News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily News: The UK regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is exploring how tokenized gold can be incorporated into wholesale markets, including whether it can be used as collateral. The discussions involve regulatory approaches for institutional markets, with related rules potentially being announced in the coming months. The regulatory discussion comes as London seeks to consolidate its position as a global hub for gold trading. According to data from the World Gold Council, London currently accounts for approximately 70% of global gold trading volume, with Shanghai and Hong Kong competing for a larger share of wholesale business. HSBC launched a tokenized gold product for retail investors in Hong Kong more than two years ago, reporting cumulative trading volume exceeding $2.2 billion with more than 276,000 transactions. The FCA does not directly regulate physical gold trading, but it does regulate gold derivatives and publicly listed exchange-traded products. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Payment company Stripe did not sign long-term supplier contracts with third-party stablecoin APIs. Instead, after Bridge achieved $5 billion in annualized cross-border transaction volume, Stripe acquired it outright for $1.1 billion and integrated stablecoin infrastructure into its global checkout layer. Fintech platform Robinhood did not expand internationally through external trading venues. Instead, it acquired cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp for $200 million, obtaining more than 50 global regulatory licenses and institutional liquidity. From 2012 to 2018, early B2B fintech startups paid traditional banks for proof-of-concept pilot fees. From 1996 to 2001, telecom infrastructure startups raised over $50 billion to lay dark fiber. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: The U.S. Senate will hold a procedural cloture vote on a motion related to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act) at 2:15 PM ET on September 15. This marks the first full Senate vote on the bill since it passed the House in July 2025. The bill is numbered H.R. 3633 and was previously passed by the House with 294 votes in favor and 134 votes against. The vote concerns whether to limit debate on the motion to proceed with the bill; supporters need 60 votes to succeed. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate. If all Republican senators vote in favor, they would still need 7 additional votes; any absence or opposition would increase the number of additional votes required. If the procedural vote passes, the subsequent debate time on the motion to proceed will be capped at 30 hours, after which the Senate will vote on the motion itself. Only if the motion is approved will the bill be formally considered, and the bill itself will still need to pass another 60-vote cloture motion. If the Senate amends the text, the revised version would need to be sent back to the House for a vote. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: Harry Yeh, founder and managing partner of Quantum Fintech Group, an investment firm focused on the Fanton ecosystem with over $2 billion in assets under management, was found dead on Friday local time in Paraguay. He fell from the 30th floor of the Jade Park tower in Asunción, a vertical drop of over 100 meters. When police arrived at the scene, they found Yeh completely naked and covered with a black bag; the door to his residence was open, and items inside were scattered. Police stated that the investigation is still in its preliminary stages, and the cause of the fall remains unclear. Building surveillance footage has been reviewed, and an autopsy and forensic examination have been scheduled. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: UAE-based foundation Aqua1 Foundation purchased $100 million worth of governance tokens from decentralized finance project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) on June 26, marking the largest single publicly disclosed purchase of the token to date. The funds trace back to Chinese businessman Guren "Bobby" Zhou, with up to $75 million flowing to entities linked to the Trump family and World Liberty Financial co-founder Zach Witkoff. WLFI tokens confer governance and voting rights and do not represent equity in the company. Zhou was arrested in the UK in March 2021 on suspicion of money laundering, with UK law enforcement investigations still ongoing as of late July 2026. Two of his long-time employees were indicted in September 2025, one of whom has pleaded guilty, with trial scheduled for 2028. Zhou has not yet been formally charged. Zhou met with Eric Trump in Dubai to discuss the investment and described it as participation in the "Trump family's crypto project." The source of the $100 million Aqua1 used to purchase WLFI remains unclear, and public information does not indicate any direct link between these specific funds and money laundering activities. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: On August 5, the minority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs stated that the July 22 version of the CLARITY Act fails to meet five minimum standards. The bill, numbered H.R. 3633, aims to divide digital asset regulatory authority between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The analysis suggests that the bill's two-tier system could remove certain blockchain assets from SEC oversight, allowing issuing companies to self-certify exemptions from securities regulation. Healthy Markets and five labor organizations have raised concerns over pension protections and securities law loopholes, while minority staff also noted that investors' private right of action and state and tribal enforcement powers could be weakened. Minority staff stated that DeFi-related companies could be exempt from anti-illegal financing obligations even if they earn millions of dollars from platform transactions; some crypto mixers may circumvent U.S. sanctions by exploiting the "Tornado Cash loophole." The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) warned that stablecoin yields could drain deposits from community banks, and the Systemic Risk Council has flagged related banking activities as potential bailout risks. Minority staff noted that Donald Trump alone earned over $1.4 billion from crypto businesses in 2025, with related enforcement solely under the purview of his Attorney General, and that obligations would terminate upon his departure from office. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, citing $3.8 billion in investor losses, have separately called on the SEC to investigate Trump memecoin. The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote on September 15 on the motion to proceed, with the bill needing 60 votes to advance. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to Bitcoin.com, Fireblocks released the 2026 "Financial Grid" survey report, covering over 600 executives. The report shows that 99% of Continental European institutions and 100% of UK institutions expect regulatory policies to support digital asset development. Influenced by the clarity of the MiCA regulatory framework, 53% of European institutions have completed capital commitments before 2026, higher than the global average of 42%; as the UK's regulatory framework is still being formulated, this proportion is only 36%, but an additional 59% of UK institutions plan to complete budget allocations within 2026. In terms of product strategy, European institutions lead in tokenized money market funds (62% vs 45%) and tokenized securities; the UK is more aggressive in stablecoin issuance, with 50% of institutions planning to issue stablecoins independently, higher than Europe's 40%. Both markets list 24/7 settlement and real-time payments as primary application scenarios.
According to Bitcoin.com, a recent survey report released by Bearingpoint shows that 23% of Swiss adults use cryptocurrency at least occasionally, far higher than 11% in Germany and 18% in Austria. The survey was conducted by YouGov in June 2026 among over 4,000 adults in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The report points out that Switzerland's leading advantage stems from its Distributed Ledger Technology Act (DLT Act) officially effective in 2021, which provides a clear legal framework for crypto assets, attracting a large number of enterprises to establish operations, and driving the expansion of the "Crypto Valley" ecosystem to 1,749 blockchain companies. Additionally, 37% of Swiss respondents consider cryptocurrency an asset worth investing in, and 45% support it becoming an international reserve currency, both leading Germany and Austria. In contrast, regarding Germany, although retail adoption rates lag behind, the "meinkrypto" platform under DZ Bank and Dekabank's crypto services for the savings bank network are expected to cover approximately 80 million customers, potentially gradually narrowing the gap with Switzerland.
According to Bitcoin.com, Binance's investigation team, jointly with India's Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), successfully dismantled the darknet drug trafficking organization "Team Kalki". Reportedly, the gang used cryptocurrencies, the encrypted communication platform Session, the darknet forum Dread, and "dead drop" methods to distribute drugs within India, with supply originating from overseas suppliers; authorities have seized a large quantity of drugs from domestic and international packages. Binance and DSCI assisted law enforcement officers in identifying and freezing crypto assets related to the gang through blockchain analysis and wallet tracking technology. Binance Asia-Pacific Head S.B. Seker stated that the public transparency of blockchain makes illegal transactions easier to track and investigate.
According to Bitcoin.com, digital asset wealth platform Nexo announced the completion of an upgrade to its European Economic Area (EEA) operational structure to comply with the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). Nexo chose to partner with two entities regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) rather than directly applying for a single MiCAR license: Tangany holds a MiCAR license and is responsible for providing segregated digital asset custody infrastructure; DLT Finance holds both MiCAR and MiFID II authorizations and is responsible for providing brokerage and execution infrastructure. Currently, all of Nexo's services in the EEA are operating seamlessly without any interruption.
According to Bitcoin.com, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis is pushing hard for the CLARITY Act to complete Senate voting before Congress adjourns. Section 303 of the bill grants the Treasury Department the authority to impose targeted digital asset sanctions on foreign jurisdictions, while Section 305 allows exchanges to freeze suspicious transactions for up to 180 days. On-chain data shows that North Korea's Lazarus Group stole approximately $643 million in the first half of 2026, accounting for two-thirds of the total global crypto theft during the same period ($972 million), including a $285 million attack on Drift Protocol in April and a $292 million attack on the KelpDAO cross-chain bridge. The group's cumulative theft amount has reached $6.75 billion since 2019. Currently, Galaxy Research has lowered the probability of the CLARITY Act passing within 2026 to 30%. The bill still requires 60 votes to advance, meaning at least 7 Democratic senators need to vote across party lines in support.
According to Bitcoin.com, the Kenyan government is investigating the hacking incident of President William Ruto's official website. The attackers temporarily tampered with the homepage content and demanded a payment of 5 Bitcoins, threatening to leak undisclosed information otherwise.
on July 13, the Czech Ministry of Finance added Polymarket to its list of unauthorized internet gaming platforms, identifying it as an unlicensed gambling platform. Internet service providers are required to block access to the platform within 15 days. The Czech Institute for Gambling Regulation stated that Polymarket settles payments using the USDC stablecoin and operates as a decentralized exchange, without providing services through licensed local operators. The institute noted that several EU countries have recently restricted or blocked Polymarket; Italy has reinstated it on the blocklist, while the Netherlands has dismissed the platform's appeal. Separately, this month, the EU market regulator ESMA warned that event contracts meeting the definition of financial instruments are already prohibited from being sold to retail investors under existing binary options rules. Gibraltar has introduced a dedicated regulatory framework for prediction markets this week, while Malta has indicated it is exploring a similar regime. (Bitcoin.com News).
: White House Crypto Council Executive Director Patrick Witt will conclude his final working day at the White House on July 18. He will begin attending the Georgia Army National Guard Judge Advocate Officer training on July 27. Witt was previously responsible for negotiations on the CLARITY Act, which is expected to face a full Senate vote around July 20. Deputy Director Harry Jung will take over the relevant negotiations and will also lead efforts on the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the GENIUS Act. The consolidated draft of the CLARITY Act is expected to be released this week. The bill needs 60 votes to pass the filibuster threshold, requiring at least seven Democratic supporters. Democrats are demanding the inclusion of ethics clauses regarding the president's personal crypto asset exposure. Disclosure information shows that Trump earned over $1.4 billion from crypto-related businesses last year. (Bitcoin.com News)
According to Bitcoin.com, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis launched a nighttime special operation in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Department, seizing multiple luxury vehicles using forged or unregistered license plates, with drivers all claiming to be cryptocurrency and forex "traders". Among them was a Mercedes-AMG GLE valued at over $153,000 (approximately 2.5 million South African rand), which was fraudulently registered as a white BMW. Authorities pointed out that such "financial influencers" are accustomed to flaunting wealth with luxury cars on social media platforms like TikTok, luring victims into investing in fraudulent platforms. A report released in March had previously identified Cape Town and Johannesburg as hubs for organized crypto fraud, where criminal groups employ technologies such as deepfakes and cloned apps to commit fraud, and illicit funds are laundered through crypto wallets and physical assets. To address increasingly complex financial crimes, the mayor has established an independent Metropolitan Police Detective Unit to enforce the law independently, bypassing the under-resourced national police system.
Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad responded on X on July 11 to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren's criticism of the CLARITY Act, stating that the bill would not weaken national security but would instead bring digital asset platforms under stronger regulation. Elizabeth Warren had previously stated on July 8 that the current draft of the CLARITY Act could provide opportunities for evading sanctions. Faryar Shirzad stated that the bill would require crypto platforms to comply with stricter national security standards and allow platforms to freeze suspicious transactions upon request from law enforcement. U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis previously stated that the CLARITY Act includes 16 illicit finance safeguards and warned that the bill may represent the last major opportunity for the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive digital asset rules before 2030. (Bitcoin.com News).
The Singapore Police Force's Anti-Scam Centre and Cybercrime Department, in a six-week joint anti-scam operation from April 16 to May 31, 2026, collaborated with Coinbase, Coinhako, Gemini, Independent Reserve, OKX, StraitsX, and Upbit. Using blockchain analysis tools from Chainalysis and TRM Labs, they identified potential scam victims and conducted over 145 targeted interventions via phone and in-person visits, preventing potential losses exceeding $4.2 million. Coinbase Singapore stated in a post on X on July 10 that it worked with the Singapore police to prevent over 145 individuals from losing a combined total of more than $4.2 million due to scams. The Singapore Police Force stated that it will continue to work with cryptocurrency exchanges and other private sector entities to combat cybercrime. (Bitcoin.com News).
According to Odaily, Bitcoin is set to undergo two fork events in 2026. Developer Paul Sztorc plans to launch an intentional hard fork called eCash, expected to activate around August 21 at block height 964,000. Another controversial soft fork proposal, BIP-110, has the potential to inadvertently cause a chain split during the August signaling window. A Bitcoin chain split replicates the UTXO set, giving holders 1:1 assets on both ledgers. The usability of a forked coin depends on replay protection, mining difficulty, and market conditions. Self-custodial holders, who control their private keys at the time of the snapshot, can typically sign transactions on either chain; custodial holdings, where private keys are controlled by exchanges at the time of the snapshot, mean users' eligibility for the forked coin depends on the platform's policy. (Bitcoin.com News)
Odaily News: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging that any version of the "Digital Asset Market Clarity Act" considered by the Senate retain Section 604 to protect non-custodial blockchain developers who do not control user assets. Ron Wyden stated that developers should not be considered money transmitters simply because they create or publish software that allows users to manage their own digital assets. Coin Center Executive Director Peter Van Valkenburgh, the DeFi Education Fund, and Galaxy Digital Head of Research Alex Thorn have expressed support for this stance. Alex Thorn also noted that supporting developer protections does not mean Ron Wyden will endorse the entire CLARITY Act. Ron Wyden further stated that the provision does not protect developers involved in illegal activities and can direct law enforcement resources toward criminals and unlicensed money transmission businesses, rather than neutral software developers. (Bitcoin.com News).
Kraken parent company Payward has asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to enter a final judgment against Mazars USA after an arbitrator ruled in its favor, awarding $22 million in damages. Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi stated that the case involves debanking, regulatory pressure, and the need for clear rules in the U.S. crypto market, and called on Congress to pass the CLARITY Act. (Bitcoin.com News).