Bitcoin perpetual contracts have gone live in the United States, while the SEC has yet to finalize a clear regulatory framework for crypto. The SEC proposed rules on the 18th that would create a path for token-network fundraising, and the CLARITY Act remains under consideration in Congress to split crypto market oversight between the SEC and the CFTC. Bitcoin traded around $77,000 that day, up about 22% over seven days.

Duolingo said at an Aug. 18 investor meeting that daily active users grew 27.4% year over year, helping push its shares up 4.6% that day. In fiscal 2026 Q2, adjusted EPS was $0.66, topping the $0.61 consensus estimate on cost discipline and lower costs tied to integrating generative AI. The platform reported 58.7 million daily active users and 12.7 million paid subscribers, while the stock is down 56.84% over the past year and 16.7% so far in 2026.

Solana hit several milestones this week, including its first slot-time reduction to 350ms. Shinhan Asset Management partnered with the Solana Foundation and other firms to build a KRW tokenized fund. Securitize and Neuberger Berman launched HINC on Solana, tapping Neuberger’s $230B+ asset-management platform. Solmate’s treasury reached ~1.25M SOL, while the $MRNA token posted more than $4.5M in onchain volume in its first 24 hours on Solana.

The U.S. FDA has approved Moderna’s mFLUSIVA, making it the first mRNA-based influenza vaccine, for adults ages 50 and older. The shot also received accelerated approval for adults ages 65 and older. Experts say the vaccine adds an important new option for flu prevention, rather than replacing existing flu vaccines.

Morgan Stanley plans to invest just over $587 million in a permanent office building in Dallas, with the site expected to house around 3,800 employees by the end of 2035. The bank also committed to hiring Dallas residents for at least 25% of relocated or newly created roles, and it must submit a local recruiting plan by the end of 2027. Goldman Sachs is also investing $500 million in a new Dallas campus that it says will be its largest U.S. workforce outside New York City, with more than 5,000 employees expected to work there. The number of applicants to Goldman Sachs’ Dallas program has risen 52% over the past five years.

Red Cat Holdings is shifting from a small drone supplier to a scaled autonomy platform, after revenue rose 527% year over year to $20.2 million. Its manufacturing footprint has expanded 5x and inventory has climbed to $85 million. Management is guiding for $150–$180 million in fiscal-year revenue, though performance is expected to be heavily concentrated in the second half. Gross margin improved to 16.1%, with a year-end 2026 target of 30% tied to contract execution and volume ramp.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) reported fiscal 2026 second-quarter revenue of $10.7 billion, up 40% year over year and a record high. Revenue from its Cloud and AI segment rose 22.9%, while Networking revenue jumped 148.2%. Non-GAAP earnings per share doubled from a year earlier, and the Cloud and AI operating margin nearly doubled. The company also raised its full-year free cash flow outlook to at least $3.5 billion.

Nomura Securities’ digital-asset unit, Laser Digital, has completed registration in Japan as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under the Payment Services Act, with registration number 00032. The registration enables the firm to operate in Japan in compliance with local rules. Its approved crypto-asset list includes $XRP alongside BTC and ETH. The move expands a traditional financial group’s footprint in Japan’s crypto market and provides a new regulated route for trading $XRP.