Posts for August 27, 2026

DigitalBridge Group, the U.S. private equity firm that SoftBank Group is set to acquire, has agreed to buy PLUS ES, an independently operated unit of Ausgrid Group.

PLUS ES provides metering and data services to retail electricity companies, utilities, and grid operators, and is one of the country's largest smart meter service providers, overseeing roughly 2 million meters across the national electricity market.

Justin Chang, DigitalBridge Asia-Pacific head and Senior Managing Director, described PLUS ES as positioned at the intersection of digital infrastructure and the energy transition.

The deal remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval, and no transaction value was disclosed.

Global technology equities have traded with heightened volatility after rising long term U.S. Treasuries weighed on growth valuations. The pullback eased as yields cooled and Nvidia posted stronger-than-expected results, supporting a rebound in U.S. and Chinese tech stocks.

Sina Finance analysts note that rate moves influence risk appetite and valuations, but the current weakness cannot be explained by high U.S. Treasuries alone. As the AI industry moves into a phase of large-scale capital spending and real-world validation, the market is shifting from asking whether compute demand exists to evaluating commercialization potential, technological leadership, and the ability to deliver future profits.

On August 26, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.21 percent, the S&P 500 slipped 0.02 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.08 percent. Nvidia dropped 1.59 percent ahead of its earnings release, while Apple, Meta, and Microsoft each rose more than 1 percent.

After the close on August 26, Nvidia reported fiscal second quarter 2027 revenue of 96.22 billion dollars, up 106 percent year over year, with adjusted earnings per share of 2.22 dollars, up 120 percent year over year. The company forecast third quarter revenue of 105.84 billion to 110.16 billion, above the market estimate of 105.15 billion.

Following the report, Nvidia shares at one point rose more than 5 percent in after-hours trading, and storage, networking equipment, and other AI compute-related stocks also strengthened.

Japan's August data from Tokyo showed the core consumer price index excluding fresh food rising 1.8% from a year earlier, matching economists' forecasts and up from 1.7% in July.

Tokyo inflation is often treated as a leading gauge for nationwide price growth, though local government measures — such as tuition-fee reductions — can distort the readings from time to time.

The core-core CPI, which excludes both fresh food and energy, was up about 2% year on year, while the overall CPI increased 1.9%.

Major contributors to the gain were higher costs for education, entertainment, durable goods, and medical care.

Although measures aimed at easing living costs have been introduced, price pressures persisted, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan could move on rates in the near term.

Markets priced in roughly an 82% chance of a September rate hike, with traders noting inflation risks remain elevated even after last month's U.S.-Japan policy actions.

BoJ Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino did not directly push back on market expectations, instead signaling that policymakers should remain mindful of upside risks to inflation from here.

Nvidia has halted a subset of deals that offered credit support in exchange for a share of revenue, people familiar with the matter said.

ChainCatcher's report noted that the specifics of which transactions were affected were not disclosed, nor the reasons behind Nvidia's decision to pause the arrangements.

Some Nvidia employees have told current and prospective customers that the project could trigger antitrust scrutiny.

ChainCatcher says The Wall Street Journal reported these concerns.

According to Wallstreetcn, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that Ben Moss will assume the roles of presidential assistant and White House secretary, with duties starting on September 2.

A federal judge on August 26 lifted a nationwide injunction against new U.S. Postal Service rules governing the mailing of ballots.

The rules require states to redesign ballot envelopes and upload voter lists to the Postal Service, and authorize the Postal Service to decline mailing ballots if the required preparations and data are not met.

Jin10 reports that the U.S. Treasury has issued general licenses covering Venezuela's oil and gas industry, gold production, and mineral operations, including activities tied to Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran will counter any measures that escalate tensions in the economic sphere and will target U.S. economic interests in the region. The remarks were reported by Jin10.

Citing Jin10, WTI crude rose by $0.60 to $82.77 per barrel, while Brent gained $0.70 to $88.03 per barrel.

The stock traded above the $135 level for the first time in 12 weeks, gaining as much as 10% intraday, according to MSX.COM data.

According to Jin10, officials involved in the talks have said the Trump administration has repeatedly informed mediators that it does not intend to reaccept the terms outlined in the June memorandum of understanding with Iran.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said Fidelity has begun selling customer order flow, reversing a policy that had set the firm apart from many peers.

ChainCatcher cited Balchunas, noting that the change is generating roughly $10 million in additional monthly revenue.

Fidelity Investments has begun selling its customers' order flow, reversing a stance that had set it apart from many peers in the industry. The development was noted by Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas in a post on X.

Odaily reports Balchunas estimates the change could bring in roughly $10 million in new monthly revenue for the firm.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) advanced to a fresh intraday peak of $84.80 on Thursday, marking a second all-time high within a week, and traded near $84.07 as its market capitalization approached $19 billion.

The surge followed a breakout past $77, and is linked to the AQAv2 reserve yield program directing about 90% of cost-adjusted yield generated from $6.74 billion of USDC deposits back into HYPE buybacks, BeInCrypto reported, with the first distributions slated for Oct. 3.

Separately, President Donald Trump said on Aug. 20 that Hyperliquid could be available in the United States soon, with the CFTC working on a compliant pathway. Spot HYPE ETFs also saw renewed inflows, and traders monitor $92.37 as the next resistance and $68 as a key support.

Vista Global Holding Ltd. is evaluating a European initial public offering that could raise more than $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports.

U.S. goods imports rose 3.7% in July, while goods exports declined 2.9% for the month, according to data cited by Odaily.

Capital goods imports, led by computers and accessories, semiconductors, and telecommunications equipment, posted their largest gain in this category since 1993.

Dragon Rise Holdings (06829.HK) said on August 27, 2026, that its wholly owned subsidiary DRNE Next Mobility signed a blockchain agency agreement with an integrated blockchain service provider.

According to Foresight News, the agreement covers cooperation to issue privately placed tokenized limited-recourse notes backed by real-world assets on the Ethereum and Solana blockchains.

Nvidia reported Q2 revenue of $96.2 billion, topping expectations, with data-center revenue around $89 billion and earnings per share of $2.22. The company guided Q3 revenue to $108 billion, ahead of consensus, while gross margin was projected at 74%, a sequential decline driven by higher memory, financing and infrastructure costs. CEO Jensen Huang described AI as reaching an inflection point and cited ongoing constraints in power, land and data-center capacity as potential headwinds.

In crypto terms, Bitcoin traded near $79,400 as ETF inflows and treasury dynamics shaped momentum. Eight consecutive days of ETF inflows have totaled about $2.8 billion, with August already the strongest inflow month of 2026. The technical ceiling remains near the 50-week moving average at about $81,085, and a break above the May high near $82,820 would reopen a path toward $100,000.

Market breadth showed mixed signals: Solana rose about 4% to around $101, with XRP down roughly 3% to about $1.42 amid shifting rate-hike expectations. Open interest trends suggested short-covering activity rather than new buying, while ETF inflows continued to provide genuine demand. Nvidia’s after-hours gain helped lift Asian chip shares, though Bitcoin’s reaction remained subdued, consistent with a decoupling between AI momentum and the crypto rally driven by flows and Treasuries dynamics.

Eight straight days of ETF inflows have pushed Bitcoin and Ether-related funds higher, with Ether ETFs also surpassing $1 billion in the same streak. August inflows have now exceeded $3 billion, marking the strongest month of 2026 and roughly double what occurred in April. IBIT accounted for about 62% of Monday’s inflows. Net ETF inflows for 2026 remain negative by roughly $2.5 billion, meaning August has recouped a sizable portion of outflows seen earlier in the year. The ongoing streak could extend through Jackson Hole or stall there, depending on policy cues.

Seoul’s Kospi traded up about 1.5% to a record close after the Bank of Korea raised rates by 25 basis points as expected, with Samsung and SK Hynix among the gainers. The Nikkei in Tokyo fell slightly as investors digested Nvidia’s results, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng eased and Baidu jumped on a dual-primary listing plan and other stock moves. Shanghai rose modestly, underscoring divergent regional exposure to the AI infrastructure trend versus underlying demand dynamics.

Gold advanced in Asia as the dollar weakened, with ANZ Research noting that the weaker dollar supports bullion despite persistent inflation pressures and rate-hike expectations. The market views gold as a scarcity play in a higher-rate environment, contributing to a broader debate about monetary policy and inflation hedging. Some analysts highlighted Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech as a key test for expectations around policy normalization and the potential implications for crypto and alternative assets. The evolving relationship between gold and Bitcoin continues to inform institutional sentiment about Bitcoin’s role as a potential hedging asset.

According to Jin10, the European Central Bank indicated that the path for future oil and natural gas prices remains exposed to elevated risks driven by geopolitical developments in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Russia.

It noted that current oil prices sit well below peak levels seen recently, while futures curves have softened; nevertheless, prices stay well above prewar levels over the forecast horizon and upside risks persist.

The report added that declines in oil prices have not yet softened the medium-term inflation trajectory suggested by market pricing, with inflation expectations remaining anchored.

The ECB emphasized its commitment to its price-stability mandate and said it will act in a timely manner to reach its 2% inflation target over the medium term.

TRON network's Super Representatives have launched a vote on mainnet Committee Proposal No. 107. The ballot is scheduled to conclude at 2 p.m. on August 28.

The proposal aims to enable features in GreatVoyage-v4.8.2 that align TVM with Ethereum's Prague and Osaka upgrades. The planned changes include the ability to query historical block hashes, the introduction of a new CLZ instruction, a secp256r1 precompiled contract supporting Passkey verification, and reduced energy use for the MODEXP operation.

Approval would enhance TVM's compatibility with Ethereum's latest upgrade features and support broader smart contract development and cross-ecosystem interoperability.

Luxxfolio has expanded its Litecoin mining operation by adding 228 Bitmain Scrypt miners, increasing the total to 288 machines.

Foresight News reports that company management expects the expanded fleet to generate about C$120,000 in gross monthly mining revenue, from Litecoin and merged-mining assets.

The projection excludes hosting, electricity, and other operating costs and should not be considered a net income or cash-flow forecast.

Huawei plans to widen its artificial intelligence collaborations with mainland pharmaceutical firms to cover drug development and clinical practice, a senior executive said, as the company pursues a foothold in the growing AI drug discovery market. William Zhang, president of Huawei's healthcare business unit, told RTHK on Wednesday that the firm expects more partnerships that span drug manufacturing, clinical application, and eventual deployment.

The executive noted that Huawei already has some collaborations in hospital clinical practice and is exploring additional opportunities, with current projects primarily involving domestic drugmakers.

The company provides tools for screening candidate drug compounds, backed by its Ascend and Kunpeng processing technologies. In May, Huawei announced a project with state-owned Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings described as the industry's first production validation of AI drug research models developed independently and adapted to Ascend and Kunpeng technologies.

The report also mentions that Nvidia has established AI-related partnerships with drugmakers, including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

Digital Assets Week is set to return to London in 2026 to examine tokenization across issuance, market structure, settlement, custody, liquidity and regulatory alignment.

The event is institution-led and aims to move digital assets from experimentation toward practical deployment in traditional financial markets, BeInCrypto reports.

Speakers are expected from HM Treasury, the Bank of England, the SEC, UBS, HSBC, J.P. Morgan and other participants.

Registration is now open.

Binance disclosed the launch of Agent OS, a framework intended to help users build, deploy, and operate AI agents within its ecosystem. The platform is designed to tie together Binance's market data, payments, on-chain features, data access, and trading capabilities into AI-driven workflows.

The release did not provide timing, availability, or technical specifications for Agent OS. It positions the product as a way to extend AI usage by leveraging Binance's existing services across markets, payments, blockchain activity, and trading, without detailing rollout plans.

As of 07:55 AM UTC on August 27, 2026, Binance Market Data shows Bitcoin moving above the 79,000 USDT level.

BTC is quoted at 79,075.890625 USDT, reflecting a 0.16% increase over the past 24 hours.

Issuance by AI leaders is testing the bond market's tolerance, with price premiums seen as an indicator, Bloomberg reported.

A senior JPMorgan Chase & Co. bond banker in Europe weighed in on the development as AI-focused companies access debt markets.

Pernod Ricard SA expects to reach only the lower end of its medium-term sales growth range as demand in the United States remains weak.

The Paris-based drinks company said the softness in the U.S. market is weighing on its outlook, Bloomberg reported.

SAP SE (SAP.N) shares rose about 2.4% in pre-market trading, aided by earnings from Salesforce and CrowdStrike, according to Jin10.

The Indonesian rupiah and government bonds declined for a third straight session on Thursday as markets weighed whether a small protest in Jakarta would expand into a larger demonstration, Bloomberg reported.

Zcash mobile wallet Zodl has told iOS users to pause in-app voting until the forthcoming release of version 3.10.2. Citing information reported by Foresight News, the wallet notes that an interrupted submission could still cause the app to register a user for this voting round, with a fix being prioritized.

Zodl added that more than two weeks remain in the voting period, so there is no need to rush to vote before updating. If users encounter a wallet already registerede error, they should contact official support and avoid reopening the voting menu, uninstalling the app, clearing data, resetting the wallet, or revealing their seed phrase.

Bloomberg reports that the Philippine Stock Exchange anticipates a smaller pool of brokerage firms if the Securities and Exchange Commission raises the minimum capital requirements for brokers.

The exchange did not provide a timeline or an estimate of how many firms might be affected.

Data published by Jin10 on Thursday indicate a rise in shipping activity at the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing standoff between the United States and Iran.

Market participants are also monitoring negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the management of the waterway.

According to Wallstreetcn, Qwen Office released the Qwen3.8-Flash model and introduced a standard mode, enabling access to the new version through the standard option.

The update is described as delivering lower point consumption and faster token throughput on the latest model.

Qwen Office said its product lineup will be limited to standard and premium modes going forward, with 95% of daily tasks handled by the standard mode and only 5% of complex tasks requiring the premium mode.

Australian household spending rose more than expected in July, according to Bloomberg.

The release adds to signs of solid demand in the economy after three rate increases earlier this year.

Blockstream has published a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal that introduces SHRINCS, a hash-based post-quantum signature scheme. The document notes that SHRINCS has been tested in production on the Liquid sidechain and includes a copy of the Bitcoin white paper.

According to the BIP, the minimum signature size is 548 bytes, roughly nine times larger than a Schnorr signature, though smaller than the NIST-approved ML-DSA and SPHINCS+ schemes. The proposal also states that the security proof remains unfinished and that SHRINCS is stateful, requiring storage of used keys for each signature.

Blockstream notes that the signature grows by 16 bytes with each use, and that a stateless fallback transaction of about 5,777 bytes would be needed to recover funds if a device is lost.

The company estimates Bitcoin could sustain roughly 3 TPS with SHRINCS, or 6.7 TPS if combined with ZK proof aggregation.