Articles by Khal
Latest from Khal
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US tech giants race to build data centers in Australia as AirTrunk scales capacity
Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Apple, and Oracle are driving a surge in hyperscale data center investment in Australia, where AirTrunk operates over 1.2 GW of capacity across five campuses and plans major expansions in Melbourne and Sydney.
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China suspends approvals for new battery storage manufacturing projects
China temporarily halted approvals for new battery storage manufacturing facilities on September 7, 2026, freezing projects that haven't broken ground as the country grapples with overcapacity and slowing energy storage deployment.
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Diesel prices hit record $5.85/gallon, complicating US inflation fight
The national average retail price of diesel fuel reached $5.85 per gallon on September 4, 2026, surpassing the previous record set in June 2022. Supply chain disruptions from geopolitical conflicts and refinery constraints are keeping prices elevated, potentially delaying Federal Reserve rate cuts.
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ARB token now tradeable on Solana via Sunrise and Wormhole NTT
Arbitrum's ARB governance token is now tradeable on Solana through Sunrise and Wormhole's Native Token Transfers framework, establishing a canonical token representation and enhancing cross-chain liquidity for DeFi applications.
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Harmony Sunsetting Layer-1 Blockchain, Migrating ONE Token to Ethereum
Harmony proposed shutting down its layer-1 blockchain and migrating its ONE token to Ethereum as ERC-20, less than four weeks after an exploit minted nearly 4 billion unauthorized tokens representing 26% of total supply.
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US debt surpasses $40 trillion as interest payments hit $1 trillion
The US public debt crossed $40 trillion in August 2026, with annual interest payments exceeding $1 trillion for the first time. Debt service now rivals defense spending, raising concerns about fiscal sustainability and potential crowding-out of other government priorities.
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Europe's bond market faces steep selloff as gas prices surge past €75/MWh
European government bonds are experiencing their worst selloff in years as natural gas prices climb past €75 per megawatt-hour and geopolitical tensions drive inflation expectations higher, straining fiscal outlooks for indebted nations.
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AWE Network sets September 21 deadline for $STPT to $AWE token migration
AWE Network (formerly STP Network) has set September 21, 2026 as the final deadline for converting $STPT tokens to $AWE. Over 99% of the 1.94 billion token supply has already migrated since the swap went live in May 2025, with unconverted tokens facing permanent ineligibility after the deadline.
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Malaysia's bonds attract record inflows on AI infrastructure boom
Foreign investors poured billions of ringgit into Malaysian government securities in August 2026, driven by enthusiasm over the country's artificial intelligence and data center expansion. The inflows highlight growth potential but face headwinds from rising yields and global volatility.
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Binance Square launches Stock tab for equities and ETF discussions
Binance Square, the exchange's social hub, now features a dedicated Stock tab aggregating news, user analysis, and discussions about US equities and ETFs, extending the platform's reach into traditional markets.
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Point72 doubles Japan workforce and capital deployment
Point72 Asset Management is doubling its Japan headcount and capital allocation, signaling growing conviction in the Japanese market amid corporate governance reforms that have accelerated share buybacks and restructurings.
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Goldman Sachs: China housing ban cuts land revenues 30%
China's new regulations banning presales are projected to cut land sale revenues by 30%, threatening local government finances and accelerating consolidation favoring state-backed developers as private competitors face solvency pressure.
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Bank of Japan to raise rates to 1.25% in September, adviser projects
An economic adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi projects the Bank of Japan will raise its policy rate to 1.25% in September, marking Japan's highest level in decades amid yen weakness and inflation concerns.
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Russia pledges unlimited oil supply to India amid Western sanctions
Russia's ambassador to India declared Moscow ready to supply unlimited crude, as New Delhi's imports of Russian oil have surged to over 2 million barrels daily and now comprise roughly 55% of India's total crude imports, reshaping global energy trade patterns.
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Bathla Group collapse poses systemic risk to Australian economy
Bathla Group, Australia's largest residential developer, entered voluntary administration on August 25 with A$3.3 billion in liabilities. Morgan Stanley warns the insolvency will strain consumer spending and employment far beyond construction, threatening broader economic confidence.
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Goldman Sachs Raises KOSPI Target to 12,000 on AI Memory Supercycle
Goldman Sachs chief Asia Pacific equity strategist Timothy Moe reaffirmed a KOSPI target of 12,000 in September 2026, implying 80% upside and projecting 300–360% earnings growth for South Korean stocks, citing sustained demand for memory chips from AI infrastructure buildout.
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Japan dumps record $75.6B in foreign securities to defend yen
Japan sold its largest single-month cache of foreign securities in May to fund yen-buying interventions, liquidating roughly $75.6 billion in holdings as the currency slid toward 40-year lows. The move raises questions about global bond market stability and Japan's ability to sustain currency defense.
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BlackRock slashes Bitcoin IBIT minimum to $1M, opens program to wealthy clients
BlackRock's in-kind conversion program for its iShares Bitcoin Trust has processed over $5 billion in direct Bitcoin-to-IBIT swaps since October 2025. A July 2026 decision to slash the minimum transaction size from $25 million to $1 million opened the program to high-net-worth individuals and smaller funds, sidestepping immediate tax consequences.
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Anthropic IPO: $2 Trillion Valuation Hinges on $65B Revenue Accounting
Anthropic's annualized revenue run rate surged to over $65 billion by July 2026, but prospective IPO investors are pressing the company on how it accounts for revenue through cloud reseller partnerships—a detail that could materially alter headline numbers.
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Microsoft and Cornell Unveil Free Pause Tokens to Boost LLM Efficiency
Researchers from Microsoft and Cornell University published a new training technique called Free Pause Tokens that improves large language model performance while keeping inference speed essentially unchanged and requiring no infrastructure redesign.
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Foreign investors hold record $39T in US assets, doubling since 2022
Foreign investors now hold $39.19 trillion in US long-term securities, up roughly $16 trillion since 2022. The shift reflects growing reliance on American markets but poses risks if investment trends reverse.
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Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen Steps Down After 18 Years Amid AI Pressure
Shantanu Narayen is stepping down as Adobe CEO after 18 years, with Anil Chakravarthy taking over December 1, 2026. The transition reflects board pressure to accelerate AI monetization as the stock has fallen 18% year-to-date.
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Bond traders brace for volatility as US 30-year yield tops 5%
The 30-year Treasury yield has held above 5% for 55 days in 2026, its longest stretch since 2006, as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's data-dependent stance and heavy corporate borrowing fuel yield-curve uncertainty.
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Information Sector Sheds 23,000 Jobs in August, Steepest Decline in Over a Year
The US information sector lost 23,000 positions in August, bringing employment to 2.745 million—the lowest level since 2015 excluding the pandemic—while total nonfarm payrolls rose 162,000 and unemployment held at 4.1%.