BlockBeats reported on August 15th that Google announced users can now remove visible watermarks from its AI-generated content, including images, videos, and songs. The company clarified that this move will not affect invisible SynthID watermarks or metadata related to the C2PA standard.

Josh Woodward, VP of Google Gemini, posted that the switch will be available for Nano Banana, Omni, and Lyria models. He noted that the setting to disable the visible watermark will be available in Gemini and Google's video editor Flow, with search functionality support coming soon. The feature will be rolled out gradually over the next few days, and once available, users can enable or disable the visible watermark via Settings > Media Watermarks.

Google has also open-sourced a new library called Credentio, which makes it easier for developers to embed local verification mechanisms in their applications.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15th, Strategy founder Michael Saylor stated that Bitcoin integrates computers, digital networks, and cryptography to build the first digitally designed monetary network in human history. It completely dematerializes monetary assets, with supply controlled by public protocols rather than decision-making, transforming economic value into information that can be securely transmitted across global communication networks. Compared to gold, Bitcoin is more difficult to issue, easier to integrate with software, faster in transmission, and every participant is incentivized to maintain network security. The proof-of-work mechanism anchors it to the physical world, consuming real energy in exchange for ledger security, making the cost of tampering with history high and attracting miners, energy companies, and investors to jointly build a defense system. Bitcoin is digital gold, but understanding it as digital currency energy is more accurate.

The Bitcoin network is not static software, but an adaptive system comprised of miners, nodes, developers, capital, and users. Bitcoin deliberately maintains simplicity, focusing solely on maintaining a secure and reliable ledger of scarce digital assets, leaving complexity to upper-layer applications. This layered design, combining underlying integrity with upper-layer functionality, allows it to serve as the foundation for transmitting monetary power across time and space, while also supporting continuous innovation in payment, credit, and financial services.

The more profound impact lies in Bitcoin's creation of a new type of digital sovereignty: private keys grant individuals the ability to control economic power without permission, and ownership is verified mathematically rather than institutionally. Companies, banks, trusts, and applications can build complete economic systems around it, and social networks can use it to introduce real costs and responsibilities into the digital space. Gold monetized physical scarcity, while Bitcoin monetizes digital scarcity. It is not simply a payment tool, but an engineering solution to the problem of energy conservation and management—money is energy, and Bitcoin is the monetary energy of the digital age.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15, DeFiLlama founder 0xngmi posted on social media that "for months I have been trying to get Apple to remove a fake app that impersonates DeFiLlama from the App Store and have been reporting it to Apple for trademark infringement, impersonating an official app and other issues."

Subsequently, we deposited a small amount into our wallet, downloaded the app, and as expected, all the funds in our wallet were stolen. We then reported this to Apple. As a result, the app was removed from the Apple App Store within a few days. We hope this information will alert other cryptocurrency companies so they don't waste their time like we did.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15, CCTV News reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei stated that despite US obstruction, talks between Iran and Oman are progressing actively, and the two sides have reached an agreement on a navigation scheme for the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a Bloomberg report on August 15, Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital has purchased approximately $215 million worth of Amazon shares, continuing the venture capital firm's strategy of investing in the public markets.

The investment, disclosed in a regulatory filing on Friday, is expected to give Thrive exposure to a major company that benefits from artificial intelligence. Amazon benefits from AI by providing proxy AI shopping tools and computing infrastructure for other businesses. Earlier this month, Amazon's market capitalization surpassed $3 trillion for the first time, becoming the fifth company to reach that milestone.

Thrive declined to comment. An Amazon representative was not immediately responded to a request for comment.

Thrive is known for its early investments in companies such as SpaceX, Stripe, and OpenAI, with OpenAI also backed by Amazon. Other publicly traded holdings of the venture capital firm include Figma Inc., Stubhub Holdings Inc., and Oscar Health, co-founded and incubated by Kushner.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15th, Michael Hartnett, Chief Strategist at Bank of America Securities, pointed out in his latest research report that the optimal investment strategy in the current AI bubble environment is to simultaneously go long on leading AI technology companies and undervalued assets that have been neglected by the market for a long time, in order to capture the dual gains during the final peak of the nominal GDP bubble. He also suggested shorting AI bonds. The Bank of America Bull/Bear Index has slightly retreated from 9.7 to 9.3, still in the extreme bullish range and maintaining a "sell" signal, but global stock markets have still recorded gains since the signal was issued in May. The report emphasizes that funds are structurally flowing into gold and commodities, while technology stocks have seen the largest weekly outflow in seven weeks, and private client equity positions have reached a record high.

Hartnett believes that historical bubble patterns show that emerging markets or oversold cyclical assets often benefit from spillover effects before the main bubble peaks, and the consumer sector is most likely to replicate this path currently. Meanwhile, over $1 trillion in AI capital expenditure coupled with negative cash flow will put enormous pressure on the issuance of related bonds. At the same time, Bank of America maintains its asset allocation framework of "avoiding bonds, avoiding the dollar, and fully investing in AI," pointing out that soaring bond yields, a shift towards cautious voter sentiment, and generally high positions are the three potential constraints suppressing further bull market gains. Private client data shows that equity allocations have risen to a record high of 66.4%, while cash and bond ratios have fallen to their lowest levels on record and since 2022, respectively.

Facing the pressure of US national debt approaching $40 trillion and continuously rising debt servicing costs, Bank of America considers yield trends the biggest variable and points out that the intervention in the US-Japan exchange rate has signaled its unwillingness to let the 10-year US Treasury yield break through 5%. Under the theme of "avoiding the dollar," the report recommends going long on gold as a hedging tool, while also being optimistic about the Hong Kong real estate sector, whose valuation is only about 12 times earnings and whose price level is on par with 30 years ago. Looking ahead, the US midterm elections in November are listed as a key political variable: if the Republicans retain the Senate and the Texas governor is re-elected, AI risk assets are expected to accelerate their peak in 2027; otherwise, it may trigger a significant adjustment in the stock market, the dollar, and yields.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15, Wedbush reiterated its "outperform" rating on SanDisk stock with a target price of $2,000.

Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson stated that the bank believes its 2028 forecast likely underestimates SanDisk's profitability. Factors such as SanDisk's planned significant share buybacks over the next few years, coupled with extended transaction cycles, justify a premium.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15, Xinhua News Agency reported that the Houthi rebels in Yemen stated that Saudi Arabian forces launched artillery and missile attacks on parts of Saada province in northwestern Yemen that morning.

According to Al-Masirah TV, controlled by the Houthi rebels, Saudi Arabia attacked the Dahr district of Saada province, and the border district of Lazih in Saada province was also hit by heavy missile strikes, damaging local farmland. There are currently no reports of casualties.

As of press time, Saudi Arabia has not responded to this.

According to BlockBeats, on August 15, the Shanghai Securities News reported that there has been recent discussion in the market about "scalpers buying up shares" of Unitree Robotics, with some intermediaries offering prices significantly higher than the issue price.

In response, reporters sought verification from investment institutions, private equity firms, securities companies, and other market veterans. They all reported that they had not found any such situation and that the related rumors were mostly unfounded. They also pointed out that the compliance of such private off-exchange agreements and transactions is questionable, and investors are very likely to suffer losses.

CITIC Securities, the lead underwriter for Unitree Robotics' IPO, also reminded investors that securities trading must strictly comply with laws, regulations, and securities market trading rules. Transactions can only be conducted through legally recognized channels using real-name accounts. Investors are advised against blindly following trends and to adhere to rational and value-based investment principles, while carefully assessing investment risks.