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.

Japan’s Financial Giant SBI Launches On-Chain Bonds with Built-In XRP

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

SBI Holdings has introduced on-chain bonds that give holders an equivalent amount of XRP. The initiative, which SBI describes as the first-ever on-chain Security Token (ST) bond issuance, was announced yesterday.

 

Through the offering, Japanese individual investors can buy blockchain-based bonds that, upon subscription, automatically release an equivalent amount of XRP.

Investors can access the asset through a regulated bond framework that successfully connects traditional fixed-income products with XRP exposure.

SBI Holdings announced plans to issue its first Series ST Bonds worth JPY 10 billion ($64.52 million). Instead of using Japan’s traditional securities settlement systems, the company will issue, manage, and settle the bonds entirely on the blockchain. The bonds were created especially for retail investors.

SBI uses the “ibet for Fin” platform created by BOOSTRY to digitally register and tokenize the bonds on-chain rather than depending on conventional registration techniques.

Bonds will be traded by investors on the Osaka Digital Exchange’s proprietary START trading system in the interim, and secondary market trading is set to start on March 25, 2026.

Interestingly, the issuance has an integrated XRP reward system. Soon after payment confirmation, bondholders will receive XRP tokens equal to the subscription amount. Eligible investors must, however, have an account with SBI VC Trade and finish the necessary steps by May.

China’s Silver Vaults Running Dry – Why the Global Price Calm Won’t Last

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Global silver prices have stabilized after an incredible period of volatility, but China’s supply is constrained as investment and industrial demand deplete stockpiles.

Silver’s Momentum Reset Sets the Stage for the Next Leg Higher

A backlog of orders is making it difficult for domestic producers and traders to fulfill, which is driving up short-term prices and severely backwardating the market.

The market’s overwhelming preference for timely delivery of the metal is evident in the front-month contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, which has reached a record premium.

The depletion of deliverable material and an inventory crisis are the main causes of this significant backwardation, according to Zhang Ting, senior analyst at Sichuan Tianfu Bank Co. Institutions are still motivated to keep controlling the market to make money.

Short sellers on the Shanghai Gold Exchange who wagered that silver prices would decline have been paying deferral fees to long-holders to avoid having to make deliveries, underscoring the lack of metal to close positions.

The 61 percent gain in the first few weeks of the year has been largely erased by the silver market’s historic selloff since the end of January.

The independence of the Federal Reserve as the white metal momentarily surpassed gold as a reserve asset, amid anxieties over the dollar and escalating geopolitical conflicts,  fueled by a surge of speculative buying in China and other countries.

Extreme movements, like a global supply squeeze in the fall, are nothing new to the relatively illiquid silver market. Chinese inventories were already exhausted when demand for investments surged. Stockpiles at SHFE and SGE-affiliated warehouses have since decreased to levels not seen in over ten years.

Japan Bridges TradFi and Crypto: SBI’s On-Chain Bonds Deliver XRP Rewards Instantly

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

SBI Holdings has introduced on-chain bonds that give holders an equivalent amount of XRP. The initiative, which SBI describes as the first-ever on-chain Security Token (ST) bond issuance, was announced yesterday.

 

Through the offering, Japanese individual investors can buy blockchain-based bonds that, upon subscription, automatically release an equivalent amount of XRP.

Investors can access the asset through a regulated bond framework that successfully connects traditional fixed-income products with XRP exposure.

SBI Holdings announced plans to issue its first Series ST Bonds worth JPY 10 billion ($64.52 million). Instead of using Japan’s traditional securities settlement systems, the company will issue, manage, and settle the bonds entirely on the blockchain. The bonds were created especially for retail investors.

SBI uses the “ibet for Fin” platform created by BOOSTRY to digitally register and tokenize the bonds on-chain rather than depending on conventional registration techniques.

Bonds will be traded by investors on the Osaka Digital Exchange’s proprietary START trading system in the interim, and secondary market trading is set to start on March 25, 2026.

Interestingly, the issuance has an integrated XRP reward system. Soon after payment confirmation, bondholders will receive XRP tokens equal to the subscription amount. Eligible investors must, however, have an account with SBI VC Trade and finish the necessary steps by May.

Gold Gains on Dollar Weakness as Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Tariffs

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Gold rose while the dollar fell as investors considered the White House’s next course of action regarding tariffs following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn President Donald Trump’s broad international tariffs.

The Supreme Court ruled that Trump had overreached himself when he used a federal emergency powers law to impose his targeted import taxes and “reciprocal” tariffs worldwide.

A significant number of the tariffs that Trump has implemented during his second term are declared invalid by the ruling. According to Bart Melek, global head of commodity strategy, the ruling suggested that the US Treasury might have to reimburse importers for levies paid and cut future revenues.

According to him, this should put pressure on the budget and raise concerns that the government might need to be financed through monetary tools.

“This is accretive for gold since the potential actions will probably keep rates low.” The bullion asset does well in an environment with low interest rates, because it doesn’t pay interest. Gold rose as much as 0.3 percent when the dollar dropped 0.3 percent.

Trump stated that rejected tariffs would be replaced with alternatives. Although Congress has the authority to impose taxes and duties under the US Constitution, lawmakers have also granted the executive branch some authority through a variety of statutes.

In addition to the tariffs already in place, Trump declared he would apply a 10 percent worldwide tariff under Section 122. He proclaimed the full force and effect of all Section 232 national security tariffs, as well as current Section 301 tariffs.

OpenAI Just Dropped a Bombshell: $280 Billion Revenue Target by 2030

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

OpenAI anticipates that its revenue will rise quickly over the coming years and surpass $280 billion by 2030.

OpenAI’s robust momentum in selling subscriptions to businesses and consumers for its AI software is reflected in the revenue forecast. Additionally, OpenAI recently began testing targeted advertising, opening a new revenue stream for the business.

Sarah Friar, the chief financial officer of OpenAI, recently reported that the company’s yearly revenue in 2025 exceeded $20 billion, up from about $6 billion the year before. CNBC first reported the updated revenue projection.

Like its competitors, OpenAI is rushing to persuade more businesses and consumers to pay for its AI services to help defray the enormous cost of the chips, data centers, and personnel required to develop its technology.

In the past, OpenAI declared that it would invest over $1.4 trillion in AI infrastructure over the next several years. The business is now informing investors of its expenditure plans.

OpenAI is nearing completion of the first stage of a new funding round that is expected to generate over $100 billion. Including the potential funding, the company’s total valuation may surpass $850 billion.

 

AppLovin Plans Next-Gen Social Platform After Failed TikTok Acquisition Attempt

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

AppLovin is ready to develop a social networking platform after the mobile advertising company’s unsuccessful attempt to purchase TikTok’s assets outside of China last year.

A senior AppLovin executive recently described the plans in a Chinese-language podcast, and the company posted a job opening for someone to “architect the digital backbone of our next-generation social platform.”

Giovanni Ge, Chief Product and Engineering Officer, said in The Valley 101 podcast that the move was the complete opposite of Meta Platforms, which initially cultivated a following on Instagram and Facebook before turning it into a revenue stream through advertising.

AppLovin now has an ad placement system after selling a portfolio of games it owned last year, but it primarily places those ads into other businesses.

If the move goes through, Palo Alto-based AppLovin may gain more control over the mobile advertising market and access to user data, putting it in direct competition with social media behemoths like Meta, TikTok, and Snap.

Thanks to its advertising technology, which helps mobile apps and games attract new users and monetize their platforms, AppLovin’s value has skyrocketed in recent years.

AppLovin’s market value hit a record-breaking $248 billion in December. Investor doubts about AppLovin’s ability to successfully enter the e-commerce advertising market and reports of shortsellers have shaken the stock.

Concerns about how AI might upend the advertising sector are more general than the difficulties. The company’s market value has dropped by about 40% this year, to about $137 billion. Following the US’s threat to ban TikTok unless its owner, ByteDance Ltd., stopped using the app, AppLovin indicated interest in purchasing the company outside of China. sold it to a US company.

Silver Prices Consolidate, But China’s Vaults Are Running on Empty

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Global silver prices have stabilized after an incredible period of volatility, but China’s supply is constrained as investment and industrial demand deplete stockpiles.

Silver’s Momentum Reset Sets the Stage for the Next Leg Higher

A backlog of orders is making it difficult for domestic producers and traders to fulfill, which is driving up short-term prices and severely backwardating the market.

The market’s overwhelming preference for timely delivery of the metal is evident in the front-month contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, which has reached a record premium.

The depletion of deliverable material and an inventory crisis are the main causes of this significant backwardation, according to Zhang Ting, senior analyst at Sichuan Tianfu Bank Co. Institutions are still motivated to keep controlling the market to make money.

Short sellers on the Shanghai Gold Exchange who wagered that silver prices would decline have been paying deferral fees to long-holders to avoid having to make deliveries, underscoring the lack of metal to close positions.

The 61 percent gain in the first few weeks of the year has been largely erased by the silver market’s historic selloff since the end of January.

The independence of the Federal Reserve, as the white metal momentarily surpassed gold as a reserve asset, amid anxieties over the dollar and escalating geopolitical conflicts, was fueled by a surge of speculative buying in China and other countries.

Extreme movements, like a global supply squeeze in the fall, are nothing new to the relatively illiquid silver market. Chinese inventories were already exhausted when demand for investments surged. Stockpiles at SHFE and SGE-affiliated warehouses have since decreased to levels not seen in over ten years.

Nvidia Sells Final Arm Shares, Ending Equity Link to Once-Targeted Company

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

NVIDIA made an unsuccessful attempt to purchase Arm Holdings Plc, a chip technology company, and sold off the remaining portion of its ownership. According to a regulatory filing, Nvidia unloaded 11.1 million shares, which, at Tuesday’s closing price, would have been worth roughly $140 million.

From Peak to Pullback: NVIDIA’s Rally Under Threat as Risks Mount

NVIDIA’s stake is now worth zero after the disposal, sometime in the fourth quarter of last year. The action ends a turbulent journey for both businesses. In 2020, Nvidia agreed to pay $40 billion to acquire Arm, which was anticipated to be the biggest transaction in the history of the chip industry.

However, regulators and consumers opposed the deal almost immediately. The majority of the world’s cutting-edge semiconductors are based on ARM’s technology, and its independence was viewed as a vital advantage.

The termination was announced by both parties in February 2022. SoftBank Group Corporation is the primary owner of Arm. then proceeded with its intention to sell shares to the general public.

NVIDIA has grown to be a significant investor in the entire technology sector. It has stock in Intel Corporation. , CoreWeave Inc., Nokia Oyj., and Synopsys have committed to using their funds to accelerate the uptake of AI computing.

China’s Silver Vaults Emptying Fast Amid Global Price Consolidation

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Global silver prices have stabilized after an incredible period of volatility, but China’s supply is constrained as investment and industrial demand deplete stockpiles.

Silver’s Momentum Reset Sets the Stage for the Next Leg Higher

A backlog of orders is making it difficult for domestic producers and traders to fulfill, which is driving up short-term prices and severely backwardating the market.

The market’s overwhelming preference for timely delivery of the metal is evident in the front-month contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, which has reached a record premium.

The depletion of deliverable material and an inventory crisis are the main causes of this significant backwardation, according to Zhang Ting, senior analyst at Sichuan Tianfu Bank Co. Institutions are still motivated to keep controlling the market to make money.

Short sellers on the Shanghai Gold Exchange who wagered that silver prices would decline have been paying deferral fees to long-holders to avoid having to make deliveries, underscoring the lack of metal to close positions.

The 61 percent gain in the first few weeks of the year has been largely erased by the silver market’s historic selloff since the end of January.

The independence of the Federal Reserve as the white metal momentarily surpassed gold as a reserve asset, amid anxieties over the dollar and escalating geopolitical conflicts,  fueled by a surge of speculative buying in China and other countries.

Extreme movements, like a global supply squeeze in the fall, are nothing new to the relatively illiquid silver market. Chinese inventories were already exhausted when demand for investments surged. Stockpiles at SHFE and SGE-affiliated warehouses have since decreased to levels not seen in over ten years.

Gold Bounces Above $4,900 as Buyers Pile In After Recent Pullback

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Gold rebounded above $4,900 an ounce as dip-buyers seized the metal following a two-day decline. Wednesday’s thin trading saw a 2.7 percent increase in gold, while the Lunar New Year holiday kept much of Asia offline. The metal had lost over 3 percent over the preceding two sessions.

 

Investors “can reasonably expect a soft patch” in precious metals over the holiday season, according to a note from BMO Capital Markets analysts, creating an opportunity for bargain pricing.

January was an extraordinary month for gold, with prices rising to consecutive peaks and hitting $5,500 an ounce for the first time.

that fierce run came to an abrupt stop was the day that bullion fell the most in more than ten years in January. According to Ewa Manthey, a commodity strategist at ING Bank, the historic decline has reset the volatility, and gold has been trading in a wider range for the past few weeks.

Numerous financial institutions, such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank AG, and BNP Paribas SA, predict that the factors that supported gold’s previous steady rise will remain in place and that prices will start to rise again.

These include worries about the independence of the Federal Reserve and increased geopolitical tensions. Investors will be watching Fed officials’ remarks for hints about US monetary policy in the near future. Non-yielding precious metals would benefit from an appetite for rate cuts; gold briefly increased on Friday as the argument for lower borrowing costs was strengthened by modest inflation data.