Bloomberg: South Korea's stock market is emerging as a key bellwether for global AI stock trading.

Michael Saylor, founder of Strategy, has once again released updates related to Bitcoin Tracker. He stated, "What’s next?" According to historical patterns, Strategy always discloses details of its Bitcoin holdings increase the day after such related announcements are made.

Bubblemaps has released statistics showing that among the 164,538 traders active in the top 50 meme tokens on Robinhood Chain, 63% are in a losing position while 37% are profitable. On the profit side, there are 46 traders with profits exceeding $1 million, 312 with profits over $100,000, 2,458 with profits above $10,000, and 9,774 with profits over $1,000. For losses, 5 traders have incurred losses of more than $10 million, 7 have lost over $1 million, 86 have losses exceeding $100,000, 822 have losses above $10,000, and 6,725 have losses of more than $1,000.

Bank of America chief investment strategist Michael Hartnett has issued a fresh warning, noting the bank’s proprietary Bull & Bear Indicator has surged to an extreme historical level of 9.6. The latest fund manager survey shows current investor optimism rests on four core assumptions: no hard economic landing, no Federal Reserve rate hikes, no cuts to AI capital expenditure, and no Democratic sweep in the congressional midterm elections. Hartnett dubs this combination “no landing, no hike, no cut, no sweep” — the root cause of the market’s near-total lack of short positions. The latest fund flow data confirms the market’s extreme exuberance: U.S. equities saw a net inflow of $55.8 billion, while money market funds recorded a massive net outflow of $119.6 billion, marking the largest weekly cash withdrawal since April 2026; tech sector inflows totaled $48.8 billion over three weeks, a historical record. Hartnett describes this as institutional-driven, reckless momentum chasing. Hartnett advises decisively exiting risk assets this summer and shifting to long-dated Treasuries, defensive sectors, high-dividend stocks, and the U.S. dollar. He names U.S. mega-cap ETF MAGS as a key watch indicator: a break below $65 will drag down the entire cyclical sector, while a breakout above $70 will signal a re-entry point. The biggest tail risk lies in a scenario where mega-cap tech firms announce cuts to AI capital expenditure yet fail to push the Magnificent 7 to new highs — the resulting sharp negative shocks to growth and asset prices would trigger massive short selling in banks, brokers, and industrial stocks.

Circle CEO Heath Tarbert recently admitted in an interview with Fox Business that the company’s stock price has plunged roughly 76% from around $260 in June last year to approximately $62. He responded that if the company executes its long-term plans well—including the Arc blockchain infrastructure project—"the stock price will take care of itself," and stressed that "Circle is in it for the long haul." However, analysts have grown cautious about Circle’s outlook. Mizuho cut its rating on CRCL from "Neutral" to "Underperform," slashing the target price from $85 to $50, implying roughly 21% downside potential. Mizuho noted that even if interest rates stay high through 2027, this will not offset pricing pressure and profit erosion from intensifying competition. Retail investor sentiment on Stocktwits remains in "bullish" territory, while discussion volume stays elevated. Regarding the emerging stablecoin Open USD—backed by around 140 companies and planned to return reserve profits to partners and waive minting fees—Tarbert said Circle welcomes competition, adding that rival consortium models are extremely hard to sustain long-term. He emphasized USDC remains the world’s leading stablecoin, with its core moat built on scale advantages: roughly $73 billion in current circulating supply and native support for 34 blockchains. Meanwhile, Circle is actively expanding its global payment footprint, having signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s JCB to explore USDC use cases in merchant payments and cross-border treasury management, including enabling overseas tourists to use stablecoins for in-person payments in Japan.

Latest data from prediction market platform Predict.fun shows that, as of press time, in forecasts for NBA star LeBron James’ next team, the Miami Heat lead with a 47% probability, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers (23%), Golden State Warriors (10%), Philadelphia 76ers (7%), and Minnesota Timberwolves (2%). Discussions surrounding James’ future destination have been heating up recently. The 41-year-old James told attendees at the July 17 Fanatics Fest event that he “won’t keep everyone waiting long,” adding that his decision on a new team is significant and he will not rush into it. Meanwhile, Miami Heat president Pat Riley publicly extended an olive branch to James, revealing he has held talks with James’ agent Rich Paul, describing the discussions as “very smooth.” Riley also cited Florida’s lack of state income tax, pleasant climate, and high-quality living environment as major draws for players, adding with a meaningful note: “We’ve successfully landed one plane, and now there’s another plane that needs to land.”

The final of the US-Canada-Mexico co-hosted World Cup will kick off at 3:00 AM on July 20 at New Jersey Stadium in the New York metropolitan area. US President Donald Trump has confirmed his attendance. The US has launched a "Level 1" special security operation for the event. Deployments at the venue include F-16 fighter jets, military snipers, and thousands of FBI agents, with temporary flight restrictions and no-fly zones implemented across New York and New Jersey. On match day, roads around the stadium will be under traffic control; fans are required to arrive at least four hours before kickoff, while media must complete check-in and security screening by 12:30 PM Eastern Time on July 19.