Chinese crypto figure Ma Ji sold 34 Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs recently to cover his positions, netting 326 ETH from the sale and incurring a loss of 399 ETH.

According to market sources, Meta Platforms (META.O) is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Microsoft Azure's artificial intelligence services.

Walmart (WMT.N) reported Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue of $187.94 billion, exceeding the market expectation of $186.769 billion and the year-ago quarter’s $177.4 billion. The retail giant projects full-year net sales growth of 4% to 5%, below the market consensus of 5.3%. It forecasts full-year adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.80 to $2.87, lower than the market forecast of $2.90, and third-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.62 to $0.64, also missing the market expectation of $0.68. According to market data from BIT (bit.com), Walmart’s pre-market trading is down more than 6%, currently changing hands at $107.

Liquid Capital (formerly LD Capital) founder Yilihua wrote in an article that amid every crypto bear market, widespread skepticism about the value of digital assets emerges, but he remains bullish on the long-term growth of the crypto sector. The core value of crypto lies in "on-chain finance". While real-world financial assets and applications such as gold, the U.S. dollar, and U.S. equities already exist, blockchain is migrating these financial scenarios to on-chain infrastructure, boosting convenience and transparency. He cited examples: real-world gold corresponds to BTC on-chain, which is more portable, easier to store, and simpler to transact; real-world U.S. dollars are mirrored by on-chain stablecoins, which offer more flexible account access and global U.S. dollar circulation capabilities; traditional assets like U.S. stocks are also gradually being mapped onto the blockchain. Yilihua noted that crypto’s greatest value lies in delivering on-chain financial freedom. Additionally, he views AI as one of the key technological development directions, representing a new track and opportunity for the convergence of finance and technology. This is the rationale behind his long-emphasized "half crypto, half AI" allocation strategy—participating in development opportunities in both on-chain finance and the AI space.

Crypto analyst Darkfost wrote that Bitcoin notched its largest single-day gain since February 2026 yesterday, surging 7.1% in 24 hours. The rally pushed Bitcoin’s price above the cost basis of short-term holders (STHs), triggering massive profit-taking among STHs. Data shows short-term holders transferred over 44,300 BTC to trading platforms yesterday, marking the largest profit-taking volume since 2026. Currently, the STH cost basis stands at roughly $67,100. After Bitcoin broke above this level, some previously profitable holders began moving their assets. Darkfost attributed the rally to multiple factors. U.S. Treasury Secretary Besant previously announced the U.S. would expand its long-term Treasury repurchase operations by double, driving a sharp decline in long-term U.S. Treasury yields. Later, Trump spoke at a dedicated crypto industry meeting at the White House, stating the U.S. is considering purchasing large amounts of BTC, urging Congress to pass the Clarity Act, and expressing his wish to facilitate Hyperliquid’s entry into the U.S. market. The market remains divided on whether these policy statements are mere discussions or the U.S. government’s genuine intent to become a global crypto hub. Currently, as Bitcoin attempts to break through key resistance levels—including the STH cost basis—the on-chain behavior of short-term holders continues to warrant close monitoring.

Elon Musk-owned social media platform X is exploring using stablecoins, including Circle-issued USDC, to pay content creators their earnings. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that X is in discussions over how to use stablecoins to distribute content royalty revenues to influential users on the platform. The source added that the negotiations are still ongoing, and they are also involved in another social media platform’s project testing stablecoin-based commission payments to influencers and creators. X has not yet commented on the matter. Stablecoins, whose total market capitalization currently exceeds $300 billion, have become a key tool in blockchain payments, enabling faster, lower-cost cross-border transactions. Musk’s SpaceX has already used stablecoins in some markets to process cross-border payments for its Starlink satellite internet services. In March this year, X hired crypto industry veteran Benji Taylor as head of design, overseeing business related to X, xAI, and SpaceX. Taylor previously led the design of Coinbase’s Base blockchain network and has expertise in wallets and decentralized finance (DeFi). Additionally, X is adjusting its creator incentive system, phasing out its long-running Revenue Sharing program in favor of the new Original Content Rewards Program, which aims to reward creators who contribute original insights, expertise, reporting, creative content, and commentary to the platform.

Binance has launched a "24/7 Financial Convenience Store" page on its official website. This entry aims to provide a one-stop hub for exploring global popular assets, covering cryptocurrencies, stocks, bStocks, TradFi perpetual contracts, Web3 wallets, and wealth management, supporting over 7,000 global popular assets. The event calendar also features activities related to Alibaba (BABA) and Walmart (WMT), both scheduled for August 20. Currently, Binance has not disclosed specific product rules, launch scope, and applicable regions for this feature. Binance may be further integrating access to crypto assets and traditional financial products to build a one-stop financial service platform spanning multiple asset categories; specific arrangements will still need to await official announcements.