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🍔 The hamburger that bares the world war of money

The Big Mac Index turns 40, showing that a simple burger can reveal deep economic imbalances. By comparing its price across countries, the indicator suggests that Asian currencies such as the Chinese yuan, the Japanese yen, and the South Korean won are significantly undervalued against the US dollar. By contrast, the Swiss franc, the euro, and the British pound appear overvalued.

A Big Mac costs about US$9.04 in Switzerland, but just US$2.38 in Indonesia. These differences reflect wages, productivity, inflation, local costs, and exchange-rate policies. The index does not accurately predict the next market move, but it helps explain why trade tensions and accusations of currency manipulation continue to grow.

Sometimes, a hamburger explains the world economy better than hundreds of pages of statistics. 🍟🌍

#Economy #Currencies #BigMacIndex #Dollar #mercados

🍔Binance Bigmac

China gets more artificial intelligence per dollar than the United States

While the United States leads the race in artificial intelligence in terms of investment, infrastructure, and computing power, China is showing that spending more doesn’t always mean innovating better.

According to The Economist, Chinese companies are developing increasingly competitive models with budgets far lower than those of their U.S. rivals. Restrictions on access to advanced chips have forced China’s tech sector to optimize resources, improve software efficiency, and find cheaper ways to train and run AI systems.

This approach turns an apparent weakness into a strategic advantage. While U.S. companies compete with massive data centers and multimillion-dollar outlays, China prioritizes compact, low-cost models that are easy to deploy at scale.

The big question is no longer just which country has the most powerful AI, but which one can produce more innovation with less capital. In this battle for efficiency, China may be moving much faster than Washington expected.

Big Oil vs. Trump: A New Political Battle Begins

Donald Trump has turned his fire on America’s biggest oil companies, accusing giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron of making “too much money” while U.S. drivers struggle with soaring gasoline prices. He urged the industry to cut fuel prices and “give some of that back to the public,” despite having long positioned himself as one of the sector’s strongest allies.

The criticism comes after blockbuster quarterly earnings fueled by elevated oil prices linked to the conflict with Iran and ongoing disruptions to global energy markets. Trump also publicly rebuked Chevron’s CEO, saying the company failed to acknowledge how his administration helped strengthen the American oil industry. (Reuters)

The episode highlights a difficult balancing act: supporting domestic energy producers while trying to keep inflation and gasoline prices under control ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. As geopolitical tensions continue to shape oil markets, the White House is now putting unprecedented public pressure on the very industry it has championed.

$BICO Biconomy had a genuinely wild June. A speculative meme coin listing tied to Scilex Holding's Dream Bowl token sparked a 76.5% price surge and a staggering 717% spike in trading volume on the Biconomy exchange — proof that the platform's listing pipeline can still move markets fast. On top of that, a foundational collaboration with the Ethereum Foundation on AI standards added a genuine long-term bullish angle, and AlphaPepe just confirmed Biconomy as one of three centralized exchanges for its upcoming presale token listing — showing the platform is still attracting fresh projects.

Alpha Market Watch

$SKYAI 🤖 stands out with a 39.77% rally backed by 7.41M in trading volume. The project combines artificial intelligence with Web3 infrastructure, positioning itself in one of the fastest-growing sectors of crypto. Strong liquidity and sustained buying pressure suggest today’s momentum could continue if AI-related tokens remain in focus.

$BTW 🛡️ gains 34.98% with 4.41M traded. Designed around decentralized finance and blockchain utility, the project has gradually expanded its ecosystem while maintaining an active community. The current breakout is supported by improving volume, making it one of today’s stronger mid-cap opportunities.

$KOMA 🦊 advances 20.89% as interest in BNB Chain meme coins remains elevated. Inspired by Japanese folklore and internet culture, the token has built a highly engaged community. Previous rallies have demonstrated its ability to attract rapid inflows, and today’s move suggests buyers are still active.

$WAXP 🎮 WAXP advances 11.97%, extending the recovery of one of the best-known blockchain ecosystems for gaming, NFTs and digital collectibles. Having processed millions of NFT transactions over the years, WAX maintains an established user base that often returns when GameFi sentiment improves.

$ROBO 🤖 Fabric Protocol climbs 14.37% despite relatively modest 1.33M volume. The protocol is building decentralized infrastructure for AI agents and robotics, including governance and machine-to-machine coordination. Recent governance upgrades and additional exchange listings have increased visibility, even as the project continues developing its long-term roadmap.

$TUT 📚 Tutorial gains 16.19% while attracting 5.38M in volume. The project focuses on blockchain education and onboarding, aiming to make crypto easier for new users through interactive learning. Educational ecosystems have attracted increasing attention during this market cycle, helping sustain buying interest.

$BICO 🪪 Biconomy leads the image with a 39.13% surge and 23.28M in trading volume. The project has long focused on simplifying Web3 through account abstraction, gasless transactions and cross-chain infrastructure. As Ethereum adoption expands, Biconomy’s technology continues to position it as a key infrastructure layer, giving today’s rally stronger fundamental support than a typical speculative spike.

The AI Empire Is Cracking: Larry Ellison Just Lost Over $200 Billion

Less than a year ago, Larry Ellison briefly held the title of the world’s richest person. Today, he has become one of the most financially exposed figures in the AI race.

Oracle has poured tens of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, betting that explosive demand from companies like OpenAI will eventually justify the spending. But the gamble has come at a steep price. Oracle invested $55.7 billion in fiscal 2026, burned $23.7 billion in free cash flow, and saw its total debt climb above $160 billion, prompting S&P to downgrade its credit rating.

The market has responded brutally. Oracle shares have plunged around 64% from their 2025 peak, while Ellison’s personal fortune has collapsed from nearly $388 billion to roughly $170 billion—erasing more than $200 billion in less than ten months.

Ironically, Oracle’s cloud business continues to expand at a remarkable pace, with cloud revenue surging 77% and contracted future revenue reaching $638 billion. The real question is whether those future cash flows will arrive in time to justify one of the biggest debt-fueled bets in tech history.

The AI revolution is creating new billionaires—but it’s also exposing how quickly fortunes can evaporate when growth depends on massive leverage. Larry Ellison’s story may be the clearest warning yet that the AI boom carries risks as enormous as its promises.
$ORCL

TRUMP RETREATS? AFTER MONTHS OF CONFRONTATION, WASHINGTON ONCE AGAIN BETS ON DIPLOMACY WITH IRAN

After months of military threats and successive escalations, the Donald Trump administration has once again prioritized the diplomatic route in light of the difficulty of achieving a strategic victory over Iran. According to officials interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the White House put a new military offensive on hold after appeals from Gulf allies, hoping that negotiations will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lay the groundwork for a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

The shift in posture comes at a delicate moment. The conflict has already caused strong impacts on energy markets, increased risks to international trade, and raised political pressure on Washington. While there are signs of progress in talks mediated by regional countries, important differences remain, including issues related to commercial navigation and the guarantees demanded by Tehran. (The Wall Street Journal)

Now, the big question is whether diplomacy will be able to produce lasting results or whether it is only a temporary pause before a new military escalation. The future of the Strait of Hormuz, the stability of the oil market, and the geopolitical balance in the Middle East may depend on negotiations in the coming days.

THE AI BILLION-DOLLAR BET: ARE TECH GIANTS DELIVERING… OR JUST BURNING CASH?

Wall Street’s Q2 earnings season has been far stronger than expected—but the real story is no longer who is investing the most in AI. It’s who is actually making money from it. As of July 31, 61% of S&P 500 companies had reported results. An impressive 86% beat EPS estimates, 77% topped revenue forecasts, combined earnings surged 47.4% year-over-year, and revenue climbed 14.1%.

Those headline numbers, however, come with an important caveat. Extraordinary AI-related investment gains at Alphabet and Amazon significantly boosted the aggregate figures. Excluding those two companies, earnings growth would still stand at a robust 28.8%, proving that this is not just a story of a few mega-cap winners. Ten of the eleven S&P 500 sectors have posted year-over-year profit growth, led by Energy, Communication Services, Consumer Discretionary, Technology, and Materials.

The biggest winners so far are the companies turning AI into real cash flow. Microsoft and Amazon impressed with accelerating cloud demand through Azure and AWS, while Apple demonstrated resilient consumer demand across the iPhone, Mac, and Services businesses. Meta continued delivering strong advertising growth but faced pressure on free cash flow as AI spending accelerated. Meanwhile, major U.S. banks exceeded expectations thanks to stronger trading, investment banking activity, healthier net interest margins, and resilient credit quality.

The market’s message is becoming crystal clear: investors are no longer rewarding AI spending alone—they are rewarding AI profitability. Analysts now expect 27.4% earnings growth in Q3, 25.2% in Q4, and 29.1% for full-year 2026. With the S&P 500 trading around 19.6x forward earnings, valuations remain defensible—but only if companies continue converting AI investments into recurring revenue, durable margins, and sustainable cash generation.
$GOOGLB $AMZNB

IS THE FED LOSING CONTROL? THIS WEEK COULD SHAKE WALL STREET

Wall Street is entering one of its most critical weeks of the year. Investors are bracing for a wave of U.S. economic data that could reshape expectations for the Federal Reserve’s next move. Friday’s July jobs report is expected to show 88,000 new payrolls, up from 57,000 in June, while the unemployment rate is forecast to remain at 4.2%. Before then, markets will digest the ISM Manufacturing PMI, JOLTS job openings, ADP employment, ISM Services PMI, the Fed’s Senior Loan Officer Survey, and the New York Fed’s consumer expectations report.

The data arrives after a July FOMC meeting that markets viewed as leaning slightly more dovish, even as Lorie Logan, Beth Hammack, and Neel Kashkari backed a 25-basis-point rate hike. Softer inflation, easing housing costs, and limited tariff pressure have fueled hopes that the tightening cycle may be nearing its end, but labor market resilience remains the key variable.

Earnings season is set to be just as influential. Investors want proof that massive AI spending is translating into higher revenue, stronger margins, and sustainable cash flow. This week’s lineup includes the first SpaceX earnings report since its public listing, alongside results from Palantir, AMD, Disney, Uber, Eli Lilly, Airbnb, and ConocoPhillips. After blockbuster reports from Microsoft and Amazon reinforced that demand for AI infrastructure still exceeds supply, markets will closely examine semiconductor investment plans, consumer spending trends, and whether corporate growth is expanding beyond the AI boom.

🚨 WALL STREET IGNORING A CRISIS? STOCKS FALL WHILE THE WORLD REMAINS ON ALERT

Investors have returned to “risk-on” mode. The Dow Jones rose more than 1%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also posted strong gains after oil prices fell, driven by expectations of negotiations between the United States and Iran. Lower energy prices eased inflation concerns and reignited appetite for risk assets.

Earnings season is continuing to surprise: about 86% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings above estimates, one of the best performances in recent years. The market is also closely tracking results from giants like Palantir, AMD, and other tech companies, which could move hundreds of billions of dollars in market value over the next sessions.

Despite the euphoria on Wall Street, important doubts remain: the conflict in the Middle East is far from a definitive resolution, US monetary policy remains surrounded by uncertainty, and any shift in the geopolitical landscape can quickly reverse market sentiment. The question is unavoidable: are investors seeing a sustainable recovery—or just ignoring ever-growing risks?

Deadly attack in Pakistan: at least 14 dead during a peace rally

A suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday near an anti-terrorism rally in Kabal, in the Swat Valley in the northwest of Pakistan. According to CNN, the attack left at least 14 dead, including nine civilians and five police officers, as well as more than twenty injured.

The rally brought together residents calling for greater security in response to the return of armed groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicions are pointing to Pakistani Taliban militants, who are particularly active in this region. The authorities condemned the attack and promised to continue their fight against terrorism. (AP News)

SAUDI ARABIA SURROUNDED BY THREATS ON ALL SIDES

Saudi Arabia faces unprecedented security pressure. To the east, Iranian attacks on infrastructure and vessels disrupt operations in the Persian Gulf. To the south, the Houthis, Tehran’s allies, threaten Saudi ships in the Red Sea. To the north, militias backed by Iran in Iraq have expanded their offensive.

According to Newsweek, this strategic siege puts not only the kingdom’s security under heavy strain, but also Vision 2030, ambitious plan by Mohammed bin Salman to transform the country into a global hub for investment, energy, tourism, and innovation.

In response, Riyadh announced a maritime coalition with 14 countries to protect routes essential to world trade. The risk, however, is clear: a new escalation could pull the entire Arabian Peninsula into an even broader regional war and directly affect global oil supplies.

#SaudiArabia #Iran #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #Oil

IN HONG KONG, EVEN SELLING BOOKS CAN BECOME A CRIME

Crackdowns against Hong Kong’s independent bookstores appear to know no end. In July, the national security police raided two establishments in the Mong Kok district and arrested five people, suspected of selling publications deemed “seditious.” (AP News)

Since the adoption of the new security laws, booksellers have had to navigate vague prohibitions and “red lines” that the government refuses to define clearly. Biographies of pro-democracy figures, books about Chinese history, or even simple critiques of power can now lead to raids, closures, and legal proceedings. (Reuters)

Once a refuge for editorial freedom in the Chinese world, Hong Kong is gradually losing its independent bookstores. Censorship is no longer limited to banning certain books: it creates enough fear for publishers, sellers, and readers to censor themselves.

#HongKong #Chine #LibertéDExpression #Censure #Livres #Démocratie

HOUTHI OPEN A NEW AND DANGEROUS FRONT IN THE WAR WITH IRAN

After months of relative distance from the conflict, Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia, striking Aramco oil facilities and announcing a blockade of Saudi ships in the Red Sea.

The escalation threatens to turn the Bab al-Mandeb Strait into yet another critical point for global trade and energy supplies. With the Strait of Hormuz practically closed, Riyadh has become even more dependent on pipelines that carry oil to the Red Sea coast—precisely the region now threatened by the Houthis.

Although the attacks are still limited, experts warn that any miscalculation could reopen the devastating war between Saudis and Houthis and further expand the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and its allies. The risk is now not only military: oil, shipping, and global inflation are also under pressure again. (The Washington Post)

#SaudiArabia #Yemen #Houthis #Iran #RedSea #Oil #GeopoliticalUncertainty

Saudi Crown Prince Urges Trump to Step Back from the Brink

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce tensions in the Middle East and prioritize dialogue over military escalation. According to CNN, the Saudi leader expressed concern about possible strikes against Iran and stressed the need for diplomatic efforts capable of restoring calm. Trump later canceled the planned attacks, citing progress in negotiations. The episode highlights Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a key mediator in a region increasingly vulnerable to a wider and potentially devastating conflict.

Alpha Market Watch

🚀 $UAI — Trading around $0.55 USD, UAI stands out thanks to its solid trading volume while posting a +35% daily gain. Unlike ultra-low liquidity tokens, it still appears to have room for momentum if buyers remain active. Strong volume after a breakout often attracts additional short-term traders, making it one of today’s most interesting momentum plays.

⭐ $STAR — At approximately $0.097 USD, STAR has gained nearly 30% without reaching the extreme moves seen in the session’s biggest winners. That leaves potential for another leg higher if buying pressure continues. Its combination of healthy liquidity and a more moderate rally makes it a candidate worth monitoring.

🌌 $SKYAI — Trading near $0.030 USD, SKYAI has advanced about 16.6%, a relatively measured move compared to the day’s leaders. If the AI narrative remains strong across the market, this token could benefit from rotation into projects that have not yet experienced explosive gains, offering additional upside potential while momentum remains positive.