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Odaily News: Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken's parent company Payward has received full market approval from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), with its local entity Payward FZCO obtaining a virtual asset service provider license, allowing it to offer crypto asset services in the UAE. The approval builds on preliminary approval obtained in May 2026.Payward stated that Kraken's UAE clients will be able to use spot and margin trading pairs denominated in UAE dirhams within the coming weeks, with support for direct deposits and withdrawals. The services will be available to retail investors, professional investors, and institutional investors.VARA's public registry shows that Payward FZCO was approved on October 6 to provide asset management and investment services, as well as broker-dealer services. The number of licensed service providers currently registered with Dubai's VARA stands at 58, up from 49 in May 2026. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has stated that cross-border stablecoin regulation and crisis management mechanisms remain immature or have yet to be established. FSB Chair Andrew Bailey noted that its 2025 review shows that only 11 out of the 28 jurisdictions surveyed have completed building stablecoin regulatory frameworks.The FSB warned that stablecoin runs could transmit to traditional financial markets through forced sales of reserve assets and bank deposit withdrawals. For multi-issuer stablecoins, redemption demands could concentrate on a single issuer, while reserve assets are distributed across different jurisdictions — a similar risk that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde had previously flagged.The FSB has finalized practices for the responsible adoption of AI in the financial sector, covering organizational governance, AI development and deployment, cybersecurity, and third-party service risks. Andrew Bailey stated that AI-driven sophisticated cyberattacks could undermine the resilience of critical financial institutions and market infrastructure. The FSB has submitted related correspondence to the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: The Finance Committee of the French National Assembly has passed amendment No. I-CF821, which would require holders of self-custodied crypto assets valued at or above €100,000 (approximately $112,000) to declare their holdings.The declared value is based on December 31 of each year, and those who fail to declare as required may face fines of up to €10,000. The proposal was put forward by Charles de Courson, Jean-Pierre Bataille, and Michel Castellani, aiming to combat tax evasion.The amendment still needs to be resubmitted and approved when the National Assembly reviews the revenue portion of the budget before it can be incorporated into French law. After the Finance Committee passed the relevant amendment, it rejected the revenue portion of the 2027 budget by a vote of 31 to 3, and lawmakers are expected to begin debate on Tuesday starting from the government's original draft. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a consultation paper seeking industry feedback on the legal, liquidity, and operational risks of tokenized collateral, to assess whether clearinghouses can promptly access such assets and convert them into cash during periods of market stress. This review will help determine whether existing EU regulations are sufficient to ensure that clearinghouses can effectively dispose of tokenized collateral in the event of member defaults, and will also evaluate whether additional regulatory measures are needed.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a consultation paper seeking industry feedback on the legal, liquidity, and operational risks of tokenized collateral, in order to assess whether clearing institutions can obtain and liquidate such assets under market stress, and to determine whether new EU regulatory measures are needed.ESMA Chair Verena Ross stated that legal certainty, infrastructure interoperability, and appropriate regulation are needed to create the conditions for the safe cross-border operation and scaling of tokenized markets. Tokenized collateral is entering European clearing operations, enabling banks and investors to obtain securities more quickly to meet margin requirements.The assessment will also examine whether current EU rules can support clearing institutions in obtaining and liquidating tokenized collateral in the event of a member default. In July 2025, Eurex Clearing launched a collateral service based on distributed ledger technology, and JPMorgan completed its first real-time transaction for Dutch pension investor PGGM.ESMA will also assess tokenized forms of assets held by traditional financial infrastructure, assets natively issued on distributed ledgers, and their relationship with stablecoins, central bank money, and tokenized deposits. The European System of Central Banks launched Pontes in September 2025 to settle tokenized asset transactions in central bank money, and to connect blockchain infrastructure with existing settlement systems. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that the tokenized financial market is growing rapidly, but legal uncertainty, insufficient interoperability, and the lack of a widely recognized settlement asset could still limit its further development.In its latest analysis, the IMF noted that as of July, the scale of tokenized real-world assets (RWA) was approximately $65 billion, still relatively small compared to the roughly $300 trillion in global capital market assets. Among these, tokenized credit products accounted for approximately $30.4 billion, money market funds approximately $17.5 billion, and tokenized equities approximately $2.3 billion.The IMF stated that tokenized equities are attracting investors by supporting 24/7 trading and fractional ownership, but their liquidity is significantly lower than traditional markets, with actual volatility approximately 1.5 times that of traditional stocks. As the tokenized market expands, increased market correlation and leverage could amplify liquidity risks, concentrated selling, and risk contagion.The IMF said tokenization could reshape financial markets, but future development will depend more on improved policy frameworks, market depth, trust mechanisms, and risk protection measures. Currently, since the market size remains relatively small, the systemic risks posed by tokenized assets are limited. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily reports: The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has stated that EU crypto asset service providers authorized under MiCA should cease offering services involving stablecoins that do not comply with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) to EU clients, and should address existing related exposures no later than January 8, 2027.The guidance covers trading platforms, exchange services, order execution, custody, transfers, investment advice, and portfolio management. ESMA requires firms to take technical, contractual, and organizational measures to prevent EU clients from gaining or increasing exposure to unauthorized stablecoins.Regulators may allow firms to provide limited services such as liquidation, conversion, withdrawals, transfers, and safekeeping to help clients exit existing positions, but such activities must be temporary arrangements and subject to strict supervision. This update extends the relevant guidance published by ESMA in January 2025. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated during a conversation at Token2049 with OKX CEO Xu Xingming that the cryptocurrency industry's heavy tilt toward the Republican Party has alienated Democrats, and that passage of federal crypto legislation such as the CLARITY Act requires bipartisan support. Data indicates that crypto PACs contributed $54.3 million to Republicans and $26.2 million to Democrats during the 2026 election cycle, with an additional $23.2 million spent against Democratic candidates. Cuomo also rejected the notion that the Democratic Party is inherently opposed to cryptocurrency, noting that crypto aligns closely with Democratic values regarding financial inclusion, and urged the industry to adopt a more balanced approach to political donations.
Odaily reports: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a panel discussion at Token2049 alongside OKX CEO Star Xu, said the crypto industry has overwhelmingly supported the Republican Party and has alienated the Democratic support needed to advance the CLARITY Act.During the 2026 election cycle, crypto-focused political action committees have spent $54.3 million supporting Republicans, $26.2 million supporting Democrats, and another $23.2 million opposing Democrats.As of Thursday, Kalshi prediction markets show Democrats have about a 61% chance of winning both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Cuomo said a Democrat-controlled Congress could roll back regulators' crypto policies or work with the Trump administration to advance a full CLARITY Act.Cuomo said Democrats are not opposed to crypto technology, which can help people who previously lacked access to financial products obtain related services. In July 2025, 78 House Democrats joined 216 Republicans in voting to pass the CLARITY Act. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: According to people familiar with the matter, crypto media Cointelegraph is looking for potential buyers, and the specific sale price has not yet been disclosed. The report states that due to the prolonged downturn in the crypto market and a Google search penalty, Cointelegraph's website traffic has dropped sharply. In October 2025, Google imposed a manual penalty on it, causing organic search traffic to fall by about 80%. Similarweb data shows that the site's monthly visits have dropped from more than 12 million in December 2024 to slightly more than 700,000 in September 2026.Cointelegraph was founded in 2013 and currently has more than 200 employees. As of the time of publication, the company had not responded to a request for comment. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News: Stablecoin issuer Circle has partnered with Tereina, a financial services company backed by German enterprise software company SAP, to bring USDC and EURC into SAP customers' enterprise payment processes. Enterprises using SAP financial software can send and receive both stablecoins within existing applications, with USDC used for USD-denominated transactions and EURC for EUR-denominated payments.Tereina provides payment infrastructure that can be embedded into enterprise software, enabling businesses to complete payments without switching to other financial platforms. The two parties plan to test stablecoin integration with customers over the coming months, applying it to global payments and treasury management operations; the SAP ecosystem covers 84% of global commercial activity.The partnership comes less than a month after Circle launched the mainnet of Arc, a Layer 1 blockchain focused on stablecoin payments and financial markets. Arc uses USDC to pay transaction fees and supports over 20 fiat-backed stablecoins, including USDC and EURC. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily reports: Crypto wallet provider Tangem has announced the launch of its first physical Visa card, supporting in-store and online purchases as well as ATM withdrawals, with an initial limited release of 5,000 cards. Users can top up the card directly from their self-custodial wallet, and if the card is suspended or closed, funds can be transferred back to the wallet.More than 40% of Tangem Pay payments come from Latin America, and over 30% from the United States. Tangem stated that the physical card currently cannot be shipped to approximately 20 countries and regions, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Palestine, with these restrictions affected by KYC, sanctions, banking rules, and card issuance compliance requirements.Tangem Pay will also offer USDC cashback on eligible purchases, with 1% cashback for Basic users and 2% for Plus users. Tangem plans to showcase the first batch of physical cards during Token2049 in Singapore. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Digital asset project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) stated during a stablecoin panel discussion at Token2049 in Singapore that it plans to push USD1 onto major online enterprises. Mesh co-founder and CEO Bam Azizi, a payment infrastructure provider, announced a partnership with WLFI, allowing USD1 holders to use the stablecoin through its merchant network, with plans to go live this quarter.WLFI is backed by the family of U.S. President Donald Trump. Its issued USD1 is issued by BitGo, with reserves including cash, U.S. government money market funds, and other cash equivalents, aimed at maintaining a value of 1 U.S. dollar. USD1 has a market capitalization of approximately $4.45 billion.The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) conditionally approved WLFI in August to establish a national trust bank for issuing dollar-backed stablecoins and custodying digital assets. WLFI CEO Zach Witkoff stated that USD1 is currently issued through BitGo, and after obtaining the trust bank charter, WLFI will assume issuance responsibility itself. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Russia has registered its first batch of cryptocurrency exchange operators and digital asset custodians under new regulations that took effect on September 1. The Bank of Russia has published the list of the first authorized operators, including 4 exchange operators and 5 custodians.Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, has been included in the custodian list alongside Atomyze, Voltari, and Cloud Infrastructure. Sberbank stated that it has applied for digital asset custodian status and plans to launch its first crypto products on December 1 through the SberBank Online, SberInvestments, and SberBusiness platforms, initially supporting Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and USDt (USDT).T-Invest Lab, Zefir, and Sistema-Crypto were included in the exchange operator list, while VTB Bank appears on both lists. The registrations are based on a cryptocurrency bill signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in August, which brings exchanges, custodians, brokers, and investors under the supervision of the Bank of Russia, and maintains the prohibition on using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily reports: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in a filing submitted on Monday, cited the appellate ruling in the case of Roman Sterlingov, the operator of cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog, as supplementary grounds for opposing Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm's acquittal motion.U.S. prosecutors stated that the ruling supports their position that the Southern District of New York is the proper venue for the trial. Prosecutors argued that Shakeeb Ahmed used Tornado Cash in a Manhattan apartment, and that this activity is sufficient to establish venue for the money laundering and unlicensed money transmission conspiracy charges against Roman Storm.Judge Katherine Polk Failla heard arguments on Roman Storm's acquittal motion in April 2026 but has not yet issued a ruling. A jury in August 2025 convicted him of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, but failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the money laundering and sanctions conspiracy charges, with a retrial tentatively scheduled for April 26, 2027. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Prediction market platform Kalshi's 15-minute gold market recorded 542 million contracts traded in September, with estimated fees of approximately $5 million, surpassing the Ethereum market's 318 million contracts and $2.6 million; the Bitcoin market's estimated fees during the same period reached $60.4 million.The gold contract was launched in August, allowing traders to bet on whether gold would rise or fall within 15 minutes. Kalshi stated that its commodity trading volume reached $400 million within 7 months of launch, more than 4 times the trading volume of the crypto market during the same period.In the 7 days ending October 5, fees from 15-minute crypto, commodity, and financial markets reached $20.4 million, accounting for 80% of the platform's non-sports fees; this category of markets contributed 13% of trading volume and 20% of fees. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Crypto asset platform operator Bitcoin Group SE announced that the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has rejected the crypto asset service provider license application submitted by its subsidiary futurum bank AG under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The company is evaluating alternative operating models and seeking to restore Bitcoin.de trading as soon as possible through a regulated partner.Moritz Eckert, CEO of Bitcoin Group SE, stated that the company had prepared for the rejection of its application and will now review the decision, with the option to file an objection or resubmit the application in the future. Bitcoin.de is a German crypto trading platform operated by futurum bank AG, with over 1.1 million registered users.Bitcoin.de was originally a peer-to-peer trading marketplace and switched to a broker model this year, with plans to offer over 100 cryptocurrencies, crypto asset exchange, and staking services. The platform was originally scheduled to launch the new model at the end of June, but it was delayed due to waiting for MiCA licensing, and trading has been largely suspended since June 12. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, a Zcash ETF backed by the Winklevosses has filed for registration with the SEC, aiming to list on Nasdaq under the ticker WINK. The fund is slated to be custodied by Gemini Trust and carries no leverage risk.
the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade has gone live on the Sepolia testnet, activating at 13:53 UTC on Tuesday, epoch 353024. This deployment is one of the major test runs ahead of the upgrade's final mainnet activation.Glamsterdam will introduce built-in proposer-builder separation (ePBS), block-level access lists, and Gas pricing adjustments more closely aligned with execution costs, aiming to enhance the scalability and efficiency of the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum Foundation has published the relevant upgrade plans.Following this testnet deployment, developers will determine the activation time for Glamsterdam on the Hoodi testnet, and subsequently set the mainnet launch date. Once the upgrade is complete, developers will move forward with the next major upgrade, Hegotá. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Nonprofit financial reform advocacy group Better Markets stated that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)'s plan to bring certain cryptocurrency trading and exchanges under its regulatory purview could give retail investors weaker protections than those under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The CFTC has solicited public comments on a framework for margin, leverage, or financing in retail crypto trading.Benjamin Schiffrin, Director of Securities Policy at Better Markets, noted that the CFTC lacks an investor protection mandate, and its statutory authority was originally designed to address fraud in leveraged precious metals trading, which does not justify making it the primary regulator of retail crypto trading. He also said the proposed framework could allow the kind of interrelated market participants that were seen as contributing to FTX's collapse.After the CLARITY Act stalled in Congress, the CFTC and SEC have continued to advance crypto policy under existing law. The CFTC plans to establish a new federal category to bring qualifying crypto trading platforms directly under regulation; the SEC, meanwhile, has proposed relaxing certain investment adviser custody rules, allowing limited tokenized trading of U.S. equities, and issuing new guidance on how securities laws apply to crypto assets. (Cointelegraph)