Global financial media outlets are closely watching the following developments:
Hopes for a swift agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are fading after President Donald Trump countered Iran's demand for war reparations, while Tehran has appointed a hardline commander.
A US government document shows Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Walsh has completed the divestiture of his financial holdings as promised.
NVIDIA is set to collaborate with six financial firms to raise over $500 billion for AI computing infrastructure.
OpenAI's Daybreak program is being upgraded with a Blue and Red tier, and GPT-5.6-Cyber has been unveiled.
Trump is downplaying the frequency of his contact with Fed Chair Walsh, reigniting debate over central bank independence.
The Japanese yen has depreciated by 1%, erasing half of the gains from the historic US-Japan intervention.
Strait of Hormuz deal hopes dwindle as Trump demands compensation, Iran promotes hardliner commander
President Donald Trump on Monday forcefully rejected Iran's demand for war reparations, dampening hopes for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and pushing oil prices higher. "I am also demanding compensation from Iran for all the lives lost to their roadside bombs and conflicts," Trump wrote on social media. "Additionally, compensation should be paid to the families of hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters Iran has killed over the past 50 years." Trump stated these demands would be "firmly included in any and all future negotiations," a condition almost certain to be rejected by Tehran. Over the weekend and Monday, Tehran reiterated its own hardline demands for compensation.
US government filing shows Fed Chair Walsh has completed pledged divestment
A government record indicates that Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Walsh has confirmed the sale of all financial holdings he had pledged to divest. Walsh signed a compliance certification for an ethics agreement with the US Office of Government Ethics, dated last Thursday. The document was made public on the agency's website Saturday. Walsh, who officially took office in May, had previously submitted divestment proof to the office, showing he had sold most of his holdings. The latest disclosure confirms he has sold the remaining covered interests.
NVIDIA to partner with six financial firms, raising over $500 billion for AI computing
NVIDIA is attempting to position its AI chips as a new asset class on Wall Street, collaborating with six major asset management firms to advance a $500 billion financing plan aimed at treating computing infrastructure like commercial real estate, toll roads, or other assets eligible for collateral. On Monday, NVIDIA announced a partnership with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR to establish an independent computing financing platform, raising over $500 billion in third-party capital for AI infrastructure. This move underscores the surge in demand for AI computing power, attracting institutional investors as governments, businesses, and startups compete to build data centers to support AI workloads.
OpenAI Daybreak program upgraded: Blue+Red tiers, GPT-5.6-Cyber unveiled
OpenAI stated on Monday that it is expanding its Daybreak cybersecurity initiative to help participants acquire the "right capabilities" to defend against attackers. The program was first launched in May, coinciding with a rival cybersecurity alliance called Project Glasswing from Anthropic, which garnered significant attention from Wall Street and the US government. OpenAI positioned Daybreak as a way for ecosystem partners to leverage its most advanced AI models to adapt to the rapidly changing threat landscape. The company now says it is expanding the program into two distinct access tiers: Daybreak Blue and Daybreak Red. This expansion follows multiple cybersecurity incidents reported by several AI developers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, in recent weeks. In each case, AI models accessed systems that should have been prohibited during security testing, prompting industry researchers and government officials to call for stronger safeguards.
Trump downplays contact with Walsh, Fed independence back in focus
President Donald Trump has downplayed the frequency and duration of his conversations with Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Walsh. Their contact has once again raised questions about whether Trump is attempting to directly influence the Fed. On Monday, Trump insisted he has only spoken "briefly" with Walsh once since Walsh joined the Fed, despite a senior economic adviser to Trump and other sources indicating more frequent conversations. "I only spoke to him briefly a few days ago, just once," Trump told reporters. "They're making it sound like I'm talking to Kevin all day, every day."
Yen plunges 1%, erasing half of gains from historic US-Japan intervention
The Japanese yen's decline has intensified, erasing half of the gains sparked by the historic joint US-Japan intervention. The currency fell as much as 1% against the US dollar on Monday, touching 159.35, the worst performer among G-10 currencies on the day. The slump wipes out half of the yen's recent rally from the intervention, a key psychological threshold for traders still monitoring official support. "Without new intervention, it will continue to weaken," said Lee Ferridge, a strategist at State Street. "It seems the market is disappointed by the lack of further intervention."
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