News linked to both this project and an event.
According to data disclosed by the Korean financial industry on July 12, as of the end of June, the combined household loan balance (excluding policy loans) of the five major commercial banks—KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, Woori Bank, and NH Nonghyup Bank—stood at 647.58 trillion won, an increase of 3.70 trillion won compared to the end of last year. Earlier this year, South Korea's financial regulatory authorities set a total household loan growth cap for financial institutions at 1.5% for the year, lower than the actual growth rate of 1.7% last year, aiming to curb the overly rapid expansion of household debt.Calculated based on this target, the total annual new household loan ceiling for the five major banks is approximately 4.34 trillion won. Broken down by bank: KB Kookmin Bank 909.2 billion won, Shinhan Bank 850 billion won, Hana Bank 880.5 billion won, Woori Bank 826.6 billion won, and NH Nonghyup Bank 870 billion won. However, the actual increase of 3.70 trillion won in the first half alone already accounts for 85.3% of the annual ceiling. The remaining quota for the year is only about 639.5 billion won, spread over the six months of the second half, making the available room extremely limited. (Wall Street CN)
Securitize partners with Cantor Fitzgerald to develop a blockchain-based IPO framework, enabling tokenized securities issuance within the existing U.S. securities regulatory framework.
: The UK and US governments, through the Future Markets Cross-Atlantic Working Group, have issued a joint position on stablecoins, supporting coordinated rules on reserves, redemption, market access, and cross-border use. The two governments stated that if stablecoins are properly regulated, they can improve payments, settlement, and financial market infrastructure, while supporting the development of private digital currencies under public sector oversight. The UK and US indicated that stablecoins used as currency should be fully backed by high-quality liquid assets at a minimum ratio of 1:1. Reserve assets should be segregated from the issuer’s own funds, with disclosure standards for custody, redemption, and legal rights provided to holders. The two countries also stated they will explore pathways for stablecoins issued in one country to enter the other’s market, and support fair, risk-based access to financial services and markets for legitimate, regulated stablecoin and digital asset providers.
: India imposes a uniform 30% tax on gains from virtual digital assets, along with an additional 1% tax deducted at source on the transaction amount. Around 54 crypto service providers in the country have registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit, serving 39 million verified users who collectively hold approximately $2.1 billion in assets. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has repeatedly stated to parliament its preference for a restrictive policy towards private cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, urging banks to avoid related exposure to protect financial stability. The long-promised crypto bill has yet to be finalized. Meanwhile, Indian government agencies are utilizing permissioned blockchains in non-trading scenarios. AIIMS Delhi uses blockchain to manage teacher recruitment records, the Cotton Corporation of India tracks cotton bales via a blockchain-based identification system, and the aviation regulator DGCA is building a digital service platform linked to blockchain.
According to CoinPost, Japan's "Partial Amendment Bill to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Payment Services Act" was passed at the plenary session of the House of Councillors on July 15 and officially enacted. The amendment bill defines crypto assets as financial instruments for the first time. The core content includes: • Tax System Reform: Changed from comprehensive taxation with a maximum rate of 55% to separate taxation with filing (tax rate approx. 20%), and allows loss carryforward deduction for 3 years • ETF Approval: Establish the institutional framework for crypto asset ETFs; Japan Exchange Group expects listing around 2027 • Investor Protection: Introduces regulations on insider trading for the first time, strengthening the prohibition on trading based on non-public information; the upper limit for criminal penalties for sales without registration increased from 3 years imprisonment to 10 years • Information Disclosure: Specific crypto asset issuers must publicly disclose information annually on a regular basis Tax system changes are conditional upon the enforcement of the law; if implemented in fiscal 2027, the new tax system will officially apply from January 1, 2028.
EthSystems announces its official establishment. The company was founded by the original team of the Ethereum Foundation's "Institutional Privacy Working Group" and has received support from Bitmine, Sharplink, Joe Lubin, and others. It primarily develops Ethereum-based privacy and compliance technology for regulated entities such as banks and asset management institutions, aiming to support institutions in conducting on-chain financial activities without disclosing sensitive information such as transaction details and client identities.
EthSystems, an institutional privacy technology company for Ethereum, has officially launched, securing strategic funding from ecosystem supporters including Bitmine, Sharplink Gaming, and Joe Lubin.EthSystems focuses on developing privacy technologies tailored for banks, asset management firms, and other regulated institutions, enabling them to execute financial transactions at scale on the Ethereum network while protecting sensitive information such as transaction details and client identities. The company was founded by the core team of the Ethereum Foundation's Institutional Privacy Task Force (IPTF). The team had previously conducted a year-long open-source research and development effort on the EthSystems official website and established collaborations with multiple central banks, regulatory bodies, large banks, and asset management institutions.EthSystems stated that while institutions have begun exploring stablecoins, tokenized assets, and Ethereum-based settlement solutions, widespread adoption still faces privacy and compliance challenges. Financial institutions require more than just access to the blockchain network; they need a complete infrastructure that meets the requirements for protecting trade secrets, complying with regulations, and ensuring compatibility with existing financial systems. The goal is to build a "selective disclosure" privacy architecture, allowing transaction participants to view only the information they are authorized to access, while preserving Ethereum's core advantages of decentralization, security, and openness, and complementing two other organizations:Ethlabs: Focused on core Ethereum protocol and infrastructure research and development;Ethereum Institutional: Responsible for institutional collaboration, education, market research, and ecosystem coordination;EthSystems: Concentrated on application-layer technology, translating institutional needs into operational privacy protocols and financial systems.
According to Odaily Planet Daily, Ethereum ZK Layer2 Starknet has officially launched the compliant privacy framework STRK20, providing native privacy transaction capabilities for various digital assets on-chain. The framework operates based on a privacy pool mechanism. Once user assets are deposited into the privacy pool, all transactions are encrypted, with details such as transfer addresses and amounts being invisible to the outside. Developers can quickly integrate this privacy system using the accompanying SDK and wallet API, catering to the private transfer needs of various ERC-20 assets. STRK20 incorporates a complete compliance process: users must undergo pre-screening before entering the privacy pool; only upon receiving a legally effective formal query request and after an independent assessment, will the platform selectively disclose specific users, corresponding time periods, or designated transfer records, without revealing the private data of unrelated users.
Odaily Planet Daily reports that financial market infrastructure giant, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), plans to demonstrate a real-time stock trading process based on blockchain technology this Wednesday. The technology is said to simplify the clearing, settlement, and record-keeping processes behind Wall Street stock trades, thereby improving the operational efficiency of capital markets. This test is seen as an important step for the traditional financial system in exploring on-chain securities infrastructure.However, the initial scale of the project remains relatively limited. After years of research and development, this demonstration by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, one of the largest securities clearing institutions in the United States, is more of a validation exercise rather than a full-scale push to move the stock market onto the blockchain.Market participants believe that although tokenized securities and on-chain settlement are considered to have the potential to reduce costs and improve trading efficiency, the migration of traditional financial infrastructure to blockchain still faces challenges such as regulation, compliance, system compatibility, and coordination among market participants.This test marks Wall Street's gradual transition from the proof-of-concept stage to practical application and will serve as an important case study for observing whether institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure can achieve large-scale adoption. (The Information)
following the recent launch of margin trading functionality, BIT (formerly Matrixport) today officially announced the上线 of its US stock short selling (short) function, marking a key闭环 in BIT's brokerage business achieving a long/short two-way trading ecosystem for US stocks. This provides investors with tools to hedge risks and profit flexibly in a volatile market, and lays sufficient foundational infrastructure for the upcoming options trading.Regarding this business upgrade, Elio Cui, Head of BIT Brokerage, stated: "With the launch of short selling, BIT Brokerage has become one of the very few trading platforms in the industry that simultaneously supports margin trading, short selling, and options布局 under a real US stock framework. Our product planning has been built from the start to benchmark against the complete investment experience of traditional brokerages. Within a single account, users can seamlessly execute long/short two-way allocation and risk hedging, navigating different market cycles with higher capital efficiency."After this feature goes live, users of BIT's integrated account (margin account) who meet the initial margin requirements can short sell designated US stocks. The platform will dynamically update key risk control indicators such as margin rates, stock borrowing costs, and short pool availability in real-time to ensure transparency and efficiency in trading.As a crucial part of enhancing its US stock brokerage services, BIT also reminds investors that short selling involves market risks and is affected by factors such as market volatility, stock borrowing costs, and interest rate fluctuations. The platform will dynamically adjust the list of stocks available for short selling based on market liquidity and risk control policies, offering investors qualified US stock short selling opportunities within a stable and secure framework.To coincide with the launch of the new service, BIT Brokerage is offering a limited-time "0 fee" promotion.
Bitget Stock Spot rToken has listed SK Hynix (rSKHY). From now until July 17, users trading rSKHY can enjoy a 0 fee promotion.In addition, the platform has launched a exclusive event for new users, with a total prize pool of 50,000 USDT equivalent in SK Hynix. During the event, new registered users who complete a net deposit of at least 1,000 USDT and their first trade can randomly receive 10-88 USDT equivalent in rSKHY. New users participating in rSKHY trading can also unlock corresponding tiered stock rewards based on their cumulative trading volume, with the highest individual reward being rSKHY worth 888 USDT. The participation period is from July 10 to July 17.It is reported that rTokens, identified by the letter "r" followed by the stock ticker symbol (e.g., rNVDA for Nvidia), are issued by Reality, a licensed RWA protocol under Bitget. Through a partnership with compliant broker Alpaca, they are directly connected to global liquidity pools such as Nasdaq and NYSE. Their features include: 1:1 reserve of underlying assets held by a licensed custodian, stock dividends distributed 1:1 in token form, corporate actions (such as stock splits and reverse splits) mirrored synchronously, and the holdings can be used as cross-collateral for unified accounts and USDT-margined contracts.
The international banking communication organization SWIFT has announced that its blockchain-based distributed ledger technology is ready to enter the initial application phase. A total of 17 global financial institutions will serve as early adopters to test real-time transactions based on Tokenised Deposits.SWIFT stated that since announcing its plan to integrate a blockchain ledger into its technical system at the 2025 Sibos conference, it has taken only nine months to progress from concept design to preliminary implementation. This project aims to help financial institutions explore the application of digital assets and new forms of digital value on top of the existing trusted, secure, and global infrastructure.The first application scenario focuses on improving the efficiency of cross-border payments. As the demand from businesses and consumers for 24/7 financial services increases, traditional payment systems are constrained by time zones and operating hours. The SWIFT ledger will provide a secure coordination layer for participating banks, enabling them to facilitate round-the-clock transfers of funds based on tokenised deposits issued on their own ledgers, before final settlement through existing clearing systems.SWIFT stated that tokenised deposits were selected as the first pilot direction because they represent a regulated digital form of commercial bank money. This approach can enhance customer experience and liquidity management efficiency without altering existing compliance, credit risk, and control systems.
According to official sources, Circle announced that it has received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish the national trust bank Circle National Trust. The institution will initially provide digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates, and may open to selected institutional clients in the future based on demand.
prosecutors from Wisconsin and New York have expressed dissatisfaction with stablecoin issuer Circle, as the company has repeatedly refused to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in recovering stolen funds.According to the report, multiple law enforcement agencies had requested Circle to help victims of fraud and hacking incidents recover their losses by burning and reissuing USDC. However, Circle declined these requests based on its own policy stance.Circle stated that modifying the blockchain ledger to reverse transactions would undermine the fundamental properties of the USDC stablecoin and could set a dangerous precedent for the entire crypto industry. This incident highlights the conflict between the immutability of blockchain and the need for law enforcement to recover assets. (Protos)
: Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has formed five working groups to conduct a comprehensive review of the Fed's monetary policy operational mechanism, covering areas such as balance sheet management, policy tools, and the impact of AI. Each working group will operate independently, conduct fact-based research, and submit analysis results to the Federal Open Market Committee. The team members include multiple economists and former central bank officials. Among them, Harvard University economist Raj Chetty will co-lead the data working group, tech investor Marc Andreessen will be responsible for the productivity and employment working group, and former White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Greg Mankiw will co-lead the inflation working group.
Gate issued an announcement regarding the recent "user asset theft incident," sharing internal comprehensive verification results, analysis of the incident's cause, and progress on subsequent handling. Regarding the verification process and key facts, the announcement stated that after comprehensive verification, materials submitted by the applicant at the time, including account information, real-name information, transaction records, Alipay screen recordings, etc., matched the account completely. According to analysis by the technical team, Alipay screen recordings can only be made by the customer themselves or someone with access to the customer's Alipay account. Alipay possesses an extremely strict real-time risk control system; logging into Alipay on a different device will mandate multi-factor authentication. This indicates a situation involving serious leakage of customer information or device compromise. Regarding the Gate platform audit mechanism, the announcement stated that the Company's security unbinding audit mechanism strictly executes the four-fold verification process of "Multi-channel advance notification + System risk control preliminary screening + Manual multi-layer review + Time protection," and never has nor will it approve any security item change application based on a single material alone. Gate always takes information security and customer data protection as the Company's core management requirements. The issue of internal information leakage mentioned by some parties does not exist. Regarding fund recovery and subsequent handling, the announcement stated that Gate processed the matter with the highest priority immediately after the incident occurred, coordinating security, compliance, legal, business, and other teams to carry out on-chain analysis and asset tracking and freezing. It continues to coordinate with third-party institutions such as Tether to advance fund freezing. Subsequently, it will also actively cooperate with judicial authorities in investigations and data collection. Any substantive progress will be communicated immediately.
According to Bits.media, Russian private bank Alfa Bank stated that it plans to establish a digital depository institution and provide cryptocurrency-related services to customers and other legal entities. The bank also hopes to develop investment tools based on open blockchains to attract foreign investors. The progress of related business is expected to depend on the formal entry into force of the Russian cryptocurrency circulation regulatory bill.
According to ESMA's official website, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) officially launched a Common Supervisory Action (CSA) targeting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) on July 8, 2026, focusing primarily on digital operational resilience in the custody services sector. This action will assess the framework maturity of CASPs regarding risks related to Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), covering core topics such as governance arrangements, key and storage management, transaction controls, event detection and response, smart contract risks, and third-party dependencies. National Competent Authorities (NCAs) will conduct risk-based sampling surveys on authorized CASPs, with the survey period spanning from the second half of 2026 to the first half of 2027, and the final report is expected to be submitted to the ESMA Supervisory Board in the second half of 2027.
Google has updated its Chrome Web Store developer policy, explicitly listing Prediction Markets as a prohibited product. According to the new regulations, any Chrome extension that promotes or supports real-money transactions based on predicted outcomes is not allowed for publication on the Chrome Web Store. This update also strengthens requirements for transparency in user data collection and privacy protection. The new policy will officially take effect on August 1, 2026.
Odaily Odaily News Siiibo Securities, the operator of a Japanese corporate bond issuance and purchase platform, announced plans to change its name to "Kabushiki Kaisha Metaplanet Securities Inc. (Metaplanet Securities Inc.)" effective July 13, 2026, and officially join the Metaplanet Group.Siiibo Securities stated that the name change is subject to approval at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders. The company previously operated an online private placement bond issuance and purchase platform for emerging companies and individual investors under the mission of "creating free, transparent, and fair direct finance" and holds a Type I Financial Instruments Business license in Japan.Upon joining the Metaplanet Group, Siiibo will further expand its business direction. It plans to leverage the parent company's experience in Bitcoin (BTC) asset management to develop and offer BTC-based financial products to individual investors, creating a "BTC × Finance" platform.Established in 2019, Siiibo Securities currently operates an online securities platform focused on corporate bonds, offering private placement issuance and investment services. The platform has covered approximately 40 companies and over 100 bond products. After joining the Metaplanet Group, it will no longer be limited to the Venture Debt field but will explore innovative yield-generating products designed to meet diverse investor return needs.