According to BlockBeats, on August 20th, based on BIT (Bit.com) market data, US stocks closed on Wednesday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average initially rising 0.22%, the S&P 500 rising 0.21%, and the Nasdaq Composite rising 0.16%.

Moderna (MRNA.O) surged 176.9%, and Merck (MRK.N) rose 12.6%. Moderna and Merck announced that their jointly developed personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, intimeran autogene (formerly mRNA-4157/V940), in combination with Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab), met its primary and key secondary endpoints in a Phase III clinical trial (INTerpath-001) for high-risk melanoma (skin cancer) patients.

Marwell Technology (MRVL.O) rose over 9.8%, SK Hynix (SKHY.O) rose 0.35%, SanDisk (SNDK.O) fell 3.5%, and Micron Technology (MU.O) fell 0.39%.

In the cryptocurrency sector, Strategy's stock price rose 11.95% to $103.58, having risen more than 13% at one point during the session; Coinbase rose 9.05% to $159.47; stablecoin issuer Circle rose 9.44% to $78.50; and Ethereum reserve company BitMine rose 9.68% to $20.05.

According to BlockBeats, on August 20, as industry giants begin to accept computing power as a tradable asset, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is soliciting public comments on computing power futures contracts.

Several exchanges, including the CME Group, the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and emerging fintech company Architect Financial Technologies, have announced plans to launch related contracts once they receive regulatory approval. These exchanges stated that establishing a computing power futures market would help end-users and speculators hedge against risks related to energy shortages or other issues that could hinder technological advancements by AI developers.

"The United States cannot win the AI race without a robust market for computing power derivatives," CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said in a statement Wednesday. "This consultation is the first step in establishing clear rules for the U.S. computing power market." One of the issues addressed in the CFTC's consultation is how computing power futures differ from other types of derivatives or underlying commodities that the agency already regulates.

If computing power futures are allowed to be listed on exchanges regulated by the CFTC, it may be necessary to further unify the various variables affecting computing power prices, including price indices used for settlement references.

According to BlockBeats, on August 20, US President Trump met with executives from crypto and fintech companies such as Coinbase, Ripple, Robinhood, Gemini, and Chainlink in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday, local time, and delivered a speech in support of cryptocurrencies.

Trump claimed that his administration had "completely ended the war on cryptocurrencies," that the industry was thriving, and that the United States must maintain its "undisputed leadership" in areas such as Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, prediction markets, and artificial intelligence, and is committed to becoming the "crypto capital of the world."

He stated that the US government has discussed accumulating a "significant amount" of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, claiming that cryptocurrencies "significantly alleviate pressure on the dollar." He also urged Congress to quickly pass a "fair version" of the Clarity Act (Digital Asset Market Clarity Act), stating that this would put the US ahead of China and other countries.

Trump also mentioned that the SEC chairman is working to bring Hyperliquid to the U.S. market in a compliant manner; and reviewed the signed Genius Act (stablecoin legislation), strategic Bitcoin reserves, and the ban on CBDCs, among other policy achievements.