Iranian Foreign Minister: The opening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on whether Iran's conditions are met.

Earlier this month, hundreds of diplomats gathered in a large UN conference room in Switzerland to push for a robust treaty regulating the use of lethal autonomous weapons. This would be the first agreement governing the use of lethal AI weapons. However, on the final day of negotiations, talks devolved into a fierce standoff. According to three people familiar with the discussions, over roughly 15 hours, U.S. and Russian diplomats made extensive revisions to the treaty text, deleting a series of provisions aimed at ensuring the safe use of AI weapons. Those sources said the two sides removed language requiring relevant systems to operate in a "predictable" and "reliable" manner, as well as a clause mandating consideration of ethical factors when using AI weapons. They added that the U.S. and Russian teams also cut a provision requiring human review of AI-generated military targets before launching strikes. The watering down of the agreement reveals how the two countries are working to weaken global regulatory rules targeting lethal AI weapons, even as the Pentagon accelerates integration of this emerging technology into its battlefield strategies. (The Washington Post)

U.S. President Trump stated that "Super Intelligence" is a more fitting name, explaining that the word "Artificial" often carries connotations of being "fake" or "unreal"—but AI is not a false entity, but an extremely powerful form of intelligence.

Renowned trader Bonk Guy said in a post that he is bullish on STONK and has recently bought a large amount of STONK ecosystem tokens. He believes the ecosystem has strong development potential and may perform well in the long run. However, Bonk Guy called on the STONK community to stop regarding all potentially competing projects as attempts to siphon the ecosystem. He noted that the only factor currently causing him pessimism about the STONK ecosystem is that influential participants within it are continuously promoting the narrative that "all competitors are siphons". This internal anti-competitive attitude is even more worrying than coordinated FUD targeting the STONK ecosystem from outside. He emphasized that the market can and will have multiple winners at the same time.

US President Donald Trump said: "I reject Iran's proposal."

Crypto KOL and former FTX community partner Benson Sun posted that he expects Bitcoin’s current market cycle to follow a slow bull run marked by successive new all-time highs, rather than the sharp short-term rallies that peaked abruptly in 2013 and 2017. Before the actual cycle peak arrives, the market may see multiple local topping signals in succession. He noted that since 2021, BTC’s main buying demand has gradually shifted from retail investors to institutional players including public companies, spot ETFs, and corporate treasuries. Since institutions primarily purchase spot assets, and some funds also use delta neutral strategies for arbitrage, traditional metrics such as funding rates and MVRV Z-Score may not reach extreme levels again at the cycle peak. The upcoming cycle peak is more likely to be defined by a lack of follow-through from institutional capital, rather than widespread retail euphoria. The Institutional Liquidity Index (ILI), which tracks overall U.S. dollar liquidity, Strategy’s mNAV, and Bitcoin ETF net flows, is designed to determine if institutional capital is aligning with BTC when the asset hits new highs. A yellow divergence occurs when BTC posts a 30-day rolling high while the ILI fails to rise in tandem; a red divergence forms when BTC breaks its all-time high and the ILI is in divergence and below 50. Benson Sun stated that he will use the number of yellow divergences as a reference for gauging the cycle’s progress: each occurrence will prompt him to appropriately reduce his altcoin positions and leverage; as the market enters its later stages, he will gradually increase his BTC allocation and eventually hold only spot assets. If a red divergence appears, he will stop further participation.

Circle announced that Jeremy Fox-Geen will step down as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) after more than five years in the role. To ensure a smooth transition, he will remain in his position through the end of December 2026, though his tenure could conclude earlier if a successor is appointed sooner. The company has launched a search for a new CFO. Fox-Geen joined Circle in May 2021, where he contributed to building the firm’s financial organizational structure and supported its $1.2 billion initial public offering (IPO). Circle noted that he also helped drive over five consecutive years of the company’s growth. Fox-Geen stated that his time as Circle’s CFO has been a significant career experience, adding that after the company achieved multiple milestones, now is the appropriate time to step down and take a break before the next phase of his professional journey. He also expressed confidence in Circle’s future.