🚨 TIKTOK BACK ONLINE… TRUMP GIVES ASSURANCES TO BYTEDANCE… CAN TRUMP FORCE CHINA TO SELL TIKTOK OR WILL THE BAN GO GLOBAL? President-elect Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would sign an executive order on Monday to delay the federal ban on TikTok. The app, which went dark for millions of U.S. users late Saturday, began restoring access Sunday after Trump urged companies to keep TikTok live while a long-term solution is negotiated.
📱 TRUMP’S FIRST MOVE: Trump’s executive order will temporarily lift the ban, giving TikTok and its service providers clarity that they won’t face penalties. TikTok thanked Trump for his intervention, calling it “a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.” The company pledged to work with Trump on a solution, though its China-based parent ByteDance has yet to agree to a sale.
🏛️ NOT THE FIRST TECH BAN: The TikTok saga echoes past U.S. actions against foreign tech giants:
Russia’s Kaspersky: The antivirus software was banned from federal systems over national security fears, leading to global bans.
China’s Huawei 5G: Huawei faced espionage allegations that resulted in widespread restrictions, including in the U.S., UK, and allied nations.
Experts warn TikTok could face the same “creeping ban” effect, with restrictions spreading globally.
🌎 WHERE IS TIKTOK ALREADY BANNED? TikTok is banned in India, cutting off 200 million users since 2020. Australia, several European nations, and over a dozen countries have imposed restrictions or outright bans, citing surveillance and privacy risks.
⚠️ WHY YOU CARE: TikTok’s future isn’t just about short videos; it’s a battleground for digital freedom and national security. With Trump calling for a joint U.S.-ownership model, the case highlights how global tech politics affect everything from your social media to your portfolio.
hello, future. it’s me, kev.
…and this is a dispatch from the digital frontier. It’s time to meet the future NOW — with the latest on markets, tech, and freedom. The day is 19. The year is 2025. The planet is Earth. My name is Kevin Cirilli —> LinkedIn. Sign-up to receive the future in your inbox here.
Candidly, we were never into TikTok… The kids will be alright…
Back to the future...
FUTURES
Markets are closed for MLK Day…
🚨 CHINA’S YUAN: WHY BEIJING IS CAUGHT IN A TOUGH SPOT. President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for new tariffs have China debating whether to weaken its currency, the yuan, to make its exports cheaper. But Beijing is reluctant because the yuan isn’t just money—it’s a symbol of national strength. Weakening it could help the economy but might make China look vulnerable, something its leaders want to avoid.
—> DIG DEEPER: In the past, China used this strategy during Trump’s first term to offset tariffs, but it caused major tension with the U.S. and led to Trump labeling China a “currency manipulator.” Now, economic challenges have already put pressure on the yuan, leaving Beijing with fewer tools to fight back without looking desperate.
—> ⚠️ WHY YOU CARE: How China manages the yuan will affect trade prices, inflation, and the global economy. It’s a high-stakes decision that could shape the next phase of U.S.-China relations. Source: WSJ.
CRYPTO
🚨 TRUMP LAUNCHES $TRUMP COIN — CREATING BILLIONS OVERNIGHT. Days before taking office again, Trump launched a new cryptocurrency called $TRUMP. The coin, a "meme coin" built on the Solana blockchain, exploded in value overnight, reaching a market cap of $6 billion by Saturday.
—> 💸 HOW DID IT GROW SO FAST? $TRUMP started trading at $4.29 Friday night and skyrocketed 600% to $30.22 by Saturday. Only 10% of the coins are available to the public — WORLDWIDE — while 80% are controlled by Trump-linked companies.
—> 🏛️ WHAT IT MEANS FOR CRYPTO: Trump’s coin comes as the crypto industry celebrates his pro-crypto stance, expecting less regulation and more innovation. Supporters say it could bring more people into the world of digital assets, while critics warn about ethical risks and the lack of oversight.
—> ⚠️ WHY YOU CARE: This mix of politics and crypto shows how fast money can move in the digital world—and the risks that come with it. $TRUMP could shape the future of crypto adoption and spark debates over its role in politics. Source: WSJ, CNBC, Bloomberg.
SPACE
🚀 FAILURE TO LAUNCH: SPACEX LAUNCH FAILURE CAUSES FLIGHT DELAYS OVER GULF OF MEXICO. A SpaceX Starship rocket broke apart minutes after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to reroute to avoid falling debris. The rocket lost contact with mission control eight minutes after liftoff, marking a setback for Elon Musk’s flagship program.
—> 🌊 INDIAN OCEAN FLIGHT RISKS CONTINUE. SpaceX’s launches are also impacting air travel over the Indian Ocean. Airlines like Qantas have faced delays of up to six hours due to splashdowns of Starship’s upper stage during test flights.
—> 🚀 2025 LAUNCH COUNT: 8 AND RISING. SpaceX has already completed eight launches this year. These missions are part of a dramatic increase in global space launches, which rose from roughly 60 launches per year a decade ago to more than 180 annually today—a threefold jump driven by private companies like SpaceX.
—> ⚠️ WHY YOU CARE: As rockets and planes increasingly compete for the same airspace, the rapid growth of space activity will bring more delays, higher costs, and challenges to aviation safety. With no signs of slowing, this new reality will require tighter coordination between aviation and space industries to manage the skies. Sources: Reuters, Gizmodo.
QUANTUM // ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
🚨 AI MEETS THE PENTAGON: A FUTURE OF WARFARE WITHOUT WEAPONS :Generative AI is reshaping military strategy, but not as a weapon. Leading AI developers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta have partnered with the Pentagon to make defense smarter, faster, and more efficient—while sticking to one hard rule: their AI won’t harm humans.
—> 🤖 BOOSTING THE "KILL CHAIN" WITHOUT KILLING: The military’s “kill chain”—the process of identifying, tracking, and responding to threats—relies on AI to think creatively and speed up decision-making. These tools help commanders simulate scenarios, assess risks, and deploy resources faster.
—> 🤝 THE DEFENSE-AI LOVE STORY: Since 2024, major AI developers have loosened usage policies, allowing partnerships with U.S. defense agencies.
—> ⚠️ WHY YOU CARE: Generative AI is accelerating military innovation while raising ethical questions. What happens if Silicon Valley allows more aggressive military applications—or if rivals like China adopt fewer restrictions? Source: TechCrunch.
GEOPOLITICS
🚨 TAIWAN + TRUMP: CHIPS ON THE LINE. Trump accused Taiwan of “stealing” U.S. chip jobs, but Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) says U.S. funding for its $65 billion Arizona chip plants will continue under his administration.
—> DIG DEEPER: TSMC has already received $1.5 billion through Biden’s CHIPS Act and expects more as milestones are hit. The first Arizona plant is now producing advanced chips, with two more on track by 2028.
—> ⚠️ WHY YOU CAREL Chips power everything from smartphones to national defense systems. As the U.S. pushes to onshore manufacturing, Taiwan's role in the supply chain highlights the high stakes of tech, geopolitics, and economic security. Source: CNBC.
ONE MORE THING
🚨 ROBOT BEES ARE HERE: THE FUTURE OF FARMING TAKES FLIGHT. MIT researchers have unveiled tiny robot insects designed for artificial pollination, paving the way for fully indoor, multilevel farms. With flapping wings that mimic real bees, these microbots weigh less than a gram and could one day replace natural pollinators in closed-loop agricultural systems.
—> 🐝 ROBOT HIVES AND HIGH-TECH FARMS. Envisioned for futuristic indoor farms, these robots would live in mechanical hives and deploy in swarms for synchronized pollination missions. Though still slower and less agile than bees, MIT’s latest model hovers for 17 minutes—100 times longer than earlier prototypes.
—> ⚠️ WHY YOU CARE. As pollinator populations decline, robotic bees could revolutionize agriculture, boosting food production while reducing environmental impact. But can machines truly replace nature’s efficiency? The future of farming may depend on it. Source: MIT News.
With gratitude,
Kev
ABOUT mtf.tv’s meet the future: mtf.tv’s meet the future is a cutting-edge platform focused on addressing key challenges at the intersection of national security, technology, and business. With a mission to embrace freedom to meet the future’s challenges and opportunities, mtf.tv offers forward-thinking media offerings and forums.
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