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.

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

Posted on 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 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.

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

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 by Olumide Adesina

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

Washington Promise to US Citizens Reawakens for Card Networks as Stocks Retreat

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.

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 that 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.

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

Posted on 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 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 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.

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

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. 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.

 

Salesforce Eyes Record $25B Debt Sale to Supercharge Buybacks

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Salesforce intends to sell up to $25 billion in debt to finance a share buyback. This would be the software company’s largest-ever note sale. The people, who asked not to be named because specifics are confidential, stated that the company is aiming for a US bond offering of at least $20 billion.

 

The notes could be sold as early as this week, they added, though the exact date may vary.

The software company, which has come to represent Wall Street’s concerns about how AI will affect established vendors, announced a $50 billion stock buyback program, a 5.8 percent dividend increase, and a better-than-expected sales forecast.

Moody’s Ratings downgraded Salesforce to A2 on Tuesday, citing a debt-funded buyback as “a material shift in financial policy, including a higher tolerance for debt in the capital structure.” Meanwhile, S&P Global Ratings reduced its forecast to negative. The last time the company used the US bond market was in 2021, when it raised $8 billion to finance the purchase of Slack. Wells Fargo, Barclays, Citigroup, and JPMorgan declined to comment. A request for comment was not immediately answered by Salesforce or Bank of America.

US Government: Navy Did Not Escort Tanker Through Strait of Hormuz

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

The US claimed that its navy has never escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz in response to an earlier, since-deleted social media post by Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

“I know the post was taken down pretty quickly, and I can confirm that the US Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time, though, of course, that’s an option the president has said he will absolutely utilize if and when necessary.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

Global oil prices continued to fall after Wright’s post on X, and the accompanying video briefly appeared. However, some of that decline was reversed fifteen minutes later when the post disappeared without any explanation.

There was uncertainty about whether an escorted tanker had actually crossed the crucial waterway in the midst of a heated and unstable period for the oil market.

Anxiety over the lack of exports through the Strait of Hormuz caused prices to spike on Monday. However, they fell precipitously on Tuesday after President Donald Trump stated that the Iranian war would soon be resolved and considered ways to ease the supply of crude, such as releasing emergency stockpiles. As stated in the now-deleted post:

The Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. guarantee that oil continues to flow to international markets.

A video of Wright stating that “a large oil tanker went through about 36 hours ago” at a recent event was included in the post. I believe there will be more of those in the future. Due to owners’ concerns about security, nearly all commercial trade through Hormuz stopped once the Iran War started.

This prevented tankers from leaving the Gulf, filling storage, and forcing manufacturers to reduce their output.

 

Gold Surges Past $5,200 as Oil Eases on Emergency Stockpile Release Plan

Posted on 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.

Salesforce Plans $25B Raise to Fuel Aggressive Buyback Program

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Salesforce intends to sell up to $25 billion in debt to finance a share buyback. This would be the software company’s largest-ever note sale. The people, who asked not to be named because specifics are confidential, stated that the company is aiming for a US bond offering of at least $20 billion.

 

The notes could be sold as early as this week, they added, though the exact date may vary.

The software company, which has come to represent Wall Street’s concerns about how AI will affect established vendors, announced a $50 billion stock buyback program, a 5.8 percent dividend increase, and a better-than-expected sales forecast.

Moody’s Ratings downgraded Salesforce to A2 on Tuesday, citing a debt-funded buyback as “a material shift in financial policy, including a higher tolerance for debt in the capital structure.” Meanwhile, S&P Global Ratings reduced its forecast to negative.

The last time the company used the US bond market was in 2021, when it raised $8 billion to finance the purchase of Slack.

Wells Fargo, Barclays, Citigroup, and JPMorgan declined to comment. A request for comment was not immediately answered by Salesforce or Bank of America.