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Ahmed Shihab, Chief Product Officer of Western Digital, stated that the key to AI storage competition is not simply pursuing the fastest medium, but whether it can continuously scale capacity at an affordable cost. He believes that many architectures run well in the early stages, but when the data scale grows from several PB to hundreds of PB or even EB levels, issues may arise due to uncontrolled costs.Flash storage is suitable for high-performance, low-latency scenarios such as model weights, GPU overflow, KV caches, and session contexts; HDDs are more suitable for large-scale, long-term storage, and cost-sensitive data such as training corpora, logs, checkpoints, compliance records, synthetic data, and inference outputs. He summarized: "Flash handles the present, HDD handles the entire lifecycle."At the scale of AI, storage costs themselves will become an architectural issue. Long-term storage of large volumes of data on high-performance media will crowd out budgets for computing, networking, power, and personnel. For many bulk storage workloads, the issue is not whether flash can store, but whether customers can afford the total cost of using flash in the long term.In the future, AI storage will not be dominated by a single technology, but should be designed in layers based on performance, cost, power consumption, density, reliability, and data lifecycle. He emphasized that this is not a competition between flash and HDD, but rather a need to match the appropriate medium for different workloads from the very beginning; otherwise, the architecture may impact business sustainability as it scales.

Plume posted on the X platform that it has joined the Digital Asset Solutions Industry Working Group of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC).The working group aims to provide feedback on DTCC's tokenization services and facilitate ongoing in-depth dialogue to promote the widespread adoption and innovation of digital assets.

According to RBC, the Moscow Exchange (MOEX) in Russia is preparing to launch a digital custody platform for cryptocurrency trading (digital custodian). Sources say that the project is currently still in the development stage and is expected to go live as early as the end of 2026 to early 2027.It is reported that this digital custody platform will not be built on the Moscow Exchange itself or the National Settlement Depository (NSD) under it, but will operate as a completely new independent structure. As Russia's regulatory framework for digital currencies is expected to partially take effect from September 1, the market still lacks a clear plan for the custody and registration mechanisms of crypto assets. Various technical models are currently being discussed within the industry.One proposal is to establish multiple liquidity centers for crypto assets, where brokers can access the Moscow Exchange's digital custody platform or conduct related business through their own digital custody systems. Another proposal may involve trading platforms handling trade matching, while the storage and registration of crypto assets are completed by banks or digital custodians under brokers.Previously, several large banks in Russia, including Sberbank, VTB Bank, T-Bank, and Alfa-Bank, have expressed plans to launch digital custody services. With the Moscow Exchange entering this field, competition among traditional financial institutions is expected to intensify and may further enhance crypto asset services.

According to CryptoSlate, Bitcoin mining company Cipher Digital sold 1,619 Bitcoins for $123.4 million, confirming a loss of $47.7 million. The documents submitted show that interest expenses were $66.7 million, while mining revenue was $24.8 million.As of the end of June, Cipher held 646 Bitcoins, worth $37.8 million. Quarterly mining revenue decreased compared to $43.6 million in the same period last year, with a loss of $23.5 million in the second quarter.

According to Jinshi reports, Guangdong Province is publicly soliciting opinions on the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Draft for Comments)," which aims to orderly expand financial openness and promote the expansion of pilot projects for cross-border payments using digital RMB.The plan mentions supporting the establishment of headquarters for international financial institutions, promoting innovative businesses such as cross-border finance and green finance, and deepening pilot projects for the transfer of cross-border credit assets.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a joint statement outlining the discussions from the U.S.-UK Financial Regulatory Working Group meeting held on July 8 in London. The regulatory agencies from both sides expanded their collaboration in areas such as digital assets, stablecoins, payment modernization, AI, financial stability, capital markets, and cross-border financial cooperation. Participants included the finance departments of both countries, the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, and several U.S. financial regulatory agencies.The U.S. side introduced the implementation progress of the stablecoin GENIUS Act and the market structure for digital assets, while the UK side presented the digital strategy for wholesale financial markets. Both sides support comparable regulatory standards for stablecoins, including cross-border use, comparable treatment of similar risks, and that stablecoins used as currency should be backed by high-quality liquid assets at least on a one-to-one basis. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has proposed implementation standards for the GENIUS Act, covering reserves, redemption, capital, liquidity, risk management, custody, and safekeeping.The Bank of England has released a draft rule for stablecoins that could achieve systemic scale in the UK economy, including a temporary issuance cap of £40 billion for each systemic stablecoin, unrestricted use by individuals and businesses, and reserve requirements. The Financial Regulatory Working Group is expected to hold another meeting in early 2027.

According to a report by China News Service, Russian President Putin signed a law on the 4th to comprehensively regulate digital currencies and digital rights in Russia. Relevant documents have been published on the Russian legal information website. The law clarifies the operational rules for cryptocurrency exchange platforms, digital asset custodians, and other market participants, and regulates the conditions under which investors can purchase cryptocurrencies.The law regulates relationships related to the circulation, accounting, and storage of digital currencies and foreign digital tools, as well as activities related to "mining," and the issuance and circulation of digital rights. It also stipulates the regulation of the business operations of information system operators for issuing digital financial assets, cryptocurrency exchange institutions, digital asset custodians, brokers, asset management companies, trading organizers, and clearing institutions. According to this law, Russian citizens can legally invest in cryptocurrencies through exchanges within Russia and use services provided by brokers, trust managers, asset management companies, and cryptocurrency exchange institutions when conducting cryptocurrency transactions and related operations.The registration and custody of cryptocurrencies will be the responsibility of relevant digital custodians approved by the Central Bank of Russia, and market participants must comply with strict information security requirements. The Central Bank of Russia will also establish a registration list for cryptocurrency exchange institutions, which will include credit institutions and brokers under a filing system for management. This law will officially take effect on September 1, but some provisions will be implemented on July 1, 2027, or September 1, 2027.

The Nasdaq-listed financial services company Marex Group has invested in the institutional-grade crypto infrastructure provider Digital Prime Technologies, with the amount undisclosed. This investment will support Digital Prime's development of the digital asset lending platform Tokenet in collaboration with EquiLend and will be used by Marex to expand its institutional digital asset business.Digital Prime disclosed last week that the lending inventory from launch partners for Tokenet has exceeded $1 billion, with borrowing demand also exceeding $1 billion. The relevant data indicates the scale of digital assets available for lending and the borrowing intentions expressed by participating institutions, rather than completed loans. Launch partners for Tokenet include Galaxy Digital and Ripple Prime, among others. Marex's investment is part of its initiative to expand its digital asset business through investments in crypto market infrastructure.

According to CoinDesk, Laser Digital, the digital asset division of Japanese financial group Nomura, announced a strategic investment in the UAE Layer1 blockchain project ZIGChain. The two parties will collaborate to promote the on-chain development of the private credit market in the Gulf region, including asset products that comply with Sharia financial rules.The specific investment amount has not been disclosed, but market sources indicate that the investment scale reaches the high single-digit millions of dollars. ZIGChain has currently partnered with Standard Chartered and the crypto-friendly fund service provider Apex Group, focusing on on-chain asset management and private credit infrastructure development.

According to BTCtreasuries, the publicly listed Bitcoin mining company Cipher Digital has sold 470 BTC to fund the development of an AI data center and currently holds a total of 646 BTC. Its Bitcoin 100 ranking is 58th.

According to BBX data, yesterday global listed companies, large asset management institutions, and treasury protocols disclosed the latest real dynamics in the purchase and reserve allocation of crypto assets, with the core information as follows:Cardone Capital increased its holdings by 350 bitcoins: Grant Cardone, CEO of the real estate investment company Cardone Capital, announced that Cardone Capital has recently increased its holdings by 350 bitcoins (worth approximately $22.3 million) in the secondary market, further expanding the proportion of digital asset allocation in its real estate asset management system.Ethereum treasury protocol ETH Strategy increased its holdings by 2,520 ETH: The Ethereum treasury protocol ETH Strategy announced that it has again increased its holdings by 2,520 ETH. After this increase, its total Ethereum holdings have significantly risen from the previous amount to 6,920 ETH.OranjeBTC steadily increased its holdings by 30 bitcoins: Brazilian listed company OranjeBTC (B3: $OBTC3) disclosed the latest treasury data, stating that the company has again purchased 30 bitcoins. After this accumulation, its total bitcoin holdings have steadily risen to 3,948 BTC.Ruihe Smart (03680.HK) obtained 32.73 BTC through cloud mining: Hong Kong listed company Ruihe Smart (03680.HK) announced that the company successfully obtained 32.73 bitcoins as rewards through its cloud mining business on August 2 (worth approximately $2.71 million), continuously acquiring native crypto assets through its main business liquidation.

According to ThePayPers, the digital investment service platform InvestiFi has completed a $20 million financing round, led by Vibe Credit Union, with participation from several U.S. credit unions including BankTech Ventures, ICCU (Idaho Central Credit Union), United Financial Credit Union, and Coastal Credit Union.InvestiFi enables traditional financial institutions to directly offer cryptocurrency trading, as well as investment services for stablecoins, stocks, ETFs, etc., within their existing online banking systems, allowing users to invest directly through checking or savings accounts without the need to transfer funds between bank accounts and external brokers or crypto platforms. The new funding will be used to scale the platform.

According to TASS, Russian President Putin signed a law on August 4 that implements comprehensive regulation for the circulation of digital currencies and digital rights within Russia for the first time. This law establishes an operational framework for cryptocurrency exchanges, digital custodians, and market participants, while also regulating cryptocurrency mining and the issuance and circulation of digital financial assets (DFA).Key points include: cryptocurrency exchanges must be included in a special register to operate (with a transition period until July 1, 2027), and the minimum registered capital requirement is 15 million rubles (approximately $187,000); the use of cryptocurrency for payment of goods and services remains prohibited domestically, but it is allowed for cross-border trade settlements and mining income; non-qualified investors have a purchase limit of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,700) per year per intermediary, while qualified investors are not subject to restrictions; banks have the right to freeze funds involved in unauthorized cryptocurrency transactions. The core provisions of the law will officially take effect on September 1, 2026, with some provisions being implemented in batches on July 1 and September 1, 2027.

According to CoinDesk, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty is urging the Senate to pass the CLARITY Act (Digital Asset Market Structure Act) as soon as possible, stating that the U.S. cannot fall behind in the digital asset space. He believes that establishing a clear regulatory framework is crucial for promoting innovation in U.S. digital assets and maintaining global competitiveness.The CLARITY Act aims to clarify the division of regulatory responsibilities in the U.S. digital asset market, providing a more defined rules framework for the crypto industry. Currently, the bill is awaiting further review by the Senate.