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Bloomberg reported that the US and Iran engaged in a quickening series of tit-for-tat attacks, with the American military conducting a wave of strikes on the Islamic Republic following the deaths of service personnel.
US Central Command said Sunday it completed a ninth straight evening of attacks targeting Iranian command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks, aimed at further diminishing Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping.
A US service member was killed Saturday in northern Iraq while trying to disarm an unexploded Iranian drone. On Friday, two US troops were killed in Jordan in an attack ascribed to the IRGC, with four others wounded and one missing. The total US toll has reached 17 since the war began on Feb. 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the strikes were conducted in honor of the killed personnel, saying they were fighting so Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He said he feels very badly about the casualties.
Strikes have expanded beyond military targets to include bridges, utilities and port facilities. Brent crude rose almost 4% to trade above $90 a barrel, the highest since mid-June.
Bloomberg Economics analysts Dina Esfandiary and Becca Wasser said the two sides are stuck in an escalatory spiral that will likely lead to an ugly week with more strikes and higher oil prices.
Kuwait bore the brunt of Iran's retaliation, with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reporting significant losses at an oil site and two power and desalination plants hit. Israel intercepted an Iranian drone near the Israel-Syria border.
The US is sending more F-16 and F-35 warplanes to the region. Iran announced it would no longer adhere to the interim peace deal. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned of unforgettable lessons, saying US violations proved the worthlessness of the US president's signature.

A Reuters report that Iranian mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire to allow talks to revive the previous US-Iran interim deal reversed Monday's earlier risk-off move in a single session. WTI crude fell approximately $3 per barrel to $80 on the news — reversing part of the spike that had taken Brent above $91 earlier in the day. Bitcoin rose approximately 1% to $64,900. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 1%. The whipsaw captures the dominant market dynamic of the past three weeks: every Iran escalation spike is potentially followed by a diplomatic signal that partially reverses it, making the Hormuz-driven oil and inflation channel the single most volatile macro input for both equities and crypto.
The Earlier Session — Brent at $91, Bitcoin at $63,900, Everything Red
Before the ceasefire report, Monday had followed the same script as last week's worst sessions. Bitcoin slipped to approximately $63,900 — down 1.3% on the day — as Brent crude climbed to a one-month high above $91 per barrel as US-Iran strikes widened. Ether eased 1.1% to $1,850. BNB fell 0.8% to $564. XRP slipped to $1.09. Dogecoin lost 1.4%. HYPE remained the week's weakest major at $60, down 8% on the week. South Korea's KOSPI fell 3.5% as Asian chip stocks extended Friday's AI selloff.
Brent above $91 — up from approximately $72 just three weeks ago when the ceasefire held — represented a near-complete reversal of the disinflationary oil channel that had made June's CPI reading constructive. The inflation worry that Tuesday's soft US price data had eased was being directly rekindled by oil at a one-month high, potentially complicating the FOMC's July 28-29 deliberations by presenting the committee with an energy price spike that had not been in the June data.
The Ceasefire Proposal — 10 Days to Revive the Interim Deal
Iranian mediators are proposing a 10-day ceasefire specifically framed as time to revive the previous interim deal between the US and Iran — a diplomatic structure rather than a permanent resolution. The proposal's specificity is its most important characteristic: a 10-day window targeting the revival of the June 19 MOU framework is a concrete negotiating position rather than a vague de-escalation signal. It suggests both sides retain interest in the diplomatic track despite the mutual airstrikes that followed and Iran's July 11 statement ruling out negotiations until the US withdraws its position.
The market's response — oil down $3, Bitcoin up 1%, Nasdaq futures up 1% — reflects the by-now-established pattern of trading the Hormuz ceasefire cycle. Each prior ceasefire signal has produced a rapid partial reversal of the escalation-driven oil spike. The April ceasefire produced a 6% oil decline and a Bitcoin rally. The June 19 MOU produced a sustained oil decline from $92 toward $70 and the Bitcoin recovery from $58,000 toward $65,000. The current proposal — if it progresses toward an actual 10-day ceasefire — would replicate that mechanism at a starting point of Brent near $91 rather than $92, creating a potential $15-20 oil decline toward $70-75 if successful.
Altcoin Moves — PUMP and PI Lead, HASH Leads Losses
In the session before the ceasefire news, smaller tokens were the primary source of positive price action while Bitcoin chopped around $64,000. PUMP — the meme launchpad Pump.fun token — gained more than 16% in 24 hours following the prior session's 20% surge, extending the social-media-driven momentum. PI Network's PI token gained 12%. JUP, ING, and BEAT each posted 2-3% gains.
On the downside, Provenance Blockchain's HASH token slipped nearly 10% — the largest decline among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap. ZEC, NIGHT, and LIT each fell 3-5%, with LIT's decline reflecting the profit-taking and supply distribution that had been building as the token approached its record high of $2.76 following its 200%+ run.
Big Tech Earnings — The Week's Other Major Catalyst
Markets await second-quarter earnings reports from key technology companies beginning this week — the reports that will provide the first direct answers to the AI ROI question that has driven the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index 19% below its June peak. The hyperscalers' CAPEX guidance is the specific data point every analyst has identified as the most important variable for determining whether the AI infrastructure buildout continues at its current pace or faces a demand reassessment. Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon are all reporting this week — and each will face pointed questions about whether AI investment is generating the revenue growth that justifies the spending.
The combination of the Iran ceasefire proposal removing some geopolitical oil pressure and Big Tech earnings beginning to provide AI ROI clarity makes the week of July 20 the most information-dense single week since the June 17 FOMC meeting. Bitcoin at $64,900 following the ceasefire news — and with the FOMC eight days away — is positioned at the intersection of all three catalysts: geopolitical resolution, AI earnings clarity, and monetary policy direction.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the global cryptocurrency market cap now stands at $2.21T, up by 0.23% over the last 24 hours.Bitcoin (BTC) traded between $63,100 and $65,108 over the past 24 hours. As of 09:30 AM (UTC) today, BTC is trading at $64,681, up by 0.51%.Most major cryptocurrencies by market cap are trading mixed. Market outperformers include ACE, BANK, and PROM, up by 117%, 98%, and 28%, respectively.Iran Ceasefire Proposal Sends Oil Down $3 — Gold Reclaims $4,000, ETFs Flow In, and Big Tech Earnings Define the WeekAn Iran ceasefire proposal sent oil down $3 and Bitcoin up 1% to $64,900 — but Brent still topped $90 as Fed officials pushed for a July rate hike and gold clawed back above $4,000. Bitcoin ETFs posted $75.67M in weekly inflows led by IBIT's $204M. Big Tech earnings this week are the next test.Iran Ceasefire Proposal Sends Oil Down $3, Bitcoin Up 1% to $64,900 — Markets Await Big Tech Earnings This WeekA ceasefire proposal sent Brent crude down $3 and Bitcoin up 1% to $64,900 — the fourth time this year markets have rallied on Iran de-escalation signals, and the fourth time the durability of that signal remains unconfirmed. Big Tech earnings this week are the next directional catalyst, with Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Apple all reporting — a strong AI earnings season would be the first concrete counter-narrative to the AI ROI fears that crashed the KOSPI 25% from its June high and sent the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down 19%.Bitcoin Spot ETFs See $75.67 Million Net Inflows Last WeekIBIT led with $204M in weekly inflows — its strongest week since before the June FOMC hawkish pivot — bringing its total historical net inflow to $60.49B. The headline number masks an important split: Fidelity's FBTC recorded $181M in net outflows, the largest single-product weekly exit of the recovery period. The divergence between IBIT accumulating and FBTC distributing suggests institutional demand is concentrating at the largest and most liquid product rather than returning broadly across the ETF complex — a recovery that is real but still narrow.KOSPI Moves With Nasdaq 100 as Investors Track AI SentimentThe 60-day correlation between the KOSPI and the Nasdaq 100 has risen to 0.46 — close to a two-year high and roughly three times its five-year average of 0.16. Global fund managers at JPMorgan Asset Management and PineBridge now explicitly watch Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix ADRs before the US market opens as a gauge of AI risk appetite. The KOSPI has fallen 25% since June's high, erasing ~$1 trillion in market value, with Samsung and SK Hynix both down 30%+ from their peaks — making South Korea's market one of the most volatile among major global indexes and its movements increasingly consequential for US tech open pricing.Gold Reclaims $4,000 As Oil Surge Revives Fed Hike BetsGold climbed back above $4,000 after briefly slipping below the level — its third test of that floor in two weeks — as Brent topped $90 and Fed officials pushed publicly for a July rate hike. COMEX speculators raised net long positions to 119,147 contracts in the week to July 14, the largest speculative build since April, suggesting institutional gold buyers are treating the $4,000 level as a structural entry point rather than a temporary floor. The simultaneous Brent above $90 and Fed hike calls arriving in the same session is the most hostile single-day combination for non-yielding assets since the June FOMC.Strategy Holds 843,775 BTC As Bitmine Adds 7,430 ETHStrategy now holds 843,775 BTC at an average cost of $75,476 — sitting on an unrealized loss of $9.05B (14.2%) at current prices; the position has been underwater since Bitcoin fell below the $75,700 average cost basis in May and has not recovered that level since. Bitmine bought 7,430 ETH last week at ~$1,842 each, bringing its total ETH holdings to 5,777,468 at an average cost of $3,376 — an unrealized loss of $8.643B (44.3%). Both firms are deeply underwater on their treasury positions, making Bitcoin and Ethereum price recovery a balance sheet necessity rather than just an investment thesis for each company's equity market valuation.Market movers:NVDAB: $203.74 (+0.70%)MSFTB: $392.96 (-1.06%)TSMB: $404.95 (+0.48%)GOOGLB: $348.21 (+0.19%)METAB: $643.24 (+0.21%)AVGOB: $374.63 (+1.11%)SPCXB: $125.93 (-1.13%)TSLAB: $382.4 (+0.17%)MUB: $874.32 (+3.00%)AMDB: $501.66 (+2.20%)

Bitcoin lost 1% to $64,565 since midnight UTC as the crypto market drifted lower in a session where US equity index futures advanced and gold held above $4,000 — leaving crypto without a clean macro narrative to lean on and deepening the divergence from stocks that has defined much of 2026. Ether shed 0.65%, holding marginally better than Bitcoin. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.35% and S&P 500 futures added 0.20%. The Fear and Greed index sits at 34 — deep in fear territory — and the average RSI across crypto pairs has slipped to 44.07, nudging back toward the oversold conditions that set up July's relief rally. PUMP was the session's only headline, surging 20% on social media chatter. BVIV is approaching the 36% floor that has preceded every major volatility event in recent cycles.
Crypto-Equity Divergence Deepens — No Macro Narrative to Lean On
Monday's session extends one of 2026's most persistent structural features: crypto declining while equities advance. Nasdaq futures up 0.35% alongside Bitcoin down 1% is not a one-session anomaly — it is the continuation of the rotation that Anchorage Digital estimated contributed approximately 30% of Bitcoin's first-half pressure as capital moved from crypto into AI-adjacent equity positions. Gold little changed above $4,000 and the Dollar Index barely moving removes both the safe-haven demand channel and the dollar-weakness channel that would typically provide Bitcoin with upside momentum in a risk-on environment.
The absence of a clean macro narrative is itself a signal. Bitcoin's recovery attempts throughout July have each required a specific catalyst — the June payrolls miss, the soft CPI print, the ETF inflow streak. Without a catalyst, the Fear and Greed index at 34 and the average RSI at 44.07 describe a market that is drifting toward the oversold conditions that have historically set up relief rallies rather than building the sustained bid that would drive a structural recovery.
Derivatives — Churn Over Conviction, Bears Driving Price Action
The derivatives picture Monday is defined by activity without direction. Trading volume surged 81% to $127 billion over 24 hours while open interest remained flat at approximately $111 billion — a configuration that signals churning rather than new position establishment. High volume with flat OI means existing positions are being traded rather than new directional bets being placed. The market is active but not committed.
Bitcoin futures OI growth has stalled near 750,000 BTC, failing to gain traction despite the recent swing above $64,000. The stagnation indicates that demand for leverage remains low — investors are not comfortable increasing risk exposure even at prices that were generating strong inflows last week. The same caution is evident in Ether and XRP futures. Negative 24-hour CVD readings across most top-tier tokens confirm that bears are driving price action — sellers are more aggressively hitting market orders than buyers, establishing directional control in a low-conviction session.
Solana is the clearest trend signal within the derivatives complex. SOL futures OI has declined to 62 million tokens — the lowest since early May — down significantly from the June 24 peak of over 76 million. The contraction represents substantial position unwinding and capital outflows from the SOL market specifically, suggesting that the 17% weekly recovery Solana posted in late June and early July has been fully distributed and the market has moved on from the Solana-specific bid.
BCH as the Session's Wild Card
Bitcoin Cash stands out as the session's derivatives outlier. BCH futures OI surged 20% to 1.73 million tokens — matching the record high set on June 21 — even as the token slipped 3% to $213 over 24 hours. Rising OI with falling price is the specific configuration that increases the probability of volatile price action ahead — it means new positions are being established in both directions without a clear price resolution, creating a coiled spring that will release when one side is forced to cover. The June 21 record OI preceded BCH's subsequent volatility episode, and Monday's matching of that level with a similar price/OI divergence is the specific signal to monitor for BCH traders.
Options — Persistent Put Premium, Tactical Upside Bias
On Deribit, the options picture reflects the same tension between structural caution and tactical positioning that has characterized the entire recovery period. BTC and ETH puts continue to trade at a premium to calls — the persistent downside protection demand that has kept the put skew elevated throughout the correction. But 24-hour trading volumes reveal a tactical upside bias: the $70,000 Bitcoin call has emerged as the most actively traded contract, and the $2,450 Ether call leads the rankings for ETH options. The combination — structural put premium with tactical call buying — is consistent with a market that is hedged against downside while making asymmetric upside bets on the FOMC and subsequent macro catalysts delivering a positive resolution.
BVIV at 36% — The Floor That Has Preceded Every Major Volatility Event
The BVIV warning introduced in the prior session is now more acute. Bitcoin's 30-day implied volatility index is nearing the 36% mark — a level that has served as a floor in recent years, with every prior instance of the index hitting this threshold preceding major volatility expansions and sharp price slides. The mean-reversion principle applies with increasing urgency: the closer BVIV gets to the historical floor without bouncing, the more compressed the volatility spring becomes and the more violently it will release when the catalyst arrives.
The FOMC meeting July 28-29 — now eight days away — is the most significant scheduled catalyst in the immediate window. Arriving with BVIV at 36%, Fear and Greed at 34, average RSI at 44, SOL futures OI at a two-month low, and BCH OI at record levels is a derivative market configuration that amplifies whatever direction the FOMC communication pushes in.
PUMP's 20% Surge — The Session's Only Real Headline
PUMP surged 20% on social media chatter — the kind of narrative-driven token move that characterizes low-conviction sessions where capital is not flowing into the broad market but concentrating in specific social momentum plays. In the absence of macro catalysts and with the crypto market in fear territory, social-media-driven single-token spikes tend to be the dominant price action type — they draw trading volume without reflecting broader sentiment improvement and typically reverse once the social catalyst fades.

According to CNBC, Andy Burnham is set to become the U.K.'s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, with King Charles due to formally ask him to form a government at Buckingham Palace before his official appointment. Burnham is expected to deliver his first speech as premier and outline his plans for the country, while investors are focusing on his policy agenda after his unopposed rise to lead the Labour Party.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Burnham's plan to speed up oil and gas exploration in already-licensed North Sea fields. Rachel Vahey of AJ Bell said Burnham's first budget could include tax reforms and new policies affecting household finances, while Andrew Wishart of Berenberg said the market appears relatively calm but could be unsettled if the new government turns to higher spending or greater gilt issuance.

Bitcoin is trading just above $64,000, but a key volatility indicator is flashing a warning that traders should watch carefully. The 30-day implied volatility index BVIV — Bitcoin's equivalent of Wall Street's VIX — is hovering between 34% and 38%, trading below both its 30-day and 200-day simple moving averages. That combination — compressed volatility at a historically reliable support zone — has in recent years been followed by a volatility surge and a price decline. The most recent example arrived in late May: BVIV entered this zone, and what followed was a drop from $74,000 to below $60,000 in less than a week. A similar pattern played out before the early February crash and during the correction following October's record high.What the BVIV Is Measuring and Why 34%-38% Is the Critical ZoneBVIV is a direct measure of options market demand — influenced by how aggressively traders are purchasing derivative contracts to protect portfolios from sudden market swings. The higher the demand for protective options, the higher implied volatility rises. The lower the demand, the more compressed BVIV becomes. At 34%-38%, BVIV is reflecting a market that is not actively purchasing volatility protection — options are relatively cheap, and the market is not pricing an imminent large move in either direction.The paradox that makes this reading dangerous is the mean-reverting nature of volatility. Periods of below-average volatility are historically followed by higher turbulence — not because anything specific will happen, but because compressed volatility is structurally unstable. Volatility below its 30-day and 200-day moving averages simultaneously means the market is more complacent than its own recent history suggests is sustainable. Every prior instance of BVIV reaching the current 34%-38% zone in recent years has resolved with a volatility expansion — and volatility expansions are typically accompanied by price declines as leveraged positions are unwound and portfolio protection is urgently purchased at higher prices.The Three Prior Pattern Matches — May, February, OctoberThe BVIV pattern has three specific recent parallels that make the current reading more than a theoretical concern. In late May, BVIV entered the 34%-38% zone. Bitcoin fell from $74,000 to below $60,000 in less than a week — a 19% decline — as BVIV surged. Before the early February crash, the same compressed volatility zone preceded a sharp price decline that extended Bitcoin's correction from the October all-time high. And during the correction following October's $126,080 record high, the same zone appeared before the selling accelerated. Three instances. Three major price declines. The same volatility pattern each time.Past patterns are not guarantees of future performance — but volatility metrics are structurally mean-reverting in a way that most price indicators are not. The mean-reversion tendency is the mechanism rather than the correlation: compressed volatility creates the conditions for a sharp move by reducing the cost of establishing leveraged positions, which concentrates risk in a way that any catalyst can suddenly unwind.The Current Setup — Range-Bound Price Action With Compressed VolatilityBitcoin continues to trade just above $64,000 — maintaining the range-bound price action that has persisted since last Wednesday. Two consecutive weeks of spot ETF inflows have provided a constructive demand signal, but the capital movement is tiny compared with the billions withdrawn during the preceding eight-week outflow streak. The options market is not pricing a breakout in either direction — calls at $65,000 and $67,000 are the most actively traded upside strikes while the $63,500 liquidation cluster and the 200-week SMA at $62,873 define the downside floor.The BVIV between 34% and 38% against this backdrop means the options market is treating the current range as likely to persist — which is exactly the condition that typically precedes the kind of sudden volatility expansion that breaks the range decisively in one direction.Global Volatility Context — Mixed Signals Across Asset ClassesThe broader volatility picture across global markets is providing mixed rather than aligned signals. South Korea's KOSPI VIX has risen above 70% — its highest level since the 1990s — reflecting the acute semiconductor selloff that has produced three major KOSPI crashes in six weeks. Wall Street's VIX jumped more than 12% to reach 18% on Friday, where it continues to hover — elevated relative to the year's baseline but not at the panic levels that have historically accompanied forced de-risking events.The most constructive element of the global volatility picture is the MOVE index — the 30-day volatility gauge for US Treasury notes that underpins global finance — which remains steady around 70% as it has since April. MOVE stability at 70% signals that the US Treasury market — the foundation of global risk pricing — is not experiencing the kind of disorderly volatility that would force institutional de-risking across asset classes simultaneously. KOSPI VIX above 70% and Wall Street VIX at 18% have both been at elevated levels for months without triggering systemic de-risking, which means stock markets are not panicked — they are repricing specific sector risk rather than experiencing the broad fear that a systemic event would produce.The Warning and the ContextThe BVIV warning and the global volatility context together describe a market that is not yet in crisis but is sitting at a historically unreliable equilibrium. Bitcoin at $64,000 with BVIV between 34% and 38% has preceded three major price declines in recent cycles. The triggers for those declines were different each time — FOMC hawkish pivot, Trump tariff shock, STRC capital structure stress — but the compressed volatility condition was the same. Whatever the next catalyst proves to be — the FOMC meeting July 28-29, a further Iran escalation, a hyperscaler earnings miss, or something entirely unforeseen — it will arrive into a volatility environment that is structurally primed to amplify it.

Bloomberg reported that Hong Kong's stock exchange is considering extending equity trading hours to align with most global markets, including a proposal to eliminate the lunch break, according to people familiar with the matter.
HKEX has relayed plans to major brokers in recent weeks. One option proposes starting trading 30 minutes earlier at 9 a.m. and scrapping the one-hour lunch break starting at noon. Hong Kong is one of the few major exchanges that still keep a lunch hour, alongside China and Tokyo.
HKEX is also mulling an after-hour session to catch early US activity, potentially between 8 p.m. and midnight. The evening slot would be limited to larger stocks, with the exchange aiming to boost trading volume of firms that also have American depositary receipts.
About 23% of Hong Kong's equity market turnover in 2025 was generated through Southbound Stock Connect, which allows mainland investors to trade Hong Kong stocks. Whether China joins extended hours for the 600-plus eligible stocks remains an open question.
Some market participants are skeptical about the evening session, citing high trading costs in Hong Kong. Investors may prefer hedging with US-listed options instead.
Working hours have been a sensitive issue. In 2011, about 1,000 stockbrokers protested against extended hours, arguing a shorter lunch break harmed their health. The top 65 brokerages generate nearly 97% of market turnover, while 443 smaller firms share the remaining 3.44%.
HKEX said cash market enhancements remain at a very early exploratory stage, with current focus on derivatives market trading hours. The Securities and Futures Commission said it has had preliminary discussions with the exchange.

Peter Schiff said the AI stock bubble may have started to burst as Kimi K3 intensifies low-cost AI competition in China. According to NS3.AI, Schiff said $SPCX is trading below $121, about 11% under its IPO price and over 46% below its all-time high.

According to Odaily citing SoSoValue data, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw net inflows of $75.67 million during the trading week (July 13 to July 17, Eastern Time).
The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net inflows last week was BlackRock's ETF IBIT, with a weekly net inflow of $204 million. IBIT's total historical net inflow now stands at $60.49 billion. Second was the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust BTC, with a weekly net inflow of $69.988 million, bringing its total historical net inflow to $2.56 billion.
The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net outflows last week was Fidelity's ETF FBTC, with a weekly net outflow of $181 million. FBTC's total historical net inflow currently stands at $9.97 billion.

According to CNBC, South Korean retail investors who piled into leveraged exchange-traded funds linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are facing steep losses after the two chipmakers reversed sharply. Since the launch of single-stock leveraged ETFs on May 27, Korean retail investors have bought a net 14 trillion won, or $9.4 billion, of the products, compared with about 2 trillion won from foreign investors, according to KB Financial Group. The KODEX SK Hynix Single Stock Leverage ETF has fallen about 70% from its June record high and is down roughly 50% from its debut, based on LSEG data. South Korea on Thursday introduced tougher rules for single-stock leveraged ETFs, requiring investors to post at least 30 million won in cash, up from an effective 3 million won previously.

Bloomberg reported that 01.AI, the artificial intelligence startup founded by AI expert and former Google global vice president Kai-Fu Lee, is advancing a fundraising plan and aims to pursue an IPO in 2027.
Ming Pao reported the company is moving ahead with the financing effort.

According to the announcement from Binance, the exchange will discontinue mainnet support for Moonriver (MOVR) and Moonbeam (GLMR) and will open deposits and withdrawals for the two tokens via Base Network. The change affects only deposits and withdrawals, while Spot, Margin, and Futures trading and Binance Earn services will remain unaffected during the migration. Binance said it will handle the technical requirements for users involved in the event. The migration will move MOVR and GLMR from their mainnets to Base Network at a 1:1 ratio. Binance also stated that deposits and withdrawals of the two tokens via Moonriver and Moonbeam mainnet will be suspended at 2026-07-21 11:00 (UTC). Users were told to allow enough time for deposits to be fully processed before that time. After the event is complete, Moonriver and Moonbeam mainnet will no longer be supported for deposits and withdrawals. Binance said it will not make a separate announcement when deposits and withdrawals resume. The announcement also identified the new token smart contract addresses for MOVR and GLMR, but did not provide further operational details in the main body.

Binance announced on X that its wallet product updates for this week include several interface and trading changes. The wallet's finance section now includes a quicker feedback entry point and displays protocol audit information. The home page now supports customizable modules and adds a 30-day asset change curve. These updates are presented as part of the latest wallet experience changes. The announcement also says tokenized stocks now include market session and calendar trading status labels. In the app, limit orders now support ETH and Base. In addition, custom signals now support preset wallet groups.

According to CNBC, Travelers Cos. reported second-quarter core earnings per share of $10.04, nearly double the consensus estimate of about $5.39, and its stock rose almost 8% to a record high. The company said income was $2.2 billion, return on equity was 24.9%, catastrophe losses fell to $518 million from $927 million a year earlier, and investment income increased 14% year over year. Management said about half a point of the Business Insurance underlying loss ratio improvement came from AI-driven claims processing, while Travelers bought back $1.31 billion of stock and paid $266 million in dividends in the quarter.
The article also said Chubb Ltd. raised its dividend 5.2% in May to $4.08 a year, marking its 33rd consecutive annual increase, while Aflac Inc. continued its 43-year streak of dividend growth. Chubb reported first-quarter operating EPS of $6.82, net premiums written of $14 billion and net investment income growth of 9.5%, and management guided second-quarter net investment income to $1.825 billion to $1.85 billion. Aflac said Japan sales rose 25.5% in the first quarter, margins widened to 35.0% from 31.8%, and the company returned $1.3 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.

According to CNBC, California District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a temporary restraining order on Paramount Skydance's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, putting the $110 billion deal on hold for 14 days after a lawsuit from state attorneys general. California's Rob Bonta led the lawsuit, which seeks to block the merger over antitrust concerns. Paramount's lead trial counsel Jeffrey Kessler said the company had aimed to close the deal as early as July 22, when it expects to have all regulatory clearances, while Paramount has said it remains on track to close by the end of September. If the deal slips beyond Sept. 30, Paramount could owe a ticking fee of 25 cents per WBD share each quarter, equal to about $650 million in cash value per quarter, and it also agreed to a $7 billion breakup fee if the deal does move forward due to regulatory concerns.

U.S. mega-cap tech stocks mostly rose in pre-market trading, with SanDisk and Micron Technology up more than 3%, Intel up more than 2%, Nvidia up more than 1%, Tesla up 0.89%, Alphabet up 0.5%, Amazon up 0.35% and Meta up 0.1%; Microsoft fell more than 1% and Apple slipped 0.4%, according to 36Kr.

Global fund managers are increasingly viewing South Korea's stock market as a leading indicator for AI investment sentiment as its link with U.S. technology shares strengthens. According to Odaily, traders now routinely watch Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix before the market opens.
Data showed the 60-day correlation between the KOSPI and the Nasdaq 100 rose to 0.46, close to a two-year high and about three times the five-year average of 0.16. The Nasdaq's sensitivity to Korean stocks has also increased during market declines, with the measure reaching its highest level since 1990 on the 7th of this month.
The KOSPI fell nearly 9% on the 13th of this month on worries about AI demand, while SK Hynix's ADR dropped more than 9% and weighed on the broader U.S. semiconductor sector. JPMorgan Asset Management and PineBridge said global investors now use the Korean market to gauge risk appetite for AI stocks and continue tracking SK Hynix ADRs and related ETFs after the Korean market closes.
Tigris Financial Partners Chief Investment Officer Ivan Feinseth said the Korean market, together with the Nasdaq and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, has become a key reference for global tech-stock volatility. He added that Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and the KOSPI are now a premarket indicator of risk appetite in U.S. AI and semiconductor markets.
Since June's high, the KOSPI has fallen 25%, erasing about $1 trillion in market value. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have both dropped more than 30% from their peaks, and leveraged trading has amplified market swings. Korea's stock market has become one of the most volatile among major global indexes.

Gasoline pump prices in the US have again risen above $4 a gallon as the summer driving season gets underway, according to Bloomberg.
The move comes as the Hormuz crisis flares and fuel markets tighten.

Netflix Inc. is set to raise $1 billion in a US high-grade bond sale, its first since a debut deal two years ago, according to Bloomberg.
The offering comes as slowing sales growth increases investor scrutiny of the streaming company’s outlook.

Nigeria’s plan to double oil production to record levels by 2030 remains on track after recent steps to accelerate investment, according to Bloomberg reported. The country’s industry regulator said the target is still achievable.

Oil turned lower after a report that mediators proposed a 10-day cessation of strikes between the US and Iran following a recent escalation in the conflict, according to Bloomberg.

Crypto prices drifted lower even as stock index futures rose, with a Fear and Greed index pointing solidly at "fear." PUMP's 20% surge was the only real headline in an otherwise quiet session, according to CoinDesk, amid social-media chatter.

Hemei shares recorded a block trade of 1.42 million shares on July 20, with turnover of 85.2 million yuan, according to Jiemian News. The trade accounted for 45.13% of the day's total turnover, was priced at 60 yuan per share, and represented a 19.28% discount to the closing price of 74.33 yuan.

Visits to Taco Bell locations have plunged after authorities linked a parasite outbreak to lettuce sold by one of the company’s suppliers, according to Bloomberg.
The outbreak has hurt traffic at the fast-food chain, with the issue tied to a supplier-provided ingredient.

US stocks wavered as renewed oil volatility and concern over a further escalation in Middle East hostilities tempered gains in technology shares, according to Bloomberg.
The moves came as investors weighed US-Iran risks against the tech rebound.

According to Yonhap, the South Korean won edged up against the U.S. dollar on Monday as exporters sold dollars despite a worsening conflict between the United States and Iran in the Middle East. The won was quoted at 1,478.4 per dollar at 3:30 p.m., up 0.1 won from the previous session, after opening at 1,490 and trimming earlier losses. Some analysts said exporters and investors sold dollars while SK hynix Inc. converted part of the proceeds it raised through American depositary receipts on the Nasdaq market into won. Overseas investors also bought a net 516.1 billion won ($349 million) of local stocks on Monday, even as the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 4.46% to 6,516.27 points.

WTI crude fell more than 1% intraday to $81.50 per barrel, while Brent crude was down 0.64% at $86.19 per barrel. According to Jin10, U.S. and Brent crude continued to move lower.

US stocks advanced, led by semiconductor companies, as traders braced for a wave of earnings reports that will test whether Big Tech profits can meet high expectations, according to Bloomberg.
Nvidia and other chipmakers gained as investors awaited the latest results from the sector, which has helped drive the market higher.

According to Jin10, Commerzbank's Thu Lan Nguyen said the euro should benefit if the European Central Bank sends a strong signal that it is willing to raise rates further as rising Middle East tensions push up energy prices. Market expectations are for the ECB to leave rates unchanged on Thursday and to raise them again in September. She said it is crucial whether the ECB clearly emphasizes that it is prepared to continue raising rates after September, given higher energy prices. If the U.S.-Iran conflict escalates further, she said, that would be a key factor limiting downside for the euro against the dollar.

According to CNBC, Capital One will report second-quarter results Tuesday evening as Chief Executive Richard Fairbank faces pressure to prove that the company's more than $35 billion acquisition of Discover is delivering on promised benefits. Capital One has logged $1.8 billion in integration expenses since the deal closed last May, and the Street expects second-quarter earnings of $4.75 per share on revenue of $15.77 billion, according to LSEG. The company has said its targets remain on track, including more than 15% earnings-per-share accretion and $2.7 billion in annual total synergies by 2027. Fairbank has said moving cards to the Discover network will let Capital One process its own transactions and reduce fees paid to Mastercard and Visa, while CFO Andrew Young said in April that the conversion of debit cards had been substantially completed.

WTI crude and Brent crude pulled back, with intraday gains narrowing to about 1%, now at $83.16 per barrel and $87.63 per barrel. According to Jin10, both benchmarks were quoted at those levels.

President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is driving the worst rout on the Mexican stock exchange this year, according to Bloomberg.
The move has battered Mexican grocery chain Chedraui, which is trading lower as investors assess the impact of tighter immigration enforcement.

According to CNBC, Jim Cramer said the recent weakness in AI stocks reflects investors raising cash rather than a fundamental change in the AI outlook, and he warned that even bullish investors should expect continued volatility. He also said Intel is expected to post an “excellent” quarter after the close on Thursday, while noting that strong results do not necessarily lead to a positive stock reaction in the current market. Boeing shares fell more than 2% after Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said the company remains focused on strengthening its balance sheet before launching a new aircraft.

DoubleLine is buying shorter-dated government bonds on the view that higher yields and Kevin Warsh’s credibility with investors will help Federal Reserve officials keep interest rates steady this year, according to Bloomberg.
The firm’s positioning reflects an expectation that the Fed can remain on hold as bond yields stay elevated.

Oil prices have repriced a supply disruption premium as shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz outweighed export recovery. According to Jin10, the market is again factoring in a supply interruption premium.

According to Jin10, Capital Economics said the gap between 10-year and 2-year U.S. Treasury yields will narrow further over the next few months. The firm said rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz could cause the yield curve to invert completely. It also expected the 2-year and 10-year Treasury yield curve to flatten further as investors price in expectations of additional rate hikes. Capital Economics said it forecasts the Federal Reserve will raise rates by 75 basis points over the next year, while market pricing currently reflects 40 basis points.

BlackRock Inc. is seeking to sell more than $12 billion of bonds to help finance a data center campus in El Paso, Texas, according to Bloomberg.
The debt deal is the latest in a series of financing transactions supporting tech companies’ large artificial intelligence investments.

According to Jin10, Russia's Finance Ministry said it has suspended government bond auctions to stabilize the market.

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi Index has delivered huge returns this year but with sharp swings, with volatility topping 60%, according to Bloomberg.
That is almost double Japan’s Nikkei 225 and even exceeds Bitcoin’s famously restless trading, underscoring the wild ride in South Korean stocks.