Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

IBM (IBM +3.87%) didn't wait for its scheduled earnings date. On Tuesday, a week ahead of its July 22 report, the enterprise software and hardware giant released preliminary second-quarter results in a letter to investors from CEO Arvind Krishna. The numbers were disappointing. Revenue totaled $17.2 billion, up just 1% year over year and short of the company's own expectations.

Investors didn't take it well. Shares fell about 24% on Tuesday, one of the worst single-day drops in the company's history, and slid further on Wednesday to a 52-week low. IBM's market capitalization now sits below $200 billion.

But the most interesting part of the pre-announcement isn't the miss itself. It's Krishna's explanation of what happened in the last few weeks of June, because it says a lot about where technology budgets are actually going in the AI (artificial intelligence) buildout.

Image source: Getty Images.

What went wrong in the quarter The shortfall was a sharp reversal. In the first quarter, IBM's revenue rose 9% year over year, led by infrastructure revenue that jumped 15% as the company's new z17 mainframe rolled out. IBM expected that mainframe momentum to fade as the launch wrapped up, guiding for infrastructure revenue to decline by a low-single-digit rate for the year.

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Instead, second-quarter infrastructure revenue fell 7%, software grew just 5%, and consulting was flat. The deceleration reached the bottom line, too. Earnings per share of $2.27 declined 2% year over year, though earnings per share on a non-GAAP (adjusted) basis climbed 5%.

So, what happened? According to Krishna, IBM's clients abruptly changed their spending priorities.

"In the last few weeks of June, we saw clients shift their quarterly capex spend toward servers, storage, and memory purchases to secure supply constrained infrastructure ahead of expected price increases," Krishna explained in his letter. He added that the company "did not anticipate the magnitude of the capex reprioritization," and that numerous large deals failed to close on the timelines IBM expected, driving the majority of the shortfall. Krishna also noted that clients were distracted by rapidly evolving, industrywide cybersecurity concerns during the quarter.

Put another way, customers spent their quarterly technology budgets stockpiling hardware before prices went up, and other purchases got pushed out.

Where the money went instead What stands out to me is that IBM's own report shows where those dollars landed. The company's distributed infrastructure business, which includes its Power servers and storage hardware, grew 37% year over year, its best performance in the company's reported history. The unit exited the quarter with a backlog of about $500 million. Even inside the company that missed, the money moved toward hardware.

The memory market shows the same scramble at a much larger scale. Micron Technology, one of the world's biggest memory-chip makers, reported revenue of $41.5 billion in its most recent quarter, up 346% year over year, as its DRAM selling prices more than doubled. And Micron says AI-driven demand for memory and storage has accelerated at a rate greater than the industry's ability to increase supply.

The AI buildout, in other words, is no longer just the giant cloud companies pouring capital into data centers. Ordinary enterprises are now competing for the same servers, storage, and memory, and they're pulling money from the rest of their technology budgets to secure it. That's a tailwind for memory and AI-infrastructure suppliers, whose products are the ones being stockpiled. And it's a new risk for any vendor whose quarter depends on large deals closing on schedule, because a customer racing to lock in hardware can put everything else on hold.

For IBM specifically, the July 22 earnings call now comes down to one thing: Were those slipped deals lost, or merely delayed? Management said it will discuss its full-year expectations on the call, and coming into this quarter, the company had guided for constant-currency revenue growth of more than 5% in 2026. If that outlook survives, most of this quarter's damage was a timing issue. If it comes down, the problem may be bigger than one quarter.

I think the bigger lesson, though, is the one Krishna spelled out himself. When customers are grabbing supply constrained hardware ahead of price hikes, the AI infrastructure cycle isn't cooling. It's strong enough to change the spending patterns of the world's largest companies -- and investors should expect it to show up in more earnings reports from here.

July 16, 2026 20:27 ET  | Source: Brookfield Corporation

BROOKFIELD, NEWS, July 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Corporation (“Brookfield”) (NYSE: BN, TSX: BN) today announced that the transaction to simplify its corporate structure (the “Transaction”) received shareholder approval at its annual and special meeting of shareholders held on July 16, 2026 (the “Meeting”). Upon completion of the Transaction, Brookfield Corporation Ltd., which will be listed on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol “BN”, will be the new parent entity of the group. Completion of the Transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close by year-end, subject to receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals. 

In addition, Brookfield announced that all eight nominees proposed for election to the board of directors by holders of Class A Limited Voting Shares (“Class A Shares”) and all eight nominees proposed for election to the board of directors by the holder of Class B Limited Voting Shares (“Class B Shares”) were elected at the Meeting. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors are set out below.

Management received the following proxies from holders of Class A Shares in regard to the election of the eight directors nominated by this shareholder class:

Director NomineeVotes For%Votes Withheld%M. Elyse Allan1,670,838,79199.3311,198,8480.67Ang Eng Seng1,680,919,87199.931,117,7680.07Janice Fukakusa1,654,108,19598.3427,929,4441.66Maureen Kempston Darkes1,642,627,74197.6639,409,8982.34Frank J. McKenna1,528,459,76790.87153,577,8729.13Hutham S. Olayan1,666,734,57699.0915,303,0630.91Satish C. Rai1,675,269,58799.606,768,0520.40Diana L. Taylor1,594,363,48294.7987,674,1575.21      Management received a proxy from the holder of Class B Shares to vote all 85,120 Class B Shares for each of the eight directors nominated by this shareholder class:

Director NomineeVotes For %Howard S. Marks100.0Rafael Miranda100.0Lord O'Donnell100.0Jeffrey M. Blidner100.0Jack L. Cockwell100.0Bruce Flatt100.0Brian D. Lawson100.0Samuel J.B. Pollock100.0   A summary of all votes cast by holders of the Class A Shares and Class B Shares represented at the Meeting is available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar or SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Brookfield Corporation

Brookfield Corporation is a leading global investment firm focused on building long-term wealth for institutions and individuals around the world. We have three core businesses: Asset Management, Wealth Solutions, and our Operating Businesses which are in infrastructure, energy, private equity, and real estate.

We have a track record of delivering 15%+ annualized returns to shareholders for over 30 years, supported by our unrivaled investment and operational experience. Our conservatively managed balance sheet, extensive operational experience, and global sourcing networks allow us to consistently access unique opportunities. At the center of our success is the Brookfield Ecosystem, which is based on the fundamental principle that each group within Brookfield benefits from being part of the broader organization. Brookfield Corporation is publicly traded in New York and Toronto (NYSE: BN, TSX: BN).

For more information, please visit our website at bn.brookfield.com or contact:

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future results, events or conditions, and reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs and assumptions, which are based on management’s perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “foresee,” “could,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions. In particular, the forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the expected closing of the Transaction and receipt of related regulatory approvals.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable estimates, beliefs and assumptions, but are subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, described from time to time in Brookfield’s filings with securities regulators in Canada and the United States, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by such statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Brookfield undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

By PYMNTS  |  July 16, 2026

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Every claim UnitedHealth processes, every prior authorization it reviews and every patient interaction it handles now runs through artificial intelligence (AI). The company is turning that internal overhaul into a commercial product line. “Virtually everything that we do, we see it basically as the operating infrastructure of the future,” Chairman and CEO Stephen Hemsley said Wednesday (July 15) on the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call. “It really is occurring across the spectrum of our businesses.”

The results are showing up in the numbers. AI-powered prior authorization is achieving a 96% first-pass approval rate. The company committed this quarter to eliminating 30% of prior authorization volume by year-end and nearly two-thirds of prior authorization requirements for pediatric care. Those efficiencies are flowing straight to the bottom line, with second-quarter operating earnings up 55% year over year.

Where AI Is Doing the Work At Optum Health, which delivers care directly to 20 million patients, ambient listening AI tools are available to 70% of employed clinicians and are on track to reach 90% by year end. The technology transcribes patient encounters in real time, removing the documentation burden that drives clinician burnout. Optum CEO Patrick Conway said during the call that the tool has produced a 90% reduction in cognitive burnout among clinicians who use it.

Conway also noted that AI is helping nurses summarize complex patient cases 40% faster. Enhanced care transition support has driven a 10% reduction in hospitalizations in the Western and Southern regions since late last year. Home health pilots have cut readmissions and reduced skilled nursing facility stays.

In claims processing, complex cases that once required manual review are now processed automatically and with higher accuracy. “Very complex claims that we never before thought we would be able to automate, we’re able to automate those and process those with higher accuracy,” said Tim Noel, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Patient-facing hours expanded by nearly 200,000 in the first half of the year as AI-assisted scheduling cut wait times for specialist appointments.

Selling the Playbook to the Rest of the Industry Optum Insight is converting those internal tools into commercial products sold to health systems and payers outside UnitedHealth. About a third of Optum Insight’s technology investment this year is going toward that commercialization effort.

A digital prior authorization product launched last quarter under the Optum Real branch has processed roughly half a million prior authorizations and saved 69,000 administrative hours for external clients. Value Connect, an AI insights platform embedded directly in provider electronic health records, is showing a 17% reduction in pharmacy costs in early client deployments.

Hemsley said every internal function, including HR, finance, legal and clinical operations, is being rebuilt around AI. The efficiency gains from that work will become the product Optum Insight sells externally. About a third of Optum Insight’s investment this year is going toward commercializing internal use cases for outside clients. “This is the beginning,” Hemsley said, “but it will have compounding effects as we make these investments.”

What Else Stood Out UnitedHealth committed to processing 80% of prior authorizations in real time by end of 2027, eliminating most of the back-and-forth between health plans and providers that currently delays care and drives administrative cost on both sides. Commercial insurance cost trends are running modestly above 11%, driven partly by an arbitration process under the No Surprises Act that UnitedHealth says is being exploited. Roughly 60% of all arbitration cases are brought by just five entities, and average payouts when arbitrators side with providers now run 11 times what Medicare would pay. Medicare Advantage cost trends are coming in below original planning assumptions, driven by benefit design changes and network adjustments. Full-year Medicare margins are now expected to finish above 3%. Optum Health now reaches nearly 90% of U.S. counties and conducts approximately 2.5 million rural patient home visits annually, with plans to expand those programs across the full Optum Health footprint by year-end. Topline Results and Outlook UnitedHealth reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $6.38, compared with $4.08 in the prior year. Total revenues were $112 billion, largely flat year over year. Operating earnings of $8 billion grew 55% year over year. The medical care ratio was 86.7%, including $860 million of net favorable prior period medical development, compared to 89.4% in the second quarter of 2025.

Operating cash flows were approximately $11 billion, or 1.9 times net income. The debt-to-capital ratio fell to 41.2%, down from 44.1% a year ago. The company closed its acquisition of Alegeus Technologies on July 2.

By PYMNTS  |  July 16, 2026

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GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen said Thursday (July 16) that the company continues to pursue an acquisition of eBay, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Cohen declined to say whether he planned to raise his offer for the company but said “we’re coming for eBay one way or another,” according to the report.

EBay rejected a $56 billion offer from GameStop earlier this year, the report said.

Cohen said Thursday that he aims to turn the combined company into a $1 trillion business, in part by building a digital marketplace for video game items, taking advantage of synergies between the companies’ collectibles businesses, and using GameStop locations as hubs for authenticating trading cards, per the report.

“The pro forma company is going to be investment grade,” Cohen said.

PYMNTS reported May 3 that GameStop announced that it had submitted a nonbinding proposal to acquire 100% of eBay and that following closing, Cohen would serve as CEO of the new combined company.

In a letter to eBay, GameStop said that eBay had spent $2.4 billion on sales and marketing during fiscal year 2025 and added just 1 million net active buyers. GameStop pledged to cut around $1.2 billion in sales and marketing costs as part of $2 billion in annual cost reductions within 12 months of closing.

On May 12, PYMNTS reported that eBay rebuffed GameStop’s $56 billion acquisition offer and called the proposal “neither credible nor attractive.”

EBay said in an announcement that its board had reviewed the surprise takeover bid and decided to reject it based on eBay’s “standalone prospects,” “uncertainty” on how the deal would be financed, and the impact of the bid on its long-term profitability and growth.

GameStop said in a June 26 press release that its “leadership team remains focused on advancing the proposed acquisition of eBay” and that “additional materials regarding the proposed transaction are forthcoming.”

On July 7, GameStop said in a press release that its stockholders approved an increase in the number of authorized shares of Class A common stock and that this amendment “provides the Company with the capacity to issue common stock in connection with strategic acquisitions, including its proposed acquisition of eBay, Inc.”

Gold Is Testing Its 200-Day SMA—These 3 Mining Stocks Are the PlayRoyal Gold NASDAQ: RGLD highlighted recent acquisitions, stronger first-quarter results and an expanded development pipeline during a virtual non-deal roadshow hosted by Renmark Financial Communications.

Alistair Baker, senior vice president of investor relations and business development at Royal Gold, said the company’s investment thesis remains centered on “consistent cash flows from precious metals” through a royalty and streaming model, rather than direct mine ownership. He emphasized that the company is “not a mining company” and has limited direct exposure to operating cost inflation.

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The Best Way to Invest in Gold Is...Baker said Royal Gold has seen “a lot of news” over recent quarters that he believes has not yet been fully recognized by the market, adding that gold equities have been under pressure as gold “is taking a bit of a breather.”

Acquisitions Add Scale and Diversification Baker described 2025 as “a very active” and “transformational” year for Royal Gold. He cited the completion of the Sandstorm and Horizon corporate acquisitions, which he said closed in mid-October last year and added growth and diversification to the portfolio.

BHP Stock: The Under-the-Radar Growth Story in CommoditiesThe company also added gold streams at Kansanshi and Warintza. Baker said Kansanshi is a cash-flowing, “world-class copper mine in Zambia,” while Warintza is an emerging Tier 1 development project in Ecuador that Royal Gold hopes will become a world-class producing asset.

Royal Gold also reported internal portfolio developments, including a mine life extension at Mount Milligan to 2045 and potentially beyond. Baker also pointed to Barrick’s work at the Four Mile project in Nevada, which he described as “probably one of the best gold discoveries over the past several decades,” adding that Royal Gold has full exposure to it.

First-Quarter Results Set Records Baker said Royal Gold’s first quarter was the first period to include consolidated results reflecting the recent transactions. The company reported record revenue, cash flow and earnings, including $391 million in adjusted EBITDA for the quarter.

Since the middle of October, Royal Gold has repaid $800 million of debt, increased portfolio reserve life by about 25% from the prior year to 18 years, and sold more than $200 million of non-core equity positions inherited through Sandstorm, Baker said.

The company also raised its dividend at year-end for the 25th consecutive year. Baker said Royal Gold has paid a growing dividend since 2000 and has distributed more than $1 billion to shareholders over time.

Royalty Model Positioned as Lower-Risk Gold Exposure Baker said Royal Gold’s business is highly scalable, with 39 employees and low fixed costs. He said the company’s EBITDA margin in 2025 was 82%, while cash general and administrative costs were about 4% of revenue.

He contrasted the royalty and streaming model with mining operators, which face direct exposure to labor, energy and consumables inflation. Baker said Royal Gold’s costs are more stable, consisting largely of salaries, services and office rent, which should allow margins to expand when metal prices rise.

“Anything that impacts costs impacts margins,” Baker said, adding that higher energy prices could affect operator costs in upcoming quarterly results, while Royal Gold’s margins should remain comparatively consistent.

The company’s portfolio includes more than 360 assets, with about 80 producing revenue and about 30 in development. Baker said more than 250 assets remain at earlier stages, creating potential for future organic growth as projects advance.

Pipeline Includes Multiple Growth Catalysts Royal Gold pointed to several assets expected to contribute over time. Baker said Back River reached commercial production in October and should provide its first full year of contributions this year. Platreef began milling ore in the fourth quarter of last year, and Robertson at the Cortez Complex is expected to begin production in 2027.

Later in the decade, Baker said Royal Gold expects potential new production from Palomarin, Great Bear and Marimaca. After the turn of the decade, he said MARA and Four Mile could contribute in the 2030s.

He also highlighted expansion potential at existing assets, including Khoemacau, where Royal Gold expects about a 30% increase in silver deliveries starting around 2028. At Mount Milligan, Baker said the mine life extension represents “a lot of value” for the company.

Capital Allocation and Valuation in Focus Baker said Royal Gold’s capital allocation priorities remain reinvesting in the business with non-dilutive financing, maintaining a strong balance sheet and liquidity, and returning capital to shareholders.

The company recently added a $600 million accordion feature to its revolving credit facility and received board authorization for a $500 million share repurchase program. Baker said the buyback is discretionary and not tied to a formula or specific valuation levels.

In response to a question about leverage, Baker said Royal Gold could consider reaching three times net debt to EBITDA in “extreme circumstances” for a compelling acquisition, but would want to reduce leverage to two times within a reasonably quick period.

Asked about copper exposure, Baker said gold producers’ interest in copper projects is likely to continue because copper assets often have longer mine lives. He said this could create opportunities for royalty companies when copper projects contain precious metals components. Royal Gold is not targeting a specific revenue mix, he said, but remains comfortable with a portfolio that is about 90% precious metals and roughly 75% to 80% gold.

Baker said Royal Gold believes its share price is not reflecting the company’s recent performance, growth pipeline or the current gold price environment. He said the company is working to improve market understanding of its portfolio through investor outreach, an investor day and an asset handbook detailing the sources of revenue.

About Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD)Royal Gold, Inc, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a leading precious metals streaming and royalty company. Through its business model, Royal Gold provides upfront financing to mining operators in exchange for the right to purchase a percentage of future metal production at predetermined prices. This structure allows the company to participate in production upside while minimizing exposure to the operating and capital-intensive aspects of mine ownership.

The company's portfolio encompasses interests in over 200 streams and royalties on projects across North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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Decentralized exchanges were supposed to be the scrappy underdogs, perpetually outgunned by Binance and its centralized cousins. Someone forgot to tell Hyperliquid.

The decentralized perpetual futures platform has reached a 9.3% share of global aggregate perpetual open interest, measured against centralized exchanges. That number, reported by hypeflows.com, marks a record high for the platform and represents a genuine milestone for on-chain trading at large.

From 6.9% to 9.3% in six weeks Back in late May 2026, Hyperliquid held a 6.9% share of aggregate perpetual open interest. By early July 2026, that figure had climbed to 9.3%.

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Total perpetual open interest on the platform peaked at approximately $11.14B in mid-2026. Hyperliquid now also commands over 70% of on-chain perpetual futures volume across all decentralized platforms.

HIP-3 is doing the heavy lifting A significant portion of the open interest growth traces back to HIP-3, Hyperliquid’s permissionless market framework launched on October 13, 2025.

HIP-3 lets anyone spin up a perpetual market on Hyperliquid without needing approval from a central team. The result has been an explosion of tradable assets that go well beyond crypto, including equities, commodities, indices, and pre-IPO assets.

The HIP-3 markets have added several billion dollars to Hyperliquid’s total open interest figure, according to the research. That means a material chunk of the platform’s record-breaking number is coming not from Bitcoin or Ethereum perps, but from real-world asset markets that CEXs have not traditionally offered retail traders in this format.

The architecture that makes it work Hyperliquid runs on its own Layer-1 blockchain. The platform currently supports over 300 markets, with high transaction throughput and fully on-chain settlement. Non-custodial means users retain control of their funds at all times.

What this means for traders and the broader market Hyperliquid is no longer a niche product. A 9.3% share of global perpetual open interest, measured against the largest centralized venues in the world, puts it in serious conversation as a tier-one trading venue by volume and positioning metrics.

The HYPE token, Hyperliquid’s native asset, is closely tied to the platform’s growth trajectory. As open interest rises, fee revenue accruing to the protocol increases, which feeds directly into token valuation models.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

CME Group just made it a lot easier to bet on the broader crypto market without picking individual winners. The exchange giant launched its Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures on June 8, giving traders exposure to eight leading cryptocurrencies through a single contract.

The futures track eight tokens via the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, BCH, and XLM. The weighting is continuous and based on market capitalization, meaning Bitcoin and Ether dominate the index while smaller tokens like Stellar contribute proportionally less. The contracts settle to the Nasdaq CME Crypto Settlement Price Index, known as NCIS. They’re financially settled, which means no actual crypto changes hands.

CME is offering two contract sizes. The standard version runs $10 per index point, while the micro contract comes in at $1 per index point.

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Why this matters for institutional crypto CME has been methodically building out its crypto derivatives menu for years. Bitcoin futures launched back in 2017. Ether futures followed. Micro versions of both came later. But all of those are single-asset products.

Giovanni Vicioso, a key executive involved in the launch, described it as a milestone in digital asset market expansion. The partnership with Nasdaq adds credibility that pure-crypto exchanges can’t easily replicate.

The launch also fits into a broader pattern at CME during the second quarter of 2026. The exchange rolled out futures for Avalanche (AVAX) and Bitcoin volatility products during the same period.

The liquidity question and what to watch There has been no significant trading volume or pricing data reported since the June 8 launch, which is entirely normal for this stage.

Eight tokens is a decent basket, but the crypto market has hundreds of liquid assets. A market-cap weighted index dominated by Bitcoin and Ether might not provide as much diversification as the marketing suggests. Depending on BTC and ETH’s combined weight, the index could behave almost identically to a simple Bitcoin-Ether blend.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the primary clearing and settlement provider for U.S. securities and custodian of $114 trillion in assets, has advanced its tokenization initiative into live production. This marks a significant milestone in the modernization of U.S. financial infrastructure, bridging the gap between traditional and digital assets.

DTCC’s tokenization strategy enters live operationOn July 15, DTCC confirmed that live production trading had commenced for tokenized versions of Russell 1000 stocks, major exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and U.S. Treasuries. More than 30 firms participated in these trades, bringing together established banking institutions and digital market leaders in a landmark demonstration of cross-industry collaboration.

The full commercial launch of the platform is expected to occur in October 2026. DTCC’s media outreach distilled the initiative’s progress in four words: “From experimentation to production.” The step signals a decisive move beyond pilot programs and towards large-scale adoption of blockchain-based solutions within financial markets.

DTCC’s transition from test phase to live production covers a broad range of assets and includes over 30 participating firms, aligning established financial entities with digital market innovators.

The company’s approach centers on integrating tokenized assets into established clearing rails, aiming to improve speed, transparency, and efficiency across the trading ecosystem.

Nadine Chakar leads DTCC’s digital agendaNadine Chakar, Managing Director and Global Head of DTCC Digital Assets, has played a pivotal role in the institution’s transition to digital securities and tokenization at scale. In December 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted DTCC a no-action letter, enabling the firm to tokenize institutional-grade assets spanning the Russell 1000, top ETFs, and government securities without requiring immediate legislative clarity under the CLARITY Act.

Chakar described the milestone as “just the beginning,” emphasizing that July 15 marks the shift from strategic planning to real-world execution for DTCC’s roadmap.

Mini dictionary: No-action letter, a formal assurance from the SEC that it will not take enforcement action against an entity’s actions, provided certain guidelines are followed.

Ripple’s integration and Prime brokerage ambitionsRipple Prime, a subsidiary formed after Ripple’s acquisition and rebranding of Hidden Road in April 2025, now holds membership in DTCC’s 50-firm Industry Working Group. This group also includes influential names such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and BlackRock. As part of its integration, Ripple Prime has gained direct access to DTCC’s clearing network, setting the stage for elevated participation in future developments.

With the October launch, Ripple Prime is positioned to connect tokenized assets settled via DTCC with the XRP Ledger’s liquidity pools as service expansion continues globally. The infrastructure to bridge traditional securities with the blockchain is moving from concept to operational reality.

Mini dictionary: Ripple Prime, the prime brokerage and institutional trading division of Ripple, enables advanced access to market infrastructure and clearing services for digital and tokenized assets.

InitiativeAsset CoverageGo-live DateDTCC TokenizationRussell 1000, ETFs, TreasuriesJuly 15, 2026 (pilot), October 2026 (full launch)Ripple Prime x DTCC PartnershipInstitutional digital assetsApril 2025 (acquisition), October 2026 (full launch)The XRP community responded quickly to DTCC’s announcements, filling official social channels and related content with discussion and analysis. Enthusiasts highlighted DTCC’s video on tokenization, noting the prominent presence of XRP advocates and interpreting it as an acknowledgment of Ripple’s longstanding involvement in the system.

Observers within the XRP community emphasized that July 15 marks a transition point, as tokenized assets move from experimental pilots to industry adoption across more than 50 organizations.

A number of posts emphasized the scale, describing the shift as “the moment the roadmap becomes reality” and underscoring the significance of 24/7 on-chain settlement for major asset classes.

Looking ahead to October 2026With the October rollout, Ripple Prime will gain unprecedented access to settlement infrastructure, with the opportunity to merge DTCC-handled assets and XRP Ledger liquidity on a global level. Industry leaders say the technology is now operational rather than theoretical, positioning the sector for accelerated innovation in securities clearance and tokenized trading.

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.

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), a major financial market infrastructure provider responsible for clearing and settlement of nearly all US stock and bond trades, has initiated its first equity conversions and tokenized infrastructure in live production. Citadel Securities, a leading market maker overseeing approximately $69 billion in assets under management, will be the first to participate in this rollout.

Citadel’s role and ties to RippleCitadel’s involvement draws particular attention due to its notable connections with Ripple and the XRP Ledger. In October 2025, Citadel joined Fortress in a $500 million strategic investment in Ripple. This move aligns with Ripple’s ongoing efforts to expand the institutional adoption of blockchain technology.

As detailed by blockchain analyst SMQKE, Citadel’s partnership with Ripple coincides with a series of major milestones for the fintech company, including high-profile acquisitions and the integration of RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin for on-chain settlement.

DTCC’s traditional infrastructure underpins an estimated $114 trillion in securities. This enormous volume is fueling speculation about how much liquidity proven blockchain platforms, such as the XRP Ledger, could provide for instant settlement of tokenized assets.

InstitutionAssets in ScopeKey Blockchain TieDTCC$114 trillion (traditional securities)Tokenized settlement railsCitadel$69 billion AUMRipple/XRP LedgerMini dictionary: DTCC — The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation is a central player in US markets, streamlining the clearing and settlement process for equities, bonds, and other assets. It is critical to maintaining financial stability and efficiency on Wall Street.

Tokenization and market implicationsThe initial phase of DTCC’s tokenized trades has now commenced, but the broader impact on the real world asset (RWA) market remains to be seen. Citadel’s investment in Ripple has positioned XRP’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) solution as a foundational component of this evolving ecosystem. Meanwhile, SWIFT’s recent introduction of a multi-chain digital ledger allows for interoperability across a range of blockchains, potentially expanding the field to several networks beyond XRP Ledger for such infrastructure projects.

Ripple’s influence has grown through regulatory victories and expanded use among institutions. The acquisition of GTreasury in 2023 helped Ripple process $13 trillion in transaction volume without direct involvement with cryptocurrencies. Observers expect that as tokenization of traditional assets progresses, blockchain networks like the XRP Ledger could capture a greater share of new financial flows.

RLUSD, Ripple’s own US dollar stablecoin, has crossed $1.5 billion in market capitalization just a year after launch. Its role in the swiftly changing regulatory environment could become even more prominent if the Clarity Act — a key digital asset policy proposal — gains approval.

Mini dictionary: RLUSD — RLUSD is Ripple’s stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, designed for fast and reliable transactions across the XRP Ledger, supporting both traditional and crypto-native payment flows.

Ripple’s legal battles and Wall Street integrationRecent regulatory developments have energized the XRP community after Ripple secured a significant victory against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the far-reaching consequences of this legal battle through a widely shared post on X, clarifying the complex treatment of XRP sales in relation to securities regulations and referencing statements by former SEC Chair Gary Gensler.

David Schwartz highlighted that all XRP transactions were handled as securities by regulators, challenging the notion that only specific unregistered sales were under scrutiny and pointing to prior comments by Gary Gensler for context.

The DTCC described its partnership with Citadel as a “notable milestone that marks the largest tokenization production initiative in breadth of use cases, asset classes and number of participants.” This has generated speculation regarding the capacity of XRP Ledger to scale and process a substantial share of the $114 trillion tokenization opportunity, building on its track record of supporting multi-billion dollar daily volumes.

Citadel, a private financial services firm, does not publicly disclose its full valuation, which can vary by source. However, its direct collaboration with Ripple signals an active pursuit of a greater stake in the tokenized financial infrastructure now emerging around DTCC’s backbone.

Market participants are closely watching how much of the immense tokenization opportunity will fall to established blockchain networks such as the XRP Ledger as Wall Street continues to bring assets on-chain.

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.

Chi Fung Cheng, the chief technology officer at Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (CRDO 8.63%), sold 27,500 shares on July 14, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summaryMetricValueTransaction value$6.6 millionShares sold (indirectly held)27,500Post-transaction shares (directly held)140,358Post-transaction shares (indirectly held)5,854,870Post-transaction value$1.4 billionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($240.21); post-transaction value based on July 14, 2026 market close ($236.18).

Key questionsWhat were the specific parameters of this disposition?
The transaction was executed by the Cheng Huang Family Trust under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on September 5, 2025. The trust is managed by Cheng Chi Fung and his spouse as trustees for the benefit of their family, and the sale was conducted in multiple trades at prices ranging from $235.79 to $250.49.How does this transaction relate to the insider's total equity exposure?
The sale of 27,500 shares represented a 0.46% reduction in the insider's total direct and indirect equity holdings. Following the trade, the insider continues to hold roughly 140,000 shares directly and 5.9 million shares indirectly, maintaining a 3% ownership stake in the company.What is the current market context for the company?
As of the July 15, 2026 market close, shares were priced at $226.74. At the time of the transaction on July 14, 2026, the stock had delivered a one-year total return of 139%, reflecting a period of significant appreciation for the semiconductor firm.Company OverviewMetricValueShare Price (as of market close 2026-07-15)$226.74Market Capitalization$42.3 billionRevenue (TTM)$1.3 billionNet Income (TTM)$472.3 millionCompany SnapshotCredo Technology Group designs and delivers advanced high-speed connectivity solutions, including integrated circuits, active electrical cables, and SerDes chiplets for optical and electrical Ethernet applications across global markets.The company generates revenue through the development and sale of proprietary semiconductor products and connectivity solutions that enable high-speed data transmission for enterprise and infrastructure customers.Credo's primary customer base includes leading technology and telecommunications companies requiring advanced connectivity infrastructure, with geographic presence spanning the United States, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, and other international markets.Credo Technology Group is a semiconductor specialist with a $42.3 billion market capitalization, generating $1.3 billion in TTM revenue with a net profit margin of approximately 36.3%. The company has established a competitive position through proprietary SerDes chiplet technology and integrated circuit solutions that address the growing demand for high-speed Ethernet connectivity in data center and telecommunications infrastructure applications.

What this transaction means for investorsThis filing effectively details a billionaire co-founder skimming a sliver off an enormous position, and it’s not a signal to chase. Cheng sold through his family trust under a plan set last September, and 27,500 shares clears less than half a percent of his roughly 6 million shares. Those holdings are worth well over $1.3 billion, so a founder who built the company's core SerDes technology parting with this little, on a preset schedule, after a 139% run, is basically diversifying.

He's also not the only insider selling on plan lately, which can look jumpy but reflects an inner circle taking profits after a historic stretch. Credo tripled fiscal 2026 revenue past $1.3 billion and grew non-GAAP net income more than fivefold to $662 million. Of course, the stock remains prone to volatility, having fallen over 30% from an all-time just a few weeks ago, but that seems more largely tied to broader sentiment in semiconductor names, as opposed to execution, which should matter more in the long run.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Sentora brings curated vaults to StellarInstitutional DeFi platform @SentoraHQ has launched its curated vault product on @StellarOrg, making it live now through Ultrastellar's Stellar DeFi Hub and yield.xyz. It marks Sentora's first integration with the Stellar network, aimed squarely at fintechs and financial institutions looking to access onchain yield without sacrificing risk controls.

The timing is deliberate. The total market cap of tokenized real-world assets on Stellar has surpassed $3 billion, representing roughly a 300% increase from where the network stood in early 2025. That growth has been driven by a range of institutional issuers, with Spiko accounting for over $1 billion in assets on the network, Franklin Templeton's BENJI token sitting at approximately $654 million, and Ondo Finance's USDY contributing around $529 million.

Sentora describes itself as a DeFi infrastructure and strategy partner for institutional capital allocators. Its vault platform is built around the idea that risk controls come first, with yield as the output rather than the starting point. The firm has allocated over $2 billion across onchain strategies and shaped more than 300 strategies across multiple market cycles.

Risk-first design for regulated institutionsThe Stellar integration is specifically structured for institutions and fintechs that need onchain yield with compliance and risk management baked in from the start. Sentora's vaults operate through audited smart contracts on a non-custodial basis, meaning client assets remain under their own control throughout. The platform also incorporates KYC, AML, and jurisdictional screening as standard parts of the onboarding process.

The Stellar network itself has characteristics that make it a practical fit for this kind of institutional product. The network has maintained 99.99% uptime and kept average fees at around one hundredth of a penny, while its architecture includes built-in compliance tools such as controlled access accounts and clawback capabilities that regulated institutions require.

Sentora says this is the first step in a broader @StellarOrg roadmap, with additional DeFi and RWA strategies planned. The integration positions the firm at the intersection of two converging trends: rising institutional demand for compliant onchain yield products, and Stellar's rapid growth as a primary settlement layer for tokenized real-world assets.

Sources:
Sentora DeFi Strategies Platform
Crypto Briefing: Stellar RWA market cap surpasses $3B
Stellar Foundation: Q1 2026 Execution at Network Scale

Wall Street just stopped treating tokenized assets like a science experiment. On July 15, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation executed its first-ever live production trades involving tokenized US stocks, ETFs, and Treasuries, with JPMorgan posting tokenized shares of the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF as collateral to meet margin requirements at CME Group.

How the trade actually worked JPMorgan tokenized shares of the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF, one of the most widely held index ETFs tracking the Nasdaq-100. Those tokenized shares were then posted as collateral to satisfy margin requirements at CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives marketplace.

Chainlink served as the connective tissue. Its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol and Runtime Environment handled the movement and verification of the tokenized assets across different blockchain environments.

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The result was immediate capital efficiency. JPMorgan didn’t need to unwind underlying positions or shuffle cash around to meet its margin obligations. The tokenized collateral moved on-chain, instantly, while maintaining all the legal rights tied to the traditional securities underneath.

The road to production In May 2025, JPMorgan partnered with Chainlink and Ondo Finance to test cross-chain Delivery versus Payment settlements of tokenized Treasuries. DvP is the gold standard in securities settlement: assets and payment change hands simultaneously, eliminating the risk that one side delivers while the other doesn’t.

Then in May 2026, DTCC integrated Chainlink’s Runtime Environment into its Collateral AppChain, a purpose-built system designed for around-the-clock collateral management. That integration gave the infrastructure a production-grade backbone, setting the stage for the July trade.

Why CME accepting tokenized collateral is a big deal Margin collateral at CME has historically meant cash, Treasuries, or a narrow list of approved assets. Adding tokenized equities to that list means one of the most conservative, heavily regulated entities in global finance has formally recognized that digital representations of securities carry the same weight as their traditional counterparts.

What this means for investors For Chainlink specifically, being the infrastructure layer that DTCC and JPMorgan chose for production deployment is a significant competitive moat. The Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol is positioning itself as the default bridge between traditional finance rails and blockchain networks.

The broader tokenization market has seen adoption concentrated in Treasuries and money market funds. The inclusion of equity ETFs like QQQ signals that the aperture is widening.

With over 40 Wall Street firms participating in this first production trade, the question is no longer whether traditional finance will adopt blockchain-based settlement and collateral management. It’s how quickly the rest of the industry catches up to the firms that already have.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Visa has unveiled the Visa Stablecoin Platform, a new service aimed at banks, fintech firms, and payment providers, designed to streamline the issuance, holding, and transfer of stablecoins within Visa’s global payments network.

Comprehensive stablecoin solution for institutionsThe initiative enables financial institutions to manage stablecoin operations without the need to build their own blockchain infrastructure. Instead, the platform offers an integrated system for stablecoin minting, redemption, wallet management, and treasury services, aligning these functions with Visa’s existing payment and settlement workflows.

Visa’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jack Forestell described the new platform as a significant step for enterprises interested in stablecoin adoption. He stated, “Stablecoins are opening up a new layer of programmable money, but for most institutions the hard part isn’t the concept, it’s the operational reality. With the Visa Stablecoin Platform, we’re giving our clients a single place to mint, move, and manage stablecoin operations with the controls, security, and network reach they already expect from Visa.”

With the Visa Stablecoin Platform, we’re giving our clients a single place to mint, move, and manage stablecoin operations with the controls, security, and network reach they already expect from Visa.

The global stablecoin market has reached $304 billion in market capitalization, according to figures from CoinGecko, with most tokens pegged to the US dollar.

Support for Open USD and expansion of stablecoin productsAt its initial launch, the Visa Stablecoin Platform supports Open USD (OUSD), a stablecoin developed by the Open Standard consortium earlier this year. In addition, the service integrates with Visa’s existing stablecoin products, including USDC by Circle and USDG by Paxos.

The platform, which has entered a beta phase with a limited number of customers, allows clients to manage wallets, transfer stablecoins, and integrate new stablecoin workflows into their current treasury and settlement systems. Security features such as transaction approvals and audit trails are also built in.

Mini dictionary: Open Standard consortium, an organization focused on promoting interoperable stablecoin standards and responsible for introducing Open USD (OUSD).

Visa’s ongoing growth in stablecoin marketsVisa’s latest move builds on a series of recent developments in the stablecoin sector. In October, the payments company published research supporting the potential for stablecoins to move part of the $40 trillion global credit market onto blockchain-based platforms. The firm cited $670 billion in stablecoin lending over the past five years as evidence of growing adoption.

In April, Visa broadened its stablecoin settlement capabilities by adding support for additional blockchain networks, including Base, Polygon, Canton, Arc, and Tempo, boosting its total supported blockchains to nine. At that time, Visa reported $7 billion in annualized stablecoin settlements and said it was powering over 130 stablecoin-linked card programs in more than 50 countries.

NetworkSupported by Visa (since April)BaseYesPolygonYesCantonYesArcYesTempoYesVisa, a leader in global payments, continues to expand its digital asset offerings as stablecoins gain traction in both retail and institutional finance.

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.

Banks have spent the better part of two years warning that stablecoins would siphon money out of the traditional financial system. Coinbase’s chief policy officer has a different take: the numbers don’t support that story.

Faryar Shirzad pointed to a six-month window in which USDC supply grew by approximately 4.6-5% while total demand deposits in the US banking system climbed by roughly 4.5-5%. Both went up. Neither ate the other’s lunch.

The data behind the argument USDC’s circulating supply has reached approximately $75 billion, making it the second-largest stablecoin by market cap.

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A July 2025 study from Charles River Associates, commissioned by Coinbase, examined whether USDC adoption had measurably harmed community bank deposits. The conclusion: no statistically significant negative effects. Community banks, the institutions most often cited as vulnerable to stablecoin competition, appear to be doing just fine.

Shirzad followed up with a blog post in September 2025 that directly rejected what he called the “deposit erosion myth” propagated by banking industry lobbyists.

Why banks keep pushing the narrative anyway Coinbase has obvious incentives here too. The company earns a revenue share of 100% from USDC held on its platform and 50% from other sources. USDC powers around 90% of Coinbase’s spot trading in USD/USDC pairs.

Coinbase’s broader USDC strategy The company’s USDC yield program has historically offered returns up to 5%. Coinbase has also been building out direct deposit functionality, letting users receive paychecks in USDC.

Coinbase is also partnering with other firms to expand stablecoin use in payments, pushing USDC closer to becoming a practical medium of exchange rather than just a trading intermediary.

What this means for investors For Coinbase shareholders, the USDC economics are worth watching closely. When the company earns a full revenue share on platform-held USDC and half on off-platform holdings, every billion dollars of USDC growth translates directly to the income statement. At $75 billion in circulation, the economics are already substantial.

Tether’s USDT still dominates the global stablecoin market, but USDC has been gaining ground in regulated markets, particularly in the US and Europe.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Enterprise blockchain adoption doesn’t get limelight overnight, but Hedera today added another piece to a much bigger puzzle. The network has integrated with Utila, which is known as an institutional grade digital asset custody and wallet infra provider.

By joining hands they are expanding secure access to HBAR and Hedera Token Service (HTS) tokens for enterprises operating at scale.

The partnership arrives as Hedera continues building its presence across regulated financial markets, where security, compliance, and operational control often matter more than hype.

Utila Brings Institutional-Grade InfrastructureUtila enters the collaboration with solid credentials. The platform has secured $51.5 million in funding and processes more than $200 billion in transaction volume, offering Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallets, customizable policy controls, and enterprise-focused APIs.

For organizations managing HBAR and HTS tokens, the integration introduces compliance-focused custody infrastructure. Which is designed to simplify digital asset operations without compromising security. That lowers the entry barrier for financial institutions seeking blockchain exposure within regulated environments.

Project Acacia Expands Hedera’s ReachThe integration extends beyond custody services. Utila is serving as a key infrastructure provider for project Acacia, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s digital money pilot, alongside Hashgraph and Hashsphere. The initiative operates on a private network powered by Loading profile preview technology, placing the blockchain within a high-profile state-backed financial experiment.

That role reinforces Hedera’s growing reputation as infrastructure capable of supporting enterprise and government-level blockchain deployments.

Network Activity Continues To ScaleMoreover, the latest partnership follows another notable development for Hedera. Per onchain data the rising graph shows increases in transaction counts. Per chart, it is approaching 72 Billions in cumulative transactions count that has been processed across its network.

That figure highlights sustained enterprise usage rather than isolated bursts of activity. As transaction volumes continue growing, Utila integration appears less like an optional upgrade and more like a necessary step.

For Hedera, enterprise adoption isn’t being measured by announcements alone. It’s increasingly being backed by transaction volume, regulated infrastructure, and participation in large-scale financial initiatives.

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A tokenized stock on Solana outtraded its own Nasdaq listing on a Sunday, adding to Solana's growing dominance in tokenized real-world assets.

Even when Wall Street shuts its doors for the weekend, trading on Solana carries on without interruption. A recent case involving RoboStrategy shows just how significant that difference can be.

RoboStrategy (Nasdaq: BOT), a closed-end fund focused on private robotics and physical AI companies, recorded more trading volume on Solana on a Sunday than it did on the Nasdaq the following business day, according to data shared by Solana on X.

A Sunday that outpaced a MondayBOT is ordinarily a Nasdaq-listed stock, which means it only trades during standard U.S. market hours from Monday through Friday.

However, a tokenized version of the stock also trades on Solana, a blockchain network designed for fast and low-cost transactions that continues operating around the clock, including weekends.

On Sunday, July 12, the tokenized version of BOT recorded $12.86 million in trading volume on Solana. The following day, with Nasdaq open for regular trading, BOT did $9.8 million in volume. In other words, the onchain version of the stock moved more money on a day when traditional markets were closed than the actual stock did during a full trading session.

Solana's post also noted that 68.5% of that Sunday volume came from registered Frontier Traders, suggesting the activity reflected a genuinely engaged base of users rather than a brief, isolated spike.

The timing is worth noting as well. RoboStrategy had recently completed a series of private share issuances between July 7 and July 14, raising approximately $16 million at an average price of $35.50 per share. It remains unclear whether that capital raise directly contributed to the weekend's trading activity, though the overlap in timing stands out.

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Solana's expanding role in tokenized stocksThis is far from an isolated example. Solana has steadily built a lead in the broader market for tokenized real-world assets.

According to data from rwa.xyz, Solana now counts 301,074 holders of tokenized real-world assets, the highest of any blockchain by that measure, ahead of Plume's 247,755, Ethereum's 200,860, and BNB Chain's 118,840 holders.

The network currently holds approximately $3.01 billion in tokenized assets spanning 2,121 different asset types, having briefly touched an all-time high of $3.62 billion earlier this month.

By total value, Solana ranks third among all networks, behind Ethereum and BNB Chain, though it leads decisively when measured by the number of individual holders.

Tokenized equities in particular have driven much of that growth. Solana recorded $3.47 billion in tokenized equity trading volume in June, a new monthly record, and accounted for more than 96% of all tokenized equity trading volume across every blockchain that month, according to data from Blockworks. 

That figure suggests Solana is not simply hosting these tokenized assets, but has become the primary venue where the actual trading takes place.

Robinhood joins the lineupSolana's collection of tokenized stocks grew further on July 16, when the network announced that HOODx, a tokenized version of Robinhood Markets (Nasdaq: HOOD) stock, had gone live.

Robinhood is a commission-free trading platform widely used by retail investors to buy stocks, options, and crypto. HOODx is issued by Backpack Securities, a regulated entity that tokenizes real-world stocks, and is made accessible through Sunrise, Solana's dedicated gateway for bringing external, real-world assets onto the network.

In practice, this means investors can now buy and sell a tokenized version of Robinhood's own stock on Jupiter, one of Solana's largest decentralized exchanges, the same platform many traders use to buy and sell meme coins.

SUMMIT Entertainment Ventures to bring observatory experience to Tokyo July 16, 2026 18:37 ET  | Source: SL Green Realty Corp

NEW YORK, July 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG), Manhattan’s largest office landlord, today announced that SUMMIT Entertainment Ventures (SEV), the joint venture between SL Green and acclaimed artist Kenzo Digital, has reached an agreement to bring its world-renowned SUMMIT immersive observatory experience to the world’s third largest city, Tokyo. This destination will mark the second location announced as part of SEV's growing global portfolio, following on the heels of the success of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt in Manhattan and the opening of SUMMIT Paris anticipated in June 2027.

“Bringing the world-famous SUMMIT experience from New York City to Tokyo marks a monumental milestone for SL Green and our partnership with Kenzo Digital in one of the greatest cities in the world,” says Robert Schiffer, Executive Vice President, Development, SL Green. “The SUMMIT experience opening in Paris, and soon coming to Tokyo, will further our mission to bring transformative experiences to the most influential cultural markets around the globe.”

Helmed by Kenzo Digital Immersive (KDI), the artist behind the original SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, SEV will bring an evolution of SUMMIT’s signature design in New York City, that has become recognizable around the world, to the capital city of Tokyo.

“I am honored by the opportunity to create meaningful new art in Tokyo,” says artist Kenzo Digital. “My goal is to design an experience that is creatively innovative while honoring the principles that are fundamental to Japanese culture. I am deeply inspired by Japan’s remarkable traditions and practices that celebrate the natural world, ideas I will explore for a powerful and unique immersive experience.”

SEV began its global expansion with the forthcoming opening of SUMMIT Paris anticipated in June 2027, with more new locations around the globe to be announced. Crowning the top floors of Paris’ Triangle Building, SUMMIT Paris will complete the iconic skyline as part of the “last skyscraper” to be built in Paris.

Since opening in 2021, the original SUMMIT One Vanderbilt in New York City has welcomed nearly 10 million visitors and earned global recognition as the World Travel Awards’ Leading Tourist Attraction in North America (2024 and 2025), Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, USA Today’s 10Best Immersive Art Experiences, Architizer’s A+ Awards, Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards, ELLE Magazine’s ‘Most Instagrammable Place in the World,’ and Tiqet’s Most Innovative Venue in the U.S.

About SL Green Realty Corp.

SL Green Realty Corp., Manhattan’s largest office landlord, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust, or REIT, that is focused primarily on acquiring, managing and maximizing the value of Manhattan commercial properties. As of March 31, 2026, SL Green held interests in 55 buildings totaling 30.8 million square feet which included ownership interests in 29.4 million square feet and 1.4 million square feet securing debt and preferred equity investments, excluding fund investments, and managed 3 buildings totaling 0.8 million square feet owned by third parties.

About SUMMIT Entertainment Ventures (SEV)
SUMMIT Entertainment Ventures (SEV) is a global immersive experience business, offering end-to-end expertise across consultancy, experiential design, and operations — partnering with leading destinations to build, launch, and manage world-class experiential venues.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions thereof. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including such matters as future capital expenditures, dividends and acquisitions (including the amount and nature thereof), development trends of the real estate industry and the New York metropolitan area markets, occupancy, business strategies, expansion and growth of our operations and other similar matters, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially, and we caution you not to place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” “project,” “continue,” or the negative of these words, or other similar words or terms.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by us. Factors and risks to our business that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except to the extent required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.

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Amazon (AMZN 1.92%) brought in a jaw-dropping $182 billion in revenue in the first three months of 2026. While the majority of this sum came from its retail operations, the market undoubtedly spends more time focused on the company's cloud division, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

This isn't surprising. AWS posted a 28% year-over-year revenue gain in Q1, its fastest growth pace in more than three years. And AWS' operating income accounts for 59% of the overall company's total. These are impressive trends.

But investors should take a deeper look at the AWS growth story.

Image source: Amazon.

Double-click on the backlog metric Andy Jassy, who has been CEO of Amazon since taking over from founder Jeff Bezos in July 2021, highlighted the huge opportunity that the cloud segment is facing. As he wrote in his 2025 shareholder letter, "85% of global IT spend remains on-premises."

In recent years, the artificial intelligence (AI) market has taken a central position in the financial picture. "Our AI revenue is growing triple digits year over year," Chief Financial Officer Brian T. Olsavsky said on the Q1 earnings call. It's hard not to be bullish about the company after reading this.

The market places a lot of attention on a single metric for cloud computing leaders like Amazon: backlog, which indicates contracted (but not yet delivered) demand from customers. AWS had a $364 billion backlog as of March 31, up 49% from three months before.

And that figure didn't include the 10-year $100 billion deal with Anthropic signed in April. But it did include OpenAI's $138 billion spending commitment over the next eight years. These are the two most prominent AI labs out there, and both are weighing initial public offerings that would value the companies at more than $1 trillion.

The outlook for AWS is highly reliant on the ability of these two start-ups to fulfill their spending commitments. This puts its backlog on shakier ground.

As of May, Anthropic and OpenAI had a combined annualized revenue run rate of $72 billion. Their total yearly spending commitment to AWS of about $27 billion amounts to 38% of this sales figure. This isn't a cause for concern at first glance.

However, this doesn't count their spending obligations with other cloud providers, measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars. It also excludes operating expenses and the need to eventually produce a profit. There is tremendous uncertainty in the coming years, all dependent upon the ability of Anthropic and OpenAI to register skyrocketing revenues and build durable business models.

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Say goodbye to free cash flow Amazon has said it will lay out $200 billion on capital expenditures this year, up 52% compared to 2025. The company will burn $11 billion in free cash flow in 2026, according to analysts' consensus estimates. Investors have to get used to this new financial reality.

On a positive note, Amazon has historically excelled at choosing where to invest with an eye toward the long term. Additionally, the sizable investments it's making could also benefit the overall business. The online marketplace, logistics network, Prime Video, and advertising segment, for example, are all leveraging its expanded AI capabilities.

MarketBeat Week in Review – 06/29 - 07/03Netflix NASDAQ: NFLX executives said the company remains on track for its 2026 financial plan, pointing to continued subscription growth, pricing gains, rising advertising revenue and a broadening content strategy during the company’s second-quarter earnings interview.

CFO Spence Neumann said Netflix is guiding for 12% reported revenue growth in the third quarter and 11% growth on a foreign-exchange-neutral basis. He said the drivers are “very similar to Q2,” led primarily by subscription revenue growth from membership gains and pricing, along with higher advertising revenue.

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Netflix Stock Is Near 2021 Levels, and Bulls See 4 Reasons to Care“We continue to see healthy acquisition and retention trends on the membership side, and our recent price adjustments are going well on the pricing side,” Neumann said.

For the full year, Neumann said Netflix expects 13% to 14% top-line growth, or roughly 12% on an FX-neutral basis, representing about $6 billion of incremental revenue year over year. He also emphasized that management is focused on the full year rather than quarter-to-quarter fluctuations.

The Netflix-Lionsgate Rumor Exposed a Bigger Shift in Media M&ANeumann said Netflix believes it still has significant room to grow, estimating the company is less than 45% penetrated into about 800 million addressable households globally, has captured about 7% of an addressable revenue market of approximately $670 billion, and accounts for about 5% of global TV viewing share.

Engagement Metrics Remain a Focus Co-CEO Greg Peters addressed investor questions about viewing hours and engagement, saying there is not a direct linear relationship between raw viewing hours and revenue or profit. He cited live programming as an example, noting that live content is expected to account for about 5% of Netflix’s content budget this year but only about 1% of view hours. However, Peters said six of Netflix’s top 10 new member sign-up days over the past five years have come from live events.

By contrast, Peters said kids and family animation series are also expected to represent about 5% of content spending but about 8% of view hours. He said Netflix evaluates engagement across quality, variety and quantity, rather than relying only on total hours viewed.

On the quantity side, Peters said viewing hours grew 2% in the first half of 2026, an incremental 1.5 billion hours compared with the same period last year. He said that was a slight acceleration from 1.5% growth in 2025.

“It’s combined quality, variety, and quantity of engagement that translates into satisfaction and value for members,” Peters said, adding that Netflix continues to see “industry-leading retention,” increased willingness to pay and strong advertiser demand.

Content Spending and Slate Performance Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said most of Netflix’s programming spending continues to go toward core TV series and films, where he said the company has a long track record of generating member value and business returns. Sarandos said Netflix is forecasting content expense to rise about 10% this year, above the 8% average over the last five years but below the 14% average over the past decade.

Sarandos pointed to several second-quarter releases as evidence of the slate’s performance, including “I Will Find You,” which he said was Netflix’s biggest original series launch this year, and “Swapped,” which he said is on track to become the company’s second-biggest original animated film behind “K-Pop: Demon Hunters.”

He also highlighted regional programming, including the South Korean show “Teach You a Lesson,” which he said is on track to become the second-most-watched South Korean show globally on Netflix and the company’s biggest series in South Korea. Sarandos also cited “The Polygamist,” adapted from a Zimbabwean novel for South Africa, and “Rosario Tijeras” in Latin America.

Asked about concerns over second-season viewership declines, Sarandos said Netflix is not seeing a material change in aggregate second-season viewing compared with first seasons. He said second seasons are performing within expectations and that second-season falloff has “slightly improved” this year compared with last year. He also said there are no changes to Netflix’s release strategy.

Live Events, Partnerships and New Formats Sarandos said live programming is playing an important role in driving acquisition, accelerating advertising revenue and generating conversation. He cited the World Baseball Classic in Japan, which he said became Netflix’s most-watched program ever in Japan and the biggest baseball streaming event ever.

While Sarandos said such live events can show slightly higher churn because they drive disproportionate sign-ups, he said results were in line with expectations and Netflix plans to continue expanding its global live event calendar, including regional live events.

Peters also discussed Netflix’s partnership with TF1 in France, saying the integration is still early at four weeks but that the company is pleased with the performance so far. He said the arrangement adds local French programming for members while maintaining a distinct product experience for TF1’s brand.

Asked about a potential free ad-supported streaming television, or FAST, offering, Peters said a free option could make sense in some markets, but Netflix must be thoughtful about cannibalization of paid tiers and would need an effective scaled advertising business in the relevant country. He said Netflix has no near-term plans to launch such an offering.

Sarandos said Netflix is encouraged by early progress in vertical clips and video podcasts, saying podcasts are driving incremental viewing, particularly during daytime hours and on mobile. He cited partnerships with publishers including Condé Nast, Hearst and People, as well as programming involving creators and brands such as Martha Stewart, “The Breakfast Club,” the official “Bridgerton” podcast, Bill Simmons, Pete Davidson and Brian Williams.

Advertising, Pricing and Games Peters said Netflix manages its advertising business for total revenue growth and sees an opportunity to narrow the gap between average revenue per membership on the ad tier and the standard ad-free tier. He said Netflix has expanded demand sources, continued building its own ad technology stack, added products and measurement tools, and made it easier for advertisers to transact with the company.

On pricing, Peters said recent increases in markets including the U.S., Mexico and Spain have gone well and are consistent with prior price changes and expectations. He said Netflix evaluates whether it has delivered sufficient member value before raising prices.

Peters also discussed Netflix’s video game strategy, saying the gaming market represents about $150 billion in consumer spending excluding China and Russia and not including advertising revenue. He said cloud-based TV games are showing positive signs, with FIFA and Unhinged becoming Netflix’s two most successful cloud game debuts. Since scaling the cloud initiative last October, Peters said monthly active players for cloud games have increased 11 times.

AI, M&A and Capital Allocation Sarandos said generative AI is beginning to affect hundreds of Netflix productions, with workflows used in roughly 300 titles, especially in post-production. He said the tools are helping with complex shots and sequences, including crowd enhancements and historical battle scenes, while allowing some work to be completed faster and more efficiently.

Sarandos cited the documentary series “The American Experiment,” which he said includes 17 minutes of AI-enhanced footage produced twice as fast and at half the cost of prior options. He said any cost savings are likely to be reinvested into more content.

Asked about media consolidation and speculation around acquisitions, Sarandos said Netflix would not comment on market speculation and reiterated that the company is “primarily builders, not buyers.” Neumann said there is no change to Netflix’s capital allocation philosophy, which includes investing in the business, maintaining liquidity and a healthy balance sheet, and returning excess cash through share repurchases.

Neumann said Netflix repurchased $4.7 billion of shares in the second quarter, its largest quarterly repurchase in company history, and still has about $27 billion of capacity remaining under its authorizations.

About Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)Netflix, Inc NASDAQ: NFLX is a global entertainment company that provides subscription-based streaming of films, television series, documentaries and other video content. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, the company began as a DVD-by-mail rental service and introduced streaming video in 2007. Netflix later expanded into producing and distributing original programming, beginning notable original hits in the 2010s, and now operates a content production and distribution ecosystem alongside its licensing activity.

The company's primary product is its on-demand streaming service, which can be accessed on a wide range of internet-connected devices and delivered through a suite of apps and web platforms.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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Streaming giant Netflix anticipates content spending (of about $20 billion) will be up around 10% in 2026, accelerating from 8% increases over the last five years but below the 14% the company averaged over the past decade. Live, now a focus, will be about 5% of total.

The higher outlay comes even as generative AI lowers costs, allowing the streamer to make “higher quality output more quickly and efficiently,” said co-CEO Ted Sarandos in a video call after quarterly earnings Thursday. He said Gen AI workflows have been used in roughly 300 Netflix titles, concentrated in post-production.

“We’re leveraging Gen AI for really complicated shots and sequences… enhancing crowds, or historical battle scenes, those kind of things,” he added. “And keep in mind that that in many of the cases productions would have left out those key shots because they just wouldn’t have been able to afford them. So they’re saved by availability and access to these Gen AI tools.”

AI use cases “are scaling faster and faster,” he said. Documentary series The American Experiment features 17 minutes of AI-enhanced footage, which was “produced twice as fast and at half the cost of previous options.”

Cost savings will likely be reinvested in more content on the service, which fuels engagement and the “whole revenue, profit flywheel.”

The comments followed lackluster second quarter financials with execs on the defensive as analysts grilled the company on what Wall Street perceives as a bit of a slump.

Live was a big topic as the streamer continues to ramp up its slate. Sarandos lauded live programming for driving subscriber acquisitions, accelerating ad revenue, fueling conversation and helping launch new shows. It’s been expanding its live sports lineup. He also called out The Roast of Kevin Hart and the MLB Home Run Derby, which was followed by an exclusive Hot Ones special (via a partnership with Sean Evans) shot at a baseball stadium with guest Will Ferrell, whose new series The Hawk just debuted on Netflix.

It’s “a cool example of the intersection between our core series, our expansion to creator content …  plus live sports,” Sarandos said.

He also touted new vertical video clips, podcasts and content deals with publishers including Condé Nast, Hearst and People that will bring more lifestyle programming, saying, “Over the last 15 years, the definition of TV has broadened and our definition has changed along with it.”

The latest implementation of a shifting retail strategy was the spark that lit the fuse under Verizon Communications (VZ +2.37%) stock on Thursday. Cheered by the move, investors pushed the big telecom's stock up by more than 2%, on a day when the S&P 500 index only ticked up by 0.4%.

Franchises on the rise Verizon announced that it aims to sell 274 of its stores around the U.S., and cut roughly 500 corporate jobs as part of a broader restructuring program.

Image source: Verizon Communications.

All told, this round of store transitions will affect around 3,000 of the company's retail and corporate employees. The stores are to be sold to third parties that will operate them under franchise agreements; many of the affected workers would likely be retained by those entities.

Increasingly, Verizon's retail outlets are being managed under the franchise model. Currently, around 5,000 company stores are run in this manner. Following the sale announced on Thursday, Verizon will directly operate only about 1,000 of its outlets.

Just after current CEO Dan Schulman took the reins last October, the company announced plans to cut roughly 15% of its workforce, or around 13,000 people. This is partly in anticipation of artificial intelligence (AI) taking over certain functions, such as aspects of customer service.

Other components of this corporate makeover include a recently introduced, simplified service plan for clients and a refreshed loyalty program.

Today's Change

(

2.37

%) $

1.02

Current Price

$

43.85

The dividend difference While it's never heartening to learn of potential job cuts, the silver lining is that the current program could result in a genuinely leaner, more efficient Verizon if done well. Shareholders would currently welcome the return of solid growth for the company, but as it stands, it's a reliable (if unspectacular) performer that pays a handsome, high-yield dividend (over 6%).

Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

GOLDEN, Colo. & MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Board of Directors of Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP, TAP.A) today declared a regular quarterly dividend on its Class A and Class B common stock of US$0.48 per share, payable September 18, 2026, to stockholders of record on August 28, 2026. The quarterly dividend is payable to holders of Class A and Class B common stock of Molson Coors Beverage Company.

In addition, the Board of Directors of Molson Coors Canada Inc. (TSX: TPX.B, TPX.A) today declared a quarterly dividend of approximately CAD$0.67 (the Canadian dollar equivalent of the dividend declared on Molson Coors Beverage Company stock), payable September 18, 2026, to its Class A and Class B exchangeable shareholders of record on August 28, 2026. The dividends declared in respect of the Class A and Class B exchangeable shares are eligible dividends for Canadian tax purposes.

OVERVIEW OF MOLSON COORS BEVERAGE COMPANY

For more than two centuries, we have brewed beverages that unite people to celebrate all life’s moments. From our core power brands Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Molson Canadian, Carling and Ožujsko to our above premium brands, including Madrí Excepcional, Staropramen, Blue Moon Belgian White and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, to our value brands like Miller High Life and Keystone Light, we produce many beloved and iconic beers. While our history is rooted in beer, we offer a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle as well, including flavored beverages like Vizzy Hard Seltzer and Monaco, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. We also have partner brands, such as Simply Spiked, ZOA Energy, and Fever-Tree, among others, through license, distribution, partnership and joint venture agreements. As a business, our ambition is to be the first choice for our people, our consumers and our customers, and our success depends on our ability to make our products available to meet a wide range of consumer segments and occasions.

To learn more about Molson Coors Beverage Company, visit molsoncoors.com.

ABOUT MOLSON COORS CANADA INC.

Molson Coors Canada Inc. ("MCCI") is a subsidiary of Molson Coors Beverage Company (“MCBC”). MCCI Class A and Class B exchangeable shares offer substantially the same economic and voting rights as the respective classes of common shares of MCBC, as described in MCBC’s annual proxy statement and Form 10-K filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The trustee holder of the special Class A voting stock and the special Class B voting stock has the right to cast a number of votes equal to the number of then outstanding Class A exchangeable shares and Class B exchangeable shares, respectively.

Resources Investor Relations Journalists Agencies Client Login Send a Release News Products Contact , /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.42 per share of common stock, payable August 11, 2026, to stockholders of record on July 31, 2026.   

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, data center, personal electronics and communications equipment. At our core, we have a passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. This passion is alive today as each generation of innovation builds upon the last to make our technology more reliable, more affordable and lower power, making it possible for semiconductors to go into electronics everywhere. Learn more at TI.com.

TXN-G

SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated

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Asia-Pacific enterprises are moving past the question of whether blockchain works and into deciding where it fits in their core business. From Mitsui & Co. Digital Commodities’ Zipangcoin on OP Mainnet to Sony Block Solutions Labs’ Soneium and Upbit operator Dunamu’s planned GIWA Chain, a wave of established consumer and financial platforms is building on the OP Stack. Juntaro Iwase, Managing Director for Japan and Southeast Asia at OP Labs, spoke with blockchainreporter about what’s driving this shift, how OP Enterprise addresses regulatory and operational demands, and why distribution — not just technology — is APAC’s biggest advantage.

1. What is the approach of Asia-Pacific-based enterprises toward blockchain adoption in comparison with Europe and the U.S.? The clearest difference is posture. Many APAC enterprises are no longer asking whether blockchain works. They are asking where it belongs in their core business. The recent examples speak for themselves. Mitsui & Co. Digital Commodities launched Zipangcoin on OP Mainnet. Sony Block Solutions Labs built Soneium for consumer and creator applications. Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, plans to use the OP Stack for GIWA Chain, and Toss has announced a proof of concept exploring a Korean won-backed stablecoin.

Europe and the U.S. are progressing too, as Kraken’s Ink and Bitpanda’s Vision Chain demonstrate. What stands out in APAC is the combination of large consumer platforms, digitally sophisticated users, and companies with the distribution to bring onchain products to millions of customers who already trust them.

2. Why are Optimism and other Ethereum L2 solutions gaining preference as infrastructure among APAC enterprises? Enterprises are not choosing an Ethereum L2 for scalability alone. They evaluate the full solution, including the infrastructure, the operating model, the ecosystem, and whether they can integrate the tools their business requires.

Those requirements differ by company. Toss is running a proof of concept on the OP Stack alongside KYC and AML infrastructure and Privacy Boost from Sunnyside Labs. GIWA Chain plans to use the Self-Managed tier of OP Enterprise so Upbit can retain control over its sequencer and configuration while receiving engineering support and backup resilience. Mitsui & Co. Digital Commodities launched Zipangcoin on OP Mainnet, which it has said supports its plans to reach investors worldwide.

The common thread is choice. Companies can build on an established public network or deploy dedicated infrastructure, and in either case work with the compliance, custody, monitoring, and privacy providers appropriate for their business.

3. What are the regulatory compliance and privacy demands of the APAC-based entities that are shifting on-chain? Regulated institutions open with questions about accountability, data visibility, operational control, and how blockchain fits into their existing systems. Public blockchains are transparent by default. If a financial product requires transaction details or customer balances to remain confidential, an additional privacy layer may be needed. Institutions may also need KYC, AML, transaction monitoring, custody, permissioning, and reporting tools. A blockchain infrastructure provider does not replace those functions or determine whether a product is compliant. Our role is to provide reliable infrastructure, clear operating models, and the technical integration points needed to work with specialist providers.

The Toss proof of concept demonstrates this layered approach. The OP Stack provides the blockchain infrastructure, Sunnyside Labs provides Privacy Boost, and separate KYC and AML infrastructure supports the compliance requirements. Each layer is handled by the party best equipped to handle it.

4. What is the role of the OP Enterprise in advancing enterprise-scale blockchain adoption across APAC? The hardest part of enterprise blockchain adoption is often not launching the technology. It is establishing an operating model that can support a critical business. Organizations need to know who runs the infrastructure, who responds when something breaks, how upgrades are managed, and how the network fits their internal security and procurement processes.

OP Enterprise is designed around those operational requirements. Companies can use a Fully Managed model or operate the infrastructure themselves through Self-Managed with direct engineering support. They can also begin on OP Mainnet before deciding whether they need a dedicated chain. The organization chooses the level of operational responsibility and control that fits its capabilities, and can change that answer as it matures.

5. How does the rollout of Optimism and Soneium benefit creator and consumer applications in Asia? Soneium shows how blockchain can support consumer experiences without requiring users to understand the technology underneath. Built by Sony Block Solutions Labs using the OP Stack, Soneium gives developers an Ethereum-compatible foundation for entertainment, gaming, creator, and community applications.

Sony has described its goal as making blockchain operate quietly behind the scenes while enabling trust, traceability, digital ownership, and clearer attribution of creative work. For creators and fans, this can support new ways to participate and collaborate, while the OP Stack provides the scalable infrastructure underneath those experiences. That philosophy of keeping the technology in the background and the experience in the foreground is exactly how consumer adoption happens in this region.

6. What is the significance of Upbit’s plan to develop the GIWA Chain via the OP Stack to advance the future of exchange-scale infrastructure? Upbit’s decision to develop the GIWA Chain reflects a broader shift in how major exchanges think about infrastructure. They increasingly want to own the infrastructure through which their users access onchain products. A dedicated chain can provide greater control over performance, transaction policies, user experience, product development, and the economics generated by the ecosystem.

Under the planned partnership between Dunamu and the Optimism Foundation, GIWA Chain intends to become the first chain on the Self-Managed tier of OP Enterprise. Upbit would retain control over the primary sequencer and configuration, while Optimism would provide monitoring, engineering support, and backup resilience.

7. Can you highlight the opportunities and challenges that shape enterprise-level blockchain adoption within the APAC region in comparison with the global markets? APAC’s biggest advantage is distribution. Sony, Upbit, Toss, and Mitsui & Co. Digital Commodities already have established brands, customers, and business relationships. They do not need to build an audience from zero. The challenge is turning blockchain infrastructure into a reliable and sustainable business. Regulations differ across Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other markets. Companies must also integrate blockchain with existing systems and work with the appropriate providers across custody, identity, monitoring, privacy, and liquidity.

In my experience, local system integrators and trusted vendor relationships also play a major role in markets such as Japan. Technology matters, but local operational credibility often determines whether a project reaches production.

8. How will built-in interoperability for OP Chains facilitate enterprises developing in APAC? Native interoperability is still in development. Today, OP Chains rely on existing bridges and messaging solutions to connect across networks. The longer-term objective is to make participating OP Chains work more like a connected ecosystem. Assets and information could move between them more easily, allowing companies to operate dedicated infrastructure without creating completely isolated networks. This could be particularly valuable in APAC, where products often launch for a domestic market but may later seek international users, applications, and liquidity. 

9. What is OP Stack’s contribution to ensuring resilience and scalability for massive institutional workloads? The OP Stack was designed for the performance, reliability, and flexibility that enterprises require as blockchain moves into production. Its modular architecture allows organizations to tailor infrastructure to their specific operational needs while continuing to benefit from Ethereum’s security and ongoing innovation.

The proof is in production. More than 50 chains run on the OP Stack today, including networks built by Sony, Uniswap, OKX, and Kraken. Rather than building and maintaining a blockchain from scratch, enterprises can deploy infrastructure that has been proven at scale, reducing technical complexity while supporting high transaction volumes and long-term growth.

10. What is Optimism’s strategy to deal with regulatory requirements for compliant financial institutions operating in Asia? Every regulated institution operates under different legal and operational requirements, and those requirements vary meaningfully across APAC jurisdictions. Rather than imposing a single deployment model, OP Enterprise gives institutions the flexibility to configure infrastructure according to their specific needs, including how the chain is operated, who controls the sequencer, and which compliance, custody, and privacy providers are integrated.

That flexibility supports institutions in meeting their own regulatory obligations in their own jurisdictions, while still benefiting from the Ethereum ecosystem’s security and innovation. Compliance decisions remain with the institution and its advisors, and the infrastructure supports a range of deployment and integration requirements.

11. How do fully self-managed tiers of OP Enterprise shape enterprise-focused blockchain strategies within the APAC region? The Self-Managed tier reflects a consistent request from large financial institutions. They want the ability to control their own blockchain infrastructure without taking on the burden of building everything themselves.

For regulated institutions, the appeal is programmable financial infrastructure that combines operational sovereignty, direct control, and dedicated engineering support. The institution decides how the infrastructure is operated, secured, and integrated with its existing systems, while drawing on proven technology underneath. For many APAC institutions, that combination is what finally moves blockchain from the innovation lab into the infrastructure roadmap.

12. What is APAC’s role in accelerating the expansion of Optimism’s network and Optimism’s network globally? APAC has become one of the strongest examples of how blockchain is evolving into enterprise infrastructure. Activity across finance, payments, consumer technology, and entertainment shows that adoption is no longer limited to crypto-native companies.

Across the region, organizations are deploying or exploring the OP Stack, OP Mainnet, and OP Enterprise. In doing so, they are helping define what enterprise adoption could look like at global scale.

Over the next twelve months, I expect the question in APAC boardrooms to shift from “should we pilot this” to “which of our products goes onchain.” The companies with distribution, regulatory discipline, and the right infrastructure partners will be best positioned to answer it.

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR), a global leader in drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies, and consumer product dispensing, today announced that the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.48 per share. The payment date is August 20, 2026, to stockholders of record as of July 30, 2026.

As previously announced, Aptar will hold a conference call on Friday, July 31, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time to discuss the Company’s second quarter results for 2026. The call will last approximately one hour. Interested parties are invited to listen to a live webcast by visiting the Investors page at www.aptar.com. A replay of the conference call can also be accessed for a limited time on the Investors page of the website.

About Aptar

Aptar is a global leader in drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies, and consumer product dispensing. Aptar partners with the world’s top healthcare and consumer brands to deliver medicines and create exceptional user experiences. Serving diverse markets, from pharmaceutical to beauty to food and beverage, Aptar combines market expertise with proprietary design, engineering and science to develop innovative solutions that help improve lives worldwide. Headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Aptar employs 14,000 dedicated people across 20 countries. Learn more at http://www.aptar.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including with regard to the payment of the quarterly cash dividend. Expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will” are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to us. Accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations and business environment including, but not limited to: the successful integration of acquisitions; the regulatory environment; and competition, including technological advances. For additional information on these and other risks and uncertainties, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Form 10-Ks and Form 10-Qs. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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