framework

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released the final draft of the crypto asset framework. This new regulation is set to bring most crypto activities under the regulation of the Financial Services and Markets Act by October 25, 2027.According to the proposal, any institution that holds customer crypto assets for more than 24 hours or has the ability to revoke customer permissions will be considered a regulated custodian and must hold a full safeguarding license. Validators and node operators that provide value-added features such as yield or reward reinvestment will lose their technical exemptions. In addition, stablecoin issuers within the UK must control the entire lifecycle from issuance to redemption. Relevant institutions must submit authorization applications between September 30, 2026, and February 28, 2027.

According to Cointelegraph, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it is seeking industry feedback on guidance for the future regulatory framework for crypto assets in the UK, aimed at facilitating the implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework that will take effect on October 25, 2027.According to the announcement, this consultation will last until June 3, 2026, and aims to help businesses understand the impact of the new regulations on their operations, providing compliance guidance for key areas such as stablecoin issuance, crypto trading, custody, and staking.The FCA stated that it hopes to establish a "competitive and sustainable" crypto market, allowing compliant institutions to better serve UK users. The FCA also disclosed that the application process for relevant crypto business licenses is expected to open in September 2026 and continue until February 2027.All institutions providing crypto asset services will need to obtain authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) in the future, and previous registration under anti-money laundering frameworks will not automatically exempt them. This guidance consultation is seen as an important step in the UK's gradual improvement of its crypto regulatory system, marking an accelerated transition from partial regulation to a comprehensive licensing system.

JPMorgan CFO Jeremy Barnum stated during the earnings call that if regulatory rules are not aligned with traditional bank deposits, stablecoins may evolve into a "regulatory arbitrage" tool. He pointed out that some stablecoin models already exhibit deposit-like characteristics, such as providing incentives similar to yields, but are not subject to banking regulatory requirements like capital, liquidity, and consumer protection, which could create an unfair competitive environment. "If the same products are not regulated equally, it will open up arbitrage opportunities," Barnum said.Currently, U.S. legislation is pushing for a cryptocurrency regulatory framework, including the Clarity Act, to clarify the regulatory division of labor between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and to regulate the development of the stablecoin market. Additionally, whether to allow stablecoins to distribute reserve earnings to users has become a point of contention. Cryptocurrency companies, including Coinbase, support "interest-bearing stablecoins," while banks believe this would bring them closer to deposit products but lack corresponding regulatory constraints. JPMorgan expressed support for regulatory clarity but emphasized that "regulatory consistency" takes precedence over speed. At the same time, the bank is advancing product layouts, including JPM Coin and tokenized deposits, through its blockchain division Kinexys to modernize the payment system.

The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) released guidelines for the issuance of virtual assets on Thursday, providing clear regulations on the structural design, information disclosure, and distribution methods for stablecoins and real-world asset (RWA) tokens.The guidelines categorize token issuance into three pathways: Category 1 covers fiat-pegged and asset-pegged virtual assets; Category 2 must be distributed through licensed intermediaries, which are responsible for due diligence and ongoing compliance verification; the third category consists of functionally restricted exempt virtual assets.VARA's General Counsel Ruben Bombardi stated that the framework enhances transparency through white papers and independent risk disclosure statements, providing issuers with "greater regulatory certainty" and offering market participants a "single, exclusive reference." These guidelines serve as an interpretative document for the existing "Virtual Asset Issuance Rules Manual" and do not constitute new legislation.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea proposed the "Basic Law on Digital Assets" this Wednesday, aiming to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the issuance, trading, custody, and supervision of digital assets.The bill categorizes value-related digital assets, such as stablecoins linked to fiat currency or real assets, as a special category, requiring issuers to obtain authorization and meet strict standards such as capital thresholds, reserve plans, and redemption obligations. In addition, the bill will introduce a licensing, registration, and information disclosure system for digital asset businesses, prohibit improper behaviors such as market manipulation and insider trading, and propose the establishment of a Digital Asset Committee to coordinate policy.

According to The Block, the Democratic Party of Korea plans to incorporate tokenized real-world assets (RWA) and stablecoins into the existing legal framework, with relevant provisions included in the proposal for the Digital Asset Basic Law.The proposal requires issuers of tokenized RWA to deposit the underlying assets into a trust account in accordance with the Capital Markets Act; stablecoins are classified as a "means of payment" under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act and are regulated by the foreign exchange authority without the need for separate registration. Small stablecoin transactions are exempt from foreign exchange reporting, while large transactions maintain regulatory requirements.In addition, the proposal prohibits providing yields on idle stablecoin balances and requires the Financial Services Commission to establish technical standards for stablecoin interoperability. The Digital Asset Basic Law is Korea's second set of digital asset regulatory regulations, which has faced multiple legislative delays, with the originally scheduled rollout in 2025 being postponed.

According to a report by AFP, Trump stated in a recent interview: "America has achieved a 'complete and total victory,' 100 percent, no doubt about it. There is already a solid framework in place for a long-term agreement. We have an agreement that includes 15 points, most of which have already been agreed upon.Any peace agreement will cover the issue of nuclear materials. Let's wait and see. Let's see if it can be reached." Trump refused to disclose whether he would restore the initial threat of destroying Iran's civilian power plants and bridges if the agreement falls apart.

Sky Governance announced on April 7 two structural upgrade proposals aimed at strengthening the capital protection framework of the protocol. The two proposals are: implementing a stronger solvency buffer mechanism and adopting a more sustainable staking reward model, with the goal of consolidating the long-term stability of the protocol and placing credibility above the pursuit of short-term gains.Sky Protocol pointed out that its yield-bearing stablecoin sUSDS is the largest in its category, attributing this success to the protocol's unique risk positioning compared to its competitors.

According to Solid Intel, the central banks of France and South Korea are collaborating on a framework for tokenized cross-border payments and digital assets.

The Blockchain Association submitted a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to Citadel's previous call for increased regulation of DeFi.The Blockchain Association stated that DeFi protocol developers do not fall under the category of brokers or exchange operators and should not be included in the regulatory framework designed for traditional financial intermediaries. The organization also urged the SEC to advance an "innovation exemption" mechanism to provide regulatory pilot space for on-chain assets and tokenized securities, pointing out that the comprehensive rule-making process is lengthy, which may delay the implementation of technology and lead to innovation outflow. Previously, Citadel had suggested that the SEC strengthen regulation of DeFi through formal legislative processes.

Mike Selig, the chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, stated on the X platform that U.S. federal law clearly stipulates that the derivatives market is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.Whether it's sports, politics, or oil prices, under the federal regulatory framework, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has clear jurisdiction to regulate prediction markets and is obligated to uphold the regulations.

The Governor of Alabama has signed Bill SB 277, creating a legal framework for nonprofit entities similar to DAOs. Alabama becomes the second state in the United States to establish a legal framework for entities similar to DAOs. The bill stipulates that members of a DAO are generally not personally liable for its collective activities.

The Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, Chan Ho Lam, stated at the 2026 Annual Tax Seminar of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Hong Kong Branch that the OECD has revised the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) to include new digital financial products such as central bank digital currencies and has optimized the reporting and due diligence requirements for financial institutions.In addition, the OECD has released the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) so that tax jurisdictions can automatically exchange crypto-asset transaction information to enhance transaction transparency. The Hong Kong Legislative Council has expressed support, with the goal of completing legislation by 2026.

According to Cointelegraph, the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority has released a formal regulatory framework for cryptocurrency exchange-traded derivatives, allowing retail customers to participate in trading after a suitability assessment.The new regulations cover requirements such as customer suitability, leverage and margin controls, asset segregation, disclosure standards, and regulatory intervention powers. The leverage limit for retail investors is set at 5 times, and exchanges must restrict access when products are deemed unsuitable for specific customer groups. VARA stated that during periods of market stress or trading disruptions, regulators have the authority to take intervention measures, including suspending products, requiring liquidation, increasing margin requirements, and in emergencies, demanding immediate action without prior notice.

According to The Block, Gnosis co-founder Friederike Ernst and Zisk founder Jordi Baylina jointly announced the "Ethereum Economic Zone" (EEZ) plan at the EthCC conference in Cannes on Sunday, which is co-funded by the Ethereum Foundation.The EEZ aims to create a framework for Rollups, allowing smart contracts on connected Rollups to perform synchronous composable calls with the Ethereum mainnet and other EEZ Rollups, with security guarantees equivalent to those directly deployed on Ethereum. The framework defaults to using ETH as the Gas token, eliminating the need for additional cross-chain bridge infrastructure. Ernst stated, "Ethereum does not have a scalability problem; it has a fragmentation problem. Every new L2 that goes live has its own liquidity pool and bridging, creating another isolated walled garden."Founding members of the EEZ alliance include the DeFi lending protocol Aave, block builders Titan and Beaver Build, the RWA platform Centrifuge, and the tokenized stock project xStocks. The project will operate as a Swiss non-profit organization, with all software released as open-source, aiming to minimize governance and ultimately achieve non-upgradability. Technical specifications and performance benchmarks are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Ethereum developers decided during a virtual meeting on Thursday not to include "frame transactions" as a key proposal for the Hegota upgrade expected to be launched in the second half of 2026, despite Vitalik Buterin's public support. Client developers believe the proposal is too complex and are concerned it may delay the upgrade process.Frame transactions aim to introduce native account abstraction and quantum resistance to Ethereum, providing users with a login experience similar to traditional networks and supporting fee-less transactions. Supporters warn that if it is not prioritized, native account abstraction may be difficult to achieve in the long term. The first confirmed key proposal for Hegota is FOCIL, which aims to enhance the network's censorship resistance. Frame transactions were ultimately marked as "consider for inclusion" and will continue to be reviewed as a non-key proposal in subsequent meetings.

Aave releases the Aave Will Win framework ARFC proposal. Aave Will Win is a coalition framework launched by Aave Labs that is token-centric, directing 100% of product revenue to the Aave DAO treasury, and establishing a one-year budget for ongoing development under an accountability framework. The proposal also commits to protecting the Aave brand and its intellectual property. Based on community feedback, the approval of Aave V4 and the detailed structure of brand governance have been separated from this proposal and will be elaborated in a separate special governance proposal.In terms of budget, Aave Labs plans to request $25 million in stablecoins and 75,000 AAVE over the next year for the development and maintenance of: core protocol, GHO, user-facing applications (such as Aave Pro, Aave App), and developer tools (such as Aave Kit).

According to the official blog, Plume Network's General Counsel Salman Banaei stated at a hearing held by the U.S. House Financial Services Committee that tokenized securities should not be viewed as a completely new asset class, nor should new rules or exemptions be created for them.He argued that regulation should be driven by the economic nature and risks of financial products, rather than the technology used, and thus should incorporate new technological realities into the existing regulatory framework through targeted amendments to current regulations.Salman pointed out that utilizing public blockchains and on-chain compliance tools (such as Plume's built-in protocol-level anti-money laundering screening) can significantly enhance market transparency, reduce costs, and decrease reliance on intermediaries while maintaining or even exceeding existing regulatory standards.Finally, Salman issued a warning: the competition for global tokenized infrastructure is accelerating, with regions like Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UAE actively positioning themselves. If the U.S. falls behind in regulation due to policy uncertainty, it risks losing its leadership position in the digital transformation of global capital markets, allowing this strategic opportunity to shift to foreign competitors with different geopolitical objectives.

According to market news, U.S. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig stated that U.S. cryptocurrency regulation "will soon welcome a clear framework."