Mastercard Teams Up with Ripple to Power Next-Gen Digital Payments

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Mastercard has recognized Ripple’s expanding role in international payments with its Crypto Partner Program.

Mastercard emphasized Ripple’s extensive experience in cross-border payments and acknowledged the company’s contribution to the global advancement of digital payments. More than 85 cryptocurrency businesses, fintech firms, and financial institutions have joined Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program to work together on next-generation payment solutions.

Prominent players in the initiative include Ripple, Solana, Aptos, PayPal, and OKX.

Ripple has established a solid reputation in cross-border payments with its network handling more than $100 billion in transactions across more than 60 markets.

Additionally, Mastercard believes digital assets are about to enter a new stage of development, which is reflected in the initiative.

These technologies are now supporting real-world use cases like business-to-business transfers, institutional payouts, and cross-border remittances. Major fintech and cryptocurrency companies like Ripple, PayPal, Circle, and Solana are among the more than 85 businesses that have signed up for the program.

Ripple commended the endeavor and said that digital assets are quickly developing from experimental technologies into instruments that can support practical financial applications. The business stated that to link blockchain innovation, cooperation throughout the ecosystem is crucial.

Gold Heads for Second Weekly Loss as Mideast War Fuels $100+ Oil Surge

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold increased on Friday but stayed on course for a second weekly decline as the Middle East conflict kept oil prices close to $100 per barrel.

Bullion surged above $5,100 an ounce while the US dollar stabilized and crude faltered following its highest close since August 2022, recovering some losses following a two-day decline. In an effort to reduce price pressure, the White House permitted purchasers to accept Russian oil cargoes that were already at sea. However, gold was predicted to decline by about 1% this week.

That would be the first time it has decreased for two weeks in a row since November. Since the US-Israeli war with Iran started almost two weeks ago, upward momentum has stalled, and there is no sign of a resolution.

US President Donald Trump and Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, spoke defiantly on Thursday, the thirteenth day of a conflict that has effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and caused the biggest disruption to the world’s oil markets. Brent crude fluctuated on Friday following a week of intense volatility, and a gauge of the dollar slightly decreased after rising 0.5 percent the day before

Expectations that the Federal Reserve and other central banks will cut interest rates have decreased for gold amid growing concerns about inflation and rising energy costs.

The most recent US jobless report, which showed that new claims remained muted, further reduced the possibility of borrowing costs being lowered.

Short-term yields reached their highest level since August as US Treasury bonds declined on Thursday. Because of this, traders now believe there is only a 70% chance of a rate cut this year and virtually no chance at the Fed meeting next week.

Apple’s Foldable iPhone Unfolds Into an iPad-Like Powerhouse

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone will receive iOS updates that enable iPad-like layouts and side-by-side apps for the first time, enhancing the device’s multitasking appeal. The product, Apple’s much-anticipated entry into the market, will have an interior foldable display roughly the size of an iPad mini, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

There will also be an external screen that looks like a tiny iPhone screen. The inside display will use a wide aspect ratio, in contrast to the more constrained formats of foldable phones that are currently on the market. That should be a key selling point, according to the people who asked to remain anonymous because the project is still in the early stages of development.

There is pressure on Apple to show that it can bring this format back to life. The foldable iPhone will be available this fall, seven years after Samsung Electronics Co., its primary rival. presented its first model.

Apple is creating new iOS app layouts and redesigning its core iPhone applications to include sidebars along the left edge of the screen. Additionally, developers will be able to modify their iPhone apps for the new interface, which will employ dimensions akin to those of an iPad in landscape mode.

The foldable iPhone will run standard iOS, not iPadOS, the company’s tablet operating system, even though it offers an iPad-like app experience.

This means that instead of implementing the more desktop-like interface found in iPadOS 26, it will continue to use a more basic multitasking system. Additionally, it cannot run pre-existing iPad apps. The foldable iPhone can display two apps side by side, but it cannot run multiple windows simultaneously like an iPad mini.

That aligns with a crucial aspect of Samsung and Alphabet Inc.’s foldable phones.

Adobe Shares Tank 7%+ After CEO Exit Amid AI Disruption

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen will step down from his role at the creative software behemoth amid profound doubts about the company’s capacity to prosper in the AI era .

Investors will probably pay attention to whether the new leadership strikes a balance between aggressive AI investment and disciplined execution, particularly as competition in enterprise and creative AI heats up. After closing at $269.78 in New York, the shares dropped roughly 7% in extended trading. The stock fell by roughly 23% this year, approaching its lowest point in three years.

According to a statement released by Adobe on Thursday, Narayen, who has been CEO for eighteen years, will hold the role until a replacement is chosen. The 62-year-old will continue to serve as chairman of the board. In an email, Emarketer analyst Grace Harmon stated that the CEO change “adds questions around strategic continuity, capital allocation priorities, and pace of innovation.”

Adobe has worked to incorporate artificial intelligence tools into its creative and marketing software to maintain its enormous market share. It also offers a variety of AI models designed to produce imagery that doesn’t pose a copyright risk. The company saw tremendous expansion under Narayen’s leadership.

Since he took over at the end of 2007, Adobe’s yearly revenue has nearly doubled to $24 billion, and the company’s workforce has increased from roughly 7,000 to over 30,000.

He is frequently credited for leading one of the first software companies to successfully switch from one-time purchases of individual applications to recurring subscriptions to bundles of products.

Ripple Targets $50 Billion Valuation in $750M Share Buyback Push

Posted on March 12, 2026March 12, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Ripple intends to repurchase $750 million worth of its stock. The company’s valuation might rise to about $50 billion as a result of this action. Notably, macro FUD is still having an impact on both public and private markets at this time.

Psychologically speaking, carrying out a buyback in the face of uncertainty signals an effort to boost shareholder confidence by raising the value of each share. Thus, investor interest is maintained.

However, from a strategic perspective, the action also signals increased control over ownership. Ripple can increase its internal equity by buying back more of its shares. This demonstrates the company’s confidence in its expansion, especially as it continues to scale its blockchain use cases, as one analyst pointed out.

However, given that macro FUD has already driven XRP, Ripple’s native token, well below its previous cycle highs to multi-month lows, skeptics have also assessed what the move might mean.

This technical flaw is noteworthy because it has begun to translate on-chain. Particularly following XRP’s 16.35 percent correction in February, which broke the crucial $1.8 support level, retail capitulation seems to be increasing as unrealized losses mount.

The company might “presumably” be funding the buyback with sales of XRP tokens. The claim cannot be completely disregarded, given XRP’s ongoing technical weakness in comparison to Ripple’s strategic growth. Rather, it might increase the difference between the two.

A weak technical structure is reinforced by this arrangement, making Ripple’s buyback seem less encouraging for the token and increasing market scrutiny of XRP as it consolidates below the $1.5 level.

Iran Tensions Drive Silver to $87 Brink in Wild Market Swings

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Silver (XAG/USD) rose in the early Asian session on Thursday, hovering around $87. White metal is boosted by the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which offers safe-haven support.

Traders await the release of the important US employment report for February in search of new motivation.

Iran launched a new round of missile and drone attacks throughout the Gulf on Thursday, with attacks reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. US President Donald

Trump claimed that Iranian officials had contacted him in an effort to come to an end to the conflict, but he maintained that it was too late and that the US was working to destroy Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, declared that his nation had not asked for a ceasefire and had no plans to engage in negotiations. In the short term, a safe-haven asset like silver may benefit from growing tensions between the US and Iran as well as worries about a protracted conflict in the Middle East.

Silver is still in a long-term bullish trend after surpassing its 1980 peak of $50.36 per ounce in 2025.

Industrial and speculative demand for silver has skyrocketed. According to the Silver Institute, demand will exceed supply in 2025, resulting in a 117.70 million-ounce deficit. When the price of silver reached a new record high in 2025, it attracted significant buying interest because it is a highly speculative metal.

Silver Institute projected silver demand to stay “largely unchanged in 2026, as healthy gains in retail investment are likely to offset most of the losses across other key demand segments, notably in jewelry, silverware, and industrial demand.”

A weak US dollar and the likelihood of declining U.S. interest rates have been positive for silver prices.

Mastercard Gives Props to Ripple for Driving Next-Gen Digital Payments

Posted on March 12, 2026March 13, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Mastercard has recognized Ripple’s expanding role in international payments with its Crypto Partner Program.

Prominent players in the initiative include Ripple, Solana, Aptos, PayPal, and OKX.

Ripple has established a solid reputation in cross-border payments with its network handling more than $100 billion in transactions across more than 60 markets.

Mastercard claims that the program will establish a platform for discussion and product development, enabling participants to contribute to new payment solutions that integrate Mastercard’s worldwide card infrastructure with the speed and programmability of blockchain technology. Additionally, Mastercard believes digital assets are about to enter a new stage of development, which is reflected in the initiative.

Tankers Explode Off Iraq Coast: Latest Blow to Global Oil Supplies in Escalating Conflict

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The latest in a series of attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf that are increasing the risks to the world’s energy supply due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, two oil tankers were struck in Iraqi waters. Iraq’s oil terminals were forced to halt operations due to the attacks on the ships off its coast.

The most recent events suggest that Iran is taking more retaliatory action, which heightens concerns that the conflict will last longer.

The number of attacks on ships has increased recently. A cargo ship was hit on Wednesday, according to a Thai Navy spokesperson, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported on Thursday that a ship was hit by an unidentified projectile just north of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.

At the time, the 30,000 deadweight-ton bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, flying the Thai flag, was trying to leave Hormuz.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros were the tankers struck in Iraqi territorial waters, according to the State Organization for Marketing of Oil, or SOMO.

According to remarks made by the director of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, which were reported by Iraqi News Agency, the nation ceased operations at its oil terminals. According to a statement from SOMO, “this event poses a threat to the safety of maritime navigation and oil activities in Iraqi territorial waters, and negatively impacts Iraq’s security and economy.”

ships were also told to depart from Oman’s Mina Al Fahal oil terminal, as a precaution.

According to an email from the Gulf Mercantile Exchange, the port was reopened after a few hours, and loadings and operations are now going on as normal.

However, the evacuation at Mina Al Fahal, which is located outside the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrates how the conflict is spreading to endanger the few ports that still have access to Middle Eastern oil.

Gold Surges Above $5,200 on Safe-Haven Demand While Oil Dips Amid IEA Stockpile Plan

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold rose following news that the International Energy Agency planned the biggest-ever release of oil reserves to mitigate a supply shock triggered by the Middle East conflict.

Bullion surged above $5,200 per ounce after rising 1% during the previous session. The Wall Street Journal reported on the IEA proposal, which calls for a release of more than the 182 million barrels that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

A gauge of the US dollar fell as much as 0.1 percent, while crude prices lost earlier gains. Investors were also processing contradictory statements from US officials as the US-Israeli war in Iran approached its twelfth day.

The White House stated that the US had not escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, in contrast to a now-deleted social media post by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The waterway, which normally serves as a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, has virtually ceased shipping.

Concerns about inflation have grown because of the extreme volatility of energy prices, which has decreased expectations that the Federal Reserve and other central banks will lower interest rates.

Precious metals, which don’t pay interest, are hampered by higher borrowing costs. Investors use bullion, which has increased by about a fifth this year, as a source of liquidity to support other portfolio components. According to David Wilson, director of commodities strategy at BNP Paribas SA, the metal “struggled somewhat under the weight of US dollar strength and falling US equities last week, with gold being sold to cover equity margin calls.”.

At about $5,000 an ounce, physical gold interest, especially in Asia, offered a safety net. The amount of gold held by exchange-traded funds has decreased since the start of the war. According to data gathered by Bloombe, total holdings dropped by almost 30 tons last week, the largest weekly selloff in over two years.

Iran Escalation Pushes Silver Toward $86 Threshold in Volatile Trade

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Silver (XAG/USD) rose in the early Asian session on Wednesday, hovering around $86. White metal is boosted by the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which offers safe-haven support. In search of new motivation, traders await the release of the important US employment report for February.

Iran launched a new round of missile and drone attacks throughout the Gulf on Thursday, with attacks reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. US President Donald

Trump claimed that Iranian officials had contacted him in an effort to come to an end to the conflict, but he maintained that it was too late and that the US was working to destroy Iran.

Silver is still in a long-term bullish trend after surpassing its 1980 peak of $50.36 per ounce in 2025.

A weak US dollar and the likelihood of declining U.S. interest rates have been positive for silver prices. XRP reflects a bearish market structure, and despite Ripple’s consecutive strategic initiatives—from growing its global presence to scaling its network for Web3 adoption—the spillover effect has been minimal.