🚘️BYD Forecasts 20% Of Sales In 2025

☀️Good morning. It's Monday, Sept. 29, and we're covering, Dangote Refinery Warns Strike Could Cut Fuel Supply For 230M Nigerians, Telegram’s Durov Alleges French Pressure To Censor Moldovan Channels, Trump’s $900B Asia Funding Push Meets Resistance In Korea, Japan, and much more. First time reading? Sign up to get this newsletter: Sign up here.

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MARKETS

Cryptocurrency Prices by Market Cap

• The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $3.85 Trillion, a 2.12% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $126.38B, which makes a 30.34% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $15.3B, 12.11% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $122.43B, which is 96.87% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 57.82%, a decrease of 0.03% over the day.

Solana, Dogecoin Lead Crypto Rally As $260M In Shorts Get Wiped Out

Crypto markets bounced over the weekend, erasing part of last week’s slump as short liquidations fueled fresh gains. Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano, Ethereum, and XRP each rose 3–4% among the top ten tokens, per CoinGecko. Nearly $260M in short positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours—part of a $345M wipeout across all positions. The Fear & Greed Index has swung from “fear” on Friday to “neutral” Monday, reflecting renewed optimism. Total crypto market cap now sits around $2.23T, up 2.35% in 24 hours. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Dangote Refinery Warns Strike Could Cut Fuel Supply For 230M Nigerians

The Dangote Group has accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) of sabotage, warning that the union’s strike action could disrupt fuel supply across the country. The strike, set to begin September 28, directs members to halt services at field locations, cut crude and gas supply to the refinery, and scale down production across international oil company branches. Dangote warned the move threatens the supply of petrol, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas, and aviation fuel—potentially crippling hospitals, schools, transport, and emergency services nationwide.

Why It Matters: Dangote described the union’s tactics as “lawless” and accused it of a long-standing pattern of opposing reforms that benefit Nigeria’s energy sector. Nigeria’s fuel supply chain is already fragile, and the Dangote Refinery is central to meeting national demand. A prolonged strike could trigger severe shortages, spark inflation, and stall economic recovery. (Read Deeper)

BYD Forecasts Exports To Surpass 20% Of Sales In 2025

Chinese EV giant BYD expects exports to make up about 20% of its global sales this year, according to the South China Morning Post. The company projects 800,000 to 1 million deliveries outside mainland China, compared with a total sales target of 4.6 million units. That target is down as much as 16% from earlier goals, marking BYD’s slowest growth in five years as signs emerge that its rapid expansion is cooling.

Why It Matters: BYD’s general manager of branding and PR, Li Yunfei, said new model launches and the company’s own fleet of car-carrier ships are helping fuel overseas momentum. As Chinese EV makers expand abroad, they face both growing opportunities and intensifying scrutiny from regulators in the U.S. and Europe. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Telegram’s Durov Alleges French Pressure To Censor Moldovan Channels

Telegram founder Pavel Durov accused French intelligence of pressuring him to censor Moldovan channels in exchange for favorable treatment in his ongoing legal case in France. Durov said that while he was in Paris under judicial supervision, French officials—via an intermediary asked him to remove certain Telegram channels tied to Moldova’s government. He claimed he deleted a few that violated the app’s rules but refused further cooperation, calling the alleged quid pro quo “unacceptable.”

Why It Matters: The accusations coincided with Moldova’s parliamentary elections, where a pro-Russian opposition party is challenging the country’s pro-EU government. The French foreign ministry dismissed Durov’s remarks, noting he made similar claims about Romania earlier this year. With over 1B users, Telegram remains a critical political communications tool, especially in Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. (Read Deeper)

Paid, The AI “Results-Based Billing” Startup Raises $21.6M Seed

Manny Medina, best known as the founder of Outreach (valued at $4.4B), is back with a new venture, and investors are buying in early. His latest startup, Paid, just raised an oversubscribed $21.6M seed round led by Lightspeed, bringing total funding to $33.3M since March and valuing the company at over $100M. Unlike traditional SaaS, Paid isn’t building AI agents — it’s building the infrastructure that lets agent-makers charge customers based on real results delivered. This model, dubbed results-based billing, aims to solve a fundamental problem in enterprise AI.

Why It Matters: With Paid, companies can tie billing to outcomes, whether that’s margin saved, work automated, or measurable value created. Enterprise AI adoption is stalling because usage-based billing often rewards inefficiency. With $33M raised pre-Series A, Medina is positioning Paid as the go-to billing layer for the agent economy. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

Trump’s $900B Asia Funding Push Meets Resistance In Korea, Japan

Donald Trump’s push for nearly $900 billion in investment pledges from South Korea and Japan is running into skepticism, as officials in both countries warn the demands could damage their economies. South Korea’s national security adviser flatly rejected Washington’s call for $350 billion “in cash,” saying it was “objectively and realistically not a level we are able to handle.” Meanwhile in Japan, a leading contender to succeed Prime Minister Kishida suggested the $550 billion commitment may need to be renegotiated if it proves unfair, signaling Tokyo could also push back.

Why It Matters: Trump is trying to secure record funding pledges from two of America’s closest allies—but both Seoul and Tokyo are balking at the scale and structure of the demands. How this standoff plays out could reshape trade relations in Asia and test U.S. alliances. (Read Deeper)

Trump Pushes Gaza Peace Plan As Hamas Says It Lost Contact With Two Hostages

President Donald Trump said he hopes to finalize a Gaza peace deal in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, even as Israeli tanks pressed deeper into Gaza City and Hamas’s armed wing claimed it had lost contact with two hostages trapped there. The war, now in its second year, has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities, with Israel estimating that 20 of the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza are still alive.

Why It Matters: Trump’s push for a diplomatic breakthrough collides with the reality of intensifying ground operations and deep distrust between Israel and Hamas. The fate of hostages could heavily sway Israeli politics and any path toward a ceasefire. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Bad Bunny To Headline Apple Music Super Bowl 2026 Halftime Show

Bad Bunny will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, marking his first time performing on the NFL’s biggest stage. “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” the Puerto Rican superstar said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.” Rumors had circulated that Taylor Swift and Adele declined to perform this year. Bad Bunny follows a star-studded line of recent headliners, including Usher, Rihanna, and Kendrick Lamar. (Read Deeper)

Chelsea Board Stands By Maresca despite Shaky Start

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca retains the full backing of the club’s hierarchy, despite growing external scrutiny following a run of one win in five matches. The Blues face a defining week: hosting Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday before clashing with league leaders Liverpool on Saturday. Chelsea’s leadership plans to judge Maresca at season’s end, with a top-four finish and deep cup runs the benchmarks for success. While expectations are higher after summer squad strengthening, the club believes Maresca has the tools to deliver. (Read Deeper)

EXTRA BREVITI

• Musk, Thiel, Bannon Named in Newly Released Epstein Files. (Read More)

• Four killed in Michigan Mormon church attack involving shooting and arson. (Read More)

• The Taliban released Amir Amiri, a U.S. citizen detained since December 2024. (Read More)

• Ecobank finalizes Mozambique exit with sale to FDH Bank. (Read Deeper)