Author: Journalist

Bitcoin overtakes amazon in 2025 On July 14, 2025, Bitcoin crossed a historic threshold. Its price surged past $122,600, pushing its market capitalization to approximately $2.4 trillion — surpassing Amazon’s estimated $2.3 trillion. With that, Bitcoin officially joined the ranks of the top five most valuable assets on Earth.It wasn’t a slow burn. Bitcoin (BTC) climbed nearly 13% in just one week, driven by record-breaking spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows and rising institutional demand. In overtaking Amazon, Bitcoin also surpassed the market caps of silver (around $2.2 trillion) and Google (Alphabet, around $2.19 trillion).  Bitcoin vs. Amazon market cap: What’s fueling…

The Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI), or STI, logged an amazing performance in the last three weeks.The bellwether blue-chip index cracked the 4,200 level for the first time and made several new all-time highs.Year-to-date (YTD), the STI has delivered a commendable performance by rising 11.3%.However, not all the blue-chip stocks within the index saw their share price increase in tandem.We highlight four blue-chip stocks that have lagged the STI thus far to try to determine if they could play catch-up.Genting Singapore (SGX: G13)Genting Singapore is the owner and operator of the integrated resort (IR) at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).The IR…

Why did India launch an investigation into Binance? India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) is investigating the global cryptocurrency exchange Binance, focusing on potential loopholes in cross-border digital asset transfers.The investigation is driven by concerns about unregulated wallet transactions linked to accounts from Pakistan. Authorities are particularly worried about activities near sensitive areas like Jammu and Kashmir, where such transfers could be used for illegal funding or money laundering. They are also investigating the funds sent from India to addresses located outside the country.Although no direct criminal connection has been found yet, a lack of transparency in crypto wallets has led…

Tesla has signed a $16.5 billion deal to source chips from Samsung Electronics, a move that could bolster the South Korean tech giant’s unprofitable contract business but is unlikely to help Tesla sell more EVs or roll out robotaxis more quickly. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said late on Sunday that Samsung’s new chip factory in Taylor, Texas would make Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip. This could re-energize Samsung’s project, which has faced long delays because the company had trouble retaining and attracting major clients. Samsung shares on Monday closed up 6.8 per cent on hopes that this deal would help the world’s top…

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 25, 2025. Jeenah Moon | ReutersU.S. equity futures rose early Monday as Wall Street prepared for an especially busy week that’ll bring earnings from several major tech companies, a key Federal Reserve meeting, President Donald Trump’s Aug. 1 tariff deadline and key inflation data.Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 171 points, or 0.38%. S&P 500 futures were higher by 0.41% and Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.55%.The move comes after Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. has reached an agreement…

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENE? Singapore’s stance on commercial rents has long been laissez-faire, with an emphasis on free markets. But intervention does not have to mean drastically deviating from these principles, provided it is scoped, spatially precise and transparently implemented.   In addition to zoning or conservation tools that Singapore already uses, rent control or lease protection can be confined to specific precincts, such as URA’s Identity Nodes already recognised as distinctive neighbourhoods or for specific types of businesses. These could include subsidies, right-of-renewal clauses or escalation caps to prevent excessive volatility. Singapore Tenants United for Fairness (SGTUFF), a cooperative…

The United States and the European Union have reached a wide-ranging trade agreement, averting a full-blown transatlantic trade war days ahead of an August 1 deadline for the introduction of steep tariffs. The deal, which imposes a 15 percent tariff on most European goods, came after a private meeting on Sunday between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. “It was a very interesting negotiation. I think it’s going to be great for both parties,” Trump told reporters at his Turnberry golf resort, hailing the agreement as the “biggest deal ever made”. Von…

NEW YORK, SINGAPORE — July 24, 2025 — Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL) today announced a new collaboration with Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and digital asset exchange. Together, Circle and Binance are accelerating support to meet the growing demand for tokenized Real-World Assets among Binance’s institutional clients.As part of this effort, Binance institutional customers can now hold Circle’s USYC – one of the world’s leading tokenized money market funds (TMMFs) – and use it as off-exchange collateral for derivatives trades, unlocking more opportunities for yield in a way that is modeled after practices in traditional financial markets.…

FRANKFURT, Germany – German business morale rose to its highest level in over a year in July, a closely-watched survey showed on July 25, reinforcing hopes that Germany’s struggling economy is slowly recovering.The Ifo institute’s confidence barometer rose slightly to 88.6 points, up from 88.4 a month earlier, its seventh straight increase and the highest level since May 2024.The rise was, however, slightly smaller than that expected by analysts polled by financial data firm FactSet.“Sentiment among German companies has improved somewhat,” Ifo president Clemens Fuest said.But “the upturn in the German economy remains sluggish,” he added.Hit by high production costs…

Entry-level positions in banking and other finance industry firms are proving harder than ever to secure as applicant numbers rise and openings dwindle. That’s why a growing number of undergraduates are turning to university finance clubs as a coveted stepping stone to their dream job in the sector. But getting accepted into these student-led clubs, which can offer vital inside knowledge and know-how, is no walk in the park. Some clubs accept fewer than one in 10 applicants.The NUS Asset and Wealth Management Club, for example, had 400 students apply to join last year but less than 10 per cent…