A Russian man was kidnapped in Bali and forced to hand over the passwords to his crypto asset accounts.

Bitcoin reserve firm Empery Digital (EMPD) disclosed that it has sold 1,400 BTC over the past two months at an average price of $62,200, generating total proceeds of roughly $87.1 million to invest in AI data center projects and repay debts. A portion of the funds was used to acquire a 25% stake in an AI data center project, while another $10 million went toward settling outstanding debts. Following the sale, Empery Digital’s Bitcoin holdings fell by 48%, leaving it with 1,514 BTC valued at approximately $97 million at current prices. In response to the news, EMPD’s stock rose as much as 4.2% in early trading before closing with a 1.58% gain. The market notes that investors hold a positive attitude toward the company’s move to convert part of its Bitcoin reserves into AI infrastructure investments.

According to a New York Times report, a commercial ship was attacked again in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday local time, and the U.S. subsequently launched a new round of strikes on Iranian targets. The escalating situation in the Middle East is likely to trigger renewed sharp fluctuations in international oil prices after Sunday’s market opening. Data shows that the average daily number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to 22, far lower than the pre-conflict level of over 130 per day. Brent crude oil closed this week near $76 per barrel, roughly 5% higher than levels before the conflict broke out. The report noted that Iran insists commercial ships use its designated shipping lanes, while some vessels that took routes near the Omani coast under U.S. military escort have remained targets of attacks. Analysts believe that although oil prices are still far below the near-$120 per barrel peak during the conflict, Iran has proven it still has the ability to influence the global energy market through the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Middle East tensions have sharply escalated in a short period, with multiple Gulf countries sounding alarms and activating their air defense systems one after another: - Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior announced that air raid sirens have sounded across the country. - According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency and Fars News, Jordan’s air defense system has been activated. - Fars News, citing Arab sources, reported two explosions in Kuwait. - The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority stated that its air defense system is responding to missile threats. - Witnesses reported explosions in Doha, Qatar’s capital, and the Qatari government has sent safety alerts to residents’ mobile phones. - The UAE Ministry of Defense confirmed that its air defense system is intercepting missiles and drones coming from the direction of Iran. Multiple Gulf and neighboring countries, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar, have successively entered a state of emergency, indicating that the conflict has spread from Iran’s mainland and the Strait of Hormuz to the entire Gulf region.

According to Al Jazeera, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has stated that the country is at a high security threat level, urging all people to remain indoors or in safe locations. The ministry called on the public to follow safety instructions and avoid non-essential travel. This follows reports from Iranian media that Iran launched a series of strikes targeting US objectives in the Middle East.

According to Iranian media reports, Iran has launched a series of strikes against U.S. targets in the Middle East. (Xinhua News Agency)

According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, a whale has withdrawn a total of 49,407 ETH (worth approximately $84.3 million) and 250 WBTC (worth around $15.66 million) from Binance since June 30, totaling roughly $99.86 million.