TRON (TRX) — Onchain News & Whale Tracking

South Korea’s Doosan Group invested 2.3 trillion won to acquire a 70.6% stake in SK Siltron, ramping up its semiconductor sector expansion.

According to South Korean media reports, South Korea’s Doosan Group has signed an agreement with SK Group to acquire semiconductor wafer manufacturer SK Siltron. With the completion of the transaction, Doosan is expected to further enhance its competitiveness in the semiconductor industry, building on its core businesses such as energy and machinery. Doosan, the holding company of Doosan Group, disclosed on the 31st that it has signed a share purchase agreement with SK Group to acquire a 70.6% stake in SK Siltron held by SK, with a transaction value of 2.3 trillion won. However, the 29.4% stake held personally by SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won is not included in the acquisition. SK Siltron is South Korea’s only semiconductor silicon wafer manufacturer, ranking third in global market share for 12-inch wafers. Last year, the firm’s corporate valuation exceeded 5 trillion won.

A Samsung Electronics executive invested 700 million South Korean won to increase their holdings in the company’s stock.

According to Yonhap News Agency, amid recent sharp fluctuations in Samsung Electronics' stock price, Noh Tae-moon, President and Co-CEO of Samsung Electronics' DX Division, spent approximately 700 million won to increase his holdings in the company. South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service's Electronic Disclosure System (DART) disclosed on July 31 that Noh purchased 3,045 Samsung Electronics shares at 230,000 won per share the previous day, totaling around 700.35 million won. Following this share purchase, his total stake in the company reached 124,280 shares.

Nanfang's 2x Leveraged Long Samsung Electronics ETF Surges Over 53%

According to Bitget market data, Southern's 2x leveraged long Samsung Electronics (07747) climbed to HK$79.440 intraday, with its gain widening to 53.06%.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both notched their largest single-day gains on record.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index surged 17% in early Friday trading, driven primarily by a new wave of investment in global semiconductor stocks. The index had fallen for three consecutive days prior, hitting its lowest level since April 7. Samsung Electronics’ share price rose over 26%, while SK Hynix gained more than 29%—both notching their highest single-day percentage gains on record. Combined, the two chipmakers account for over half of the KOSPI’s total market capitalization. On Thursday, the U.S. Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed 8%, Micron Technology jumped 18%, and Microsoft reported strong earnings, with its share price surging 15% to log its largest single-day gain in 18 years.

Samsung Electronics plans to restart its aggressive shareholder return program for the first time in a decade, likely modeled after its 2017 plan, with share repurchases and cancellations leading the way.

Citrini analyst Jukan cited a report from South Korea’s Meritz Securities, stating that Samsung Electronics is expected to unveil a shareholder return plan in the coming weeks, on par with its aggressive 2017 initiative—marking the first revival of its "early execution plan" in nearly a decade. Specific measures include raising dividends, ceasing to deduct M&A expenses when calculating free cash flow, and returning 50% of free cash flow to shareholders in full. Meritz’s report notes that Samsung’s management has acknowledged the recent stock price drop has undervalued its shares, so moves directly boosting shareholder value such as share buybacks and cancellations are expected to roll out first. Samsung Electronics faced pressure in July due to overall pullbacks in its memory chip segment and structural factors including forced liquidation of leveraged ETFs; its current stock price remains significantly discounted from June’s highs. If the return plan is implemented, it will signal a structural shift in Samsung’s capital allocation strategy from conservative expansion to prioritizing shareholder returns.

Samsung: Demand for artificial intelligence chips remains strong, potentially exacerbating supply shortages next year.

Samsung Electronics said on Thursday that demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips remains strong, which may exacerbate supply shortages next year—contrary to investor concerns that major tech companies' massive AI spending could slow and curb growth. Samsung's stock rose 8% after its earnings call, while SK Hynix's stock rebounded 3%. In a statement, Samsung noted: "We expect demand in the server sector to stay strong through the second quarter of 2026, driven by continued investment in AI infrastructure and broader adoption of agent AI." (Jinshi)

Samsung Electronics: Not considering issuing US ADRs for the time being, and holds an open stance on future plans.

Samsung Electronics stated that it is not currently considering issuing American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), but remains open to the possibility of issuing ADRs over the medium and long term.

Samsung Electronics' gain expanded to 7%, while SK Hynix rose 3.2%.

According to Bitget's market data, South Korea's KOSPI index rose 5% intraday, now standing at 5950.55 points. Samsung Electronics gained 7%, while SK Hynix rose 3.2%.

SK Hynix's decline widened to 7.57%, while Samsung Electronics fell 2.64%.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea's KOSPI index rose 1.67% intraday, SK Hynix fell 7.57%, and Samsung Electronics dropped 2.64%.

Samsung Electronics: AI drives stronger demand for servers and memory in the second half of the year, expects full-year profit to continue growing.

Samsung Electronics has announced its second-quarter financial results: revenue reached 171 trillion won, operating profit stood at 89.4 trillion won, basically in line with market expectations; net profit was 71.3 trillion won, exceeding the market forecast of 68.5 trillion won. Among them, the chip division’s second-quarter operating profit hit 89.2 trillion won. Looking ahead, Samsung Electronics stated that server chip demand will remain strong in the second half of the year, and the chip supply shortage is expected to persist, while demand for mobile and PC chips may slow down. The company expects that driven by continuous capital expenditure on AI infrastructure and broader autonomous AI applications, memory business demand will continue to stay strong, and it forecasts that profit will keep growing in the second half of the year. Additionally, the depreciation of the won brought a positive impact of approximately 3.1 trillion won on the company’s second-quarter results.

US media: Elon Musk plans to strongly support the Republican Party in the midterm elections.

According to Axios, Elon Musk is inserting himself into the midterm elections with a large-scale investment plan aimed at boosting Republican voter turnout. The report states that Musk is reviving his previously dormant Super PAC, America PAC, which spent over $260 million in 2024 to help Donald Trump win the presidency. Sources familiar with the matter said the committee will focus on door-to-door canvassing, digital advertising, and direct mail campaigns to mobilize its conservative base, including voters who typically do not turn out in non-presidential election years. A representative for Musk declined to disclose specific spending figures, but given his 2024 donation amount, the current investment is expected to be substantial. Musk’s involvement will further expand the Republican Party’s funding advantage over the Democratic Party. Currently, Trump’s low approval ratings on issues such as the economy and the Iran war have put the Republican Party’s prospects of retaining its House and Senate majorities in the November 3 election at risk.

South Korean stocks extended their gains after opening, with SK Hynix rising 4% and Samsung Electronics climbing nearly 6%.

According to Bitget’s market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index has extended its gains to over 3%, SK Hynix rose 4%, and Samsung Electronics gained nearly 6%.

Citrini’s View: Nvidia’s Moat Remains Deep; HBM4 Costs Doubling Drives Up Rubin’s Pricing, With Its High Gross Margins and Strong Pricing Power Unshaken.

Citrini analyst Jukan cited Fubon Securities' *2027 Semiconductor Outlook* report, noting that although HBM4 costs will jump sharply from HBM3e's $17–18 per GB to $31–32 per GB in 2026, pushing Nvidia's Rubin GPU price to roughly $78,000–$80,000, Nvidia will still maintain a high gross margin of 75%–80%, with its pricing power and cost pass-through capability remaining unshaken. The report also pointed out that custom ASIC-based HBM could have even higher costs, reaching $35–36 per GB, meaning HBM costs will double by 2027. Fubon Securities remains optimistic about AI market demand, arguing that despite recent concerns over AI inflation, token costs are a more critical factor driving cloud service providers' capital expenditures. At the architecture level, Nvidia's new rack is still planned to use the same number of compute chips, with scale-up within racks via cables and scale-out between racks via NPO/CPO. Additionally, Google plans to deploy 12 million to 15 million TPUs by 2028, with production capacity more than doubling from 2027 levels; Intel's EMIB production capacity is expected to rise to 24,000–25,000 units per month by the end of 2027, while TSMC is slowing SoIC expansion to prioritize scaling up CoWoS capacity. The core conclusion is that even with changes to its cost structure, Nvidia's pricing power, gross margin, and demand support in the AI computing ecosystem still form an unassailable competitive moat.

SK Hynix has corrected nearly 50% from its June peak, Samsung Electronics has fallen around 41% cumulatively, and Kioxia has declined by more than 60%.

According to Bitget market data, the storage sector has undergone a deep correction and fallen into a technical bear market. South Korean stock SK Hynix has plunged nearly 50% from its June peak of 2,987,000 won (approx. $2,043) to 1,550,000 won (approx. $1,060); Samsung Electronics has dropped about 41% from its June high of 374,500 won (approx. $256) to 220,000 won (approx. $150). South Korea’s KOSPI index stands at 6,023 points, down roughly 36% from its June peak of 9,385.59 points. Japanese storage stock Kioxia has fallen over 60% from its peak of 112,700 yen to 44,550 yen. According to BIT (bit.com) market data, U.S. stocks Micron Technology has corrected around 29% from its peak, SanDisk down ~46%, Seagate down ~29%, and Western Digital down ~38%. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) has corrected over 35%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index is down about 21%.

230,862 new Tron accounts created, up 42.87% to highest daily total this month

Yesterday, 230,862 new accounts were created on #Tron, up 42.87% and marking the highest daily total in the past month.

Yesterday, 230,862 new accounts were created on #Tron, up 42.87% and marking the highest daily total in the past month.

Yesterday, 230,862 new accounts were created on #Tron, up 42.87% and marking the highest daily total in the past month.

Nanfang Fund's double-leveraged long ETF tracking SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics fell more than 20% in a single trading day.

South Korea’s semiconductor sector slumped sharply. The South China twice-leveraged SK Hynix ETF (07709) fell 27.08% intraday to HK$39.740, while the South China twice-leveraged Samsung Electronics ETF (07747) dropped 23.66% to HK$63.680.

Lee Jae-myung strongly invites U.S. capital to invest in South Korea's tech sector.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that South Korea and the U.S. should expand their cooperation beyond their long-standing security alliance, covering also sectors of technology, innovation, and startups. He emphasized that combining the U.S.’s world-class venture capital capabilities and global networks with South Korea’s advanced technological strength and manufacturing competitiveness will foster a new batch of global innovative enterprises. Lee also called on U.S. venture capital firms to step up cooperation and expand investments in South Korea, while pledging to build one of the world’s most attractive investment and startup ecosystems. He noted that South Korea will reform its visa system to better attract overseas entrepreneurial talent, and lay the groundwork for establishing a cooperation framework between domestic and foreign enterprises, research institutions, and investors. He also committed to helping South Korean startups grow into globally competitive firms by connecting privately and publicly managed funds.

Publicly listed company Tron Inc. has increased its holdings by over 150,000 TRX tokens, pushing its total TRX holdings past 706.7 million.

Nasdaq-listed firm Tron Inc. announced today that it has acquired 150,517 TRON tokens at an average price of $0.3322, further expanding its TRX treasury. Following the purchase, Tron Inc.’s total TRX holdings now exceed 706.7 million tokens. The company stated it will continue to grow its TRX digital asset treasury to enhance long-term shareholder value.

Market news: Samsung Electronics and Broadcom have reached an advanced storage chip foundry agreement worth $200 billion.

According to market sources, Samsung Electronics and Broadcom have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a five-year, $200 billion advanced storage chip foundry agreement.

Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and global tech giants have secured a $950 billion cooperation project.

South Korea’s presidential office policy chief Kim Yong-beom announced that Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and global tech giants including Nvidia (NVDA.O) have reached an agreement to carry out a series of cooperation projects totaling $950 billion. According to Kim, these projects include a long-term deal under which SK Group will supply high-performance semiconductors worth $750 billion to global tech companies including Nvidia. In addition, Samsung Electronics will provide chips worth $200 billion to Broadcom (AVGO.O).

Anthropic CEO Signs Supply Agreements with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei announced that the company has signed a supply agreement with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Bloomberg recently reported that a senior official from South Korea’s presidential office revealed Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will sign a multi-billion-dollar deal with top U.S. tech firms during Lee Jae-myung’s visit. The collaboration is expected to cover long-term storage chip supply contracts, strategic investment partnerships, and memoranda of understanding (MOUs), with the exact scale to be disclosed after the firms make official announcements. Lee Jae-myung will arrive in San Francisco local time on Friday, attend an AI summit, and hold talks with U.S. tech leaders including NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan.

South Korean officials: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will sign major agreements with US firms during Lee Jae-myung’s visit to the United States.

South Korea's Presidential Office Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom announced that during President Lee Jae-myung's Silicon Valley visit, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will sign major deals involving "huge" funds with leading U.S. tech companies. The agreements may include new long-term memory chip supply pacts, strategic cooperative investment partnerships, and memoranda of understanding. Kim did not specify the exact amount. He added that President Lee Jae-myung's visit acted as a "catalyst" to help conclude long-running negotiations between South Korean and U.S. enterprises. Lee departed for the U.S. on Friday, and he will attend an artificial intelligence summit, holding separate meetings with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan.

Intel's pre-market trading rose nearly 5% on the back of strong Q2 performance and Q3 guidance that exceeded expectations.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), Intel (INTC) is up nearly 5% in pre-market trading, as its Q2 results were strong and Q3 guidance exceeded expectations.

STMicroelectronics' European shares widened their intraday decline to 17%.

According to Bitget's market data, STMicroelectronics' European-listed shares saw their intraday decline widen to 17% after the company's earlier earnings outlook missed expectations.

Citigroup: STMicroelectronics' stock price has already priced in growth expectations.

Citi analysts noted in a client report that the stock of STMicroelectronics (STM.N) already reflects a recovery in its end markets and accelerating growth in data center revenue. The analysts added that the European chipmaker’s second-quarter results and guidance were largely in line with market consensus, driving its share price higher this year. Since January, STMicroelectronics’ share price has more than doubled, surging nearly 160%. The analysts warned: “Without a positive catalyst to lift expectations, the stock could face near-term resistance.”

Wintermute: Crypto markets have performed relatively strongly this week, but the uptrend has not yet been confirmed.

Wintermute’s market analysis states that June’s U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.4% month-over-month, marking the largest single-month decline since April 2020. The overall inflation rate dropped from 4.2% to 3.5%, below the market’s expected 3.8%. Markets have priced out the possibility of a July interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve, but renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran and the resumption of port blockades pushed Brent crude up 15.54% for the week. Risk assets showed clear divergence: Ethereum (ETH) rose 3.64%, Bitcoin (BTC) gained 1.46%, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 4.16%. Following the U.S. CPI release, Bitcoin briefly surged from around $62,000 to $64,900, and ETH jumped as much as 7% to $1,884, triggering roughly $134 million in short-position liquidations within an hour. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a combined net inflow of approximately $191 million on Tuesday and Wednesday, ending a 10-day streak of net outflows. However, compared to June’s record $4.5 billion net outflow, the current inflow scale remains insufficient to confirm a sustained trend. Bitcoin held onto its post-CPI gains amid a sell-off in chip stocks, indicating the crypto market structure is repairing but has not yet formed a definitive upward trend. Wintermute believes that if spot Bitcoin ETFs maintain net inflows for a consecutive week and Bitcoin trades above $66,000 for several sessions, the market’s relative strength signal will be confirmed. This assessment could be invalidated if Brent crude breaks above $90 or the Strait of Hormuz is officially closed.

Binance to conduct TRON (TRX) network wallet maintenance on July 23, suspending deposits and withdrawals for approximately 1 hour.

Binance announced it will perform wallet maintenance on the TRON (TRX) network at 06:00 UTC on July 23 (14:00 Beijing Time). To facilitate the maintenance, TRON (TRX) network deposit and withdrawal services will be suspended starting at 05:55 UTC on July 23 (13:55 Beijing Time). The maintenance is expected to last approximately one hour; services will resume once the network stabilizes, with no additional announcement required. The exchange noted that this wallet maintenance will not impact spot trading of TRON-related tokens, all technical work will be handled by the platform, and users do not need to take any action.

US storage sector posts a strong rebound, with Micron, SK Hynix and other related stocks surging over 10% each, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index notches its largest single-day gain in nearly a month.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), US stocks opened higher and rallied, with all three major indexes closing higher. The Nasdaq rose 1.29%, the S&P 500 gained 0.89%, and the Dow Jones rose 0.74%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index closed up 5.21%, notching its largest single-day gain since June 22. The storage sector saw a strong rebound: SanDisk jumped over 14%, SK Hynix rose more than 13%, Western Digital and Micron Technology each gained over 12%, Seagate Technology rose more than 11%, and Kioxia ADR surged over 17%. SpaceX rose more than 3%, ending its seven-day losing streak on the daily chart.

Japanese and South Korean stock markets closed higher, with SK Hynix up 4% and Samsung Electronics up 6.1%.

According to Bitget market data, the Nikkei 225 index closed up 2091.07 points, or 3.26%, to 66232.19 points. South Korea’s KOSPI index rose 231.68 points, a 3.56% gain, ending at 6747.95 points. SK Hynix closed up 4%, while Samsung Electronics gained 6.1%.

South Korea’s KOSPI index rose 4% intraday, with SK Hynix up 4.7% and Samsung Electronics climbing 6.4%.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index rose 4% intraday, currently trading at 6777.32 points. SK Hynix is up 4.7%, and Samsung Electronics gained 6.4%.

Samsung Electronics rose over 4%, while SK Hynix gained more than 3%.

According to Bitget data, South Korea’s KOSPI index posted an intraday gain of 2.51%, with Samsung Electronics rising 4.51% and SK Hynix up 3.52%.

Serenity: Positive factors including news of Kimi’s computing power shortage and new contracts have driven a strong rebound in AI cloud and data center stocks.

Serenity noted in a report that stocks related to AI cloud and data centers have rebounded sharply. IREN rose 19.69% after the company raised its annual recurring revenue target to over $4 billion following the signing of a new AI cloud services contract; its current clients include Microsoft, NVIDIA, Perplexity, and Figure. Hut 8 (HUT) gained 10.45% after signing a 15-year, $9.8 billion AI data center lease agreement. Cipher Mining (CIFR) climbed 16.76%, CleanSpark (CLSK) advanced 13.7%, and WhiteFiber (WYFI) added 9.18%. In contrast, Nebius (NBIS) and CoreWeave (CRWV) have not seen significant gains so far. Serenity believes that driven by catalysts including news of Kimi’s computing power shortage and new contracts, emerging AI cloud service providers and data center hosting firms are witnessing a clear recovery.

The total accounts on #Tron has surpassed 394M. Active accounts reached 4,646,026, up 4.64% in the past 24 hours.

The total accounts on #Tron has surpassed 394M. Active accounts reached 4,646,026, up 4.64% in the past 24 hours.

South Korea's KOSPI index dropped over 4% once again, with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics both down 4.4%.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index has fallen by over 4% again. Both SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics dropped 4.4%.

Southern Fund’s double-leveraged long ETFs tracking SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics both rose 15% at opening.

Southern’s 2x Long SK Hynix (07709.HK) and Southern’s 2x Long Samsung Electronics (07747.HK) both opened 15% higher.

South Korea's stock index opened down more than 4%, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both falling over 5%.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea's KOSPI index opened 283.95 points lower, down 4.16% to 6536.65 points. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both fell more than 5%.

Trezor Executive Responds to ZachXBT’s Questions: Hardware Wallets Remain the Strongest Self-Custody Option for Regular Users

In response to on-chain investigator ZachXBT’s earlier claim that “all hardware wallets are garbage and not recommended for signing transactions or storing funds,” Trezor’s Chief Commercial Officer Danny Sanders pushed back, calling the assessment overly one-sided. Sanders acknowledged that hardware wallet software or firmware updates can indeed disrupt critical operations like high-value transactions, and current products still have gaps in balancing security and usability. However, he noted that the scenario ZachXBT described primarily applies to advanced users managing large sums of assets, and a single hardware wallet is not the optimal solution on its own—so the entire hardware wallet category should not be dismissed based on that. Sanders also pointed out that using an iPhone dedicated solely to signing and storing assets has some value as an advanced security measure, but compared to hardware wallets, mobile devices have a larger attack surface due to features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular connectivity, and iMessage. Additionally, hardware wallets come with an independent display that lets users verify transaction details before signing, making them still the strongest self-custody option available for regular crypto users. Furthermore, Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm partially agreed with ZachXBT’s view, noting that current mobile wallets lack support for BIP39 passphrases and air-gapped signing, and urged wallet developers to add these security features as soon as possible.

Following Samsung and SK Hynix's lead, ASML plans to offer a one-time €20,000 bonus to its employees, with strong demand for AI fueling the company's performance growth.

ASML Holding, the Dutch semiconductor giant, will issue a one-time €20,000 (approximately $22,862) bonus to all its global employees. Fueled by record-high sales driven by surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand, the company has joined a growing cohort of chip firms in sharing performance gains with staff. The firm will grant stock awards to its global workforce on January 1, 2027, provided employees remain employed throughout the vesting period, with the awards fully vested by early 2030. The move comes as the global AI boom has sent demand for ASML’s products soaring. Earlier, chipmakers including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have also awarded bonuses to their employees. As AI infrastructure investments generate massive returns, an increasing number of the most benefiting firms are facing pressure to distribute more profits to their staff. In May this year, TSMC also committed to boosting average profit sharing for its employees by over 30% this year.

Hong Kong-listed CSOP 2x Long Samsung Electronics product plunged more than 20%.

According to Bitget market data, Hong Kong-listed Southern’s 2x Long Samsung Electronics (07747) plunged over 20%, while Southern’s 2x Long SK Hynix (07709) dropped more than 18%.

SEC Chair advocates for new electronic delivery rules: In the era of AI and blockchain, paper-based delivery should become a relic of the past.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally proposed the new "Regulation E-Delivery", significantly expanding the authority of entities including issuers, broker-dealers, and investment advisers to deliver information electronically. The rule aims to meet disclosure and delivery requirements under federal securities laws, and promote electronic delivery as a more mainstream, flexible option to replace traditional paper-based delivery. SEC Chair Paul Atkins noted that this is another step toward building a modern-era regulatory framework and a key pillar of his agenda since taking office. "In the age of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, default paper delivery should be a historical relic, not the standard." Earlier, Atkins launched "Project Crypto" to modernize on-chain markets, and the electronic delivery rule aligns with his broader regulatory modernization agenda. The proposal will subsequently enter a public comment period.

The core logic driving tech stocks is showing an anomaly: the stronger their fundamentals, the heavier the selling pressure, as the market reassesses AI capital expenditures.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), TSMC’s strong Q2 results ahead of yesterday’s US stock market opening failed to lift the chip sector. Instead, its higher capital expenditure guidance prompted a market re-examination of AI investment return timelines, revealing an anomalous phenomenon in tech stocks: the stronger the fundamentals, the heavier the selling pressure. TSMC posted a 67.7% gross margin and raised its capital expenditure guidance to $60–64 billion. This should have been strong evidence for the AI capital expenditure narrative, but the market interpreted it as "spending bloat". Most US tech stocks closed lower this morning, with declines including: Tesla down 0.86%, Amazon down 1.99%, NVIDIA down 2.40%, Meta down 2.46%, and Alphabet Class A down 4.44%.

Bank of America raises JPMorgan Chase’s price target to $420, noting the stock still has upside potential after its strong earnings report.

According to CNBC, Bank of America reiterated its 'Buy' rating on JPMorgan Chase stock and raised its price target for the firm from $408 to $420, implying roughly 21% upside from Wednesday’s closing price, following JPMorgan’s release of strong second-quarter results. JPMorgan’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter came in at $6.14, beating Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $5.85; revenue totaled $52.42 billion, also exceeding the forecast of $50.19 billion. Bank of America analyst Ebrahim Poonawala noted that JPMorgan holds advantages in capital markets operations, AI capital expenditure, digital asset adoption, operating leverage, and capital flexibility, with its large-scale investments spanning branches, wealth management, and online banking in the UK and Europe. JPMorgan’s management also stated that the U.S. real economy has shown resilience amid multiple macroeconomic shocks. Bank of America believes that the resilience of consumers and businesses to the high-interest rate environment may continue to support JPMorgan’s performance and stock price. The stock has rallied nearly 8% so far this year.

TSMC’s CEO bluntly voiced “envy” over storage manufacturers’ 86% gross margin, and clearly stated that strong AI demand will persist through 2030.

TSMC today released better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its full-year revenue and capital expenditure outlook across the board. Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei stated at the meeting that he is "very envious" of the 86% gross margin posted by memory chip makers, and also emphasized that AI is a brand-new industry with strong demand that will persist through 2030. TSMC’s Q2 financial report shows net profit of NT$706.6 billion, exceeding the market expectation of NT$623.73 billion; its gross margin stood at 67.7%, also beating market forecasts. Wei reiterated at the meeting that seeing the 86% gross margin of memory firms, he is "truly envious", but stressed that as a partner of its memory chip customers, TSMC will not suddenly raise prices sharply and drive clients out of the market. "Our customers must succeed. One of my South Korean competitors has indeed made a lot of money, and frankly, I am envious," he said.

TSMC expects demand to remain strong in Q3, with its full-year revenue coming in higher than earlier forecasts.

TSMC (TSM.N) announced that it expects its third-quarter revenue this year to range between $44.6 billion and $45.8 billion, compared to its Q3 2025 revenue of $33.1 billion. The chipmaker projects demand will remain strong in the third quarter, and forecasts its U.S. dollar-denominated revenue growth for 2026 will be slightly above 40%, an upward revision from its earlier forecast of over 30%.

The U.S. has officially launched a Section 337 investigation into DRAM devices, their downstream products, and components (II), naming Samsung Electronics, Google, NVIDIA, and others as respondents.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to launch a Section 337 investigation targeting certain dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) devices, their downstream products, and components (II) (Investigation No. 337-TA-1511). The ITC will set the investigation’s termination date within 45 days of case filing. Unless vetoed by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on policy grounds, the relief orders issued by the ITC in Section 337 cases take effect on the date of issuance and become final 60 days thereafter.

China Southern’s 2x Leveraged Long SK Hynix and 2x Leveraged Long Samsung Electronics ETFs both fell 15% at the opening.

According to Bitget's market data, Hong Kong-listed Southern 2x Long SK Hynix and Southern 2x Long Samsung Electronics both opened down 15%.

South Korea's stock index opened more than 3% higher, with SK Hynix surging 10% and Samsung Electronics rising 7%.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index opened 239.58 points higher on Wednesday, July 15, surging 3.49% to 7096.41 points. SK Hynix rose 10% and Samsung Electronics gained 7%.

Samsung Electronics: Not currently considering the possibility of issuing American Depositary Receipts.

Samsung Electronics says it is not currently considering issuing American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). Earlier, sources familiar with the matter revealed that Samsung Electronics is in the preliminary stage of exploring ADR issuance. The company has held initial discussions with multiple banks but has not yet decided whether to move forward with the plan. Samsung will closely monitor the volatile performance of memory chip stocks during the decision-making process. If it ultimately proceeds with a US listing, its massive business portfolio and ongoing labor disputes may pose challenges to the transaction structure design. Sources added that Samsung evaluated ADR issuance in the past but ultimately abandoned the idea. However, SK Hynix’s recent successful US listing has given Samsung new impetus to re-examine this option. BlockBeats Note: Samsung Electronics is one of the core subsidiaries of Samsung Group; the two are not parallel independent entities.

Institutions: The strong U.S. dollar is suppressing gold prices in the short term, but may further reinforce gold’s status as a long-term reserve asset.

Gold prices have fallen roughly 25% from their year-to-date all-time high, weighed down by elevated interest rates, a strong U.S. dollar, and higher energy prices that have lifted holding costs, leaving the metal under notable short-term pressure. However, multiple market participants argue that this correction has not altered gold’s long-term investment thesis. Paul Wong, a market strategist at Sprott, attributes the recent gold decline to a stronger U.S. dollar, rising expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes, and concentrated liquidations by quantitative funds. He notes that the current gold price drop has significantly outpaced the actual rise in the dollar and short-term interest rates, indicating that the headwinds from high rates and a strong greenback have been largely priced in. Wong points out that while a stronger dollar tends to weigh on gold in the short term, over the long run, the stronger the U.S. currency, the greater the global incentive to seek alternative reserve assets to the dollar, which in turn boosts gold’s strategic standing as a neutral reserve asset. Against a backdrop of widening global fiscal deficits, central banks’ continued gold purchases, and rising geopolitical fragmentation, gold is gradually evolving from a mere inflation hedge into a currency hedge, reserve asset, and even a potential international financial collateral. He believes that gold and the U.S. dollar could strengthen in tandem over the long term for different reasons: the dollar benefits from its core role in the global financial system, while gold benefits from the trend toward diversification of global reserve assets. However, at the cyclical level, gold prices still tend to maintain an inverse correlation with the U.S. Dollar Index.