Six major Silicon Valley venture capital firms — Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst and New Enterprise Associates (NEA) — have signed a strategic investment memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), according to Korean outlet Asiae cited by ChainCatcher. The parties plan to jointly identify investment opportunities, share investment information and strengthen their global venture capital footprint. The development comes as the South Korean government steps up policies aimed at attracting overseas venture capital. A 200 trillion won “National Growth Fund” has also been launched, adding to expectations that policy funds, private capital and foreign capital could flow into the country’s venture market at the same time. Market participants expect strategic sectors such as AI and semiconductors to attract more investment. Still, investment banking industry figures cautioned that if a large amount of capital is funneled into a small number of popular companies, valuations could be pushed higher and create bubbles, potentially leading to valuation corrections at IPO or M&A exit and weighing on fund returns.

Samsung Electronics said it has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with Broadcom worth more than $200 billion, with the agreement running through 2030. The deal covers two major areas: memory supply and foundry manufacturing. Under the arrangement, Samsung will provide HBM4 and HBM4E for Broadcom’s next-generation AI accelerators, while also manufacturing Broadcom-designed ASICs on a process below 2 nanometers. The cooperation also extends to advanced packaging, including 2.3D and 2.5D integration. The report places the agreement in a broader industry and political setting. It says Broadcom may be seeking a second supplier rather than relying solely on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as AI chip demand grows. The article also notes that Samsung’s 2nm mass-production yield has reportedly stayed around 50% to 60%, while TSMC’s comparable 2nm yield is said to be above 70%. That gap means the headline figure in the MOU does not automatically translate into shipment volume. The agreement was announced after a July 24 signing in San Francisco during an AI summit attended by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and executives including Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei and Hock Tan.

Iranian media leak a draft MOU between US and Iran: Strait of Hormuz to reopen in 30 days under Iranian terms, oil sanctions lifted, $24B frozen assets unfrozen. WTI crude drops 4.6%.

Bitcoin fails to hold above $73K even as U.S. and Iran reach a 60-day MOU draft. Meanwhile, the Fed's preferred PCE inflation gauge rose to 3.8%, the highest since 2023, adding pressure on markets.

The White House denied an alleged U.S.-Iran peace draft circulated by Iranian state media, calling the released memorandum a complete fabrication. Disputes cited in reports include nuclear inspections, a proposed $20 billion asset unfreeze, and weak enforcement terms.

Trump has told mediators he will not accept talks with Iran lasting beyond 60 days, while Tehran wants three months for nuclear details. Military exchanges between the US and Iran escalated three times from June 1 to June 5.

The US and Iran signed a 14-point MOU, opening a 60-day ceasefire and nuclear negotiation window. Iran pledges no nuclear weapons, US to lift sanctions and unlock $300 billion in reconstruction funds, with 60-day free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The SEC and CFTC have signed a new MOU to coordinate crypto oversight in the U.S., covering token classification, platform supervision, and data sharing as regulators seek clearer rules for digital asset markets.