The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday that U.S. credit card balances rose to $1.28 trillion in Q4 2025, up $44 billion in three months and 5.5% year over year. A Monday survey and data pointed to higher delinquencies, with Achieve finding 55% of cardholders using credit for essentials. Trump proposed a temporary 10% cap on card rates, drawing opposition from major banks.

On February 8, 2026, Elon Musk said taking Tesla from its current $1.5 trillion market value to $100 trillion would require an extraordinary amount of work and luck. He linked this upside to robotaxis, Optimus humanoid robots, and expanding energy storage, while Wall Street forecasts multi‑trillion‑dollar markets for autonomous technology and robotics. Critics argue Tesla's valuation already prices in huge future success, pointing to regulatory setbacks and delays in robotaxi and Optimus deployments.

In early 2026, US technology shares fell on weak earnings and concern over massive AI capital expenditure, while Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech slid largely on sentiment spillover. Mainland Chinese investors used the downturn to increase positions in names like Tencent and Alibaba, attracted by lower valuations such as a 16x P/E for the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF. At the same time, Chinese AI firms including MiniMax and Zhipu AI completed major IPOs in Hong Kong, drawing strong demand and underscoring the city’s push to become a leading AI listing venue.

Waymo's onboard software lead argued robotaxis must exceed human-level safety, rejecting Tesla's camera-only approach. Following a Jan 29 ScaledML appearance by Tesla's AI chief, Waymo contrasted its 29-camera, 5-lidar, 6-radar setup and referenced an independent 200 million-mile audit indicating fewer serious crashes than human drivers.

Since late 2024, Chinese national and local authorities have assembled over $26 billion in funds for humanoid robotics and related AI, while more than 140 companies, concentrated in Shenzhen and Suzhou, are now producing these machines. Analysts expect Chinese firms to ship up to 100,000 humanoid units in 2026 after securing over $300 million in orders in the second half of 2025, even as the U.S. retains an edge in core AI models but depends on Chinese manufacturing. This state-backed manufacturing head start, including subsidies like free land and purchase incentives, is raising concern among American policymakers and industry leaders such as Elon Musk about China's long-term dominance in embodied AI.

Moltbook, an AI-focused social media site that attracted about 1.5 million bot accounts, has been shown to contain serious security flaws including open databases and malicious tools targeting crypto wallets. Security researchers documented prompt injection attacks, fake crypto trading utilities, and a major database exposure that revealed roughly 1.5 million bot passwords and tens of thousands of email addresses. Experts warn that as local AI models advance over the next one to two years, it may become impossible for major providers to use "kill switches" to stop harmful AI agents.

French law enforcement raided X’s Paris offices on Tuesday, and prosecutors summoned Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to appear for questioning on April 20. The widening inquiry covers alleged hosting of child sexual abuse material, data fraud claims, and Grok, while the European Commission began a formal probe on January 27 that could lead to penalties of up to 6% of global annual revenue.

Updated on February 2, 2026 at 1:28 AM UTC, Apple faces intensifying competition for chips as AI companies bid aggressively for the same components. Nvidia has surpassed Apple as TSMC’s largest client, while TechInsights projects DRAM prices could quadruple and NAND triple by year-end. Mike Howard estimates an extra $57 memory cost for an entry-level iPhone 18, impacting margins on a $799 device.

On Friday, silver sank 26% and gold slid 9% in one of the sharpest single-day metal selloffs after weeks of speculative buying from China had driven prices to record highs. The move accelerated when reports surfaced that Donald Trump planned to nominate Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, lifting the dollar and ending the momentum trade. Trading volumes in silver products surged, with the iShares Silver Trust alone recording more than $40 billion in turnover as options activity and algorithmic strategies amplified the reversal.