AI / Large Models

Anthropic Discovers New Vulnerabilities in Cryptographic Algorithms with Claude Mythos Preview

Researchers have used the model to identify improved methods of attacking cryptographic algorithms, which may affect the mathematical foundations of online data privacy protection. Anthropic

Moonshot AI Pauses New User Subscriptions Due to Surge in Kimi K3 Inference Demand

After releasing K3, registrations were paused within 48 hours due to demand overload, requiring at least 64 Nvidia H20 chips for inference; the team is seeking more Blackwell chips for larger parameter K4 training. Hot topic: A single vendor's computing power shortage among Chinese cloud service providers; Moonshot stitches together 8-card server training across multiple data centers. The Information

> Hot commentary: K3 just launched and closed its doors because of overwhelming popularity, perhaps the most "Versailles" example of a "capacity hell" in the AI era.

OpenAI and Anthropic Lobby Government to Include Meta Open-Source Models in Security Review

The two companies have requested that as of August 1, when deciding which cutting-edge AI models need government assessment, open-source models from competitors like Meta be included on the list, warning that Chinese open-source models may pose security risks due to the use of their outputs for training. The Information

Sam Altman Claims Possible Computing Power Surplus in Two Years

The OpenAI CEO believes that if AI models become efficient enough to handle most tasks, while human attention becomes a bottleneck, computing power supply may become surplus within two years; if the industry encounters scaling bottlenecks and costs stop decreasing, the risk of surplus will be even higher. TechCrunch

Cryptocurrency / Web3

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Seizes Three Oil Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz

According to Iranian state television, the Revolutionary Guard "intercepted and seized" three oil tankers in the strait hours ago due to their disregard for warnings, resulting in a more than 3% daily surge in US oil prices after hours. Reuters | State TV

US-Saudi Coalition Airstrikes Targets of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Inside Iraq

The US Central Command states that the attacks were a retaliation for a drone attack on Saudi oil facilities earlier this week, hitting multiple "terror logistics and weapons sites" in eastern Iraq. Iran had previously launched several ballistic missiles at US troops stationed in the Middle East, all of which were intercepted. Hot topic: Geopolitical tensions reignite and push Brent crude oil to end a three-day decline, with the market refocusing on the risks of passage through the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM | AFP

Iran Rejects Omani Proposal to Share the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister stated that if Oman rejects Tehran's proposal, Iran will not recognize the southern channel of the strait, and the channel will remain closed and prepared for war; Iran demands full control over one channel and partial control over another, rejecting other proposals. WSJ

Tether Signs Tokenization Agreement with Nairobi Securities Exchange

Cointelegraph

Bithumb Adds RLUSD and AEON KRW Trading Pairs

Bithumb Announcement

Chips / Hardware

Philadelphia Semiconductor Index Breaks Through 11,200 Point Key Support

All 30 components of the SOX index have fallen below the 50-day moving average for the first time since April, down 18.9% this July, likely to record the worst single-month performance since 2008; the semiconductor ETF SMH has seen an outflow of $1.3 billion this month, nearing the second-largest monthly outflow on record. Hot topic: Market concerns indicate that the AI boom driving the semiconductor industry is cooling down. Wall Street Insight

> Hot commentary: At the beginning of June, everyone was cheering above the 50-day line, yet in less than two months, they collectively fell—this wave of chip stocks resembles a farewell dinner.

Apple's Market Value Surpasses $5 Trillion, Overtaking Nvidia

Apple regains its position as the world's most valuable company. Hot topic: The valuation battle between the two tech giants becomes a market focus at the end of the month. Decrypt

AMD Confirms 4GB VRAM Version of Radeon RX 9050 Only for OEM Channels

IT Home

Technology Companies

Apple Replaces iPhone Upgrade Program with Apple Upgrade

Apple | Hacker News Discussion

Cyera Acquires Oasis Security for $1 Billion

The deal aims to safeguard the burgeoning security of AI agents. TechCrunch

Huawei's HarmonyOS Computer Eco-apps Surpass 19,000

Covers core scenarios such as office, entertainment, creation, gaming; the new HarmonyOS foldable computer MateBook Fold is the first to feature the Kirin X90 Plus processor. IT Home | IT Home

US Stocks

SK Hynix's Q2 Operating Profit Breaks Record but Falls Short of Expectations, Korean Stocks Face Two-Day Trading Halts

Q2 operating profit surged 557% year-on-year to $41.6 billion, a record high, although below market expectations of $44.2 billion; revenue of $54.4 billion also fell short of the expected $57.7 billion. This was mainly due to its high proportion of high-end HBM chips, failing to benefit fully from the conventional memory chip price hike cycle. The KOSPI index dropped another 8% on Wednesday, accumulating a drop of over 30% in July, marking the worst single-month performance ever; SK Hynix lost about one-fifth of its market value in two days. Hot topic: Investor concerns about whether the AI boom is cooling intensify. Wall Street Insight

Seagate Q2 Revenue Exceeds Expectations, Increasing Nearly 50%, Gross Margin Exceeds 50%

AI storage demand explosion drives performance surge, boosting after-hours gains of Western Digital by 6.5% and Micron by 0.8%. Wall Street Insight

S&P 500 Rises, Equal-weighted S&P Hits Historical High

Oil price declines offset the impact of chip stock sell-offs, the Dow rose 1%, but Nasdaq 100 nears a technical correction; chip stocks this month are poised for the worst performance since 2002. FirstSquawk

Corning Pre-market Plummets 15%

Q2 revenue and profit both exceeded expectations but Q3 revenue guidance did not meet market expectations. Wall Street Insight

Retail Investors Bet Big on Tech Stocks as Call Options Hit Record Highs

The proportion of call options in large US tech stocks among retail investors reached 55% (20-day average), close to historical highs; up 10 percentage points from the market low at the end of March, only below the 57% peak during the pandemic rebound in 2020. FirstSquawk Cited Data

Finance / Macro

ADP Data Shows US Private Sector Hiring Slowed for Five Consecutive Weeks

As of July 11, the average weekly new jobs added was only 15,000, less than half of the 35,800 weekly average from early May; Visa plans to lay off 7% (about 2,600 people), indicating stronger signals of a cooling labor market. FirstSquawk Comprehensive

US Central Command Claims It Intercepted Iran's "Surprise" Ballistic Missile Attack

All missiles were successfully intercepted, and US military remains on high alert; after-hours oil prices rose 5% due to earlier daytime drops of 4% on reports of Egypt, Qatar, and Pakistan working to restore the original US-Iran memorandum of understanding. CENTCOM

Today’s Underlying Theme

SK Hynix's record profits ironically trigger an epic plummet in Korean stocks, retail investors wildly betting on tech call options reach new highs, meanwhile the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falls across the board below technical support—behind this disjointed picture lies a deep anxiety in the market regarding the sustainability of the AI boom. When Sam Altman begins to openly discuss "computing power surplus," Moonshot shuts down registrations due to surging inference demand, and OpenAI turns to request government oversight of competitor’s open-source models, one signal becomes clear enough: the AI arms race is quietly shifting from "unlimited expansion" to "limited game." The seizure of oil tankers and missile interceptions in the Strait of Hormuz introduces an unexpected variable into this technological narrative—renewed energy geopolitical risks may rewrite the market script for the coming months.