Powell: Hopes Market Prices Assets Based on Economic Fundamentals, Not Fed's Reading

Local time on August 1, the U.S. State Department issued a broad security alert to American citizens in the Middle East, advising them to "consider leaving the area or prepare to evacuate quickly if the situation escalates". According to earlier reports, U.S. officials have disclosed that Washington is considering launching a new round of military strikes against Iran as early as this weekend. Meanwhile, Iran has stated it will further target countries that host U.S. military bases on their territory. The State Department once again reminded individuals in the Middle East to stay cautious and vigilant, and prepare for flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures and other travel disruptions. The notice also emphasized that American citizens planning to travel to the Middle East should carefully reconsider their travel plans. (CCTV News)

According to Israel’s Channel 12, an Israeli official stated: "Current tensions have reached a peak and are on the verge of erupting." Israeli assessments hold that U.S. President Donald Trump is "closer than ever to launching a major strike on Iran, though no final decision has been made." Israel has raised its alert level. The official said: "We estimate Trump has not yet decided on the scale of the strike, and it remains unclear whether he wants Israel to participate in the first phase of operations." He added that Trump views negotiations as "a waste of time" and is "angry, irritated, and frustrated." According to the official, the plan presented to Trump by the White House backs Israel’s assessment that large-scale, targeted strikes on energy facilities could destabilize the Iranian regime. The official noted: "Such a powerful strike could be completed in a timely manner and does not necessarily trigger an 'energy war' that would drive up global energy prices. Targets would be specific facilities that could have a significant impact on the Iranian people." It remains unclear whether Trump will opt for this plan or continue maintaining sanctions until the midterm elections. This is not a question of "whether to act" but "when to act". All signs indicate Trump appears to have no choice but to move forward in this direction. (Jinshi)

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on August 1 (local time), saying Iran is determined to continue its path of resistance and perseverance until it completely eradicates the "evil acts" of its enemies. The statement pointed out that the United States continues to violate relevant provisions of the June 18 US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, maintains a maritime blockade on Iranian ports and merchant vessels, carries out ongoing barbaric attacks across Iran, intensifies economic pressure and illegal threats, and persists in its aggression against Iran. In response, defensive strikes by Iran's armed forces remain in full swing. The statement further noted that the US and some of its regional allies have launched attacks on Iran under the pretext of the so-called "incident" involving three ships on July 8, which have continued to this day. This is a concentrated example of their fabrication of lies to violate the bilateral agreement and infringe on Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. (CCTV News)

According to Bloomberg News, a U.S. Army soldier accused of using confidential information about a raid to place profitable bets on prediction market platform Polymarket has asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing his betting activity did not constitute a crime. Prosecutors allege that special forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the raid targeting then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. His lawyer, meanwhile, called the U.S. government’s prosecution “excessive” and stated that the case is built on untested legal theories.

According to the New York Post, a blockchain entrepreneur is accused of embezzling over $5 million from his own company and deleting 194 expense records before abruptly resigning. Dionysios "Dean" Karakitsos, 57, is charged with siphoning funds from Bitquery Inc., a firm that tracks cryptocurrency values and fund flows. The related lawsuit has been filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. Karakitsos was Bitquery’s co-founder, serving as its CEO, director, and treasurer until 2025. He is accused of diverting the company’s funds to his personal accounts over multiple years. Karakitsos later operated Assymetrix, a prediction market platform. Bitquery filed the lawsuit in June, seeking the return of at least $5 million in allegedly stolen funds. The company added that it is pursuing additional compensation to cover its legal costs.

According to Yuqing Monitoring, a whale’s long position of 1.38 million HYPE (valued at approximately $72.15 million) is now only 9% away from liquidation, with the liquidation price standing at around $47.6. Per HTX market data, HYPE is currently trading at $52.1, down 5.04% over the past 24 hours.