💣️Iran Fires Over 180 Missiles Into Israel As Middle East Tensions Spark

Good morning. It's Wednesday, Oct. 2, and we're covering, Oracle To Invest $6.5 Billion in Cloud And AI Facilities In Malaysia, Microsoft Unveils Major AI Updates For Windows PCs, Iran Fires Over 180 Missiles Into Israel As Middle East Tensions Escalate, and much more. First time reading? Sign up to get this newsletter: Sign up here.

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MARKETS

Cryptocurrency Prices by Market Cap

• The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $2.16 Trillion, a 4.08% decrease in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $115.59B, which makes a 44.14% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $6.26B, 5.42% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $106.78B, which is 97.38% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 56.30%, an increase of 0.41% over the day.

Bitcoin Falls to $60K Amid Tensions In The Middle East

Bitcoin's price dropped to $60,371 on Tuesday, marking a 3.3% decline in the cryptocurrency market. This downturn coincides with heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly after Iran launched missiles toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The U.S. issued warnings about potential Iranian attacks, which contributed to broader market instability. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Oracle To Invest $6.5 Billion In Cloud, AI Facilities In Malaysia

Oracle is set to invest over $6.5 billion to establish its first public cloud region in Malaysia, making it one of the largest tech investments in the country. This move aligns with a broader trend of major technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia, investing heavily in Southeast Asia's cloud services and data centers, driven by the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

Takeaway: The new cloud region will help Malaysian organizations modernize and migrate their operations to the cloud, supporting sectors like government, finance, airlines, and hospitality. Oracle's investment outpaces Amazon Web Services (AWS) $6.2 billion planned investment in the region. The cloud facility will be Oracle’s third in Southeast Asia, following two in Singapore. (Read Deeper)

Vistra Surpasses Nvidia As Top S&P 500 Performer In 2024

Once the top performer in the S&P 500 for 2024, Nvidia has been overtaken by Vistra a power generation company, which surged 218.15% year-to-date. Constellation Energy Palantir Technologies and Howmet Aerospace round out the top five, with impressive triple-digit gains for CEG and PLTR. These stocks reflect a mix of AI, energy, and aerospace sectors, showing the diverse drivers of stock market performance in 2024.

Why It Matters: Vistra, now leading the S&P 500, benefitted from rising electricity prices and AI’s growing energy needs. Nvidia, while still up 136.3% this year, has been slightly down since mid-year. Constellation Energy gained 127.2%, partly due to its plan to reopen Three Mile Island. Palantir, fueled by commercial revenue growth and its inclusion in the S&P 500, rose 112.35%. Meanwhile, Howmet, the only non-AI-related top performer, climbed 86.5%, supported by strong jet demand. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Microsoft Unveils Major AI Updates For Windows PCs

Microsoft has announced major updates to its Copilot AI platform for Windows PCs, including voice interaction with the AI assistant, a context-aware "Click to Do" option, enhanced Windows Search using natural language, and AI-powered photo editing features like upscaling images to 8K and object removal. The company also introduced Copilot Vision, which can analyze content in the Edge browser and provide recommendations based on users’ viewing. Microsoft is rolling out the Recall feature for Windows 11, designed to capture screenshots and create a visual library of recent activity.

Why It Matters: These announcements come as part of Microsoft's broader initiative to integrate AI across both consumer and enterprise platforms. The company launched its first wave of Copilot+ PCs earlier this year, partnering with major hardware manufacturers like Dell, HP, and Lenovo. As the holiday shopping season approaches, Microsoft’s new AI capabilities aim to attract consumers to its Copilot+ PCs. (Read Deeper)

Impulse Space Raises $150M To Expand Satellite Orbital Transfer Business

Impulse Space has raised $150 million in a Series B funding round to scale its satellite orbital transfer business. Founded by former SpaceX CTO Tom Mueller, the company is developing orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) designed to reposition satellites in space. Impulse's OTVs, Mira and Helios, provide faster and more efficient satellite maneuvering compared to current options.

Takeaway: The company has achieved major milestones, including a successful first mission in 2023, and has received interest from the U.S. Department of Defense. The new funding will support upcoming missions and the continued development of Impulse's technology, with future launches planned for 2025 and 2026. The funding round was led by Founders Fund, with participation from other major investors. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

Iran Fires Over 180 Missiles Into Israel As Middle East Tensions Escalate

Iran launched over 180 missiles into Israel in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, escalating tensions in the Middle East. Israel's air defenses intercepted many missiles, though some reached central and southern parts of the country, injuring two people. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against Iran. Meanwhile, Hezbollah and Israel exchanged further attacks, raising fears of a wider regional conflict involving Iran and its allies.

Takeaway: The exchange of fire followed Israel’s limited ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions. Hezbollah responded by launching its rocket attacks on Israel. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to address the rapidly deteriorating situation. (Read Deeper)

JD Vance And Tim Walz Square Off In Final Vice Presidential Debate

In the final vice-presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz engaged in a surprisingly civil discussion, focusing on issues like the economy, abortion, and the January 6 Capitol attack. Both candidates aimed to maintain a polite tone while directing criticism toward their opponents' running mates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Takeaway: JD Vance and Tim Walz sharply disagreed on January 6, with Vance avoiding direct answers about Trump's actions and Walz calling out his evasiveness. Vance repeatedly tied Harris to the current administration's struggles, positioning her as ineffective, while Walz emphasized Harris' efforts to support families. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Over 100 New Assault Allegations, Including Minors

Rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing over 100 new allegations of sexual assault, rape, and exploitation, including accusations from minors as young as nine years old. Lawyer Tony Buzbee, representing 120 alleged victims, revealed that incidents date from 1991 to this year, often occurring at parties hosted by Combs. Many victims claim they were coerced with promises of fame before being assaulted. Combs, who denies the allegations, was recently arrested on separate charges of racketeering and sex trafficking and remains in federal custody. (Read Deeper)

Champions League: Five Key Takeaways From Tuesday's Action

Tuesday's Champions League fixtures delivered thrilling results, showcasing top-tier performances and plenty of goals as Europe's elite clubs continued their campaigns under the new league format. Arsenal defeated PSG 2-0, showcasing defensive solidity and offensive prowess, raising hopes for a successful campaign. French underdogs Brest continued their strong debut with a 4-0 win over RB Salzburg, putting them in contention for the next stage. ( Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• To dominate the AI race, you shouldn’t “start” a company that goes against the traditional entrepreneurial mindset. (Listen)

EXTRA BREVITI

• OpenAI is now allowing businesses and developers to integrate its real-time voice assistant into third-party applications through its API. (Read More)

• Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by SpaceX, has doubled its subscription prices in Nigeria, attributing the hike to the country's high inflation rates. (Read More)

• Prince Harry has arrived in Lesotho, a country he first visited 20 years ago, for a new phase of his charity work. (Read More)