BNB Chain Sees $1.008 Billion Inflow, Leads Public Blockchains Trump Threatens 10% Tariff on BRICS Aligning Countries Robinhood Clarifies OpenAI Token is Indirect Exposure

BNB Chain, a prominent blockchain platform, has seen a significant influx of capital through its cross-chain bridges. Over the past week, the network recorded a net inflow of $1.008 billion, positioning it at the top among all public blockchains. This surge in capital is attributed to several factors, including low transaction fees, high speed, and the robust support of the Binance ecosystem. Following BNB Chain, Optimism and Mantle recorded net inflows of $28.72 million and $13.33 million, respectively. In contrast, Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Flare experienced net outflows of $983 million, $161 million, and $15.96 million, respectively.

Cross-chain bridges play a crucial role in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem by enabling the transfer of assets between different blockchains, thereby enhancing interoperability and liquidity. BNB Chain's popularity can be attributed to its low transaction fees, averaging $0.10 per transaction, and high throughput, exceeding 2,000 transactions per second. Additionally, the strong brand of the Binance ecosystem and rich DeFi applications such as PancakeSwap and Venus have contributed to its attractiveness. Recent integrations, such as Web3 wallets and the BNB Chain upgrade on March 20, 2025, which improved transaction speed by 30%, have further boosted the chain's appeal to users and liquidity.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a warning to countries aligning with BRICS "anti-American" policies, stating that they will face an additional 10% tariff. This statement, made on the Truth Social platform, comes in response to the BRICS Summit joint statement, which criticized U.S. tariff practices. Trump's move is seen as an attempt to protect U.S. dollar hegemony and control over market access through economic coercion. The BRICS declaration, made at the Rio Summit, reaffirmed opposition to unilateral tariffs and advocated for fair trade under WTO rules, signaling collective resistance to Trump’s approach. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the use of tariffs as a coercive tool, while Brazil tried to ease tensions by clarifying it has no intention to push for a unified BRICS currency. However, efforts led by Russia and China to de-dollarize, such as promoting the CIPS system and the e-CNY digital currency, may accelerate in response to Trump’s tariff threats.

Robinhood has clarified its stance on the OpenAI token, stating that it represents indirect exposure to OpenAI through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), not a direct partnership with the company. This clarification comes after OpenAI's urgent denial of any authorized partnership with Robinhood or involvement with any so-called "OpenAI token." The OpenAI token is pegged to the value of OpenAI equity held by the SPV, not to OpenAI itself. On June 30, Robinhood launched the "OpenAI Token" and "SpaceX Token" in the European market, using SPV structures to give retail investors access to unicorn companies. The OpenAI token is an ERC-20 token on Arbitrum, available only within Robinhood’s EU crypto app. Although the SPV holds a small portion of OpenAI shares, OpenAI has reiterated that it has no affiliation with Robinhood and has issued a warning about the risks of such investments.