The Soybean Trade Conflict Between the U.S. and China
Since June 2025, China has effectively stopped buying soybeans from the United States, marking the first time in 20 years that U.S. soybean shipments to China have fallen to zero during the peak marketing season. This shift results from China's retaliatory tariffs against U.S. goods, including soybeans, in response to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. China has instead turned to South American suppliers like Brazil and Argentina to meet its demand. What does this mean for American farmers? The loss of China as a customer, traditionally accounting for about one-third of U.S. soybean exports and over $12 billion in annual sales, has left farmers with large surpluses and lower prices amid rising costs for fertilizer and inputs. Many farmers feel caught in the crossfire of ongoing trade tensions, worried about the economic impact on rural communities where agriculture is foundational. In response, the Trump administration has pledged targeted support and financial aid to affected farmers while urging expanded exports to other markets such as Egypt, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Trade talks between the U.S. and China are ongoing, with agricultural purchases expected to be a critical agenda item. However, a clear resolution remains uncertain as China uses soybeans as a key bargaining chip in broader negotiations, demanding tariff reductions and intellectual property guarantees. For now, U.S. soybean farmers face a challenging market outlook, grappling with lost sales, economic pressures, and hopes that future deals might restore their largest export market. #TariffWars
👀🤔👇 The technology sector has reached an unprecedented level of market dominance in 2025, representing a record 56% of the total stock market capitalization. This proportion surpasses the peak reached during the infamous 2000 Dot-Com bubble by approximately 5 percentage points, highlighting just how central tech has become to the global economy and investment landscape. This extraordinary concentration reflects a historical shift in market composition. While technology stocks have long been a significant force,the current environment is unique not only for the sheer scale but also for the sustained nature of this dominance. Unlike previous peaks driven by speculative bubbles, today's tech leadership is fueled by fundamental innovation and strategic significance across industries. Major players such as Apple, Microsoft, and particularly Nvidia have soared to valuations in the trillions, driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor technology, cloud computing, and other cutting-edge fields. This tech surge contrasts sharply with other market segments. Defensive stocks, those considered stable and less sensitive to economic cycles, now constitute only about 16% of the market—the lowest share ever recorded. This marks the first sustained period where defensive sectors have fallen below 20%, underscoring investors’ strong preference for growth-oriented tech assets over traditionally safer investments. Similarly, traditional cyclical stocks—companies whose performance tends to move with the economic cycle—make up roughly 28% of market capitalization, a historically low level. This trend reflects a general pivot away from more conventional industries toward sectors perceived to benefit from technological disruption and digitization. The driving force behind this tech dominance is multifaceted. Key factors include the accelerating adoption of AI technologies, ongoing digitization and automation across all sectors of the economy, and the continued innovation by leading tech companies. For instance, Nvidia’s chips play a crucial role in powering AI models, contributing to its rapid market cap expansion. Apple's investment in AI, wearables, and other innovative products further solidifies its market leadership. While the tech sector has shown remarkable growth, it’s important for investors to recognize that many tech stocks still carry high valuations. Caution and thorough valuation analysis remain critical as the sector faces uncertainties like potential regulatory changes and market corrections. Nonetheless, companies with strong revenue and earnings growth prospects continue to offer attractive opportunities. The current market landscape is historic: technology stocks have never been this dominant, defensive sectors are at all-time lows, and cyclical stocks are minimized. This reflects a profound transformation in the stock market’s structure driven by technological innovation and investor enthusiasm for future growth potential.
👀🔥👇 The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to lift its ban on retail investors accessing cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (ETNs) starting October 8, 2025. This marks a significant policy shift after the ban was imposed in 2019 due to concerns about investor protection in the volatile crypto market. The FCA’s decision reflects the maturation of the crypto market and improved investor understanding, allowing retail investors to trade crypto ETNs listed on FCA-approved Recognised Investment Exchanges (RIEs) such as the London Stock Exchange.
Crypto ETNs are debt securities linked to cryptocurrencies but unlike ETFs, they are not backed by physical assets. While retail investors will gain access to these regulated ETNs, they must be aware that these products remain unsecured and are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FCA has put in place strict promotional and conduct rules, including mandatory adherence to the Consumer Duty, which requires firms to provide clear, non-misleading information and avoid inappropriate incentives to ensure investors understand the risks involved.
The continuation of the ban on crypto derivatives and ETFs for retail investors underlines the FCA’s phased approach to regulating digital assets. The lifting of the ETN ban aligns the UK with developments in the US and EU markets, where crypto ETFs and related products have seen significant inflows. Major firms like BlackRock are reportedly preparing to offer UK-listed crypto exchange-traded products shortly after the ban lift. However, some delays in product listings are expected due to the FCA’s recent start to accepting prospectuses and ongoing approvals from the London Stock Exchange.
This regulatory move positions the UK as a more competitive hub for regulated crypto investment products while prioritizing investor protection through enhanced disclosure and market conduct rules. Retail investors interested in crypto ETNs should carefully assess the risks given that these instruments are unsecured and subject to market volatility.
Since October 2, 2025, South Korean exchange Upbit has designated @Boundless (ZKC) as a trading cautionary item following an evaluation by the Digital Asset Exchange Association (DAXA). Deposits of ZKC have been temporarily suspended on Upbit due to concerns about transparency and governance related to the token’s circulating supply.
Key issues raised include:
👉Circulation supply exceeding original announced plans without clear explanation.
👉Lack of formal and transparent procedures for approving changes in supply.
👉Insufficient disclosure and communication about supply changes and distribution.
👉Arbitrary and unjustified alterations to important information affecting investor confidence.
Upbit has communicated these concerns with the Boundless Foundation but has not received satisfactory resolution yet. The "Investment Warning" status is in effect until October 17, 2025, during which Upbit will continue assessing whether these issues are resolved. If not, trading support including possible delisting could follow.
While the Foundation has stated that these issues do not impact network security or operations, the primary concerns focus on investor protection through transparent reporting and governance.
Currently, the Boundless community awaits clear responses and detailed explanations from the Foundation .
FG Nexus Pioneers Nasdaq Equity Tokenization on Ethereum
👀🔥👇 FG Nexus, a Nasdaq-listed company focused on Ethereum and digital asset innovation, has made a groundbreaking advancement by partnering with Securitize to tokenize its common and preferred shares on the Ethereum blockchain. This initiative positions FG Nexus among the first Nasdaq-listed firms to offer tradable, legally recognized equity tokens, including the first U.S. exchange-listed dividend-paying preferred share fully tokenized on-chain (ticker FGNXP).
FG Nexus is known as an Ethereum-focused treasury firm aiming to become the largest corporate holder of $ETH globally, managing a substantial Ethereum treasury and pioneering novel blockchain applications within public markets. Their move to tokenize equity shares represents a significant leap toward integrating decentralized finance technologies with traditional securities markets.
Securitize, a leader in digital securities issuance and compliance, brings critical regulatory infrastructure to this collaboration. As an SEC-registered broker-dealer, transfer agent, and operator of a regulated Alternative Trading System (ATS), Securitize ensures that FG Nexus’s tokenized shares maintain the same legal rights and protections as their traditional counterparts. The tokens enable real-time settlement, automated compliance, and seamless on-chain trading, thereby drastically reducing settlement friction and accelerating transfer processes.
The importance of this event rests in its illustration of how blockchain can revolutionize capital markets by merging the transparency, efficiency, and programmability of decentralized networks with the rigor of regulatory compliance. For the crypto community, it validates real-world asset (RWA) tokenization as a viable and scalable financial innovation pathway, bridging mainstream public equities with blockchain ecosystems. For traditional markets, it signals an impending era where programmable ownership, dividends automatically distributed on-chain, and near-instantaneous settlement will reshape shareholder liquidity and market dynamics.
This milestone not only sets a precedent for other publicly traded companies to follow suit but also advances the broader vision of tokenized finance becoming a foundational pillar of future capital markets. FG Nexus and Securitize’s pioneering effort is a concrete demonstration of how blockchain technology can enhance shareholder experience while adhering to the highest standards of investor protection and regulatory oversight, heralding a new programmable era for equities and real-world assets alike.
👀💥🔥🚀👇 Joe Lubin,ConsenSys首席执行官在2025年10月2日于新加坡TOKEN2049会议上的炉边谈话中确认,SWIFT——全球金融信息网络——将在以太坊的Layer 2解决方案$LINEA 上构建其新的区块链支付结算平台。这一确认澄清了SWIFT早前的声明,SWIFT透露计划创建一个24/7实时加密支付系统,参与者包括超过30家主要传统金融机构,如美国银行、花旗、摩根大通和多伦多道明银行,但最初并未具体说明区块链网络。