According to BlockBeats, on September 14th, tokenized securities market platform tZERO announced the completion of a new round of financing, led by Marc Cohodes and Max Cohodes, with participation from existing investors Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Bill Fleckenstein, and partner Dinari, among others. Neighborhood Intelligence also committed to participating in this round of financing.

tZERO stated that this round of financing is part of the company's long-term capital plan and will be used to support business operations and the next phase of growth, as well as to drive the development of its Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) business. The company is currently building an infrastructure encompassing tokenization, trading, custody, and asset servicing around tokenized securities and other assets, helping financial institutions issue and trade assets through regulated blockchain infrastructure.

tZERO CEO Alan Konevsky stated that this funding will support the company's continued expansion of its tokenized financial market infrastructure business and drive its towards capital independence. The company also plans to expand into tokenization and other derivatives, prediction markets, and spot crypto infrastructure services, and seeks to further scale its business through strategic transactions.

According to BlockBeats, on September 14th, CoinDesk announced that Consensus will be held in Hong Kong for the third consecutive year in early February 2027. The 2025 and 2026 events both attracted over 10,000 attendees.

According to reports, Consensus Hong Kong in 2027 will focus on two main themes: institutional adoption of digital assets and artificial intelligence (AI). The importance of AI is expected to increase further, with a focus on its role in the future financial system.

CoinDesk states that Asia remains one of the leading regions in digital asset adoption, with Hong Kong emerging as a significant digital asset market thanks to its robust regulatory framework and status as an international financial center. Past speakers include Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng, Solana Foundation Chair Lily Liu, Tron Founder Justin Sun, and Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin.

According to BlockBeats, on September 14th, the 10-year US Treasury yield touched the key 5% mark on Monday, reaching this level again since 2023. With the ongoing conflict in Iran, high oil prices, and continued pressure from the US fiscal deficit, the sell-off in the US Treasury market intensified, long-term financing costs rose significantly, and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate also climbed back above 7%.

High interest rates are being transmitted to the US real economy. International oil prices have climbed back above $100 per barrel, and the average price of diesel in the US has exceeded $6 per gallon. The simultaneous rise in energy and housing costs could further squeeze non-essential consumer spending. With personal consumption accounting for approximately 70% of the US economy, pressure on household spending could also impact subsequent economic growth.

Compared to the absolute level of 5% for the 10-year US Treasury yield, the market is more focused on the rapid flattening of the yield curve. Last week, the spread between the 2-year and 10-year US Treasury yields narrowed to 31 basis points, and the spread between the 2-year and 30-year yields narrowed to 71 basis points. This change suggests that short-term interest rates are still driven by expectations of rate hikes, but the upside potential for long-term yields is relatively limited. The market may be pricing in both "higher interest rates" and the risk of future economic slowdown.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration's tariff, energy, defense, and fiscal policies continue to push up inflation and deficit expectations, while the AI infrastructure investment boom is further increasing capital demand in the economy. Although the S&P 500 is still up more than 10% this year, with the risk-free interest rate rising to 5%, the margin for valuation error for risky assets such as stocks is narrowing, and whether the bond market and the economy can withstand higher financing costs will be key to the market's next phase.