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The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a restriction notice to Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) Limited, prohibiting it from handling or disposing of assets in customer accounts held by a certain entity, limited to HKD 125,247,000. This entity is suspected of participating in a fraudulent scheme aimed at creating a false or misleading appearance of demand for initial public offering shares. Futu is not the subject of the SFC's investigation, and this restriction notice will not affect Futu or its other clients.According to the notice, Futu must not dispose of or handle the relevant account assets in any way without the SFC's written consent, and must immediately notify the SFC if it receives any instructions related to the restricted assets. The SFC believes that issuing this restriction notice is in the interest of investors and the public. The investigation is still ongoing.

According to Digital Asset, on July 28, 15 members of South Korea's People Power Party, including Kim Sang-hoon, proposed an amendment to the Specific Financial Information Act, allowing financial authorities to request the suspension of payments for virtual asset accounts suspected of being used for illegal asset transfers.The amendment defines "account" as a unique identification number provided by exchanges to users. The Financial Intelligence Analysis Institute can request a suspension of payments for 30 days when an account is deemed suspicious, which can be extended once. Those who do not comply may face fines of up to 100 million won. The bill will take effect six months after its announcement.

According to Jinshi reports, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that customers must have the ability to switch freely between different AI models, both closed-source and open-source. He stated during a conference call that the number of Microsoft customers using multiple models has quadrupled since the beginning of this year. Nadella pointed out that the system framework should be separate from the models, allowing for the replacement of models at any given time and the use of cutting-edge models.Microsoft has investments in both OpenAI and Anthropic, and has co-signed an open letter supporting open models with companies like NVIDIA and Palantir.

According to Jinshi reports, OpenAI announced that it will provide free access to cutting-edge models for 100,000 researchers.

AI supply chain management startup Freehand announced the completion of a $75 million financing round, co-led by Battery Ventures and NewRoad Capital Partners, with participation from Nexus Venture Partners and the fund PSP Growth under former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.Freehand's AI agents can autonomously handle tasks such as contract interpretation, vendor rate negotiations, overbilling identification, payment processing, and ERP system reconciliation. Clients include leading companies such as Meta, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Dunkin', and Cardinal Health.

Bitget Unified Account (UTA) launches a zero-interest lending program for USDGO holdings, with the event running from July 29 at 15:00 to August 29 at 15:00 (UTC+8). During the event, users holding USDGO can borrow USDT under the unified account and receive a zero-interest borrowing limit equivalent to 30% of the value of their USDGO holdings, with a maximum zero-interest limit of 10 million USDT per user. Related rights will automatically take effect during the event, and users do not need to manually claim or register. For more details, please refer to the official Bitget platform.

Bitcoin Treasuries.NET posted on platform X that the Swedish public company Bitcoin Treasury Capital has fully repaid its interest-bearing debt through the new preferred stock fundraising and is now debt-free.

According to Cointelegraph, Uzbekistan has officially launched its first tax-free cryptocurrency mining zone, Besqala Mining Valley, where miners can enjoy tax exemptions until 2035, while needing to pay a 1% revenue fee and double the electricity price. The relevant bill was signed in April.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India dismantled the dark web drug network Team Kalki. Binance and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) provided blockchain analysis and wallet tracking to assist investigators in tracing cryptocurrency flows, identifying associated wallets, and freezing relevant crypto assets.Investigators stated that Team Kalki used the encrypted communication platform Session, the dark web forum Dread, and "dead drop" delivery methods to distribute drugs from international suppliers. Law enforcement seized thousands of drugs from domestic and international packages associated with the network. S.B. Seker, head of Binance Asia Pacific, stated that the transparent infrastructure of blockchain enables law enforcement to more effectively track and investigate illegal transactions. Binance CEO Richard Teng posted on X that Binance and DSCI are assisting the NCB in combating this dark web drug network by tracking on-chain fund flows.

Bitcoin News posted on the X platform stating that a lawsuit accuses BitMEX of seizing 622 bitcoins through server freezes and internal trading before its closure.

The Brazilian Federal Police are cracking down on a drug trafficking gang that has been laundering money through cryptocurrency in Operation Commodity. Since 2021, the gang has smuggled over 6.5 tons of cocaine to Europe via the Port of Rio de Janeiro, with the drugs hidden in shipments of coffee, cement, and mortar.The operation covered São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, and Espírito Santo, with police executing 13 preventive arrests and 44 search and seizure warrants. The court ordered the seizure of assets and the freezing of up to 1 billion reais, approximately 196 million dollars. Police stated that the gang is linked to Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), and laundered money through a luxury car dealership and shell companies in the Greater São Paulo area, with the dealership selling vehicles such as Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, and Land Rover.The individuals involved used shell companies to issue invoices lacking supporting documents, bringing drug trafficking proceeds into the Brazilian financial system and using cryptocurrency to conceal transactions. The suspects will be held accountable for charges including transnational organized crime, international drug trafficking, and money laundering.

The decentralized AI intelligent network DGrid announced that its decentralized AI model marketplace (DGrid Model Marketplace) is officially online.The marketplace is open to three types of model providers: model developers, model fine-tuners, and model deployers with computing infrastructure capabilities. They can freely list models on the platform, set their own prices, and earn real-time settlement revenue when models are called. For developers, the marketplace provides a unified entry point to discover, compare, and directly call various models through a unified API, without the need to switch between different platforms or connect to multiple interfaces.DGrid stated that the model marketplace is the "supply side" of its network, working in coordination with the AI Gateway (access side) responsible for calls, connecting AI creators and users. Currently, DGrid has aggregated over 200 mainstream models, including Claude, GPT, Gemini, MiniMax, GLM, Kimi, and has more than 15,000 paid users.In terms of quality assurance, the marketplace is supported by DGrid's self-developed Proof of Quality (PoQ) mechanism. PoQ conducts independent, random sampling of model providers through the platform's own benchmark test set and records the verification results on-chain to ensure service quality and pricing transparency—this mechanism does not touch user call data. The core members of the DGrid team have doctoral backgrounds from institutions such as Stony Brook University and have published 4 academic papers related to PoQ.Currently, the DGrid Model Marketplace is officially online. Model providers can apply to join, and developers can also experience one-stop AI model discovery and access services through the platform.

According to Jinshi reports, EU diplomats stated that representatives from the EU agreed to freeze the oil price cap for 12 months in the 21st round of sanctions against Russia.

Tesla announced its second-quarter financial report, with revenue of $28.24 billion, exceeding market expectations of $25.71 billion, a year-on-year increase of 26%; adjusted earnings per share of $0.33, significantly lower than the expected $0.51; net profit of $1.11 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5%. Gross margin fell to 16.8%, down from 17.2% in the same period last year and below the market expectation of 19.4%. Operating expenses surged 47% year-on-year to $4.35 billion, and operating profit margin plummeted from 4.1% to 1.4%, mainly affected by AI and R&D investments.Free cash flow turned negative at $1.1 billion, compared to positive $146 million in the same period last year, with capital expenditures soaring 142% year-on-year to $5.79 billion. The company stated that investments in capacity construction and infrastructure for AI computing power, battery materials, and semiconductor manufacturing are ongoing. Revenue from the automotive business was $20.52 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23%, energy business revenue was $3.14 billion, an increase of 13%, and revenue from services and other businesses was $4.58 billion, an increase of 50%. FSD subscription users reached 1.48 million, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 56%. Tesla's stock price has fallen approximately 17% year-to-date.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal stated that Coinbase has reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, with the SEC agreeing to pay $150,000 and amend its record-keeping policies. The lawsuit revealed that the SEC lost nearly a year’s worth of communications from former Chairman Gary Gensler and other senior officials during the peak enforcement period in the cryptocurrency industry.Coinbase had previously requested documents from the SEC regarding how it applies securities laws to digital assets, but the request was denied, leading to a lawsuit that received court support. The SEC claimed that some text messages were lost due to an automatic data deletion process. Grewal pointed out that the SEC has imposed billions of dollars in fines on financial institutions for similar record-keeping issues.In February of this year, Coinbase also reached a settlement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation regarding another Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Coinbase stated that this lawsuit revealed that the FDIC had instructed nearly twenty banks to suspend cryptocurrency-related activities since 2022, which subsequently led to congressional hearings and resulted in a court ruling that the FDIC violated federal law.Grewal stated that both lawsuits revolve around government transparency and due process, emphasizing that the American public has the right to know whether regulatory agencies are restricting legitimate cryptocurrency businesses from accessing banking services through non-public means.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated in an exclusive interview with Axios on Tuesday that American companies "absolutely" should be allowed to use Chinese open-source AI models, directly challenging the Trump administration and some American AI labs' blockade policies.Huang believes that the market's panic over Kimi K3 is a misreading, similar to the sell-off triggered by DeepSeek in early 2025: cheaper open-source models will expand the AI audience and increase, rather than decrease, the demand for chips, data centers, and computing power. "Free AI is good for hardware, good for chips, good for data centers." He also refuted the notion that open-source models pose security risks, claiming that open-source is actually safer because external researchers can examine the models, expose vulnerabilities, and build defenses, while calling for Anthropic to open its Claude Mythos model to "everyone."Huang rejected the narrative that "China will defeat American companies," arguing that the AI race has no finish line and that China and the U.S. will coexist in the long term. Hours after the interview, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent stated that the government is reviewing whether Chinese AI models are stealing intellectual property and considering sanctions. Huang responded that knowledge distillation is the foundation of intelligence and that accountability should be directed at violations rather than the models themselves.

According to an analysis of LSEG consensus expectation data by Reuters, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle are facing cash flow pressures from AI investments. On the current trajectory, by 2027, the combined capital expenditures of these companies are expected to exceed their generated free cash flow. Data shows that these companies' annual operating cash flow in 2027 will increase by approximately $340 billion compared to 2025, but capital expenditures are expected to increase by about $534 billion, meaning that for every additional $1 in cash flow, an extra investment of about $1.57 is required.Among them, Oracle faces the most significant pressure, with its capital expenditures as a percentage of operating cash flow rising from 47% in the 2022 fiscal year to 174% in the 2026 fiscal year (ending in May), with total capital expenditures reaching $55.7 billion, while operating cash flow is only $32 billion. The company's stock price has already dropped 36% this year. Amazon also saw its free cash flow drop to $1.2 billion in the first quarter. Analysts point out that if AI fails to significantly drive revenue growth, expand profits, and improve cash flow in the next two to three years, the market will begin to question whether the investment cycle has been excessive. Alphabet will be the first to announce its earnings report this Wednesday, and the market will closely monitor whether its cloud and AI revenues can keep pace with the growth in expenditures.

Midnight Foundation posted on platform X that the Wanchain Cardano BNB cross-chain bridge has experienced a security attack. Currently, several major exchanges, including KuCoin, Kraken, Binance, Bybit, OKX, and MEXC, have quickly responded by taking preventive measures to restrict the flow of stolen assets, including freezing related accounts and addresses, blacklisting the attacker’s wallet, and suspending the deposit and withdrawal services for the NIGHT token.Exchanges have confirmed that this incident is an isolated third-party bridging vulnerability and is unrelated to the Midnight Network mainnet and the NIGHT asset itself.