Ripple Details How XRPL Was Built to Block Control by Any One Entity

Posted on February 26, 2026February 26, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

David Schwartz, CTO of Ripple, stated that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) was purposefully created to be uncontrollable by the company or any one entity.

His comments followed Cyber Capital founder Justin Bons’s assertion that XRPL is essentially centralized and permissioned, which sparked a lengthy discussion in the cryptocurrency community about what decentralization really entails and whether validator lists constitute hidden control.

Networks like Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Canton, and Algorand depend on permissioned elements, according to Bons’ post on X on February 24. He asserted that Ripple and its foundation have “absolute power and control over the chain” thanks to XRPL’s Unique Node List, or UNL, and that deviating from the published list could result in a fork.

Schwartz disagreed, stating that the description was “objectively nonsensical.” According to him, XRPL nodes choose which validators to believe on an individual basis and won’t consent to censorship or double-spending unless their operators do.

Schwartz did concede that validators could work together to stop the chain from the standpoint of honest nodes, but he asserted that they can’t impose double-spends. He likened the possibility of node operators switching to a different UNL in this scenario to altering Bitcoin’s mining algorithm following a majority attack. Ripple must adhere to U.S. regulations, the XRPL co-architect added in response to regulatory pressure. He contended that XRPL was purposefully created in order to prevent Ripple from censoring transactions.

Nvidia’s Rosy Revenue Forecast Fails to Impress Investors Amid AI Overheat Fears

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

NVIDIA did not impress investors with its most recent sales projection, indicating that the company will continue to be plagued by worries about an overheated AI economy.

NVIDIA shares dropped as much as 1.5 percent during a conference call with analysts despite the chipmaker’s first-quarter outlook easily exceeding the average Wall Street estimate.

Not much had changed in the stock by Wednesday night,

The skepticism surrounding Nvidia is now a stark reminder. The chipmaker’s explosive sales growth made it the world’s most valuable company, and CEO Jensen Huang pushed back on concerns during Wednesday’s call, arguing that customers are already making money from their newly acquired computing power. Investors are seeking stronger assurances that booming

AI sales are still possible. Huang said that “you need compute capacity, and that translates directly to growth, and that translates directly to revenues,” which is why clients will keep investing at elevated levels.

Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress tried to defuse other issues raised by analysts, such as the specter of supply constraints, by saying, “I’m confident their cash flows are growing.” She told analysts that producing enough of Nvidia’s most advanced chips is still a challenge, but the company has secured enough components to be able to meet growing demand.

However, Kress said that the company’s current Blackwell lineup—and a new successor, Rubin—will still beat sales projections from the past.

NVIDIA previously stated that by the end of 2026, the chips would generate $500 billion.

Silver Soars on Safe-Haven Demand: Middle East Friction Meets US Tariff Turmoil

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Silver prices rose sharply as traders considered Middle East tension and the uncertainty surrounding US import tariffs.

Gold recovered some of the losses from the previous session, rising as much as 1.4 percent.

Tensions over an American military buildup ahead of this week’s next round of nuclear talks with Iran, along with a lack of clarity regarding US trade policy, have helped the metal in recent sessions.

Silver surpassed $90 per ounce. Following a historic two-day rout at the beginning of the month, gold has recovered more than half of its losses and is now trading above $5,000 an ounce. Yuxuan Tang, head of macro strategy for Asia at JP Morgan Private Bank, stated, “It appears that a breakout to the upside is imminent.”

She stated that several factors “may prove sufficient to catalyze a more sustained shift,” including Iran risk and tariff uncertainty.

President Donald Trump’s broad-based 10 percent import levy went into effect in the US on Tuesday following a Supreme Court decision that invalidated his previous reciprocal tariff system. He has not formally issued this directive, despite his subsequent threat to increase the levy to 15%. The Trump administration is also preparing a series of national security investigations into the effects of specific imports on products like industrial chemicals and batteries, which could pave the way for further tariffs.

Some importers are requesting tariff reimbursements from the government in the interim. David Wilson, director of commodities strategy at BNP Paribas SA, stated, “It’s going to have dramatic implications for the US budget deficit, the US dollar, and Treasuries.”

The so-called debasement trade, in which investors gravitate toward hard assets like bullion out of fear of inflation or dollar depreciation, has been influenced by worries about growing sovereign debt.

Gold Climbs as Dollar Slips Amid US Tariff Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold increased as traders considered the uncertainty of US import tariffs and Middle East tensions, as the dollar declined.

Gold has stabilized above $5,000 an ounce after more than half of the losses incurred during a historic two-day rout at the beginning of the month. “It appears that an upward breakout is imminent,” stated Yuxuan Tang, who is the head of macro strategy for Asia at JP Morgan Private Bank.

Iran risk and tariff uncertainty are two elements that “may prove sufficient to catalyze a more sustained shift,” according to her.

Donald Trump’s universal 10 percent import tax went into effect in the United States on Tuesday, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his previous reciprocal tariff policy. The president has not formally issued this directive, even though he later threatened to increase the percentage to 15%.

The Trump administration is preparing a series of national security investigations into the effects of specific imports on goods like batteries and industrial chemicals, which could lead to more tariffs. In the meantime, some importers are asking the government to reimburse them for tariffs.

The so-called debasement trade, in which investors have shifted from bonds and currencies to hard assets like gold, is influenced by concerns about growing sovereign debt. Before the sharp decline at the end of January, this was a key factor in the multiyear gold bull run.

Gold, which doesn’t pay interest, may face challenges because of the possibility of a short-term hold on US interest rates. Fed Bank of Boston President Susan Collins stated on Tuesday that rates are likely to remain unchanged “for some time” due to recent economic data that indicates an improvement in the US labor market.

According to minutes released earlier this month from the Fed’s January policy meeting, the US central bank’s officials seemed hesitant to lower borrowing costs.

AMD Surges on Meta’s Massive AI Infrastructure Pact — Up to $100B in Chips and Equity Stake

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Meta Platforms will install 6 gigawatts of data center equipment built on Advanced Micro Devices processors, a victory for the chipmaker’s efforts to overtake Nvidia Corp. AMD’s stock increased 9% to $213.84, its highest one-day gain since November. The stock of Meta increased by less than 1%

Meta will purchase AMD chips and computers built to run AI models starting in the second half of 2026 and continuing for five years. AMD Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su stated that the series of transactions will be valued at “double-digit billions” of dollars per gigawatt. However, she would not elaborate on the exact amount.

Meta will get warrants to purchase 160 million AMD shares over time as part of the agreement. When the project and AMD’s stock price hit specific benchmarks, the shares will vest, making Meta a significant stakeholder. The deal is the latest in a massive spending binge by Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram.

AI is now the company’s top priority, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has promised to “aggressively front-load” computing capacity with hundreds of billions of dollars. To gain a competitive edge, the executive unveiled a new project last month called Meta Compute, which aims to build “tens of gigawatts this decade and hundreds of gigawatts or more over time.” A nuclear reactor can produce enough electricity to power about 700,000 homes, or one gigawatt.

Silver Calms After Turbulent Period; China’s Supply Tightens

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Global silver prices have stabilized after an incredible period of volatility, but China’s supply is constrained as investment and industrial demand deplete stockpiles.

A backlog of orders is making it difficult for domestic producers and traders to fulfill, which is driving up short-term prices and severely backwardating the market.

The market’s overwhelming preference for timely delivery of the metal is evident in the front-month contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, which has reached a record premium.

The depletion of deliverable material and an inventory crisis are the main causes of this significant backwardation, according to Zhang Ting, senior analyst at Sichuan Tianfu Bank Co. Institutions are still motivated to keep controlling the market to make money.

Short sellers on the Shanghai Gold Exchange who wagered that silver prices would decline have been paying deferral fees to long-holders to avoid having to make deliveries, underscoring the lack of metal to close positions.

The 61 percent gain in the first few weeks of the year has been largely erased by the silver market’s historic selloff since the end of January.

The independence of the Federal Reserve as the white metal momentarily surpassed gold as a reserve asset, amid anxieties over the dollar and escalating geopolitical conflicts, fueled by a surge of speculative buying in China and other countries.

Extreme movements, like a global supply squeeze in the fall, are nothing new to the relatively illiquid silver market. Chinese inventories were already exhausted when demand for investments surged. Stockpiles at SHFE and SGE-affiliated warehouses have since decreased to levels not seen in over ten years.

Gold Retreats After Four-Day Rally as Traders Cash In Profits

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Gold declined as traders took profits after four days of gains driven by uncertainty over US trade policy and increased tensions in the Middle East.

The precious metal dropped as much as 1.6 percent before reversing some of its losses as Chinese traders returned on Tuesday following the Lunar New Year break.

Investors gravitated toward safer assets as the US battled Iran and President Donald Trump pledged new import tariffs, driving the metal up by more than 7% over the preceding four sessions. According to Song Jiangzhen, a researcher at Guangdong Southern Gold Market Academy, “moves within 2 percent are in the normal range of market volatility right now.” ”

Longer-term sentiment is still positive with the continued unpredictability in Iran and the US running the risk of isolation with its tariff policies,” he stated.

President Trump announced he would raise a global import tax to 15% after the US Supreme Court rejected his so-called reciprocal tariffs, leaving markets bewildered. Already tense relations are being exacerbated by some of America’s trading partners’ inability to reconcile the most recent tariffs with previous agreements.

According to a European Union assessment, Trump’s new policy would increase duties on some of its exports above what is allowed by a trade agreement.

Bitcoin Heads for Biggest Monthly Decline Since Terra-Led 2022 Collapse

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Bitcoin continued to fall on Tuesday, setting the cryptocurrency up for its biggest monthly decline since a string of company failures in 2022. During Asian trading hours, the original cryptocurrency dropped as much as 3 percent to $62.5K

It is currently experiencing its worst monthly performance since June 2022, down more than 19 percent in February.

The collapse of the stablecoin project TerraUSD that year set off a series of failures, including the lender BlockFi and the cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital.

Additionally, Bitcoin is forecast to drop for the fifth consecutive month, which would be its longest losing run since 2018—another turbulent year for cryptocurrency markets marked by the collapse of a boom in initial coin offerings.

The decline, which prolongs a selloff that started in October, coincides with a general risk-off sentiment in international markets following President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to raise global tariffs to 15%. This move unnerved investors and put pressure on stocks and other higher-risk assets.

According to Rachael Lucas, a cryptocurrency analyst at BTC Markets, “President Trump’s decision to raise global tariffs to 15% rattled risk assets broadly, and Bitcoin moved with them.” Bitcoin is still regarded as a risky asset despite the “digital gold” hype.

Tony Sycamore wrote in a research note that Bitcoin is closer to its 200-week moving average of $58,503. Whether or not prices stabilize may depend on whether the token maintains its value above that level, as it did in early February.

From Bonds to Blockchain: SBI Delivers Instant XRP Payouts on ¥10 Billion Security Token Issuance

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

SBI Holdings has introduced on-chain bonds that give holders an equivalent amount of XRP. The initiative, which SBI describes as the first-ever on-chain Security Token (ST) bond issuance, was announced yesterday.

Through the offering, Japanese individual investors can buy blockchain-based bonds that, upon subscription, automatically release an equivalent amount of XRP.

Investors can access the asset through a regulated bond framework that successfully connects traditional fixed-income products with XRP exposure.

SBI Holdings announced plans to issue its first Series ST Bonds worth JPY 10 billion ($64.52 million). Instead of using Japan’s traditional securities settlement systems, the company will issue, manage, and settle the bonds entirely on the blockchain. The bonds were created especially for retail investors.

SBI uses the “ibet for Fin” platform created by BOOSTRY to digitally register and tokenize the bonds on-chain rather than depending on conventional registration techniques.

Bonds will be traded by investors on the Osaka Digital Exchange’s proprietary START trading system in the interim, and secondary market trading is set to start on March 25, 2026.

Interestingly, the issuance has an integrated XRP reward system. Soon after payment confirmation, bondholders will receive XRP tokens equal to the subscription amount. Eligible investors must, however, have an account with SBI VC Trade and finish the necessary steps by May.

Cloudflare, CrowdStrike Slide Sharply After Anthropic Launches Claude Security Feature

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Anthropic PBC added a new security feature to its Claude AI model, which caused shares of cybersecurity software companies to plummet. Cloudflare posted a dip of 8%, while CrowdStrike Holdings was one of the largest decliners, dropping 8%.

Okta Inc., SailPoint, and Zscaler all posted major drops; the Global X Cybersecurity ETF dropped 4.9 percent. The new tool “identifies security flaws in codebases and recommends specific software fixes for human review,” according to Anthropic.

The update is currently only available in a limited research preview, according to the company.

Concerns about competition from AI-native firms have caused software shares to decline, as evidenced by the recent decline in cybersecurity stocks. For weeks, anxiety has been increasing.

This year, the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF has lost over 23%, and it is on pace experience its largest quarterly percentage decline since the 2008 financial crisis. Dennis Dick, head trader at Triple D Trading, stated, “Software has been selling steadily, and today security is getting a mini-flash crash on a headline.”

Investors find this type of market unsettling because, as soon as there is even the slightest indication of a disruption, the market simply spirals downward.

Being cautious makes sense because, despite suggestions that the software drop was excessive some time ago, it continues to occur.

New AI tools from firms like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Alphabet Inc. have accounted for a large portion of the sales. Investors are concerned that the ability to “vibe code”—write software code using AI—will enable users to develop their own applications, reducing the need for legacy products and impacting businesses’ ability to grow, make money, and set prices. The group’s volatility demonstrates how businesses can be classified as possible AI losers.

Cloudflare, which surged in late January amid reports of growing adoption of an open-sourced AI assistant that collaborates with Anthropic’s Claude, has been viewed as a stand-in for Anthropic’s ascent to prominence.

Though “headline headwinds are likely to intensify before clarity and cyber inflection from securing AI materializes,” Joseph Gallo, an analyst at Jefferies, believes cybersecurity will ultimately benefit from AI. He went on to say that Anthropic’s announcement has wider ramifications because AI providers “will announce more products & compete for incremental.