News linked to this event type.
Odaily News, YZi Labs has announced that its flagship incubation program, EASY Residency, has selected 24 early-stage companies for its fourth cohort, with each company receiving a $500,000 investment. The 10-week program kicks off online before founders gather in Bhutan, focusing on next-generation global financial infrastructure. Key areas include stablecoin payments and cross-border settlement, on-chain FX and credit, neobanking, institutional-grade liquidity and market making, digital asset privacy compliance and financial operations, AI agents and automated execution, on-chain financial consumer and enterprise interfaces, as well as AI-native security and creator infrastructure. YZi Labs manages over $10 billion in assets, with an investment portfolio spanning more than 300 projects across Web3, AI, and biotech.
Odaily News - Digital asset manager Grayscale's Zcash ETF began trading on NYSE Arca on Tuesday under the ticker ZCSH. The product is the world's first exchange-traded product offering spot exposure to Zcash, allowing investors to track ZEC prices through securities accounts without needing to directly purchase or store the token.ZCSH was formerly known as the Grayscale Zcash Trust, established in October 2017 through a private placement. Grayscale filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in November 2025 to convert the trust into an ETF, with shareholders holding shares that track the fund's ZEC holdings rather than holding ZEC directly.In May of this year, security researcher Taylor Hornby, using Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.8, discovered a vulnerability in Zcash's Orchard shielded pool that had existed for four years, which could potentially allow attackers to mint counterfeit ZEC. Developers deployed an emergency patch on June 1, but due to privacy mechanisms, it was not possible to cryptographically confirm whether the vulnerability had been exploited.Zcash activated the Ironwood upgrade in July, replacing Orchard with a new shielded pool and introducing accounting rules that limit the amount of ZEC exiting the old shielded pool to no more than the amount entering. Grayscale stated it will monitor the adoption of the Ironwood upgrade, network security, exchange support, and regulatory conditions for privacy assets. (Decrypt)
The Securities and Exchange Commission (Thailand) has issued an announcement soliciting public comments on the draft regulatory framework for establishing cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (crypto ETFs) in Thailand, as well as the revised eligibility requirements for mutual funds and private funds to engage foreign digital asset custodians, with a comment submission deadline of September 20, 2026.
Odaily News: Standard Chartered has become the first authorized bank to support the circulation of HKDAP. HKDAP is Hong Kong's first regulated, HKD-backed stablecoin. (Cointelegraph)
According to official sources, OpenAI has banned a group of ChatGPT accounts suspected to originate from Russia, which were used to generate social media content promoting the self-described Israeli-based "expert community," International Burke Institute (IBI). OpenAI stated that the operation involved publishing content on platforms such as Substack, Telegram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, while attempting to conceal the operators' Russian origin. Investigations revealed that the IBI website contains copied and misattributed academic content, and has introduced a so-called "Sovereignty Index." Related content tends to present Russia in a positive light while criticizing Western countries.
Odaily News: As AI trading sentiment cools and South Korean regulators take measures to curb related investment demand, leveraged ETFs tied to the country's chipmakers have seen nearly $1 billion in outflows this month.So far, Samsung Electronics-linked leveraged products have seen approximately $381 million in outflows in August, while SK Hynix-linked products have seen about $601 million. If this trend continues, it would mark the first monthly net outflow since these products were launched at the end of May. (Bloomberg)
London-listed technology company The Smarter Web Company tweeted that its Bitcoin Strategy Lead Jesse Myers will step down on September 1. The company's Bitcoin reserve policy will remain unchanged and will continue to be overseen by the board of directors.
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.
According to The Block, the Blockchain Association has submitted comments on the stablecoin issuer rules under the GENIUS Act, proposed jointly by U.S. Treasury agencies including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Reserve. The association supports limiting Customer Identification Program (CIP) obligations to direct customer transactions in the primary market, emphasizing that they should not extend to peer-to-peer transfers in the secondary market. It also calls on regulators to further clarify the definitions of "account," "customer," and "digital asset service provider," exempt one-time redemptions and other non-recurring activities, and avoid duplicative compliance burdens alongside anti-money laundering regulations. The association stated that the implementation of the rules must strike a balance between ensuring stablecoin security, maintaining operational feasibility, and preserving room for industry innovation.
According to Chaoxiang Research, Goldman Sachs' research report dated August 24, 2026, indicates that cryptocurrency trading volume fell 30% in July and 21% in August, declining for 10 consecutive months, a duration that exceeded the median of the previous five cycles. Trading volume in this cycle has dropped 75% from its peak, while cryptocurrency market capitalization rebounded 21% over the past week. Goldman Sachs suggests a turning point in trading volume may emerge if market cap remains at current levels. On the regulatory front, 35% of institutional investors cite regulatory uncertainty as the biggest hurdle, while 32% identify regulatory clarity as the primary catalyst. The SEC recently proposed an innovation exemption framework. In 2026, over 10 additional digital asset companies received bank charters from the OCC, and more than 15 crypto firms have already been incorporated into the federal banking system. Crypto companies reduced expenses by an average of approximately 5% in 2026, lifting operating margins by roughly 5.8 percentage points. Goldman Sachs remains cautiously optimistic for the second half of the year, with sector valuations currently positioned at the 30th percentile over a five-year period. Key recommendations include COIN (target price $196), HOOD ($124), IBKR ($114, featured on Goldman Sachs' Conviction List US), and FIGR ($43). The investment logic diverges across the three sectors: traditional brokerages are poised for a September reversal, prediction markets are driven by the election cycle, and crypto equities benefit from a triple catalyst of market cap recovery, cost reductions, and regulatory reform.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a survey released by Dell Technologies at the Dell Technologies Forum 2026 shows that 72% of surveyed South Korean companies believe existing data center environments are insufficient to support large-scale artificial intelligence and data analytics workloads; 84% of enterprises plan to advance data center modernization by integrating legacy equipment, upgrading servers, and storage facilities. The survey also reveals that the main obstacles to AI implementation center on security, regulation, and data governance: 75% of respondents find it difficult to navigate government regulations related to AI data, 65% stated that security and compliance issues have caused delays or halts in AI projects, and 60% expressed concern over entrusting critical corporate data to generative AI tools that may be accessible by third parties.
According to Reuters, India plans to launch its first tokenized corporate bond in September, issued by state-owned power financing company REC, with a total value of less than 5 billion Indian rupees (approximately $57 million). The pilot will utilize blockchain or a distributed ledger to record the issuance, holding, trading, and settlement of the bonds, enabling near-instantaneous trade settlement. According to people familiar with the matter, the Indian central bank and the securities market regulator are jointly advancing the relevant framework; investors must hold both a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) wallet provided by banks and the new electronic securities wallet “DEMAT 2.0” to participate. The bond will feature an initial three-month lock-up period, with the pilot open to a select group of investors. Exchanges are expected to establish a secondary market for the bonds by December.
According to the comment letter released by the Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC), it calls on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to establish a harmonized regulatory framework for perpetual contracts. The HPC asserts that while perpetual contracts lack fixed expiration dates, they exhibit traditional futures characteristics such as standardization, fungibility, the ability to be offset, and price convergence driven by funding rates; accordingly, cash-settled stock perpetual contracts possessing these traits should be allowed to be listed as "security futures." The HPC recommends that both agencies standardize classification criteria across different underlying perpetual contracts, retain exchanges' flexibility in product listing decisions, and modernize the security futures framework. It noted that clear regulatory guidance would help lower market entry barriers, foster exchange competition, and bring perpetual contract trading back to the U.S. market.
the Hyperliquid Policy Center stated on the X platform that the world's largest perpetual contract market has developed in offshore regions because U.S. regulators have not yet answered a fundamental question: are these products futures or swaps? The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) began answering this question in May, allowing the first batch of perpetual contracts to be listed as futures contracts on U.S. exchanges. Now, the Hyperliquid Policy Center has applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the CFTC to confirm that equity perpetual contracts can be listed as security futures. This confirmation would provide the necessary regulatory clarity for related products to return to the onshore market.Previously reported, the first Anthropic Pre-IPO market launched on Hyperliquid, with a 24-hour trading volume of nearly $3 million.
According to BeInCrypto, payment company Banxa launched Banxa Native on August 20, providing embedded fiat deposit and withdrawal infrastructure for wallets, exchanges, and fintech platforms. Partners can execute fiat purchases or sales of crypto assets within their own interfaces, while Banxa provides backend pricing, compliance verification, and settlement services, reducing the need to redirect to third-party pages or undergo repetitive KYC verifications. For example, users can directly purchase USDC via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or bank cards within the wallet; for users who have already completed identity verification, their KYC information can be passed from the partner platform to Banxa, streamlining the process for subsequent transactions. Trust Wallet CEO Felix Fan stated that this partnership helps directly embed compliant fiat-to-crypto channels into the user journey.
According to Bitcoin.com, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan stated that the bullish thesis for 2026 is more fundamentally grounded than the crypto market cycles of 2014, 2018, and 2022, primarily driven by five structural changes: the advancement of regulatory frameworks, the scaling of stablecoin adoption, the tokenization of real-world assets, protocol tokens generating genuine revenue supported by buyback and burn mechanisms, and the demand for currency debasement triggered by expanding sovereign debt. Hougan noted that the total stablecoin market capitalization surpassed $300 billion by mid-2026, with steady usage across trading, payments, cross-border remittances, and settlements; meanwhile, asset tokenization is progressively transitioning from experimental phases into regulated financial infrastructure. He also highlighted Hyperliquid as a prime example, noting that the protocol generated over $800 million in revenue last year, allocating roughly 99% of it toward buybacks and burns of the HYPE token. On Bitcoin, Hougan suggested that rising government borrowing levels could further cement its role as a hedge against currency debasement, though he emphasized that the associated valuation models represent scenario analyses rather than definitive price forecasts.
Odaily News: Dunamu, the operator of Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, has responded to rumors of a US listing, stating that the company has indeed been in contact with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). However, it has not yet confirmed plans for a US listing, nor has it converted its financial reporting standards to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP).Dunamu stated that it is currently working with Naver Financial to complete a share swap by December 31. The two companies are valued at 15 trillion KRW and 5 trillion KRW respectively, with a swap ratio of 1 share of Dunamu for approximately 2.54 shares of Naver Financial. Upon completion of the transaction, both parties plan to establish an IPO committee within one year and proceed with listing efforts.Market observers believe Nasdaq could be a potential listing venue, mainly because Naver is already listed on the Korean exchange. If the two companies are subsequently listed on a secondary exchange in Korea as subsidiaries, they may face regulatory restrictions on "parent-subsidiary dual listings." If Dunamu ultimately pursues a US listing, it may do so via American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). The Korean legal entity and Upbit business would remain intact, and services such as KRW deposits and withdrawals for users are not expected to be directly impacted. (Etoday)
According to The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan’s Financial Services Agency plans to ease regulatory restrictions on trust bank-issued stablecoins, creating room for individuals to conduct stablecoin transactions exceeding 1 million yen, and intends to incorporate related measures into upcoming tax reform proposals. If implemented, stablecoins could be further utilized for high-value consumption scenarios such as automobiles and real estate, indicating that stablecoin applications in Japan are expanding from small-amount payments to higher-value settlements.
According to Reuters, the U.S. SEC is investigating AI hedge fund Situational Awareness's trading activities and high-leverage positions during the market turmoil in July, and has issued subpoenas to Wall Street banks including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Bank of America, requiring them to provide information related to the fund's trades and financing. Situational Awareness was founded by former OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner, who previously worked at FTX Future Fund, with assets under management briefly exceeding $20 billion. In July, the fund suffered a monthly loss of approximately 67% due to declines in AI and chip stocks, and was subsequently forced to sell most of its public equity portfolio to Citadel.
An article in the People's Daily by Zhong Cai points out that macroeconomic policies must step up efforts to improve effectiveness, continuing to implement a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy. The article emphasizes accelerating the pace of fiscal spending and bond fund utilization, while maintaining ample liquidity to lower financing costs.