SunPerp, a new perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX), officially launched on the Tron blockchain around September 19-21, 2025, marking the first native perp DEX in the Tron ecosystem.

Founded by Tron creator Justin Sun, the platform aims to fill a key gap in Tron’s derivatives trading infrastructure, leveraging the network’s dominance in USDT circulation the largest among blockchains to support high-volume perpetual futures trading.

Advertised as the “lowest trading fees in the market,” with Tron network fees reduced by up to 60%. Full refunds on gas fees for successful deposits, making onboarding cost-free.

Uses zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) for order data transmission to the Tron mainnet, allowing users to opt-in for position visibility. Millisecond executions, cross-chain liquidity aggregation, and an integrated auto-deleveraging (ADL) system to manage risk.

Upcoming points system, airdrops, and leaderboards to reward trading activity. During its public testing phase (pre-full launch), SunPerp attracted over 3,000 users without any marketing, signaling strong organic demand.

The platform is positioned to compete with leaders like Hyperliquid, dYdX, and GMX by emphasizing speed, low costs, and USDT-native trades. Tron-based wallets, bridges, and potential Layer-2 integrations are planned for scalability.

This launch intensifies the 2025 perp DEX race, where Q2 volumes hit $898 billion, driven by ecosystems like Tron and Binance entering the space.

Deutsche Bank Predicts Central Banks Will Buy and Hold Bitcoin by 2030

Deutsche Bank—a $1.05 trillion asset manager—forecasted that central banks could begin purchasing and holding Bitcoin (BTC) on their balance sheets by 2030, positioning it as a complementary reserve asset alongside gold.

The prediction stems from Bitcoin’s maturation as “digital gold,” with declining volatility (hitting multi-year lows in August 2025), deeper market liquidity, and clearer regulations in major jurisdictions. Reducing exposure to USD shocks which holds 57% of global reserves and hedging against inflation/geopolitical risks.

Like gold global reserves ~60,370 tons, Bitcoin’s fixed supply (21 million cap) and low correlation to traditional assets make it ideal for wealth preservation. 2025 saw gold demand surge (43% of central banks plan increases), while Bitcoin ETFs amassed $110B+ in AUM.

Examples include China’s $57B UST sell-off in 2024 and U.S. proposals for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Adoption hinges on secure custody, contained volatility, and regulatory clarity; gold will retain primacy short-term.

The report echoes Deutsche’s March 2025 view of Bitcoin as “21st-century gold,” too vital to ignore. SunPerp’s launch as Tron’s first native perpetual futures DEX fills a critical gap in its DeFi ecosystem, potentially attracting traders and increasing on-chain activity.

Tron’s dominance in USDT circulation positions SunPerp to capture significant trading volume, especially for USDT-based pairs. Ultra-low fees and gas-free deposits could draw users from competing perp DEXs like Hyperliquid or dYdX, enhancing Tron’s reputation as a cost-effective blockchain.

Cross-chain liquidity aggregation and planned Layer-2 integrations could improve scalability, making Tron a stronger contender in the $898B perp DEX market. The use of zero-knowledge proofs for private order transmission sets a new standard for user control and security in DeFi, potentially inspiring other DEXs to adopt similar tech.

SunPerp’s entry escalates the 2025 perp DEX race, challenging established platforms like GMX and Binance-backed projects. This could lead to fee wars or innovation spikes across the sector.

Implications of Deutsche Bank’s Bitcoin Prediction for Central Banks by 2030

Central banks holding Bitcoin on balance sheets would signal unprecedented institutional legitimacy, potentially driving broader adoption by governments, corporates, and retail investors.

Sovereign demand could significantly boost Bitcoin’s price, building on its 2025 rally toward $124K. Historical parallels with gold suggest long-term appreciation but with higher volatility. Central banks diversifying away from USD toward Bitcoin and gold could weaken dollar hegemony, reshaping global finance dynamics.

Nations like China, already reducing UST holdings, might accelerate Bitcoin adoption to counter U.S. financial influence, escalating economic rivalries. Increased central bank participation could deepen Bitcoin’s market liquidity and reduce volatility, making it a more stable reserve asset.

However, initial purchases might spike short-term volatility. Widespread adoption would likely force clearer global regulations, balancing innovation with oversight. Jurisdictions lagging in crypto policy (e.g., EU, India) might face pressure to act.

Bitcoin’s fixed supply could appeal to central banks in high-inflation economies, offering a hedge akin to gold but with digital advantages. Sovereign adoption might shift public sentiment, reducing skepticism about crypto’s utility and encouraging retail investment, though risks of speculative bubbles remain.

Central banks would need robust custody solutions to mitigate hacking risks, a significant hurdle given Bitcoin’s decentralized nature. Deutsche Bank notes gold will remain the primary reserve asset short-term, limiting Bitcoin’s immediate impact. Adoption by 2030 depends on sustained volatility declines and regulatory clarity.

SunPerp’s launch could indirectly benefit from Bitcoin’s growing legitimacy, as a bullish BTC market driven by central bank interest might increase trading volumes on perp DEXs, including SunPerp.

If Bitcoin becomes a reserve asset, Tron’s USDT-heavy ecosystem might see increased BTC/USDT trading pairs on SunPerp, amplifying its role in DeFi.

Both developments face regulatory risks. SunPerp’s privacy features and Bitcoin’s sovereign adoption could trigger scrutiny, potentially harmonizing or clashing with global crypto policies.

In many places across the world, the consensus is that artificial intelligence will displace workers, especially those at the entry levels of industries. The narrative is that AI will trigger disintermediation, eliminating jobs in massive numbers. But let me share a perspective: Africa will not be severely affected in this disruption. In fact, the continent may benefit in unique ways.

Years ago, I had divided modern civilization into three eras: the invention society, the innovation society, and the accelerated society. Those who have studied with us in Tekedia Mini-MBA know that framework well. In the invention era, brilliant minds created the pillars of modern knowledge in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology. But they did not commercialize those ideas into products and services.

The innovation society did what the inventors did not: they transformed those discoveries into products that shaped modern commerce and life. From the understanding of compounds, vaccines emerged; from electromagnetism, industries were born. Then came the accelerated society—our present moment—where technologies, powered by automation and AI, are compounding at breakneck speed. We are experiencing a Cambrian explosion of possibilities, and markets are being reshaped in unprecedented ways.

But these epochs have not been universal. They largely describe the realities of a few regions: Western Europe, the United States, China, and a handful of others. Sub-Saharan Africa has not fully crossed from invention to innovation. We remain largely in the era where ideas abound, but the systematic conversion into scalable products and services lags. And since AI can only disrupt jobs when innovation has created industries and employment structures to disrupt, Africa is shielded. The foundations required for AI-driven mass job losses are still thin across the continent.

Of course, this does not mean AI will have no impact in Africa. In banking, insurance, and telecoms, AI will certainly play roles. But let us be factual: how many people are employed in those sectors compared to agriculture, trade, and informal economies? The vast majority of Africans work in spaces where AI is not immediately applicable.

So, while the world panics about job losses, Africa must think differently: this is our window to leapfrog, to harness AI not as a destroyer of work but as a catalyst for creating new categories of industries, jobs, and opportunities for our people.

Lithium Americas stock surged nearly 80% on Wednesday after reports that the Trump administration is seeking an equity stake in the Canadian mining company, marking the latest step in Washington’s bid to secure direct ownership in the mineral supply chain critical to U.S. strategic interests.

According to a Trump administration official who spoke to CNBC, the White House is pursuing an equity stake as Lithium Americas renegotiates the terms of a $2.2 billion Department of Energy (DOE) loan for its Thacker Pass mine in northern Nevada. The development was first reported by Reuters.

The official said Lithium Americas had not met conditions for the first loan disbursement, prompting talks over new terms. The miner asked to delay part of its repayment into later years, and in response, the administration proposed a small equity stake to protect taxpayers.

“If we’re going to push out part of the repayment into later years, then the administration would like a very small stake of equity to create essentially a cash buffer and eliminate some risk on behalf of taxpayers,” the official said.

While no agreement has yet been finalized, the official described negotiations as positive. Because Lithium Americas is incorporated and domiciled in Canada, any stake would also likely require Ottawa’s approval, though the company trades on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE.

A cross-border precedent

This would be the first U.S. government equity stake in a Canadian mining company. It follows a precedent set in July when the Department of Defense acquired a 15% equity stake in MP Materials, the Las Vegas-based rare earth miner. Shares of MP Materials have more than doubled since that deal was announced.

The Lithium Americas move signals Washington’s willingness to extend its mineral strategy beyond domestic borders to close allies, in sharp contrast to the MP Materials deal, which was strictly U.S.-based.

Thacker Pass and GM partnership

Thacker Pass, located in northern Nevada, is expected to become one of the largest sources of lithium in North America once operational. Lithium is a key material for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, making the project central to U.S. efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains.

Lithium Americas holds a 62% stake in Thacker Pass and operates the mine. General Motors holds the remaining 38% stake and has secured an offtake agreement for the lithium once production begins.

The Trump administration has stressed the need to protect domestic and allied mining ventures from Chinese dominance. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed in April that the administration was weighing equity stakes as a tool to help miners compete with state-backed Chinese firms that control much of the global lithium refining and rare earth supply chain.

By pushing for equity instead of relying solely on loans or grants, Washington positions itself with both a financial buffer and a direct strategic interest in companies at the center of its industrial policy.

U.S. vs. China

The Lithium Americas deal highlights a growing divergence in how major powers secure critical minerals.

• China’s playbook: Beijing has long relied on direct equity stakes in overseas mines across Africa and South America, often through state-backed giants. Chinese companies already hold significant positions in lithium projects in Chile, Argentina, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This control of raw materials, coupled with China’s near-monopoly on refining capacity, has given Beijing a decisive edge in the EV and battery supply chain.
• U.S. strategy: Washington is only now moving into direct ownership. The MP Materials deal and the proposed Lithium Americas stake represent a shift from subsidies and loans toward state equity participation, a model designed to mirror aspects of China’s approach but limited so far to North America.
• Allied comparisons: The European Union is pursuing a different model through its Critical Raw Materials Act, which emphasizes subsidies and financing tools but stops short of direct ownership. Canada, meanwhile, has tightened restrictions on Chinese investment in its lithium sector, effectively steering companies toward partnerships with Western governments and firms.

The contrast underscores how the United States is adapting its policies to counter China’s longstanding dominance, while also testing how far allies like Canada are willing to allow Washington into their domestic mining sector.

If approved, the deal would mark a significant expansion of U.S. industrial strategy—beyond domestic firms like MP Materials to allied companies—and could pave the way for similar cross-border investments in the future.

The U.S. robotaxi industry is entering a critical new phase as competition intensifies among companies racing to commercialize autonomous ride-hailing.

The latest move comes from Lucid, Uber, and Nuro, who are partnering on what they describe as one of the largest robotaxi deployment programs to date.

This week, Lucid delivered the first Gravity SUV for retrofitting to Nuro, marking the opening step in a deal announced in July that envisions at least 20,000 autonomous vehicles hitting American roads over the next six years.

The SUV was built at Lucid’s plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, and then transported to its headquarters in Newark, California. At Newark, Nuro’s engineers installed an array of sensors and other hardware essential for autonomous driving. While this process was tailored for the engineering prototype, future retrofits will be conducted directly on Lucid’s assembly line, streamlining production for large-scale deployment.

The prototype is now housed at Nuro’s Santa Clara facility, where it is being integrated with the company’s Nuro Driver software. Engineers have begun the crucial testing and validation process, with the first commercial-ready robotaxis expected to appear on Uber’s ride-hailing network in 2026.

“This is a milestone, but the journey is just beginning,” executives from the three firms said, stressing that while the program starts with 20,000 vehicles, the eventual scope could be “much, much more.”

Competition intensifies in the robotaxi market

The Lucid-Uber-Nuro partnership comes at a time when the U.S. robotaxi market is heating up, with several rivals already putting vehicles on the road in limited services.

• Waymo, owned by Alphabet, is operating just under 2,000 robotaxis in select markets, including Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Its ride-hailing service, Waymo One, has recently expanded to serve paying customers in parts of Southern California, marking one of the most advanced commercial rollouts in the industry.
• Cruise, majority-owned by General Motors, had been running driverless taxis in San Francisco until a high-profile accident led regulators to suspend operations in late 2023. The company is now relaunching cautiously, beginning with supervised testing and plans to return to full commercial service in select U.S. cities next year.
• Tesla continues to promote its vision of a global robotaxi fleet powered by its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. At present, Tesla has only a few dozen experimental vehicles on the streets of Austin, Texas. These still require safety monitors, and the system remains in beta, but CEO Elon Musk has reiterated that Tesla plans to unveil a dedicated robotaxi vehicle in 2026.
• Smaller players such as Zoox (owned by Amazon) and Motional (a Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture) are also advancing. Zoox has begun piloting its custom-built autonomous shuttle in Nevada, while Motional operates autonomous rides in Las Vegas through a partnership with Lyft, albeit still with safety drivers onboard.

Critical supply system players like Metric Specialties, a trusted source for high-quality metric fasteners engineered to perform under pressure, continue to serve the market.

Industry challenges and the long road ahead

The scale of the Lucid-Uber-Nuro deal recalls some of the bold early predictions made nearly a decade ago, when developers promised tens of thousands of robotaxis would be operational within a few years. Reality has proven more complex. Safety validation, regulatory approvals, and consumer trust remain significant hurdles, delaying mass adoption.

Lucid’s delivery of the first Gravity SUV is an important marker, but the path to large-scale deployment will be gradual. Each vehicle must undergo extensive testing, software refinement, and regulatory vetting before it can safely carry passengers without human intervention.

Still, the combined strengths of Lucid’s electric vehicle engineering, Nuro’s autonomous technology, and Uber’s ride-hailing platform offer a powerful foundation. If successful, the partnership could carve out a significant share of a market that analysts predict could be worth hundreds of billions of dollars globally within the next decade.

However, as competition accelerates across the U.S., every small milestone will matter in deciding which players ultimately dominate the future of driverless mobility.