Global TradFi & Macroeconomics

On August 19, South Korea’s KOSPI plunged more than 6% in early trading, triggering the circuit breaker mechanism, with chip stocks bearing the brunt. SK Hynix fell more than 7% at one point during the session and was last trading at 1.54M won (approximately $1,095). In the previous trading session, SK Hynix ADR had already plummeted 9.20% in the U.S. market, closing at $155.62. This is not the first time SK Hynix has experienced extreme volatility. Since reaching an all-time high in June this y

According to South Korea's Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy, Minister Kim Jong-gwan met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and USTR Representative Jamieson Greer on August 16-19 to discuss strategic investment projects and trade issues. The emergency visit aimed to maintain

According to Yonhapnews, the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) divested a 0.6% stake (450,000 shares) in Seoul Guarantee Insurance on August 19, recovering 19 billion won through an off-hours block sale. The recovery brought the cumulative recovery rate from the original 10.25 trillion won

Forbes reported on August 18 that the U.S. FY2026 budget deficit so far has surged to $1.8 trillion, creating downside pressure on high-valuation assets such as stocks and cryptocurrencies. Sean Farrell, head of digital asset strategy at Fundstrat, noted that Bitcoin’s recent price volatility is among the lowest on record. Historical data shows that the median absolute price move over the subsequent 60 days is approximately 30%. U.S. FY2026 Budget Deficit Reaches $1.8 Trillion The U.S. FY2026 bu

Kim Jung-hyun, head of ETF business at Shinhan Asset Management, discussed semiconductor stock investment strategy and ETF market trends in an interview with MoneyToday ahead of a September ETF investment competition. The SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus ETF launched on March 17 and attracted 6.49

According to Jin10, as of 09:30 Beijing time on August 19, WTI crude oil futures rose 0.60% while U.S. natural gas futures gained 0.22%.

According to Jin10, as of 09:30 AM Beijing time on August 19, New York futures prices showed mixed movement: NYMEX gold rose 0.15%, while silver fell 0.60% and copper dropped 0.61%.

Unitree Technology (688836.SH) listed today on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange at an issue price of ¥150.80, implying an IPO market capitalization of approximately ¥61 billion. The company raised ¥6.1B, becoming the “first humanoid robot stock” in the A-share market. On the eve of its listing, the company released its “Superman” humanoid robot, which has 0.85-meter-long legs, a 2-meter standing vertical jump, and a top speed of 12.66 m/s. Two of these metrics surpass the correspon

According to Shinhan Asset Management, the firm's "SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus" ETF has attracted 6.49 trillion Korean won in inflows since its March 17 launch through August 14, making it the largest fund by inflows among 2026 ETF launches and the second-largest across all listed ETFs. As of

According to Xuhui Holdings (00884) on August 18, the company has completed the stock option phase of its onshore bond restructuring by agreeing to issue approximately 408 million shares through a special purpose vehicle. Net proceeds from the shares' sale will be used to settle approximately 600 mi

According to China Unicom's H1 earnings release today, the company's stock fell 7.74% to HK$5.785 (opened nearly 8% lower), as the telecom reported first-half net profit of 4.1 billion yuan, down 34.8% year-over-year, with profit before tax declining 36.6%. The company announced no interim

According to Odaily, Zhibao Technology completed a $1.547 billion PIPE financing with 2,380 Bitcoin as investment payment. Each of the 442 million PIPE units includes one Class A common share and a warrant exercisable at $0.35 per share within two years, based on a reference price of $65,000 per Bit

According to MSX.COM data, on August 19, U.S. stock markets closed lower, with the S&P 500 falling 0.69%, the Nasdaq declining 1.33%, and the Dow Jones down 0.22%. The VIX fear index rose 4.28%. AI-related stocks declined across the board, including Baidu falling 12.73% and CoreWeave

Australia's seasonally adjusted wage price index rose 0.8% quarter-over-quarter in Q2 2026, matching both market expectations and the prior quarter's reading of 0.8%.

According to PANews, Yuanxi Technology (N宇树) surged 629.44% on its first trading day on August 19, with the stock price reaching 1,100 yuan against an IPO price of 150.80 yuan per share.

Crude oil futures main contract surged 6% intraday on August 19, rising to 4,281 yuan per ton.

Bitcoin (BTC) slightly pared back its overnight gains in the short term, trading at around $64,520 on Aug. 19. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed new cryptocurrency issuance rules, including two financing exemptions and a safe harbor provision. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) proposed treating qualifying stablecoins as “cash equivalents.” Macro Events & Crypto Hotspots The Block reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a new

According to Financial Times on August 18, diesel prices in the United States have surged, simultaneously impacting industrial operations and consumers. The price spike comes as President Donald Trump heads into November midterm

According to BlockBeats, Zhibao Technology Inc. (ZBAO) completed its PIPE financing on August 19, acquiring 2,380 BTC worth $154.7 million as corporate reserves. The investors transferred the full amount of BTC to the company's designated wallet, with the company issuing 442 million PIPE units at $0

The cryptocurrency market capitalization declined 48% from its peak of $4.22 trillion in October 2025 to $2.18 trillion as of August 17, a 10-month period during which Bitcoin's price fell 49% from $125,000 to $63,000. Despite the market contraction, Bitcoin's dominance remained relatively stable at