South Korea's pension funds, including the massive National Pension Service, shifted to net buying of KOSPI stocks this month for the first time in 2026. They purchased a net 684 billion won (around $46.8 million) worth of KOSPI shares as of July 24, ending a six-month selling streak. SK Hynix was the top pick, with net purchases of 425.8 billion won. The move signals institutional confidence in the chip sector ahead of SK Hynix's expected record second-quarter profit.

The North Korea-linked hacking group BlueNoroff is using fake Zoom and Microsoft Teams meeting invitations to compromise crypto users. After hijacking trusted contacts, the hackers send believable scheduling links through Calendly to domains mimicking Zoom or Teams. The fake meeting page secretly scans the victim's browser for cryptocurrency wallets and only proceeds with malware deployment if the wallet value justifies the attack. Once inside the fake meeting, users are prompted to "update" their client or run a command, which downloads malware compatible with both Windows and macOS. This targeted method highlights the persistent threat Asian crypto holders face from state-sponsored groups.

Binance subjects its employees to monthly simulated phishing attacks and dismisses those who repeatedly fall for them, according to Chief Security Officer Jimmy Su. An internal ethical hacker team, the "Red Team," conducts these drills to identify vulnerabilities. The program has been in place for three to four years, reflecting Binance's heavy investment in security amid rising cyber threats in Asia's crypto hub.

A triple blow from soaring energy prices, new U.S. tariffs, and surging AI capital spending is reigniting inflation fears among global investors. The Nasdaq was hit particularly hard this week, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index plunging 5% on Friday. Asian tech and crypto markets are feeling the ripple effects as investors brace for potential hawkish surprises from the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week, which could dampen risk appetite across Asian exchanges.

Hong Kong-based exchange BitMart announced it will gradually cease operations, triggering a 53.2% plunge in its platform token BMX. The shutdown begins with halting registrations and deposits on July 26, with all trading to stop by August 26 and final closure by January 31, 2027. In a twist, MSX founder Bruce J expressed interest in acquiring BitMart and eliminating trading fees, while BitMart's now-former global CEO Nenter Chow said he was blindsided by the decision and had his role terminated. The shutdown adds to a grim year for crypto projects, with RootData counting 99 defunct projects in 2026 so far.

SK Hynix is poised to report a record-breaking second-quarter operating profit of approximately 64.09 trillion won, according to analyst consensus, surpassing its entire 2025 annual profit. Combined with Samsung's stellar DS division earnings, the two Korean memory giants could see H1 operating profits exceed 150 trillion won. The results underscore Asia's dominant role in the global AI supply chain, which has direct knock-on effects for crypto mining and Web3 infrastructure demand.

In a clarifying statement, BitMart's recently terminated global CEO Nenter Chow said he was completely unaware of the exchange's planned shutdown until seeing the public announcement. He was informed of his termination on July 24 and has been excluded from all management and decisions since. Chow emphasized his concern for users and urged them to rely only on official channels for guidance. The drama adds a layer of internal strife to the exchange's collapse, which has seeded distrust in other Asian platforms' transparency.

MSX founder Bruce J said he has contacted the BitMart team about a potential acquisition and plans to eliminate all spot and futures trading fees if successful. The proposal comes after BitMart's closure announcement and could reshape the Asian exchange landscape if a deal materializes. Bruce J's bid highlights ongoing consolidation in the region's exchange market as smaller platforms struggle to survive amid tightening regulation and fierce competition.

RootData's latest tally shows 99 crypto projects have ceased operations, gone bankrupt, or become inaccessible in 2026 alone. Notable names include centralized exchanges BitMart and BitMEX, wallet Family, and DeFi platform Zapper. The growing graveyard underlines the brutal market conditions that are squeezing Asian exchanges and projects, many of which are closing or pivoting as the bear market deepens.

NFT platform Forma is ceasing blockchain operations and migrating its Modularium and Forma NFTs to Ethereum mainnet, ensuring long-term access for collectors. Users are urged to withdraw funds via the Forma Bridge before the shutdown, with unclaimed funds to be manually moved to a new EVM-compatible chain. The move reflects a trend among Asian NFT projects to consolidate on established networks amid declining interest in app-chains.