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ARABIAN POST SPECIAL

The integration embeds Ripple Payments into Thunes’s Direct Global Network, spanning 130 + countries and over 80 currencies. This union leverages Ripple’s global payout infrastructure—serving 90 + markets and covering more than 90 % of daily FX flows, with over US $70 billion processed—bringing real-time, cost-efficient, and transparent transactions to Thunes’s vast network.

Chloe Mayenobe, President and COO of Thunes, emphasised that the partnership bridges traditional finance and digital assets, enabling seamless, compliant cross-border payments at scale. She stressed the importance of real-time settlement and robust local integrations in scaling financial access globally. Fiona Murray, Managing Director for Asia-Pacific at Ripple, underscored how combining Thunes’s payment reach with Ripple’s digital asset infrastructure enhances speed, accessibility, and compliance.

This move extends Thunes’s capability to deliver payouts in local currencies in regions with limited banking access, particularly through its SmartX Treasury System. Ripple Payments is now integrated into SmartX, bolstering liquidity management and last-mile delivery in underbanked markets.

Analysis from BeInCrypto notes that this alignment enables faster settlement and improved compliance, especially where mobile wallets like GCash, M-Pesa, and WeChat Pay dominate. For enterprises, the collaboration promises efficient global transfers with lower friction. Crowdfund Insider adds that the partnership broadens payout reach while streamlining money movement across key markets.

Electronic Payments International confirms the integration into SmartX, reinforcing Thunes’s treasury capabilities and enhancing its services. CryptoBriefing highlights the joint effort to improve speed, transparency and compliance across Thunes’s global network by incorporating Ripple Payments.

This development reflects an industry shift: traditional payment networks increasingly adopt blockchain infrastructure to reduce costs and boost efficiency. Thunes, with its “Smart Superhighway” platform covering billions of mobile wallets, bank accounts, and cards, stands well-positioned to harness Ripple’s tools for expanding financial inclusion.

Thunes, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Singapore, already partners with PayPal, Uber, Grab, Paytm, and others, serving a global footprint that includes more than 3 billion accounts across 130 countries. The integration with Ripple strengthens its proposition to these and other clients seeking faster, more transparent cross-border transfers.

China has issued a bold action plan to propel its electronic information manufacturing industry through 2025 and 2026, targeting sustained growth in industrial output, revenue, and technological capability as it seeks to strengthen its position in the global technology arena.

The plan, jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation, sets forth a target of roughly 7 per cent average annual growth in industrial output across major segments—including computer, communications, and electronic equipment manufacturing. Revenue growth across related sub-sectors such as lithium batteries, photovoltaics and components is projected to exceed 5 per cent per annum.

Authorities further anticipate that by the close of 2026, the electronic information manufacturing category will retain its status as the largest among China’s 41 key industrial sectors in both revenue and export share. Ambitious local targets aim to elevate five provinces to over 1 trillion yuan in annual manufacturing revenues, with the server industry aiming to surpass 400 billion yuan.

Beyond output and revenue, the plan calls for accelerated equipment modernisation and the development of high-end, intelligent, and eco-friendly production lines. Central to this strategy is the creation of internationally competitive industry bases and specialised clusters serving smaller enterprises.

This industrial blueprint emerges amid broader national efforts to invigorate advanced manufacturing. In August, authorities unveiled new financial guidelines, integrating structural monetary instruments and “green channels” for critical technology firms, aimed at spurring innovation and easing access to capital for integrated circuits, industrial software, medical equipment and advanced materials. Concurrently, China continues to pursue consolidation within its semiconductor sector—though merger negotiations have encountered obstacles, reflecting legal, valuation and fragmentation challenges.

Observers note that China’s renewed emphasis on domestic capability complements longer-standing ambitions under industrial strategies such as “Made in China 2025”, which have driven progress in robotics, solar technology, electric vehicles and rail systems, yet left persistent weaknesses in semiconductors and aerospace.

The current two-year action plan appears to reinforce this trajectory by tying industrial upgrading to environmental standards and smart manufacturing. Provincial authorities are being pressed to deliver on revenue milestones, while the focus on intelligent and eco-friendly production signals an effort to align with global sustainability trends and elevate manufacturing sophistication.

This approach also reflects the government’s response to external pressure, including export controls and trade friction, by targeting resilience and self-sufficiency. By prioritising hubs and clusters, China aims to decentralise innovation and drive inclusive industrial progress across regions, not just within flagship firms or coastal areas.

The twin objectives of maintaining international leadership and building more advanced, cleaner industrial capacity are central to this strategy. As China moves into the mid-2020s, its success will depend on execution—not just on paper targets, but on implementation, regional mobilisation, talent development, and the ability to absorb and apply new technologies at scale.

The activation points to the investor’s decision to hold steadfast—“…patently holding their BTC holdings for over 12 years,”—a remarkable example of long-term strategic patience in the notoriously volatile cryptocurrency space.

Blockchain tracking services and on-chain analysts, while not identifying the holder, confirm that the bitcoin moved from a cold storage wallet first funded around 2012 has now matured into a substantial fortune thanks to the soaring bitcoin price. Historical price data indicates that the $4,400 stake likely purchased the bitcoin when its value was in the low-hundreds of dollars or even under $100 per coin.

This event occurs amid renewed upward momentum in bitcoin markets, where price action above the $111,000 level hints at a potential breakout to surpass $112,500. Analysts caution that maintaining momentum will be key, noting that the current ascent could falter under resistance.

While stories of dormant wallets awakening to deliver vast profits are not unprecedented, this case underscores the dramatic impact of time in cryptocurrency investing. Earlier this year, another long-term bitcoin holder netted nearly $30 million in profit after liquidating 300 BTC originally acquired in 2013 for around $60,000—a 496-fold return after more than a decade. In August 2025, yet another investor moved 300 BTC mined in 2013, transforming a $50 valuation per coin into a $30 million gain.

These developments highlight three evolving trends:

Firstly, long-term holding remains a potent strategy. The volatility of crypto is tempered by the compounding power of holding through cycles when the asset appreciates significantly over time.

Secondly, dormant wallets serve as markers of early adoption, especially during bitcoin’s infancy around 2010–2013. Their reactivation often signals profound gains to long-forgotten investors.

Thirdly, current market dynamics favour such histories. With bitcoin approaching and testing six-figure levels, such reawakenings may become more visible as early investors reclaim their positions.

The ethics of reporting such cases demand sensitivity. Without identifying individuals, disclosures should remain factual and avoid speculation about motives. What matters most is the concrete data: time-stamped transactions, verified wallet histories, and precise investment-to-return comparisons.

Private firms are allocating an average of 22 per cent of their profits into Bitcoin, as revealed by a new analysis from River, a specialist in Bitcoin financial services. The move underscores an accelerating wave of adoption from traditional companies across sectors from real estate to hospitality, driven by favourable regulation, strengthened accounting clarity, and a buoyant bull market.

River’s data shows that real estate businesses are leading this charge, with nearly 15 per cent reinvesting profits into Bitcoin, while hospitality, finance, and software firms direct between 8 per cent and 10 per cent. Even smaller, diverse businesses—including fitness studios, painting outfits, roofing contractors, and religious nonprofits—are joining the trend. By 2025, these private firms have quietly amassed 84,000 bitcoins, amounting to roughly a quarter of what institutional fund managers and corporate treasury holders combined have acquired.

The underlying conditions for this surge are clear. River attributes the shift to improved Bitcoin accounting standards, regulatory certainty, growing institutional acceptance, and a strong bull market that has seen Bitcoin’s value surge—creating an “ideal environment for widespread adoption”.

Smaller businesses, typically with fewer than 50 employees, account for 75 per cent of River’s clients, and appear to find Bitcoin adoption simpler than larger corporations. Those with complex, committee-based governance are more cautious, often awaiting peer precedent before committing—even when convinced of Bitcoin’s long-term value.

Adoption patterns also vary in scale. Over 40 per cent of the businesses allocate between 1 per cent and 10 per cent of profits to Bitcoin, while just 10 per cent invest more than half of their net income into the cryptocurrency.

This wave of grassroots participation complements broader institutional demand. River reports that public and private firms—the latter including treasury-managed corporations—are purchasing approximately 1,755 BTC per day on average in 2025. Exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles are acquiring about 1,430 BTC per day, and governments add another 39 BTC daily. These figures stack up sharply against miner output, which is only around 450 BTC per day—raising the likelihood of a supply squeeze if exchange inventories continue to deplete.

Institution-grade buyers are also piling in. Bitcoin treasury firms accounted for 159,107 BTC acquired in the second quarter of 2025, pushing the total corporate and business-held Bitcoin to around 1.3 million BTC. Michael Saylor’s company Strategy remains the dominant corporate holder, with more than 630,000 BTC under its control.

Parallel developments illustrate the growing strategic shift toward Bitcoin within corporate finance. In the United States, investor Anthony Pompliano orchestrated a $1 billion SPAC merger to launch ProCap Financial, a new Bitcoin treasury firm with an ambition to manage up to $1 billion in cryptocurrency holdings. The firm plans to monetise its holdings through lending, derivatives, and other services, pushing the boundaries of Bitcoin treasury strategies.

Across the Atlantic, UK markets are witnessing their own momentum. At least nine London-listed companies—from technology to mining ventures—have either acquired Bitcoin or announced plans to do so, seeking similar boosts in investor appeal. Despite historical resistance from regulators concerned about money‑laundering risks, the Financial Conduct Authority appears open to easing restrictions, offering a potential regulatory tailwind to adoption in Britain.

This widespread movement mirrors and builds upon earlier corporate Bitcoin trends. As of mid‑2025, nearly 130 publicly traded companies held about $87 billion in Bitcoin, or 3.2 per cent of the total supply, driven by the ‘Bitcoin treasury’ blueprint pioneered by Strategy. Firms including Tesla, Metaplanet, Twenty One Capital, Block, GameStop, and Trump Media & Technology Group have followed suit, deploying equity issuance, bonds, and convertible debt to fund their Bitcoin accumulation.

Analysts also project an enormous potential inflow of corporate capital: Bernstein Research estimates that corporate demand could funnel as much as $330 billion into Bitcoin by 2029, with up to $124 billion attributable to Strategy alone.

Northern Ireland stands to benefit significantly from growing economic and technological ties with India, as boosted trade, tariff relief, and joint research initiatives begin to materialise. A free-trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom promises a settlement that could deliver a multi-million-pound boost to Northern Ireland’s economy, particularly in advanced engineering, technology, and services. At the same time, enhanced academic and innovation partnerships are expanding the region’s opportunities.

Northern Ireland’s technology, services and manufacturing sectors are especially poised for growth under the new trade agreement, which includes substantial tariff reductions and near-elimination on key exports such as medical devices and engineering goods. Analysis shows that the deal is expected to generate around £50 million in economic benefit for the province. The agreement also unlocks access to India’s growing services market, opening new pathways for Northern Irish firms to scale internationally and enhance competitiveness.

Simultaneously, India and the UK have elevated their broader strategic engagement, having signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on 24 July 2025. This landmark deal opened India’s government procurement market—worth £38 billion annually—to UK businesses for the first time, offering additional opportunities for Northern Ireland firms in technology, infrastructure and innovation services sectors. Negotiations had culminated in May 2025, after extensive rounds that resolved issues including visas, whisky, automobiles and pharmaceuticals.

Beyond trade, there is growing momentum in research collaboration. Imperial College London has launched a global science hub in Bengaluru, aiming to deepen its research alliances across AI, climate resilience, food security and antimicrobial resistance. Such initiatives highlight the intensifying India–UK scientific partnership, which Northern Ireland research institutions could tap into—particularly given the province’s established strengths in digital innovation and software engineering, with major global tech firms like Microsoft, Nvidia and SAP already present.

The launch of a joint India–Ireland Joint Economic Commission, as agreed by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Irish counterparts, further sets the stage for elevated economic and tech engagement involving Northern Ireland. The commission aims to enhance trade, investment and technology linkages; discussions have also included cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fintech, semiconductors and higher education cooperation. Moreover, a new Indian consulate in Belfast reflects deepening diplomatic and commercial engagement with the region.

Northern Ireland benefits not only economically but also in innovation ecosystems. The UK–India Technology and Security Initiative, launched in July 2024, emphasises strategic collaboration across seven core areas including semiconductors, AI, quantum, biotech and advanced materials. The initiative is being overseen and reviewed by senior officials from both nations, reinforcing a structured framework for bilateral tech partnerships and supply-chain resilience; Northern Irish tech organisations with capabilities in cybersecurity, data analytics and smart infrastructure are well-positioned to participate.

These developments dovetail with the broader UK-wide free-trade agenda and strategic dialogues. India is the United Kingdom’s fastest-growing trade partner, with goods trade up to £17.8 billion in 2024 and services trade exceeding £24 billion—both substantial increases from pre-pandemic levels. Yet, awareness among UK firms, including in Northern Ireland, remains low, with only a small fraction actively exporting to India, despite high willingness among Indian consumers to pay premiums for UK products. Areas such as advanced engineering, manufacturing, and innovation services remain ripe for expansion.

Northern Ireland’s existing attributes further reinforce its readiness. The region hosts a cluster of world-class tech operations, supported by local firms such as Kainos and FD Technologies, and connectivity to universities and innovation centres. Access to India’s large and diverse markets—combined with policy support under the free-trade agreement—sets the scene for emerging partnerships in fintech, med-tech, smart infrastructure, and green technologies.

Finally, though not specific to Northern Ireland, institutions such as the UK India Business Council provide advisory networks and policy advocacy that can help local businesses navigate market entry, regulatory frameworks, and collaboration models with Indian partners across sectors including digital innovation, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

A pivotal online gathering on Sunday will determine whether the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies proceed with further oil production increases or hold current levels. The group has already rolled back its earlier cuts by 2.5 million barrels per day, equivalent to around 2.4 per cent of global demand, and is now assessing whether to unwind the next 1.65 million bpd tranche ahead of schedule.

Markets responded to the impending meeting with cautious anticipation. Brent crude fell modestly, trading near $67 a barrel, while U. S. West Texas Intermediate hovered around $63–$64. Analysts, including those at ANZ, flagged that any additional supply could deepen the surplus during a typically weak demand season. The softening outlook has already rippled through equity markets: major oil producers and service firms such as APA, Occidental, Halliburton and Schlumberger saw their shares slip between 3 and 5 per cent.

Since April, OPEC+ has pursued an aggressive unwind of output curbs. Initial increases began with modest tranches but have since accelerated: April saw the first rise, followed by consistent monthly boosts—from 411,000 bpd in May, June and July to 548,000 bpd for August and 547,000 bpd for September. These decisions reflect strategic moves to regain market share amidst growing competition, especially from U. S. shale producers, and external pressures, including public calls from the U. S. administration to increase global supply.

Despite these ramped-up supplies, prices have retained considerable strength—hovering around the $70 mark—bolstered by low inventory levels and geopolitical constraints, particularly sanctions on Russia and Iran. Analysts at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia observe that OPEC+ now appears comfortable with Brent trading in the $60–$65 range, a level that could pressure U. S. shale operations by narrowing profit margins.

Meanwhile, data from the American Petroleum Institute indicated an unexpected rise of 622,000 barrels in U. S. crude stocks, counter to forecasts, adding another layer of downward pressure on prices. The situation reflects a delicate balance: rising supply meets lukewarm demand, particularly as global economic growth shows signs of softening in key regions like China, India and Brazil.

Executive voices within OPEC+ remain tight-lipped. No official statements were forthcoming from Riyadh or other capitals prior to the weekend meeting. Analysts remain split: some believe the group will maintain its current stance through October, exercising caution amid market saturation concerns. Others argue that continued increases are part of a calculated strategy to defend or expand market share well into next year.

Anthropic has secured a monumental US $13 billion Series F funding round, propelling its post-money valuation to approximately US $183 billion and firmly establishing itself as one of the highest valued private startups globally. The round was spearheaded by Iconiq Capital, Fidelity Management & Research, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with the Qatar Investment Authority joining as a “significant” investor alongside an impressive roster of global financial institutions and sovereign wealth funds.

Anthropic’s valuing nearly tripled since March, climbing from US $61.5 billion, when it completed a US $3.5 billion Series E raise earlier in 2025. This leap reflects the surging investor appetite for generative AI developers, despite growing debates over tech spending sustainability.

Anthropic’s growth trajectory is underpinned by its financial performance. The company’s run-rate revenue soared from roughly US $1 billion at the start of 2025 to over US $5 billion by August. The enterprise customer base now tops 300,000, with so-called “large accounts” expanding nearly seven-fold in just one year.

The rise of Claude Code, Anthropic’s developer-centric AI tool launched fully in May 2025, has been especially impactful. It currently generates over US $500 million in run-rate revenue, and usage has surged more than ten-fold within three months.

Anthropic’s research credentials and product roadmap also underpin its valuation. In August, the company rolled out Opus 4.1, an upgrade tailored to agentic tasks, coding, and reasoning. Its rapid expansion, focus on AI safety, and growing international footprint were cited by investors as further proof of its potential.

The participation of the Qatar Investment Authority marks a notable chapter in Gulf sovereign wealth funds’ deepening role in AI financing. While Anthropic did not disclose the precise QIA investment amount, it was highlighted as a “significant” backer in the funding syndicate. QIA’s April 2025 holdings were estimated at around US $557 billion, underscoring the strategic weight that such sovereign investments carry in global tech markets.

This infusion of capital will enable Anthropic to scale its enterprise operations, intensify its AI safety research, and accelerate international growth of its Claude platform. Amazon, already a stakeholder, may deploy the funding to expand its cloud infrastructure support for Anthropic, particularly through AWS Project Rainier. Analysts note this could meaningfully boost Anthropic’s spending on cloud services, with projections suggesting an uptick to as much as US $5 billion by 2026.

Amid this whirlwind of funding and growth, some experts caution about the long-term sustainability of such capital-intensive AI ventures. Infrastructure demands for large language model development can rival those of tech giants like Google, Microsoft, or Meta.