News linked to both this project and an event.
The Blockchain Association (@BlockchainAssn) posted on the X platform that the association has submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the proposed Regulation Crypto Assets. Previously, the committee led by SEC Chair Paul Atkins had proposed exemptions for startups and fundraising activities, as well as a safe harbor mechanism to clarify when tokens are no longer considered investment contracts. The main recommendations in the letter include: • Establish clear objective criteria: Provide non-exclusive indicators to determine when an issuer’s core managerial efforts have ended, such as open-sourcing the source code or the absence of an entity capable of unilaterally reviewing transactions. • Link liability to control: Project developers shall only be responsible for areas within their control, excluding third-party applications and community activities; exchanges, liquidity providers, and other entities relying in good faith on SEC filings by projects shall be protected. • Create a safe harbor for existing tokens: Qualified third parties such as trading platforms may file for already-issued tokens, and such filing shall not be construed as acknowledging that the tokens were once securities. • Increase exemption limits: Raise the startup exemption cap to $10 million, excluding airdrops and network rewards from the limit; raise the fundraising exemption cap to $150 million, and allow on-chain transparency to substitute audited financial statements. • Strengthen federal preemption: Satisfy
Odaily reports: Alex Taaffe, Chief Revenue Officer of digital asset trading firm GSR, stated that the on-chain issuance of real-world assets (RWAs) continues to increase, but investor demand has yet to match, and the growing number of issuers and blockchains has further fragmented liquidity in the tokenized market.Mike Silagadze, founder and CEO of ether.fi, said that stablecoins facilitate cross-border transfers, but broader adoption depends on whether they can be used for everyday spending; Yvonne Chia, Head of Communications at USDD, believes that issuers should prioritize improving user experience.The stablecoin market cap stands at $306 billion, up approximately 2% year-over-year and about 74% over the past 12 months. Ilya Podoynitsyn, co-founder and CEO of FinHarbor, pointed out that service providers still need to address regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions and adjust their infrastructure and compliance systems.Miguel Morel, founder and CEO of blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence, said that on-chain data can be used to assess counterparty risk and the source of client deposits. Pulkit Gupta of Nomad Capital noted that crypto market liquidity has been relatively weak over the past three months, making it more difficult to exit altcoin investments. (Cointelegraph)
According to The Block, Standard Chartered Bank has pushed back its forecast for the stablecoin market to reach a $2 trillion scale from 2028 to 2030. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank's Global Head of Digital Asset Research, stated that stablecoin supply has consistently hovered between $300 billion and $320 billion over the past 12 months, currently standing at approximately $309 billion. The stagnation in growth is viewed as a cyclical, rather than structural, issue. Despite the slowdown in supply growth, usage continues to climb—average monthly on-chain transfer volume neared $10 trillion in 2026, a significant increase from $4 trillion in 2025, with May alone recording a record-high $19 trillion in on-chain transfers. Stablecoin velocity has also doubled from 15x in 2025 to approximately 30x. Specifically, USDC velocity rose from 45x to 80x, primarily used for payments and AI agent-to-agent transactions; USDT velocity remains around 7x, mainly serving dollar savings demand in emerging markets. Kendrick noted that competition is most intense in mature market payments and traditional finance alternatives, with potential challengers including OUSD, stablecoin infrastructure provider M^0, and the multi-bank shared stablecoin network A+. On the regulatory front, the U.S. GENIUS Act is expected to take effect in January 2027, and its global rollout effectiveness will be a primary risk factor influencing the realization of the forecast.
According to CryptoSlate, on September 18, the Central Bank of Russia released a draft proposing a 1% capital limit on banks' crypto asset exposures and introducing two regulatory ratios: N31 (applicable to standalone banks) and N32 (applicable to consolidated banking groups). The draft stipulates that direct positions, derivatives, loans, bonds, repurchase agreements, and other instruments linked to crypto prices are included in the calculation. Bank proprietary positions and customer custodial positions where the bank bears payment liabilities are subject to a 1,250% risk weighting, whereas customer custodial positions without such liabilities are subject to a 50% risk weighting and excluded from the 1% limit calculation. The rule is scheduled for official publication in the fourth quarter of 2026, will be enforced 10 days after it takes effect, and banks are required to start reporting relevant data in January 2027.
Gemini's stock price has fallen by approximately 80% since its IPO, with its market capitalization dropping from a peak of $4 billion to $753 million. As trading volumes contract, the value of its regulatory licenses and infrastructure has fueled market speculation about an acquisition, but the founder's absolute voting control presents practical hurdles to advancing any potential deal.
Odaily News: Anchorage Digital Bank N.A., the first federally chartered crypto bank in the United States, began offering xU3O8 custody services to institutional clients on September 16, 2026. The token is backed by physical uranium concentrate (yellowcake), with the relevant uranium materials stored at Cameco facilities and beneficial ownership held through a UK trust structure.xU3O8 is issued by Uranium.io, with UK regulator Archax serving as trustee, and the underlying assets mapped through the Etherlink network. Cameco is responsible for safeguarding the physical uranium in certified facilities and regularly publishes reserve proof audit results.Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. is regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and its clients can include xU3O8 in the same segregated, bankruptcy-remote accounts as Bitcoin and cash equivalents. Currently, xU3O8 is priced at approximately $5.66 per unit, with a total market cap of about $9 million. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to BeInCrypto, JPMorgan Co-President Doug Petno stated at the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference that institutional interest in blockchain and stablecoins remains in its early stages, constrained by interoperability gaps, regulations, and KYC rules, with no genuine institutional demand beyond crypto trading currently. In swift response, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino remarked that "there is no need to import ice to the Arctic," mocking JPMorgan’s assessment as out of touch with reality—Tether's USDT market cap has already neared $183 billion, while the total market capitalization of all stablecoins sits at approximately $311 billion. Notably, JPMorgan itself operates the blockchain payments division Kinexys, and its research team forecasts the stablecoin market to reach between $500 billion and $750 billion, falling well short of the $2 trillion upper limit projected by some firms.
According to Yonhap, the share swap transaction between Upbit's parent company Dunamu and a subsidiary of South Korean internet giant Naver may face uncertainties. Documents disclosed by the Legislative Affairs Research Division of the National Assembly indicate that the transaction may simultaneously be subject to the minimum shareholding requirement for subsidiaries stipulated in the Fair Trade Act, as well as restrictions on the maximum shareholding by major shareholders of virtual asset exchanges.
Odaily News: Russia's Digital Assets Law took effect on September 1, 2026, legalizing regulated cryptocurrency trading nationwide. Retail investors purchasing cryptocurrencies through a single licensed intermediary are subject to an annual cap of 300,000 rubles, approximately $3,700.The Bank of Russia is responsible for regulating licensed cryptocurrency intermediaries. Exchanges, brokers, and custodians must register as licensed intermediaries and join the self-regulatory organization of the financial market before they can legally provide services to clients.The Bank of Russia will also determine which digital assets licensed intermediaries may offer. Professional investors are not subject to the 300,000-ruble annual cap, and the ban on using digital assets to pay for goods and services within Russia remains in effect.Starting September 1, enterprises engaged in foreign economic activities may use cryptocurrency to pay for goods, works, or services in international trade. The full licensing and compliance requirements are expected to be implemented by July 1, 2027. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed rules related to crypto assets, aiming to establish a clear framework for eligible investment contracts and provide a targeted securities offering regime for token issuances, enabling related entities to raise funds while retaining investor protection measures. The proposed rules would allow crypto companies to issue up to $5 million in tokens over four years, or up to $75 million in tokens within 12 months, and provide a safe harbor to prevent cryptocurrencies from being deemed "investment contracts." Issuers would be required to disclose financial statements and provide ongoing reporting. The SEC did not include the previously anticipated "innovation exemption" for crypto stocks. The proposal comes just days after the U.S. Senate failed to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act; the public will have 60 days to submit comments after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. SEC Chair Paul Atkins stated that congressional legislation remains essential for establishing rules that can be applied over the long term, and the SEC will continue to support Congress in advancing the CLARITY Act to President Trump. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) plans to discuss cryptocurrency, AI, and prediction market regulation on Thursday. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina stated that Bill No. 1194918-8 differentiates between qualified and non-qualified investors. This practice is not exclusive to the cryptocurrency field but is a common arrangement in regulation. Elvira Nabiullina indicated that non-qualified investors have fewer participation options because the government protects them from undertaking risks they do not understand through legislation. She pointed out that relevant measures also cover the crypto ecosystem, citing the volatility of the crypto market and the risk that foreign digital assets may be seized due to their connection with Russia. Bill No. 1194918-8 is expected to take effect on September 1, coinciding with the launch of the digital ruble. The bill stipulates a purchase cap of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,800) for non-qualified investors' cryptocurrency purchases, with the limit for qualified investors being ten times that amount. Elvira Nabiullina stated that Russia's crypto ecosystem remains open, with no restrictions on the repatriation or transfer of digital assets abroad. She noted that investors who receive related assets abroad will not be protected by Russian law and must resolve any issues that arise within the jurisdiction of the foreign country.
According to a post by a16z crypto researcher Robert Hackett and data advisor Ryan Holloway, the tokenized stock market is experiencing explosive growth. As of June 2026, the total market capitalization of tokenized stocks reached approximately $1.7 billion, representing a more than fivefold increase from $329 million a year earlier, making it one of the fastest-growing categories among tokenized assets. On-chain data shows that monthly transfer volume surged from $53 million last June to $9.22 billion this June, a year-over-year increase of more than 170 times. The market structure has also changed significantly: the proportion of crypto-related products dropped from 79% to 21%; the AI and chip category jumped from nearly zero to a market share of 15.5%; tech giants rose from 0.6% to 10.6%; and ETFs and indices increased from 4.5% to 17.3%. At the institutional level, DTCC has completed the first live trades of tokenized Treasury bonds and stocks on Digital Asset's Canton network, with full services planned to launch in October, which will open access for Wall Street to approximately $114 trillion in DTC custodied assets. Meanwhile, Robinhood has launched its own chain, NYSE's parent company announced a joint venture with OKX (pending regulatory approval), and Coinbase and Binance have also sequentially launched offerings for non-U.S. users.
OdailyOdaily reports that the Bank of England released its final policy statement and draft rules for systemic stablecoins on Monday, relaxing several previously proposed regulations. The central bank has canceled the original plan to impose caps on individual holdings, instead establishing a temporary issuance limit for each stablecoin, with an initial amount set at £400 billion (approximately $52.8 billion).Additionally, the Bank of England will allow issuers to hold up to 70% of reserve assets in short-term UK government bonds, up from the previously proposed 60%, with the remainder required to be held in non-interest-bearing central bank deposits. Public consultation on the proposals will remain open until September 22, with the rules expected to be finalized by the end of 2026. Regulated stablecoins are anticipated to begin operations in the UK by 2027. (decrypt)
According to the official announcement, the second asset launched on Bitget IPO Prime is preOPAI—a digital token issued by the regulated issuer Republic on the Solana blockchain, designed to mirror OpenAI’s post-IPO economic performance on a 1:1 basis. As the world’s leading consumer AI provider, OpenAI reports approximately 900 million weekly active users, according to official data. Its most recent funding round raised $122 billion, with participants including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon, and SoftBank. Bitget IPO Prime operates on a subscription model, whereby users receive subscription quotas based on their account tier. Upon completion of token allocation, users may trade the tokens on the upcoming spot market. Alternatively, after the lock-up period for preOPAI’s underlying debt assets expires, the issuer will authorize Bitget to convert users’ holdings into either stock tokens or USDT, referencing the underlying company’s (OpenAI’s) publicly traded stock price. IPO Prime Details: • OpenAI Implied Valuation: $898.21 billion • Total IPO Prime Subscriptions: 29,082 • Total Subscription Value: $21,084,450 • Subscription Price: 1 preOPAI = $725 • Accepted Subscription Currencies: USDT or USDGO • Total Subscription Pool Cap: $300,000,000