Iran scoffs, Waymo robotaxis take off, Wen moon?

Here’s what you need to know today, August 20, 2024:

Global Flashpoints: Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, with the recovery of six hostages from Hamas, adding to the intensity of the conflict. Meanwhile, in Kenya, the escape of accused serial killer Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who allegedly murdered 42 women, has sparked a nationwide manhunt. In the U.S., concerns over foreign interference in the upcoming presidential election are growing, with reports of Iranian cyber activities aimed at influencing the vote, raising alarms about the integrity of the election process. 🍊

In today’s email:

• Iran Scoffs: Trump Campaign Hacked

• Waymo: Robotaxi Of The Future?

• Bitcoin: September Moon Time?

US accuses Iran of hacking Trump campaign; Iran denies it.

On Monday, the U.S. government accused Iran of hacking the Trump campaign. The FBI, ODNI, and CISA issued a joint statement attributing the hack and leak targeting the campaign to Iran. The statement expressed confidence that Iranian operatives gained access to individuals connected to both presidential campaigns, intending to influence the U.S. election. The agencies noted that these tactics have been used by both Iran and Russia in past U.S. elections and globally.

In response, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations denied the allegations, calling them baseless and stating that Iran has no intention of interfering in the U.S. election. They challenged the U.S. to provide evidence if it believes in its claims.

The accusation follows reports from Politico and other media outlets about the hacking incident, where a person named "Robert" reached out with documents allegedly stolen from the Trump campaign. Trump himself accused Iran and mentioned that Microsoft alerted him to the hack.

Earlier reports from Microsoft and Google revealed that Iranian hackers had targeted emails of individuals affiliated with both Trump and Biden as early as May. The hack reportedly involved Roger Stone, a close Trump advisor, whose compromised account was used in the phishing attempt.

Unlike in 2016, when Russian hackers successfully influenced media coverage, news organizations have so far focused on the hacking itself rather than the leaked documents, suggesting a more cautious approach this time around.

Waymo has reached a major milestone - 100,000 rides each week. 🚗

Waymo announced on Tuesday that it's now providing over 100,000 paid robotaxi rides each week across its main markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. This impressive milestone, shared by Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana on social media, marks a significant increase, doubling the company’s previously reported figures of 50,000 weekly rides earlier this summer.

Waymo’s fleet, primarily composed of fully autonomous electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, is steadily growing, with a recent FOIA request revealing that 778 robotaxis are currently permitted for deployment in California alone. While Phoenix has long been a stronghold for Waymo, the company’s most substantial growth has occurred in California, where it received the necessary permits to operate its commercial robotaxi service last August. Since then, Waymo has expanded to offer 24/7 service throughout San Francisco and into new areas like Daly City, while also testing fully autonomous vehicles on freeways.

Though Waymo is expanding into Austin, it has yet to charge for rides there. The company’s commercial growth is bringing in revenue, although specific figures remain undisclosed. However, Alphabet, Waymo’s parent company, recently indicated that it plans to invest an additional $5 billion into the self-driving subsidiary over the next few years to support this expansion.

Analysts Anticipate a Major Bitcoin Price Surge in September

Bitcoin may be on the brink of a significant price surge this September, according to analysts studying historical patterns and economic indicators. Historical chart patterns suggest that Bitcoin could reach new highs, driven by increased global liquidity and changes in the M2 money supply.

The anticipation is rooted in past behavior following Bitcoin’s halving events, where the cryptocurrency has shown a tendency to enter a ‘Parabolic Phase’ around 160 days post-halving. Rekt Capital, a well-known market analyst, highlighted this pattern, suggesting Bitcoin could see a substantial price increase by late September.

The broader economic conditions also appear to favor a bullish trend for Bitcoin. Notably, analyst Jamie Coutts has emphasized the connection between Bitcoin’s price movements and global liquidity, observing that Bitcoin has historically surged in sync with global M2 money supply trends, often followed by a mid-cycle correction.

Institutional interest in Bitcoin continues to grow, with recent ETF inflows reflecting strong market confidence. Last week alone, Bitcoin ETFs saw net inflows of $35.9 million over two consecutive days, signaling robust institutional support.

Technically, Bitcoin is showing promising patterns that could lead to a breakout. Analysts have identified a ‘Megaphone Pattern’ on the charts, indicating that if Bitcoin surpasses the $59,500 resistance level in September, it could aim for a target price of around $86,000. However, Bitcoin must overcome a persistent downtrend to trigger this rally, which could also lead to the liquidation of over $800 million in short positions, further fueling the potential surge.

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