Aiman Malikk

On February 13, 2026, major news outlets reported a significant shift in U.S. trade policy.
According to the Financial Times (and echoed by Reuters, Bloomberg, and others), President Donald Trump is planning to scale back some of the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. This comes after aggressive increases in 2025 that raised duties up to 50% on many foreign metals and related products.
The move appears to respond to rising consumer prices, complaints about affordability, and political pressures. While no official White House announcement has confirmed the details yet, the reports cite people familiar with the administration's thinking.

What Are Tariffs?
Tariffs are taxes that a government places on imported goods. Their main goals can include Protecting domestic industries (e.g., U.S. steel mills) from cheaper foreign competition.
Raising government revenue. Pressuring other countries on trade practices (like overproduction in China).
Also others tariffs often increase the cost of imported items, which can lead to higher prices for businesses and consumers.
Background: The 2025 Tariff Increases
In 2025 the Trump administration imposed or expanded tariffs on steel and aluminum: Duties reached up to 50% on many imports (doubling from earlier levels in some cases).
These applied not just to raw steel and aluminum but also to derivative products like cans, appliances, car parts, washing machines, and more.
The policy aimed to counter Chinese overcapacity and boost American manufacturing.
Effects of the High Tariffs
While intended to help U.S. producers, the broad tariffs had side effects: Higher prices for everyday items (e.g., canned drinks, cars, construction materials).
Increased costs for U.S. companies that rely on imported metals or parts.
Complaints from consumers facing an affordability crisis and some voter backlash, which reportedly affected approval ratings ahead of midterms.
International tensions, including calls from the European Union to rein in the levies as part of ongoing trade talks.
The Reported Plan to Scale Back
Key points from today's reports (primarily Financial Times, confirmed in Bloomberg and Reuters): The administration is reviewing the list of affected products.
Plans include: Exempting certain items from tariffs.
Halting further broad expansions of the tariff lists.
Shifting focus to more targeted national security probes on specific goods instead of wide-ranging levies.
This is a partial rollback not a full removal of all tariffs.
The White House has reportedly communicated adjustments to companies, but exact details (which products, when) remain unclear. Agencies like the USTR and Commerce Department have not commented publicly yet.

Why This Change Now?
Several factors likely contribute: Economic pressure: High tariffs contributed to inflation in metal-dependent sectors, raising costs for American families and businesses.
Political considerations: With voter concerns about prices and approval dips mentioned in reports, easing some burdens could help politically.
Trade negotiations: The EU and others have pushed back, and narrowing tariffs might help secure deals.
Practical issues: Broad tariffs were hard for companies to calculate and comply with, leading to calls for more targeted approaches.
Potential Impacts Positive for consumers: Lower or no tariffs on some goods could reduce prices for cans, appliances, vehicles, and building materials.
Help for manufacturers: U.S. companies using imported metals might face lower input costs.
Mixed for domestic steel/aluminum producers: They may lose some protection, but targeted measures could still support national security priorities.
Markets: Aluminum prices fell slightly in London after the reports, showing investor reaction.
Global trade: This could ease tensions with trading partners like the EU, Canada, and others affected by the 2025 hikes.
What Happens Next?
This is based on sourced reporting, not an official statement. Watch for: Official announcements from the White House, USTR, or Commerce Department.
Details on which products get exemptions.
Reactions from industries, trading partners, and markets.
Trade policy changes like this show how governments balance protectionism with economic realities. Tariffs can protect jobs in one sector but raise costs elsewhere finding the right mix is always a challenge.This story is developing quickly on February 13, 2026.
#USRetailSalesMissForecast #USTechFundFlows #TrumpCanadaTariffsOverturned #USTarrifs

Most people still think of blockchain payments as faster bank transfers send money, wait a few seconds, maybe pay a small fee, and hope it arrives quickly.
Plasma is quietly changing that mental model. With sub-second finality (transactions confirm and become irreversible in under one second) Plasma is not just making payments faster. It is removing the delay barrier so completely that entirely new categories of economic activity become practical activities that were previously too slow, too expensive, or too fragmented to exist at scale. This is what people are starting to call the invisible economy behaviors and markets that only appear once money can move at the speed of a thought.
What Sub-Second Finality Actually Means
On most blockchains today:
Ethereum: 12–15 seconds (best case)
Solana: 0.4–1 second probabilistic (but can spike)
Tron: 3 seconds
Traditional finance (ACH, cards, wires): seconds to days
Plasma PlasmaBFT consensus delivers <1 second finality consistently not probabilistic, not usually fast, but guaranteed irreversible in under one second for the vast majority of transactions.
That difference going from a few seconds to before you finish reading the confirmation message is surprisingly large when you start applying it to real human and machine behavior.
The Invisible Economy: What Becomes Possible
Instant creator & attention micropayments
Imagine watching a live stream and tipping $0.02 every 10 seconds to the creator not as a big gesture, but as continuous, frictionless support. The creator sees money arrive in real time. No platform holding funds for days. No 30% cut. Just direct, instant flow.
Real-time gig & freelance payouts
A translator finishes a paragraph → instant USDT arrives in their wallet. A driver completes a delivery → payment hits immediately. No weekly batch payouts, no waiting for platform approval. People can actually live paycheck-to-paycheck in real time.
Machine-to-machine commerce at scale
IoT devices, AI agents, autonomous services: A smart fridge orders milk and pays instantly
An AI research agent rents compute for 3 minutes and settles every 10 seconds
Electric vehicle charging stations micro-settle per kilowatt-second
These flows are uneconomical or clunky when confirmation takes 5–15 seconds.
Live dynamic pricing & flash auctions
Concert tickets, limited sneakers, ad slots, domain names imagine bidding wars where the winner is settled in <1 second instead of waiting minutes. The entire psychology of urgency changes when settlement is instant.
Streaming payroll & micro-subscriptions
Instead of monthly Netflix, imagine paying $0.003 per minute watched money flows continuously. Employees in high-frequency gig platforms could see earnings update every few seconds rather than once a day.
On-chain margin & collateral in real time
DeFi traders move collateral between positions in under a second during volatile moments no worrying about a 10-second window where liquidation could hit before the transfer confirms.
Why This Matters More Than Raw Speed
Speed alone is not new. Some centralized apps already feel instant.What Plasma combines is:Sub-second finality (not just fast inclusion)
Near-zero fees (especially for USDT transfers) Gas payable in stablecoins (no need to hold native tokens) Gasless options for many transfers Bitcoin-anchored security (long-term neutrality and censorship resistance) Full EVM compatibility (existing tools and contracts work)
That full package turns speed from a nice-to-have into infrastructure that can support behaviors we have not fully named yet.Early Signs It’s Already StartingIn 2026, Plasma already hosts billions in stablecoin liquidity. Developers are quietly building:Real-time tipping bots
Streaming payment rails
Micro-settlement layers for gaming and content
Instant cross-border payroll tools targeting gig workers
None of these ideas are science fiction they are small prototypes already running on a chain where money arrives before the notification finishes popping up.The Bigger PicturePayments are the visible part the thing everyone already understands.The invisible economy is everything that only becomes viable when the delay between “I want to pay” and “payment complete and irreversible” disappears.
Plasma is not trying to replace Visa or PayPal one-to-one. It is creating the conditions for economic patterns that centralized systems even the fastest ones were never designed to handle at internet-native scale.When money moves in under one second, borderless, permissionless, and programmable, new markets don’t just get faster.
They become possible for the first time.That’s the quiet revolution happening on Plasma right now.
@Plasma #plasma
$XPL

@Plasma || As digital money continues to move trillions of dollars every year one important question keeps coming up for me and many others in the crypto space who actually controls the infrastructure behind global payments? Many blockchain networks talk about decentralization, but in reality some are still heavily influenced by investors, core teams, governments, or large token holders.
Plasma takes a different approach. By anchoring its long term security and settlement to Bitcoin, the most decentralized and battle tested blockchain in existence, Plasma is working to become a smart contract platform that can genuinely claim neutrality.
This connection to Bitcoin is not just a branding idea. It is a deep architectural decision that changes how trust, censorship resistance, and independence work in a blockchain system.
Why Neutrality Matters in the Stablecoin Era
Stablecoins have become a major part of global finance. Today hundreds of billions of dollars in stablecoins circulate across markets, powering remittances, trading, business settlements, and savings in regions with unstable currencies.
People use digital dollars to send money across borders quickly. Businesses use them to settle invoices globally. Institutions use them for liquidity management and yield strategies.
However, most of these transactions still rely on general purpose blockchains or networks closely tied to specific issuers. Both options come with tradeoffs.
General purpose chains can experience congestion and high transaction costs during periods of heavy activity. Governance decisions on these chains can sometimes favor certain applications or ecosystems.
Issuer aligned networks can create different concerns. They may face regulatory pressure or introduce risks where one organization holds too much influence over the system.
Neutral infrastructure solves these problems by providing payment rails that treat everyone equally. A neutral settlement layer does not favor one stablecoin over another. It does not depend on a single company or jurisdiction. It simply allows money to move reliably and efficiently.
How Plasma Uses Bitcoin as a Security Foundation
Plasma is built as a standalone Layer 1 blockchain that supports Ethereum compatible smart contracts. This means developers can build applications using familiar tools while benefiting from a network optimized for stablecoin activity.
PlasmaBFT consensus allows transactions to finalize in less than a second, making payments feel instant in real world usage.
But performance alone is not enough. Long term trust requires stronger guarantees. This is where the Bitcoin connection becomes essential.
Plasma regularly creates cryptographic snapshots of its ledger and anchors them to the Bitcoin blockchain. These snapshots act as permanent records of Plasma’s state.
Because Bitcoin is secured by a massive global mining network and strong economic incentives, rewriting these records would be practically impossible. Any attempt to alter Plasma’s history would require rewriting Bitcoin itself, which is considered unrealistic due to Bitcoin’s scale and decentralization.
This creates a dual security model.
Everyday transaction security comes from Plasma validators and consensus. Long term settlement integrity comes from Bitcoin.
Together, these layers provide both speed and durability.
Neutrality Without Central Control
Bitcoin is widely recognized as one of the most neutral financial networks ever created. It operates without a central authority, leadership structure, or geographic control point.
By anchoring to Bitcoin, Plasma inherits many of these neutrality properties.
No single stablecoin issuer can dominate the network. Plasma is designed to support multiple stablecoins equally.
Censorship becomes significantly harder because anchored transaction history cannot be easily changed.
Protocol governance remains cautious and consensus driven, with the Bitcoin anchor acting as an additional safeguard against harmful changes.
Rather than trying to compete with every blockchain use case, Plasma focuses specifically on stablecoin settlement infrastructure. This specialization allows it to optimize performance while maintaining strong neutrality principles.
What This Means for Users and Institutions
For everyday users neutrality translates into confidence. When someone sends stablecoins to family members or business partners, they want to know that the transaction cannot suddenly be blocked or reversed by a centralized authority.
This matters even more in regions where financial systems are unstable or restricted. Reliable digital payment rails can make a meaningful difference in daily life.
For institutions, the Bitcoin anchor provides familiarity and credibility. Bitcoin has demonstrated resilience through market cycles, regulatory pressure, and technological challenges over many years.
Anchoring a smart contract platform to that foundation creates a stronger trust model for large scale financial activity.
Moving Into the Future
Plasma connection to Bitcoin represents more than a technical design choice. It reflects a long term vision for stablecoin infrastructure that prioritizes neutrality, reliability, and accessibility.
As stablecoins continue growing toward trillions in annual settlement volume, the world will need payment infrastructure that combines the reliability of traditional finance with the speed of the internet.
Plasma aims to provide exactly that balance.
Fast enough for everyday payments. Secure enough for institutions. Neutral enough for global adoption.
In a blockchain industry where decentralization is often discussed but not always fully achieved, Plasma’s Bitcoin anchored design offers a compelling path forward. It creates a smart contract environment where rules are protected not just by validators or governance processes, but by the proven security of the Bitcoin network itself.
That unbreakable connection could become one of the most important foundations for the future of digital money.
#plasma $XPL

On Feb 4, 2026 Gold just made a big move today. After a sharp sell-off earlier this week it goes up roughly 3% and cleared the psychologically huge $5,000 per ounce level. Let’s discuss what’s really going on and why it matters.
The Numbers What We’re Actually Seeing
Spot gold is now around $5,050–$5,087 per ounce. Some futures contracts are even a bit higher.
And when we Compare that to Monday Feb 2, when gold was almost around $4,652–$4,750 and even dipped as low as $4,403–$4,618 during the heavy liquidation.
In just a previous couple of days gold has bounced 8–15% from its lows a massive recovery.
Basically we all see it’s erased a big chunk of the recent correction in record time.
Why Did Gold Drop So Hard and Then Bounce Back?
The sell-off earlier this week came from:
In the late January Profit-taking after gold hit all-time highs near $5,594–$5,608.
Maybe A rising US dollar
Unwinding of highly leveraged long positions
Technical selling after key support levels broke
Rotation out of precious metals into other assets
The rebound That’s fueled by:
Dip-buying, investors see sub-$4,800 or sub-$4,600 as a bargain
Safe haven demand geopolitical uncertainty and policy concernsShort covering traders who bet against gold are buying backLong-term bullish factors still in play central bank buying, inflation hedging, de-dollarization narratives, and low real yields
The Bigger Picture is in front of Us
All-time high: $5,594–$5,608
Current level: $5,050–$5,087
Still 9–11% below the peak
Year-over-year, gold is still up roughly 35–45%
We see the market went from euphoric peak → sharp sell-off → aggressive recovery. This V-shaped action is normal in strong bull markets, especially for gold during uncertain times.
Major Levels to Watch Right Now
Resistance: $5,200 → $5,300 → $5,400–$5,500 (approaching previous highs)Support: $4,900–$4,950 → $4,800 → $4,650–$4,700Psychological sign of strength: holding above $5,000
Takeaway for Investors & Traders
The rebound shows gold bullish case is still very much alive.
Weakness is still being treated as a buying opportunity.
Volatility is extreme prices can swing fast in either direction.
That said recoveries can reverse quickly if new macro triggers appear think dollar strength, risk-on moves, or policy surprises.
Reclaiming $5,000 after such a sharp drop isn’t just a number it’s a statement. The next few days and weeks will show if gold is heading back to former highs or if this is just another short-lived rally.
#GOLD #XAU #GoldSilverRebound #PreciousMetals

Silver isn’t just for jewelry or collectors. It’s a workhorse for modern industry showing up in solar panels, electronics, medical gear, batteries, and plenty more places most people never think about. Lately the price of silver has been anything but steady. Especially from late 2025 into early 2026, prices have surged, dropped, and surged again, all in quick succession.

One number always catches the eyes of traders: the amount of silver sitting in Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) warehouses. Lately this figure’s made headlines:
JUST IN: Shanghai Futures Exchange silver stocks drop from 462.62 tons to 449.65 tons CEIC data.
What’s really going on here?
First, a bit about the SHFE. It’s one of the world’s biggest commodity exchanges, where people buy and sell futures for metals like silver, gold, copper, and more. They also handle energy and ag products. When it comes to silver, these contracts actually settle in real metal fifteen kilograms per contract, physically delivered from SHFE-approved warehouses across China. The silver sitting in these warehouses called registered or warrant stocks represents what’s actually available for delivery. The exchange updates these numbers every day, making them a sort of heartbeat for the market.
Now let’s look at what’s happened:
Feb 2, 2026: 462.623 tonsFeb 3, 2026: 449.653 tons (down more than 13 tons in just a day)Feb 4, 2026: 423.241 tons (another big drop)
This isn’t just a blip. In late January SHFE silver stocks hovered around 482 tons, but by month’s end, they’d slid to 455 tons. The trend is clear physical silver is leaving the warehouses faster than it’s coming in. That spells real-world demand.
Why does this matter? For one thing, China is the world’s biggest consumer of silver especially for high-tech and solar industries. When inventories drop, it usually means buyers are pulling out metal to meet actual needs. Lower visible stocks also make the market feel tighter, especially when physical silver starts trading at a premium over international prices. That’s often a sign that demand is outpacing supply.
Another thing: most silver trading these days happens on paper through futures contracts or ETFs. But when physical stockpiles start shrinking, even as paper prices swing wildly, it raises the stakes. It hints that supply pressures are building beneath the surface.

What happens in China doesn’t stay in China, either. Since the country dominates global silver consumption, any trend in SHFE warehouse stocks tends to ripple out and influence world prices and market mood.
Still, a dose of perspective helps. Even with these recent drops, SHFE inventories aren’t scraping record lows. Over the past few years, they’ve usually drifted between 400 and 600 tons far from any crisis. Also, these stats only count silver in SHFE-registered warehouses. There’s more silver elsewhere in China that doesn’t show up in these figures.
And let’s not forget: silver prices are extremely volatile. Inventories can shift for all sorts of reasons deliveries, seasonal swings, profit-taking, or big players repositioning.
The recent drop from 462.62 to 449.65 tons and then further down to 423 tons is real. It points to ongoing demand pressure in China and hints at a structurally tight market, especially as industrial use keeps rising. Still, silver is a global commodity, shaped by everything from mining output and recycling to interest rates and investor mood.
No single statistic predicts the future, but if you want to track physical market trends, watching SHFE inventories is a smart place to start.
#Silver #SHFE #SHFEDrop #china