News linked to both this project and an event.
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)
Odaily News: The U.S. Department of the Treasury has expanded its sanctions framework against Iran to include the digital asset sector, stating that related crypto payments exceeding $100 million have been used to facilitate Iranian crude oil sales. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has also imposed sanctions on nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels involved in nuclear, missile, cyber, and crude oil networks.This digital asset-related sanctions designation allows OFAC to sanction foreign individuals and companies operating in Iran's digital asset sector or providing support services to related fields. The U.S. Treasury stated that Iran is increasingly using cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions, including processing transactions linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and government insiders.The U.S. Treasury stated that Ivan Obukhov, a Ukrainian national based in the UAE, has processed over $100 million in crypto payments since 2023 to facilitate crude oil sales on behalf of the IRGC's Quds Force. OFAC has added Ivan Obukhov and his UAE-based company, Foscom FZE, to the sanctions list. (Cointelegraph)
According to Odaily, blockchain network BNB Chain has activated the Pasteur hard fork on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) mainnet. The upgrade addresses cross-chain bridge verification, validator authorization, staking, and governance security, while increasing block capacity without altering the 450-millisecond block time.This upgrade includes BEP-682, BEP-695, and BEP-675, which pertain to duplicate validator entries, validator key rotation and penalty governance, and the block submission process, respectively. In the internal test environment QANet, the new process increased throughput from 1,237 transactions per second to 2,324 transactions per second, though these figures are from controlled tests and do not represent mainnet measurements. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, following the latest update to ESMA's MiCA register, the number of authorized crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) in Germany has increased to 79, continuing to lead the EU, surpassing France with 35 and the Netherlands with 29.
According to Cointelegraph, multiple banks and regulators have jointly launched the world's first quantum-resistant crypto asset transfer pilot. Leveraging U.S. NIST post-quantum cryptography standards, the initiative verifies digital asset custody and transfers on a quantum-resistant testnet to mitigate quantum computing threats. Participating entities include Bison Bank, DK Bank, and regulatory authorities from Abu Dhabi, Bhutan, Malta, and other jurisdictions. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority had previously required the banking sector to complete its quantum-safe migration by 2030.
Odaily News: Fintech institution Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and crypto asset custody infrastructure provider Safeheron have announced the launch of a pilot for quantum-resistant digital asset wallets and on-chain transfers, with participants from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The pilot runs on the quantum-resistant NEAR testnet and utilizes a multi-party computation protocol supporting the ML-DSA-65 standard.Participating regulators include Abu Dhabi Global Market, Bhutan's Gelephu Financial Services Office, and Malta's Financial Services Authority, with Bison Bank and DK Bank participating as financial institutions. Banks will test wallet generation and transfers in a shared application environment, with regulators observing in the initial phase and later participating in governance workflows.The organizers plan to publish a whitepaper covering research, protocol design, and test results, and will gradually open-source the underlying technology. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority plans to fully prepare Hong Kong's banking sector for quantum security risks by 2030, while a 2025 report from the Bank for International Settlements recommends that financial institutions migrate to quantum-resistant systems in phases. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Jacob Creech, Vice President of Technology at the Solana Foundation, stated that Solana has reduced its network slot time to 350 milliseconds, the first adjustment since the network's inception. He shared on X that the next step is to bring it down to 300 milliseconds.Solana's slot time browser shows the current average slot time is 360 milliseconds, down from the network's initial setting of 400 milliseconds. In June, the Solana Foundation unveiled a plan to shorten slot time from 400 milliseconds to 200 milliseconds, with three subsequent reductions of 50 milliseconds each.All four phases are planned to be activated on the mainnet via the validator client Agave v4.2, developed by Anza, though the timeline has yet to be finalized. The related proposal, SIMD-0525, was approved and merged on May 14. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Capital Vault, an affiliate of trading platform Capital.com, has obtained a virtual asset license issued by the UAE's Capital Markets Authority (CMA), authorizing it to handle virtual assets and provide custody services as an agent or principal. Capital Vault will operate as an independent regulated entity, having already opened an office in Abu Dhabi and assembled a local virtual asset team. Once the service goes live, UAE users will be able to directly purchase and hold crypto assets via the Capital.com app, differing from its prior CFD business that only offered price exposure.
Odaily News Capital.com, a trading platform and contracts-for-differences (CFD) broker, has had its affiliated entity Capital Vault obtain a virtual asset license from the UAE's Capital Markets Authority (CMA), allowing it to conduct virtual asset trading as an agent or principal, as well as provide custody services to clients.Once the service goes live, UAE clients will be able to buy and hold crypto assets through the Capital.com app, with Capital Vault handling execution, custody, and settlement. This service is distinct from Capital.com's existing CFD products, which only offer price exposure and do not represent ownership of the underlying crypto assets.Capital Vault operates as an independent regulated entity, with its governance, custody, and risk arrangements separated from Capital.com's other businesses. It has established an office in Abu Dhabi and assembled a local virtual asset team.The approval follows the CMA's introduction of a virtual asset regulatory framework in April. The framework expands the number of regulated activities from three to eight, covering business conduct, alternative trading system requirements, anti-money laundering controls, and prudential standards. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: GnosisDAO has approved the transition of the blockchain network Gnosis Chain from a standalone Layer 1 network to a zero-knowledge proof-based Ethereum Economic Zone (EEZ) Rollup. The network will eliminate its independent validator set and instead rely on Ethereum validators to settle transactions.The proposal received 123,158 GNO in favor, 115 against, and 151 abstentions, involving 54 participants with a total participation of 123,425 GNO, exceeding the quorum threshold of 75,000 GNO. The upgrade is initially planned to launch in late 2026 or early 2027, depending on the technical readiness of the EEZ.After the upgrade, Gnosis Chain's native smart contracts will be able to call Ethereum and use the returned results within the same transaction, while also accessing Ethereum mainnet assets and liquidity. Gnosis Chain will become the first deployed EEZ instance, retaining its existing applications, balances, and xDAI fuel token. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: U.S. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego stated at the Wyoming SALT blockchain conference that rushing the CLARITY Act to a Senate vote before resolving ethical concerns and stablecoin yield disputes could set back U.S. crypto market structure legislative progress.Gallego said the crypto industry should push for continued negotiations between Senate Democrats and Republicans rather than an immediate vote. Lawmakers still need to address portions of the bill under the Agriculture Committee's jurisdiction, integrate a broader package, and determine how to bring it to the House, while also working toward the 60-vote threshold needed to pass in the Senate.Gallego also noted that he and Republican Senator Thom Tillis submitted a compromise version of the ethics provisions to the White House before the congressional recess, but have not yet received line-by-line feedback. He believes that sufficiently strict ethics restrictions are a necessary condition for winning Democratic support and advancing the bill.On Wednesday, President Trump met with crypto industry executives at the White House and urged Congress to pass a "fair version" of the CLARITY Act. Senate leadership has delayed action until September, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune previously stated that lawmakers will prioritize the bill upon returning from recess. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Standard Chartered and HSBC have completed the first real-time cross-border transaction executed via the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) blockchain ledger. The transaction exchanged payment messages through the SWIFT ledger, with the corresponding debts recorded respectively on HSBC's Tokenised Deposit Service and Standard Chartered's tokenised deposit infrastructure.The SWIFT ledger matches and nets off the debts of both parties before final settlement, with the ultimate settlement still completed through existing payment systems. The ledger is designed to connect tokenised deposits issued across different banking infrastructures, supporting round-the-clock cross-border payments while retaining existing settlement, compliance, and risk control mechanisms. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News – Geoff Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered Bank, stated that Bitcoin (BTC) could rise to $100,000 by the end of 2026 as the U.S. Treasury expands liquidity support for the long-term bond market.In a recent client report, Kendrick noted that Bitcoin's current key technical resistance level is $65,500. If the price breaks through this level, it could signal that the cyclical low for this market cycle has already formed. He suggested investors begin positioning for a Bitcoin rally to $100,000 by year-end. Kendrick stated that beyond the four-year cycle pattern for Bitcoin, which suggests the market may be nearing a bottom, the U.S. Treasury's recent announcement to expand long-term bond buybacks is also a significant catalyst.The U.S. Treasury plans to raise the cap on buyback operations for 10- to 20-year and 20- to 30-year Treasury bonds from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation. The expanded program is scheduled to be implemented from September 9 to November 4. Following the announcement, yields on long-term U.S. Treasuries notably declined, easing the pressure that the significant sell-off in the bond market had placed on financial markets.Kendrick believes the Treasury's expanded bond buybacks represent a "favorable environment for Bitcoin," as Bitcoin has previously benefited multiple times from government liquidity interventions, while its fixed supply mechanism gives it properties that hedge against currency debasement. In the market, Bitcoin rose over 6% on Wednesday, briefly approaching $69,000, marking its highest level since early June. Kendrick has previously been repeatedly bullish on Bitcoin's long-term trajectory, arguing that as global fiscal pressures increase and monetary policy trends toward easing, Bitcoin may enter a new long-term upward cycle. (Cointelegraph)
: Asset tokenization platform Centrifuge has announced its integration with Liquid Lane, a liquidity network launched by Symbiotic, to provide on-chain liquidity support for three of its tokenized funds, covering fund products with approximately $1.6 billion in assets under management.The integration involves Janus Henderson's JAAA (AAA-rated collateralized loan obligation strategy fund), JTRSY (short-term U.S. Treasury strategy fund), and NYLIM's HYB (U.S. high-yield corporate bond fund). Through Symbiotic Liquid Lane, eligible fund holders can exchange their fund tokens for USDC via an on-chain request-for-quote (RFQ) market, enabling instant liquidity. This mechanism allows market makers to draw funds from liquidity vaults to meet investor redemption demands, and subsequently redeem fund tokens through the issuer or sell them in other RFQ transactions.Centrifuge stated that this solution separates investors' instant access to USDC liquidity from the traditional fund redemption process, making tokenized funds more adaptable to the trading demands of on-chain financial markets. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Nexo Australia announced the launch of a regulated crypto-backed credit line, allowing eligible users to pledge digital assets as collateral to borrow Australian dollars or stablecoins without selling their held crypto assets. The service typically disburses funds within 24 hours, supports flexible repayment, has no fixed terms or disbursement fees, and interest rates range from 0.9% to 21.9%.
Odaily News: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed rules related to crypto assets, aiming to establish a clear framework for eligible investment contracts and provide a targeted securities offering regime for token issuances, enabling related entities to raise funds while retaining investor protection measures. The proposed rules would allow crypto companies to issue up to $5 million in tokens over four years, or up to $75 million in tokens within 12 months, and provide a safe harbor to prevent cryptocurrencies from being deemed "investment contracts." Issuers would be required to disclose financial statements and provide ongoing reporting. The SEC did not include the previously anticipated "innovation exemption" for crypto stocks. The proposal comes just days after the U.S. Senate failed to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act; the public will have 60 days to submit comments after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. SEC Chair Paul Atkins stated that congressional legislation remains essential for establishing rules that can be applied over the long term, and the SEC will continue to support Congress in advancing the CLARITY Act to President Trump. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) plans to discuss cryptocurrency, AI, and prediction market regulation on Thursday. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken's payment app Krak has launched a multi-asset debit card in the US, allowing users to spend cryptocurrency and fiat currency, with up to 2% cashback in USD or Bitcoin. The card supports over 600 currencies and assets, converting holdings to USD at checkout. Individual transactions can draw from multiple balances, and users can set their own asset spending order. The card is issued by Lead Bank, connected to the Visa network, and powered by Stripe Issuing. Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Payward, Kraken's parent company, stated that Payward is expanding its asset classes and financial services, currently offering banking services, and views tokenization as an important component of expanding financial products. Krak said that since its launch in the UK and the European Economic Area in December 2025, it has issued more than 135,000 multi-asset cards. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, the Ethereum Foundation Protocol DevOps team issued a warning that due to significant adjustments to the Ethereum gas model in the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade, some wallets, indexers, and gas estimators may experience malfunctions. Any tools relying on hardcoded maximum Gas limits will face the risk of becoming non-functional and need to be updated as soon as possible. EIP-8037 will introduce an independent "state Gas dimension" to handle operations that create new state—transfers to existing accounts will still be 21,000 Gas, but transfers to new accounts will incur additional state Gas fees. The Foundation recommends developers complete system testing on the public testnet Plataberget (launched on August 13) as soon as possible. The Glamsterdam fork is scheduled to activate on this testnet this Thursday, subsequently deployed to the Sepolia and Hoodi testnets, and finally launched on the mainnet. This upgrade also covers the Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) mechanism, block-level access lists, as well as increases in contract and initialization code size limits.
Odaily News: The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has warned that the Gas model changes in the Glamsterdam upgrade may cause some wallets, indexers, and gas estimation tools to malfunction. The EF Protocol DevOps team stated that tools relying on hardcoded maximum gas limits will fail, and developers need to update their systems and test on the Plataberget public testnet. Plataberget went live on August 13 and is expected to run for several months. The Glamsterdam fork is scheduled to activate on the Ethereum network on Thursday, followed by deployment to the Sepolia and Hoodi testnets. EIP-8037 will introduce a separate state gas dimension for operations that create new state. Transferring ETH to an existing account will still require 21,000 gas, while transfers to new accounts will incur additional state gas; developers should also re-examine software that treats 21,000 gas as the cost for all ETH transfers, or that estimates transaction fees using only a single gas dimension. (Cointelegraph)
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved World Liberty Financial's application for a national trust bank charter, subject to regulatory and policy requirements. Upon approval, the company may operate under the name World Liberty Trust Company, National Association. World Liberty Financial's application documents show that the bank plans to issue USD-backed stablecoins and custody digital assets related to its USD1 token. U.S. President Donald Trump and his three sons are all affiliated with the company, with Trump family entities holding a 38% stake. Senator Elizabeth Warren, along with nine other senators, introduced the Terminating Presidential Banking Corruption Act following the approval. Elizabeth Warren stated that the OCC's move represents one of the most blatant conflicts of interest in the U.S. financial system. In January 2025, an Abu Dhabi investment company backed by UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan purchased a 49% stake in World Liberty for $500 million. Another UAE entity, MGX, previously used USD1 to invest $2 billion in Binance. (Cointelegraph)