BlockBeats News, July 16th, U.S. officials said that after a brief meeting with several senior aides, U.S. President Trump is leaning towards expanding military action against Iran in the U.S. Potential options include intensifying airstrikes, sending ground troops to seize islands near the Strait of Hormuz in Iran, and bombing a fortified site suspected of being used for secret nuclear work. On July 15th, the U.S. military conducted a maritime blockade against Iran in the Arabian Gulf, halting an oil tanker heading to an Iranian port without cargo. An Iranian military spokesperson stated that the U.S. complying with a memorandum of understanding and implementing "Iranian regulations" in the Strait of Hormuz is the only way to reopen the waterway.

According to BIT (bit.com) market data, U.S. stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the Dow rising 0.29%, the S&P 500 up 0.38%, and the Nasdaq up 0.6%. Apple (AAPL.O) rose 4%, ASML (ASML.O) rose 2%, SK Hynix (SKHY.O) fell 9%, SanDisk (SNDK.O) fell 8%, and Intel (INTC.O) fell 4.4%.

According to HTX market data, Bitcoin is currently trading at $64,847, with a 24-hour decrease of 0.08%. There was a total liquidation of $303 million across the network in the past 24 hours, with long liquidations amounting to $112 million and short liquidations totaling $191 million.