Crude Oil Breaks $61 a Barrel as US Pursues Third Tanker in Venezuela Blockade

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Oil prices increased as President Donald Trump stepped up his blockade of Venezuela, with US forces boarding one tanker and pursuing another within weeks of first seizing a vessel.
Brent rose to about $61 per barrel after two weekly drops, while West Texas Intermediate was close to $57 a barrel.

The US Coast Guard boarded the Centuries tanker, which was carrying two million barrels of Venezuelan crude, in the Caribbean.

It is also pursuing the Bella 1, which is traveling to a country in Latin America. Trump wants to cut off Nicolás Maduro’s government’s main source of income, so Washington has been increasing pressure on it. The US also accused the regime of involvement in drug trafficking and designated it as a foreign terrorist organization.

Although Venezuela still has the largest crude reserves in the world, its exports, most is exported to China, make up less than 1% of the world’s total demand.
Tensions over supplies from another OPEC+ member also increased after Ukraine used drones for the first time to strike an oil tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. That came after attacks on Caspian Sea facilities owned by Lukoil PJSC. Oil prices have decreased by roughly a fifth this year, in part due to the geopolitical situation.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies restored production more quickly than anticipated, but producers outside the cartel continued to pump more, causing the declines. Robert Rennie, head of commodity research at Westpac Banking Corp., stated, “We stick to our slightly more upbeat view on crude through the end of the year based on geopolitical developments being much more supportive.” Brent will likely fall into the $50s next year.

Red Metal on Fire: Copper Nears $12,000 in 2025’s Epic Bull Run

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Copper reached a new high of $12,000 per ton at the end of a historic year marked by trade unrest, limited supply, and hope for long-term demand.

Copper is expected to see its largest annual gain since 2009, with only a few trading days remaining on the London Metal Exchange before year-end. The metal, which is essential for the energy transition, has surged in value in recent months due to growing worries about the world’s supply becoming more constrained.

The immediate cause is a rush of metal to the US that could leave the rest of the world undersupplied in an attempt to avoid future import tariffs. However, unforeseen mine outages and the excitement surrounding copper’s use in artificial intelligence infrastructure have also contributed to a 36% increase this year.

Difficult negotiations for annual ore supply contracts led to a deal for smelters to receive zero dollars per ton for processing fees—the lowest amount ever—a clear indication of mounting supply stress.

Many optimistic predictions have already been made for 2026. Citigroup, Inc. has stated that due to the rush to get metal to US shores, prices could reach $13,000 per ton by the second quarter.

Gold breaks $4,385 per ounce on Dovish Fed Signals and Venezuela Oil Blockade

Posted on December 22, 2025December 22, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Increased geopolitical tensions and wagers on further rate cuts by the Federal Reserve contributed to gold’s record-breaking yearly performance in over 40 years. The previous record of $4,381 per ounce set in October was surpassed by the precious metal, which increased by more than 1%.

Spot gold increased by 1.1 percent to $4,386.32 per ounce. Metal traders are betting that the Fed will cut interest rates twice in 2026 after a barrage of economic data last week did little to clarify the outlook, despite US President Donald Trump’s advocacy for aggressively lowering rates.

Gold and silver, which don’t pay interest, benefit greatly from looser monetary policy. The appeal of gold and silver as havens has also increased due to the recent escalation of geopolitical tensions.

While Ukraine launched its first attack on an oil tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, the US has tightened its oil embargo against Venezuela and increased pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s administration.

Both of these precious metals are expected to see their biggest yearly increases since 1979.

Increased central bank purchases and inflows into exchange-traded funds backed by bullion have supported the roughly two-thirds increase in gold prices.

According to data compiled by Bloomberg, inflows into gold-backed ETFs have increased for five consecutive weeks, and World Gold Council figures indicate that total holdings in these funds have risen every month this year, except May.

Gold has rapidly recovered after retreating from its peak in October, when the rally was perceived as being overheated. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is one of several banks that forecast that prices will continue to rise in 2026, offering a base-case estimate of $4,900 per ounce with upside risks. It stated that investors in ETFs are beginning to vie with central banks for the scarce physical supply.

Ripple’s Big Win? Former BlackRock Exec Highlights XRP ETF Crossing $1Billion

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Former BlackRock vice president John Gillen discussed systemic stress, investor psychology, and XRP ETF flows.

Many market participants have become impatient after months of waiting for a clear rally, despite strong ETF performance. Although the price action hasn’t yet reflected it institutional sentiment might be shifting. Gillen highlighted the fatigue visible throughout the market in the video.

He remarked, “It exhausts a lot of people.” He also mentioned the ongoing demand for products traded on cryptocurrency exchanges. “There’s an XRP ETF that I think has done over a billion dollars of volume,” he said, noting “strong inflows into the Solana ETFs.”

At that level, volume indicates participation rather than desertion. Gillen provided a clear assessment to support that view. He stated, “There is still a market for these things.”

He disagreed with the idea that major digital assets are no longer relevant, emphasizing the difference between low pricing and high ETF activity.

The $1 billion trading volume shows that institutions remain interested in XRP, supporting Gillen’s comments. He didn’t criticize XRP directly but used it as an example of sustained participation despite low enthusiasm. Gillen also connected macro conditions to his outlook. His thesis, he said, has “always been that eventually something is gonna break in the system.”

He mentioned the unpredictability of the housing and private credit markets. He stressed that pressure is still building, but did not predict the exact timing. Although XRP hasn’t seen a major pump, volume and interest continue, and the journey is far from over.

Rising Interest in Satoshi Nakamoto Could Trigger Bitcoin Price Plunge

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Analysts caution that the surge in interest in Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of Bitcoin, could have negative effects on the price of BTC. Spikes in Satoshi’s Wikipedia page views have historically coincided with significant turning points in the Bitcoin market cycle, according to data released by Alphractal.

Bitcoin is falling rapidly after climbing briefly to $107K.

Rising curiosity during powerful rallies has typically coincided with euphoric tops, while similar spikes following protracted drawdowns have indicated capitulation lows.

This pattern was evident in the legal disputes of 2018 and the institutional hype wave of 2021, both of which preceded significant market peaks. However, after prices had already fallen during the post-FTX panic, increased interest surfaced, closely matching a cycle bottom.

Satoshi was among the top eleven richest people in the world due to the combination of revived stories about a US Strategic Reserve and dormant wallets transferring about 80,000 BTC.

Alphractal’s João Wedson contends that social interest in Satoshi serves as a trustworthy sentiment indicator. Wedson’s analysis shows that price drops typically follow spikes in narratives related to Satoshi Nakamoto, with a 73 percent chance that Bitcoin will drop once such attention increases.

The CEO of Aphractal warns that traders who disregard sentiment risk succumbing to confirmation bias by relying only on technical or fundamental signals. However, following the recent spike, interest has decreased, raising the question of whether the market is about to enter a calm phase or is just waiting for another socially driven move.

Bitcoin continues to consolidate around its 4-hour 200 MA and EMA, repeatedly failing to break through the resistance zone between $93,000 and $94,000. According to analysts, a persistent rise above this level might lead to a liquidity retest in the $97,000–$98,000 range, but it would be repeatedly rejected.

Ripple Reigns: SWIFT’s ISO 20022 Full Switch Crowns XRP King of Cross-Border Payments

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

SWIFT anticipates that by the beginning of 2026, 90% of all transactions will transition to ISO 20022.

The organisation responsible for overseeing ISO 20022 compliance is the Registration Management Group (RMG), which includes a range of members or parent companies associated with well-known Layer 1 blockchains. Notable members include Algorand (ALGO), Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR), Stellar Lumens (XLM), and Ripple (XRP), the latter two of which joined in 2020.

Stellar’s participation has provided both original altcoins with an opportunity to improve interoperability with SWIFT and other major financial institutions.

Financial giants like BlackRock and JPMorgan are actively acquiring ISO 20022-compliant coins. Stellar (XLM) has notable partnerships with companies such as MoneyGram and IBM World Wire; however, its trading volume is lower than that of XRP. Ripple has established active partnerships with over 300 banks and financial payment solutions, including Santander and SEB, and is working on integrating its own RLUSD stablecoin.

Ripple’s (XRP) spot market volume consistently exceeds $2 billion, making it reasonable for the altcoin to grow with relatively low transaction fees. However, this $2 billion in spot trading is quadrupled by its futures market volume. XRP’s demand in perpetual contracts hit $8 billion in a single day, highlighting a new trend among traders seeking larger gains.

Stellar Lumens (XLM) generally maintains a daily trading volume between $100 million and $200 million; both Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) chains process a block on average every five seconds. XRP’s ledger handles about 40 million transactions daily, significantly surpassing Stellar’s average of 7 million transactions daily

Bullish Silver Outlook: Good Shot at $70 Before 2026 Rings In

Posted on December 20, 2025December 20, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Silver remains in high demand and is testing new highs. The silver markets gained strong support when the gold/silver ratio dropped below 65. Silver has a good chance of reaching $70 before the New Year, and the technical outlook remains bullish.

Silver did not just slightly increase in value; it broke through resistance and continued upward, hitting a new intraday high of $ 67. 67.46 and gaining over 9% from last week’s close of $61.91.

The buying appears genuine. Traders currently see silver as a better upside trade than gold because of ongoing physical tightness, increasing confidence in Fed rate cuts, and softer US inflation. The path of least resistance points higher, momentum is strong, and fundamentals support this view.

Traders favor buying on weakness despite stretched positions and the risk of sharper swings because of weaker liquidity as long as real yields stay low and physical supply remains tight. Supply chains for EVs, electronics, and solar power are still profitable.

Demand for fabrication has held up better than many expected, even at current prices. Production schedules have not been significantly reduced, and this steady throughput provides a market floor when profit- taking occurs. This is a key advantage silver has over gold.

Silver futures continue to show positive price behavior within a clearly defined cyclical advance.

The greyish metal stays above the Daily VC PMI pivot at $ 65. 57, which remains the most important short-term mean-reversion level. While intraday pullbacks toward this pivot should be viewed as rotations rather than trend reversals unless momentum breaks down, sustained acceptance above this level confirms bullish price momentum in the current cycle. From a time- cycle perspective, after the previous correction, silver is in a short- term expansion phase.

A harmonic rhythm aligned with 5-day and micro-cycle extensions aligns with the move from the mid-$64s into the $66+ range. These cycles suggest that instead of starting a new impulsive move from oversold conditions, the price is approaching a natural resistance zone. Expect volatility to increase near resistance as cycles mature.

Nike (NKE) Tumbles 11% to $59 as China Weakness Overshadows Earnings Beat

Posted on December 20, 2025December 20, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Nike (NKE) shares fell about 11%, closing at $58.71, the lowest level in seven months, following the release of its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings (quarter ended November 30, 2025).

Investors focused on the company’s ongoing challenges in Greater China and margin compression from higher tariffs, despite the company exceeding Wall Street expectations for revenue and earnings.

Highlights. Revenue: $12.43 billion, surpassing projections of approximately $12.22 billion and increasing 1% year over year. Diluted EPS: $0.53 (lower than last year due to reduced net income, but better than estimates of around $0.38). Net income: 32% lower than the previous year.

Tariffs, promotions, and inventory cleanup caused a 300-basis-point drop in gross margin to 40.6%. Regional distribution: North America: +9% (strong wholesale growth of about 20–24%). Persistent China Weakness: China, once a major growth engine, continues to lag due to low consumer confidence, fierce competition from regional brands (e.g., The g., Anta, Li-Ning), and excessive reliance on monobrand stores. According to CEO Elliott Hill, the region requires a “reset,” and progress has been slower than expected.

The estimated cost of new US tariffs is $1.5 billion, adding further pressure on margins. Cautious Guidance: Gross margins are projected to decline by 175–225 basis points, and Q3 revenue is expected to decrease by low single digits (worse than expected growth). Under CEO Elliott Hill’s “Win Now” strategy, which focuses on wholesale partnerships and product innovation (e.g., Nike is undergoing a multi-year turnaround.

BlackRock XRP Shock: Undercover Accumulation Set to Trigger Historic Wealth Explosion

Posted on December 20, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Maxwell Stein, the Director of Digital Assets at BlackRock, caused a stir in the crypto market.

“Trillions of dollars are poised to enter the blockchain ecosystem, but in the short term, we need to demonstrate the technology’s utility,” stated Maxwell Stein. Meanwhile, Adena Friedman, President and CEO of NASDAQ, elaborated on how banks have begun tokenizing bonds, fixed income assets, and stablecoins, particularly Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Ripple’s annual Swell conference is one of the most anticipated events in the cryptocurrency community. However, renowned analyst Digital Asset Investor recently noted that while the Swell conference may not directly impact prices, an announcement regarding an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) backed by BlackRock could have a significantly different effect. This comment reignited discussions about the factors that truly influence XRP’s market fluctuations and whether Swell WAS a meaningful price catalyst.

The consensus among digital asset investors is clear: the Swell conference typically does not lead to immediate changes in XRP’s value. The conference mainly focuses on cross-border payment innovations, blockchain integration, and industry collaboration—topics that support long-term fundamentals but rarely trigger short-term price spikes. Conversely, the analyst suggested that a formal XRP ETF, especially one backed by a major international investment firm like BlackRock, would dramatically transform the market landscape. Such an event would signify institutional support and regulatory recognition, potentially attracting significant capital inflows and influencing the token’s price.

Reactions on X varied among users. While some see potential, one user noted that the current market trend indicates weakness and consolidation, suggesting that broader declines may overshadow any positive developments. They also mentioned that retail traders might react emotionally in the short term.

The overarching conclusion is that traders differentiate between significant financial advancements and mere symbolic events. Although Swell’s global reach and institutional partnerships are noteworthy, they rarely generate headlines that impact the market. In contrast, the possibility of a BlackRock XRP ETF would have much larger implications for investor accessibility, liquidity, and long-term valuation.

Market participants will likely continue to look for signs of progress in institutional integration as Ripple’s Swell 2025 conference in New York approaches. However, until an ETF or regulatory milestone is officially announced, expectations for substantial price movements remain low.

Ripple’s XRP Evaporates Under Blazing Market Pressure

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

XRP has broken below $1.90 and is approaching a critical point on the charts, just below a significant descending resistance line. According to Coinglass data, the asset is tightly compressed between this resistance near $2.22 and the 200-day Exponential Moving Average at roughly $1.99.

The long/short ratio for Ripple XRP is near 1, indicating that more traders are betting on a decline than a rally. This ratio has remained below 1, indicating that bearish sentiment has prevailed for nearly two weeks. The volume of derivatives is relatively high despite a slight decline in open interest, indicating that traders are still active, albeit primarily short, in anticipation of a decline. XRP is trading at $2.14 on the technical front, just above $2, a critical support level.

If that threshold is breached, there may be more drastic short-term drops. Although neutral at 47, the relative strength index is steadily dropping. It is not yet oversold, so a further drop is still possible. Trading activity has slowed considerably, with volume and volatility falling.

Historical trends suggest a high likelihood of a significant breakout after the consolidation phase concludes, despite the muted price action. If the resistance is not overcome, focus may shift to the lower support levels. A decline toward $1.85 or even $1.70 could result from a breakdown below the $2.00–$1.99 range. Additionally, a descending triangle pattern is emerging, which traditionally suggests further declines if supported by persistently low volume or market weakness.