🤝U.S. And EU Strike Tariff Deal

☀️ Good morning. It's Monday, Jul. 28, and we're covering, Japan Says Only 1%-2% of $550B U.S. Fund Will Be Investment, Tesla Signs $16.5 Billion Chip Deal With Samsung For Next-Gen AI Chips, U.S. And EU Strike Tariff Deal, Avoid Full-Blown Trade War, 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 $3.95 Trillion, a 1.52% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $159.1B, which makes a 31.21% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $41.73B, 26.23% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $151.51B, which is 95.24% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 59.91%, a decrease of 0.47% over the day.

Bitcoin Volatility Shrinks As ETFs Drive Market Stability

Bitcoin is entering a new era of reduced volatility, thanks to surging institutional investment through spot ETFs. Analysts say fewer price “God candles” may mean less drama — but more durability. With steady inflows, some even predict BTC could hit $199K this year. Bitcoin is transitioning from a speculative rollercoaster to a more stable, institutional-grade asset. The growing influence of ETFs like BlackRock’s IBIT has tempered extreme price swings and attracted broader financial participation.(Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Japan Says Only 1%-2% of $550B U.S. Fund Will Be Investment

Japan expects just 1%–2% of its $550 billion U.S. economic partnership fund to be direct investment, with most of it taking the form of loans and loan guarantees, according to lead negotiator Ryosei Akazawa. Tokyo will save about ¥10 trillion ($68B) in tariff reductions under the new deal, which imposes a 15% cap on U.S. tariffs for Japanese exports. Japan also agreed to let the U.S. take 90% of the profits from the small investment slice—down from Japan’s proposed 50/50 split.

Why It Matters: Japan secures major savings while dodging accusations of “selling out.” This deal could serve as a model for U.S. trade agreements, including a similar one just struck with the EU. Japan wants the fund operational during Trump’s current term. (Read Deeper)

U.S. And China Launch New Tariff Talks To Avoid Trade War Escalation

Top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in Stockholm this week to extend a fragile truce in their ongoing trade war. Without a new deal by the August 12 deadline, tariffs could spike to triple-digit levels, disrupting global supply chains and derailing a potential Trump–Xi summit later this year. The talks follow President Trump’s new trade pact with the EU and come amid signs that Washington is easing some tech export restrictions to keep negotiations on track.

Why It Matters: A 90-day extension of the tariff pause is seen as likely, buying both sides time to tackle deeper disputes—from rare earths to economic rebalancing. Failure to extend the truce could re-ignite tariffs that would disrupt global trade. China’s control over rare earths gives it powerful leverage in the talks. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Tesla Signs $16.5 Billion Chip Deal With Samsung For Next-Gen AI Chips

Tesla has officially signed a $16.5 billion semiconductor deal with Samsung Electronics, set to run until 2033. Elon Musk confirmed the news on X, revealing that Samsung’s upcoming Texas chip plant will manufacture Tesla’s AI6 chips — the company’s next-gen hardware designed to power its autonomous and AI systems. Samsung is currently producing Tesla’s AI4 chip, while TSMC is slated to make AI5. Samsung didn’t name Tesla in its regulatory filing, citing trade secrecy, but Musk’s confirmation (later deleted) and industry speculation made the link clear.

Why It Matters: The partnership comes as Samsung tries to catch up in the race for AI chip dominance, especially after falling behind rivals SK Hynix and Micron in high-bandwidth memory. It marks one of the largest chip deals in recent memory — critical as AI and autonomy become central to Tesla’s strategy. (Read Deeper)

Google Failed To Warn 10 Million During Deadly 2023 Turkey Earthquake

Google has admitted that its Android Earthquake Alerts system failed to deliver critical warnings to millions during the devastating 2023 earthquakes in Turkey. Despite being active at the time, the system underestimated the magnitude of the 7.8 quake—registering it as between 4.5 and 4.9, causing only 469 high-level “Take Action” alerts to be sent out, instead of the 10 million it now says were warranted.

Takeaways: The stronger alert would have sounded alarms even in Do Not Disturb mode and could have given users up to 35 seconds of warning, especially vital since the quake struck at 4:17 a.m. when most were asleep. Google says it has since updated its algorithm, but experts are frustrated by the lack of transparency and slow postmortem. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

U.S. And EU Strike Tariff Deal, Avoid Full-Blown Trade War

In a surprise Sunday deal, President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to a 15% import tariff on most EU goods, halving the previously threatened 30% rate. The framework agreement — finalized at Trump’s golf course in Scotland — averts a potentially devastating clash between two economies that make up nearly a third of global trade. The EU also pledged over $600 billion in U.S. investments and committed to ramping up purchases of American energy and military equipment.

Why It Matters: This deal defuses one of the most significant trade standoffs in recent years and offers temporary relief to industries on both sides of the Atlantic. But it also signals a shift toward deal-by-deal diplomacy and power politics over process, with lasting uncertainty baked into the arrangement. European automakers, energy firms, and defense suppliers may benefit — but the long-term implications remain unclear. (Read Deeper)

Thailand, Cambodia Enter Peace Talks In Malaysia Amid Border Crisis

Leaders of Thailand and Cambodia have arrived in Malaysia for ceasefire talks after their border dispute escalated into the deadliest clash in over a decade. The U.S. and China are co-facilitating the negotiations, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expected to chair the dialogue in his role as ASEAN chair. The conflict erupted last week after a Cambodian soldier was killed, triggering cross-border fighting that has now claimed more than 30 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced over 200,000 people.

Why It Matters: U.S. and Chinese involvement signals growing global concern over local flare-ups amid wider geopolitical tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that State Department officials are on the ground to assist with mediation efforts. ( Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

England Wins Back-to-Back Euro Titles In Penalty Thriller Against Spain

England’s Lionesses made history in stunning fashion, edging out Spain in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout to win Euro 2025—and become the first England team to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Chloe Kelly, once again the hero, converted the final spot-kick after goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved two penalties in a row. Mariona Caldentey had put Spain ahead, but England clawed back with a second-half equalizer from Alessia Russo, following a pinpoint cross from substitute Kelly. (Read Deeper)

Bayern Munich Seal €75M Deal For Liverpool's Luis Díaz

Bayern Munich have agreed to sign Colombian winger Luis Díaz from Liverpool in a deal worth €75 million, one of the biggest transfers of the summer. The 28-year-old has been cleared to undergo a medical and will sign a 4+1 year deal with the German champions. The move is a major shake-up for both clubs. Liverpool, under new sporting director Richard Hughes, continue to extract strong value from outgoings, pushing total sales to £190M this summer. (Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• How I Use ChatGPT to Run My $30B Company. (Listen)

EXTRA BREVITI

• U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said President Trump is a fan of TikTok but insists the app must transition to American ownership. (Read More)

• NASA may lose close to 20% of its workforce after nearly 4,000 employees applied for voluntary departure under a Trump-era deferred resignation program. (Read More)

• An early Bitcoin whale just sold over 80,000 BTC, worth $9 billion via Galaxy Digital, triggering a heated debate about whether Bitcoin’s earliest adopters are losing faith. (Read More)