Hello Capitalists,

Israel attacks Iran with a massive assault on its leadership and nuclear program. Trump calls for peace and negotiations. Oil prices skyrocket. Global market’s “flight to safety” spikes the US dollar. American Express gets into the crypto game and a challenger is looking to take Nvidia’s crown as the king of AI.

Let’s break it down for you:

• The Top Line Market Numbers:

• DOW: 42490.84 (⬇️1.11) 🔴

• S&P: 6007.63 (⬇️0.62) 🔴

• NASDAQ: 19509.84 (⬇️0.78)🔴

Israel strikes Iran's nuclear sites, Trump weighs in and markets react

President Donald Trump warned Iran that “even more brutal attacks” are on their way if the nation refuses to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S. immediately.

• What did Trump say?: “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!” the President wrote on Truth Social Friday morning.

• Military Leadership Decimated: Israel killed the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other top generals including IRGC commander Hossein Salami, dealing a major blow to Tehran's military command structure during attacks that targeted Iran's nuclear program and military installations.

• The Markets React: Oil prices surged approximately 8% to nearly $74 a barrel—the highest since early April—and major stock indexes fell nearly 1% on Friday, though markets pared heavier losses as investors assessed the initially limited wider fallout. Tech stocks like Nvidia and Tesla declined while oil and defense companies such as Chevron and Lockheed Martin gained, as gold reached a new monthly high above $3,440 an ounce and Bitcoin dropped below $105,000.

  

• Massive Scale Operation: Two hundred Israeli jet fighters conducted the first wave of strikes in what Prime Minister Netanyahu said would last "as many days as it takes," with Israel planning 14 days of operations according to senior officials, while Iran's Supreme Leader threatened "severe punishment" in response.

• Pre-Positioned Assets: Israeli agents had smuggled explosive drones and guided weapons into Iran long before the attacks began, with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz deciding Monday to launch the operation on Friday local time, demonstrating extensive advance planning and infiltration.

• Trump's Advanced Knowledge: President Trump confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that he was briefed on Israel's attack plans, saying "It wasn't a heads-up. It was, we know what's going on.”

Quote of the Day:

Oil prices at risk as possible escalation looms

Oil prices surged after Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, a trend that may continue if the conflict escalates.

• Supply Concerns Mount: Crude oil futures rose over $5 a barrel, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate up 8.48% to $73.81 and Brent crude rising 7.86% to $74.81, driven by fears of disrupted Middle East oil supplies after Israel’s airstrikes on Iran. At the height of the bombardment prices were above $75 (a 13% jump.) Iran’s potential retaliation, possibly targeting Israeli or U.S. interests, raises risks of broader conflict, which could disrupt Iran’s 3.305 million barrels per day output and even the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route.

US dollar soars as markets run to safety while the bombs are fall

When tensions like this flare up in the Middle East, it’s not just about politics—it hits everything from oil prices to your investments, and everyone’s trying to figure out what’s next.

• Market Chaos Ensues: Israel’s strikes on Iran triggered a rush to safe-haven assets like gold (up over 1% to $3,429.79/ounce) and U.S. Treasuries.

• Dollar Bounces Back: The U.S. dollar saw its biggest one-day jump in a month as investors flocked to it for safety, giving it a boost against currencies like the euro and yen.

• Global Ripple Effects: Stock markets from Asia to Europe tanked, with U.S. stock futures sliding (Dow futures down 600 points) and airlines like Air France suspending flights to Tel Aviv amid escalating tensions.

American Express just got into the crypto game in a huge way

Coinbase, one of the biggest names in cryptocurrency, just dropped some exciting news about a new credit card with American Express. It’s a game-changer for making crypto part of everyday spending.:

• Coinbase One Card with Bitcoin Rewards: Starting this fall, U.S. Coinbase One subscribers can get a branded American Express credit card that offers 2% to 4% back in bitcoin on every purchase, plus Amex perks like travel protections and exclusive experiences.

• New Subscription Tiers for Accessibility: Coinbase is rolling out a cheaper “Basic” tier at $4.99/month or $49.99/year alongside the $29.99/month Coinbase One plan, making it easier for more people to access zero trading fees and boosted staking rewards.

• Boosting Crypto Adoption: With over a million Coinbase One members and a crypto-friendly climate thanks to new regulations, this card could bridge traditional finance and crypto, making bitcoin rewards a mainstream reality.

Nvidia is about to have some serious competition in the AI chip space

AMD just dropped some game-changing details about their new AI chips, and it’s a big deal because it could rock the market dominated by Nvidia. This signals more competition and potentially better, cheaper AI solutions coming our way.

• AMD’s New MI400 Chips: AMD unveiled its next-generation Instinct MI400 series chips, set to ship in 2026, designed for massive AI data centers and assembled into a powerful server rack system called Helios, rivaling Nvidia’s Blackwell chips.

• OpenAI’s Involvement: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined AMD’s CEO Lisa Su on stage, confirming OpenAI will use these chips, boosting AMD’s credibility as they’ve been collaborating on the MI400’s development to optimize it for AI tasks.

• Competing on Price and Efficiency: AMD aims to undercut Nvidia with “aggressive” pricing and claims their MI355X chips deliver 40% more AI output per dollar due to lower power consumption, potentially making AI infrastructure more cost-effective.