South Korean stocks send clear signals of market improvement, with leverage liquidation nearing its end and retail investor leverage positions falling to their lowest level in three months.

Google parent company Alphabet and Tesla will release their second-quarter 2026 financial results after U.S. stock market closes tonight. The market is closely focused on core metrics including AI investment returns, cloud business growth, and profitability. Market projections show Alphabet’s Q2 revenue is around $116.8 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) of $2.87. Investors will zero in on Google Cloud’s growth, capital expenditures for AI infrastructure, and the commercialization progress of the Gemini large language model. Whether Google Cloud can sustain its high growth and whether AI investments will yield returns will be key factors impacting its stock price. For Tesla, the market expects Q2 revenue of approximately $25.31 billion, with EPS of $0.50. While the company previously announced its Q2 vehicle deliveries hit 480,100 units, beating market expectations, the market is more concerned about whether delivery growth can translate into revenue and profit expansion, and whether automotive gross margins will remain under pressure. In addition, the latest developments of long-term growth businesses such as Robotaxi, energy storage, Full Self-Driving (FSD), and Optimus will also be key areas of investor focus.

Crypto financial services firm Galaxy Digital has announced the launch of the $5 million Bitcoin Quantum Readiness Initiative, which will fund developers researching solutions to counter future quantum computing threats. The program is now open for applications, with funding areas including post-quantum signature algorithms, wallet migration tools, and security audits, among others. Galaxy said it aims to attract more institutions to contribute capital and research, accelerating Bitcoin’s transition to post-quantum cryptography. According to CryptoQuant data, if future quantum computers gain the capability to crack Bitcoin’s existing encryption algorithms, roughly 6.9 million BTC (worth approximately $461 billion at current prices) could face theft risks. While the industry widely holds that quantum computing is not yet a threat to the Bitcoin network in the short term, protocol upgrades require long-term collaboration among developers, wallet providers, exchanges, and users, so relevant preparations should be initiated as early as possible.

French shipping group CMA CGM announced on its official website that it will impose an emergency bunker surcharge starting August 1 amid renewed escalation of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz. The company stated: "Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz have flared up again in recent days, triggering a sharp surge in fuel prices and reversing the easing trend of recent weeks. Consequently, fuel costs have risen significantly across all regions and routes, pushing up overall shipping costs." The surcharge ranges from $65 to $165 per container and will remain in effect until further notice. (Jinshi)

The U.S. has carried out airstrikes on military targets inside Iran for the 11th consecutive night, while Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks. Analysts say the recent attack on a Jordanian base that killed three U.S. service members demonstrates that Iran still retains strong ballistic missile strike capabilities, with some underground missile bases having resumed operations. According to reports, Iran has recently used multiple weapon systems including the Kheibar Shekan, Fattah, Zolfaghar, Fateh-110, and Qiam ballistic missiles, as well as Shahed drones and Paveh cruise missiles. Commercial satellite imagery shows that Iran is repairing roads at missile bases, clearing tunnel entrances, and gradually restoring the launch capabilities of its underground weapons depots. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that the U.S. remains willing to resolve the Iran crisis through diplomacy, but believes Iran is currently "not taking negotiations seriously". He emphasized that the U.S. will not allow Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, as that would set a dangerous precedent for the safety of international shipping lanes. Separately, reports indicate that Iranian Interior Minister Momeni has visited Pakistan, urging Islamabad to continue facilitating mediation between the U.S. and Iran.

According to Lookonchain’s monitoring, whale address 0x007d is heavily betting on the Nasdaq 100 Index’s rise. Over the past 20 hours, the address opened a 2,353-unit long position in XYZ100 with 20x leverage, carrying a notional value of roughly $68.2 million and an unrealized loss of $85,000 at present. Data shows the liquidation price of this position is $26,833.85.

According to a New York Times report, the ongoing escalation of conflict in Iran has put immense pressure on Pakistan’s business community. With the collapse of the ceasefire agreement, large quantities of goods bound for Iran, including mangoes and textiles, have been stranded at the border, with some fruits already spoiled. Business leaders noted that peace would not only bring down energy prices but also give Pakistan the chance to fully tap the trade potential along its roughly 900-kilometer border with Iran. Pakistan’s economy has remained under pressure due to factors including strained relations with India and Afghanistan, and the business community had originally hoped to ease its woes by deepening trade ties with Iran. However, long-standing U.S. sanctions on Iran have severely restricted bilateral bank settlements, energy cooperation, and trade, forcing much of the commerce to rely on barter, third-country transit, or smuggling channels. Pakistan’s business and industrial circles believe that if sanctions on Iran are relaxed in the future, bilateral trade volume is expected to expand significantly. Pakistan can export rice, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment to Iran, while Iran can supply Pakistan with cheaper oil and gas, and create opportunities for Pakistani companies to participate in Iran’s post-war reconstruction. Currently, several entrepreneurs said they will remain on the sidelines until the situation becomes clearer.