Written edition
SpaceX locks 10-year UAE satellite license as Tether launches U.S. stablecoin
The infrastructure wars are moving up and down the stack at once: SpaceX is wiring the Gulf through orbit, Tether is embedding itself in U.S.
payments rails, and Chinese robotaxis are heading for Seoul.
Here's what matters today.
SpaceX wins 10-year UAE license, stakes orbital data claim in Gulf
SpaceX has secured a decade-long license to operate Starlink satellite internet across the UAE, marking the first time a Gulf state has formally tied national digital infrastructure to a private U.S. space company. The agreement isn't primarily about selling consumer broadband; it positions SpaceX as the gatekeeper for orbital data flows in a region where information control carries sovereign weight. For the UAE, the bet is that Starlink can deliver an infrastructure edge in a post-oil economy where data has strategic value on par with hydrocarbons. For SpaceX, it's a beachhead that could reshape how Middle Eastern governments think about connectivity and vendor lock-in, and it sets a template for similar deals across the Gulf.
