Author: Julius Alagbe

Julius Alagbe is a senior financial journalist and Editor at MarketForces Africa with nearly two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and economics reporting.He is one of Nigeria's most prolific financial market reporters, covering capital markets, monetary policy, corporate earnings, banking, telecoms, and macroeconomic developments across Africa.Julius has built a strong footprint reporting on Nigeria's leading corporates and financial services sector, including coverage of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Central Bank of Nigeria monetary operations, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, and major investment banking transactions.He regularly monitors the CBN’s open market operations, interbank FX markets, and equity market movements, providing readers with real-time intelligence on Nigeria’s financial landscape.His reporting draws on direct access to institutional research from firms including Moody’s Ratings, CardinalStone Securities, Fitch, and other leading African investment houses.Julius brings analytical depth and editorial rigour to every story, making complex financial data accessible to professionals, investors, and policymakers across Africa.Julius Alagbe is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Cardano Price Rises 5% as RealFi Testnet Launch Drives Optimism

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Cardano Price Rises 5% as RealFi Testnet Launch Drives Optimism Cardano price (ADAUSD) is up about 5% over the past 24 hours to $0.176, significantly outperforming the broader market recovery, primarily driven by anticipation of major network upgrades. Its trading volume increased by more than 18% in the last 24 hours, with transaction value settling at around $660 million, according to data from cryptocurrency exchanges. This has boosted Cardano market capitalisation to $6.5 billion, and the bullish signal remains strong. Upcoming Cardano protocol upgrades, including the RealFi Testnet launch on July 6 and the imminent “van Rossem” hard fork (Protocol…

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South Korea FX Reserves Surge to $427.4bn in June

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South Korea FX Reserves Surge to $427.4bn in June South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $427.4 billion at the end of June 2026 from $427.0 billion in May, marking a modest increase in the country’s external buffers. The country’s external reserve stock remained heavily concentrated in securities, which accounted for $380.3 billion, or 89.0% of total holdings. Deposits stood at $22.3 billion (5.2%), followed by Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) at $15.6 billion (3.7%), gold reserves at $4.8 billion (1.1%), and the country’s reserve position at the IMF at $4.3 billion (1.0%). #South Korea FX Reserves Surge to $427.4bn in…

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SEC Clears 7 New Fintech Firms for ARIP

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SEC Clears 7 New Fintech Firms for ARIP The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cleared seven new fintech and digital asset firms for admission into its Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme (ARIP). SEC also granted the firms an Approval-in-Principle (AIP) to operate within the programme’s regulatory sandbox as part of efforts to promote innovation while protecting investors. The commission, in a public notice on Friday, said the move reinforced its commitment to fostering responsible innovation that deepens the country’s capital market without compromising market integrity. It said ARIP is a controlled regulatory environment established by the commission to accelerate the…

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