Author: Julius Alagbe

Swift Launches Blockchain Pilot for Tokenised Deposits with 17 Banks Swift has announced that its blockchain-based ledger is ready for initial use, enabling early adopter financial institutions to support 24/7 cross-border payments with tokenised deposits — and marking a decisive step in scaling the benefits of digital value across the regulated global financial system. Seventeen banks from six continents are preparing to pilot live transactions, reflecting strong global demand for the new addition to Swift’s technology stack and its ability to unlock faster, more flexible money movement worldwide. The shared ledger provides participating banks with a secure orchestration layer for…

South African Rand Trades Soft on U.S. Dollar Rally The South African rand traded weaker on Friday as investors continued to favour the US dollar amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and persistent concerns around global inflation. Fresh US strikes against Iranian targets, Iran’s retaliatory action, and ongoing disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz supported safe-haven demand for the dollar, First National Bank (FNB) said in a brief. Market analysts said higher oil prices reinforced concerns that inflation may remain elevated, supporting expectations that interest rates could stay higher for longer. The rand is changing hands at…

XRP Price Rises 2% as AI Trades Drive Volume Ripple (XRP) price increased 2% to $1.11 on Friday, closely tracking a broader market uptick but primarily driven by a technical breakout above the $1.10 resistance level, confirmed by a late-session volume spike. According to market reports, the number of commercial transactions executed solely by artificial intelligence systems on the XRP Ledger has surpassed 1 million, marking a significant milestone for crypto-enabled machine economies. Latest on-chain data shows this surge in activity via the x402 protocol is no longer just an experimental phase. The threshold became clear following the launch of…

Global equity markets were mixed as US-Iran tensions weighed on investor sentiment

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and Ripple’s XRP climbed amid renewed buying interest in the cryptocurrency market

The naira exchange rate improved to N1378 per US dollar at the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Market

Nigerian stocks extended their rally on the local bourse, with investors gaining….

There is greater near-term fiscal policy uncertainty in the UK and pressure on spending …

XRP Rises as Ripple, Kansas Athletics Enter Sports Marketing Deal XRP climbed 2% to $1.10 on Thursday, closely tracking a modest uptick in the broader crypto market as Ripple entered a multi-year sports marketing partnership. Ripple has entered into a multi-year sports marketing partnership with the University of Kansas Jayhawks athletic teams. Under the agreement, the $XRP brand logo will appear prominently on Jayhawks team jerseys, making Ripple the latest cryptocurrency brand to enter the collegiate sports marketing space. The University of Kansas Jayhawks is one of the most recognisable brands in U.S. collegiate athletics, particularly with a large and loyal fanbase…

Oil Prices Ease as Tensions Shift Demand, Supply Curve Oil prices edged lower in early trading on Thursday after a sharp rally fueled by escalating US-Iran tensions, as investors took profits while continued concerns over potential supply disruptions kept prices supported. Brent crude traded at $77.81 per barrel, down about 0.3% from the previous close of $78.02. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell about 0.2% to $73.33 per barrel from $73.52 in the previous session. Brent surged 8.7% on Wednesday, briefly climbing as high as $80.59 per barrel after US President Donald Trump declared that negotiations with Iran had…