A clearer view of today.

Brent rises after Trump rejects Iran’s Hormuz reopening proposal

Brent crude climbed 2.84% to $107.29 a barrel on Monday, according to TradingEconomics, after President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. The proposal tied reopening to conditions including ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports; the Wall Street Journal reported Trump told aides renewed strikes were likely after the November midterms, though their scale remains undecided. Talks and any reopening timetable remain uncertain.

What changed Brent rose from $104.32 on Friday to $107.29 on Monday, reversing some of the relief associated with Iran’s reopening offer.

Why it matters Oil buyers still face a constrained supply route rather than an agreed restoration of shipping: reported Hormuz flows remain only a fraction of pre-war traffic.

What to watch next Whether negotiations actually resume is unresolved. Trump expects talks this week, but the reporting provides no confirmed meeting date.

Apple faces $5.7 billion patent verdict and says it will appeal

A federal jury in San Diego found Apple infringed two Taction Technology patents covering haptics used in the iPhone and Apple Watch, awarding more than $5.7 billion. The jury found the infringement was not willful, and Apple said it strongly disagrees with the verdict and will appeal. The award followed Friday’s market close; Apple shares were indicated 0.11% lower in Monday premarket trading.

What changed Apple had secured dismissal in 2023; a 2025 appellate reversal reopened the case, which has now produced a jury award against it.

Why it matters For Apple and Taction, the dispute could influence future licensing negotiations as well as damages for past use. That leverage depends on the patents surviving appeal.

What to watch next Apple has confirmed an appeal. Whether the verdict and damages withstand that challenge remains open.

California bars covered public officials from issuing meme coins

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2409, prohibiting covered California state and local public officers and certain employees from issuing meme coins. From January 1, 2027, digital-asset service providers will also be barred from listing qualifying newly issued politician-linked meme coins for California residents. The law is not a general ban on meme coins, and the state attorney general and local authorities can seek civil enforcement.

What changed The measure moved from unanimous legislative approval on August 26 to Newsom’s signature on September 27.

Why it matters Platforms serving California residents will need to screen qualifying new political tokens, including those linked to federal officials—not just California officeholders.

What to watch next January 1, 2027 is the reported issuance cutoff for tokens covered by the platform restriction; it is not a blanket prohibition on existing meme coins.

Capital.com adds direct stock and ETF investing for European clients

Capital.com has launched execution-only stock and ETF investing across its European markets, offering more than 2,280 products in U.S. and European markets with no commission, according to the broker. The new products add long-term direct ownership alongside its existing trading services; the company does not provide investment recommendations. Capital.com said it plans to roll out the offering in the UAE and UK in the coming months, without specifying dates.

What changed Capital.com has added direct ownership to a European platform previously focused on short-term trading.

Why it matters Eligible clients seeking longer holding periods can now own stocks and ETFs on the same platform as their short-term trading products, rather than relying solely on its trading instruments.

What to watch next The broker plans expansion to the UAE and UK in the coming months. Launch dates and excluded EEA markets remain unspecified.

CMC Markets announces simulated prop-trading programme tied to interview opportunity

CMC Markets has announced CMC Funded, a simulated prop-trading programme offering participants $100,000 accounts with common performance targets and risk limits. Successful participants receive a Verified Trader badge and an interview opportunity through recruitment platform Verichain, but neither a job nor placement is guaranteed. CMC says the programme is separate from its listed group, is not a regulated CMC Markets product, and does not provide live brokerage accounts or trade customer funds.

Why it matters For applicants, passing the evaluation provides a recruitment opportunity, not a job entitlement; the prospective interviewing employers have not been identified.

What to watch next Evaluation pricing, reward rules and eligible jurisdictions remain undisclosed, leaving applicants without key terms needed to assess participation.

Crypto ETFs take in $308 million as Solana funds post record inflows

U.S. spot Bitcoin, Ether and Solana funds recorded approximately $308.2 million in combined net inflows on September 25, based on finalized Farside Investors data. Bitcoin funds led with $134.5 million, while Solana funds drew $86.7 million—the highest single-day total in Farside’s Solana ETF dataset—and Ether funds attracted $87 million. Across the week, the three categories added roughly $3.26 billion, although Bitcoin’s daily inflows had eased from Monday’s $999 million.

What changed Bitcoin’s daily inflows fell from $999 million on Monday to $134.5 million on Friday, with Thursday’s $190.7 million also above Friday’s result.

Why it matters The positive Bitcoin category total masks uneven results for fund providers: Bitwise suffered redemptions while several competitors had no net flows, so aggregate demand did not benefit every issuer.

South Korea weighs regulated crypto market-making to improve liquidity

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission is considering allowing professional crypto market-makers under defined conditions, according to local reports, as authorities assess ways to deepen order books and reduce sharp price swings. A possible framework could require disclosure, monitoring and conflict-of-interest controls, while practices such as wash trading, spoofing and coordinated manipulation would remain prohibited. No new regime has been finalized; the proposal is part of broader work on the country’s next stage of digital-asset rules.

What changed Authorities are reconsidering restrictions rooted in manipulation concerns because excluding professional liquidity providers can also leave order books thin, particularly for smaller tokens.

Why it matters Traders on Korean exchanges could benefit from deeper order books and fewer short-term pricing dislocations, but professional liquidity provision would not remove structural differences with overseas markets.

What to watch next Participation eligibility, issuer financing, disclosure duties and exchange supervision remain unresolved elements of any eventual framework.