Odaily News, CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju stated on the X platform that Bitcoin spot and perpetual futures demand has turned positive for the first time since reaching an all-time high in October 2025. The scale of demand remains relatively small, but if this trend continues for a month, it can be reasonably concluded that the bear market has ended and a new bull market cycle has begun.

Odaily News: Micron Technology announced the launch of Micron Research Labs. (Jin Ten)

Odaily News: U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending August 15 totaled 206,000, versus an expected 210,000, with the prior week's figure revised from 209,000 to 212,000. (Jin10)

Odaily News, Citrini analyst jukan stated on the X platform that at first glance, SK Hynix's CPO technology roadmap appears to have one axis pointing toward HBM and another toward optical communication. However, the underlying logic is that AI competition is shifting from individual chip performance to data transfer efficiency across the entire system.

Over the past few years, HBM has addressed the problem of GPUs being unable to receive data fast enough. By vertically stacking multiple layers of DRAM and placing them next to the GPU, HBM delivers extremely high bandwidth. Yet, as more HBM stacks are placed around each GPU, packaging area, interposer edge space, power supply, and thermal dissipation capabilities are all approaching their limits. Meanwhile, AI clusters have expanded to thousands or even tens of thousands of GPUs. No matter how fast a single GPU computes, the entire system will still be constrained by the "bandwidth wall" if data cannot be efficiently transferred between GPUs and racks.

SK Hynix's vision is to extend optical interconnect to memory. Low-latency, high-bandwidth local HBM will remain next to the GPU, while optical fibers connect it to a larger shared memory pool. This approach avoids limiting all memory capacity within a single GPU package and enables horizontal scaling at the rack level.

From an investment perspective, this does not mean HBM will be replaced in the near term. What is more likely to emerge is a new memory hierarchy: frequently accessed data remains stored in local HBM, while larger-scale, less frequently accessed data is stored in optically interconnected memory pools, HBF, or SSDs.

SK Hynix is repositioning its business, shifting from selling standardized memory chips to co-designing HBM, controllers, advanced packaging, and system-level memory architectures with customers. If this roadmap comes to fruition, SK Hynix could strengthen customer stickiness, increase product added value, and enhance its ability to secure long-term contracts. At the same time, the company may also more proactively address the potential impact of future memory disaggregation on traditional HBM business models.

At the supply chain level, areas that may benefit in the long term include silicon photonics chips, optical engines, lasers, fiber coupling technology, and advanced 2.5D and 3D packaging.

However, this concept is still in its very early stages and essentially remains just a roadmap. jukan noted that a person involved in TSMC's packaging business whom he interviewed today was completely unaware of this plan.

Odaily News: During the analyst conference call, when discussing future capital expenditure plans, Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu said that the three-year 380 billion yuan investment plan announced in February last year has seen cumulative investments reach 190 billion yuan by the end of the June quarter, with progress in line with expectations. Due to hardware delivery cycles, spending is not evenly distributed across quarters, reflecting greater volatility in equipment deliveries, along with rising chip component prices. Based on current data, given the average gross margin levels of AI products, capital expenditure (CapEx) can achieve a payback period within three years. If the gross profit margins of AI products continue to improve, this payback period could further shorten in the future. (Star Market Daily)

Odaily News – Bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms has announced that it has signed AI data center leasing agreements with two major technology customers, covering 241MW of critical IT capacity and expected to generate approximately $9.8 billion in long-term contract revenue, driving the company's transition from a Bitcoin mining-focused business model to a major AI data center developer.

The largest agreement is a 191MW build-to-suit data center lease with a leading AI lab at Riot's Rockdale campus in Texas, USA. The initial term of the agreement is 20 years, extending through June 2048, and is expected to generate approximately $9.1 billion in contract revenue. If the customer continues to renew after the base term ends, the potential value of the agreement will expand further. The contract includes two five-year renewal options, and if all are exercised, the total contract value is expected to increase to approximately $16.1 billion.

Riot stated that the 191MW project is expected to contribute approximately $7.3 billion to $8.2 billion in cumulative net operating income (NOI) during the initial lease term, with an average annual contribution of approximately $365 million to $411 million. The first 96MW phase of the project is expected to be delivered in December 2027, with all 191MW planned for completion by June 2028.

Meanwhile, traditional Bitcoin mining revenue has declined. In the second quarter, Bitcoin mining revenue fell from $140.9 million to $113.7 million, while engineering business revenue rose from $10.6 million to $37.3 million. The company's total quarterly revenue increased 14% year-over-year to $174.2 million.

As of the end of the second quarter, Riot held more than $1.2 billion in current assets, including 11,380 Bitcoin valued at approximately $666 million and $548.9 million in cash (of which $77.5 million was restricted cash), providing financial support for its AI infrastructure expansion. (pulse2)

Odaily News, according to Gate data, Brent crude oil surged 3% intraday and is now reported at $92.71 per barrel. Spot silver fell 2% intraday and is now reported at $65.66 per ounce. Spot gold fell 1.5% intraday and is now reported at $4,453.58 per ounce.

Odaily News Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company Solmate Infrastructure announced the acquisition of 1,000 SOL today, bringing its total SOL holdings to approximately 1.25 million SOL, with an estimated market value of around $102.2 million. Additionally, Solmate clarified that while it has begun expanding into AI infrastructure, this strategic shift will not alter its long-term commitment to the Solana ecosystem. (Businesswire)

Odaily星球日报讯 资产管理巨头富兰克林邓普顿宣布旗下首只抵押基金义务（CFO）产品 Franklin Templeton Structured Solutions 2026 已成功完成 15 亿美元募资，旨在为投资者提供多元化、效率更高的私募市场投资渠道，资产组合覆盖私募股权二级市场、延续型基金（Continuation Vehicles）以及美国中型企业直接贷款等策略。

截至 2026 年 7 月底，Franklin Templeton 另类资产管理规模达到 2950 亿美元，旗下另类投资平台覆盖私募股权二级市场、私募房地产、私人信贷、风险投资、对冲策略以及数字资产等多个领域。

Odaily reported that an Optimism community governance proposal has been passed, reallocating 546.9 million OP tokens originally intended for user airdrops to the "Strategic Ecosystem Fund" managed by the Optimism Foundation, sparking discussions within the community over governance transparency and user rights.

The OP tokens involved in this proposal account for approximately 12.7% of the total supply, valued at around $49.7 million at current prices. The Optimism Foundation stated that as the ecosystem strategy shifts toward institutional adoption and enterprise partnerships, large-scale user airdrops no longer fully align with the current development direction, and unused tokens can be deployed for ecosystem incentives, partnership building, and enterprise-level project expansion.

The vote ultimately passed with 17.974 million OP in favor and 10.931 million OP against. The pivotal turning point came 16 minutes and 52 seconds before the vote closed, when Test in Prod (delegate.testinprod-io.eth), the core development team of the Optimism ecosystem, cast 8.486 million OP in support, raising the approval ratio from 45.77% to 61.84% and ultimately pushing the proposal through.

Excluding Test in Prod's vote, the proposal's support rate would stand at only 46.47%, failing to pass, and the relevant tokens would likely have remained in the user allocation pool. The Optimism Foundation previously committed to disclosing the cumulative usage of the fund and related outcomes through annual budget reports. This vote has also reignited discussions about the influence of "large delegated voting power" in DAO governance and the balance of token holder rights. (CoinDesk)

Odaily News, OKX market data shows altcoins are broadly rising, with the following highlights:

ETH is currently trading at 2,295.4 USDT, up 19.34% in 24 hours;

ORDI is currently trading at 4.372 USDT, up 29.34% in 24 hours;

BIO is currently trading at 0.0317 USDT, up 26.04% in 24 hours;

NEIRO is currently trading at 0.000079 USDT, up 26.14% in 24 hours;

PNUT is currently trading at 0.05195 USDT, up 26.41% in 24 hours;

HYPE is currently trading at 71.944 USDT, up 2.53% in 24 hours.

Odaily News, Garrett Jin, proxy for the "BTC OG Insider Whale," analyzed that Bitcoin's latest breakout above $70,000 was driven by multiple bullish factors, including the U.S. Treasury's expanded bond buybacks, the SEC's proposed crypto asset regulatory framework, and the White House crypto summit. The current price has entered a dense overhead supply zone ranging from the mid-$60,000s to the low $80,000s, with the first resistance layer already showing signs of weakening.

Garrett Jin pointed out that the significant accumulation of new cost basis in the mid-$60,000 area over the past two months has provided underlying support for this breakout. While the short-squeeze triggered by short liquidations could temporarily push Bitcoin above $80,000 in the near term, the $80,000 to $82,500 range is a critical resistance zone to watch, and the short-squeeze momentum is unlikely to persist. If the market can effectively absorb supply below $80,000 before a breakout, it would be more conducive to a healthier subsequent trend.

On the same day, SK Hynix announced South Korea's largest-ever stock buyback and cancellation plan, committing to return at least 50% of its projected free cash flow through 2027 to shareholders. Its shares surged over 10% at one point, triggering a buy-side circuit breaker on South Korea's KOSPI index. Analysts believe this move could alleviate market concerns over declining risk appetite for Korean semiconductor stocks, but it cannot alter the cyclical trajectory of the memory chip industry itself.

Odaily星球日报讯 量化交易公司 Hudson River Trading（HRT）已与人工智能云计算公司 CoreWeave 达成多年期合作协议，双方将利用 CoreWeave 的 AI 计算服务开发新的交易研究工具和模型。

CoreWeave 首席营收官 Jon Jones 表示，该协议是在双方现有合作基础上的“重大扩展”，但未披露具体财务条款。据知情人士透露，该交易规模达到数十亿美元级别。

此次合作凸显了金融机构对高性能 AI 基础设施需求的快速增长。随着人工智能模型在量化交易、风险分析和市场预测中的应用不断扩大，交易公司正加大对 GPU 算力和专用云计算资源的投入。（彭博社）

According to Odaily, OKX market data shows FORM has broken above 0.25 USDT, currently trading at 0.2457 USDT, up 20.9% in 24 hours.

Odaily News: AI space technology company Muon Space announced the completion of a $250 million Series C funding round, led by Eclipse Capital, with participation from Google, Salesforce Ventures, Galvanize, Wellington Management, I Squared Capital, Woven Capital, as well as Radical Ventures and Congruent Ventures. The new funds will be used to accelerate large-scale satellite constellation production, expand dual-use spacecraft platforms, enhance on-orbit AI computing capabilities, and provide real-time ultra-high-bandwidth satellite connectivity in partnership with SpaceX Starlink.

Odaily News: Karen Manna, fixed income strategist and portfolio manager at Hermes Investment Management, said in a report that U.S. inflation remains the dominant concern for policymakers. Federal Reserve officials have shown remarkable consistency on this message. Policymakers have also repeatedly stated that the current U.S. labor market is no longer viewed as a primary source of inflationary pressure. Instead, employment conditions are increasingly seen as closer to balance. As a result, the policy framework has shifted from labor market concerns to inflation as the primary variable. (Jin10)