This tactic enabled Judge Analisa Torres to determine that XRP is not a security in and of itself and to assess various XRP distributions independently.

The SEC consequently lost important claims about the secondary market and programmatic sales. Morgan argues that the res judicata doctrine now prohibits the SEC from relitigating any claims arising from Ripp because those issues have already been decided.

Gold, Silver Soar to Record Highs as Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threats Spark Safe-Haven Rush

Posted on January 19, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold and silver reached all-time highs as concerns about a damaging trade war between the US and Europe grew, following President Donald Trump’s increasing push to annex Greenland. As the dollar was affected by Trump’s aggression and demand for safe havens increased, spot gold was trading near $4,670 per ounce, while silver rose by as much as 4.4%.

The United States will impose tariffs on eight European nations that oppose the plan to acquire Greenland, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In February, the 10% levy will take effect. 1 and rose to 25% in June.

European leaders will meet urgently in the coming days to discuss possible countermeasures. Member states are debating a variety of options for how to respond, including retaliatory levies on US goods valued at €93 billion ($108 billion), according to people familiar with the discussions.

French President Emmanuel Macron might ask for the European Union’s anti-coercion tool to be activated. The EU can respond to coercive trade measures in a number of ways thanks to the ACI, the bloc’s most potent retaliation tool. According to Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo Markets in Singapore, the Greenland-inspired tensions are distinct from the Liberation Day tariffs of the previous year because they “point to a deeper geopolitical fault line.”. Referring to NATO, she stated, “Using tariff threats inside the alliance is a kind of trust shock that can leave a stickier risk premium.”

Precious metals have risen sharply this year after the US detained Venezuela’s leader in 2025 and then escalated its threats to seize Greenland. Furthermore, the Trump administration has stepped up its criticism of the Federal Reserve, casting doubt on its independence and promoting the debasement trade, in which investors avoid government bonds and currencies because they are concerned about the amount of debt.

Mercedes, BMW, VW in Freefall: Trump’s Greenland Ultimatum Sparks Market Rout

Posted on January 19, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

European automakers saw a sharp decline following US President Donald Trump’s threat to raise tariffs once more in the Greenland standoff.

Early on Monday in Frankfurt, shares of Mercedes-Benz AG dropped as much as 6.7%, BMW AG dropped as much as 7%, and Volkswagen AG dropped as much as 5.4%. Trump surprised several European nations over the weekend by announcing plans to impose additional import duties of 10 percent starting in February and increasing to 25 percent in June.

These countries included Germany and France. The US is a significant source of sales and profits for Mercedes, Volkswagen, and BMW. Trump’s tariffs, which are currently set at 15% for the majority of vehicles and parts imported from the European Union, are already putting pressure on automakers that import models like the S-Class to the US.

Last year, the president’s additional duties, which increased from about 2.5 percent, rocked the auto industry and caused automakers to issue profit warnings.

Silver Faces Brutal Sell-Off: $6.8B Index Rebalance Looms Large

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Silver declined as investors prepared for the annual rebalancing of commodity indexes, which will involve the sale of futures contracts worth billions of dollars over the next few days. Gold stabilized, reversing earlier losses. After falling nearly 4% in the previous session, the white metal dropped as much as 5.5%.

Passive tracking funds will sell precious metals futures starting Thursday to align with the new weightings mandated by the indexes

This routine process has become more significant for gold and silver following last year’s explosive rallies. Amid heightened volatility, silver-backed ETFs experienced their largest one-day withdrawal since October on Wednesday. Regarding Citigroup Inc., silver is more susceptible to index rebalancing than gold. It is estimated that $6. 8 billion worth of silver futures, approximately 12% of open interest on Comex, may be sold to meet requirements.

The trading to rebalance the index evenly spread between the fifth and ninth business days typically follows the Bloomberg Commodities Index roll period, which occurs from the sixth to the tenth business day of the year. A note from JPMorgan Chase and Co., dated December 12, states that both metals experienced a similar index selloff last year without significantly affecting the market. However, the bank notes that the amount of silver needed to be sold this year is greater.

Analysts remain generally optimistic after gold achieved its best annual performance since 1979. Last year’s record-breaking rally was supported by increased central bank purchases and inflows into bullion-backed exchange-traded funds.

Prices were also boosted by a weakening US dollar, making the metal more attractive to buyers in other currencies. “A powerful combination of haven and risk- off purchases, fueled in part by USD weakness and policy uncertainty, is driving the rally.

” The release of key US economic data on Friday, such as the December jobs report, is attracting traders’ attention. A softer reading could prompt bets on further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, which would benefit non- yielding precious metals.

China Rare Earth Exports Fall: Investors Eye Tighter Controls Over Japan Dispute

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

China’s rare-earth exports declined in December compared to the previous month as investors monitor rising tensions between Beijing and Japan, which could lead to stricter shipment regulations. These materials are used in weapons systems, electric vehicles, and high-tech manufacturing.

According to customs data released on Sunday, outbound shipments totaled 6,745 tons, down from 6,958 tons in November. The category is mainly composed of rare-earth magnets, a product that has given China significant leverage in several trade disputes that have unsettled markets.

The US and other nations are trying to challenge China’s dominance in the mining and processing of rare earths, making it a hot topic in recent trade talks. The focus has shifted to Japan after China’s Ministry of Commerce announced restrictions on shipments to the country with possible military uses, despite a trade truce reached between Beijing and Washington in October that eased tensions.

The announcement followed comments by Japan’s prime minister regarding Taiwan last year. After the ministry’s statement, China Daily reported that Beijing is also considering tighter controls on licenses for exporting these minerals to Japan. The export data released on Sunday does not specify product types or destinations; it simply covers shipments to all locations.

EU Slams Brakes on US Trade Deal in Backlash to Trump’s Greenland Tariffs

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

European Union lawmakers are prepared to halt approval of the EU’s trade agreement with the US because President Donald Trump promises to impose tariffs on nations that backed Greenland in the face of US threats.

The president of the largest political party in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, declared on Saturday that a deal with the United States is no longer achievable. Weber wrote on social media, “The EPP is in favor of the EU-US trade deal, but approval is not possible at this stage given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland.”. The EU agreement to reduce tariffs on “US products must be put on hold,” he continued.

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and Trump negotiated the EU-US trade deal last summer; it has already been partially implemented but still requires parliamentary approval. EPP lawmakers will likely have enough votes to postpone or prevent approval if they join left-leaning political organizations. In exchange for the EU’s promise to remove tariffs on US industrial goods and certain agricultural products, the trade agreement set a 15 percent US tariff on the majority of EU goods. In an effort to prevent a full-scale trade conflict with Trump, von der Leyen, who is in charge of EU trade negotiations, struck the agreement.

The agreement has long been criticized by a vocal group of EU lawmakers who claim it was too biased in favor of the US. Since the US extended a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum to hundreds of other EU goods following the July agreement, that resentment has grown. Last month, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer chastised the EU for failing to implement certain parts of the agreement.

Gold near $4,600 Barrier as Silver strikes $88 in Explosive Safe-Haven Surge

Posted on January 17, 2026January 18, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold and silver reached all-time highs as the US Justice Department threatened the Federal Reserve with a criminal indictment. At the same time, protests in Iran bolstered the demand for a haven, reigniting concerns about its independence.

Gold and silver have benefited from several factors, including declining US interest rates, increased geopolitical tensions, diminished confidence in the US dollar, and challenges to the Fed. Due to their belief in gold’s long-term appeal, more than a dozen money managers stated they have chosen not to remove too much money from the market.

“Geopolitics, the growth/rates debate, and now a new headline-driven reminder of an institutional risk premium are just a few of the many uncertainties markets are juggling.”

Silver has significantly outperformed gold, reaching $88 per ounce (and, according to some reports, peaking near or above $90–$92). This comes after a huge 147–150 percent increase in 2025, driven by both surging industrial demand and safe-haven flows (e.g., in clean energy, electronics, solar, and artificial intelligence).

Prices have recently varied between $89 and $90 per ounce, with strong underlying momentum and volatility due to profit-taking. Due to its smaller market size, silver is more sensitive to inflows and experiences sharper spikes during times of risk-off. If deficits continue and demand picks up speed, analysts predict the possibility of $100+ in 2026.

Ripple’s XRP Set to Bridge the Gap: SWIFT Integration on the Horizon

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Crypto Sensei” pieced together several developments that, when considered collectively, depict a far more permissive environment for XRP, tokenization, and bank-led crypto services than many investors may be aware.

Gottfried Leibbrandt, a former CEO of Swift, made the headline claim when he recently stated that once regulatory volatility and legal uncertainty subside, Swift could integrate “native currencies like XRP.” Without clear regulations, “the benefits do not outweigh the costs” for institutions that might otherwise use volatile cryptocurrency assets for settlement, according to Sensei, who emphasizes that the problem is not technology but rather bank risk appetite.

He saw this as structural pressure rather than a “crypto roadmap,” since ISO-native payment systems like RippleNet will be in a better position once legacy formats and paper checks are phased out.

He reiterates a point that is frequently overlooked in online discussions: payment systems, not tokens themselves, are subject to ISO compliance.
A recent clip of Fed Chair Jerome Powell declaring that US banks are “perfectly able to serve crypto customers” as long as operations are safe, sound, and compliant is heavily referenced in the video.

According to Sensei, the Fed, FDIC, and OCC replaced their earlier, more stringent joint crypto statements with principles-based guidance in 2025. Sensei contends that instead of developing intricate crypto rails internally, banks are more likely to “white-label” infrastructure from companies like Ripple, Circle, Fireblocks, or Coinbase.

He believed that a sizable portion of institutional traffic could be discreetly routed through XRP-enabled systems without ever being advertised by brands.

Elon Musk’s Mega Demand: Up to $134 Billion From OpenAI, Microsoft

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Elon Musk demands that OpenAI Inc. and Microsoft compensate him between $79 billion and $134 billion in damages for alleging that the generative AI company deceived him by abandoning its nonprofit roots and teaming up with the software giant. A day after a federal judge rejected OpenAI and Microsoft’s latest effort to avoid a jury trial scheduled for late April in Oakland, California,

Musk’s lawyer outlined the damages request in a court filing on Friday. Musk is entitled to a share of OpenAI’s current $500 billion valuation because he was defrauded of the $38 million in seed money he invested when he helped found the company in 2015.

“The wrongful gains that OpenAI and Microsoft have earned, which Mr. Musk is now entitled to recover, are far larger than the gains an early investor in a startup might realize, potentially many times greater than the initial investment.”

Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, started his own AI company in 2023, and entered a legal dispute with Sam Altman in 2024 over Altman’s plans to run OpenAI as a for-profit business. Microsoft and OpenAI have denied his claims. “We look forward to demonstrating this at trial, as Mr. Musk’s lawsuit remains baseless and part of his ongoing pattern of harassment,” OpenAI stated.

“The purpose of this most recent insignificant demand is to continue this harassment campaign.” OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced its reorganization in October. In a move to keep the nonprofit arm in charge of its for-profit activities, it revealed it had granted a 27 percent ownership stake to its longtime supporter, Microsoft. Altman has condemned Musk’s lawsuit challenging OpenAI’s reorganization as using the legal system as a weapon to hinder a competitor.

Nvidia (NVDA) China Sales Face Headwinds: DRAM Shortage to Restrict US Licenses for H200 Chips

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The number of US export licenses for Nvidia will be limited by the limited memory chip supply to sell its H200 AI processors to Chinese consumers, according to the top Republican on the House China committee, citing a rule this week from the Commerce Department.

Representative John Moolenaar described the lack of dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM, as an “immediate challenge” under the new licensing conditions in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. DRAM is a critical input for AI accelerators. Exporters must certify that authorized shipments from China won’t result in a shortage in the US market as part of these requirements.

Moolenaar wrote, referring to a type of high-bandwidth memory, “Due to severe supply constraints, chips equipped with HMB3E bound for China represent an opportunity cost when it comes to HMB3E being utilized by American customers.”

The regulations, which Moolenaar mainly applauded, require businesses to confirm that their sales in China won’t delay US buyers of AI chips or divert foundry capacity that could be used to fulfill US orders.

According to the letter, Moolenaar supported GAIN AI legislation last year, but Nvidia and the White House can successfully lobby for its removal from a crucial defense bill. Three major companies produce the high-bandwidth memory needed for AI accelerators, which is made of stacked DRAM: Samsung Electronics Co., SK Hynix Inc., and Micron Technology Inc., which have all issued warnings about a shortage in recent months.

The AI data center boom has caused demand for the components, which were previously considered a commodity, to soar.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged the memory shortage at the CES conference earlier this month, but he insisted that his company is protected because it is the only purchaser of the newest memory generation, HBM4, which is utilized in its upcoming line of processors designed by Vera Rubin.