cult

Figure co-founder and Executive Chairman Mike Cagney tweeted that DeFi is more suitable for asset-backed finance (ABF), which can avoid double pledging, directly improve collateral, self-custody or autonomous venues, and liquidity collateral. He believes that Figure has brought ABF on-chain, but overall it is still in the early stages, with approximately $60 trillion of the market yet to migrate on a large scale.He also listed five reasons why traditional finance has been slow to enter on-chain applications: poor interface experience, which has allowed applications like Robinhood and SoFi to win on the retail side; the long-term difficulty of achieving qualified custody and recoverable self-custody; hedge funds and others requiring multiple wallets, multiple users, tiered permissions, and complete audits to be exported to fund administration and accounting; regulation is being streamlined, and the precedent for on-chain native securities is becoming clearer, with hopes for the CLARITY Act and guidelines; and KYC issues are easier to resolve than the outside world thinks, as on-chain programmatic screening and wallet-level permissions can be implemented.

DeFi researcher Ignas posted on the X platform, stating that in the AI era, the way to find Meme coins seems to have fundamentally changed little. Taking Grok as an example, when asked to recommend worthwhile Meme coins, it typically only provides token codes based on historical data such as views, trading volume, and the number of posts on the X platform.Real Meme coin trading still requires human judgment on whether a project has the potential to "break out," including market sentiment, community atmosphere, narrative appeal, and whether KOLs suddenly start promoting it. Compared to asking AI once a day what to buy, being continuously online 24/7 to capture changes in market sentiment still has greater advantages.However, Ignas pointed out that AI is fundamentally changing liquidity provision (LP) strategies. AI agents can automatically filter liquidity pools and analyze factors such as trading volume, transaction fees, fee trends, liquidity depth, and suitable price ranges. Currently, related strategies are still being refined, but a methodology has already been formed that can be continuously optimized and generate compounding effects. If trading Meme coins and being "online 24/7" does not suit you, then leveraging AI to learn and execute LP strategies might be a more easily mastered skill.

According to Bloomberg, UBS analysts expect that China's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities may struggle to make sufficient progress in the next decade to develop solutions that can truly replace ASML's cutting-edge EUV lithography technology. UBS analysts wrote in their report, "The stage they are currently at seems comparable to ASML's in 2004." Based on patent application activities, especially in the fields of light sources and laser subsystems, China's current technological maturity is roughly equivalent to ASML's level 15 years before it began mass production of EUV equipment.UBS also expects that China is likely to have the capability for mass production of immersion DUV lithography machines within the next two to five years. Although immersion DUV is not as advanced as EUV, it remains an indispensable tool in chip manufacturing. ASML's immersion DUV machines are priced at nearly $90 million, while EUV equipment costs over $200 million each. China is one of ASML's largest markets, but due to export restrictions, ASML is prohibited from selling EUV equipment to China. UBS pointed out that considering the yield and capacity gaps and regulatory restrictions, Chinese lithography equipment is unlikely to be applied overseas. An ASML spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The report is based on UBS analysts' predictive views, and actual progress will depend on industry dynamics.

Greeks.live researcher Adam stated: "I see some people discussing the Strategy to restart buying coins. This short-term stimulus does not affect the long-term trend, and the Strategy is also a big trap. BTC now has no possibility of market manipulation, and no one can predict the trend. It can only be said that after the Strategy has floating profits, there is more room to buy coins. Looking at the long term, the overall ETF is still flowing out, and it is very difficult to stabilize at $80,000, with significant selling pressure.On the macro front, whether it is the Federal Reserve's hawkish remarks or the escalation of the US-Iran conflict, both are challenging the already fragile investors. The short-term volatility is decreasing rapidly, and it is difficult to support a bull market with just one bullish candle. I hope that after a slight correction, it can reach above $85,000; otherwise, arbitrageurs and sellers will create significant selling pressure. The Gex at the end of the month is gathering, and we need to maintain this momentum."

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has launched a special action to cultivate artificial intelligence application service providers, encouraging various regions to increase the procurement of large models, intelligent agents, and Token services through first purchase and first use, risk compensation, and other methods, while using tools such as "computing power vouchers" to reduce computing power costs.The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will also establish a national resource pool for AI application service providers, aiming to exceed 2,000 by the end of 2026 and no less than 3,000 by the end of 2027. These service providers mainly help enterprises implement AI projects, with services ranging from early consulting, program design, to system development, integration delivery, and then to subsequent operation and maintenance and security governance.This policy also specifically names FDE. The Ministry encourages service providers to form FDE teams to directly address project implementation issues on-site with users. Various regions are also required to open real business scenarios, organize supply and demand matching, and turn high-frequency, essential business needs into standardized AI products that can be delivered repeatedly.

According to South Korean media Daum, an analysis of the five major Korean won exchanges Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX, as well as the public API of CoinGecko, found that after excluding duplicate assets, the five exchanges collectively support approximately 606 types of crypto assets. Among them, 164 types (27.1%) are only available for trading on one exchange, and another 324 types (53.5%) are traded on two or fewer exchanges.Among the assets supported by a single exchange, Coinone has the most, with 55 types; Bithumb has 54 types, GOPAX has 25 types, Upbit has 16 types, and Korbit has 14 types. In terms of liquidity, the median trading volume of these 164 assets in nearly 24 hours is only about 1.37 million won, with 79 types having a trading volume of less than 1 million won, and 38 types even having zero transactions.The analysis suggests that listing on a single exchange does not inherently mean that the asset carries risk. If the relevant assets are actively traded on overseas exchanges or support smooth withdrawals, investors still have other exit channels. However, for assets with low overseas trading volume and restricted deposit and withdrawal networks, once support is terminated, investors may face difficulties in both selling and transferring.

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has listed Star Bridge Capital, Star Bridge Capital Group, SBCFX, Star Bridge Capital Group, Star Bridge Capital Pty Limited, and Topical Wealth International Ltd as unlicensed companies, prohibiting them from engaging in any regulated activities in Hong Kong or actively promoting their services to the public in Hong Kong (whether within or outside Hong Kong).Previously, it was reported that Star Bridge Capital experienced an abnormal liquidation incident in London gold trading, and after the incident, the Hong Kong office of the platform was empty. Due to some funds being deposited through USDT stablecoin, tracking the funds has become more difficult. The Hong Kong police have accepted the case and temporarily classified it as fraud, but no arrests have been made yet.

Zhao Changpeng stated at the "Bitcoin Asia 2026" conference in Hong Kong that both the RWA and AI sectors are currently very strong. Stablecoins, centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges, and Meme tokens, which have been growing, will continue to grow, and NFTs may return in some form. It is difficult to predict what the next breakout point will be, just as it was impossible to predict the coin issuance craze at the beginning of 2017 and the NFT craze six months before it exploded; these all require entrepreneurs to create.He also mentioned that the funds used by billions of AI agents for automated buying, selling, negotiating, and trading in the future will definitely be cryptocurrencies, likely starting with stablecoins, and then gradually integrating other public chain assets like Bitcoin. He has discussed the possibility of issuing tokens with several top AI companies, as building data centers requires huge amounts of capital, with the cost of 1 GW of computing power being about $30 billion to $50 billion. Some AI companies plan to build hundreds of GW of computing power in the coming years, so they are considering issuing data center tokens that would allow holders to gain rights to use computing power in the future. Additionally, the payment scenarios for AI agents may be implemented later than trading scenarios; currently, AI companies are more focused on helping agents find optimal trading solutions, while trading scenarios require AI to process information quickly, which can increase trading efficiency by about ten times.

Bloomberg reporter Emily Nicolle stated that Bitcoin recently rose 23% in a single week, marking the largest weekly increase in over three years and ending a period of stagnation since summer. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen proposed expanding the scale of long-term Treasury bond repurchases, prompting market concerns about U.S. debt and dollar depreciation, which drove funds toward alternative assets like Bitcoin. However, after Bitcoin surpassed $80,000, it has stabilized again, and this catalyst alone is insufficient to bring the market back to a true bull market state.Nicolle pointed out that the narrative of Bitcoin as a hedge against the dollar and inflation still lacks sustainability. After Trump reiterated threats of tariffs against China last October, Bitcoin fell over 12% within 24 hours, while gold reached an all-time high during the same period. Since 2026, gold has cumulatively risen over 7%, while Bitcoin, even accounting for the recent rebound, has still fallen nearly 10%. She believes that the simultaneous rise of gold and Bitcoin last week does not prove that both have the same safe-haven properties, as much of the current crypto market rally is driven by short sellers being forced to cover their positions. Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor called on traders to continue buying Bitcoin during the rise, but his company did not increase its holdings accordingly.In addition, the CLARITY cryptocurrency market structure bill remains stalled due to disagreements over ethical provisions, with the Senate expected to reconsider it by mid-September, leaving limited time before the midterm elections in November. Bitcoin has yet to establish a stable and convincing value narrative, and in daily payments, users still prefer to use stablecoins or cash.

According to CryptoSlate, Nasdaq-listed GD Culture Group disclosed in its financial report for the first half of 2026 that the fair value of its 7,500 BTC (original cost of $842 million) had decreased to $451.2 million as of June 30, resulting in a non-cash unrealized loss of $211.8 million, accounting for 97.9% of the company's net loss of $216.2 million for the first half of the year.It is worth noting that the company did not sell its core BTC reserves but maintained liquidity through large-scale equity financing—after a 1:250 reverse stock split adjustment, the number of shares outstanding surged from 229,000 at the beginning of the year to 4.1625 million, an increase of 18 times, of which 99.65% was cash issuance. The company raised approximately $47.5 million through ATM placements and targeted placements, and as of June 30, the book operating capital was $36.6 million. Management stated that the existing liquidity is sufficient to cover operational obligations for at least the next 12 months.

The Ukrainian government stated that the remaining Black Sea ports in the Greater Odessa region are essentially closed due to Russian airstrikes, and its planned agricultural exports may be halved, posing a risk to global food supply.

CoreWeave warns investors that transitioning from NVIDIA chips to other chips will be difficult and may require a significant investment of time and money.

White House cryptocurrency advisor Patrick Witt posted on the X platform that the U.S. Congress has been pushing for cryptocurrency market structure legislation for many years, and the Senate has been negotiating the CLARITY Act since last summer. However, in the past week, Chuck Schumer and so-called "pro-cryptocurrency Democrats" blocked the bill from undergoing procedural voting before the recess and requested further delays.Patrick Witt warned that if the bill does not make progress before September 15, the likelihood of it passing in the future will be significantly reduced.

Hyperliquid Policy Center issued a statement, and HPC attended the CFTC Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting, submitting a formal statement. The statement revolves around three points: first, agricultural end users need diversified market choices, and the historical ban on agricultural options has proven to be overly restrictive; second, the CFTC's phased approach to perpetual contracts is the correct path, and end user demand should drive the adoption of new derivatives; third, public blockchains contribute to modernizing clearing and settlement infrastructure, while enhancing collateral liquidity and preserving the market integrity protection mechanisms of the Commodity Exchange Act.HPC stated that it will continue to collaborate with the agricultural community to promote the regulatory implementation of perpetual contracts in the U.S. market.

According to Jinshi reports, Evercore ISI stated that the long-term use of the Federal Reserve's foreign and international monetary authorities repurchase tool may prompt the market to test the determination of the United States and Japan to maintain the yen exchange rate. This tool allows overseas institutions to obtain dollars using U.S. Treasury bonds they hold as collateral, with a daily limit of $60 billion for each counterparty.Evercore strategists pointed out that this limit is only slightly higher than the scale Japan used for currency market intervention last Thursday, emphasizing that the tool is designed for short-term liquidity support rather than a lasting source of financing.

According to Jinshi reports, former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned that if Iran fails to reach a final agreement with the United States within the proposed 60-day negotiation period, it may face further economic difficulties, domestic turmoil, or a new round of military strikes.

According to Jinshi reports, White House National Economic Council Director Hassett stated that based on current data, it is difficult to push for an interest rate hike.

According to The New York Times, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance quietly adjusted its law enforcement cooperation policy last April, requiring law enforcement agencies in various countries to forward relevant requests to foreign government agencies for processing, which must go through international treaty procedures, significantly extending the response time.Police representatives from five European countries reported at a law enforcement meeting in the Netherlands that, except for urgent cases involving child sexual abuse, terrorism, or threats to life, the vast majority of requests were forwarded to the UAE government, where Binance is registered, severely hindering investigations.Meanwhile, several senior employees from Binance's compliance team have left one after another, further intensifying external concerns. Binance denied slowing down cooperation, stating that this move aims to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.

According to Gate market data, Tesla's stock price fell by 5% in after-hours trading. Musk stated that expanding the production capacity of the Optimus robot will face difficulties.