律动BlockBeats

BlockBeats report: On September 2, after on August 19 U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced an expansion of the Treasury bond buyback program, long-term bond yields briefly fell. But the effect faded quickly. As of now, the 30-year Treasury yield has risen to 5.27%, back to the level before the buyback announcement; the 10-year yield has hovered around 4.8%, the highest since January 2025, more than 10 basis points higher than at that time; the two-year yield is up to 4.40%, with market pricing for the probability of a rate hike by the Fed this month at around 70%.
Bank of America strategist Mark Cabana said the interest-rate market has consistently been unable to sustain a decent drop in yields, and investors require higher compensation before they are willing to extend the time horizon. Personally, Treasury Secretary nominee (Treasury Secretary) Bessent is not worried about yields rebounding; in a CNBC interview he said, “The market is the market.” But Pantera founder Dan Morehead said bluntly that the bluff only works if nobody at the table knows you’re bluffing.

BlockBeats message: September 2. At a G20 central bank governors and finance ministers summit held in Asheville, North Carolina, Musk delivered a speech via video link, putting forward several major predictions. He said that AI software will become extremely capable within 12 to 18 months, and at some point next year it will reach “Stockfish level,” meaning humans will be unable to compete with AI in the software-writing domain; by the end of next year, AI will be able to complete all work in the digital arena—that is, all jobs that do not require people to physically shape real-world objects by hand. Musk roughly estimated that AI could increase the global economic scale by 20% to 30%, equivalent to adding $20 to $30 trillion per year.

BlockBeats message: On September 2, Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield rose to 3% on September 1, the first time since September 1996. During the day, it peaked at 3.005%. The 5-year yield hit a record high of 2.265%, and the 2-year yield rose to a 31-year peak of 1.81%. Behind the surge in yields are threefold pressures: the Middle East crisis lifting global inflation expectations, the market being virtually certain that the Bank of Japan will raise rates this month, and heightened concerns over fiscal expansion under Prime Minister Shigeru Takai’s administration. In the government’s budget for fiscal year 2026, long-term interest rates were assumed to be 3% to calculate debt service costs, but current yields have officially broken through this key level.

BlockBeats report: On September 2, DBS Bank and Stripe announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of agent-based commerce in Asia and cross-border payments. The two parties will combine DBS Bank’s regional network in Asia with Stripe’s global programmable financial services capabilities to help businesses collect, move, and manage funds more smoothly across different markets. The collaboration will also explore developing agent-based AI capabilities for DBS Bank’s customers, making transactions more efficient and secure.
DBS Bank CEO Priscilla Chan said: “Asia’s digital economy is entering a new phase of innovation and growth. AI agents are gaining attention, and businesses of all sizes are expanding into global markets.” Stripe Chief Business Officer Fran Ryan added that Stripe launched in Singapore a decade ago, and today more than half of users in the region have already conducted cross-border sales. The partnership will support Stripe’s expansion in Asia and help it transition into a provider of full-stack financial infrastructure. It is expected that by 2030, AI agents will orchestrate up to $5 trillion in consumer and business spending worldwide; by 2033, Asia’s cross-border payment outflows are projected to reach $2.4 trillion, accounting for 36% of the global total.”

BlockBeats reports that on September 2, tensions between the US and Iran escalated. The US began striking targets within Iran. Trump said that if Iran retaliates, it will face even more fierce strikes, and Iran simultaneously began counterattacks. Here is a rundown of the latest developments in the Middle East:
Situation of the conflict
The US launches a new round of strikes against Iran. Iran’s key energy hub port is hit, and multiple locations along Iran’s southern coast are bombarded.
Trump makes a statement: We are striking Iran; if it dares to retaliate, Iran will be left with very little.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards retaliate. A US military MQ-9 drone is shot down; explosions are reported in Erbil, Iraq; US bases in Jordan and Bahrain are attacked.