News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Cointelegraph, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has reiterated its plan to submit a draft amendment bill on virtual asset regulation by the end of 2026, establishing a licensing regime for four categories of virtual asset services: trading, custody, advisory, and management. At a policy briefing on October 5, Paul Chan, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, stated that the government will submit the relevant amendment bill within this year to respond to innovative developments in the financial technology sector and further refine the virtual asset regulatory framework. Previously, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority granted the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses to Anchorpoint Financial and HSBC Bank (Hong Kong) in April this year. The proposed new licensing regime will further expand the scope of Hong Kong's virtual asset regulation.
The Hong Kong government has reiterated that it will submit amendments to the crypto asset licensing bill before the end of 2026, establishing a licensing regime covering digital asset trading, custody, advisory, and management services. Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui stated that the amendments will respond to developments in the fintech sector.In January of this year, Christopher Hui disclosed that regulators planned to submit crypto asset regulatory proposals before the end of 2026. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has begun processing stablecoin issuer license applications and in April granted the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses to Anchorpoint Financial and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. (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)
According to Cointelegraph, stablecoin payment infrastructure provider Rain has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Rain National Trust Bank in New York. If approved, the bank will provide fiduciary custody services for digital assets and U.S. dollars to institutional clients, manage reserve assets for eligible stablecoin issuers, and issue and redeem USD stablecoins in accordance with the GENIUS Act. This application arrives as U.S. community banks mount legal challenges against crypto trust bank charters. The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) recently sued the OCC, seeking to overturn the relevant charter regulations and block the agency from continuing to approve new national trust banks under this framework.
cryptocurrency exchange OKX has announced the launch of OKX Money, a stablecoin savings and payment app, now available in parts of Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, offering up to 10% annualized yield on eligible USDG balances.Users can fund their accounts with over 50 supported currencies, with funds converted into USD-backed stablecoins, and can hold, send, and spend USDG, USDC, or USDT. The app supports both virtual and physical cards, and eligible USDG balances can earn yield without staking or lock-up requirements.OKX stated that the app will roll out gradually in accordance with regional requirements, with specific legal entities and regulatory frameworks varying by jurisdiction, and the initial launch markets have not yet been disclosed. Yields and eligibility conditions vary by region and user, and users can unlock higher yield tiers by meeting a 30-day average deposit threshold, reaching a 30-day spending amount, or upgrading their exchange VIP level. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily reports: Stablecoin payment infrastructure provider Rain has submitted an application to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Rain National Trust Bank in New York. Once approved, the bank will be able to provide institutional clients with digital asset and USD fiduciary custody, as well as stablecoin reserve management services.Rain stated that Rain National Trust Bank may also issue and redeem USD-backed stablecoins in accordance with the GENIUS Act. Former Square Financial Services Chief Financial Officer Brandon Soto will serve as President and CEO of the proposed bank, subject to OCC review.The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) sued the OCC on Friday, alleging that it allowed non-depository trust banks to conduct a wide range of non-fiduciary activities, exceeding its regulatory authority. The ICBA is asking the court to overturn the OCC's chartering rule introduced in March 2026 and Interpretive Letter 1176 from 2021, and to block the approval of more licenses based on those documents.The Crypto Council for Innovation said the lawsuit is intended to restrict innovation. The ICBA complaint states that the OCC has approved or conditionally approved at least 21 trust banks, of which at least 13 are cryptocurrency companies. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, the crypto political action committee Fairshake, backed by Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and Andreessen Horowitz, announced it will fund 32 House candidates in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, including 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats. As an initial round, Fairshake will contribute $1 million each to the campaigns of six of these candidates, totaling $6 million. All 32 candidates previously voted in 2025 to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act). The bill had earlier failed to pass a crucial procedural vote in the Senate, and its subsequent progress remains uncertain.
Odaily reports: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the second and third reviews of El Salvador's 40-month Extended Fund Facility, approving an immediate disbursement of approximately $138 million under the $1.4 billion financing program. Despite some performance criteria not being met, the IMF granted waivers based on corrective measures and recommitments.The IMF stated that El Salvador will continue to reduce state involvement in Bitcoin-related activities, strengthen crypto asset regulation, governance, and transparency of public sector crypto asset holdings, and will not accumulate additional Bitcoin beyond already recorded donations. The majority stake and operational control of the government's Chivo Bitcoin wallet have been transferred to a private operator. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, an annual survey by the UK's largest financial services institution, Lloyds Banking Group, of 100 executives from major UK banks, insurance companies, asset management firms, and financial sponsors shows that 71% of respondents expect tokenization to reshape financial services.
Odaily News: Christian Trummer, co-CEO of Austrian cryptocurrency exchange Bitpanda, said that after the implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), most users have greater confidence in regulated market participants and trust compliant platforms more.Trummer also called for stronger MiCA enforcement, saying that some companies are still providing services to European clients without complying with MiCA licensing requirements, putting already-compliant companies at a competitive disadvantage.The transition period under MiCA for existing crypto service providers ends no later than July 1, and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has required national regulators to take action against unauthorized firms that continue to provide crypto services after the transition period ends.ESMA has also called for stronger supervisory powers to address crypto services that are not authorized under MiCA, as well as third-country firms soliciting business from EU investors. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: U.S. digital asset bank Anchorage Digital has reportedly laid off approximately 17% of its workforce. The company was valued at $4.2 billion earlier this year; if its global headcount remains at around 400 as it was in February, this round of layoffs would affect roughly 68 positions. CEO Nathan McCauley informed employees of the layoff arrangements this week.In recent years, Anchorage Digital has expanded its regulated crypto business and entered stablecoin issuance, including participating in Tether's newly launched USD stablecoin USAT. The company also received a $100 million strategic investment from Tether earlier this year. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes said during Blockchain Week Korea that U.S. policymakers may need to expand the money supply to support AI data center construction and government debt financing, with the resulting increase in liquidity potentially driving crypto asset prices higher. Hayes noted that AI companies require trillions of dollars in funding to build data centers, and as prices for related services continue to drop, this could ultimately push policymakers to adopt a more accommodating monetary stance. He also highlighted that China's monetary policy may shift from relatively tight conditions to larger-scale stimulus, which he believes could reignite market demand for scarce assets.
Arthur Hayes stated that U.S. policymakers may support the AI industry and government debt financing through money printing, driving cryptocurrency prices higher; if China shifts from limited tightening to large-scale monetary stimulus, it could also boost demand for scarce assets. He is also monitoring financial stress in France, including BNP Paribas-related credit default swaps and French government bond spreads.Catrina Wang, General Partner at Portal Ventures, said that banks and asset management companies have advantages in on-chain financial markets thanks to their existing client relationships. Todd McDonald, co-founder of R3, pointed out that public blockchains can help institutions reach clients beyond their own networks; Justin Kugel, Executive Vice President of Growth at World Liberty Financial, said that user demand for asset management and investment evaluation still leaves room for intermediaries.Chetan Karkhanis, Senior Vice President of Digital Asset Client Relationships at Franklin Templeton, said the company has no intention of issuing its own stablecoin and hopes tokenized money market funds will provide investment returns. Haonan Li, co-founder and CEO of Codex, said that trade routes connecting Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia are driving demand for stablecoin payments; buyers pay eastward for goods, while manufactured products flow westward.Ilya Podoynitsyn, co-founder and CEO of FinHarbor, said that before allocating to crypto assets, companies need to confirm they have long-term idle funds that will not affect daily operations. Michael Camarda, Chief Development Officer of Ethereum treasury company SharpLink, said that both buying back shares and increasing ETH holdings can raise ETH per share; the company has adopted both methods to meet the preferences of institutional and retail investors. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, data from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) shows that operating profits of crypto exchanges in South Korea fell by 78% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous six-month period, while exchange sales declined by 41% over the same timeframe. Market trading activity also cooled noticeably, with the average daily trading volume at domestic virtual asset exchanges dropping by 44% compared to the prior period. The total market capitalization of crypto assets decreased by 33%, KRW-denominated customer deposits fell by 35%, but the number of accounts eligible for trading saw a slight increase of 0.4%. The survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and 9 custodian and wallet service providers, with data spanning from January 1 to June 30 this year.
Odaily News: Data from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) shows that in the first half of 2026, the operating profit of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges fell 78% compared with the previous six months. Over the same period, average daily trading volume dropped 44%, total market value declined 33%, KRW deposits fell 35%, and exchange revenue decreased 41%.The survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and 9 custody and wallet service providers, with the reporting period from January 1 to June 30, 2026. The number of accounts eligible for trading rose slightly by 0.4% over the same period. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has proposed supporting regulatory rules for tokenized securities, allowing stocks, bonds, funds, and certain fractional investment securities to be issued and traded via tokenization. Issuers of tokenized securities that directly manage client accounts must meet a minimum capital requirement of 4 billion South Korean won (approximately $2.8 million) and must be equipped with dedicated compliance and technical personnel. The relevant rules are scheduled to take effect on February 4, 2027.
Odaily News: South Korea's Financial Services Commission has proposed regulatory guidelines for the issuance and trading of security tokens, planning to allow stocks, bonds, funds, and certain fractionalized investment securities to be issued and circulated in token form. The related regulatory framework is scheduled to take effect on February 4, 2027.According to the proposal, securities token issuance companies that directly manage customer accounts must have paid-in capital of at least 4 billion Korean won and be equipped with dedicated compliance and technical personnel. The revision of capital market regulations will also introduce a new license for over-the-counter bond trading and limit retail investors' annual net purchases at each OTC exchange to within 100 million Korean won.The proposal will be open for public comment from Friday to November 11, after which it will enter the approval process. South Korea previously announced a roadmap to advance the shift of securities issuance and trading to distributed ledger infrastructure in three phases. (Cointelegraph)
the Core Lightning team, which develops the Bitcoin Lightning Network node software, is warning node operators running version 26.06.7 or earlier to upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible. The team said it has received reports of attackers targeting unpatched nodes, but did not disclose the vulnerability exploited by the attackers or the potential impact.Core Lightning said on September 16 that it was investigating an issue that could affect experimental features and user funds, and on September 22 released version 26.06.8 to fix the vulnerability and update the software. This announcement did not state whether the previously reported attacks were related to the vulnerability fixed in this version. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Alex Shevchenko, General Manager of NEAR Intents, stated that the team has identified the hackers behind the previous security incident and given them a 48-hour deadline to return the stolen funds through a "responsible disclosure." NEAR Intents previously suspended its services due to a vulnerability in the interaction between the Omni deposit and withdrawal infrastructure and its smart contracts. Initial investigations revealed that approximately $3.8 million in user funds were stolen in the incident, and the team has committed to fully compensating affected users. On-chain detective ZachXBT stated that the stolen funds were subsequently transferred to KuCoin and cross-chain converted into Bitcoin.
Odaily News: NEAR Intents has stated that it has identified the attacker responsible for the loss of user funds and has demanded the return of $3.8 million within 48 hours through a "responsible disclosure" mechanism, after which the window will be closed.NEAR Intents suspended services on Thursday after discovering a vulnerability in the interaction between the Omni deposit and withdrawal infrastructure and its smart contracts. A preliminary investigation showed that the attack resulted in the theft of $3.8 million in user funds, and the platform has committed to fully compensating affected users.On-chain investigator ZachXBT disclosed that the related funds were transferred to the KuCoin exchange and subsequently bridged to Bitcoin. (Cointelegraph)