https://www.instagram.com/stesontan.28/

Steson Tan, 81, Jalan 2/90, Taman Pertama (2026)

23/08/2026

Before I trade Gold, I check one other chart first.
The Dollar. Gold is priced in dollars — so a weak dollar usually pushes gold up, even when nothing about gold changed.

Look at this week. The Fed's minutes sounded hawkish — bad news for gold, on paper. But gold still jumped 4%, because the dollar dropped. The headline said one thing. The dollar told the real story.

The rule: same direction? Trust the trade more. Opposite direction? Wait, or size down.
Do you check the dollar before trading gold? Let me know below 👇
Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk of loss.

22/08/2026

Supply and Demand: The Universal Framework Beyond Markets

If you have been following this series, you know I spend a lot of time thinking about supply and demand in financial markets. But recently, I have come to realize something:

The supply and demand framework applies to far more than just trading.
It is a lens through which we can understand relationships, careers, friendships—and even love.

Let me explain what I have been learning.

Part 1: The Core Principle
At its simplest, supply and demand is about scarcity and desire.

Supply is what is available.
Demand is what people want.
Price is where they meet.

When supply exceeds demand, value decreases. When demand exceeds supply, value increases.

This is not just economics. It is human nature.

Part 2: Supply and Demand in Work
The Professional You
In the workplace, you are both a supplier and a demander.

You are a supplier of:

Skills
Time
Expertise
Energy
Creativity
Reliability

You are a demander of:

Compensation
Recognition
Growth opportunities
Work-life balance
Meaningful work

The Key Insight:

Your "market value" is not determined by how hard you work. It is determined by the balance between:

What you offer (supply)
What others need (demand)
How unique your offering is (scarcity)

When Your Value Increases:

When your skills are rare and in high demand
When you solve problems that few others can solve
When you deliver results that others cannot replicate
When you build a reputation that precedes you

When Your Value Decreases:

When your skills become commoditized
When technology replaces what you do
When others can offer the same for less
When you stop growing and learning

A Personal Reflection:

I have been thinking about this in my own career. Am I building skills that are becoming more valuable—or less? Am I solving problems that matter—or problems that are being automated away?

The market does not care about effort. It cares about value.

The Employer's Perspective
Every employer is a demander of talent. And like any demander, they make trade-offs:

FactorThey WantThey Will Compromise OnSkillsExactly what they needWill train for the right personExperienceProven track recordWill accept potentialCostAs low as possibleWill pay for exceptional valueCulture FitPerfect alignmentWill accept some frictionLocationOn-siteWill consider remoteLongevityLong-term commitmentWill accept shorter tenure

The Key Insight:

Employers are not looking for the "best" candidate. They are looking for the best value—the candidate who offers the most of what they need at a price they are willing to pay.

Part 3: Supply and Demand in Relationships
Friendships
Think about the friendships in your life.

You supply:

Presence
Listening
Support
Honesty
Shared experiences

You demand:

Connection
Understanding
Loyalty
Reciprocity
Shared values

The Equilibrium:

Healthy friendships exist in balance. When one person is constantly giving and the other is constantly taking, the relationship becomes unsustainable—like a market with a persistent imbalance.

When Friendships Fade:

When one person's "supply" changes (moves away, gets busy, changes priorities)
When one person's "demand" changes (needs different things)
When the balance tips too far in one direction

What I Have Learned:

The best friendships are not those where you demand the most—but those where the mutual exchange feels natural and effortless. When both parties are giving freely and receiving generously, the relationship sustains itself.

Romantic Relationships
Love is often described as "unconditional." But I have come to believe that even love operates within a supply and demand framework.

You supply:

Attention
Affection
Loyalty
Vulnerability
Support

You demand:

Reciprocity
Respect
Emotional safety
Shared vision
Commitment

The Scarcity Principle:

In romantic relationships, scarcity can drive desire—but too much scarcity destroys connection. The key is not to be the "most available" or the "least available"—but to be authentically available at the right level.

When Relationships Thrive:

When both parties feel valued and appreciated
When the exchange of energy, time, and affection is balanced
When each person's "supply" matches the other's "demand"
When the relationship creates value that neither could create alone

When Relationships Struggle:

When one person is giving significantly more than the other
When expectations are misaligned
When one person's needs are not being met
When the relationship feels like a transaction rather than a connection

A Personal Reflection:

I used to think love was about finding the "perfect" person. Now I think it is about finding someone whose supply and demand profile aligns with yours—someone who wants what you want to give, and gives what you want to receive.

Part 4: Supply and Demand in Personal Growth
Time and Energy
You have only 24 hours in a day. That is your supply of time.

You have a limited amount of energy, focus, and willpower. That is your supply of capacity.

The Demand on Your Time:

DemanderHow Much They TakeWork8-10 hoursSleep6-8 hoursFamilyVariesFriendsVariesPersonal GrowthVariesExerciseVariesRestVaries

The Key Insight:

There is never enough time to do everything. There is only enough time to do what you prioritize.

When you say "yes" to one demand, you are saying "no" to another. Every choice is a reallocation of your limited supply.

Skills and Knowledge
The skills you have today are your current supply. The skills you are building are your future supply.

The Demand for Skills:

Skill TypeDemand TrendTechnical (AI, Blockchain, Data)IncreasingHuman (Empathy, Leadership, Communication)IncreasingManual / RepetitiveDecreasingAdministrativeDecreasing

What This Means:

If you are building skills that are in rising demand, your value is increasing.
If you are building skills that are in falling demand, your value is decreasing.
If you are not building skills at all, your value is eroding.

Part 5: The Concept of "Value Equilibrium"
In every relationship—professional, personal, or romantic—there is a value equilibrium.

Professional Value Equilibrium:

"I offer skills and effort. I receive compensation and recognition. The balance is fair."
Friendship Value Equilibrium:

"I offer presence and support. I receive connection and understanding. The balance is fair."
Romantic Value Equilibrium:

"I offer love and commitment. I receive love and commitment. The balance is fair."
When the Equilibrium Shifts:

When the balance tips too far in one direction, the relationship becomes unsustainable.

If you are always giving and never receiving—you burn out.
If you are always receiving and never giving—you lose respect for yourself (and others lose respect for you).

The Key Insight:

The goal is not to "win" the exchange. The goal is to find and maintain a balance that both parties find fair.

Part 6: Practical Applications
In Your Career
Ask Yourself:

What skills do I supply that are currently in high demand?
What skills am I building for the future?
What is the demand for what I offer?
Am I being fairly compensated for my supply?
What could I do to increase the value of my supply?

Action Steps:

Identify skills that are becoming more valuable
Invest in learning and development
Build a reputation that differentiates you
Ask for what you are worth—not what you are offered

In Your Friendships
Ask Yourself:

Am I giving as much as I am receiving?
Are my needs being met—and am I meeting others' needs?
Have any of my friendships become unbalanced?
What can I do to restore balance?

Action Steps:

Be honest about what you need from friendships
Be generous with what you can offer
Have honest conversations when the balance feels off
Let go of friendships that are no longer serving both parties

In Your Personal Growth
Ask Yourself:

What am I building right now that will increase my future value?
What am I doing today that will be worthless tomorrow?
What is the most valuable thing I could be working on right now?

Action Steps:

Prioritize skills that are in rising demand
Build a practice of continuous learning
Seek feedback on what you need to improve
Invest in yourself like you would invest in a high-growth asset

Part 7: A Personal Reflection
I have not mastered any of this. I am still figuring out how to apply the supply and demand framework to my own life—my career, my relationships, my personal growth.

But what I have realized is this:

Supply and demand is not just a market concept. It is a human concept.
It explains why some people thrive and others struggle. It explains why some relationships flourish and others fail. It explains why some careers soar and others stagnate.

The world is constantly changing. The demand for what you offer is constantly shifting. Your value is not fixed—it is a function of what you supply and what the world demands.

If you want to be more valuable, you have two choices:

Increase your supply (build more skills, offer more value)
Find a market where your supply is in higher demand

Both are valid. Both require effort. Both require awareness.

22/08/2026

RM1.47 BILLION. Gone.

Just from fake investment scams in Malaysia — in 2025 alone. 😳 And 2026 is already on pace to be worse — RM830 million lost in just the first 5 months.

Here's the part that gets me: almost every one of these follows the exact same pattern that wrecks real trading accounts too. No rules. No pause. Just urgency and a promise that sounds too good.

That's not a coincidence — it's the same gap. It's exactly why I built LULU: check every trade against YOUR rules, every time, before you act

Have you (or someone you know) ever almost fallen for one? Tell me below 👇

*Educational content, not financial advice.*

22/08/2026

70 to 90% of retail traders lose money. It's not because their strategy is bad.

Traders blame their indicators. Their strategy. "The market being rigged." But the real causes almost never make that list.

Cause number one: oversized positions.
Cause number two: revenge trades.
Cause number three: rules that only exist in your head.

Here's the thing — a rule isn't real until something enforces it. Especially in the moment you're most tempted to break it.

That's the actual gap most traders have. Not a strategy problem. An enforcement problem.
Which one's been your downfall — sizing, revenge trades, or no written rules? Comment below. I read every one. 👇

⚠️ Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk of loss.

21/08/2026

Before I touch a Gold trade, I check one thing first. And it's not gold.

It's DXY the dollar index. Gold and the dollar move like a seesaw, most of the time. My actual checklist:

Is DXY trending, or just chopping sideways?

Is DXY sitting at a level it's respected before?

Is Gold actually moving opposite to DXY right now â€” or is the correlation breaking down?

What's on the calendar? CPI, NFP, a Fed decision can flip DXY hard.

If the seesaw isn't seesawing â€” that's not noise. That's information.

Most people watch Gold and only Gold. But half of every Gold move isn't about gold at all â€” it's about what's happening to the dollar.

Comment DXY and I'll show you the exact chart setup I use to check this. ðŸ‘‡

Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk of loss.

21/08/2026

Everyone stares at the gold chart and ignores the thing that's actually moving it — the dollar. Before every XAUUSD entry, I check:

1️⃣ Is DXY trending, or just chopping?
2️⃣ Is DXY sitting at a level it's respected before?
3️⃣ Is Gold actually diverging from DXY right now?
4️⃣ Anything on the calendar that could flip this in 5 minutes?

Skip this, and you're not trading gold — you're guessing with extra steps.

Save this for your next gold trade. 📌

20/08/2026

Ryt Bank: How Malaysia's First AI-Powered Digital Bank Became the Nation's Largest in Just One Year

If you have been following this series on financial innovation and market structure, you know I have been closely watching how technology is reshaping Malaysia's financial landscape.

Today, I want to share something that caught my attention: Ryt Bank has just become Malaysia's largest digital bank—in just one year of operations.

Here is what I have learned about this remarkable journey.

Part 1: The Numbers That Tell the Story

On August 20, 2026, Ryt Bank marked its first anniversary with a milestone that few could have predicted: more than 1.5 million customers.

To put this in perspective:

Launched to the public in August 2025

Became the most downloaded app in Malaysia on both Google Play and Apple App Store in February 2026

Ranked first in the finance category that same month

Customers turned to Ryt AI more than 10 million times for everyday banking in its first year

By May 2026, the bank had already processed over 25 million transactions, with monthly transaction volume growing more than 35 times since launch.

What this tells me: This is not just growth—this is adoption. Malaysians are actively choosing a new way to bank.

Part 2: The Backing Behind the Bank

Ryt Bank is not a fintech startup operating on the margins. It is a joint venture between two major players:

YTL Group (through YTL Digital Capital Sdn Bhd)—a Malaysian infrastructure and technology conglomerate

Sea Limited—the Singapore-based technology giant behind Shopee and Garena

The bank holds a full digital banking license from Bank Negara Malaysia and is protected by PIDM (Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia) for up to RM250,000 per depositor.

What this tells me: This is a regulated, institutionally backed player—not a speculative venture. And it is fully Malaysian-developed, with a team built from the ground up in Malaysia.

Part 3: The AI Advantage

Ryt Bank is marketed as the world's first AI-powered bank. But what does that actually mean in practice?

Ryt AI is not a chatbot bolted onto a traditional banking app. It is integrated into the core banking experience.

Key capabilities:

FeatureWhat It DoesMultilingual SupportSupports English, Bahasa Melayu, and ChineseReceipt & Image ProcessingReads receipts, images, and attachmentsMulti-Request HandlingProcesses several requests within a single conversationRyt GroupsScan receipts to itemise purchases, apply taxes, calculate shares, and settle paymentsPayment Issue ResolutionHelps customers resolve payment problems

The technology behind it: Ryt AI runs on ILMU, a Malaysian sovereign large language model developed by YTL AI Labs—not a foreign AI model.

What this tells me: This is not just about customer convenience. It is a statement about digital sovereignty—building local AI capabilities rather than relying entirely on foreign technology.

Part 4: Breaking Down Barriers

One of the most interesting developments came just days before the anniversary announcement.

On August 18, 2026, Ryt Bank became Malaysia's first digital bank to allow customers to activate and fund their accounts through ATMs or bank branch transfers—not just through online banking.

Why this matters:

Previously, customers could apply for an account and complete eKYC through the app, but activation and first deposit required a transfer from another bank's online banking platform.

For many Malaysians—particularly those in rural areas or those less comfortable with digital banking—this was a barrier.

By joining the Interbank GIRO (IBG) network, Ryt Bank has created an off-ramp for onboarding—a bridge between traditional banking infrastructure and the digital banking experience.

What this tells me: The bank understands that digital adoption is not binary. It requires meeting customers where they are, not forcing them to where you want them to be.

Part 5: The Leadership Perspective

Wilson Soon, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Ryt Bank, captured the moment well:

"Our first year has completely exceeded our expectations and made us realise just how much more there is to do. The incredible response from Malaysians has shown us that there is a real appetite for a different kind of banking experience."

He added:

"We have put Malaysia on the world map for what's possible when we rethink what a bank can be. But we could not have done it without 1.5 million Malaysians choosing to make Ryt Bank part of their lives."

What this tells me: This is not just about market share. It is about redefining the category—and doing it from Malaysia.

Part 6: A Quick Comparison

FeatureRyt BankTraditional BanksLaunch DateAugust 2025Established over decadesCustomer Base1.5 million (Year 1)Built over generationsCore TechnologyAI-native, ILMU LLMLegacy systems with AI add-onsOnboardingApp + ATM/IBG activationBranch-basedLanguage SupportEnglish, BM, ChinesePrimarily English/BMFee StructureDigital-first, competitiveTraditional fee models

Part 7: What This Means for Malaysia's Financial Landscape

1. The Digital Banking Race Is Real

Five digital banks now hold licenses in Malaysia: GXBank, Boost Bank, Ryt Bank, KAF Digital Bank, and AEON Bank. Ryt Bank has taken an early lead, but the race is just beginning.

2. AI Is Not a Gimmick—It Is Infrastructure

Ryt Bank has demonstrated that AI can be more than a chatbot. It can be the operating system of a financial institution—processing receipts, managing group expenses, and handling complex queries in natural language.

3. Financial Inclusion Is Accelerating

By lowering onboarding barriers and offering multilingual support, Ryt Bank is reaching segments of the population that traditional banks have struggled to serve.

4. Malaysia Is Building Digital Sovereignty

The use of ILMU—a Malaysian sovereign LLM—signals a broader strategic direction: building local capabilities rather than relying entirely on foreign technology providers.

Part 8: Questions I Am Still Reflecting On

Can Ryt Bank sustain this growth? 1.5 million customers in year one is extraordinary. But what does year two look like?

How will traditional banks respond? Will they accelerate their own digital transformations, or will they partner with digital banks?

What role will AI play in the next phase? The ILMU model is still early. As it evolves, what new capabilities will emerge?

Will profitability follow growth? Customer acquisition is one thing. Sustainable profitability is another.

Part 9: A Personal Reflection

I want to be honest with you.

I have not yet opened a Ryt Bank account. I am still studying, still observing, still trying to understand what this means for Malaysia's financial ecosystem.

But what I have learned so far is significant.

Ryt Bank is not just a new bank. It is a proof of concept.

It demonstrates that:

A Malaysian-built, AI-native bank can compete with established players
Malaysians are ready for a different banking experience
Local AI capabilities (ILMU) can power real-world applications at scale
Financial inclusion and technology adoption can go hand in hand

20/08/2026

Most accounts don't blow up from one bad trade. They blow up from never having a risk class in the first place.

Mine has four rules, and I don't negotiate with any of them:

2% max, per trade — a ceiling, not a target

Stop set before I enter — never after, never in the heat of it

Two losses in a day and I'm done — not three, not "one more"

Every trade journaled, win or lose — the losses teach more than the wins ever will

None of these are exciting. That's the point. The exciting version of trading — bigger size, no stop, "just one more" — is usually the version that ends the account.

Which one do you already break? Comment RISK and I'll walk you through how to build your own.

Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk of loss.

19/08/2026

tanlikming28 → stesontan.28
Same person, new mission.

Why rebrand?
1. Clarity — old account mixed, no focus. Now ONE mission only.
2. Professional — Steson Tan = trading brand, searchable.
3. Future — Building lulu.tradingmy AI Trading Coach + Future Finance (AI agents, stablecoins, tokenisation, digital money, MY/ASEAN fintech)

What you get here:
• Risk Management Class — how NOT to blow account
• Gold & Stocks + Events CPI/NFP/FOMC/BOJ/Trump/DXY
• Market Theory + Psychology
• Crypto & Digital Assets (BTC, stablecoins, tokenisation)
• Future of Finance

Yes — if you check my profile you will see "4 former usernames — tanlikming.28, poodlesensei.28"
That's me since July 2018. Same person since 2018.

Welcome to stesontan.28
Comment RISK for checklist + risk calculator + LULU demo

19/08/2026

tanlikming28 → stesontan.28
Same person, new mission.

Why rebrand?
1. Clarity — old account mixed, no focus. Now ONE mission only.
2. Professional — Steson Tan = trading brand, searchable.
3. Future — Building lulu.tradingmy AI Trading Coach + Future Finance (AI agents, stablecoins, tokenisation, digital money, MY/ASEAN fintech)

What you get here:
• Risk Management Class — how NOT to blow account
• Gold & Stocks + Events CPI/NFP/FOMC/BOJ/Trump/DXY
• Market Theory + Psychology
• Crypto & Digital Assets (BTC, stablecoins, tokenisation)
• Future of Finance

Yes — if you check my profile you will see "4 former usernames — tanlikming.28, poodlesensei.28"
That's me since July 2018. Same person since 2018.

Welcome to stesontan.28
Comment RISK for checklist + risk calculator + LULU demo

Steson Tan

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