A revised crypto ethics provision signed by President Donald Trump has been approved, according to The Block, setting a direct ban on federal officials issuing digital assets. The restriction applies to members of Congress as well as the president and vice president. The provision also puts the Department of Justice, rather than state attorneys general, in charge of enforcement, a choice that has triggered criticism from Democrats. Maryland Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks said the idea of having the Justice Department enforce the ethics language was “not a serious proposal” and said she would not support the bill if that wording remains in the final text. The provision is described as the last hurdle for the Clarity Act. Debate around it has centered in part on Trump’s own meme coin and his family company World Liberty Financial. A financial disclosure released last month showed Trump received millions of dollars in related income from WLF. The White House has not confirmed the exact wording of the provision, but said it is working with lawmakers to move the bill forward and blamed Democrats for the delay.

A revised crypto ethics provision signed by President Donald Trump and approved as part of the legislative process would bar federal officials — including members of Congress, the president and the vice president — from issuing digital assets, according to The Block. The measure would place primary enforcement authority with the U.S. Department of Justice rather than state attorneys general, a structure that has drawn criticism from Democrats. Maryland Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks called the idea of DOJ enforcement “not a serious proposal” and said she would not support the bill if that language remains in the final text. The provision is described as the last major hurdle for passage of the Clarity Act. Debate around it has centered on Trump’s own meme coin and World Liberty Financial, a company tied to his family. A financial disclosure released last month showed Trump earned millions of dollars in related income from WLF. The White House did not confirm the precise wording of the provision, but said it is working with lawmakers to advance the bill and blamed Democrats for holding it up.

According to the New York Post, U.S. President Donald Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations. The report says the 56-year-old Swiss-born football executive has built close ties with Trump through this year’s World Cup and has worked hard to win his favor, including inviting him to take part in the current U.S.-Canada-Mexico World Cup activities. In December last year, Infantino also presented Trump with FIFA’s first-ever “Peace Award.” A source cited in the report said Trump sees Infantino as “respected all over the world” and believes he has a “special ability to bring people together.” The report also noted that during the 2026 World Cup, Trump drew controversy after calling Infantino to intervene in a red card decision involving the U.S. team.

Zhongji Innolight, described in the report as a global optical module leader and the largest weighting in the CSI 300, said it plans to sell 54.5 million shares in Hong Kong at a maximum offer price of HK$1,010 per share. Based on that ceiling, the deal could raise as much as HK$55 billion, or about $7 billion, with trading set to begin on July 30. Goldman Sachs, China International Capital Corporation, Morgan Stanley and GF Securities are acting as joint sponsors and bookrunners for the transaction. The report also cited people familiar with the matter as saying that BlackRock, Hillhouse and Temasek are set to become cornerstone investors. SPDBI, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Wellington Management Co. and Yunfeng Fund are also planning to participate as cornerstone investors, and those investors are expected to take up nearly half of the shares on offer. Zhongji Innolight could start taking investor orders as early as today, and the listing may become Hong Kong’s largest equity offering in seven years.

Semafor reported that Intel and SK hynix have not been engaged in deal talks involving Intel’s chip plant in Ohio, pushing back on speculation around a potential transaction tied to the site. In a statement, Intel said it does not comment on media speculation regarding future business agreements as a matter of practice. The company added that it remains committed to its development plans in Ohio and will continue investing to speed up preparations for bringing the facility into operation. The report and Intel’s response together indicate that no negotiations are underway between the two companies over the Ohio wafer fab, while Intel maintains that work tied to the project is still moving forward.

U.S. optical communications names moved higher on July 22, according to market data from BIT (bit.com). The Pure-Play Photonics ETF, FOTO, gained more than 9% in the session. Among individual stocks, Coherent rose more than 11%, while Lumentum also climbed more than 9%. Ciena advanced nearly 8%, and both Marvell Technology and Corning posted gains of more than 6%. Credo was also higher, rising more than 5%. The move covered the broader optical communications segment, with the cited names all trading in positive territory at the time of the update.

Apple is preparing a new hardware rental program called Apple Upgrade in partnership with Swedish fintech firm Klarna, according to Bloomberg, in a move that would shift some Apple devices from outright purchases to monthly payments. The program is expected to offer 24-month terms for iPhone and Apple Watch, and 36-month terms for Mac and iPad models, giving users the option at the end of the contract to either return the device and move to a newer model or pay a final amount to keep it. The report says the plan will not cover Apple’s full product lineup. Entry-level devices are expected to be excluded, and products listed as unavailable include iPhone 16, the new MacBook Neo, Apple Watch SE, entry-level iPad models, as well as corporate and education purchases. Unlike Apple’s earlier iPhone upgrade program, the new plan would only include hardware rental, with AppleCare+ sold separately. The service is expected to launch first in the United States through Apple retail stores and its online store. Applications would reportedly use a soft credit check that does not affect credit scores.

Bitcoin climbed toward the $67,000 level after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said legislation tied to the Clarity Act had reached its final stage and urged Congress to pass it before recess. Bloomberg reported that the White House had also reached agreement on the bill’s ethics provisions, adding to expectations that U.S. digital asset rules could become clearer in the near term. Bitcoin briefly rose 2.5% and touched $66,956, its highest level since mid-June. Ether and XRP also moved higher, while Coinbase shares jumped 13%. The report said Bitcoin is up about 13% this month, ending a two-month decline. Data from SoSoValue showed spot Bitcoin ETF flows have turned positive for a third straight week, while trading volumes have been recovering and derivatives positioning points to easing selling pressure. FRNT Financial said Bitcoin has traded in a $60,000 to $67,000 range since early June, as investor attention had previously been pulled toward AI trades and large IPOs. With that trade cooling and rate expectations stabilizing, some capital has started moving back into crypto.