Data from IT Juzi shows that as of July 1, 2026, China had 517 unicorn companies with a combined valuation of about $2.39 trillion. In the first half of 2026 alone, 67 new unicorns were added, setting the highest semiannual figure in nearly five years. The new cohort was led by artificial intelligence and robotics, which together accounted for more than 53% of all additions. Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou hosted 76.1% of the newly added unicorns, underscoring an even stronger concentration in top-tier innovation hubs. DeepSeek topped the new list with an estimated valuation of $61.5 billion, highlighting how large language models and embodied intelligence are increasingly moving from technological promise to industrial deployment. The report also points to a widening split between fast-rising AI startups, often backed by star founders or spin-offs from major tech firms, and slower-building hard-tech companies in semiconductors, biotech, and advanced manufacturing.

Samsung Electronics is set to release its preliminary results for the second quarter of 2026 on July 7, with consensus forecasts pointing to revenue of KRW 169.4 trillion and operating profit of KRW 85.5 trillion. That would represent roughly an 18-fold increase from a year earlier and a nearly 50% sequential gain from the first quarter, potentially making it the highest single-quarter operating profit ever recorded by a global technology company, ahead of Apple and Nvidia for the same period. The earnings surge is being driven overwhelmingly by Samsung’s semiconductor division, especially DRAM and NAND, as AI data center build-outs continue to absorb memory supply and push contract prices sharply higher. Analysts note, however, that reported profit may understate Samsung’s underlying earnings power because a newly agreed performance bonus for the DS division could reduce headline profit by KRW 19 trillion to KRW 25 trillion in the first half. While the memory upcycle still appears intact and Samsung is reportedly seeking another 20% DRAM price increase in the third quarter, investors remain cautious. Samsung shares have recently pulled back despite record profit expectations, reflecting concerns that the market may already be starting to price in a future peak for the AI-driven memory cycle.

Blockchain security firm Blockaid reported that DeFi yield protocol Summer.fi has suffered an exploit, with estimated losses of around $6 million. Publicly available information remains limited at this stage, and no detailed breakdown has yet been disclosed regarding the attack vector, the affected assets, or the protocol’s mitigation steps. The alert was first posted by Blockaid on X. Further updates from Summer.fi or other security monitors have not been included in the initial notice.

JPMorgan has reiterated its Overweight rating on Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) with a target price of HK$690, arguing that the company’s WeChat AI Agent initiative is becoming materially more visible after beta testing began in June. According to the bank, the key questions are no longer simply whether Tencent will pursue an AI agent strategy, but whether the product can be deeply integrated into the WeChat platform, what level of transaction permissions it will receive, and whether Tencent can build a supply system that AI agents can call directly without relying on open inventory from existing e-commerce platforms. JPMorgan said that as these milestones become more observable, WeChat AI Agent is shifting from a vague AI option into a phased rollout story that investors can track. In the bank’s view, the first impact on Tencent’s share price is more likely to come from a lower risk premium and higher valuation multiples rather than any immediate boost to short-term earnings per share.

The elliptical curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) forms the bedrock of Bitcoin's security, but cryptographers are now questioning why Satoshi Nakamoto chose the relatively obscure secp256k1 curve. Tatsuaki Okamoto, director of the NTT Research Cryptography and Information Security Lab, suggests there are only two logical possibilities: higher efficiency or a secret backdoor. Bitcoin Core developer Wladimir van der Laan also admits the choice remains a mystery. This article explains the role of elliptic curves in Bitcoin and explores the controversy.

On June 30, 2026, the Open Standard consortium revealed the OUSD stablecoin, claiming the backing of over 140 global firms including Visa, Mastercard, and Samsung Electronics, with plans to launch within the year. However, several South Korean enterprises—most notably Samsung, Dunamu, Shinhan Financial Group, and K-Bank—immediately denied any formal negotiations, stating they had only been asked about potential participation and had merely replied that they would “review if the project progresses well.” They expressed surprise at being listed as members. OUSD employs an open infrastructure model in which participating institutions can mint and redeem tokens with no fees or limits, and all reserve investment income will be distributed among network partners, directly challenging the revenue monopoly of USDT and USDC. The incident highlights the difficulties in coordinating large-scale stablecoin alliances and raises questions about the robustness of Open Standard’s early traction.

Rialto, an on-chain spot exchange, exits stealth mode with a proprietary AMM (PropAMM) targeting the convergence of crypto and traditional finance. Built on Robinhood Chain and Arbitrum, it supports tokenized equities, ETFs, commodities, and Pre-IPO assets. Users can self-custody equity tokens and use them as lending collateral. Rialto has partnered with Robinhood Crypto, Offchain Labs, and Arbitrum, and currently runs its own PropAMM 'Rivo Altus' offering liquidity across 90+ Robinhood tokenized stocks and major crypto assets.

SBI Crypto, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings, has announced the permanent closure of its Bitcoin mining pool effective July 31. Launched in 2017, the pool ranked 11th globally by hashrate. The company is coordinating with Braiins and Luxor to facilitate user migration. The move reflects a broader recalibration among large mining firms amid market volatility and post-halving margin compression. Notably, SBI Holdings continues to expand its crypto footprint, having just acquired Japanese exchange Bitbank for $289 million earlier this week.