BlockBeats message: On August 18, as prospects for US-Iran talks look bleak, international oil prices rose by about 3% on Monday. Trump said he has no intention of extending an agreement with Iran that is set to expire soon. The memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, signed in June this year, technically expired on Monday. The two sides still have disagreements on many issues, including the Strait of Hormuz. Other officials have hinted that the US is not currently in a hurry to end the conflict, which has been ongoing for nearly six months. The US Energy Secretary said the US is engaged in a long-term game with the Islamic Republic of Iran, while Trump’s senior adviser Kushner said Trump will remain patient in reaching a deal.

According to BIT (bit.com) market data, on Monday the U.S. stock market closed lower: the Dow fell 0.5%, the S&P 500 fell 0.5%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.32%. SK hynix (SKHY.O) rose 3%, Micron Technology (MU.O) rose 4%, SanDisk (SNDK.O) rose 8.8%, and Nike (NKE.N) fell 4%.

According to HTX market data, Bitcoin is currently trading at $64,288, with a 24-hour increase of 2.13%.