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BlockBeats News, June 16th. SoftBank Group announced on Tuesday that it will launch an AI-driven cybersecurity service for Japanese enterprises, aiming to meet the growing market demand for AI defense capabilities. The launch event took place on June 16th in Tokyo, where SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son attended and delivered a speech. At the event, Son warned that AI-driven cyber attacks could become Japan's "Black Ship Crisis" moment — referring to the historical event in the 19th century when American warships arrived to demand the opening of Japan's borders, implying that AI cyber threats could have a similarly disruptive impact on Japan. The launch of this service comes at a time when the U.S. is restricting foreign expansion of competing AI models, and SoftBank's move is seen by observers as a strategic step to accelerate its presence in the Japanese AI security market amid a backdrop of geopolitical tech competition.

On June 16, UBS Global Wealth Management pushed back its expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts to March and June 2027, no longer anticipating any cuts this year. The firm stated that this move reflects its judgment that this week's meeting will release hawkish signals. UBS now expects the Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points in March and June next year, compared to previous forecasts of cuts in December 2026 and March 2027. The Federal Reserve is set to announce its rate decision this week, marking the first meeting under new Chair Jerome Powell, with the market widely expecting rates to remain unchanged. UBS Global Wealth Management analysts noted in a report dated June 15, 'Although Powell has previously expressed a more dovish stance, we expect this meeting's tone to be more hawkish, both in the statement and the dot plot.' UBS indicated that major central banks are unlikely to hastily shift to a more dovish policy stance due to the U.S.-Iran agreement. Instead, as developments unfold and data released in the coming months gradually reveal whether energy shocks are triggering a second round of inflationary pressures, central banks are likely to maintain a cautious stance.

BlockBeats News, June 16th. With the AI ​​wave driving the stock prices of tech giants such as SK Hynix soaring, the South Korean stock market has been strong this year. Retail investors have extensively shifted to the high-end real estate market after taking profits. According to data from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, from January to April 2026, approximately 3.7 trillion Korean won (about $16.5 billion) of the proceeds from the sale of stocks and bonds by South Korean residents flowed into residential purchases. 65.5% of this amount, around 2.4 trillion Korean won, concentrated in Seoul, specifically in affluent areas such as Gangnam-gu (370.7 billion won), Songpa-gu (353.2 billion won), and Seocho-gu (290.4 billion won). High-end luxury homes have become the primary target for funds. The proportion of stock and bond liquidation funds used to purchase homes costing over 1.5 billion Korean won (about $6.7 million) has been below 5% from 2020 to 2025. However, it has surged this year: 9.3% in January, 9.8% in March, and a milestone exceeding 10% in April, reaching 13.2%. This is nearly three times the annual average in previous years. The 30-year-old demographic has become the largest group of homebuyers. In the first four months of this year, the 30-year-old group used stock and bond funds to purchase homes worth 125.9 billion Korean won (about $560 million), surpassing the 40s (110.9 billion won), 50s (80.2 billion won), and over 60s (48.9 billion won) age groups, leading in each age category. At the same time, the percentage of first-time homebuyers in Seoul's collective housing has reached 45.6% from January to May this year, hitting a historical record high since 2010. More than half of these first-time homebuyers are from the 30-year-old group. However, behind the stock market wealth effect, the wealth gap continues to widen. South Korea's overall net asset Gini coefficient has increased from 0.584 in 2017 to 0.625 in 2025, reaching the highest level since statistical records began in 2012. The Bank of Korea has warned that rising housing prices have solidified asset inequality, and the widespread adoption of AI has further widened the income gap. The economic status of the homeless population and the youth is notably declining. In households in the bottom 20% based on net assets and income, the proportion of the 20-30 age group has risen from 7.9% in 2020 to 15.2% in 2025, nearly doubling in five years.