Vietnam’s central bank said the Vietnamese dong has come under pressure as the U.S. dollar strengthens. According to Jin10, a deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam said the central bank will work to stabilize the foreign exchange market.

Ark Invest bought $18 million worth of Circle Internet Group shares through its funds yesterday. According to NS3.AI, Circle is the issuer of USDC, the world’s second-largest stablecoin. The report said Circle’s stock, CRCL, closed at $61.95 yesterday and is down about 41% over the past month.

An analyst said the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) faced significant challenges ahead of its next interest-rate decision, as recent communications suggested the policy rate might still need to rise. According to Jin10, GSFM investment strategy adviser Stephen Miller said the minutes from the RBA’s June policy meeting and recent remarks by Governor Michele Bullock indicated that further increases in the policy rate could still be required. Miller said this reflected an inability by the government to help the RBA fight inflation through supportive structural policies. He added that the central bank was trying to balance structural inflation factors with cyclical vulnerabilities, creating multiple challenges for policymakers.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company has not applied for a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, arguing the regulation is “very dangerous” for stablecoins. According to ChainCatcher, Ardoino said MiCA could force stablecoin issuers to hold 60% of their reserves as uninsured cash deposits in smaller European banks, which he said may be unable to handle large-scale redemptions. Ardoino described the legislation as poorly considered and said Tether’s decision to skip MiCA was intended to protect its more than 400 million users.

The Round of 32 delivered extraordinary drama on July 1. England needed Harry Kane's late heroics to avoid a shocking exit against DR Congo. Belgium pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Senegal in extra time. Co-hosts USA advanced comfortably despite playing the final stretch with ten men. England 2-1 DR Congo England were 15 minutes from a humiliating World Cup exit before captain Harry Kane took over. Brian Cipenga's early strike gave DR Congo a deserved lead, and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi produced a string of magnificent saves to keep England at bay. Kane finally broke through in the 75th minute, heading home Anthony Gordon's cross. With four minutes remaining, the captain collected the ball on the edge of the box, turned, and lashed a stunning winner past Mpasi for his fifth goal of the tournament. England now face co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Belgium 3-2 Senegal (AET) Senegal appeared to be cruising into the last 16 after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr gave them a commanding 2-0 lead. But Romelu Lukaku, written off after an injury-plagued club season, sparked Belgium's rescue with an 86th-minute finish. Three minutes later, Youri Tielemans headed in Leandro Trossard's cross to force extra time. Then came controversy: a VAR review penalised Lamine Camara's challenge on Tielemans, and the captain converted the 125th-minute spot-kick — the latest goal in World Cup history. Senegal's heartbreak was complete. USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina Folarin Balogun gave the hosts a first-half lead, but his night soured when he was sent off for an unfortunate challenge on Tarik Muharemovic with 26 minutes remaining. Down to ten men, the Americans defended resolutely before Malik Tillman sealed the win with a curling free-kick that crept inside the post. Bosnia pushed for a way back, with Amar Memic and Kerim Alajbegovic both going close, but couldn't find a breakthrough. The USA's first knockout win since 2002 sets up a last-16 meeting with Belgium in Seattle. — Upcoming Matches for July 2 (all times ET): 3PM ET — Spain vs Austria, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles 7PM ET — Portugal vs Croatia, BMO Field, Toronto 11PM ET — Switzerland vs Algeria, BC Place, Vancouver

Meta Platforms’ plan to sell surplus computing power rattled AI hardware and neocloud stocks, while Meta shares climbed nearly 9% and rose above $600. According to BeInCrypto, Meta is building a business called Meta Compute to lease idle data center capacity to outside clients, a model likened to SpaceX renting spare capacity to firms including Anthropic. Micron sank more than 10% on July 1, while SanDisk, Intel and AMD fell 6.9% to 10.6%; Nvidia slipped 1.25%. CoreWeave and Nebius dropped 14% and 17%. In Asia, Samsung and SK Hynix fell more than 7% and 9%, and the KOSPI triggered another trading halt.

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), set the yuan’s central parity rate against the U.S. dollar at 6.8088, 21 pips weaker than the previous session’s 6.8067, according to 36Kr. The prior session’s official close was 6.7935, while the offshore yuan last closed at 6.7880.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Tech Index extended its gains to 2%, while the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 1.62%, according to 36Kr.

SoftBank Group on July 2 filed a disclosure document with regulators for a new round of corporate bond issuance aimed at individual and institutional investors, with a total issuance cap of up to 1.5 trillion yen, according to 36Kr. The company said the fundraising is mainly intended to repay existing debt coming due, optimize the group’s capital structure, and build liquidity reserves to support continued investment in AI and other advanced technologies.

Telegram's top crypto games, Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) and Catizen (CATI), have seen their tokens drop over 50% from peak values, echoing declines in other gaming tokens like Notcoin (NOT) and Toncoin (TON). The question now is whether they can recover or face a continued decline and possible collapse.

On September 1, X Empire will initiate its first in-game currency burn, targeting users who haven’t logged into the game for over 30 days.X Empire’s token purge is designed to reward active players as the game prepares for its highly anticipated token launch, setting the stage for a significant moment in the tap-to-earn gaming landscape.

Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, was detained in France amid allegations that Telegram facilitated illegal activities. His arrest has sparked controversy and support from the crypto community, reflecting concerns over digital privacy and free speech.

Notcoin has experienced a 30% increase in the past 24 hours, outperforming major cryptocurrencies. The recent launch of a new game within the Telegram app has likely driven this surge.

Dotcoin, initially launched on the TON blockchain, is migrating to Venom to benefit from its advanced scalability and infrastructure. The move, which includes launching the $DTC token on Venom, aims to support Dotcoin's growth but faces challenges with community backlash and technical issues. Will this transition ultimately strengthen Dotcoin's position or lead to further complications?

Notcoin has launched a new story-driven Telegram game called “Lost Dogs” that will last for 6 weeks. Players vote daily on decisions that shape the story, earn both NOT tokens and the in-game currency, WOOF. So what is your choice?

Players can earn Notcoin tokens and a new in-game token in the story-driven game.This initiative seeks to leverage the potential of NFTs and blockchain technology to offer players a richer and more immersive experience.

Notcoin has risen as a leading force in Web3 gaming, surpassing giants like Bitcoin and Ether in global regions and pioneering Play-to-Earn (P2E) projects on the TON blockchain. Its strategic partnerships, massive community airdrops, and focus on sustainable growth underline its potential impact on the future of crypto gaming.

Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, champions Hamster Kombat, a game within Telegram that has quickly amassed 239 million users, showcasing Telegram's effective mini-app strategy and its potential for reshaping mobile gaming.