News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily News - Digital asset tokenization platform Securitize, in partnership with asset management firm Neuberger, has launched the Neuberger Securitize High Income Tokenized Fund (HINC). The fund primarily invests in high-yield bonds and may also allocate to collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and leveraged loans.HINC will be issued on four public chains—Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Sui—and is available exclusively to eligible qualified investors and qualified purchasers. Investors must undergo customer identification and anti-money laundering screening, and comply with jurisdictional restrictions and securities rules.Neuberger will handle portfolio management and research, Securitize Capital will serve as investment advisor, Securitize Markets will provide fund shares, and other affiliates will manage tokenization, administration, and operational services. Neuberger's fixed income platform manages over $230 billion in assets.Securitize disclosed that its tokenized asset management scale has reached $3.4 billion, with first-quarter revenue of $19.5 million, up nearly 40% year-over-year. The company began trading on July 2, becoming the first firm to list shares on both the New York Stock Exchange and on-chain simultaneously. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Cryptocurrency platform Bitcoin.com has announced the integration of USDU into its self-custody Bitcoin.com Wallet, serving millions of wallet users. USDU, issued by Universal Digital Intl Limited (Universal), is the first USD stablecoin registered as a foreign payment token by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). USDU is an Ethereum ERC-20 token, with each token backed 1:1 by liquid USD reserves held by regulated banks in the UAE. The reserves are independently attested monthly by a third-party accounting firm, with reports published on Universal's official website. Bitcoin.com Wallet's web and mobile versions will support self-custody holding, sending, and receiving of USDU. Bitcoin.com will accept USDU as payment for designated services and plans to enable its use for payments between users and merchants within its products. The wallet will also offer stablecoin education and Learn-to-Earn content. Exchange and buy/sell functionalities will be launched after support from third-party service providers, with availability varying by jurisdiction. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins introduced the "Regulation Crypto Assets" proposal on August 18, covering issuance pathways, disclosure obligations, and safe harbor conditions. Atkins stated that tailored exemptions could attract crypto issuers and investment back to the United States while preserving core investor protections, and expressed support for Congress's push for the CLARITY Act. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce noted that the proposal was developed through public comment and staff engagement, with feedback from both industry supporters and critics shaping the framework's design. SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda pointed out that fixed thresholds and disclosure obligations could enhance issuers' compliance expectations; the proposal has not yet taken effect. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Since the launch of Sui's Hashi Bitcoin lending protocol testnet on July 22, it has processed over 1.1 million Bitcoin deposits and 165,000 withdrawals within three weeks. As of last week, more than 25 institutions had participated in the system's stress testing. Participating institutions include digital asset custodian BitGo, trading firm Cumberland, as well as Swissborg, Fluid, and Ledger, covering areas such as trading, custody infrastructure, and wealth management platforms. Hashi allows users to deposit native Bitcoin, which is confirmed by Sui validators before minting hBTC for on-chain lending and stablecoin borrowing. Deposits utilize a 2-of-2 multi-signature mechanism with MPC validator signatures, while withdrawals require review by the Guardian Layer; the project team will proceed with the 2026 mainnet launch only after this security layer completes its security audit. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to Bitcoin.com, the EU adopted the 21st package of sanctions against Russia on July 23, further tightening controls in the cryptocurrency sector. The new regulations impose trading bans on 14 crypto service platforms in Georgia, Panama, the UAE, Belarus, and other locations, and starting from August 25, prohibit Russian and Belarusian citizens from holding any position or ownership in crypto service providers under the EU's MiCA framework. Additionally, new provisions authorize the EU to impose comprehensive trading bans on third countries that "systemically and persistently fail to prevent" sanctioned crypto activities, granting extraterritorial effect to the relevant regulations.
Odaily News: The Russian Central Bank has released a draft regulation stipulating that professional market participants, including brokers, trust management firms, forex dealers, and cryptocurrency exchanges, must include crypto assets in their equity calculations. Crypto assets approved for trading on exchanges may account for no more than 25% of total equity value. The draft requires that relevant crypto assets be registered with a crypto-asset custodian so that regulators can verify their existence. The Russian Central Bank stated that this ratio will be used to assess credit risk and market risk, ensuring that intermediaries have the capacity to cover potential losses. The Russian State Duma has approved a cryptocurrency regulatory framework that allows both qualified and unqualified investors to trade cryptocurrencies, though the latter are subject to an annual purchase limit of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,800). Cryptocurrencies still cannot be used as a domestic payment instrument, but import and export enterprises are permitted to use them for cross-border settlements without restrictions. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News, August 14 — The Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) announced a €70,000 fine against crypto asset trading platform Bitpanda. The FMA stated that this is the first legally binding penalty case under the MiCA framework. The FMA noted that Bitpanda violated Article 8 of MiCA by failing to notify the authority and submit a whitepaper at least 20 days before the relevant crypto assets were approved for trading. Additionally, Bitpanda issued marketing notices without first publishing the required whitepaper, in violation of Article 1 of MiCA. The FMA stated that MiCA has moved from mere regulation to the enforcement phase, emphasizing that even though Bitpanda is the first publicly penalized case, it will not receive special treatment. Markus Miller stated that a license can only build trust if the relevant rules are continuously complied with. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: A survey conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB) across 8,205 companies in the eurozone shows that only 0.2% of surveyed businesses accept cryptocurrencies or stablecoins for online payments, while the acceptance rate at physical points of sale stands at 1%. Among businesses with physical points of sale, 92% accept cash payments and 88% accept card payments. Mobile payment acceptance rose from 36% in 2024 to 68% in 2026. (Bitcoin.com News)
: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reviewing a rule change proposal submitted by Cboe BZX Exchange, involving six leveraged commodity ETFs that track 3 times the benchmark's single-day performance. The SEC's initial review period is 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. Volatility Shares LLC is the sponsor of the relevant funds, with products including 3x Gold, Silver, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crude Oil, and Natural Gas ETFs, all of which are intended to operate as commodity pools and are not registered as investment companies. Among these, the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs will primarily invest in near-month and next-month futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) rather than directly holding Bitcoin or Ethereum, and will allocate cash and cash equivalents as collateral or margin. Before the relevant products can be listed, the SEC must approve the exchange's rule change, and the trust's Form S-1 registration statement must also become effective. Each fund must have at least 100,000 shares at the time of listing, and authorized participants may submit cash creation or redemption orders in increments of 10,000 shares. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Cryptocurrency exchange Binance will stop processing transactions involving 16 crypto asset service providers, with restrictions taking effect in three batches on August 7, August 13, and August 23. Users will not be allowed to send or receive assets directly or indirectly with the relevant entities after the corresponding dates. The affected platforms include Shelbit, Aban Tether Exchange, A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa, HTX, EXMO, Rapira, Bitpapa, and Exnode, among others. Transactions initiated after the effective dates may be temporarily withheld and subject to compliance review, and affected wallets may face temporary restrictions. The United States has imposed sanctions on Shelbit and Aban Tether, which are linked to an Iranian crypto network; the UK has also imposed sanctions on Russia-related trading platforms and the A7 network. A7 claims it transferred over $90 billion in funds last year. (Bitcoin.com News)
: Digital asset firm Galaxy Digital has lowered the probability of the CLARITY Act passing this year from 75% in May to 10%. The bill proposes that two U.S. federal regulatory agencies each oversee crypto asset regulation separately. U.S. Senators will return to Washington on September 14, followed by a working period of approximately three weeks. According to the Senate schedule, the motion to invoke cloture to advance the bill will be eligible for a vote at 2:15 PM on September 15. The motion requires the support of at least 60 senators. Republicans currently control 53 seats; if all Republican senators support the bill, support from at least 7 senators from other parties would still be needed. Galaxy Digital stated that unresolved ethics concerns, declining Republican support due to banking lobbying, and the shorter legislative window in September constitute the main obstacles to the bill's passage this year. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Bank Leumi, Israel's largest and oldest commercial bank, has announced a partnership with cryptocurrency company Galaxy Digital, planning to launch Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana trading services on the Leumi Trade investment app and mobile banking platform PEPPER in early 2027, subject to approval from the Bank of Israel. Customers will be able to buy, hold, and sell related crypto assets through their bank accounts, without needing to open accounts on separate exchanges or use personal wallets. Galaxy Digital will provide institutional trading platforms and custody infrastructure, while Bank Leumi intends to operate under a white-label model where customers do not hold private keys. Bank Leumi previously announced a partnership with Paxos in 2022 to offer crypto trading services, but it did not receive regulatory approval. Fees, trading limits, the asset list, and external wallet withdrawal rules for this service have not yet been disclosed, and custodied crypto assets do not enjoy the same deposit insurance coverage as shekel deposits. (Bitcoin.com News)
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)