😲PerplexityAI Bid For TikTok

☀️Good morning. It's Monday, Jan. 27, and we're covering, Oil Prices Slide As Trump’s Trade Actions Raise Global Economic Concerns, Perplexity AI Offers New Proposal To Buy TikTok’s U.S. Operations, M23 Rebels Claim Control Of Goma As Crisis Deepens In Eastern DR Congo, 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 $3.43 Trillion, a 5.11% decrease in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $116.79B, which makes a 43.51% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $9.9B, 8.48% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $104.64B, which is 89.59% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 58.04%, an increase of 0.41% over the day.

Bitcoin Dips After Profit-Taking Following Trump’s Executive Order

Bitcoin dipped by up to 3.7% on Monday as traders took profits following President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on cryptocurrencies. The order established a working group to propose a regulatory framework for digital assets, but it did not meet expectations for immediate action, such as creating a Bitcoin reserve. Despite this, Bitcoin has surged over 50% since Trump's election win in November. Other tokens like Solana and Cardano also experienced declines. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Oil Prices Slide As Trump’s Trade Actions Raise Global Economic Concerns

Oil prices fell as President Donald Trump imposed sanctions and tariffs on Colombia after it refused U.S. military planes carrying deported migrants. Brent crude dropped below $78 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate neared $74. The move signals heightened risks to global trade and the economy, with additional threats of trade actions targeting Canada, Mexico, and China.

Takeaway: Colombia, the U.S.'s fourth-largest overseas oil supplier, retaliated with sanctions on U.S. goods, potentially disrupting its daily export of over 215,000 barrels to U.S. ports. This comes amid Trump urging OPEC to lower prices, which may pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine. OPEC+ remains committed to existing production plans, set to restore 120,000 barrels per day in monthly increments starting in April. (Read Deeper)

Meta Begins Testing Ads On Threads, Aims To Monetize Its Platform

Meta has started testing ads on Threads, its platform designed to compete with X (formerly Twitter), marking the company's first attempt to monetize the app. The ad trial is initially being rolled out to users in the U.S. and Japan, with ads appearing as image posts in users' feeds. Meta aims to ensure that these ads are as engaging as organic content, with plans to scale the program based on initial feedback.

Why It Matters: The move comes at a time when Meta is seeking to capitalize on advertiser concerns around TikTok and X. To attract advertisers, Meta is implementing brand safety measures and AI-powered tools for better ad placement. Despite its rapid user growth, Meta has tempered expectations, noting that Threads is not expected to be a major revenue driver in 2025. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Perplexity AI Offers New Proposal To Buy TikTok’s U.S. Operations

Perplexity AI has proposed a new plan to TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, which would allow the U.S. government to hold up to 50% of a merged entity combining Perplexity and TikTok’s U.S. operations. This proposal, submitted last week, is a revised version of an earlier plan. The U.S. government’s stake would be non-voting, and it would not have a board seat.

Takeaway: ByteDance would retain control over TikTok’s global business, excluding the proprietary algorithm. The proposal comes amid security concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership, with President Trump has suggested that a deal could be reached within 30 days, citing strong interest from investors. He denied speaking with Oracle’s Larry Ellison about a potential takeover. (Read Deeper)

Alabama Woman Thriving With A Functional Pig Organ Transplant After Two Months

Towana Looney, an Alabama woman, is thriving two months after receiving a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, becoming the longest-living recipient of such an organ. Looney's kidney function is normal, and doctors are optimistic about her recovery. She had previously donated a kidney to her mother, but complications from later pregnancies led to kidney failure.

Takeaway: After spending eight years on dialysis, Looney opted for the experimental pig organ transplant. Her success marks a breakthrough in xenotransplantation, offering hope for addressing the shortage of human organs. The case is closely monitored by doctors, and Looney is helping raise awareness for future transplants. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

M23 Rebels Claim Control Of Goma As Crisis Deepens In Eastern DR Congo

The M23 rebel group claims to have seized control of Goma, a key city in eastern DR Congo, displacing tens of thousands of people. The UN and the DRC accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels, escalating tensions between the two nations. Rwanda denies the allegations, blaming the DRC for violating ceasefires. The humanitarian crisis is worsening, with over 400,000 displaced since January 2025. Many residents have fled repeatedly

Takeaway: The M23, a group that has steadily gained control of resource-rich areas in eastern DR Congo since 2021. The UN Secretary-General has called for Rwanda to withdraw its forces and for the M23 to halt their advance. Kenya is leading regional efforts for a ceasefire, with an emergency summit planned. (Read Deeper)

Trump Imposes Tariffs, Sanctions On Colombia After Deportation Flights Refusal

President Donald Trump has imposed harsh retaliatory measures on Colombia after it refused to allow U.S. military deportation flights carrying migrants. The measures include 25% tariffs on Colombian imports (rising to 50% within a week), visa bans, financial sanctions on Colombian officials, and increased border inspections. Colombia responded by threatening a 50% tariff on U.S. goods.

Why It Matters: This marks a continuation of Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown, which has also faced resistance from Mexico and Brazil. Analysts warn that the economic fallout could be severe for Colombia, which relies on the U.S. for a significant portion of its exports. Diplomatic tensions between the Trump administration and Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro are escalating. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Chelsea Eyes Permanent Move For Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel

Chelsea are pushing for a permanent transfer of Bayern Munich's 19-year-old forward Mathys Tel,. Tel, who has seen limited action recently, was left out of Bayern's squad for their Bundesliga win over VfL Wolfsburg and their Champions League loss to Feyenoord, and has made only one appearance this year in a 5-0 win over Hoffenheim. Despite his reduced playing time, Tel has previously expressed a desire to stay at Bayern Munich. However, with the winter transfer window approaching, Chelsea are now in talks with the club over a potential move. (Read Deeper)

Universal Music Group And Spotify Reach New Multi-Year Agreement

Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify have reached a new multi-year agreement covering recorded music and music publishing. The deal establishes a direct license between Spotify and UMG for the U.S. and other select countries. The partnership is designed to benefit artists, songwriters, and consumers through new offers, additional paid subscription tiers, and a broader catalog of audio and visual content. (Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• Blake Anderson, a self-taught developer, achieved remarkable success by creating three iPhone apps that collectively earned over $10 million. ( Listen )

EXTRA BREVITI

• Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's AI Assistant has surpassed ChatGPT to become the top-rated free app on Apple's App Store in the U.S. (Read More)

• Asian stocks saw a positive uptick, driven by optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) in China, as shares in Japan, Hong Kong, and mainland China climbed. (Read More)

• ElevenLabs, a leading AI voice technology startup, has raised a $250 million Series C round at a valuation between $3 billion and $3.3 billion. (Read More)

• Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is investing £65 million ($80.71 million) to expand its luxury paint services in response to growing demand for personalized vehicles from high-end customers. (Read More)

• U.S. President Donald Trump recently suggested that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians displaced from Gaza. ( Read More )