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Silver’s historic run makes it the world’s No. 3 asset by value

Silver’s blistering rally has pushed the metal to the third most valuable asset globally, reflecting tight supply, surging industrial demand (EVs/solar), and broad safe‑haven flows alongside record gold. The move tightens financial conditions for short sellers and raises hedging costs as exchanges hike margins, while investor interest spills into tokenized silver products.

Source: SeekingAlpha


Global M&A roars back to $4.5T, propelled by a record wave of megadeals

Dealmaking jumped 50% in 2025 to $4.5 trillion, the second-highest year on record, as 68 transactions of $10B+ reshaped sectors from media to railroads. U.S. buyers led activity and fees, with easier regulatory tone and abundant financing cited as catalysts; momentum re-accelerated in H2 despite tariff uncertainty, setting up a busy 2026 pipeline.

Source: Finance Magnates


ESMA picks EuroCTP to deliver the EU’s first consolidated equity/ETF tape

Europe took a major step toward unified capital markets as ESMA selected EuroCTP to provide a consolidated tape for shares and ETFs, ending years of fragmented post‑trade data. The tape should improve price discovery, best execution, and cross‑border transparency under direct EU supervision, aligning with the bloc’s Savings and Investments Union agenda.

Source: FinanceFeeds


Year-end de-risking drives outflows from U.S. spot crypto ETFs

Spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs saw sustained net outflows into the holiday week as institutions harvested tax losses and pared risk around a record options expiry. Flows are expected to normalize in early January as desks return and allocations reset, with 2025 still a banner year for net inflows and product breadth.

Source: FinanceFeeds


Sberbank completes Russia’s first crypto‑secured corporate loan

Russia’s largest bank piloted a fiat loan collateralized by mined bitcoin, using in‑house hardware custody to secure the digital collateral. The deal, executed with a major miner, road‑tests infrastructure and legal processes ahead of a broader product launch once national rules are finalized in 2026—another sign of crypto’s migration into mainstream finance.

Source: FinanceFeeds


China’s EV exports jump 87% YoY; shipments to Mexico surge 2,367%

China exported 199,836 EVs in November, up 87% year over year, underscoring its accelerating global push as price‑competitive models gain share. Exports to Mexico exploded, heightening North American competitive pressures and the risk of new trade frictions as automakers and policymakers reassess supply chains.

Source: SeekingAlpha


SoftBank nears deal to acquire DigitalBridge, shares jump

DigitalBridge rallied after reports SoftBank is close to acquiring the alternative-asset manager focused on digital infrastructure. A tie-up would deepen SoftBank’s bet on AI‑era networking, data centers, and edge assets, while giving DigitalBridge broader capital and platform reach.

Source: SeekingAlpha


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Business — December 29, 2025 | Briefing24