Boris Johnson Brands Bitcoin a ‘Giant Ponzi Scheme’ — Crypto Titans Fire Back

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Bitcoin sparked a new debate after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the cryptocurrency market a “giant Ponzi scheme” in a recent column. In response to the remarks, Eric Trump and Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy, refuted the description.

Johnson argued that Bitcoin primarily depends on the number of new investors entering the market. He asserted that cryptocurrency prices appear to function similarly to Ponzi schemes because they rely on a steady flow of new users.

He shared his long-held conviction that cryptocurrencies operate in this manner and warned that the sector depends on attracting new, often inexperienced investors. To illustrate his concerns, he told a tale about a villager.

Johnson says the person invested approximately £500, or about $661, in Bitcoin after meeting someone in a pub who promised the investment would double. According to Johnson, the investor subsequently lost money.

He maintained that these circumstances highlight the dangers that older investors, in particular, who might not fully comprehend how cryptocurrency markets function, face. Johnson also questioned the intrinsic value of Bitcoin, pointing out that it only exists as computer-stored digital code.

On the other hand, he stated that governments and organizations that back traditional currencies have historically given them credibility.

Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy and supporter of Bitcoin, responded to Johnson’s criticism.

Saylor claimed that Bitcoin does not fit the framework of a Ponzi scheme because the network lacks an issuer, promoter, or guaranteed return. He defined cryptocurrency as a decentralized, open financial system that is driven by market demand and code. In response to Johnson’s remarks, Eric Trump expressed disagreement with the assertion that Bitcoin is similar to a Ponzi scheme.

Ripple’s Ex-CTO Debunks XRP Burn Myths: “Even Halving Supply Had No Clear Impact”

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

XRP holders have engaged in a heated debate regarding the potential direct rise in the market value of XRP through the burning process.

This sentiment was highlighted in a recent XRP Launch post, which suggested that Ripple might push the price above $1.3894 by questioning why Ripple does not burn XRP to benefit holders. David Schwartz, former Ripple CTO and a core architect of the XRP Ledger, provided a nuanced perspective on X.

The conversation reflects a common assumption among retail investors: reducing supply automatically boosts price. He mentioned historical examples, noting that “XLM burned about half its supply on this chart.” Schwartz’s point emphasized that even significant token burns in other networks do not necessarily lead to immediate price appreciation.

This highlights the limitations of direct supply manipulation. Spade argued that these mechanisms offer little direct benefit to market value because they primarily burn XRP indirectly during transactions.

Schwartz explained that although these kinds of initiatives don’t directly affect prices, they can have a big indirect impact.

These actions boost adoption, liquidity, and network activity by extending XRP’s usefulness through On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), stablecoin settlements, and cross-border payments. Even though burns themselves have little direct impact, widespread use and functional integration can eventually improve XRP’s market position and support sustainable growth.

Iran War Escalation Pushes Silver Toward $81 Barrier in Dramatic Rally and Retreat

Posted on March 14, 2026March 14, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Silver (XAG/USD) is hovering around $81. White metal is boosted by the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which offers safe-haven support.

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.

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

Posted on March 14, 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.

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 to reduce price pressure.

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.

CEO Exit Rocks Adobe: Shares Drop 7%+ on Fears of AI Disruption Vacuum

Posted on March 14, 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.

The shares dropped roughly 7% in extended trading after closing at $269.78 in New York. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.