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Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO | CSCO Price Prediction) has become one of 2026’s surprising mega-cap winners, riding an AI infrastructure order book that expands each quarter. With shares up 52.76% year to date, the question is whether the rally has room left.

Our 24/7 Wall St. price target for Cisco is $135.69, implying 16.98% upside from the current price of $115.99. Our recommendation is buy, with a 90% confidence level. Cisco executes on the AI opportunity while trading at a materially lower multiple than its highest-flying networking peer.

Metric Value Current Price $115.99 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $135.69 Upside 16.98% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% How a Sleepy Networking Giant Doubled in a Year Cisco is up 73.88% over the past year and up 1.59% in the last week, though shares slipped 0.51% over the past month. The stock sits just below its 52-week high of $129.88, well off the $64.42 low. Q3 FY26 revenue hit $15.84 billion, up 12% YoY, non-GAAP EPS of $1.06 beat consensus, and net income jumped 35.41%.

The driver is AI infrastructure. Management raised FY26 AI order guidance to $9 billion from $5 billion and AI revenue to $4 billion from $3 billion. Total product orders grew 35% YoY, with data center switching orders up over 40%.

The Case for $141 and Higher Bulls see a durable multi-year cycle. Chuck Robbins told analysts, “Cisco delivered record quarterly revenue in Q3 and we saw very strong, broad-based demand for our products, demonstrating the relevance of our technology for connecting and securing AI.”

Silicon One design wins compound, Acacia optics delivered over $1 billion in Q3 orders, and preliminary FY27 guidance calls for at least $6 billion in AI hyperscale revenue.

Our bull case points to $141.49, or 21.98% upside. Analysts including a $130.23 consensus, with 17 Buy ratings, support re-rating toward peer multiples.

What Could Go Wrong Non-GAAP gross margin compressed 260 basis points YoY to 66% in Q3 on hardware mix shift and memory costs. Services revenue slipped 1%, and hyperscaler AI order timing is “nonlinear”. Insider activity skewed toward selling, and the trailing P/E of 38 leaves little margin for error.

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Our bear case implies $112.38, or 3.12% downside. Bulls counter that margin compression reflects a deliberate mix shift toward high-volume AI hardware where dollar profit expands, and that the $1 billion restructuring charge represents reinvestment for future growth.

How Cisco Compares to Arista and HPE Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) is the premium comp. Arista trades at a forward P/E of 47 with 35.1% YoY revenue growth and 42.7% operating margins. Cisco’s forward P/E of 24 looks cheap by comparison, even accounting for slower growth. A modest re-rating toward Arista could make our $135.69 target conservative.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) is the value counterpoint. HPE trades at a forward P/E of 12 with 40% revenue growth post-Juniper, but operating margins are just 8.7%. Cisco’s 25% operating margin and 25.2% ROE justify the premium.

Company Forward P/E Operating Margin Cisco 24 25% Arista 47 42.7% HPE 12 8.7% Cisco Price Prediction 2026-2030 The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $135.69 with a buy rating and 90% confidence reflects a company that moved from perpetual show- me story to legitimate AI infrastructure leader. The tipping factor is the FY26 AI order ramp to $9 billion, backed by real Silicon One and Acacia design wins.

The setup looks constructive if Q4 revenue lands within the $16.7B to $16.9B guidance range and hyperscaler orders continue the trajectory. The thesis weakens if gross margin compression accelerates below 65% or hyperscaler orders slip below $3 billion in Q4.

Looking further out, here is where our model projects Cisco could trade, assuming FY27 AI hyperscale revenue lands at or above the $6 billion preliminary guide and non-AI growth stays in the 4% to 6% band.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $135.69 2027 $150.00 2028 $165.00 2029 $178.00 2030 $190.77 These projections assume Cisco executes on its silicon and optics roadmap. Meaningful upside or downside could come from Silicon One share gains at additional hyperscalers or a hyperscaler capex reset.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Cisco Systems didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Minjuvi® (tafasitamab), in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide, is the first and only chemotherapy-free CD19 and CD20 dual-targeted immunotherapy combination regimen listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL) (Grade 1-3a).[1],[2] In the pivotal Phase 3 inMIND clinical trial, patients with R/R FL receiving the Minjuvi combination regimen experienced a significant improvement in progression-free survival, with a 57% reduction in the risk of disease progression, relapse or death, compared with placebo plus lenalidomide and rituximab.[3] Follicular lymphoma is the second most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with over 10,000 Australians living with the disease and approximately 1,500 Australians diagnosed each year.[4],[5] , /PRNewswire/ -- Independent biopharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics (ST) is pleased to announce the listing of Minjuvi® (tafasitamab), in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide, on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the treatment of Australian adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL) (Grade 1-3a).[1] This milestone follows the Australian registration of Minjuvi for R/R FL by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in April 2026, via the Project Orbis process.[6]

The PBS listing of Minjuvi marks the availability of the first and only chemotherapy-free CD19 and CD20 dual-targeted immunotherapy combination regimen funded in Australia for this group of patients.[1],[2] Effective 1 August 2026, eligible patients with FL who have experienced relapses or disease progression on existing therapies will now have equitable access to a new treatment option for this difficult-to-treat condition.[1]

"As the first new therapy to be reimbursed on the PBS for R/R FL in nine years, we are extremely proud to have partnered with Incyte to bring Minjuvi to Australia," said Carlo Montagner, ST Chief Executive Officer. "After securing TGA registration for Minjuvi in R/R FL earlier this year, we have been focused on expediting PBS listing to ensure eligible Australian patients could have subsidised access to a new treatment option that may help lower the risk of disease progression, relapse or death, without delay."

ST entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Incyte (NASDAQ:INCY) in 2021 to commercialise Minjuvi in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Minjuvi is a CD19 targeting immunotherapy that works within a patient's immune system to help find and eliminate malignant B-cells.[7] In combination with rituximab and lenalidomide, Minjuvi delivers a complementary immune-mediated approach that helps control disease progression and supports improved long-term outcomes for patients with follicular lymphoma.[7]

The PBS reimbursement underscores the growing recognition of innovative immunotherapy-based treatment strategies in follicular lymphoma and reinforces ST's commitment to improving access to life-changing therapies for patients across the Asia-Pacific region.

"While follicular lymphoma can be a slow-growing disease that usually responds well to the first treatment, most patients are not cured. Many patients experience frequent relapses and require multiple therapies over their lifetime, which become progressively less effective, especially for those whose disease comes back soon after initial chemotherapy treatment," said Associate Professor Philip Thompson, Clinical Haematologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne. "Today's PBS listing announcement is welcome news for the Australian clinical and patient community, providing us with a new, chemotherapy-free immunotherapy treatment for R/R FL."

Minjuvi is administered via intravenous (IV) infusion in a clinic or hospital setting.[7] Patients with R/R FL receive up to 12 treatment cycles of Minjuvi, along with oral lenalidomide capsules, while rituximab is delivered intravenously for the first five cycles.[7]

"Knowing that a chemotherapy-free immunotherapy is now funded by the PBS is an important development for the follicular lymphoma community," said Sharon Winton, Chief Executive Officer of Lymphoma Australia. "As patients manage the challenges of recurring disease, this new treatment milestone offers a valuable option that is deeply meaningful to them and their families."

The PBS listing of Minjuvi for R/R FL means these patients will now have equitable access to a new targeted immunotherapy combination treatment when they need it. It is important that patients with R/R FL speak with their doctor to understand the most suitable treatment option available for them.

For further details on Minjuvi, contact your healthcare professional and please refer to the approved Australian Consumer Medicine Information or Product Information available from the TGA website.

PBS Information:

This medicine is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) — AUTHORITY REQUIRED. Refer to the PBS Schedule www.pbs.gov.au for full authority information.

Important Safety Information on Minjuvi[7]

Minjuvi should be administered to patients with an active infection only if the infection is treated appropriately and well controlled. Patients with a history of recurring or chronic infections may be at increased risk of infection and should be monitored appropriately. Patients should be advised to contact their healthcare professionals if fever or other evidence of potential infection, such as chills, cough or pain on urination, develops.

Treatment with Minjuvi in combination with lenalidomide and/or rituximab should not be initiated in female patients unless pregnancy has been excluded. In the inMIND study, the most common adverse reactions were infections (68%), including viral infections (41%) and bacterial infections (27%); neutropenia (57%), rash (36.4%), asthenia (34.9%), pyrexia (19%), thrombocytopenia (17%), anaemia (17%), infusion related reaction (15.9%), pruritus (15.6%), and headache (10.4%). The most common serious adverse reactions were infections (26%), including viral infections (13%) and bacterial infections (6%), febrile neutropenia (2.8%), and pyrexia (1.8%).

Treatment with tafasitamab can cause serious or severe myelosuppression including neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anaemia. Complete blood counts should be monitored throughout treatment and prior to administration of each treatment cycle.

Ends.

About Minjuvi® (tafasitamab)

Minjuvi® (tafasitamab) is a humanised Fc-modified cytolytic CD19-targeting monoclonal antibody. Minjuvi incorporates an XmAb® engineered Fc domain, which mediates B-cell lysis through apoptosis and immune effector mechanism including Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC) and Antibody-Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis (ADCP).[7] Incyte licenses exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise Minjuvi from Xencor, Inc. 

In the U.S., Monjuvi® (tafasitamab-cxix) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in combination with lenalidomide and rituximab for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL). Additionally, Monjuvi received accelerated approval in the United States in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for ASCT. 

Monjuvi is not indicated and is not recommended for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma outside of controlled clinical trials. 

In Europe, Minjuvi® (tafasitamab) received conditional Marketing Authorisation from the European Medicines Agency in combination with lenalidomide, followed by Minjuvi monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who are not eligible for ASCT. In addition, in December 2025, the EMA approved Minjuvi, in combination with lenalidomide and rituximab, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory FL (Grade 1-3a) after at least one line of systemic therapy. 

In Japan, Minjuvi is approved in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory DLBCL. Minjuvi is also approved in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide for adult patients with relapsed or refractory FL (2L+ FL). 

In Australia, Minjuvi® (tafasitamab) is indicated in combination with lenalidomide followed by Minjuvi monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).[7]

▼ This medicine is included in the TGA Black Triangle Scheme. Please report suspected adverse events to the TGA.[7]

XmAb® is a registered trademark of Xencor, Inc. 

Monjuvi and Minjuvi are registered trademarks of Incyte. 

About the inMIND Study[3]

A global, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study, inMIND (NCT04680052) evaluated the efficacy and safety of Minjuvi (tafasitamab) in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide compared with placebo in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) Grade 1 to 3a or relapsed or refractory nodal, splenic or extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). The study enrolled a total of 654 adults (age ≥18 years), including 548 participants with R/R FL. 54 Australians participated in the study across 12 local trial sites around the country.

The primary endpoint of the study is progression-free survival (PFS) by investigator assessment in the FL population, and the key secondary endpoints are PFS in the overall population as well as positron emission tomography complete response (PET-CR) and overall survival (OS) in the FL population.

The clinical trial met its primary endpoint, with the data demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) in comparison to placebo added to lenalidomide and rituximab. Patients receiving Minjuvi in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide achieved a median PFS by investigator assessment of 22.4 months (95% CI, 19.2-not evaluable [NE]) compared to 13.9 months (95% CI, 11.5-16.4) in the control arm (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.43 [95% CI, 0.32-0.58]; P<0.0001). The PFS assessed by an Independent Review Committee (IRC) was consistent with investigator-based results. Median PFS by IRC was not reached (95% CI, 19.3-NE) in the Minjuvi group versus 16.0 months (95% CI, 13.9-21.1) in the placebo group (HR: 0.41 [95% CI, 0.29-0.56].

Minjuvi was generally well-tolerated, with a manageable safety profile. Safety and tolerability were comparable with the addition of Minjuvi to lenalidomide in combination with rituximab. The most common adverse reactions in the Phase 3 study (≥20%) in patients receiving Minjuvi, excluding laboratory abnormalities, were respiratory tract infections (including COVID-19 infection and pneumonia), diarrhoea, rash, fatigue, constipation, musculoskeletal pain and cough.

About Specialised Therapeutics

Founded in 2007, Specialised Therapeutics is an independent specialty pharmaceutical company, providing novel therapies and technologies to patients in Australia, New Zealand and across Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ST partners with global pharmaceutical, biotech and diagnostic companies to bring novel healthcare opportunities to patients who are impacted by a range of diseases. ST has built a strong track record of success, navigating complex regulatory, reimbursement and commercialisation environments in its diverse regions across multiple therapeutic areas. The ST mission is to provide specialty therapies where there is an unmet need to communities that would otherwise not have ready access to such therapies. The company's broad therapeutic portfolio currently includes novel agents in oncology, haematology, CNS, neurology, endocrinology, ophthalmology and supportive care, although it is not confined to these areas.           

Additional information can be found at www.stbiopharma.com.

REFERENCES:

[1]. Australian Government, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. PBS Schedule: PBS Publications & Downloads [August 2026].

[2]. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. B-Cell Lymphomas. Version 3.2026.

[3]. Sehn LH, et al. Lancet. 2026 Jan 10;407(10524):133-146.

[4]. Lymphoma Australia. Types of Lymphoma: Follicular Lymphoma. [Accessed July 2026].

[5]. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Cancer Data in Australia: Prevalence Data Workbook – Blood Cancer Histology. [Accessed July 2026].

[6]. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG): MINJUVI (tafasitamab). [Accessed July 2026].

[7]. MINJUVI Australian Product Information. 20 April 2026.

SOURCE Specialised Therapeutics

Wietse Wind, founder and developer of the Xaman wallet, has issued an urgent alert to the XRP community after scammers used a verified X (formerly Twitter) account to promote an alleged “XMN” token falsely linked to the Xaman project.

The fraudulent post appeared from the official X account of Arlington ISD, suggesting attackers managed to compromise and take control of this verified account. The scammers adopted Xaman’s official branding and announced that a token claim process for XMN was live on the XRPL network, directing users to an “allocation checker” site.

By leveraging a high-profile, verified social media account, the scammers increased the apparent legitimacy of their claims. Such tactics, which rely on capturing trust through recognizable brands or verification marks, are increasingly common in phishing attacks targeting cryptocurrency users.

Wietse Wind responded quickly, making it clear that Xaman has no token now or planned for the future, and categorically called the campaign a scam targeting unsuspecting users.

There is no Xaman token. There will not be a Xaman token. These are scams, and users should remain vigilant against such attempts at deception.

Wind and the Xaman team reiterated their commitment to monitoring for impersonation and scam accounts, while encouraging the community to report suspicious activity.

Escalation of fraud in the XRP ecosystemAttempts to impersonate the Xaman wallet or launch fake tokens have persisted throughout 2026, with increasingly aggressive tactics appearing across the XRP ecosystem. Earlier this year, South Korean authorities arrested a group accused of stealing 3.4 million XRP (about $8.55 million) from 71 individuals by exploiting trust in the community through similar schemes.

Ripple‘s former CTO, David Schwartz, also highlighted the growing sophistication of coordinated phishing efforts, with malicious actors launching fake airdrops, running giveaway schemes, and adopting the branding of established teams to lure victims and drain their assets.

Such attacks generally seek to create a sense of urgency or legitimacy, pushing users to act quickly and hand over sensitive access or sign transactions they do not fully understand.

Scammers consistently manufacture urgency, borrow legitimate branding, and pressure users to act before verifying the authenticity of claims.

Wietse Wind has remained consistent in his advice to the community. He urges users not to sign transactions unless they are certain of a source’s legitimacy, to avoid engaging with any social media posts or accounts offering free tokens, airdrops, or promising early access to products or features that have not been confirmed by official channels.

He emphasized that Xaman does not have a desktop wallet, browser extension, or proprietary token. Any communication suggesting otherwise should be treated as fraudulent. Users are strongly advised to double-check announcements directly from official sites and social channels before taking any action.

Reporting suspicious accounts or domains remains a crucial step in countering these scams. Wind and other prominent figures in the space continue to stress that a proactive, cautious approach offers the best protection amid a rise in social engineering and phishing attempts.

Amid increased scam activity, platforms that facilitate easier and safer access to digital assets also attract attention. For instance, 1stepSwap stands out as a user-friendly platform bridging traditional finance and crypto by directly tokenizing real-world assets such as US equities and commodities like gold and silver onto the blockchain. Its market scanning algorithms ensure that trades are executed at the most competitive price instantly, enabling users to diversify their portfolios while maintaining direct wallet custody, without intermediaries.

The risk of scams grows alongside greater integration between traditional assets and blockchain solutions, highlighting the importance of vigilance, verification, and reliance on trusted sources in the digital asset space.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Ripple’s valuation in the private market has reached an estimated $50 billion, reflecting a 400% increase from its 2019 estimate of $10 billion. The new valuation coincided with a $750 million share buyback that enabled employees and early investors to sell shares to the company at the updated price.

Ripple’s growth driven by buyback and product expansionThis valuation increase comes amid Ripple’s ongoing legal dispute with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, a case that has spanned several years. Despite the regulatory headwinds, Ripple has expanded its operations globally, secured new licenses, launched the RLUSD stablecoin, and bolstered its digital asset custody and enterprise payment infrastructure via strategic acquisitions.

Ripple operates as a fintech company focused on enterprise blockchain payments and cross-border transaction solutions. Its latest initiatives are aimed at broadening the use and adoption of blockchain technology in institutional finance and global payments.

While the valuation of Ripple as a company does not directly affect the XRP token price, analysts note that a stronger capital base allows for accelerated development on the XRP Ledger, wider RLUSD adoption, and scaling up of institutional payment offerings. These developments have the potential to attract more banks, asset managers, and institutions and may support long-term demand for XRP.

Institutional outlook: Standard Chartered’s targetsInstitutional sentiment for XRP remains robust. Standard Chartered, one of the world’s leading international banking groups, recently published its long-term cryptocurrency outlook and reaffirmed its 2030 XRP target of $28. The bank also maintained targets of $500,000 for Bitcoin, $40,000 for Ethereum, and $2,000 for Solana, despite adjusting certain short-term forecasts.

Standard Chartered’s maintained $28 price target for XRP signals continued confidence in XRP’s expected participation in expanding markets for cross-border payments, stablecoins, and tokenized real-world assets.

Reaching the $28 mark would imply an approximately 2,500% rally from the current price of $1.08, according to market data provider CoinCodex. Achieving this long-term target would likely require increased institutional adoption, greater use of the XRP Ledger for tokenization and payments, steady ETF demand, and greater regulatory clarity in major financial markets.

AssetCurrent PriceStandard Chartered 2030 TargetPotential UpsideXRP$1.08$282,500%Bitcoin$68,000$500,000635%Ethereum$3,400$40,0001,076%Solana$150$2,0001,233%XRP’s recent performance reflects growing enterprise interest. On-chain data shows that XRP registered the highest average transaction size among major cryptocurrencies, a metric typically linked to institutional or enterprise-level transfers. Evernorth, a business division focused on digital health services, is reportedly increasing its use of XRP for treasury management, strengthening the trend toward enterprise capital movement within the network.

Mini dictionary: Evernorth is a health services company under Cigna, providing digital and data-driven solutions. Its enhanced use of XRP in treasury operations suggests a growing trend of blockchain applications beyond financial services.

Indicators of increasing institutional demandInvestors are also showing confidence by moving considerable amounts of XRP off Binance and into self-custody, suggesting a preference for long-term holding. In addition, US spot XRP ETFs have drawn more than $1.5 billion in cumulative net inflows, reducing the liquid supply on exchanges and increasing institutional exposure to the asset.

These developments—Ripple’s higher valuation, Standard Chartered’s reaffirmed forecast, surging institutional transaction sizes, growing treasury use, strong ETF inflows, and exchange outflows—point to sustained institutional confidence in the Ripple and XRP ecosystem, despite ongoing market volatility.

Major global investors and institutions continue to position for Ripple’s anticipated role in the future digital asset landscape, as reflected by recent capital flows and corporate strategies.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

10h05 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Fenelon L.

Summarize this article with:

Intersect unveiled the first steps of Cardano’s Dijkstra hard fork, which will deploy three innovations: Nested Transactions, Linear Leios, and Peras. The Ouroboros Leios protocol, cornerstone of this update, promises to improve the network’s throughput and finality. The roadmap foresees deployment of the first two phases by the end of 2026.

In Brief The Dijkstra hard fork will introduce three innovations: Nested Transactions, Linear Leios, and Peras, with a progressive deployment starting in 2026. The van Rossem intra-era hard fork, effective since July 18, laid the technical foundations for this transition. The network’s on-chain governance activates with a vote on a new parameter, the election of the Constitutional Committee, and the CAP portal in alpha. The Dijkstra Era Takes Shape After Cardano’s van Rossem Hard Fork On July 18, Cardano activated the van Rossem intra-era hard fork, upgrading the protocol to version 11. This update improved Plutus performance, strengthened ledger consistency, and node security.

However, the main event is yet to come: this hard fork has indeed prepared the ground for the Dijkstra era, the next major step in Cardano’s technical roadmap. In its weekly report, Intersect (the member organization coordinating the ecosystem development) confirmed that planning for the Dijkstra era is now underway, with a process aimed at involving the community in defining the scope of future forks. 

This transition continues the on-chain governance model Cardano inaugurated with its first hard fork entirely driven by ADA holders.

The initial deployment of the Dijkstra era will be carried out in several phases, each bringing key innovation. The first will introduce Nested Transactions, a mechanism that allows nesting transactions within each other to optimize resource management and reduce network load. Next comes Linear Leios, a linear version of the Ouroboros Leios protocol which is at the heart of Cardano’s scaling. 

This next-generation consensus protocol aims to significantly increase network throughput while maintaining the security and decentralization that Cardano is known for. Finally, Peras will enhance transaction finality by speeding up the time required for a transaction to be considered irreversible. 

The Haskell Node team is currently working to deliver the first two phases (Nested Transactions and Linear Leios) on the mainnet by the end of 2026, as reported by U.Today.

On-Chain Governance and Debate Over the Next Hard Fork’s Name Meanwhile, Cardano governance is active on several fronts. A parameter update action has been opened for voting, the election of the Constitutional Committee is now on-chain, and the Constitutional Amendment Portal (CAP) has been launched in alpha for community testing.

These mechanisms illustrate the rise of decentralized governance, where each ADA holder can participate in protocol decisions. Regarding naming, a working group proposed naming the next hard fork after Alexander Esgen, while an on-chain action suggests the name Fabian von Bergen. The community is invited to provide feedback.

In short, Cardano is reaching a decisive new stage in its roadmap with the Dijkstra era, whose three technical pillars (Nested Transactions, Linear Leios, and Peras) outline a faster, more scalable, and smoother network for users. The convergence of protocol scaling, activation of on-chain governance levers, and progressive deployment of innovations by the end of 2026 creates a rare dynamic in the project’s history. 

Cardano has never been closer to the technical vision that Edmond Dijkstra, the renowned computer scientist, could have inspired: a network where security and performance become one.

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Fenelon L.

Passionné par le Bitcoin, j'aime explorer les méandres de la blockchain et des cryptos et je partage mes découvertes avec la communauté. Mon rêve est de vivre dans un monde où la vie privée et la liberté financière sont garanties pour tous, et je crois fermement que Bitcoin est l'outil qui peut rendre cela possible.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

Chainlink (LINK) is experiencing continued bearish momentum, but its ability to maintain support within a critical range could signal a shift toward a bullish trend. The token is simultaneously seeing increased adoption among major financial institutions looking to streamline corporate actions processing with secure and standardized blockchain data.

LINK Price Action and Market SentimentLINK is trading at $8.03, with a 24-hour volume of $160 million and a market capitalization of $6.01 billion. Despite recording a 1.62% decline in the past day, analysts have pointed to the current price structure and on-chain activity as factors that could pave the way for a reversal if support holds.

Market analyst CRYPTOWZRD reported that LINK concluded its most recent trading session with clear bearish momentum, indicating that sellers remain in control in the short term.

The broader crypto environment continues to exert influence on LINK’s price action. Many analysts warn that if Bitcoin remains under pressure, LINK is likely to mirror these losses and that subdued market sentiment may keep buyers on the sidelines.

Technical indicators on the intraday chart show the $7.30 to $8.20 support zone as highly significant. A breakdown from this level could open the door to steeper declines and confirm a bearish outlook. However, a successful defense of this range may attract renewed buying interest, potentially setting a trajectory toward $10 and then $12.

Institutional Adoption and Cutting-Edge IntegrationsA growing number of prominent financial organizations are turning to Chainlink’s blockchain solutions to address persistent inefficiencies in managing corporate actions such as dividend distributions, merger activities, stock splits, and rights offerings. Industry data indicates that global financial markets lose more than $58 billion annually due to operational shortfalls in these processes.

Chainlink’s technology has now been integrated by over 20 notable institutions, including Swift, UBS, and Euroclear. This partnership aims to reduce the risks of errors and AI-generated inaccuracies—often described as AI hallucinations—as artificial intelligence becomes more central in the automated decision process for these organizations.

Financial markets have a $58 billion problem that remains largely unnoticed. In a push to resolve this, Swift, UBS, Euroclear, and over 20 top financial institutions are working with Chainlink to decrease AI-related data inaccuracies in corporate actions.

With its focus on cryptographic verification and data standardization, Chainlink helps increase automation, enhance compliance, and improve settlement timelines. As blockchain and traditional finance sectors continue to converge, solutions such as Chainlink are becoming essential to next-generation infrastructure.

Outlook and Market ToolsDespite positive adoption news and optimistic forecasts, the LINK price remains in a downward pattern, largely reflecting the careful stance of market participants amid Bitcoin’s decline.

In trading environments where monitoring key support zones, resistance levels, and trend indicators like RSI is crucial, tools that offer comprehensive views and automation can provide an edge. Platforms like CryptoAppsy, which require no account creation, allow users to track real-time prices, manage multi-currency crypto portfolios, and receive smart price alerts. The ability to filter coin-specific news and discover new altcoin listings, paired with access to critical macroeconomic data, ensures investors are better equipped to respond swiftly to market developments.

Looking ahead, if LINK remains above the $7.30 to $8.20 threshold, market watchers will track for a breakout move toward $10 and $12 targets. Continued institutional integration and technological advancements may reinforce Chainlink’s position in both the current crypto cycle and the broader evolution of global finance.

Chainlink’s adoption by leading financial firms is expected to drive improved automation, compliance, and settlement practices as blockchain-based solutions become increasingly vital to industry operations.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Apple (AAPL -7.35%) continued its streak of strong iPhone sales during its fiscal third quarter, but the stock fell as service revenue and China sales came up short of expectations. Nonetheless, the stock is still up around 48% over the past year.

Apple once again saw robust iPhone sales, as consumers rushed to buy the smartphone ahead of expected price increases due to rising component costs. iPhone revenue jumped 22% year over year to $54.3 billion in the quarter ended June 27, which was ahead of the $53.86 billion consensus, as compiled by LSEG. It saw strength across both developed and emerging markets, and its installed base hit an all-time high.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Apple's other product sales were mixed Mac revenue was also robust, with sales surging 29% year over year to $10.4 billion and cruising past analyst expectations for sales of $8.74 billion. The company credited the strong sales to the success of the new MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro. It set records in the quarter for both new customers and upgraders.

Sales of Apple's other products were mixed. Sales of iPads fell 6% to 6.2 billion, as it faced tough comps following the introduction of last year's A16-powered iPad. Wearable revenue, meanwhile, rose by 6% to $7.9 billion, with the company seeing a record number of Apple Watch upgraders.

Total product segment sales climbed by 18% to $78.7 billion. China was once again solid, with revenue increasing 22% to $18.82 billion. However, that did fall well short of analyst expectations for revenue of $19.58 billion.

Apple Services revenue growth slowed Apple's services segment -- which consists of its App Store, iCloud storage, Google Search revenue sharing, Apple Pay, Apple TV, and more -- saw revenue grow 12% to $30.74 billion. That was a big deceleration from the 16% growth it saw last quarter and fell well shy of the $31.22 billion in revenue expected by analysts. The company said it saw significant currency headwinds in the quarter, which impacted its service growth by 2.5 percentage points.

Product gross margin rose by 140 basis points sequentially to 40.1%, with tariff refunds having a positive impact of 2.5 percentage points. Like other companies in the tech space, Apple is trying to manage soaring memory prices. Service margin, meanwhile, fell by 110 basis points sequentially to 75.6% due to a shift in revenue mix. Overall gross margin was 50.1%, helped by 2 percentage points from tariff rebates. Even excluding that, it would have been above analyst expectations of 47.9%.

Apple guidance points to headwinds Overall, Apple's revenue rose by 16% to $109.42 billion, while its earnings per share (EPS) climbed 29% to $2.02. Excluding an $0.11 tariff rebate boost, adjusted EPS would have been $1.89. That topped the analyst consensus estimates for EPS of $1.89 on sales of $108.65 billion.

For the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, Apple projected its revenue to grow by 9% to 11% year over year. iPhone sales are expected to grow in the mid-teens, impacted by currency headwinds and supply constraints. Service revenue is expected to rise at a similar level to fiscal Q3, after removing the currency impacts it saw last quarter. It guided for gross margin to be between 47% and 48%.

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Is it time to buy the dip? Apple has a fabulous compounding business model, where its product sales, led by iPhones, bring people into its ecosystem and feed directly into its high-margin services business. Given the strong product growth the company has been seeing and the record iPhone install base, this should translate into stronger service revenue down the road, so I wouldn't be worried about one quarter of growth impacted by currency headwinds.

That said, it is also facing some memory headwinds, and its stock valuation has become quite frothy. Even after the dip, the stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 34.5 times based on analysts' estimates for fiscal 2027 (which ends in September 2027).

The stock has been on a tremendous run over the past decade, but a lot has come from multiple expansion. As such, I wouldn't be buying the stock just yet on this pullback.

Realty Income (O -0.45%), the real estate investment trust (REIT) known for paying a monthly dividend, next reports quarterly earnings post-market on Aug. 4, 2026. Despite concerns like the potential for higher interest rates, Realty Income's shares have held up quite well in recent months.

Recent positive developments, including the stock's latest dividend hike, may explain this. Yet while earnings should provide new insight into the REIT's long-term prospects, I wouldn't view this as a "buy before" earnings situation.

Image source: Getty Images.

Realty Income Q2 2026 earnings preview For Q2 2026, the quarter ending June 30, analysts expect Realty Income to report revenue of around $1.43 billion, and funds from operations (FFO), the REIT version of earnings, of $1.09 per share, representing 7% and 2.8% year-over-year increases, respectively.

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Beyond the results themselves, other factors could prompt a bullish response from investors. For instance, further news of the net lease REIT's continued move into the data center space could bode well for the stock post-earnings.

On the other hand, negative developments could materialize, such as management having to walk back its FFO guidance after raising it, whether due to interest rate trends or other macro factors.

Stay focused on the long-term picture Irrespective of Realty Income's pre-earnings and post-earnings price action, it's important to stay focused instead on the long-term picture. This REIT, which has paid a monthly dividend and raised its payout annually since going public in 1994, should continue to deliver solid returns if these trends hold.

Currently, Realty Income has a forward dividend yield of around 5%. Despite mixed payout growth in recent years, it could accelerate in the years ahead if efforts such as the data center pivot drive greater FFO growth.

If you're concerned about further rate hikes, hold off buying for now. However, if you believe rates will hold fairly steady from here, consider it a long-term buy, especially if shares encounter any post-earnings volatility.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has joined a fresh batch of listings on OKX's European X-Perps platform. 

It gives eligible traders access to leveraged exposure to the popular meme cryptocurrency alongside several other crypto assets and well-known U.S. equities.

The latest additions include crypto tokens AEON, Zilliqa (ZIL), GRVT, PROS and ESP, as well as tokenized exposure tied to traditional finance names such as Robinhood (HOOD), Palantir (PLTR), Qualcomm (QCOM) and Coinbase (COIN). The exchange announced that all of the newly listed contracts are now available through its Simple Mode interface.

HOT Stories

What are X-Perps?X-Perps, short for Expiry Perpetuals, are leveraged derivatives that combine characteristics of perpetual futures with a fixed expiration date. 

Like traditional perpetual contracts, they use a funding rate mechanism to keep prices closely aligned with the underlying spot market while allowing traders to take both long and short positions.

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The products offer up to 10x leverage and support multi-asset margin, enabling users to post Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, or supported stablecoins as collateral instead of converting them into a single settlement asset.

According to the exchange, the platform is designed for professional-grade execution. The products are available to eligible traders in the European Economic Area through the exchange's MiFID-regulated entity.

The newest listings continue the exchange's strategy of broadening its X-Perps offering beyond cryptocurrencies by including contracts tied to major publicly traded companies.

The platform aims to give European traders access to a wider range of leveraged instruments through a single regulated venue.

SHIB's sixth anniversary The listing comes as the Shiba Inu ecosystem celebrates the token's sixth anniversary. 

In a message shared on X, the official SHIB account described the project as having grown "from zero to a global movement," thanking holders, builders and community members for supporting one of crypto's largest ecosystems.

The OKX exchange has long been an important venue for SHIB traders. Its SHIB/USDT spot pair consistently ranks among the token's most actively traded markets by daily volume, underscoring the asset's sustained liquidity and global demand as it enters its seventh year.

SHIB's most actively traded spot pair remains SHIB/USDT, with KuCoin leading at nearly $21.7 million in 24-hour volume. It is followed by Upbit's SHIB/KRW pair at roughly $10.5 million. 

Investors have long been bullish on Nvidia (NVDA +2.93%) for many reasons, but one that may not get a lot of direct attention is its backlog. Amid the massive demand for its AI accelerators, it accumulated a backlog of $500 billion in combined bookings for 2025 and 2026. Also, when CEO Jensen Huang was in Seoul in June, he stated that we are at the beginning of the AI boom, even as Nvidia stock has made massive gains over the last four years.

However, semiconductor stocks, including the chip giant, have pulled back in recent trading sessions as concerns about high capital expenditures (capex) and circular financing have given investors pause. Despite those concerns, investors should consider using this pullback to add shares. Here's why.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The state of Nvidia Admittedly, the uncertainty surrounding Nvidia is understandable. The estimated $725 billion in planned capex by hyperscalers could raise doubts about access to credit. Moreover, Nvidia is an investor in many of its customers, leading to questions about whether the $500 billion is a true reflection of the backlog.

Nonetheless, other factors cast doubt as to whether Nvidia is really in trouble. Huang added that investors should be "very happy" since they can "buy at a discount." He appears to have a point. Its stock sells at a P/E ratio of 30, barely above the S&P 500 average of 29.

Despite that valuation and Huang's assertion about the AI boom, Nvidia is not trading at a premium. In the first quarter of fiscal 2027 (ended April 26), its revenue of $81.6 billion rose by 85% from year-ago levels. That led to $58.3 billion in net income, a 211% annual increase. Also, since revenue surged 65% higher in fiscal 2026, its quarterly growth is more than a one-time event.

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Considering Nvidia's growth rate, it likely does not need to artificially inflate its growth. Additionally, the "circular financing" is a reflection of its AI needs.

For example, it is an investor in the neocloud company CoreWeave, which is also a customer. In a technical sense, Nvidia does not "need" CoreWeave to grow.

Still, CoreWeave gives Nvidia a platform where it can more quickly deploy and test its hardware. Also, since the neocloud industry is new, the leading companies do not have the backing to scale quickly on their own.

With Nvidia's support, they can build faster, facilitating faster adoption of its technology. This means that such investments could pay off for Nvidia longer-term and, ultimately, ease the concerns of investors.

Moving forward with Nvidia Despite doubts, Nvidia's backlog is a reason to buy its stock.

Indeed, concerns about credit accessibility could slow growth and discourage some investors from buying its stock. Also, its so-called "circular financing" makes it look like Nvidia has to buy its growth.

However, the stock's P/E ratio seems to confirm that it sells at a discount. Also, it appears investments like its position in CoreWeave contribute to the improvement and rapid deployment of its hardware.

Thus, despite the concerns, investors should continue to believe in Nvidia's growth. Considering its comparatively low P/E ratio, investors have good reason to look past the uncertainty and take a position in the chip stock.

During the company's GTC conference in March, Nvidia (NVDA +2.93%) CEO Jensen Huang expressed confidence in the company's opportunity in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market.

"We saw $500 billion of very high confidence demand and purchase orders for Blackwell and Rubin through 2026," Huang said. "I'm here to tell you that right now where I stand ... I see through 2027 at least $1 trillion."

Recent results indicate that Nvidia is very much on pace to hit that target -- but some risks could derail its momentum.

Jensen Huang speaking at a conference. Image source: Nvidia.

Nvidia's growth path Over the past year, Nvidia's data center revenue made up roughly 90% of its total revenue, and its Blackwell chips have been the main engine behind that growth. In the fiscal first quarter of 2027 (which ends in January), data center revenue grew 92% year over year to $75 billion.

In fiscal 2026, which mostly aligns with calendar 2025, Nvidia generated $216 billion in total revenue, with nearly $194 billion from data centers. Wall Street's consensus estimate currently forecasts total revenue of $394 billion this year and $561 billion next year -- about $1.17 trillion in cumulative total revenue since last year.

If Nvidia's data center segment remains about 90% of total revenue, that implies cumulative data center sales from last year -- largely from Blackwell and the new Rubin chips -- will exceed $1 trillion by the end of next year.

Management has stuck with that forecast. During the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings call, CFO Colette Kress said, "We are continuing to work vigorously on our supply chain ecosystem to address the incredible demand we see ahead of us, giving us full confidence in the $1 trillion in Blackwell and Rubin revenue we foresee from 2025 through calendar 2027."

However, Kress' comment about working on its supply chain implies the risks that could prevent Nvidia from meeting its forecast.

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Risks to watch A key risk is execution. AI demand has created one huge bottleneck from data center construction to memory and other components needed to build advanced chips. Demand for Nvidia's hardware looks enormous, but the open question is whether Nvidia can ship enough to meet it.

Another risk is competition from Nvidia's own customers, such as Amazon and Alphabet's Google, which are designing custom AI chips for their cloud platforms. Top cloud companies have previously made up about half of Nvidia's data center revenue. If those customers shift more workloads to in-house silicon, Nvidia's growth could slow.

That's also why Nvidia has been striking partnerships with neocloud and sovereign customers, including IREN and leading Japanese manufacturers. Nvidia needs to reduce its dependence on sales to big tech companies that are increasingly focusing on their own chips.

The $1 trillion cumulative sales target is still in play -- but it isn't guaranteed. If the data center market slows or supply constraints limit Nvidia's ability to fulfill orders, it could pressure growth and the stock.

John Ballard has positions in Amazon, Iren, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Born as a space company, Rocket Lab (RKLB +0.42%) is becoming more of a defense contractor as it matures.

Rocket Lab conducted its first-ever commercial satellite launch a little over eight years ago and has been ramping up its launches of small Electron rockets for both commercial and government customers ever since. In 2025, the company set a personal best, launching 21 times. Three of those launches were Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) test flights for the U.S. military.

Expect many more such military rocket launches in the future.

Image source: Getty Images.

Rocket Lab and Kratos Defense In March, Rocket Lab inked its biggest launch contract ever, promising to conduct 20 HASTE launches in cooperation with defense company Kratos Defense & Security Solutions over the next four years. The Department of Defense, in turn, agreed to pay Rocket Lab $190 million for its work -- $9.5 million per launch, or roughly a 13% premium to the company's usual Electron launch cost.

Given their suborbital trajectories, the HASTE tests appeared to be designed to demonstrate Rocket Lab's ability to use its Electron rockets as hypersonic weapons for the military.

But appearances can also be deceiving.

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Is Rocket Lab a space stock or a missile defense company? Prior to winning the HASTE contract (also known as MACH-TB 2.0 Task Area 1), Rocket Lab's other "biggest ever" contract win was an $816 million contract to build 18 missile warning satellites for the Space Force. (And before that, it won a $515 million contract -- also for missile defense satellites.)

Apparently, the U.S. military believes Rocket Lab is getting pretty good at missile defense -- so good, in fact, that it's giving Rocket Lab yet another chance to demonstrate its proficiency. And this time, Rocket Lab won't just detect hostile missiles.

It may try to shoot them down, too.

As announced last week, the Space Force has awarded Rocket Lab $266 million to conduct at least 12, and perhaps as many as 18, suborbital rocket launches under its Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP). The new test launches will be conducted from a new Rocket Lab launch base in the Pacific Spaceport Complex–Alaska (PSCA) in Kodiak, Alaska, but it's not 100% clear what they are supposed to accomplish. But Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's CEO, dropped a heavy hint when he observed that "cadence, iteration, and relentless execution are essential to maturing America's missile defense capabilities."

To me, this suggests that the Space Force wants Rocket Lab to develop a family of hypersonic missiles to be used for missile defense -- and probably specifically for defense against Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles currently in development. Rocket Lab may have a new area of hypergrowth for its business, with future military orders nearly doubling.

If I'm right, Rocket Lab is now a defense contractor.

BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO -2.50%) has already been one of biotech's biggest winners over the past two years (up 209% as of July 31). Yet Barclays analyst Eliana Merle believes the rally may not be over.

Merle recently reiterated her overweight rating and $157 price target, implying roughly 95% upside from where the stock is trading now. The bullish thesis here seems to center around the company's newly launched heart drug, Attruby, which could become a much larger commercial success than Wall Street currently expects.

Indeed, this is a reasonable expectation.

Image source: Getty Images.

Attruby is off to a strong start BridgeBio received FDA approval for Attruby in late 2024 to treat transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a progressive disease in which abnormal proteins accumulate in the heart, eventually leading to heart failure. Commercial adoption has been encouraging.

During the first quarter of 2026, BridgeBio generated $180.6 million in Attruby revenue in the U.S., helping total company revenue climb to $194.5 million. Management has also said more than 7,800 unique patients had received prescriptions from over 1,850 prescribers. And as awareness of the drug improves, the addressable market could expand well beyond today's treated population.

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Barclays may still be underestimating the opportunity Barclays' optimism is based partly on its belief that Attruby's commercial launch is outperforming Wall Street expectations. The firm projects $912 million in U.S. sales for 2026, roughly 10% above the consensus estimate of $826 million.

And BridgeBio isn't just a one-product company, either. It also has two potential approvals on the horizon. The FDA is reviewing BBP-418 for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, with a decision expected by Nov. 27, 2026, and Encaleret, designed to treat autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1 (a rare condition caused by mutations in the CASR gene), which is scheduled for an FDA decision by May 8, 2027. Those programs could further diversify revenue while reducing reliance on a single commercial asset.

The valuation still leaves room for upside It's no secret that biotech stocks often look expensive before they become profitable, and BridgeBio is no exception. Yes, the company remains unprofitable today as it continues investing heavily in commercialization and late-stage development. That said, Wall Street expects revenue to nearly double this year to roughly $960 million, followed by another sharp increase in 2027 as Attruby sales continue ramping up. Analysts also expect BridgeBio to reach profitability next year.

Of course, that doesn't guarantee Barclays' $157 price target will be reached. Execution still matters. Attruby must continue gaining market share, additional pipeline programs need to deliver, and management has to prove it can successfully transition from a development-stage biotech into a multiproduct commercial company.

Still, I think Barclays' optimism is understandable. BridgeBio now has an approved blockbuster candidate generating meaningful revenue, several late-stage pipeline assets approaching important milestones, and analysts projecting rapid top-line growth over the next two years. If the company continues executing as it has so far, a significantly higher share price doesn't look unreasonable.

Key Points:The BOJ may consider raising its policy rate to 1.25% in September or October.Yen intervention and expectations of higher Japanese rates are pressuring USDJPY.USDJPY could extend its correction if it remains below key technical support.

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The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate at 1% in July. It came after a 25 basis point hike in June. But the last meeting did not indicate that the tightening cycle was over. The BOJ placed more weight on the risk of the underlying inflation exceeding its 2% target.

The depreciating yen has increased the pressure for higher interest rates. It increases the costs of imported fuel, food and industrial materials. While currency intervention can slow the rate of decline, it may not eliminate the big interest rate spread between Japan and the United States. That could mean that the BOJ needs to tighten policy to counter the primary driver of yen weakness.

In my view, the BOJ may consider a policy rate increase to 1.25% in September/October. September is now the first realistic window while October remains possible if policymakers want more inflation and wage data.

BOJ Interest Rate Decision Keeps September Hike in Focus The BOJ maintained the interest rates steady with 8-1 vote. But the board member Hajime Takata supported an immediate increase to 1.25%. This means that the tightening camp is beginning to grow within the bank as evidenced by his dissent. The bond yield of the 2-year Japanese bond also rose to 1.51% following the meeting. This suggests the bond market expects the interest rates to remain higher.

Governor Kazuo Ueda gave clear warning about the cost of waiting too long. He said that the lack of action could increase the risk of inflation. The bank would also begin to discuss these risks starting with its September meeting. This guidance opens the door for a potential rate hike in September.

This message was supported by the BOJ’s July forecast. The bank added that it would consider raising the policy rate if the economy and prices evolve in line with the bank’s expectations. The bank said that the financial environment is accommodative, as real interest rates remain negative. So, a 1% policy rate might still be too low if the inflation 2%.

The next move will depend on the upcoming data about inflation, wages and currency. The strong wage data and another increase in inflation expectations could warrant a September rate increase. The yen’s depreciation again may push the BOJ into a more urgent decision. The bank could hold off until October or December if these pressures ease.

Japan Inflation and Wage Growth Support Further BOJ Rate Hikes The annual inflation rate in Japan climbed to 1.7% in June and the core inflation rate to 1.6%. Both readings are below BOJ’s target. But they are not based on current prices and take into account government energy subsidies. The BOJ is expecting the core inflation to surge to above 2% in the second half of fiscal 2026.

The producer prices suggest the future inflation. These grew 7.1% year on year in June, following 6.6% growth in May. The chart below shows a strong rise in producer prices since March 2026. Most of this increase was due to increased energy, chemical and petroleum prices. The companies could shift some of these costs back to consumers, making it more difficult for the BOJ to maintain the rates.

The wage data also indicates additional tightening. The average cash earnings grew 3.2% year on year in May.

On the other hand, the real earnings grew 1.4% year on year and continue to grow in 2026 as seen in the chart below.

At the same time, business inflation expectations increased from 2.4% to 2.7%. When wages are growing, consumers can more easily afford higher prices and when expectations are increasing, inflation is more likely to continue.

Strong demand for semiconductors, high energy prices and the weak yen may continue to weigh on inflation. These forces are in favor of transitioning to 1.25% by the end of 2026.

If these factors remain positive and continue to grow, the BOJ could hike rates further to 1.5% in early 2027. But if the oil price drops and the yen continues to strengthen, the bank may be able to take a break after its next rate increase.

USDJPY Forecast as BOJ Rate Hike Supports the Yen The hawkish BOJ and suspected currency intervention pushed the USDJPY lower. The strength in yen at the end of July has pushed USDJPY to close the month around 157.40. This is around 3% down for July and opens the door for further correction in August.

If the BOJ raises rates, then the US dollar will become less attractive relative to the yen. This may put more pressure on USDJPY on the downside.

But the difference in rates between the U.S. and Japan is still quite large. The 2-year yield in the United States was nearly 4.31%, while in Japan it was around 1.51%.

If the BOJ hikes rates and US yields drop, USDJPY may retreat to the 152-155 area. But a BOJ rate hike and another US rate increase would drag the pair back towards 160.

USDJPY Technical Analysis as Pullback Reaches Key Support USDJPY dropped after marking a high at the 164 level and closed the month below the 157 level. This means that the breakout above the 160 level, which was triggered in June 2026, failed. USDJPY still needs to consolidate below the 160-162 area.

The weekly chart below shows that USDJPY has been trending within an ascending channel pattern since the January 2023 lows. If USDJPY continues to drop below 157 next week, it will likely continue its momentum toward the 149-150 area as seen by lower support of the ascending channel pattern.

The importance of the current support zone is highlighted on the daily chart, which shows that USDJPY closed slightly below the rising trend line and the 200-day SMA.

But this was the last day of the month, which triggered strong volatility in the financial markets. This means that a recovery above 158 next week and continued upside momentum may allow the pair to rally toward the 160 area.

However, if the pair continues to drop below the 157 level, it will open the door for a continued decline toward the 152 area. This level is marked by the red dotted support line.

But the RSI indicator shows an extremely oversold condition in the short term and indicates a rebound before the next drop. A recovery above 161.50 will suggest that the bottom has formed. This bottom may allow the pair to continue upside.

In Closing The BOJ has opened the door to another interest rate hike. Rising producer prices, strong wage growth and higher inflation expectations support the tighter policy. The weak yen also increases imported inflation. In my view, the BOJ may raise the policy rate to 1.25% in September or October. It could delay the move if inflation eases or the yen continues to recover.

The higher Japanese interest rates could place further pressure on USDJPY. A continued decline below 157 may push the pair toward the 150-152 area. But the oversold conditions could trigger the short term rebound first. A recovery above 161.50 would indicate that the bottom is confirmed and the pair is ready to move higher again.

Read more: BOJ Rate Hike to 1.25% Puts Japanese Yen in Focus

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Muhammad Umair is a finance MBA and engineering PhD. As a seasoned financial analyst specializing in currencies and precious metals, he combines his multidisciplinary academic background to deliver a data-driven, contrarian perspective. As founder of Gold Predictors, he leads a team providing advanced market analytics, quantitative research, and refined precious metals trading strategies.

Editors’ Picks

As of this writing, which is after the market closed on July 29, shares of Meta Platforms (META +3.28%) have fallen 10%. Earnings in Q2 (ended June 30) came in below estimates, while third-quarter revenue guidance was weaker than expected.

This extends the social media stock's losing streak. It's trading 26% below its all-time high from August 2025.

The market's attention in recent quarters has been directed to spending trends. Meta raised the lower end of its guidance for 2026 capital expenditures (capex) to $130 billion from $125 billion. But the upper end, $145 billion, was kept unchanged.

The business is betting it all on artificial intelligence (AI). Here's what investors need to know.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Profits are under pressure During the second quarter, Meta reported operating income of $18.8 billion. This figure declined 8% year over year. That's because costs and expenses surged 55%. The gain is mostly coming from research and development, which exploded 68%.

Free cash flow (FCF) went from $8.5 billion in Q2 2025 to $784 million in the most recent quarter. Like the other hyperscalers, Meta is in the middle of a major capex super cycle. It's sparing no expense. The consensus view among analysts is that FCF will be negative in 2026 and 2027.

For what was such a wildly profitable business historically, this is a new normal that investors must get used to.

Meta's balance sheet is also not as robust as it once was. Its long-term debt of $83.7 billion is up from $58.7 billion at the end of last year. At the same time, cash and cash equivalents shrunk 57%.

There were also no share repurchases in the first six months of 2026.

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It all comes down to monetizing AI Investors received more color on Meta's plan to sell excess technical capacity to third-party customers. "We have quite a number of offers at a meaningful premium over what we paid for the compute," Zuckerberg said on the Q2 2026 earnings call. Because the industry is constrained on the supply side, the business can quickly generate revenue by offering its resources to the market.

But I think what matters most to Meta right now is how AI investments upgrade its core operations. "They're improving the experience for people using our apps, driving better performance for advertisers, and helping our teams build new experiences and ship faster," Zuckerberg added on the call.

Revenue grew 28% in Q2, an impressive figure for a company of this size. Both ad impressions and pricing jumped by double digits. And Meta's family of apps ended the quarter with 3.6 billion daily active users.

With up to $145 billion in capex on the line this year, investors should have high expectations, hoping the strong momentum continues. The stock's performance depends on the business delivering adequate returns from its AI efforts.

UBS expects the Australian Dollar to strengthen steadily over the coming year, with AUD/USD forecast at 0.73 by September and 0.76 by June 2027. The Australian Dollar to US Dollar exchange rate (AUD/USD) ended July at 0.7026, having gained 1.65% over the month and more than 5% since the start of the year.

That leaves the pair back above 0.70 after a difficult June, when AUD/USD fell 3.73% and briefly traded below 0.69. See our full history here.

UBS sees the recovery extending well beyond current exchange rate levels.

Its latest global forecasts put AUD/USD at 0.73 in September 2026, 0.74 in December, 0.75 in March 2027 and 0.76 by June.

The final target implies upside of just over 8% from the latest close.

The shape of the forecast matters.

UBS is not looking for one sudden surge.

It expects the pair to rise by roughly one cent in each quarter, pointing to a broader improvement in the Australian Dollar backdrop alongside a gradual weakening of the US currency.

We think that makes the 0.73 September target the key first test.

If AUD/USD can reach and hold that level, the later forecasts at 0.74, 0.75 and 0.76 become much easier to justify. If it fails well before then, the whole path starts to look more vulnerable.

The bank’s wider currency table also supports the view that this is partly a Dollar story.

UBS expects both EUR/USD and GBP/USD to rise over the same period, suggesting it sees a broad retreat in the US Dollar rather than an Australian Dollar move driven by domestic factors alone.

That distinction is important after softer Australian inflation reduced expectations for another near-term Reserve Bank of Australia rate rise.

The absence of an immediate hike removes one potential source of support for the Aussie, but it does not rule out further gains if US yields fall and the Federal Reserve becomes less restrictive.

A favourable global backdrop would help as well.

The Australian Dollar tends to perform better when equity markets are firm, commodity demand is improving and investors are prepared to hold more risk-sensitive currencies.

In our view, UBS’s forecast assumes those external forces will prove strong enough to outweigh any fading support from Australian interest rates.

Image: AUD/USD institutional forecasts - August 2026 survey poll results Share article

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The pair still has technical work to do before the first target comes into view.

AUD/USD closed July near 0.7026, above the rising 20-day moving average and around the declining 50-day average.

That is a clear improvement from late June, when the exchange rate fell towards 0.6880, but it is not yet a decisive medium-term breakout.

The immediate obstacle is the July high around 0.7044.

A move through 0.7050 would strengthen the recovery and bring 0.7100 back into focus.

Beyond there, resistance is likely around 0.7180-0.7200, followed by the May peak at 0.7277.

We would treat a break above 0.7277 as the point at which the UBS forecast starts to look technically credible.

That would complete the recovery from June’s decline and leave the market within reach of 0.73.

Image: AUD/USD three-month chart showing support near 0.7000, resistance around 0.7045 and the May high at 0.7277 The broader 2026 trend remains constructive, but the May high still guards the path to UBS’s first target The year-to-date chart is more positive than the shorter three-month view.

AUD/USD began 2026 near 0.6670 and has since gained 5.34%.

The pair rallied strongly through January, traded above 0.72 during the spring and reached a year-to-date high at 0.7277 in May.

The subsequent decline was sharp, but the exchange rate held well above its January low before recovering through July.

That leaves the broader upward structure intact.

The 20-day moving average has turned higher, while the 50-day average has begun to flatten.

A sustained hold above 0.70 would keep the recovery on course and increase the likelihood of another test of the spring highs.

Initial support is located around 0.7000, followed by the 20-day average near 0.6970.

A break beneath 0.6970 would weaken the near-term picture and expose the July support zone around 0.6940, with the late-June low near 0.6880 providing the more important downside level.

We would view a move back below 0.6970 as a warning that the July recovery is losing momentum.

Image: AUD/USD year-to-date chart showing the rise from 0.6670, May peak near 0.7277 and July recovery above 0.70 Share article

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UBS’s 0.76 forecast ultimately rests on more than the Australian Dollar story.

A move that far would require a sustained improvement in global risk appetite, supportive commodity conditions and a weaker US Dollar.

The first two targets look achievable if AUD/USD can maintain its position above 0.70 and clear the May high.

The longer-term move towards 0.76 would require a more convincing Dollar decline and a clear break from the broad range that has contained the pair since February.

For now, the technical tone has improved, but the exchange rate remains in recovery rather than full breakout mode.

A close above 0.7277 would materially strengthen the bullish case and place UBS’s 0.73 September forecast within reach.

Ondo Finance officially launched its perps DEX trading platform less than a month ago. However, it is slowly cementing its place as a top perps DEX platform, even though its price is lagging.

Because of these factors, the native token, ONDO, commands a market cap of $1.87 billion even in a bearish market. Its daily perps DEX volume has been growing alongside its Open Interest (OI), suggesting it could soon compete with established platforms.

What’s fueling Ondo’s Perps volume and OI growth? Ondo’s perps volume has doubled from the launch volume recorded on July 7. The volume rose from $128 million to over $300 million, which is equivalent to more than a 2x increase.

As a result, the cumulative Ondo perps volume hit a new high of $5.996 billion three weeks after its launch.

On July 31, it was fourth among all perp DEXs in terms of the volume of tokenized equities traded, ahead of Lighter [LIT] and AsterDEX [ASTER].

Additionally, its OI hit a new peak level of $74.77 million. This was an indication that Ondo perps DEX was becoming traders’ preferred platform.

Source: DeFiLlama Tokenized equities, indices, and commodities fueled the sharp increase in perps volume. They included instruments like Nvidia, Tesla, oil, gold, and the S&P 500 with up to 20x leverage traded 24/7.

For instance, trading of tokenized US oil on Ondo increased by 59.3% over the past 30 days. More assets, like the iShares Systematic Bond ETF, were slowly being added on to the platform.

Source: Ondo Finance As a result, these additions may help the price of ONDO stabilize and move higher. Worth noting, its price remains in a bear market structure, just like the rest of crypto.

All of Ondo’s growth was happening on the backdrop of declining perps and DEX volume for the broader crypto market.

The month of July closed as another red month for on-chain activity. As per DefiLlama, both DEX volume and Perps volume hit new yearly lows, down over 60% from their peaks in October.

In October, most of the popular perps DEXs, like Aster and Lighter, joined Hyperliquid, which was already established.

Source: DeFiLlama As Ondo’s perps volume diverged from the trend in the broader crypto market, it posed a serious threat to Aster and Lighter if growth at this speed continues. Eventually, it could challenge Hyperliquid, which has Normalized Daily Volume of $10.74 billion.

Hyperliquid’s volume is almost 6x bigger than that of Aster and Lighter at $1.85 billion and $1.35 billion. Still, it calls for consistent trading on Ondo Finance’s perps product.

Final Summary Ondo’s daily perps volume exploded to $300 million per day, with cumulative volume reaching nearly $6 billion.  Ondo’s perps volume was growing while the whole crypto market was declining, suggesting that Ondo was slowly dominating the perps DEX volumes. 

TRON (TRX) remains near a crucial support level as traders assess the cryptocurrency’s short-term trajectory. Market participants are closely monitoring whether buyers can maintain this zone, as recent defensive actions suggest the possibility of renewed bullish momentum. Meanwhile, Tron Inc.’s ongoing expansion of its TRX treasury reflects firm confidence in both the TRON ecosystem and the broader future of digital assets.

Key support zone under scrutinyCurrently, TRX is trading at $0.3257. The coin has recorded a market capitalization of $30.91 billion and a 24-hour trading volume of $483.7 million. Despite a minor decline of 1.3% over the past day, the token’s broader price structure, combined with ongoing institutional accumulation, points towards a potential bullish reversal.

Crypto analyst BATMAN identified that TRON is once again testing a critical support area. BATMAN noted that this level has influenced TRX’s movement for nearly two years, acting as a recurring buy zone and resistance throughout its recent history.

According to the analyst, even gradual buildup in momentum will keep traders’ attention fixed on TRX’s behavior around this pivotal region, which could determine its next significant move.

If buyers successfully defend this level, it may trigger increased demand and optimism, setting the stage for a target price of $0.37. However, a failure to hold could present heightened downside risk for the token.

BATMAN highlighted that the same support area has functioned as both a strong buying opportunity and a resistance point, making it essential for TRX’s next direction. A resilient defense may pave the way for a positive trend, while weakness at this level could expose the token to further losses.

Treasury expansion signals institutional confidenceTron Inc., the digital asset company behind the development of the TRON blockchain, has further strengthened its holdings by acquiring 151,521 TRX at an average price of $0.3300 per token. With this addition, Tron Inc.’s TRX treasury now exceeds 707.6 million tokens.

This strategic move is part of Tron Inc.’s longer-term goal to expand its Tron DAT holdings and generate value for shareholders through increasing exposure to blockchain assets. Institutional interest in TRX and similar digital assets has been rising, with investors monitoring accumulation trends closely on the public blockchain.

Tron Inc. continues to enhance its treasury as part of its broader strategy of institutional accumulation, which supports market sentiment around the project’s longevity and ecosystem stability.

Market observers are now focused on whether the latest buying activity will help sustain the current price level or if further volatility awaits, depending on buying pressure at the key support area.

Tron Inc. reported the latest acquisition increased its TRX holdings to over 707.6 million, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening its position within the Tron network and providing additional long-term value to its investors.

The coming period will likely hinge on traders’ ability to defend support, with Tron Inc.’s continued accumulation offering a measure of reassurance for participants watching $TRX’s price direction.

Mini dictionary: Tron Inc. – Tron Inc. is the company responsible for the ongoing development and expansion of the TRON blockchain ecosystem, focusing on blockchain infrastructure and digital asset growth.

MetricLatest ValueTRX price$0.3257Daily price change-1.3%Market capitalization$30.91 billion24h trading volume$483.7 millionLatest Tron Inc. TRX acquisition151,521 TRX at $0.3300 eachTotal Tron Inc. TRX holdings707.6 million TRXDisclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Silicon Motion Technology (SIMO -0.59%) left little doubt about memory chip demand when it reported second-quarter results. It was reasonable for bullish investors to expect outperformance after Micron more than quadrupled its year-over-year revenue, but the results still caught some people off guard.

It wasn't just a win for Silicon Motion. Q2 results imply that growth will continue throughout the year and stretch beyond 2026. Here's what investors should know.

Image source: Getty Images.

Analyzing the results Silicon Motion specializes in key memory products, including NAND flash controllers, eMMC and UFS controllers, and solid-state drives. Back when the company reported Q1 results, it told investors to expect up to $411 million in Q2 sales.

Now that Q2 results are in, Silicon Motion reported $451 million in sales, a 127% year-over-year increase. Crushing guidance came along with a 32% sequential growth rate.

It's not surprising to see that Silicon Motion did well in this quarter since multiple chipmakers and tech giants have also delivered solid results. It's also not surprising that the company anticipates up to 20% sequential growth in Q3. After all, Micron offered a similar forecast.

Memory demand is set to grow beyond 2026 The results and guidance were solid but expected. However, Silicon Motion CEO Wallace Kou shared an unexpected key detail in the Q2 press release.

He said that Silicon Motion is "building a resilient platform for sustainable, high-quality revenue and profitability growth for years to come."

That "years to come" bit is the most important part. It implies that growth won't fizzle out after 2026 but that Silicon Motion will build on this momentum in 2027 and beyond. It's a major blow to the bearish thesis that the cyclical nature of the memory industry will catch up with chipmakers.

Silicon Motion isn't the only memory chipmaker with sights set beyond 2026. Micron told investors in its fiscal 2026 Q3 results that it executed "transformational strategic customer agreements" that provide multiple years of revenue visibility.

Sandisk CEO David Goeckeler also mentioned a new business model "built on multi-year customer engagements backed by firm financial commitments" when it announced fiscal 2026 Q3 results at the end of April. Investors can expect an update when the company reports fiscal 2026 Q4 results in August. Given Micron's successful use of this business model and Silicon Motion's multiyear narrative, it's feasible for Sandisk to confirm multiyear deals in August.

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Physical AI hasn't entered the scene yet Artificial intelligence (AI) models like ChatGPT and Claude have dominated the headlines, while physical AI remains in its early stages. Autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots are bound to become big hits once the technology is mastered, and all of this physical AI will require memory chips.

Grand View Research projects a 38.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the humanoid robot market through 2033. That's just for one physical AI product. Self-driving vehicles are another major catalyst that can boost the demand for memory products for multiple years.

Elon Musk is vying for market share in both of these opportunities. Tesla (TSLA +0.76%) is working on its Optimus bots and robotaxi fleet. That's why it was very notable when he praised Micron twice during Tesla's earnings call.

Meanwhile, tech giants have either raised their capital expenditure targets or boosted the lower end of their guidance. Capital will continue to flow into AI infrastructure in the pursuit of compelling opportunities. Silicon Motion and other memory chipmakers are positioned to benefit from this trend for multiple years.

AI models and agentic AI can still boost demand for memory chips, but once physical AI enters the scene, chip prices can surge even higher.

Eole Inc., listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market under ticker 2334, has become the first Japanese public company to formally hold HYPE, the native token of the Hyperliquid DeFi protocol, disclosing the purchase through Japan’s TDnet (Tokyo Stock Exchange’s official corporate disclosure system) on July 28, 2026.

The initial buy of 1,078.25469311 HYPE at an average price of ¥9,352.77 per token cost ¥10,084,663 (~$66,000), with a stated target to scale the position to ¥100 million (~$611,000) by August 31, 2026.

🚨JAPAN LISTED FIRM BUYS $HYPE!

Tokyo-listed Eole has acquired Hyperliquid’s $HYPE token, the first Japanese publicly listed company to do so.

Bought ~¥10 million (~$61k / 1,078 HYPE) on July 28. Plans to scale total purchases to ¥100 million (~$610k) by end of August.

Part of… pic.twitter.com/Uwh0PR9rSM

— Crypto Banter (@crypto_banter) July 30, 2026

The move is not a one-off treasury bet. It was filed under Eole’s previously announced change in use of funds from July 16, 2026, which expanded the company’s digital asset mandate from Bitcoin only to a broader set of assets. HYPE is the first execution under that expanded mandate.

This news dropped as HYPE sits just under $55, up +3.5% over the past 24 hours following a seven-day move that has seen the asset drop -5%. Daily trading volume sits at $404M, up from $380M yesterday.

Hyperliquid News: What Eole Is Actually Buying Into $HYPE

HTF

Looks done for a while- would let price settle below sub 50 at the daily fvg before I look for longs. Best swing shorts at current monthly NPOC into 44$

Reversal and continuation setups attached pic.twitter.com/q2WjPnrDe1

— RektProof. (@RektProof) July 30, 2026

Hyperliquid is a leading decentralized futures trading platform and also runs HyperEVM, an Ethereum-compatible environment that allows programmable smart contracts to execute on top of the same high-speed infrastructure.

Eole’s Executive Director Kensuke Amo outlined three reasons the company chose HYPE specifically. First, Hyperliquid’s architecture is positioned as core infrastructure for what Amo calls Agentic Commerce, the emerging model where AI agents autonomously handle payments and contracts without human sign-off at each step.

Unlike people, AI agents cannot hold traditional bank accounts, so they require fast, programmable on-chain rails to operate. Second, strict US regulations around DeFi access have created demand for regulated, publicly listed HYPE exposure vehicles.

This is a model already running in the US via companies such as Hyperliquid Strategies and PURR, and Eole sees itself as the Japanese equivalent.

Third, the company plans to explore staking HYPE for yield once Hyperliquid’s AQAv2 USDC yield mechanism activates for stakers in August 2026, turning a passive treasury position into a revenue-generating one.

Check Out Hyperliquid Markets on Kalshi and Claim Your FREE $25

The Neo Crypto Bank Strategy and Why the Accounting Matters Everyone counted the funding rounds and nobody counted the funerals.

So I did both. 368 neobanks tracked. https://t.co/4bKokwoT9j

— Francesco Andreoli ᵍᵐ (@francescoswiss) July 27, 2026

Eole launched its Neo Crypto Bank initiative in October 2025 with Bitcoin as the initial treasury asset. The concept frames the company not as a passive crypto holder but as a builder of on-chain financial infrastructure, integrating digital assets into its own products and services rather than parking them as speculative reserves.

HYPE will be valued at fair value each quarter, with gains and losses flowing directly into the income statement. That accounting treatment – the same framework Eole applies to its Bitcoin position, and broadly similar to how MicroStrategy handles large BTC holdings in its public reporting.

This means the asset sits on the balance sheet with full shareholder and regulatory visibility. A Japanese listed company formally accounting for a DeFi protocol token at fair value in quarterly filings is still unusual by global corporate standards.

Eole also said it may hedge price exposure through traditional financial market instruments and eventually integrate HYPE into its own product suite, according to the TDnet disclosure and Amo’s public commentary.

Japan’s corporate crypto market has been expanding beyond Bitcoin, with Japanese companies broadening altcoin treasury allocations in recent quarters. Eole’s move adds a DeFi-native token to that picture for the first time.

The contrast with peer company Quantum Solutions, which sold 1,000 ETH on July 30 for approximately $1.9M to fund AI infrastructure spending, according to Quantum’s own filing, illustrates how differently Japanese corporates are positioning their digital asset strategies heading into late 2026.

Whether other Japanese listed companies use Eole’s TDnet disclosure as a precedent for their own HYPE allocations will be the institutional adoption signal worth watching over the coming months.

EXPLORE: Best Crypto Presales With Asymmetric Upside in the Current Market

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Strategy's CEO warned on Friday that the company might sell up to $5 billion in BTC.

It was precisely six years ago when a rather unknown company in the cryptocurrency industry at the time made a revolutionary change to its asset reserve strategy and adopted Bitcoin. The entity in question, called MicroStrategy back then, started to accumulate BTC en masse and only accelerated its purchases after the 2024 presidential elections in the US.

The community became accustomed to hearing about new acquisitions made by the company, some of which were worth billions of dollars. Its total stash grew exponentially and currently sits at 843,775 units. Within this timeframe, BTC bulls consistently heard that the company (and its former CEO) would never sell… until they did. And then everything changed.

During the most recent earnings call, the company hinted that it has plans to sell up to $5 billion in bitcoin, which is significantly higher than the previously claimed $1.25 billion.

The Latest Shift Strategy (as it is called now) has gone five consecutive weeks without purchasing BTC, marking its longest acquisition pause in years. Instead of deploying capital into BTC, the firm has steadily increased its cash reserve through recent fundraising activities. As we previously reported, Strategy has been rebuilding its USD position while continuing to explore financial options tied to its expanding portfolio of preferred stock offerings.

In the most recent official change, CEO Phong Le took to X to announce the company’s new primary corporate objective, which reads:

“Our corporate objective is for STRC to trade at $99-$100 over time.”

In the earnings call, he was more specific:

“Our intent is to sell bitcoin for three reasons when we think it’s appropriate for the company. One, fund the U.S. dollar reserve up to $1.25 billion. Additional reasons include funding dividend and interest payments of $1.76 billion a year and funding up to $2 billion in common and preferred stock repurchases,” Le said, according to a FactSet transcript.

The tweet and comments garnered immediate reactions from some well-known industry commentators as well as constant critic Peter Schiff, who was quick to determine that: “In other words, common shareholders are screwed.”

You may also like: Coldcard Mk3 Users Warned of Risk After 594 BTC Swept From 500 Addresses The Most Unpredictable FOMC Meeting in Years Is Here: What Bitcoin Investors Should Know Strive Buys Another 79 BTC, Bringing total to 20,000 Crypto Kaleo, though, a popular analyst who recently argued that Strategy would have to sell at least 50,000 BTC in the next couple of years to fund dividend payments, wasn’t so kind. In one tweet, he ironically asked whether the CEO remembers when the company’s primary corporate objective was to increase Bitcoin per share before adding: “It was only two months ago, so shouldn’t be difficult!”

In another post, though, he brought the bashing to a higher level, claiming that Strategy is no longer a BTC company. Instead, it operates as a credit company, and its credit rating is “atrocious.”

Strategy went from having a primary objective of increasing Bitcoin per share to trying to make sure their preferred shares trade back to $100… in just two months.

They’re no longer a BTC company.

They’re a credit company.

And their credit rating is atrocious. https://t.co/fHoXr376QY

— K A L E O (@CryptoKaleo) July 31, 2026

The comments below his post were split. Some agreed that Strategy is increasingly resembling a leveraged financial organization rather than a straightforward BTC holding company. Others defended the firm’s approach, noting that maintaining confidence in STRC is essential if Strategy wants to continue raising capital efficiently and safely for future crypto purchases.

STRC Matters The Saylor-co-founded company launched STRC as part of its growing suite of preferred stock offerings designed to finance its long-term BTC accumulation strategy. However, it needs to trade at its par price of $100 to function properly, and it hasn’t been able to for months. It dumped below $75 at one point, before the company shifted its focus to rebuilding its USD reserve. It has since recovered to almost $90.

As such, some investors view Le’s comments as a tactical, short-term objective rather than believing Strategy has abandoned its Bitcoin-focused vision. Still, the timing has fueled questions about the firm’s evolving identity and strategy, especially given the ongoing market uncertainty.

Tags:

Strategy’s co-founder, Michael Saylor, has clarified that his company’s plan to sell up to $5 billion of Bitcoin was what they authorized under the previously announced BTC monetization program. This follows reports today that the Bitcoin treasury firm had authorized a BTC sale of up to $5 billion after it posted a quarterly loss of $8.22 billion in the second quarter of this year.

Michael Saylor Clarifies Strategy’s Authorization of Up to $5B BTC Sale In an X post, Saylor noted that they announced their BTC Monetization Program in June before their Q2 results and not after posting a loss. He added that they never had a “never sell” policy and that the program does not require them to sell any Bitcoin.

Correction: Strategy announced its BTC Monetization Program on June 29—31 days before our Q2 results, not after posting a loss. We have never had a “never sell” policy. The program does not require any BTC sale, and we expect to remain a net buyer of Bitcoin over time.

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) August 1, 2026

“We have never had a “never sell” policy. The program does not require any BTC sale, and we expect to remain a net buyer of Bitcoin over time,” the Strategy co-founder said. This followed a claim that his company authorized up to $5 billion in BTC sales after posting an $8.22 billion loss in the second quarter of the year.

As CoinGape reported, Strategy also missed earnings estimates in the second quarter, with the company recording revenue of $122 million, below estimates of $124.48 million. The Bitcoin treasury firm’s EPS were -$24.45, well below estimates of $3.07.

Meanwhile, Saylor’s clarification comes as the Bitcoin treasury firm has paused its conventional weekly BTC purchases for five consecutive weeks. During this period, they have focused on building their USD reserve and also buying back the STRC stock.

Pause On Bitcoin Purchases Likely To Continue Crypto traders are betting that Strategy did not buy any Bitcoin last week and has continued its pause on buying BTC weekly. Data from the top crypto prediction platform Polymarket shows only a 21% chance that the Bitcoin treasury firm will announce another BTC purchase by Monday.

Source: Polymarket Strategy currently holds 843,775 BTC that was purchased for a total of $63.69 billion, averaging $75,476 per BTC. Notably, earlier this year, crypto traders favored the Bitcoin treasury company holding up to 1 million BTC by the end of the year.

However, these traders are now betting against that happening, as the company has paused its BTC buys and sold some BTC this year. Polymarket data shows only a 10% chance that they will announce holding 1 million BTC or more by the end of this year.

Amid consistent efforts to continue advancing the XRP Ledger, a major upgrade has been released to fix the network amid rising vulnerabilities.

In a recent post from the XRP Ledger Foundation, developers have confirmed the successful rollout of a major software update to better advance the XRP Ledger.

XRP Ledger tackles manifest floodThe new upgrade has been issued to strengthen the XRP Ledger after developers identified a manifest flood that affected nodes on Friday, July 31.

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Although reports showed that the incident had yet to affect the operations of the network, as ledgers continued to close normally throughout, the development team swung into action promptly to fix the issue and prevent similar events from happening again. 
card

Also, the team has yet to disclose the root cause of the issue and how it happened, but they mentioned that the problem was tied to how XRPL nodes handled validator manifests. 

Notably, nodes could accept, store, and rebroadcast an unlimited number of manifests from unknown validator keys before the update. This behavior gave room for unnecessary resource consumption even though it did not impact the network's ability to process transactions.

XRPL's new upgrade introduces four new protections Following the release of the new upgrade, the network now rejects unusually large manifests, limits the number of incoming manifest batches that can be processed, places a cap on the bulk manifest data shared with new peers, and prevents nodes from storing manifests from more than 100 unknown validator keys.

The XRP Ledger developers also improved the blockchain in a way that unknown validator manifests will no longer be saved to disk, meaning any flood of unwanted data will be cleared after a node restarts instead of remaining in the system.

XRP is displaying clear indications of stronger institutional involvement, with the XRP Ledger’s average transaction size now reaching $85,290. Market analyst Xaif Crypto observed that this figure marks the highest among the top 10 digital assets, well ahead of Bitcoin, whose average transaction size sits at $10,600. Ethereum is not far behind, averaging around $2,930 per transaction.

Large Transactions Signal Institutional ActivityThe average transaction size represents the value transferred per on-chain transaction, differing from raw transaction volume. When such numbers climb to these levels, it often points to activity by asset managers, exchanges, payment providers, custodians, large OTC desks, and corporate treasuries.

In practice, these institutions move considerable amounts for purposes such as settlement, liquidity management, portfolio rebalancing, and long-term asset custody. The jump in value per transfer strengthens the impression that institutional players are increasingly active on the XRP Ledger.

It is important to note that a higher average transaction size does not mean XRP processes a greater number of transactions than Bitcoin or Ethereum. Instead, it reflects a higher value being settled with each payment, a trait commonly seen during periods of pronounced enterprise use and financial flows tied to real-world applications.

Record-high XRP transaction values and persistent institutional flows highlight the shift toward large-scale capital transfers on the ledger, further differentiating XRP’s network from speculative retail trading.

This trend coincides with a period of accelerating momentum from institutional participants around XRP.

Evernorth’s Strategic Push for XRP Treasury HoldingsEvernorth Holdings has taken a step forward towards closing its SPAC merger with Armada Acquisition Corp. II by submitting Amendment No. 5 to its S-4 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If successful, the merged entity plans to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPN.

Board filings revealed details of Evernorth’s executive compensation packages: Chief Legal Officer Jessica Jonas is due to receive a $400,000 base salary, a 50% target bonus, and $4.5 million in restricted stock units. Both Chief Business Officer Sagar Shah and Chief Operating Officer Megumi Nakamura are set for $300,000 base salaries, 50% target bonuses, and $2.8 million in RSUs each. The compensation structure ties leadership incentives to long-term equity, aligning with Evernorth’s strategy to accumulate significant XRP reserves and establish itself as the top publicly listed XRP treasury company.

Mirroring strategies used by Bitcoin treasury firms, Evernorth plans to hold XRP as a strategic balance sheet asset instead of engaging in active trading. Such an approach aims to reduce circulating supply and provide mainstream investors with indirect exposure to XRP through public markets.

Surging On-Chain and ETF Flows Underscore Growing DemandOn-chain data further reinforces institutional appetite. Binance recently recorded the highest-ever count of XRP exchange outflow transactions. Since their introduction, U.S. spot XRP ETFs have drawn more than $1.5 billion in net inflows. Historically, large exchange outflows suggest investors are securing digital assets in private storage rather than keeping them on trading platforms, tightening overall supply.

These developments all point to a similar dynamic: rising transaction sizes, ETF investments, exchange outflows, and Evernorth’s treasury accumulation indicate that institutions are building larger positions in XRP and pivoting toward long-term holdings.

Bridging Traditional Finance and the Digital EconomyAs attention shifts to on-chain metrics and regulatory progress, the trend highlights a maturing market for real-world financial flows on the XRP Ledger. This evolution is further complemented by platforms such as 1stepSwap, which enables users to access tokenized shares of major U.S. corporations and commodities like gold and silver directly from their wallets. By instantly sourcing optimal prices and executing trades without intermediaries, 1stepSwap expands access to the world’s largest stocks and diversifies portfolios across both digital assets and traditional securities.

Together, the convergence of large-scale capital transfers, strategic corporate treasury moves, ETF inflows, and real-world asset integration is shaping XRP into a core network bridging the gap between traditional finance and the emerging crypto economy.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

TLDR: Stellar XLM’s tokenized real-world assets reached $3.06 billion across 70 products this month. Stablecoin supply on Stellar XLM expanded 38.3%, while monthly volume hit $6.45 billion total. RWA transfer volume fell to $386 million despite overall asset growth trend continuing. Elliott Wave analysis suggests XLM could target $8.36 to $32 in a longer cycle.
Stellar XLM is emerging as a leading blockchain for tokenized real-world assets, according to data shared by wallet platform Scopuly.

The network now hosts $3.06 billion in tokenized real-world assets across 70 products, placing Stellar XLM second only to Ethereum in this category.

The figures come as stablecoin activity on the network continues to expand alongside institutional interest in payment infrastructure.

Stellar XLM Sees Growth In Tokenized Assets And Stablecoin Volume Scopuly’s data shows tokenized real-world assets on Stellar XLM grew by 5.88% over the past month. This growth places the network in a strong position among blockchains competing for institutional tokenization business.

Stablecoin supply on Stellar XLM rose 38.3% during the same period, according to the platform. That expansion reflects increased issuance activity from stablecoin providers building on the network.

Monthly stablecoin transaction volume on Stellar XLM reached $6.45 billion, Scopuly reported. This figure indicates the network’s payment rails are processing substantial transaction flow already.

↗️ Stellar $XLM is quietly becoming one of the biggest RWA blockchains.

📊 Tokenized real-world assets on $XLM have reached $3.06B across 70 products, making Stellar the #2 blockchain for RWAs after Ethereum.

But here's the interesting part:

• RWA assets are growing (+5.88%… pic.twitter.com/0aTWHXpXz3

— Scopuly – Stellar Wallet (@scopuly) August 1, 2026

However, real-world asset transfer volume on Stellar XLM declined to $386 million during the same window. Scopuly noted this drop alongside the broader asset growth trend.

The combination of rising asset totals and falling transfer volume points to a specific pattern. Assets are accumulating on Stellar XLM faster than they are being actively traded or moved.

Scopuly framed this as an early stage in the network’s development cycle. The next phase, according to the platform, involves converting held assets into higher transaction activity.

Institutional infrastructure projects factor into this outlook for Stellar XLM. Scopuly referenced upcoming integration with the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation as one relevant development.

Tokenized treasuries and stablecoin issuers continue to select Stellar XLM for settlement infrastructure. These factors combine to support the network’s positioning within the broader tokenization sector.

Technical Analysis Points To Alternative Long-Term Scenarios For XLM Separately, trader CG_trades shared a technical outlook for XLM price movement using Elliott Wave theory. This analysis presents an alternative scenario distinct from the fundamental growth narrative.

It suggests XLM may be tracing a macro cycle inverse ABC pattern across multiple years. Under this reading, wave A completed at the 2017 price peak.

The analysis places XLM currently within wave B, forming an ascending triangle pattern. This structure suggests a period of accumulation before further price movement occurs.

so there’s a alternative scenario for $XLM according to 𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐫𝐲…

here we go…

so #XLM possibly following a 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎 𝐂𝐘𝐂𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐂 scenario…

where its 𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐕𝐄 completed with 2017 top with 5 primary waves up,,,,

and… https://t.co/bzv0A82nkx pic.twitter.com/AhCkh3spty

— CHETAN (@CG_trades_) July 31, 2026

CG_trades projects wave E of this pattern could complete near the 2020 trendline. Estimated price levels for this completion sit between $0.11 and $0.12.

Should XLM reverse following completion of wave E, a longer-term target emerges. The trader’s analysis points to cycle wave C reaching between $8.36 and $32.

This range represents a wide potential outcome under the stated wave count. CG_trades identified a monthly close below the 2020 trendline as invalidation for this scenario.

Both the fundamental data from Scopuly and the technical outlook from CG_trades offer separate views. One centers on network usage metrics tied to real-world assets and stablecoins.

The other relies on historical price pattern recognition across multiple market cycles. Together, they represent two distinct frameworks analysts use to evaluate Stellar XLM.