banks

Several large banks in the United States have discovered unauthorized AI agents accessing customer accounts, with some agents attempting to perform independent operations. Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and other banks are racing to curb the risks posed by these agents.Morgan Stanley has begun to block third-party agents from accessing accounts, while JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup are also restricting access.

According to Decrypt, the crypto advocacy organization Stand With Crypto stated that within 90 days from May to August 2026, UK bank customers submitted a total of 10,092 complaints through the organization's online tools, involving 9,803 individuals. The related complaints pertain to transfers being blocked or restricted to crypto platforms registered with the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).Statistics by bank show that Lloyds Banking Group received 2,297 complaints, accounting for over 22%, and the bank has not disclosed its policy on restricting crypto transfers. Barclays Bank received 1,569 complaints, National Westminster Group received 1,278, and HSBC UK received over 1,000.Stand With Crypto calls on banks to replace blanket restrictions with risk-based case-by-case reviews and urges the FCA and the UK Treasury to publicly state that a complete industry blockade and hard transfer limits on registered or authorized crypto companies are difficult to justify solely on the grounds of anti-fraud or financial crime rules. The report also mentioned that the FCA's crypto regulatory framework will come into effect in 2027.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a working paper titled "Are Stablecoins and Bank Deposits Substitutes?" The study is based on weekly data from the United States from January 2019 to June 2025. After controlling for factors such as Bitcoin prices, government bond yields, and financial market conditions, it was found that the rise in bank deposit rates is associated with a slowdown in the growth rate of stablecoin market capitalization.According to the benchmark model estimates, a 1 basis point (0.01 percentage point) increase in the average deposit rate corresponds to a reduction of about 3 percentage points in the cumulative growth rate of stablecoin market capitalization over the following ten weeks, from an average level of approximately 15% to around 12%, rather than a decline in market capitalization. The response of USDC is stronger than that of USDT.The authors note that the study cannot conclude that the total amount of bank deposits or lending decreases, and the sample only covers one cycle of high interest rates. The views in the paper belong to the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the BIS or its member central banks.

According to the official announcement from Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank, in collaboration with Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mizuho Bank, and TISI, completed an empirical experiment on the joint issuance of yen stablecoins and optimization of cross-border payments from July 17 to 23, 2026.This experiment was supported by the Financial Services Agency's "Fintech Empirical Experiment Hub - Payment Enhancement Project," verifying the feasibility of a multi-bank joint issuance stablecoin model and exploring the application potential of blockchain technology in international remittances and inter-company payments. The results of the experiment showed that the issuance and circulation of stablecoins are operationally feasible, providing important references for the future social implementation of digital payment services and blockchain financial assets.

AI Economic Settlement Agreement AEON announced the addition of local bank transfer payments in Chile, allowing users to enter amounts in Chilean Pesos (CLP) and complete payments using cryptocurrency assets. AEON is responsible for asset conversion and settling with merchants through local banks. This integration further expands AEON's local settlement network in Latin America, enabling AI Agents to make real-world purchases using familiar banking payment systems in the future, providing broader real purchasing power for the AI economy. AEON is currently operational in several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia.

Jeonbuk Bank is reportedly the first commercial bank in South Korea to start issuing Korean won loans secured by Bitcoin, according to local media. The Bitcoin is held by a third-party custodian; the effective changes to the execution rules allow the bank to sell the collateral through a court ruling for recovery without actually receiving the Bitcoin.The loan scale, interest rate, and loan-to-value ratio have not been disclosed. A representative from Jeonbuk Bank told Chosun that one loan has already been issued.

Strategy indicates that its "Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index" rose to 34% in the third quarter of 2026, showing that major banks worldwide are increasingly adopting Bitcoin and digital asset-related services, although the overall situation remains in the early stages. Among them, Fidelity ranks first with 77%, followed by JPMorgan Chase at 47% and BNY at 46%.Strategy states that the increase in the index this quarter was mainly driven by several advancements, including the expansion of Bitcoin ETF/ETP product access, the increase in institutional custody services, and the development of lending services using BTC as collateral.At the same time, progress in the fields of stablecoins and asset tokenization has also impacted the index's increase. As traditional financial institutions gradually explore digital asset infrastructure, Bitcoin-related services are extending from investment products to custody, financing, and financial application scenarios.

According to The Defiant, Coinbase and Gennius plan to provide users with access to the ONED stablecoin through banks in Latin America, with the initiative launching first in Argentina.According to the plan, customers can convert eligible deposits into ONED USD for round-the-clock transfers and can make purchases using Visa.

Lamine Brahimi, co-founder and managing partner of the cryptocurrency custody and tokenization company Taurus, stated in an interview with CoinDesk that banks need to meet three conditions to access the newly launched blockchain ledger by Swift: a proprietary permissioned chain that interacts with the Swift ledger, wallet capabilities, and tokenization and smart contract capabilities to integrate Swift's smart contracts.He pointed out that this means the Swift ledger is not a replacement for banks' internal systems, but rather acts as an orchestration layer, helping institutions achieve cross-border, round-the-clock transfers of tokenized deposits, with final settlement still completed through existing arrangements. Banks still need to hold and manage tokenized deposits, digital asset wallets, and related smart contracts themselves. In July, Swift announced that 17 banks were preparing for real-time transactions of tokenized deposits; in August, HSBC and Standard Chartered completed the first real-time interbank transaction, followed by DBS and Citibank completing weekend cross-border USD payments, reducing settlement time from a maximum of two business days to just a few minutes.Brahimi stated that additional infrastructure should not be seen as a flaw in Swift's design; the ledger is still an early product but provides banks with a choice between existing payment channels and tokenized deposits that can circulate around the clock. Taurus announced in August that it had completed Swift integration, providing the aforementioned three layers of capability through a single platform. He added that tokenized deposits were used very little before Swift's announcement, primarily adopted by larger global banks like JPMorgan. The Swift model retains deposits on the banks' balance sheets, distinguishing it from stablecoins issued outside the banking system.

The UK government has appointed Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Morgan Stanley, NatWest, and RBC Capital Markets as the joint lead managers for the first digital native government bond, the Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT), expected to be issued in the first quarter of 2027. The six banks will provide underwriting, investor communication, and distribution services.DIGIT will be issued through a platform within the UK's digital securities sandbox and will test the application of distributed ledger technology in government bond issuance and its entire lifecycle, including on-chain settlement. Lucy Rigby, the UK's Economic Secretary to the Treasury, stated that the project aims to explore the application of distributed ledger technology in the sovereign debt market and to promote the development of the UK's digital financial infrastructure. HSBC was appointed as the distributed ledger technology provider for the pilot in February and reached an agreement with the London Stock Exchange Group in July to develop a digital securities depository connection solution.

According to the Financial Times of the UK, Wall Street banks have launched a record $60 billion chip deal involving Broadcom and Anthropic.

According to a report by Semafor, the New York Federal Reserve has begun visiting JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and Morgan Stanley to review their loan situations and risk exposures related to private credit companies.This review partly stems from JPMorgan Chase's move in March to write down a significant amount of loans in its private credit portfolio, particularly loans to software companies threatened by artificial intelligence.

Bitcoin Magazine reported that the Chief Business Officer of the cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase stated that the company is working with advisors from six globally systemically important banks to increase exposure to Bitcoin.Coinbase Chief Business Officer: The company views this as an opportunity to expand the market and provide individuals with more ways to access Bitcoin. Globally systemically important banks are large banks identified by the Financial Stability Board that have a significant impact on the global financial system.

According to a report by the Korean News Agency, South Korea's five major commercial banks have all been suspected of being attacked by hackers possibly driven by artificial intelligence, with three of them experiencing customer information leaks. This simultaneous attack on all five banks is unprecedented in South Korea's financial industry.It is reported that BNK Busan Bank suffered a hacker attack that led to the leakage of personal information of 11 outsourced employees; KB Kookmin Bank had information of 119 customers leaked due to the hacker attack, and Hana Bank also stated that information of 89 customers was leaked.

Payment giant Fiserv announced that its digital asset platform has officially launched for financial institution clients, with the first case being the dollar-backed stablecoin Roughrider Coin introduced by a bank in North Dakota.VersaBank is responsible for issuing, custody, and reserve asset management, while Fireblocks provides digital asset infrastructure and tokenization services, with transactions processed through the Solana blockchain.Roughrider Coin will connect to Fiserv's Commercial Center system, providing interbank fund transfer services for over 90 participating banks and credit unions in North Dakota.The platform also supports applications such as stablecoin cards, cross-border payments, programmable commerce, fund management automation, and tokenized deposits.

Bitcoin News posted on platform X stating that the Congressional Research Service pointed out in a new report that since 2017, with changes in presidential administrations, federal regulators have repeatedly changed their stance on whether banks can engage in cryptocurrency activities.The report states that Congress could clarify through legislation to explicitly allow or restrict specific activities to reduce the frequent adjustments in regulatory positions. The report mentions the CLARITY Act: the version passed by the House of Representatives would allow banks to use digital assets or blockchain for activities already permitted by current law; the version reported by the Senate committee would explicitly allow 11 types of cryptocurrency activities, including allowing banks to underwrite and trade digital assets more broadly.

Swift CEO Javier Pérez-Tasso stated at Sibos 2026 that Swift's blockchain-based ledger is now live and being used by some of the world's major financial institutions.By the end of this year, at least 19 banks are expected to use this ledger, enabling round-the-clock payments through tokenized deposits covering five major currencies. Swift announced the development of this ledger at last year's Sibos conference.

According to BBX data, yesterday global publicly listed companies in the US stock market and well-known Web3 infrastructure providers disclosed the latest developments on expansion in the Asia-Pacific hub, institutional collaborations, and brand strategy restructuring. The core information is as follows:MoonPay established a subsidiary in South Korea as the Asia-Pacific hub, partnering with KakaoBank, Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group: Global cryptocurrency payment infrastructure giant MoonPay officially announced the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary in South Korea, planning to make it a comprehensive expansion center for the group in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, MoonPay has reached deep strategic cooperation with South Korea's three major mainstream financial institutions—KakaoBank, Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group. The scope of cooperation includes cross-border payment clearing, localization distribution of the Korean won stablecoin, digital wallet technology integration, and the establishment of compliant cryptocurrency fiat withdrawal and recharge channels, aiming to build a high-speed network for the flow of funds between South Korea and the global Web3.CEA Industries officially renamed to "BNB Standard," Nasdaq trading code changed to "BNC": Nasdaq-listed company CEA Industries, focusing on BNB reserve strategies, announced the completion of its brand transformation and strategic renaming, with the company name officially changed to BNB Standard. After the renaming, the company's common stock will continue to be traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and the securities trading code will be officially changed to "BNC." This renaming aims to directly highlight its strategic positioning of using BNB as a core treasury asset and promoting decentralized ecological investment.

Cryptocurrency payment company MoonPay announced the establishment of MoonPay Korea and is collaborating with South Korea's digital bank KakaoBank, commercial bank Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group to expand stablecoin payments and digital asset services in South Korea. MoonPay Korea will be responsible for local service development and will serve as the company's base for expansion in Asia. MoonPay's Asia-Pacific head Bugeon Lee stated that the stablecoin backed by the Korean won is expected to expand the coverage of South Korean financial institutions and provide new cross-border transaction methods for businesses, as the company hopes to build relevant infrastructure in South Korea with banking partners.The collaboration with KakaoBank focuses on blockchain-based overseas remittances, cross-border payments, and multi-currency stablecoin services. The two parties plan to initially conduct a proof of concept aimed at international students, testing the complete process of initiating transfers from South Korea, transferring via stablecoin, and converting to US dollars for deposit into a US bank account. The collaboration also covers the issuance and distribution of won-pegged stablecoins, payment settlements, as well as trading, custody, and conversion of stablecoins denominated in won, US dollars, yen, and others, with access to MoonPay's global distribution and payment network supported by assets and regions.MoonPay will collaborate with Woori Bank to provide global distribution for future won-pegged stablecoins and validate the cross-border payment settlement model for local businesses based on stablecoins. The partnership with KB Financial Group will explore card payments, global remittances, wallet custody, and stablecoin usage for individuals, institutions, and foreigners in South Korea. Founded in 2019, MoonPay claims to serve over 30 million customers in approximately 180 countries and supports more than 1,700 business clients.

According to a report by crypto.news, Chainlink announced the launch of a connectivity framework that allows banks to access the SWIFT blockchain ledger through the Chainlink platform while retaining transaction signing keys.The framework coordinates the interaction between institutional systems and ledgers through the Chainlink runtime environment, allowing banks using a self-signing model to avoid handing over authorization keys to Chainlink. The SWIFT ledger supports 24/7 tokenized deposit payments, with final settlements still completed through existing real-time gross settlement mechanisms. Seventeen banks from six continents, including ANZ, HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered, and UBS, are preparing to pilot tokenized deposits on the SWIFT ledger.