YM Lee

Strategy Posts $8.2 Billion Q2 Net Loss as Bitcoin Slump Cuts Holdings Value

Strategy (MSTR), the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, posted a net loss of $8.2 billion in the second quarter as a drop in the cryptocurrency’s price sharply reduced the value of its holdings. Crypto media outlet CoinDesk reported on July

Axis Robotics Raises $12 Million in Seed Funding to Expand Physical AI Data Infrastructure

Axis Robotics, a physical AI data infrastructure company, has raised $12 million in seed funding. The company announced on July 27 that it secured the funding in a seed round led by Hack VC. Nomad Capital, Pi Network, 10K Ventures and multiple angel

South Korean FX, Bond Markets Focus on Oil and FOMC; Won Seen in Mid- to Upper-1,400 Range

South Korea’s foreign-exchange and bond markets are set to take their cues this week from global oil prices and the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Market participants expect the won to trade in the mid- to upper-1,400 range aga

Big Tech Earnings, Fed Decision Set Up Super Week as Markets Brace for Volatility

Global financial markets this week will zero in on earnings from major US technology companies and the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Crypto markets are also poised to react to signals on artificial intelligence investment and

This Week’s Key Economic and Crypto Events: Fed Rate Decision

<Major economic events this week> ▶ July 27 (Mon.): U.S. June durable goods orders (9:30 p.m. Korea time) ▶ July 28 (Tue.): OPEC meeting (7 p.m. Korea time); U.S. trade balance (9:30 p.m. Korea time) ▶ July 29 (Wed.): U.S. crude oil inventories (11:3

BitMart to Wind Down Exchange, End Trading Platform Operations in January 2027

Crypto exchange BitMart will wind down its trading platform in stages, first halting new registrations and deposits before formally ending exchange operations in January 2027. BitMart outlined the shutdown schedule in a notice published on July 26. S

Wise Seen Reapplying for OCC Approval Under GENIUS Act Framework

Wise may make a fresh push for approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency under the framework of the GENIUS Act, in a strategic shift after its earlier bid to establish a national trust bank was rejected. Citing a William Blair re

Binance Runs Monthly Phishing Drills for Staff, Repeated Failures Can Lead to Firing

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, runs monthly simulated phishing attacks on employees and may discipline repeat offenders up to and including termination. Cointelegraph reported on July 26 that Binance Chief Security Officer Jimm

Russia’s Sberbank to Build Crypto Trading, Digital Custody Infrastructure by Year-End

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, plans to build cryptocurrency trading infrastructure and a digital custody system by Dec. 1. CoinDesk reported on July 25 that Sberbank is targeting Dec. 1 to launch the trading infrastructure and a digital custodian.

Robinhood Weighs Adding Crypto.com Prediction Contracts, Deepening Challenge to Kalshi

Robinhood Markets Inc. is in talks to add prediction-market contracts from cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com to its platform, a move that would diversify the sources of event contracts available to its users. The Wall Street Journal reported on July

Kaia Partners With Japan Regulatory Adviser finoject to Accelerate Stablecoin, Tokenization Push

Kaia has partnered with finoject, a consulting firm founded by Japanese digital-asset regulatory specialists, to expand into Japan’s stablecoin and tokenization markets. Kaia said July 24 that it signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with fi

Policy Catalysts Remain for South Korea Markets After Pullback, With STO Rules and Foreign Inflows in Focus

South Korea’s financial markets still face several key policy events in the second half of the year despite a recent stock-market correction, with capital-markets reform and digital-asset initiatives still on the agenda. The main variables include th

Kospi Opens 1.35% Lower, Falls Below 7,000

US Steps Up Pressure on Iran With 13th Straight Day of Airstrikes

The US carried out another round of airstrikes on Iran. CNN reported on July 23 that US Central Command began a new wave of strikes against Iran at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time. CENTCOM wrote on X that the operation marked the 13th straight day of action a

Korbit Unveils AI Agent Trading Support for ChatGPT and Claude

Korbit, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, has unveiled an AI agent trading environment that uses generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude for tasks ranging from price checks to order execution. Korbit said July 24 that it had launched Kor

Strategy Revamps Investor Metrics, Adds Net BTC and BTC Hurdle ARR

Strategy, a corporate Bitcoin holder, has overhauled the market metrics it provides to investors and introduced a new set of key indicators. The company wrote on X on July 24 that it had updated the market metrics on its website after incorporating i

BitMEX Shutdown Speeds Crypto Exchange Shakeout as Top Five Capture 80% Share

BitMEX's planned closure is deepening concerns over whether smaller cryptocurrency exchanges can survive. Analysts say concentrated liquidity and rising regulatory costs are accelerating an industry shakeout. Cointelegraph reported July 23 that BitME

Coinbase Introduces Infrastructure for Autonomous USDC Payments by Enterprise AI Agents

Coinbase has started offering enterprise clients infrastructure that lets AI agents process payments autonomously. Cointelegraph reported on July 23 that Coinbase launched a feature allowing enterprise customers to receive USDC payments from AI agent

Robinhood CEO’s X Account Hacked to Tout Fake Meme Coin

Robinhood Chief Executive Officer Vlad Tenev’s X account was hacked and used to promote a fake meme coin. CoinDesk reported on July 23 that Tenev’s account was compromised that day. Using the hijacked account, the hacker promoted a token called Vladh

Bitcoin Falls Below $65,000 as US-Iran Tensions Escalate; Oil Tops $100 a Barrel

Bitcoin fell below $65,000 as military tensions between the US and Iran intensified, while global oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel and US Treasury yields surged. Cointelegraph reported that Bitcoin dropped as low as $64,799 on Bitstamp on July

US Launches Pilot Control Zone in Southern Lebanon to Implement Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire

The US has announced a pilot control zone in southern Lebanon as part of efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Control of the area is to be transferred in stages to the Lebanese Armed Forces. CNN reported on July 20

US to Send More F-16s, F-35s to Middle East as Trump Weighs Military Response to Iran

The US is moving additional fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft to the Middle East as it prepares for possible military tensions with Iran. CNN reported on July 20 that the US plans to deploy F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and aerial refueling air

Iran Intensifies Strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan to Pressure US Bases

Iran has stepped up attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan in a push to pressure US military infrastructure across the Middle East, CNN reported. Iran has mounted more aggressive military action against the three countries this month than before, CNN

BitMine Spends $86 Million on Buybacks, Slows Ethereum Purchases

BitMine Immersion Technologies Inc. redirected capital to share repurchases and sharply slowed its Ethereum buying, even as it remains the largest corporate holder of the token. CoinDesk reported on July 20 that BitMine bought an additional 7,430 Eth

Bernstein Raises Robinhood Price Target to $160, Sees Prediction-Market Revenue Surpassing Crypto

Bernstein raised its price target on Robinhood Markets Inc. to $160 from $130 and said revenue from prediction markets is set to surpass the company’s crypto trading revenue. The Block reported on July 20 that Bernstein reiterated its outperform rati

US, Iran Effectively Scrap Ceasefire as Middle East Tensions Rise Again

The US and Iran have effectively declared their ceasefire agreement defunct, with each side accusing the other of violating the deal. Military clashes continued, and tensions in the Middle East escalated again after a tanker was struck in the Strait

Brazil’s CVM Launches Task Force to Draft Tokenized Securities Rules

Brazil’s securities regulator has formally launched a task force to develop a regulatory framework for tokenized securities. CoinDesk reported on July 20 that the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission, or CVM, set up a task force made up of 14

Bitcoin Volatility Index BVIV Reenters Key Historical Zone, Signaling Risk of Sharp Swings

Bitcoin’s 30-day implied volatility index, or BVIV, has reentered a range that has repeatedly preceded sharp selloffs, raising the risk of bigger swings in the crypto market. CoinDesk reported on July 20 that BVIV is fluctuating between 34% and 38%.

Vitalik Buterin Releases Aztec-Based Anonymous Bulletin Board Demo

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has developed and released a demo for an anonymous bulletin board built on Aztec, a privacy-focused Layer 2 network. The Block reported on July 20 that Buterin unveiled the project the same day on decentralized soc

Kospi Volatility Tops 60%, Swinging More Than Bitcoin

South Korea’s Kospi index has become so volatile that it is now swinging more wildly than Bitcoin. The turbulence reflects an AI investment boom concentrated in Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc., along with a sharp rise in leveraged exchange-