Chair of the U.S. Republican National Committee: Expects the Republican Party to retain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives after the midterm elections.

Goldman Sachs partner and Head of US Equity Execution Services John Flood said that while US equity issuance is projected to hit an all-time high in 2026, demand for stocks will continue to outpace supply, with the S&P 500 index poised to rise further to 8,000 points. The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high of 7,757 points last Friday, marking its 26th record high so far this year. Goldman Sachs projects total US equity issuance will reach around $700 billion in 2026, with IPOs accounting for just over $225 billion and other issuances making up roughly $450 billion. Despite the record total size, this amounts to only about 1% of the Russell 3000 index’s market capitalization, roughly in line with the historical average from 2015 to 2019. The current issuance level is closer to market normalization rather than an overheated boom. Meanwhile, stock buybacks remain a key pillar supporting market demand. US companies have already authorized $989 billion in buybacks so far this year, an all-time high; Goldman Sachs forecasts full-year 2026 open-market stock repurchases will hit $1.4 trillion, significantly exceeding the roughly $700 billion in primary market issuances. Even when accounting for potential additional supply from post-IPO lock-up expirations, demand will still outpace supply. The current growth in equity issuance is primarily driven by AI investment demand, with AI-related issuances accounting for about 40% of US follow-on offerings. As mega-cap tech firms are projected to spend over $1 trillion annually on capital expenditures in the coming years, other companies may also turn to financing to support their AI investment plans. However, Goldman Sachs expects that external financing for mega-cap tech companies will remain dominated by debt, with equity financing serving a supplementary role.

According to official announcements, Lista DAO, a DeFi protocol on BNB Chain, has launched the slisXAUE yield campaign based on gold assets. The token is a joint initiative by Lista DAO and XAUE Protocol: after users deposit XAUT, Lista will deploy it on XAUE and wrap it into slisXAUE, which currently offers a native annual percentage yield (APY) of around 3%. The slisXAUE Gold Campaign Phase 1 will launch on August 10 and run for 60 days. During the campaign, the top 10 addresses by time-weighted average holdings will earn an extra 5% APY, bringing the total maximum annualized return to around 8% when combined with the native yield. Participants must maintain an average of at least 20 slisXAUE tokens throughout the campaign; rankings are based on the 60-day time-weighted average holdings, not just balances at a single point. The total reward pool is capped at XAUT equivalent to 10,000 USDT, with a maximum reward of XAUT equivalent to 1,000 USDT per address. Rewards do not require manual claiming—eligible users will receive them automatically.

According to official information from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Grayscale has withdrawn the S-1 registration applications for its Grayscale Cardano Trust ETF, Grayscale Hedera Trust ETF, and Grayscale Polkadot Trust ETF.

According to a report from the International Business Times, prominent crypto investor Harry Yeh died after falling from the approximately 30th floor of a luxury residential building in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. Local police received an emergency call around 4:30 a.m. Friday, and subsequently discovered Yeh’s body at the base of the Jade Park residential complex. The report states that his body was naked, covered with a black plastic bag, and the fall spanned roughly 100 meters. Police later inspected Yeh’s apartment on the 30th floor, finding the door open and the interior in disarray, with no other individuals present at the scene. They also collected evidence from two properties linked to Yeh—on the 27th and 30th floors—and submitted the relevant evidence to the prosecutor’s office. At this time, police have not determined the cause of Yeh’s fall. His 29-year-old Brazilian partner has been questioned by authorities but has not been accused of any misconduct. Yeh’s remains have been sent to the judicial morgue for an autopsy, and police are awaiting forensic examination results. Yeh began investing in Bitcoin in 2013, when the cryptocurrency traded at around $60. He later founded Quantum Fintech Group, which focused on digital assets and blockchain projects, and participated in initiatives including LIF3, L3 Reserve, and Tomb Finance. He and his company previously claimed to manage or invest more than $2 billion in digital assets, though these figures have not been independently verified. The case remains under investigation.

The Korea Development Institute (KDI) said in its monthly economic assessment report on Monday that South Korea’s economy is showing broader signs of improvement, driven by semiconductor-related sectors. The institute added that exports and facility investment continue to post strong growth, fueled by the semiconductor industry, while durable goods consumption has accelerated overall consumer spending. It also noted that overall industrial production has recorded robust growth, supported by steady growth in the services sector and a rebound in manufacturing. However, the KDI pointed out that South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy, still faces uncertainties including U.S. tariff policies and ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East. The think tank also emphasized that South Korea remains at a high inflation level, and a deteriorating employment situation is posing challenges to the economy. (Jinshi)

Per Bitget market data, Hong Kong’s Nanfang 2x Leveraged Long SK Hynix (07709) is quoted at 29.32, down 5.6%; Nanfang’s 2x Leveraged Long Samsung Electronics (07747) is quoted at 61.84, down 2.95%.