U.S Dollar Hits 4-Year Low as Trump Embraces the Slide: ‘I Think It’s Great’

Posted on January 28, 2026January 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The dollar hit its lowest level since early 2022 after President Donald Trump said he was at ease with its recent decline.

When asked if he was concerned about the currency’s decline on Tuesday, Trump told reporters in Iowa, “No, I think it’s great.”

Look at the business we’re doing, and I believe in the value of the dollar. The dollar is doing very well. “Trump’s remarks fueled concerns that his unpredictable policy changes would cause foreign investors to withdraw from the US, adding fuel to what was already the dollar’s biggest decline since his tariff rollout sent markets into a tailspin last year.”.

The US dollar declined against all of its major rivals, causing the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index to extend losses to as much as 1.2 percent before stabilizing in Asian trading on Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has emphasized the difference, and the president has long accused other nations of seeking lower exchange rates to increase exports.

The sharp increase in the yen since last week, as traders prepared for a possible intervention by Japanese authorities to support that country’s currency, contributed to part of the dollar’s decline. However, Trump’s erratic policies, which have alarmed foreign allies and investors, have also contributed to the dollar’s decline.

These include his threats to annex Greenland, his pressure on the Federal Reserve, tax cuts that increased the deficit, and a leadership style that has further polarized US politics.

The weakness has occurred in spite of rising yields on government bonds and expectations that the Fed will halt interest rate cuts at this week’s meeting, both of which would have historically been viewed as favorable to the currency. In fact, Trump has made it clear that he wants interest rates to be significantly lower, which would further depress the dollar’s value

Amazon Accidentally Leaks AWS Layoffs in Premature Email to Staff

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Amazon acknowledged “organizational changes” in error at the company in a notice sent to cloud employees on Tuesday. As early as this week, the massive online retailer is anticipated to declare widespread layoffs in its corporate workforce.

Among the businesses that are anticipated to be affected are Amazon’s cloud computing and retail divisions. In an email seen by CNBC, Colleen Aubrey, senior vice president of applied AI solutions at Amazon Web Services, stated, “Changes like this are hard on everyone.” ”

These choices are challenging and carefully considered as we set up AWS and our company for future success.

The note also cites a statement made by Beth Galetti, Amazon’s HR director, stating that the company informed “impacted colleagues in our organization.” The email’s subject line refers to “Project Dawn,” and the fact that it was “canceled” suggests that the sender may have remembered it after the fact. What is meant by “Project Dawn” is unclear.

Jason Buechel, Amazon’s top grocery executive, advised employees that the company must make more “deliberate choices” to attract customers. In addition, he disclosed other reorganization plans for the division, such as the appointment of a “grocery quality” leadership position

ASML’s Record €13B Quarter: Upbeat 2026 Forecast Signals AI Supercycle Strength

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

ASML reported orders that exceeded forecasts, and 2026 sales guidance was also higher than anticipated as AI demand continues to boost the Dutch chip giant’s operations.

According to Visible Alpha, cited by Reuters, bookings, one of the most closely watched metrics from investors, came in at 13.2 billion euros ($15.8 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2025, exceeding analyst expectations of 6.32 billion euros. Roger Dassen, ASML’s finance chief, said that this quarter’s orders were a record.

Additionally, ASML announced a plan to buy back shares worth 12 billion euros by December 31, 2028.

The company stated that it anticipates net sales of between 8.2 billion and 8.9 billion euros in the current quarter and between 34 billion and 39 billion euros in total sales for 2026.

ASML does not anticipate that total net sales in 2026 will be lower than those in 2025. According to the company’s forecast, revenue growth will be at least 20%.

The AI infrastructure boom is driving several tailwinds for ASML, which produces the tools needed to make the world’s most sophisticated chips.

This year alone, ASML’s shares have increased by almost 30%. (TSMC) added to the narrative that the demand for AI chips and infrastructure will persist this month, with another record increase in profit in the fourth quarter.

The largest chipmaker in the world, TSMC, is a client of ASML and produces semiconductors for businesses like AMD and Nvidia.

In the meantime, there is a scarcity of memory semiconductors, which has led to an unheard-of increase in the component’s cost; some in the electronics sector predict that the shortage will last until 2027. According to analysts, the largest memory manufacturers, such as Samsung and SK Hynix, will buy more ASML machines to expand their chipmaking capacity in the next year or two. For instance, Barclays stated in a note this month that it anticipates SK Hynix to take 1.

Ripple Boosts Saudi Vision 2030: Partners with Riyad Bank on Blockchain Payments and Tokenization

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Ripple has teamed up with Riyadh Bank amid increasing interest in blockchain-based infrastructure at the institutional level,, a Saudi financial institution, to investigate the application of blockchain technology within the nation’s financial system.

Reece Merrick, senior executive officer and managing director for the Middle East and Africa at Ripple, announced the partnership on Monday. According to Merrick, Ripple, and Jeel, the innovation division of Riyadh Bank has an agreement to research uses for blockchain technology.

The agreement will be in the form of a memorandum of understanding that addresses asset tokenization, digital asset custody, and cross-border payments.

Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s long-term plan to update its financial system and economy while reducing reliance on oil exports, is the goal of these initiatives. Given Riyad Bank’s size and position within the national financial system, the agreement is noteworthy.

Tokenization activity on public blockchains is growing worldwide in addition to regional developments. Institutional use of blockchain-based infrastructure is reflected in the XRP Ledger’s recent surpassing of $1 billion in on-chain tokenized assets. Tokenized US Treasury funds and products, as well as the expansion of RLUSD, which has started trading on significant platforms like Binance, have contributed to the rise.

Tether Adds 27 Tons of Gold in Q4, Solidifying Role as Major Market Player

Posted on January 28, 2026January 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Switzerland has about 370,000 nuclear bunkers left over from the Cold War, which are rarely used. However, one of them is currently bustling with activity. The cryptocurrency giant Tether Holdings SA owns a high-security vault that receives over a ton of gold each week. It is now the largest known gold reserve outside of banks and governments.

The recent surge in gold prices above $5,100 an ounce is mainly driven by mutual distrust between the crypto and gold industries toward government debt.

Over the past year, Tether has quietly become a significant player in the global gold market. Still, little is known about its internal operations or gold strategy. When two top gold traders left HSBC Holdings Plc last year, industry insiders speculated about where they might go.

Paolo Ardoino, the company’s CEO, compared its role in the gold market to that of a central bank and predicted that Washington’s geopolitical rivals would introduce a dollar alternative backed by gold. He revealed plans to keep investing profits into gold and to challenge banks in the metal’s trading.

The recent jump in the yen, as traders expected possible intervention by Japanese officials to support their currency, contributed to some of the dollar’s decline. Additionally, Trump’s unpredictable policies—such as threatening to seize Greenland, pressuring the Federal Reserve, implementing tax cuts that increased the deficit, and his polarized leadership style—have also weakened the dollar.

Despite rising government bond yields and expectations that the Fed will halt interest rate cuts this week, the dollar continues to fall. Trump has made it clear he wants lower interest rates, which would further decrease the dollar’s value. As a result, gold prices have hit all-time highs, attracting investors to alternative stores of value like gold.

Gold Smashes $5,200 Level as Investors Flee Fiat in Debasement Surge

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

A weak US dollar continued a fierce rally driven by geopolitical concerns and investor flight from sovereign bonds and currencies, and gold rose, staying above $5,000 an ounce for a second day. Bullion saw its eighth consecutive day of gains on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump threatened to increase tariffs on South Korean goods, and a crucial dollar indicator fell on Monday due to growing rumors that the US might assist Japan in supporting the yen, which would lower the cost of precious metals for consumers.

Silver increased by over 7%. The sharp increase in gold, which has more than doubled over the past two years, underscores bullion’s longstanding role as a gauge of market anxiety.

It has gained an additional 17% so far this year, following its best yearly performance since 1979, mostly due to the so-called debasement trade, in which investors withdraw from Treasuries and currencies.

The most recent instance of investors rejecting high fiscal policy is a significant selloff in the Japanese bond market.

According to Amundi SA, the biggest money manager in Europe, many investors are being persuaded to reduce their holdings of dollar assets and convert to gold due to America’s growing isolation from other countries. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Vincent Mortier, Amundi’s chief investment officer, stated that gold is “a very good protection against debasement and a good way to maintain some purchasing power.”

Speculator positioning data is demonstrating the appeal of gold, and options traders are anticipating further gains in a volatile market where few want to resist the trend. Comex futures’ implied volatility reached its highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic’s peak in March 2020, and State Street’s SPDR Gold Shares, the biggest bullion-backed exchange-traded fund in the world, also saw an increase in volatility.

Breaking China’s Grip? U.S Government invests $1.6B and Takes Stake in USA Rare Earth

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The Trump administration will invest $1.6 billion in Oklahoma-based USA Rare Earth as part of the White House’s ongoing investments in publicly traded businesses.

This could give the government an equity stake of more than 15%. Since Trump began his second term, the federal government has acquired ownership—or the right to purchase shares—in at least ten companies. A “golden share” in a U is one of them. The S. business that Nippon Steel owns.

The largest investor in MP Materials, USA Rare Earth’s rival, is S. Steel. Trump is increasingly taking on the role of CEO amid a wave of dealmaking.

Rare earths are included in the critical minerals sector, which accounts for six of the ten. China’s monopoly on this sector, which is crucial to the manufacture of everything from high-end computers and data centers to military hardware and cars, is being challenged by the United States. China has exploited its superiority in the manufacturing of strong magnets.

According to an SEC filing from January, the government’s ownership stake may vary from 8% to 16%, depending on whether all of the warrants are executed.

A $1.3 billion loan via the CHIPS Act and $277 million in direct federal funding are part of the agreement. Additionally, USAR announced a $1.5 billion PIPE (private investment in public equity) deal headed by major mutual fund companies.

Public companies raise money through PIPE deals by selling securities directly to institutional and private investors at a negotiated price, usually at a discount. In a note, industry analyst Neal Dingmann of William Blair stated that other businesses are probably under the “assumption that there is more government rare earth funding to come.”

The US government received a nearly 31 percent discount on its shares compared to January as a result of the USAR deal.

Ripple Partners with Saudi Bank on Blockchain Payments, Custody, and Tokenization

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The agreement will be in the form of a memorandum of understanding that addresses asset tokenization, digital asset custody, and cross-border payments.

Gold Smashes $5,000 Level as Investors Flee Fiat in Debasement Surge

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Silver increased by over 7%. The sharp increase in gold, which has more than doubled over the past two years, underscores bullion’s longstanding role as a gauge of market anxiety.

The most recent instance of investors rejecting high fiscal policy is a significant selloff in the Japanese bond market.

Silver’s Tug-of-War: Demand Squeeze vs. Speculative Storm

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Unprecedented physical demand and speculative interest in a relatively illiquid market are colliding to drive silver’s record-breaking rally.

James Emmett, CEO of MKS PAMP SA, stated, “There’s immense silver demand in a way that we’ve really not seen before.”

There isn’t usually that much speculation in this market, and short-term players are undoubtedly driving more price movement. Silver achieved its best yearly performance since 1979 last year, when it more than doubled, and this year it has continued an incredible rally by gaining an additional 50%.

The white metal saw its largest intraday increase since the 2008 global financial crisis on Monday as it rose to a record above $117 per ounce. The blistering rally has been supported by global unrest and the so-called debasement trade, in which investors move away from sovereign bonds and currencies in favor of hard assets like precious metals

However, silver has surged more quickly and forcefully than gold, with erratic intraday fluctuations indicating a market overtaken by speculative activity.

Lower liquidity is partly to blame for this. Based on average volumes, the daily value of gold transactions in London is roughly five times that of silver at current prices. Even so, recent price changes have been significantly more drastic than normal.

Fear of missing out has motivated investors to “chase the price action,” according to Emmett. He claimed that some investors used silver as a substitute because they were worried they had missed the gold bandwagon.

This was “a sort of macroeconomic geopolitical play.” With retail and wholesale orders continuing to exceed supply, physical demand is still a major factor influencing silver prices, according to Emmett.