According to Odaily Planet Daily, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that Saif Faiq has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in a Bitcoin-related kidnapping and extortion case, facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for August 28. The case dates back to 2024, when Faiq and his brother Adam Iza were accused of plotting to kidnap the parents of a crypto millionaire and recruiting six men from Florida to carry out the operation in Connecticut. The group hijacked the victims' Lamborghini Urus in broad daylight, assaulting and briefly detaining them. The victims were Sushil and Radhika Chetal, whose son, Veer Chetal, had previously pleaded guilty to a social engineering fraud case involving the theft of approximately 4,100 bitcoins. Faiq and his brother both admitted to conspiring to disrupt business activities through robbery.

A research report released by IC3, a group of researchers from several top universities, states that claims about encryption technology solving core AI problems are often exaggerated, including scenarios such as identifying AI-generated content, eliminating algorithmic bias, and enabling AI agents to achieve complete autonomy. The report points out that AI systems do not become more intelligent simply by having encrypted wallets, nor are they more resistant to human manipulation or shutdown. The primary function of wallets is to enhance automation, allowing AI agents to conduct on-chain transactions, payments, and infrastructure calls without requiring individual human approval. Researchers believe that AI agents will still rely on humans and underlying infrastructure, and traditional payment systems can also support partial automation. Therefore, while blockchain may have some application value in AI payment and trust mechanisms, it is not a panacea. The report also addresses recent industry discussions about on-chain payments using AI agents. MetaMask recently launched a non-custodial wallet for AI agents, and Robinhood plans to allow users to conduct crypto transactions through AI agents. (The Block)

According to data from Odaily Planet Daily, the market capitalization of tokenized stocks has grown from $2.23 billion at the beginning of the year to $5.5 billion, an increase of approximately 147% in six months, making it the fourth largest RWA asset class. This growth reflects the rising structural demand from crypto users for stock market exposure, with more and more users hoping to access equity assets through on-chain tools rather than relying on traditional brokerage accounts. Exchanges are also accelerating the development of related products. Kraken and Bybit have already provided access to SpaceX's IPO on their platforms, allowing users to participate in the highly anticipated private company listing without leaving the crypto ecosystem. Binance has also launched perpetual stock contracts for non-US users, further meeting the on-chain trading needs of global retail investors in the US stock market. (The Block)

According to a report by Israel's Channel 12 on Monday evening, US President Donald Trump stated that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against escalating the conflict with Iran into a full-blown war. Trump said, "I told Bibi (Netanyahu) that you'd better think carefully about your actions because soon you may have to face Iran alone." According to the report, Trump asked Netanyahu on Sunday not to retaliate against Iran's recent missile attacks on Israel. The call ended without a clear consensus, and Netanyahu did not disclose his final decision to Trump. Subsequently, Netanyahu consulted with defense officials and informed Secretary of State Marco Rubio that he had decided to strike Iran. Trump stated, "The Israelis informed us very late. They were already on their way to strike Iran." "I successfully scaled back the attack." Trump also revealed that five countries in the region—which are also involved in mediating between the US and Iran—had asked him to pressure Netanyahu to stop the attacks and advance the peace process. Trump emphasized that he remains willing to reach a deal and believes that Iran is also willing to reach an agreement with the United States.

According to Axios, Trump has spent the past 24 hours trying to avoid a full-blown war. He faces a dilemma: on the one hand, he understands that Netanyahu is unlikely to ignore Iran's missile attack; on the other hand, he fears that this cycle of retaliation could escalate into a full-blown war. Netanyahu's logic is that by not retaliating against Iran, he will send a signal that Iran has the upper hand and can deter the US and Israel from military action. At the end of the call where Trump urged Netanyahu not to retaliate, the latter did not make a clear decision. Some US officials involved in the call believe that Trump successfully bought more time. However, Netanyahu believes that while Trump opposes retaliatory strikes, "this is not a clear 'don't do it' statement." US and Israeli sources indicate that the events of the past 24 hours further demonstrate the growing divergence between the strategic interests of the US and Israel, and the political interests of Trump and Netanyahu. One US official stated, "Netanyahu needs the war to continue to maintain his political life in Israel; while Trump needs the war to end to maintain his political life in the US." (Jin Shi)