Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
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Trossard's brace keeps Belgium alive, masks deeper team struggles
Leandro Trossard scored twice against New Zealand to rescue Belgium from elimination in Group G, but his individual brilliance underscores the decline of the nation's golden generation and reliance on one player.
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China's industrial profits fall 13.1% in November, largest drop in 14 months
China's industrial profits fell 13.1% year-on-year in November, the largest monthly decline in 14 months. Weak demand and factory deflation are driving the slump, pushing Beijing toward fiscal stimulus in 2026.
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Justice Department seizes 400 domains streaming World Cup matches illegally
The US Justice Department announced the seizure of nearly 400 internet domains on June 26, 2026, in a coordinated crackdown with FIFA, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. against illegal World Cup streaming operations. The action represents a fivefold increase from a similar operation in 2022.
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Apple seeks Trump approval to buy Chinese DRAM chips
Apple is seeking Trump administration approval to purchase DRAM chips from Chinese semiconductor maker ChangXin Memory Technologies, citing global chip shortages driven by AI demand and the need to reduce reliance on incumbent suppliers.
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US Senators Urge CFTC Probe of Polymarket Over Deceptive Marketing
Senators John Curtis and Adam Schiff have called on the CFTC to investigate Polymarket after reports that the platform paid influencers to film fake trades without proper disclosure, raising questions about the regulator's enforcement authority.
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Bolivia ends 15-year fixed exchange rate peg, reshaping stablecoin demand
Bolivia ended its fixed exchange rate peg on May 5 after 15 years, shifting to a floating regime amid depleted reserves and fiscal strain. The move may compress parallel market premiums that have driven stablecoin adoption, altering crypto dynamics across Latin America.
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FCC expands ban on Huawei, ZTE, and three Chinese tech firms
The FCC expanded its 2022 ban on Chinese telecommunications and surveillance equipment on June 26, adding retroactive import prohibitions on previously approved models from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua, with new rules taking effect in early July 2026.
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Micron locks in AI demand with long-term contracts, guides record Q4
Micron posted record Q3 revenue of $41.5 billion on surging high-bandwidth memory demand, signed multi-year customer agreements to stabilize earnings, and guided to $49–$51 billion in Q4 revenue with gross margins of 81–86%.
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US strikes Iranian missile sites as Bitcoin retreats to $61K
The US military struck Iranian missile and drone facilities on June 26, 2026, following a drone attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Bitcoin slid to the $61,000–$62,000 range as investors weighed the risk of disrupted energy markets and accelerating US-Iran tensions.
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Kashkari Projects One Fed Rate Hike Before End of 2026
Neel Kashkari reversed his earlier rate-cut forecast on June 26, now projecting one interest-rate increase before year-end 2026, citing persistent inflation and geopolitical risks as primary drivers of his hawkish pivot.
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Bitcoin Below $60K, XRP Tests $1 Support Level
Bitcoin is trading just below $60,000 amid bearish pressure, while XRP faces a critical test near the $1 psychological level after breaking below multi-month support in June.
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Senegal's 5-0 World Cup win shows crypto's retreat from African football
Senegal's dominant 5-0 victory over Iraq in World Cup 2026 group play highlights the absence of crypto sponsorships in African football, marking a sharp reversal from the token-heavy marketing of 2022.
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Metaplanet acquires Siiibo Securities for Bitcoin product distribution
Metaplanet agreed to acquire regulated bond-trading platform Siiibo Securities for JPY 2.1 billion, signaling a shift from pure balance-sheet Bitcoin accumulation to product distribution through regulated securities rails.
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Base halts block production twice in 24 hours before Beryl upgrade
Base experienced two consensus failures on June 25 and 26, halting block production for roughly two hours each, exposing risks tied to its centralized sequencer architecture before the delayed Beryl hard fork launch.
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Aave jumps 19% on Kraken stake deal; Solana ecosystem rallies
Bitcoin steadied near $60,000 Friday as Aave's native token surged 19% following news that Kraken is exploring a 15% stake at a $385 million valuation. Solana and its ecosystem tokens rallied alongside tokenized equity trading, which topped $2.5 billion in weekly volume.
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Maxine Waters demands Labor Department scrap crypto 401(k) proposal
Maxine Waters, the ranking Democrat on House Financial Services, filed an 11-page letter demanding the Department of Labor withdraw its March proposal to allow alternative investments including cryptocurrency in 401(k) retirement accounts.
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Hyperliquid added to Singapore MAS warning list despite no licensing claims
Singapore's Monetary Authority added Hyperliquid to its Investor Alert List on June 26, flagging unregulated trading infrastructure. Hyperliquid countered that it never claimed MAS licensing and operates as permissionless on-chain infrastructure, shifting regulatory pressure to front-end interfaces.
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Anti-trafficking group urges Congress to revisit Clarity Act Section 604
The Alliance to End Human Trafficking called on Congress to reconsider Section 604 of the Clarity Act, warning the provision could weaken accountability for crypto platform developers whose technology is used to facilitate trafficking.
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SEC and CFTC seek public input on unified portfolio margin rules
The SEC and CFTC opened a joint public consultation on aligning portfolio margin rules across securities and derivatives markets, seeking feedback on cross-margining, collateral treatment, and risk management as crypto derivatives expand.
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Spain Confirms No Extensions for July 1 MiCA Crypto Deadline
Spain's securities regulator confirmed there will be no exceptions to the July 1 MiCA registration deadline, forcing unlicensed crypto firms including Binance to cease EU operations or face enforcement action.
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AC Milan bids €40M for Ramos as fan token traders watch
AC Milan submitted a €40 million bid for PSG's Gonçalo Ramos, a move that could reach €45 million with bonuses. Both clubs operate fan tokens on the Chiliz blockchain, and historically major transfers spike trading activity in these digital assets.
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CLARITY Act: Crypto firms escalate Senate push before August recess
Major US crypto companies and advocacy groups are mounting a coordinated lobbying campaign to force a Senate vote on landmark digital-asset legislation before lawmakers leave for August recess. The measure would split regulatory oversight between the SEC and CFTC.
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Senators urge CFTC investigation into Polymarket's undisclosed influencer campaign
Senators John Curtis and Adam Schiff called for a federal investigation into Polymarket's promotional practices after a Wall Street Journal investigation exposed a coordinated influencer campaign depicting fabricated trading wins worth nearly $900,000.
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Japan faces Brazil in 2026 World Cup knockout stage
Japan advanced to the 2026 World Cup knockout stage with a 1-1 draw against Sweden and will face Brazil on June 26 in Houston. Coach Hajime Moriyasu described the fixture as a serious test and key moment for Japanese soccer's evolution.