News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily News: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again postponed its plan for a tokenization "innovation exemption." The framework was intended to allow companies to test blockchain-based tokenized trading of U.S. stocks without meeting full exchange and broker-dealer standards. The delay is tied to unresolved negotiations over Section 10505 of the draft CLARITY Act in the U.S. Senate. That provision stipulates that tokenized securities remain securities and requires the SEC to study custody, consumer protection, cross-border issues, and regulatory coordination. The SEC also postponed a vote scheduled for Friday on a proposed exemption for crypto startup fundraising, citing scheduling issues, with no new date announced. The House version of the CLARITY Act passed in July 2025, and the Senate Banking Committee version advanced by a 15-9 vote in May of this year. A procedural Senate vote is not expected before September 15. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Cryptocurrency market maker Wintermute plans to invest approximately $1 billion over the next five years in AI infrastructure and high-frequency trading systems, while expanding into equities, commodities, foreign exchange, and prediction markets. The company aims to increase non-crypto revenue to more than 50% of total revenue by the end of 2027. Wintermute founder and CEO Evgeny Gaevoy said the company plans to fund the investment with retained earnings. Wintermute's average daily trading volume this year is around $10 billion, down from approximately $15 billion last year; non-crypto businesses currently account for about 10% of revenue. The investment projects will cover computing power, storage, network, and data center infrastructure, supporting quantitative strategies that rely on large-scale datasets and models requiring continuous training and retraining. Wintermute has already expanded into exchange-traded funds, real-world asset perpetual futures, and prediction markets. Wintermute's U.S. affiliate recently completed its broker-dealer registration, allowing it to trade equities and stock options for its own account and serve as an authorized participant for exchange-traded products. The registration provides a pathway for the company to enter regulated securities markets. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News According to a report by blockchain compliance analysis firm TRM Labs, following the full implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), only 281 of the original 1,343 crypto asset service providers applied for and received operating authorization, accounting for roughly one-fifth. Among the more than 1,800 crypto organizations previously registered in Poland, none obtained MiCA authorization; in Lithuania, only 8 of more than 400 received approval. Germany's regulator BaFin authorized 55 entities, while French and Dutch regulators each licensed 29. TRM Labs' assessments show that among firms that failed to obtain authorization and exited the market, 12% were rated as high-risk or severe-risk, compared to 2% among authorized firms. The former sent $5 billion to sanctioned counterparties, while the latter sent $1.7 billion. The report notes that unauthorized firms' sanctions exposure is approximately four times that of authorized firms. MiCA has also raised concerns about restricted access to stablecoins in Europe, and the EU is planning a comprehensive framework revision to address stablecoin issues and bring tokenized assets under regulatory scope. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to Bitcoin.com, MP Gurinder Singh Josan and Lord Vaizey, Co-Chairs of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Crypto and Digital Assets (APPG), wrote to the CEOs of major UK banks on August 11, requesting them to clarify whether they provide account services to crypto businesses, what restrictions are imposed on digital asset transactions, and whether the aforementioned policies will be adjusted with the implementation of the UK's new regulatory framework. The MPs pointed out that bank access may be the single biggest obstacle to the development of UK crypto and digital asset enterprises. If licensed crypto enterprises still cannot obtain basic banking services, the competitiveness objectives of the new regulatory regime will be difficult to achieve. Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby previously also stated that bank service restrictions should not be imposed on FCA-authorized crypto enterprises solely based on their industry nature. The deadline for submitting written evidence for this inquiry is August 31, and the APPG will make policy recommendations to the government based on this.
Odaily News – On August 6, the Monaco government submitted Bill No. 1131 to the National Council, aiming to replace Law No. 1.528 passed in 2022 and bring the crypto asset regulatory framework closer to the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. The proposed regulation will clarify the crypto asset services that can be conducted in Monaco and raise requirements for corporate governance, prudential safeguards, and professional conduct. Service providers must obtain prior approval from the Commission de Contrôle des Activités Financières (CCAF), and relevant licenses will also require joint review by the Autorité Monégasque de Sécurité Financière and the Agence Monégasque de Sécurité Numérique. The bill also expands the CCAF's supervisory and enforcement powers. If approved by the National Council, Monaco will further develop supporting implementation rules; Monaco has been placed on the FATF gray list since summer 2024 and has also been included by the European Commission on its list of high-risk countries for money laundering. (Bitcoin.com News)
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase will open access to over 170 derivatives contracts for eligible UK professional investors, covering cryptocurrencies, commodities, equities, and foreign exchange. Perpetual contracts support up to 50x leverage, with services rolling out gradually over the coming weeks to months. The product lineup includes futures, perpetual contracts, and cryptocurrency options. Perpetual contracts have no expiration date and support long, short, and neutral strategies; term futures offer up to 20x leverage with fixed settlement dates. Coinbase previously obtained UK investment services authorization in July, with the related derivatives business operating under CB Payments Ltd.'s investment services license. The initial phase is limited to eligible UK professional investors, and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will impose requirements on financial soundness, capital, stress testing, and market integrity. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) began operations on January 1, 2009, with unified responsibility for banking, insurance, anti-money laundering, and other regulatory functions. Its current regulatory scope covers banks, securities firms, insurance institutions, asset management companies, and digital asset enterprises. The regulatory framework was adopted in 2007 under relevant legislation.\nIn 2024, Switzerland's financial sector value added reached CHF 74 billion, accounting for approximately 9% of the country's GDP. In 2025, the industry provided about 222,800 full-time equivalent positions, and Swiss bank clients' securities holdings reached CHF 8.561 trillion, of which CHF 4.008 trillion belonged to foreign clients.\nSwitzerland has established a tiered regulatory pathway for fintech companies, allowing businesses to choose between a sandbox, a fintech license, a FINMA-recognized self-regulatory organization, or a full banking and securities license. The sandbox can accommodate specific deposit-taking businesses of up to CHF 1 million, while the fintech license permits eligible companies to accept public deposits or crypto assets of up to CHF 100 million.\nAs of 2025, Switzerland is home to 503 fintech companies and 1,766 blockchain companies. That year, Switzerland and Liechtenstein attracted CHF 185 million in fintech venture capital, with CHF 81 million directed to distributed ledger technology companies. Switzerland plans to establish license categories for payment instruments and crypto institutions, though as of August 11, 2026, the relevant framework has yet to be finalized. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Connecticut Federal District Court Judge Vernon D. Oliver denied Kalshi's motion for a preliminary injunction, ruling that its sports event contracts do not constitute swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act. The CFTC therefore does not hold exclusive jurisdiction. The ruling noted that sports event contracts account for 80% to 90% of Kalshi's listed contracts and revenue, and the CFTC has never reviewed any of these contracts under relevant special rules. Oliver held that event outcomes fall under the category of event results, not separate events. Coinbase Financial Markets suffered a similar defeat on the same grounds, having offered Kalshi contracts through its platform since January as a futures commission merchant rather than a designated contract market, and Connecticut had not previously issued a cease-and-desist order against it. Kalshi was valued at approximately $11 billion at the time of its February hearing, with around 24,000 users in the state. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: The UK regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is exploring how tokenized gold can be incorporated into wholesale markets, including whether it can be used as collateral. The discussions involve regulatory approaches for institutional markets, with related rules potentially being announced in the coming months. The regulatory discussion comes as London seeks to consolidate its position as a global hub for gold trading. According to data from the World Gold Council, London currently accounts for approximately 70% of global gold trading volume, with Shanghai and Hong Kong competing for a larger share of wholesale business. HSBC launched a tokenized gold product for retail investors in Hong Kong more than two years ago, reporting cumulative trading volume exceeding $2.2 billion with more than 276,000 transactions. The FCA does not directly regulate physical gold trading, but it does regulate gold derivatives and publicly listed exchange-traded products. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Payment company Stripe did not sign long-term supplier contracts with third-party stablecoin APIs. Instead, after Bridge achieved $5 billion in annualized cross-border transaction volume, Stripe acquired it outright for $1.1 billion and integrated stablecoin infrastructure into its global checkout layer. Fintech platform Robinhood did not expand internationally through external trading venues. Instead, it acquired cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp for $200 million, obtaining more than 50 global regulatory licenses and institutional liquidity. From 2012 to 2018, early B2B fintech startups paid traditional banks for proof-of-concept pilot fees. From 1996 to 2001, telecom infrastructure startups raised over $50 billion to lay dark fiber. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: The U.S. Senate will hold a procedural cloture vote on a motion related to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act) at 2:15 PM ET on September 15. This marks the first full Senate vote on the bill since it passed the House in July 2025. The bill is numbered H.R. 3633 and was previously passed by the House with 294 votes in favor and 134 votes against. The vote concerns whether to limit debate on the motion to proceed with the bill; supporters need 60 votes to succeed. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate. If all Republican senators vote in favor, they would still need 7 additional votes; any absence or opposition would increase the number of additional votes required. If the procedural vote passes, the subsequent debate time on the motion to proceed will be capped at 30 hours, after which the Senate will vote on the motion itself. Only if the motion is approved will the bill be formally considered, and the bill itself will still need to pass another 60-vote cloture motion. If the Senate amends the text, the revised version would need to be sent back to the House for a vote. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Harry Yeh, founder and managing partner of Quantum Fintech Group, an investment firm focused on the Fanton ecosystem with over $2 billion in assets under management, was found dead on Friday local time in Paraguay. He fell from the 30th floor of the Jade Park tower in Asunción, a vertical drop of over 100 meters. When police arrived at the scene, they found Yeh completely naked and covered with a black bag; the door to his residence was open, and items inside were scattered. Police stated that the investigation is still in its preliminary stages, and the cause of the fall remains unclear. Building surveillance footage has been reviewed, and an autopsy and forensic examination have been scheduled. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: UAE-based foundation Aqua1 Foundation purchased $100 million worth of governance tokens from decentralized finance project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) on June 26, marking the largest single publicly disclosed purchase of the token to date. The funds trace back to Chinese businessman Guren "Bobby" Zhou, with up to $75 million flowing to entities linked to the Trump family and World Liberty Financial co-founder Zach Witkoff. WLFI tokens confer governance and voting rights and do not represent equity in the company. Zhou was arrested in the UK in March 2021 on suspicion of money laundering, with UK law enforcement investigations still ongoing as of late July 2026. Two of his long-time employees were indicted in September 2025, one of whom has pleaded guilty, with trial scheduled for 2028. Zhou has not yet been formally charged. Zhou met with Eric Trump in Dubai to discuss the investment and described it as participation in the "Trump family's crypto project." The source of the $100 million Aqua1 used to purchase WLFI remains unclear, and public information does not indicate any direct link between these specific funds and money laundering activities. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: On August 5, the minority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs stated that the July 22 version of the CLARITY Act fails to meet five minimum standards. The bill, numbered H.R. 3633, aims to divide digital asset regulatory authority between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The analysis suggests that the bill's two-tier system could remove certain blockchain assets from SEC oversight, allowing issuing companies to self-certify exemptions from securities regulation. Healthy Markets and five labor organizations have raised concerns over pension protections and securities law loopholes, while minority staff also noted that investors' private right of action and state and tribal enforcement powers could be weakened. Minority staff stated that DeFi-related companies could be exempt from anti-illegal financing obligations even if they earn millions of dollars from platform transactions; some crypto mixers may circumvent U.S. sanctions by exploiting the "Tornado Cash loophole." The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) warned that stablecoin yields could drain deposits from community banks, and the Systemic Risk Council has flagged related banking activities as potential bailout risks. Minority staff noted that Donald Trump alone earned over $1.4 billion from crypto businesses in 2025, with related enforcement solely under the purview of his Attorney General, and that obligations would terminate upon his departure from office. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, citing $3.8 billion in investor losses, have separately called on the SEC to investigate Trump memecoin. The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote on September 15 on the motion to proceed, with the bill needing 60 votes to advance. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to Bitcoin.com, Fireblocks released the 2026 "Financial Grid" survey report, covering over 600 executives. The report shows that 99% of Continental European institutions and 100% of UK institutions expect regulatory policies to support digital asset development. Influenced by the clarity of the MiCA regulatory framework, 53% of European institutions have completed capital commitments before 2026, higher than the global average of 42%; as the UK's regulatory framework is still being formulated, this proportion is only 36%, but an additional 59% of UK institutions plan to complete budget allocations within 2026. In terms of product strategy, European institutions lead in tokenized money market funds (62% vs 45%) and tokenized securities; the UK is more aggressive in stablecoin issuance, with 50% of institutions planning to issue stablecoins independently, higher than Europe's 40%. Both markets list 24/7 settlement and real-time payments as primary application scenarios.
According to Bitcoin.com, a recent survey report released by Bearingpoint shows that 23% of Swiss adults use cryptocurrency at least occasionally, far higher than 11% in Germany and 18% in Austria. The survey was conducted by YouGov in June 2026 among over 4,000 adults in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The report points out that Switzerland's leading advantage stems from its Distributed Ledger Technology Act (DLT Act) officially effective in 2021, which provides a clear legal framework for crypto assets, attracting a large number of enterprises to establish operations, and driving the expansion of the "Crypto Valley" ecosystem to 1,749 blockchain companies. Additionally, 37% of Swiss respondents consider cryptocurrency an asset worth investing in, and 45% support it becoming an international reserve currency, both leading Germany and Austria. In contrast, regarding Germany, although retail adoption rates lag behind, the "meinkrypto" platform under DZ Bank and Dekabank's crypto services for the savings bank network are expected to cover approximately 80 million customers, potentially gradually narrowing the gap with Switzerland.
According to Bitcoin.com, Binance's investigation team, jointly with India's Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), successfully dismantled the darknet drug trafficking organization "Team Kalki". Reportedly, the gang used cryptocurrencies, the encrypted communication platform Session, the darknet forum Dread, and "dead drop" methods to distribute drugs within India, with supply originating from overseas suppliers; authorities have seized a large quantity of drugs from domestic and international packages. Binance and DSCI assisted law enforcement officers in identifying and freezing crypto assets related to the gang through blockchain analysis and wallet tracking technology. Binance Asia-Pacific Head S.B. Seker stated that the public transparency of blockchain makes illegal transactions easier to track and investigate.
According to Bitcoin.com, digital asset wealth platform Nexo announced the completion of an upgrade to its European Economic Area (EEA) operational structure to comply with the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). Nexo chose to partner with two entities regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) rather than directly applying for a single MiCAR license: Tangany holds a MiCAR license and is responsible for providing segregated digital asset custody infrastructure; DLT Finance holds both MiCAR and MiFID II authorizations and is responsible for providing brokerage and execution infrastructure. Currently, all of Nexo's services in the EEA are operating seamlessly without any interruption.
According to Bitcoin.com, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis is pushing hard for the CLARITY Act to complete Senate voting before Congress adjourns. Section 303 of the bill grants the Treasury Department the authority to impose targeted digital asset sanctions on foreign jurisdictions, while Section 305 allows exchanges to freeze suspicious transactions for up to 180 days. On-chain data shows that North Korea's Lazarus Group stole approximately $643 million in the first half of 2026, accounting for two-thirds of the total global crypto theft during the same period ($972 million), including a $285 million attack on Drift Protocol in April and a $292 million attack on the KelpDAO cross-chain bridge. The group's cumulative theft amount has reached $6.75 billion since 2019. Currently, Galaxy Research has lowered the probability of the CLARITY Act passing within 2026 to 30%. The bill still requires 60 votes to advance, meaning at least 7 Democratic senators need to vote across party lines in support.
According to Bitcoin.com, the Kenyan government is investigating the hacking incident of President William Ruto's official website. The attackers temporarily tampered with the homepage content and demanded a payment of 5 Bitcoins, threatening to leak undisclosed information otherwise.