Daily TEA — All Eyes on RWA, Amazon Prime Perks, AI Shakeups, and a Surprising Stock King
Crypto Markets, Tokenized Collectibles, AI App Closures, Hardware Wins, Prime Shakeup
Hello, dear TEA-mates! Here’s what you need to know today.
1.🕒 U.S. Regulators Consider 24/7 Markets to Keep Up with Crypto
SEC, CFTC Float Plans for Round-the-Clock Trading
America’s top financial watchdogs, the SEC and CFTC, have jointly proposed a “24/7 Markets” policy that would bring U.S. securities exchanges online around the clock to match the relentless pace of crypto and global asset trading. The plan, revealed by SEC chair Paul Atkins and CFTC acting chair Caroline Pham, also suggests easing rules for prediction and perpetuals markets, and introducing “innovation exemptions” for DeFi protocols. While aimed at moving traditional finance closer to crypto’s model, critics warn these changes could be risky and will be discussed further at a joint roundtable on September 29. Read More
TEA For Thought: 🫖 RWA is definitely the future. Essentially, have all things on chain, utilize the Distributed Ledger Technology, make it cheaper, faster, and trackable.
2.🕹️ Tokenized Pokémon Cards Set Off RWA Boom
$124.5M Traded in August, Bringing Collectibles On-Chain
The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s leap into blockchain is sparking a new era for real-world assets (RWAs): tokenized Pokémon cards reached $124.5 million in trading volume last month, a fivefold jump since January. Leading platforms like Courtyard and Collector Crypt are fueling the surge, with analysts calling the move a turning point for merging collectibles with blockchain. This trend is expanding the scope of tokenized assets beyond traditional plays like real estate, hinting at vast new markets for on-chain ownership and trading. Read More
TEA For Thought: 🫖 Bringing everything on chain unapologetically for sure.
3.🤖 Popular AI Companion App ‘Dot’ Shuts Down
Startup Exits Amid Safety, Market Headwinds
The AI companion app Dot, launched by startup New Computer in 2024, is winding down its operations after struggles in a fast-changing landscape. The app, celebrated for its personalized approach to digital companionship, gave users until October 5 to save their data. The closure comes as AI chatbots face mounting scrutiny over safety and mental health, with high-profile lawsuits and regulatory warnings surfacing this year. The company cites diverging visions among founders, not outside pressure, as the reason for the shutdown. Read More
TEA For Thought: 🫖 More like this will happen. Technology innovation and evolution is really a series of companies that failed and died to pave the way for the success of a few.
4.💾 Seagate Overtakes Palantir as S&P 500’s Top Stock of the Year
Hardware Makers Beat Software Darlings in AI Era
Seagate Technology has surged 113% this year, surpassing Palantir’s 107% gain to become the S&P 500’s best-performing stock. The shift highlights booming demand for computer storage hardware amid AI-driven data center expansion. Analysts cite “build to order” momentum from major tech clients for Seagate’s rise. Notably, the top 10 S&P 500 stocks now include as many industrials as tech names, signaling a broader reshuffling powered by the AI infrastructure race. Read More
TEA For Thought: 🫖 Hardware manufacturing, either electronics, sensors, database storages, energy—the industries around AI are just leading the games. After all, when you don’t have the knowledge and capability to mine the gold, you can manufacture gold shovels for others to do it.
5.📦 Amazon’s Crackdown on Prime Sharing Will Hit Millions
Free-Shipping “Invitee” Benefit Ends for Many on October 1
Amazon is ending its long-standing program that allowed users to share Prime’s free-shipping benefit with friends and extended family, effective October 1. Millions of U.S. households that previously enjoyed the program will need to purchase their own Prime memberships, a move analysts say aims to drive subscriptions and offset revenue losses—possibly from new tariffs and operational costs. Read More
TEA For Thought: 🫖 This move is similar to what Netflix did, to bring more revenues via subscription, maybe to compensate the loss due to tariffs. It hurts for the customers, but as history shows, it works.
Monday Inspration
TEAHEE Moment
Stay sharp, stay informed. See you tomorrow!
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