News linked to both this project and an event.
According to the FCA website, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released new guidance on crypto asset regulation on September 16 to help businesses understand the scope and licensing requirements of the UK's future crypto asset regime. The regime will officially take effect on October 25, 2027, and the authorization application channel will open on September 30, 2026. The guidance covers activities such as issuing qualified stablecoins, operating crypto asset trading platforms, trading and matching, and crypto asset custody and staking arrangements. FCA Executive Director David Geale stated that the guidance aims to provide businesses with clarity, enabling them to confidently prepare for regulatory compliance. The government has also made targeted amendments to relevant legislation, introducing certain exemptions and further clarifying specific technology service providers. In October, the FCA will launch a dedicated consultation on these legislative changes, covering topics such as qualified stablecoins, proprietary trading and market making, decentralized protocols, and financial promotion.
Zumo founder and CEO Nick Jones stated that the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will open the crypto asset authorization application window on September 30, with the new regulatory framework expected to officially take effect in October 2027. As the regulatory path becomes clearer, traditional financial institutions such as Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK's largest retail investment platform, are beginning to enter the crypto market, and the UK crypto industry will gradually shift toward compliant operations.
The CME FedWatch tool shows that the probability of a 25 basis point rate hike at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on September 16 has risen to 57%, with the target rate range potentially rising to 3.75% to 4%; the probability of maintaining the current range of 3.5% to 3.75% stands at 43%.On August 21, the probability of a rate hike was 39.9%, which rose to 57% after the Jackson Hole speech on August 28, and market bets on a September rate cut have essentially disappeared.Polymarket data shows that the probability of the federal funds rate remaining unchanged is 52%, while the probability of a hike is 48%, with related trading volume exceeding $66.6 million. Kalshi data shows that the probabilities of holding rates steady and hiking are 52% and 48%, respectively, with related trading volume exceeding $23.8 million.In his speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh stated that the Fed will adhere to its 2% Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index inflation target, and noted that his commitment is to discipline rather than specific decisions. Data shows that the 12-month PCE inflation rate is 3.7%, and the 6-month reading is 4.1%. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to Yonhap News Agency, Dunamu, operator of South Korean crypto exchange Upbit, has announced a strategic partnership with global payment giant Visa. Both parties will jointly explore next-generation financial payment services leveraging stablecoins and AI. Cooperation areas include stablecoin payments and cross-border remittance services, business models for the USD stablecoin OUSD based on Open Standards, and "Agentic Commerce," which integrates AI with stablecoins to allow AI to handle the entire product search, purchase, and payment process on behalf of users. The specific service architecture has yet to be finalized, and implementation will proceed in phases in compliance with relevant regulations and regulatory requirements.
According to analysis by BIT's official Chinese account (@BITofficial_CN), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)'s proposed crypto asset regulatory rules may provide securities registration exemptions for qualifying crypto asset financing activities, thereby lowering the compliance threshold for token offerings and improving the industry's financing environment. Under the proposal, eligible issuances may qualify for two types of exemptions: a one-time fundraising exemption capped at $5 million over four years, and another that permits issuers to raise up to $75 million within any consecutive 12-month period. Both categories must fulfill disclosure obligations, while the latter is also required to submit financial statements and make ongoing disclosures.
Odaily News: Zach Pandl, Head of Research at digital asset management firm Grayscale, stated that Bitcoin's structural adoption trend continues, the current bear market has entered a deeper stage, and the macro outlook is generally favorable. These three factors may provide a basis for long-term investors to enter, though prices could still decline.Grayscale noted that Bitcoin's adoption growth is primarily driven by government deficits, the expanding application of blockchain technology in the financial services sector, and generational shifts in investor asset allocation. The current bear market has lasted 10 months, approaching the average and median duration of 11 to 12 months observed across the previous four cyclical bear markets.Macro risks mainly depend on real interest rates and Federal Reserve policy. The Federal Open Market Committee held the federal funds rate at 3.5% to 3.75% in July, and future rate hikes could push Bitcoin lower. Bitcoin briefly rose to $79,461 on August 21 before pulling back to around $77,000. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News – Andrew Park, CEO of Factblock and organizer of Korea Blockchain Week, stated that Korea's crypto market is shifting from retail-trading-driven dynamics toward institutional digital finance. The focus of global financial institutions and enterprises has moved from tokens, exchanges, and prices to custody, tokenization, stablecoins, payment and settlement infrastructure, and regulatory compliance.The Financial Services Commission of Korea has proposed a framework to open corporate virtual asset accounts to approximately 3,500 listed companies and registered professional investors. The National Assembly has officially passed amendments to the Electronic Securities Act and the Capital Markets Act, bringing tokenized real-world assets and security tokens under a unified legal framework.The Bank of Korea has completed the initial trial of Project Hangang, a real-world deposit token initiative, and plans to conduct second-phase institutional testing in late 2026. Related technical experiments have used wholesale deposit tokens to enable AI agents to execute automated conditional transactions. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Payment company Visa is seeking settlement and over-the-counter (OTC) trading partners with cryptocurrency exchange licenses in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The partner will also be responsible for settlement of the newly launched Open USD stablecoin project, which plans to support multiple stablecoins. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, Visa is seeking new stablecoin settlement and OTC trading partners to replace BVNK, which was previously acquired by Mastercard. Relevant product request documents indicate that Visa expects partners to hold cryptocurrency exchange licenses in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Singapore, and to support multiple stablecoin conversion and settlement services, including handling settlement for the Open USD stablecoin project promoted by Stripe, Visa, and Mastercard.
: Bitcoin News posted on the X platform that the OCC stated companies engaged in legally permitted activities such as digital assets and emerging technologies should have a pathway to apply for national bank charters. OCC Acting Comptroller Jonathan Gould said regulators had effectively blocked new bank applications for over a decade, but that period has now ended. The OCC has received 40 new bank applications over the past 18 months and noted that many complete applications have been decided within 120 days.
According to The New York Times, White House officials held a meeting with top AI companies on Tuesday, announcing that the federal government plans to conduct security risk reviews on specific types of AI models. The review is limited to "closed-source" models that do not disclose underlying code (such as products from Anthropic, OpenAI, and other companies). Open-source models are not currently included in the review, but officials stated that as technology develops, relevant policies may be adjusted.
According to the announcement on the CFTC official website, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 30 to solicit public comments on amendments to Parts 37, 38, and 39 of the regulations and sections 1.52 and 1.55, with a comment period of 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. This revision targets the increasingly common affiliations among CFTC-regulated entities, covering market participants including Derivative Clearing Organizations, Designated Contract Markets, Swap Execution Facilities, Futures Commission Merchants, and market makers, with a focus on resolving potential conflicts of interest within vertically integrated market structures. CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig stated that the proposed rule will establish a principles-based regulatory framework for vertically integrated market structures, maintaining market integrity while avoiding stifling innovative market structures or imposing excessive compliance burdens on registered entities.
According to CNBC reports, Frank Pallone (New Jersey), the ranking Democratic member of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, wrote to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on July 29, requesting that he provide relevant records regarding its xAI Memphis data center by August 11 and allow an onsite visit. Pallone accused SpaceX of extensively using natural gas combustion turbines to power the Colossus and Colossus 2 data centers without obtaining permits or installing pollution control equipment, posing "significant health risks" to surrounding communities. Notably, the Trump administration's Department of Justice has sought to intervene to assist xAI in defending against relevant lawsuits filed by environmental organizations and the NAACP. A May Gallup poll showed that 70% of Americans oppose building AI data centers locally, as public resistance to the expansion of AI infrastructure by major tech companies continues to intensify.
: Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh will announce the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate decision on July 29. The market widely expects the benchmark interest rate to remain unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% for the fifth consecutive time. Data from CME FedWatch shows the probability of a rate hold is between 95% and 98%. TD Securities stated that traders are still overestimating the probability of a surprise rate hike, and the related pricing includes a risk premium due to the Iran situation. The institution believes that if the Fed holds rates steady as expected, the deviation between current market pricing and actual policy action will narrow. TD Securities predicts that if the Fed keeps rates unchanged for an extended period, the dollar could fall by about 2% in the second half of 2026. The institution believes that the Fed needs to see clearer evidence of sustained inflation and a strong labor market before considering a rate hike.
Nick Timiraos, the “Fed Whisperer,” stated on July 23 local time that the Fed’s July policy meeting would become the most unpredictable session in recent years. The resurgence in oil prices, increasing risks associated with US tariff policies, and some officials shifting towards supporting rate hikes have challenged the consensus to keep interest rates unchanged.The market widely expects the Fed to maintain the policy rate at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on July 28-29, keeping the current rate range at 3.50% to 3.75%. However, the outcome of this meeting does not signify an end to internal disagreements, as some officials are already paving the way for further rate hikes later this year.During previous meetings, there was a clear divide among the Fed’s 18 officials over whether a rate hike was needed this year, with half predicting a hike and the other half seeing no need for adjustment. Jonathan Pingle, chief US economist at UBS, stated that Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh could emerge as a key figure in determining the direction of policy.
According to Politico, nearly 200 Silicon Valley companies, including Proton, Y Combinator, and others, wrote to the Trump administration opposing restrictions on U.S. companies' access to Chinese open-weight AI models. The letter was initiated by the newly formed "Small Tech Association," with recipients including Trump, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios.
Mizuho analysts stated that if the U.S. crypto market structure bill, the "Clarity Act," is passed, while it may generally benefit the digital asset industry, the long-term impact on Circle could be negative. The reason is that regulatory clarity will attract more large institutions into the stablecoin market, further accelerating stablecoin commodification and eroding the revenue potential of Circle's USDC.Mizuho believes that the primary pressure Circle faces in the near term comes from Open USD. This stablecoin project is backed by a coalition of over 140 financial, technology, and crypto companies, with members including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, BlackRock, and Coinbase. Unlike Circle's model, which retains approximately 38% of USDC reserve yields, Open USD employs a "pass-through" model, distributing nearly all reserve yields to distribution partners while retaining only a small management fee.Analysts also noted that Coinbase, as the largest distributor of USDC, also supports Open USD. This could give Coinbase stronger bargaining power when renegotiating its revenue-sharing agreement with Circle in the future. The distribution agreement between the two parties could be up for renegotiation as early as next month.
: In an interview this week, Circle President Heath Tarbert responded to questions about the stock price falling from $260 to $62, stating that the company is focusing on long-term development. If it can fulfill its mission of building a full-stack internet platform infrastructure, the stock price will ultimately reflect that value in the long run. Addressing the new competition posed by the Open USD Alliance, which consists of 140 companies including Visa, Stripe, Mastercard, and Google, Heath Tarbert noted that USDC, as a stablecoin natively supporting 34 blockchains, has built a network effect with a circulating supply of $73 billion that is extremely difficult to replicate. Discussing the difference in market position compared to Tether, he stated that USDC is the world's largest regulated stablecoin and boasts the highest real transaction volume.
David Sacks, Chairman of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, stated on the X platform that using regulatory uncertainty as a competitive tool is "completely unacceptable," and regulatory decisions should be based on facts, logic, and evidence, rather than deliberately creating fear and uncertainty (FUD). He is unsure whether venture capitalist and AI policy researcher Dean Ball is admitting to a "regulatory capture" strategy or merely predicting its occurrence, but in any case, leveraging regulatory agencies to issue "soft law" warnings, creating market panic, and thereby forcing regulated companies to stay away from Chinese open-source models should not be tolerated.David Sacks pointed out that Dean Ball believes there is no need to directly ban Chinese open-source models; simply guiding regulators to issue relevant warnings can influence corporate decisions by generating enough doubt and uncertainty, and these reasons "don't even need to be very solid."In response, Sacks argued that any regulatory decision must be well-founded, rather than implementing policies in disguise through "manufactured doubt." He warned that bypassing public deliberation processes in this way would not only erode the foundation of the rule of law but could also open the door to future regulatory abuses targeting any enterprise or individual.Sacks further stated that AI policy is currently at a critical turning point. Major closed-source labs, which have already formed a duopoly in AI model revenue, are now attempting to use government power to eliminate open-source competitors.He called on other companies and developers in Silicon Valley that still support open competition to take a clear stance and jointly safeguard an open ecosystem in the AI field.
Musk said X will open source its entire codebase without exception once the security vulnerability review is completed. Additionally, X will invite third-party auditors to verify the actual running system to confirm it is consistent with the public source code.