Author: Olumide Adesina

Olumide Adesina is a French-born Nigerian financial writer. He tracks the financial markets with over 15 years of working experience in investment trading.

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

Posted on 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.

Netflix at a Crossroads: Earnings Loom After Volatile Year and Mega Acquisition

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.

 

Whales Strike Back: Aggressive Bitcoin Accumulation Amid Mass Retreat

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Bitcoin recently received new support from some of its biggest investors, but demand recovery remains so limited that it is unclear whether this is a recovery or just damage control.

Bitcoin swung down fast after a quick climb to $90K.
Bitcoin swung down fast after a quick climb to $90K.

In the past week, after weeks of intense selling, so-called whale wallets amassed roughly 53,000 coins, their largest buying binge since November.

Even though most other investors stayed out of the market, those kinds of purchases helped stabilize prices following a sharp decline.

While months of divestment have left Bitcoin about 40 percent below its October peak, data from industry research firm Glassnode shows that wallets holding more than 1,000 Bitcoin added more than $4 billion in value over the period.

According to Glassnode, major Bitcoin holders have been net sellers over the past year, with over 170,000 coins, valued at about $11 billion, leaving their wallets since mid-December, excluding exchange-traded funds and exchanges. That erratic support is reflected in the price movement of Bitcoin.

The token fell to about $60,000 last week after hitting a record high in October, but it later rose to about $70,000. At 9 a.m., it was trading above $69,100. m. on Wednesday in Singapore. Many investors who purchased Bitcoin through recently launched exchange-traded funds are now sitting on losses, which makes them less likely to add aggressively.

This stop-and-start behavior among large holders has heightened a well-known question that has been hovering over the market: Who exactly is left to power the next sustained rally? Publicly traded businesses that had adopted Bitcoin as a reserve asset at the same time.

Goldman Sachs Bets Big on XRP: $153 Million Holdings Disclosed in Latest 13F

Posted on 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.

Silver Squeeze Returns? 1980 Mega Rally Vibes as Fundamentals Align

Posted on 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

China Urges Banks to Scale Back US Treasuries on Concentration Risk

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Chinese regulators have recommended that financial institutions reduce their holdings of US Treasuries, citing worries about market volatility and concentration risks. According to people who asked not to be named to discuss private discussions, officials told banks to reduce their purchases of US government bonds and told those with significant exposure to reduce their holdings.

 

China’s state holdings of US Treasuries are exempt from the directive. According to the people, the guidance, which was verbally conveyed to some of the largest banks in the country in recent weeks, reflects officials’ growing concern that holdings of US government debt could expose banks to volatile fluctuations.

The concerns are similar to those expressed by governments and fund managers abroad, in the midst of a developing controversy regarding the dollar’s appeal and the safe-haven status of US debt

US treasuries fell in response to the news, with yields gradually rising across maturities. The dollar’s value declined marginally in relation to its major peers. As early as April, Donald Trump, who spoke with Xi Jinping over the phone last week, intends to meet the Chinese leader at a presidential summit in Beijing.

The regulatory guidance on Treasuries for Chinese banks was issued before last week’s call. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange reported that as of September, Chinese banks held approximately $298 billion in dollar-denominated bonds. How many of those were Treasuries is unknown.

Bitcoin Whales Buy Aggressively Amid Widespread Retreat

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Bitcoin recently received new support from some of its biggest investors, but demand recovery remains so limited that it is unclear whether this is a recovery or just damage control.

Bitcoin swung down fast after a quick climb to $90K.
Bitcoin swung down fast after a quick climb to $90K.

In the past week, after weeks of intense selling, so-called whale wallets amassed roughly 53,000 coins, their largest buying binge since November.

Even though most other investors stayed out of the market, those kinds of purchases helped stabilize prices following a sharp decline.

While months of divestment have left Bitcoin about 40 percent below its October peak, data from industry research firm Glassnode shows that wallets holding more than 1,000 Bitcoin added more than $4 billion in value over the period.

According to Glassnode, major Bitcoin holders have been net sellers over the past year, with over 170,000 coins, valued at about $11 billion, leaving their wallets since mid-December, excluding exchange-traded funds and exchanges. That erratic support is reflected in the price movement of Bitcoin.

The token fell to about $60,000 last week after hitting a record high in October, but it later rose to about $70,000. At 9 a.m., it was trading above $69,100. m. on Wednesday in Singapore. Many investors who purchased Bitcoin through recently launched exchange-traded funds are now sitting on losses, which makes them less likely to add aggressively.

This stop-and-start behavior among large holders has heightened a well-known question that has been hovering over the market: Who exactly is left to power the next sustained rally? Publicly traded businesses that had adopted Bitcoin as a reserve asset at the same time.

Goldman Sachs Bets on XRP: $153M Holdings Revealed in Q4 Filing

Posted on 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.

 

Goldman had previously expressed skepticism about Bitcoin. Its research teams and executives characterized Bitcoin as a speculative asset with no inherent cash flows and little use as money. The company constantly highlighted volatility and regulatory risk while framing cryptocurrency as inappropriate for conservative portfolios.

In addition to expanding access to derivatives and resuming its cryptocurrency trading desk, Goldman produced research that acknowledged Bitcoin’s potential as an inflation hedge but refrained from recommending it as a core asset class. The company once more emphasized counterparty and infrastructure risks after the 2022 crypto winter.

Goldman has moved toward cautious participation in more recent times. While insisting that cryptocurrency is still speculative, it has participated through ETFs, structured products, and tokenization initiatives.

Silver’s Next Big Squeeze? Fundamentals Point to a 1980-Style Mega Rally Ahead

Posted on 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

Ripple’s XRP Ignores the Bloodbath, ETFs Inflow Strong, Price Stuck at $1.42

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

XRP spot ETFs saw net inflows of $39 million during the last week, despite the massive losses in the broader cryptocurrency market. Capital pulled out of Bitcoin and Ethereum products during one of the year’s most aggressive risk-off periods, which coincided with the inflows.

 

Ethereum ETFs lost about $166 million during the week, while Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of $318 million. It is significant to remember that the only significant asset with consistent inflows was XRP. Bitwise’s XRP ETF was the most popular. Canary’s XRPC brought in $2.93 million, while Franklin Templeton’s XRPZ added $3.94 million with $8.29 million in daily inflows.

The inflows followed the token’s nearly 70% decline from its most recent peak, which made it the worst-performing cryptocurrency among the top 100 during the correction. Since then, XRP has leveled off at around $1.42.

The fact that XRP is trading below the descending channel, as indicated by the chart, confirms a breakdown and strengthens the overall bearish trend. Any upside is likely to encounter resistance close to the lower boundary of the descending channel, even though there may be a brief relief bounce. The MACD is still negative, and the RSI is getting close to oversold territory.

A relief bounce might be triggered by a successful hold above the $1.35–$1.40 support zone. A break above the declining channel could allow for a move toward $2.30-$2.60, where strong resistance previously formed, even though the initial upside targets are located close to $1.80-$2.

 

 

China Signals Pullback: Banks Urged to Limit US Government Bond Holdings

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Chinese regulators have recommended that financial institutions reduce their holdings of US Treasuries, citing worries about market volatility and concentration risks. According to people who asked not to be named to discuss private discussions, officials told banks to reduce their purchases of US government bonds and told those with significant exposure to reduce their holdings.

 

China’s state holdings of US Treasuries are exempt from the directive. According to the people, the guidance, which was verbally conveyed to some of the largest banks in the country in recent weeks, reflects officials’ growing concern that holdings of US government debt could expose banks to volatile fluctuations.

The concerns are similar to those expressed by governments and fund managers abroad, in the midst of a developing controversy regarding the dollar’s appeal and the safe-haven status of US debt

US treasuries fell in response to the news, with yields gradually rising across maturities. The dollar’s value declined marginally in relation to its major peers. As early as April, Donald Trump, who spoke with Xi Jinping over the phone last week, intends to meet the Chinese leader at a presidential summit in Beijing.

The regulatory guidance on Treasuries for Chinese banks was issued before last week’s call. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange reported that as of September, Chinese banks held approximately $298 billion in dollar-denominated bonds. How many of those were Treasuries is unknown.