News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Korean media Daum, volatility in the South Korean stock market has recently intensified, investor risk appetite has clearly cooled, and funds are flowing back from the stock market to safe-haven assets such as banks. Due to adjustments in the semiconductor sector and stricter regulation on leveraged investment, idle funds in the South Korean stock market are withdrawing rapidly, and the market is exhibiting a phenomenon of "reverse capital migration". Data shows that as of the end of July, the time deposit balance at South Korea's five major banks (KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, NH Nonghyup) reached 973.49 trillion won, an increase of 24.09 trillion won from the end of the previous month, marking the largest single-month increase this year. Funds related to the stock market also showed significant contraction. According to data from the Korea Financial Investment Association, investor securities account deposits (idle funds for stock trading) reached a historical high of 139.69 trillion won on June 4, but as of July 28, had fallen to 107.20 trillion won, a decrease of over 32 trillion won in less than two months. The balance of credit transaction financing, representing the scale of market margin trading, fell to 33.19 trillion won during the same period, a decrease of about 4.5 trillion won from the peak of 37.72 trillion won set on July 2, a decline of approximately 12%.
According to Cointelegraph, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released a "Stablecoin Sprint" policy research report, consolidating opinions from industry participants such as banks, payment companies, and stablecoin issuers. The report indicates that stablecoins currently demonstrate the most prominent advantages in the cross-border payment sector, particularly offering significant benefits to emerging markets with limited access to US dollars; however, in UK domestic retail payment scenarios, due to the existing payment system being relatively fast and low-cost, consumers lack the motivation to switch, and adoption is expected to be relatively slower. The aforementioned research findings have been incorporated into the final regulatory rules released by the FCA on June 30, requiring stablecoins issued in the UK to be fully backed by reserve assets and redeemable at par value.
the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published the results of its March Stablecoin Sprint policy initiative, which brought together banks, payment companies, stablecoin issuers, and other industry participants to explore the use of stablecoins. Participants indicated that cross-border payments are the clearest near-term use case for stablecoins, particularly in emerging markets with limited access to US dollars. In major payment corridors where existing systems are already fast and relatively low-cost, stablecoins offer fewer advantages. Participants also noted that the incentive for domestic UK consumers to shift to stablecoin payments is limited, given that existing payment methods are already fast and low-cost. However, merchants could benefit from lower costs and faster settlement times. The feedback has been incorporated into the FCA’s final rules on June 30 and will influence its subsequent stablecoin payment policies.
Odaily News Kalshi trader Caleb Davies stated that he had requested Kalshi to delay the settlement of a Spotify prediction market to allow the执法 team to review suspected artificially manipulated streaming data. The market focused on which artists would top the Spotify US Daily Chart, with a trading volume of $3.32 million. Davies stated that Malcolm Todd's song "Earrings" surged approximately 70% in a single day and reached the top of the Spotify US Chart on June 29. Kalshi's Head of Enforcement and Legal, Robert DeNault, responded that only Spotify could verify whether the data originated from genuine listens or manipulation. Kalshi finalized the settlement minutes after issuing this response. Davies noted that the open interest for the "Earrings" outcome rose from $2,000 to over $70,000 in the days leading up to the emergence of the disputed streaming data. The following day, Spotify removed 523,000 streams from the cumulative data for "Earrings," meaning that under the adjusted data, the song would have ranked fourth on June 29 instead of first. Subsequently, Spotify requested Kalshi and Polymarket to remove its branding, stating that neither party had established a partnership with the streaming service. Kalshi has removed the relevant branding and modified its wording. Spokesperson Elisabeth Diana stated that the company is contacting Spotify and conducting an investigation; Kalshi has not yet published the investigation results, rescinded the settlement, or announced compensation.
Asset management firm Franklin Templeton announced its support for the CLARITY Act on July 27. Franklin Resources had previously disclosed that as of June 30, its assets under management totaled $1.79 trillion, up from $1.78 trillion a month earlier. Franklin Templeton stated that the CLARITY Act would establish clearer rules for digital assets, help investors understand the protections available, and increase corporate certainty regarding the division of federal regulatory responsibilities. BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, and Charles Schwab have previously publicly supported this market structure bill. Senate Republicans released an updated version on July 22, proposing to divide the regulatory oversight of digital assets between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Odaily reports: After perpetual futures entered the regulated US market, Wall Street institutions are still taking a wait-and-see approach. Bank of America estimates that the global annual trading volume of perpetual futures is approximately 90 trillion USD; within a week of Kalshi launching perpetual futures in June, trading volume exceeded 1 billion USD. Perpetual futures are similar to standard futures but have no expiration date, meaning traders do not need to close or roll over positions monthly or quarterly. Instead, periodic funding rates keep the contract price close to the underlying asset. On May 29, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved Kalshi to offer such contracts, and Coinbase also received approval to list regulated perpetual futures in the US. Insiders say that large financial institutions are still studying these products, with proprietary trading firms, market makers, and emerging clearing firms likely to be the first to participate. Large banks face stricter capital rules, client obligations, and reputational risks, and typically wait for years of data, clear regulatory treatment, and stable infrastructure. Perpetual futures may also be used to manage weekend risk, but market depth remains a concern. Industry insiders note that regulatory disagreements are emerging over whether certain contracts should be classified as futures or swaps, and CME has already challenged the CFTC's handling of Kalshi's Bitcoin perpetual contract.
Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has donated approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin to MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting former US President Donald Trump. According to a report filed with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC), Gemini co-founders Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss completed the donations in two installments on June 19, each worth over $5 million. This donation occurred about three weeks after the CFTC and Gemini jointly filed a motion with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking to vacate the $5 million settlement agreement reached in January 2025. The settlement stemmed from the CFTC's earlier allegations that Gemini had made false or misleading statements. MAGA Inc. can use these funds to support independent political expenditures for Donald Trump. Previously, the Winklevoss brothers each donated $1 million to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and contributed $21 million worth of Bitcoin to the Digital Freedom Fund PAC to support the crypto policy direction of the Trump administration. Currently, the court has not yet ruled on the motion to vacate the settlement between the CFTC and Gemini. Meanwhile, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig remains the sole commissioner of the agency. As of June 30, MAGA Inc. has reported receiving over $397 million in funds.
Odaily news The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit concerning its records on the Ethereum investigation. According to a joint case status report filed on July 22, the SEC and the plaintiff, History Associates Inc., have reached a settlement and have requested the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss the case.Under the agreement, the SEC will continue to provide the remaining relevant documents and pay a fixed amount to cover the plaintiff's legal fees. The lawsuit was filed by History Associates in June 2024. This agency, commissioned by Coinbase, demanded the SEC disclose materials related to its regulatory investigation of Ethereum, including investigation files on Zachary Coburn and Enigma MPC, as well as records of regulatory discussions regarding Ethereum's transition from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS).Previously, this lawsuit prompted the SEC to deliver thousands of documents. The court also ordered the SEC to prioritize providing internal communications sent, received, or reviewed by then-Chairman Gary Gensler regarding Ethereum's migration from PoW to PoS.During the case, the SEC sparked controversy for deleting some of Gensler's text message records. The SEC's Office of Inspector General previously disclosed that the agency accidentally deleted Gensler's text messages from October 2022 to September 2023. Subsequent documents revealed that the SEC also wiped data from 21 senior officials' phones.Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated that the incident highlights transparency issues within government agencies during the crypto regulatory process and noted that the relevant lawsuits aim to promote public access to the basis for regulatory decisions. With the SEC completing the submission of the remaining documents, this lawsuit, which has lasted for over two years, will officially come to an end. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News, Swiss cantonal bank BancaStato has launched regulated cryptocurrency trading services, utilizing the systems of digital asset bank Sygnum and banking software provider Avaloq. The bank serves the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland. BancaStato has joined Sygnum's B2B banking platform, integrating Sygnum's trading and custody services into its existing Avaloq banking system. Clients can buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin, ETH, LTC, and SOL via the bank's web and mobile banking applications. Sygnum's B2B platform is already used by over 25 financial institutions, with its banking partners including Societe Generale-FORGE, PostFinance, and VZ Depotbank. In late June, Sygnum announced that its Liechtenstein subsidiary, Sygnum Europe AG, had obtained a license as a crypto asset service provider under the MiCA framework.
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.
According to Reuters, prediction market platform Polymarket announced it will launch a legal challenge against the decision by the French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) to block its website. ANJ unilaterally blocked access to Polymarket in France last week, citing "potential for significant gambling losses for users" and "risk of manipulation of platform bets." Polymarket expressed disappointment over this and stated it would seek relief through French legal procedures. Previously, the Spanish government temporarily banned Polymarket and its competitor Kalshi in May this year, and US derivatives regulators also released a new regulatory draft targeting the prediction market industry in June, indicating a clear trend of tightening global regulation.
Recently, there have been numerous rumors claiming that "Xiaohongshu secretly submitted an IPO application before the end of June," but the application was hindered due to a former employee reporting its "listing compliance" issues. In response, Xiaohongshu stated that all currently circulating IPO-related information is untrue.
: U.S. prediction market platform Kalshi experienced explosive growth during the 2026 World Cup, with platform trading volume soaring from $6.67 billion on June 22 to $24.2 billion on July 14. The single "World Cup Champion" prediction market saw trading volume exceed $1.2 billion. Kalshi stated that its growth reflects a new trend in the AI era: as the volume of AI-generated content increases substantially, authentic, real-time, and non-replicable human interaction scenarios are becoming scarcer, positioning prediction markets as a novel tool for observing public sentiment and collective judgment.Meanwhile, Kalshi is seeking to transform from a sports prediction platform into the next-generation financial trading infrastructure. The company currently holds Designated Contract Market (DCM) status recognized by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and plans to expand into more prediction areas including sports, geopolitics, culture, and economics. (Fortune)
Odaily News: Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed an executive order to coordinate virtual asset regulation, enhance cooperation between the country's financial, tax, and capital market institutions, and address the fragmentation of digital asset regulation. The executive order establishes a Virtual Assets Committee composed of heads from Nigeria's major financial regulatory agencies to guide relevant policies. Nigeria's tax authority will update digital asset policies and provide more details on the impact on taxpayers. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, stated that the executive order does not create new regulatory agencies nor transfer powers between agencies; each institution retains its statutory duties and independence, and registration requirements will be determined based on the nature of the activity and the assets involved. A June report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that since 2019, Nigeria has accounted for approximately 60% of stablecoin inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa; between July 2023 and June 2024, the country's cryptocurrency inflows reached approximately $59 billion.
According to Odaily, as of June 23, 2026, Foundry Digital, AntPool, ViaBTC, and F2Pool collectively control over 70% of the Bitcoin network's hashrate, with shares of approximately 31%, 18%, 13%, and 10% respectively. Foundry Digital is a US-based mining pool backed by Digital Currency Group, primarily serving large institutions and publicly listed mining companies. In the first half of 2026, D-Central reported a Nakamoto coefficient of 3, meaning that just three mining pools would be enough to produce more than half of the blocks. ViaBTC faced stricter regulatory scrutiny in 2026, prompting some miners to shift to alternative pools like EMCD.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on July 16, 2026, asked President Donald Trump to release a full financial disclosure through July 15, covering his cryptocurrency income. The Senate is currently reviewing the CLARITY Act, a crypto market structure bill. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics released Trump's 2025 annual public financial disclosure on June 30, 2026. Warren stated the report shows Trump's crypto-related revenue at approximately $1.4 billion, more than double his total income in 2024, with crypto businesses accounting for the vast majority of his disclosed income. The disclosure documents show that Trump family members hold a 30% ownership stake in DT Marks Defi LLC, an entity whose assets include a Coinbase account valued at over $100 million, as well as a 38.25% interest in WLF Holdco LLC. DT Marks Defi LLC generated over $590 million in revenue in 2025. Trump stated on July 2 that the related income "is not illegal in any way, nor is there any problem," adding that his involvement in cryptocurrency predates his second term. He said he does not personally track profit details and noted that large institutions manage his investments.
Odaily Strategy founder Michael Saylor published a lengthy post on July 18, listing 100 reasons to oppose BIP 110. He stated that the proposal would impose restrictions on a currently valid but controversial class of transactions through Bitcoin's consensus rules, constituting governance intervention in certain use cases. BIP 110, full name "Reduced Data Temporary Softfork," was marked as Complete on Github on June 25, 2026. The proposal is planned to run for approximately one year and introduces seven new consensus restrictions, including an 83-byte limit on OP_RETURN outputs, a 256-byte cap on certain payloads and witness items, as well as restrictions on some Taproot-related structures. Michael Saylor pointed out that BIP 110 adopts a 55% miner signaling threshold, lower than the 95% threshold in the standard BIP 9 process, and removes the regular timeout and FAILED status. He believes that using a lower threshold for controversial rule changes increases the probability of a chain split and could potentially affect miner fee revenue and long-term network security. He argued that existing Bitcoin relay and mining strategy tools already allow node operators and miners to restrict unwanted transaction types without the need to change the network's consensus rules. Michael Saylor also stated that Bitcoin's base layer should remain conservative and opposed the use of consensus soft forks to regulate controversial use cases.
, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte recently signed HB 639, the Blockchain Basic Laws, to increase legal protections for digital asset users, developers, miners, validators, and businesses, and to safeguard digital asset usage and self-custody rights. The bill also authorizes the creation of a dedicated docket for blockchain-related disputes. New Hampshire's 2025 law allows the State Treasurer to invest up to 5% of specific public funds in precious metals and qualifying digital assets, with Bitcoin currently being the only asset meeting the market cap threshold. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 21 in June 2025, establishing the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. State lawmakers appropriated $10 million, and Texas subsequently made an initial investment of approximately $5 million via spot Bitcoin ETFs. A 2025 proposal in Wyoming to allow up to 3% of certain state funds to be invested in Bitcoin did not pass. However, the state continues to advance its specialized banking framework and the Frontier Stable Token. FRNT became publicly available in January 2026 and is described as the first state-issued stable token in the United States.
the French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) announced on July 17 that it will block access for users within France to the prediction market platform Polymarket, following a prior ban on accepting financial transactions from French accounts on the platform.The ANJ stated that although France had already restricted financial transactions linked to Polymarket since November 2024, the platform's website remained accessible to French users, with user traffic continuously growing. Therefore, it decided to implement further web-blocking measures.Data shows that Polymarket allows users to engage in predictive trading on the outcomes of future events, including politics, economics, and sports. Since the platform displays betting odds for different events in real-time, French regulators believe this constitutes promotion of unauthorized gambling websites.The ANJ noted: "Promoting unauthorized betting or gambling websites in any manner is a criminal offense." The relevant violations could result in a maximum fine of 100,000 euros (approximately 147,000 Singapore dollars).Regulators indicated that although French accounts are no longer able to conduct related transactions, access from French IP addresses has continued to rise, reaching 578,751 visits in June.This blockade further highlights the attention European regulators are paying to prediction market platforms. As decentralized prediction markets like Polymarket grow rapidly worldwide, how to define them—whether as financial innovation, information markets, or gambling businesses—is becoming a focal point of regulatory discussions across nations. (Straitstimes)
According to the latest poll released by CNBC, American pessimism over the economic outlook has intensified, with 61% of respondents expressing pessimism about the current economic conditions and future trajectory — the highest level since December 2023. Only about a quarter of respondents hold an optimistic view. The survey shows that a majority attribute economic pressures to President Trump's economic policies. Regarding Trump's handling of the economy, 60% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction, while only 38% approved — one of the lowest ratings on this metric in his political career.Micah Roberts, a partner at Public Opinion Strategies, stated that the overall mood among voters is currently low, with those expecting the situation to worsen outnumbering those expecting improvement by 41% to 29%. Market confidence is entering a trough phase ahead of the midterm election cycle.Meanwhile, rising living costs are forcing American consumers to cut spending. The survey found that 47% of respondents are reducing spending on necessities such as food and healthcare — up 6 percentage points from April. About two-thirds of consumers are cutting back on non-essential spending like dining out.A separate study conducted by Bain & Company in collaboration with NielsenIQ showed that U.S. grocery purchases in June fell by 1.8% year-over-year, a sharp reversal from the 0.1% growth recorded during the same period last year.Kurt Grichel, head of Bain's U.S. retail practice, noted that a typical grocery run that cost around $300 in 2019 may now require $400. The "sticker shock" from price increases is now affecting a broader range of consumers, including higher-income households.Analysts point out that high food prices, elevated fuel costs, and the Trump administration's cuts to certain social welfare programs are collectively increasing pressure on consumers. The survey found that four out of five U.S. consumers are trying to reduce spending, with more than a quarter actively cutting back on food purchases. Among them, over half have switched to cheaper brands, while 49% are buying fewer items. (ibtimes)