Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp is once again making headlines—not for new software or contracts, but for his increasingly grandiose public statements about his company’s role in America’s future.

In a series of recent media appearances, Karp positioned Palantir not merely as a data analytics firm but as a vital force sustaining U.S. economic growth and national security in the artificial intelligence era.

During an interview on The Axios Show, Karp was asked by host Mike Allen the question that many still struggle to answer: “What the hell is Palantir?” His reply was sweeping.

“We are growing the GDP of the U.S. We are the part of the GDP of the AI economy where things are useful,” he said.

The statement, while vague, echoes similar remarks he made earlier on CNBC’s Squawk Box, where he linked Palantir’s success directly to America’s AI-driven economic expansion.

Karp indicates that he sees Palantir as indispensable to the nation’s progress. “Most of the GDP growth in this country is because of AI,” he told CNBC, adding that investors should back his company as part of that broader transformation.

His tone has mirrored that of other tech leaders who have begun portraying their firms as defenders of Western values against authoritarian rivals.

On CNBC, Karp described Palantir as “one of the greatest businesses in the world” performing “a noble task.” Later, on Axios, he used less formal phrasing—calling it “the most baller, interesting company on the planet,” with a “baller product” and “baller culture.”

In his letter to investors following Palantir’s third-quarter earnings, Karp struck a more serious note, invoking W.B. Yeats’ The Second Coming: “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.” He adapted it to his worldview, writing, “Today, America is the center, and it must hold.” He went on to argue that “it is and was a mistake to casually proclaim the equality of all cultures and cultural values”—a statement that drew attention for its political undertone coming from a technology executive.

Karp’s rhetoric also reflects a worldview where technology, geopolitics, and patriotism intertwine. When pressed by Allen to discuss potential risks of AI, Karp minimized concerns, saying: “It could go wrong in lots of ways, but again, there I would say we need to absorb a lot of risk there because it’s either going to go right and wrong for us or it’s going to go right and wrong for China.”

Even when asked again to clarify how AI could harm ordinary people, Karp stayed on message. “We are going to be the dominant player, or China is going to be the dominant player,” he said. “There will just be very different rules depending on who wins. You will have far fewer rights if America’s not in the lead.”

That argument—that surveillance, automation, and data control are acceptable trade-offs in the name of national leadership—has become a recurring theme in Karp’s public remarks. It also reflects the dual identity of Palantir itself: a company that works with governments on intelligence and security projects while selling its software to corporations for commercial use.

Karp’s attempt to lighten the discussion occasionally turns strange. When talking about public concerns over surveillance, he joked that most people fear technology might “take away my right to go have a hot dog with a coworker I’m flirting with while being married.” Later, he added that much of the anxiety about AI-driven monitoring comes from “people worried about being caught shagging too many people on the side.”

When the discussion finally turned to existential threats from AI, Karp defined the main risk as “social instability,” warning that it could trigger “pretty crazy populist movements that obviously make no sense, like the government is going to run grocery stores.”

His framing underscores a worldview where state regulation or social backlash—not corporate power—poses the real danger. In Karp’s version of the future, the safeguard against chaos is deeper integration of AI across society, led by companies like his.

Karp believes Palantir’s mission has grown far beyond building software. It’s about preserving America’s dominance in a technological arms race, he believes, that defines the century. Whether his rhetoric inspires confidence or concern, it reinforces one thing: Alex Karp sees Palantir not just as a company, but as a cornerstone of the modern American experiment.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Thursday that he expects the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to gain full regulatory approval in China by early next year, potentially around February or March.

Musk’s comments came during Tesla’s annual general meeting, where he also noted that the system currently has only partial approval in the country.

China remains a key market for Tesla, though its market share has declined to 8% in the latest quarter, down from a high of 15.4% in Q1 2023. Local automakers have been steadily attracting customers by offering advanced driver assistance features at no extra cost, intensifying competition for Tesla.

The FSD system has been partially approved in China since February 2025. Before that, Tesla owners could only use the less advanced Autopilot option. Many buyers in China paid 64,000 yuan ($9,000) for FSD, anticipating a rapid full rollout. The continued delay in approval has created friction among these early adopters, who have been unable to fully utilize the capabilities of the software they purchased.

Currently, Tesla’s FSD in China operates under limitations. The system cannot autonomously change gears, meaning vehicles cannot complete trips from one parking space to another without driver input. It has also struggled with accurately reading local traffic signs and road markings, complicating the path to regulatory approval.

Musk’s prediction comes amid broader challenges for Tesla in obtaining safety approvals in its home market of the United States. Regulators, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), have raised concerns about the company’s FSD system and its ability to operate safely under varying conditions.

In August, the NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla over software reliability, accident reporting, and the pace at which autonomous features are deployed. The regulator said automakers are required to report crashes involving advanced driver-assist features “within one or five days” of an incident. But Tesla was filing reports “several months or more” after crashes occurred.

Tesla has failed to meet the standing general order (SGO) safety requirement issued in 2021. The mandate compels automakers and robotaxi companies to disclose crashes involving both fully autonomous vehicles and Level 2 driver-assist systems. Under the order, any collision must be reported if an automated driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact.

Since the rule came into force, Tesla has disclosed over 2,300 crashes to the federal government. An analysis of the data reveals Tesla accounted for 40 out of 43 fatal crashes reported under the SGO, underscoring its outsized role in accidents tied to semi-autonomous systems. The company told regulators that the delays stemmed from a data collection issue that has since been corrected.

These ongoing hurdles highlight that even as Tesla pushes for global expansion, regulatory compliance remains a critical bottleneck for its autonomous driving ambitions.

Analysts note that full approval in China could bolster Tesla’s market position, particularly among premium buyers, while providing an opportunity to demonstrate its autonomous driving technology under strict regulatory standards. The push for approval in China has become urgent following Tesla shareholders’ approval of the $1 trillion compensation package for Musk. The plan is tied to the CEO boosting Tesla’s valuation to over $8 trillion.

If Tesla secures full approval, the FSD system could unlock a wider range of autonomous features specifically tailored to Chinese roads and traffic conditions, helping the company recover market share lost to competitive domestic brands.

On November 5, 2025, Ripple Labs announced the completion of a $500 million strategic investment round, valuing the company at $40 billion.

This marks Ripple’s first external funding since 2019 and comes amid a surge in institutional interest in blockchain-based financial tools. The round was led by Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, with participation from heavyweights like Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, Brevan Howard, and Marshall Wace.

Notably, Ripple’s president Monica Long emphasized that the company wasn’t actively seeking capital but responded to strong demand from these investors, signaling confidence in its pivot toward broader financial services.

$40 billion (a ~300% increase from its last round in 2019 at $10 billion). Announced November 5, 2025; fits within the first week of November. Follows a $1 billion share tender offer earlier in 2025 at the same valuation; Ripple also repurchased over 25% of its shares to align with partners

This raise isn’t just financial firepower—it’s a vote of confidence from traditional finance giants betting on Ripple’s role in bridging crypto with real-world applications.

CEO Brad Garlinghouse described it as “validation of Ripple’s growth strategy and business built on the foundation of XRP,” highlighting the company’s evolution from a payments startup to a diversified platform.

Ripple has long been synonymous with cross-border remittances via its Ripple Payments network (powered by XRP), which has processed over $95 billion across 75 regulatory licenses in the past two years.

The new capital is earmarked to accelerate expansion in several high-growth areas: Stablecoins: Ripple is doubling down on its RLUSD stablecoin, recently partnering with Mastercard for settlement services.

This positions RLUSD as a compliant, enterprise-grade option for tokenized payments, potentially rivaling USDC or USDT in institutional adoption.

Payments Infrastructure: Building on XRP’s speed (3-5 second settlements) and low cost, Ripple is enhancing global remittance tools. Recent integrations, like Clear Junction’s multi-currency SWIFT service, underscore this shift toward seamless fiat-crypto bridges.

The funds will fuel custody services for crypto assets, prime brokerage for institutions, and corporate treasury solutions using digital assets. Ripple has made six acquisitions in the last two years (two over $1 billion), broadening its footprint in these domains.

This aligns with a broader crypto-friendly U.S. regulatory environment under the Trump administration, including potential stablecoin legislation and DOJ signals that decentralized protocols like XRP won’t face charges.

On-chain metrics back the momentum: Over 21,000 new XRPL wallets emerged in just 48 hours last week—the largest surge in eight months—hinting at rising adoption. While Ripple’s valuation tripled, XRP’s price has been more tempered, trading around $2.28 as of November 5 up slightly from a weekly 14% dip but far from its July 2025 all-time high of $3.65.

Analysts attribute this to broader market caution (e.g., Bitcoin dipping below $104K), but see long-term upside from: ETF Potential: Spot XRP ETFs from Bitwise and Grayscale could launch by mid-November, unlocking institutional inflows.

Whale Activity: Subtle accumulation amid low volume suggests big players are positioning for growth. X discussions are electric, with users like XRPIntelWire and Crypto_Barbbiet amplifying the news as a “tectonic shift” for global finance.

In short, this funding cements Ripple’s status as a crypto infrastructure powerhouse, with XRP at its core. If stablecoin and payments adoption accelerates as planned, it could propel XRP toward new highs—watch for ETF news and RLUSD milestones in the coming weeks.

Solana DeFi TVL Growth, A Strong Q3 Performance

Solana’s decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL) surged 32.7% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in Q3 2025, reaching $11.5 billion by the end of September.

This marks a robust recovery and expansion for the ecosystem, driven by key protocols and broader market momentum. Solana’s DeFi TVL has shown volatility but consistent upward trajectory in USD terms over 2025, fueled by low fees ($0.00025 per transaction), high throughput (up to 65,000 TPS), and innovative protocols.

-64% (from Q4 2024): Sharp drop amid market uncertainty, but stablecoin market cap rose 145% to $12.5B offsetting some losses. +30.4% led by Kamino ($2.1B TVL, +33.9% QoQ) and staking growth (64.8% of SOL supply staked, $60B total). DEX volumes dipped 45.4%, but capital efficiency improved.

Top protocols: Kamino ($2.8B, +33.1%), Jupiter ($2.6B, +59.6%), Raydium ($2.3B, +32.3%). Stablecoins hit record $14.1B; RWAs grew 41.9% to $682M. Spot DEX volume +17% to $4B daily.

Early Q4 snapshots (e.g., Nov 5) show temporary dips to ~$9.9B due to price corrections, but Q3 end-of-quarter figures hold at $11.5B. Kamino and Jupiter dominated, with Jupiter’s new Lend product (powered by Fluid) boosting liquidity.

These two alone accounted for ~46% of Solana’s DeFi TVL. Record stablecoin inflows ($14.1B) provided a stable base for lending and trading. Real-world assets (RWAs) like Ondo’s USDY and BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized funds added $682M, up 41.9% QoQ.

Despite a broader DeFi TVL record of $237B across chains (Ethereum at ~$92B), Solana solidified its #2 spot behind Ethereum, with superior capital efficiency—generating $562M in Q2 revenue alone via high APRs (e.g., 14% on stablecoin pools vs. Ethereum’s 3%).

Global DeFi activity cooled daily active wallets -22% QoQ, but Solana bucked the trend with +17% DEX volume growth, highlighting its appeal for high-speed, low-cost trading.

Implications for SOL and Beyond

This TVL milestone underscores Solana’s maturation as a DeFi powerhouse, potentially signaling bullish momentum for SOL price (which hovered around $170-200 in late Q3).

With ETF launches (e.g., Bitwise BSOL in Oct 2025) and ongoing upgrades like Jupiter’s ICO platform, expect continued inflows. However, risks like network outages and market volatility persist—watch on-chain metrics like active addresses (2.2M+ daily) for sustained health.

Jupiter has transformed from a simple DEX aggregator into the cornerstone of Solana’s DeFi ecosystem, often dubbed the “everything exchange for everyone.” Launched in 2021, it now commands ~95% of Solana’s DEX aggregator market share, routes billions in monthly volume, and integrates seamlessly across swaps, perps, lending, and more.

As of November 2025, with $3.58B in TVL, Jupiter isn’t just a tool—it’s Solana’s DeFi operating system, prioritizing user-centric innovation over hype. This deep dive covers its mechanics, growth, tokenomics, and future trajectory, grounded in on-chain data and recent developments.

At its heart, Jupiter is a liquidity aggregator that scans dozens of Solana DEXs (e.g., Raydium, Orca, Meteora) to find the optimal trade route, minimizing slippage and fees while maximizing execution speed.

It leverages Solana’s high throughput up to 65,000 TPS for near-instant settlements. For any swap, Jupiter’s engine (now Ultra v3) evaluates 50+ liquidity sources in real-time, splitting orders across protocols for the best price.

This includes intermediary swaps (e.g., SOL ? USDC via multiple AMMs) and supports every Solana token, even low-liquidity or “forgotten” ones via RTSE (Real-Time Slippage Estimator).

Beyond basic swaps, it offers CEX-like features: limit orders, dollar-cost averaging (DCA), and perpetuals up to 100x leverage with Pyth oracles for accurate pricing. Gasless trading no SOL needed for fees and MEV protection make it accessible for retail users.

Perpetuals (Jupiter Perps): Dominates Solana’s perps market with 80-85% share early in 2025 compressing to ~45% by September amid competition from Drift. Deep liquidity from JLP (Jupiter Liquidity Provider) pools ensures low slippage; recent updates cut SOL borrow fees by 25% for parity with BTC/ETH positions.

Lending (Jupiter Lend): Launched in May 2025 with Fluid, it hit $1B+ TVL weeks after beta. Features high-LTV borrowing (e.g., 7.5x leverage on Multiply) and yields like 16.9% APY on JupSOL/SOL pairs. It’s one of Solana’s fastest-growing protocols, emphasizing capital efficiency over risky over-leverage.

Jupiter’s edge-Ultra v3 Engine: Delivers 96% success rates, 0-1 block confirmations, and 10x lower fees than competitors. It verifies routes pre-execution, preventing “catfished” quotes, and expands gasless swaps ecosystem-wide.

Ecosystem Ties: Powers 35% of Solana’s DeFi invocations; integrates with deBridge for cross-chain bridging. Partnerships include Ethena Labs (for JupUSD), Kalshi (predictions market, Oct 2025), and Meteora (LP strategies).

It’s “frontendless” for new DEXs—protocols like Bloom rely on Jupiter for user routing. Jupiter’s growth mirrors Solana’s resurgence, with Q3 2025 revenue hitting $46M up from $26.5M in Jan. It generates fees via 0.05-0.1% per swap, sharing with partners (e.g., Phantom earns 80% of affiliate revenue).

Early Q4 dips tied to market corrections, but perps and lending inflows persist.Jupiter’s efficiency shines: 4% compute usage for 84% perp volume (vs. competitors like Zeta at 70% for 0.3%). Stablecoin volumes hit $19.4B YTD, with Jupiter capturing $750M in JLP for yield redistribution.