financial

The Financial Services Commission of South Korea responded positively to the recent controversies surrounding single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) when it released supplementary regulatory measures. Byeon Je-ho, the Director of the Capital Markets Bureau of the Financial Services Commission, clearly stated that launching leveraged ETF products targeting single stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in the domestic market has indeed had a significant effect in locking in domestic investment demand and preventing capital outflow to overseas leveraged markets like Hong Kong or the United States.In response to external accusations that single-stock leveraged ETFs are the "main culprit" behind the recent increase in volatility in the South Korean stock market, the Financial Services Commission refuted this claim. Byeon Je-ho pointed out that the recent dramatic market fluctuations cannot be solely explained by leveraged ETFs, with the core reason being the alternating expectations of the global semiconductor industry cycle. Data shows that from May 26 to July 10, the annualized daily return volatility of U.S. SanDisk (131%), Micron (123%), and Japan's Kioxia (118%) was higher than that of South Korea's SK Hynix (113%) and Samsung Electronics (96%). Additionally, some investors' contrarian operations have played a role in stabilizing stock prices to some extent.Regarding the demands from some politicians and market participants to "forcefully delist single-stock leveraged ETFs," the Financial Services Commission clearly rejected this request. The official explanation stated that delisting must meet statutory termination criteria such as a sharp decline in market value or a lack of liquidity providers (LPs), and currently, the market is showing signs of heating up due to excessive demand, which does not meet the delisting conditions. The Financial Services Commission indicated that such calls should be understood as the market's urgent expectation for strengthened compliance and robust regulatory measures.

According to CoinDesk, Runestone co-founder Leonidas announced that it is launching an open-source Bitcoin client called DOG Mode, aimed at bypassing BIP 110's restrictions on non-financial data. DOG Mode will increase the maximum weight unit for standard transactions from 400,000 to 3,900,000, close to the entire block capacity, and will reduce the dust limit from 294 to 546 satoshis down to 1 satoshi. Leonidas stated that removing the dust limit will free up approximately $25 million in idle funds.The BIP 110 proposal restricts arbitrary data through user-activated soft forks, requiring 55% miner support, which is currently close to zero. DOG Mode does not require any consensus or voting; it only needs to change the forwarding rules of a single node. If enough nodes run and miners accept, transactions can be confirmed. Leonidas mentioned that DOG Mode deviates from Core to a much lesser extent than Knots, and there is currently no code repository or version. He calls on developers to contribute code and miners to add support. The price of DOG tokens has dropped 1.2% in the last 24 hours.

Gate US announced a partnership with SoFi to become an infrastructure partner, helping to drive the future development of finance. As a national chartered bank, SoFi possesses strong financial strength, a solid regulatory foundation, and modern banking infrastructure, facilitating smoother connections between traditional finance and digital assets. Through this collaboration, Gate US has activated SoFi's Big Business Banking account, which is part of its ongoing efforts to build secure, compliant, and scalable financial solutions for the U.S. ecosystem.At the same time, Gate US is preparing to launch ACH and Wire functionalities. Once the ACH service is online, it is expected to allow users to link their bank accounts and make direct deposits into their Gate US accounts; the upcoming Wire feature aims to support larger and faster domestic transfers within the U.S. backed by institutional-grade banking infrastructure. Both functionalities are expected to be launched in the U.S. jurisdictions where Gate US is licensed, highlighting Gate US's compliance-first philosophy. Gate US holds MTL licenses in 36 states and operates in 47 jurisdictions across the U.S. In addition, multiple entities under Gate have completed relevant regulatory registrations, license applications, or received authorizations and approvals in jurisdictions such as Malta, the Bahamas, Japan, Australia, and Dubai. In the future, Gate US will continue to advance its compliance infrastructure, expand the accessibility of digital asset services, and provide users with safer and smoother financial solutions.

According to BBX data, yesterday global traditional capital and financial consortiums intensively disclosed their latest strategies in digital asset treasury construction and Web3 ecosystem investment, with the core dynamics as follows:ORANGE JUICE launches a "real industry blood generation + coin hoarding" dual-wheel strategy: American capital company ORANGE JUICE officially announced the completion of a $40 million financing. The raised funds will be used to establish a holding company that integrates "long-term ownership, operational optimization, and Bitcoin reserves." The company plans to initially acquire stable and profitable American domestic enterprises with annual cash flows between $1 million and $10 million, and clearly stated that the business cash flows generated from these industries will be continuously reinvested for acquisitions or directly supplement its Bitcoin treasury.South Korea's KB Financial Group establishes a 100 billion won cryptocurrency special fund: South Korea's top financial giant KB Financial Group (KRX: 105560) announced the establishment of an AI and digital asset fund with a scale of 100 billion won (approximately $67.29 million). The fund is jointly funded by KB Kookmin Bank, KB Securities, KB Insurance, KB Kookmin Card, and KB Life under the group, and managed by KB Investment, focusing on investments in early-stage South Korean cryptocurrency companies, AI models, data reasoning, and on-chain analysis and other underlying technology companies.

According to a report by businesswire, AI and tokenized financial infrastructure Alpaca announced the completion of a new round of financing totaling $135 million, led by Peak XV, with follow-on investments from Elefund, BNP Paribas's venture capital arm Opera Tech Ventures, and Unbound among others. To date, its total financing has reached $435 million.The new funds will be used to accelerate the construction of its AI-native brokerage infrastructure and API-first prime brokerage business, helping fintech companies, banks, brokerages, wealth management institutions, and crypto financial platforms to build investment products in both traditional and on-chain markets, and to connect with more global crypto exchanges, asset tokenization platforms, and financial institutions.

According to Etoday, the Financial Services Commission of South Korea has announced a draft amendment to the "Special Law on Preventing Telecom Financial Fraud and Returning Victim Funds," planning to include funds from phone scams that are transferred to crypto assets within the scope of victim compensation, and to clarify the standards for the return and valuation of crypto assets. The relevant regulations are expected to officially take effect on October 1.According to the new regulations, if the frozen assets are cryptocurrencies, victims will generally be compensated based on the type and quantity of assets; if the defrauded assets differ in form from the frozen assets, compensation will be made in the form of assets that existed at the time the account was frozen. In cases where cash and crypto assets are mixed, the regulatory authorities will value the crypto assets based on the market price at the time of freezing to determine the final compensation amount.The Financial Services Commission of South Korea stated that clarifying the form of returned assets and the timing of valuation will help achieve faster and fairer compensation in complex cases involving mixed funds from multiple victims. It is reported that the public consultation for the draft amendment will continue until August 24.

The U.S. securities settlement infrastructure DTCC began live production trading of tokenized stocks and government bonds on Wednesday, advancing its tokenization work from a testing environment to actual operation. According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly 40 financial institutions and technology providers are participating, including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Vanguard, and the New York Stock Exchange.DTCC's subsidiary DTC custodies over $114 trillion in securities. The first day of trading covers use cases such as collateral, repurchase agreements, stocks, margin, and asset transfers, with tokenized assets including Microsoft and Circle stocks, Invesco QQQ Trust, SPDR S&P 500 ETF, iShares Short-Term Treasury ETF, and government bonds of various maturities.JPMorgan Chase will tokenize part of its QQQ holdings. DTCC stated that this is currently the initial limited production trading phase, with a full service plan set to launch in October, at which time institutions holding assets at the clearinghouse will be able to convert some securities into tokens. This service is built on DTCC's ComposerX platform, relying on the no-action letter granted to DTC by the SEC last December.

According to Japanese media reports, the Japanese Senate officially voted today to pass the revised "Financial Instruments and Exchange Act." This amendment marks the formal inclusion of crypto assets (virtual currencies) into the regulatory scope of financial products, no longer limited to the constraints of the "Funds Settlement Act" as a means of payment.In terms of regulation and investor protection, the new rules introduce an insider trading regulatory mechanism for the crypto market, while also accepting oversight from monitoring committees such as those for securities trading. Additionally, the law significantly increases the penalties for unlicensed operators, with the maximum sentence raised from 3 years to 10 years in prison, and the maximum fine increased to 10 million yen. This revised legislation is expected to be officially implemented by July 2027.In terms of taxation and investment channels, the new rules clarify several significant policy changes. Starting from January 2028, the tax rate on profits from crypto asset trading in Japan will be reduced from the current maximum of 55% comprehensive taxation to a unified tax rate of 20%, the same as for stocks (separate declaration taxation). Furthermore, the Japanese market is also expected to officially lift the ban on crypto asset ETFs during the same period, with various securities institutions already beginning preparations for related entry matters.

According to CoinPost, the Japanese Senate plenary session today passed and established the "Amendment to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Fund Settlement Act," redefining crypto assets from a means of payment to financial products. Key revisions include: the renaming of crypto asset exchange operators to crypto asset trading operators, increasing the maximum prison term for unregistered sales from under 3 years to under 10 years, and raising fines from under 3 million yen to under 10 million yen; the introduction of regulations against insider trading in crypto assets for the first time, prohibiting trading based on undisclosed important information; and requiring specific crypto asset issuers to disclose information regularly every year.In terms of taxation, it shifts from a maximum comprehensive tax rate of 55% to a separate declaration tax (approximately 20%), allowing losses to be carried forward for 3 years, expected to be implemented from January 1, 2028. The bill also provides a framework for the establishment of crypto asset ETFs, with the Japan Exchange Group expected to promote ETF listings around 2027. After the bill's passage, the next focus will shift to the formulation of specific rules such as government orders and supervisory guidelines, including reserve levels and derivative leverage limits. Compliance costs may pose pressure on small and medium-sized exchanges, but the entry opportunities for asset management companies and banking insurance institutions will expand.

According to BBX data, yesterday the two flagship institutions on Wall Street released their Q2 2026 financial reports on the same day, forming an important institutional narrative anchor regarding AI infrastructure and digital assets. The core dynamics are as follows:The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: $GS) released its Q2 2026 financial report on July 14, with CEO David Solomon providing the strongest institutional endorsement of AI infrastructure to date during the earnings call: "AI infrastructure is in the early innings of a multi-year investment cycle," and stated that the company expects to finance most of the AI infrastructure development, driving growth in mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity issuance, and lending opportunities. This assessment highly resonates with Goldman’s ongoing positioning in the crypto ecosystem: Q1 2026 13F shows the company holds approximately $700 million in iShares Bitcoin Trust ($IBIT) positions, while simultaneously liquidating all positions in XRP ETF and Solana ETF, and increasing holdings in Circle ($CRCL), Galaxy Digital ($GLXY), and Coinbase ($COIN) stocks; the company applied to the SEC for a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (covered call option structure) on April 14; and on June 12, completed a $75 billion fundraising as the lead underwriter for SpaceX's largest IPO in history. Solomon's "early innings" assertion is a public confirmation that Goldman views AI infrastructure investment and crypto asset allocation as part of the same long-term narrative.JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: $JPM) also released its Q2 2026 financial report on July 14. According to CoinDesk Live Updates, CEO Jamie Dimon identified the rapid construction of AI computing infrastructure as a core driver of corporate investment and financing demand during the earnings call, forming a rare cross-institutional consensus with Goldman and BofA. JPMorgan has previously maintained a cautious stance on crypto regulation, but its statements in the AI data center financing sector are becoming a foundation for its entry into adjacent crypto tracks (including loans to AI mining companies and tokenized bond underwriting). Notably, JPMorgan has previously issued multiple warnings of "time running out" during the CLARITY Act legislative process, and this financial report did not provide a new legislative timeline assessment, but the strong qualitative outlook for AI infrastructure indicates that the bank will continue to provide financing services to AI mining clients such as TeraWulf and IREN, further deepening its balance sheet exposure to the crypto ecosystem.

According to a report by businesswire, BNB Plus Corp. has received a delisting determination from the Nasdaq hearing panel due to its stock price being below the minimum bid requirement of $1 for an extended period.The company's stock BNBX will be suspended from trading on Nasdaq starting July 14 and will be transferred to the OTCQB venture market on the same day, with the code remaining unchanged. The company stated that it has applied for a review by the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council, but the delisting determination will not be suspended during the review period.

According to official news from SBI Holdings, it will reach a strategic cooperation with the Solana Foundation, aimed at promoting the construction of the on-chain financial market in Japan. As part of the cooperation, the Solana Foundation will participate in SBI R3 Japan, which plans to be renamed SBI Solana Global, and will jointly promote related growth strategies with shareholders SBI Holdings and SMFG.The announcement stated that SBI Solana Global will be based on the Solana network in the future, focusing on promoting the issuance and circulation support of stablecoins such as JPYSC, the formation and circulation of tokenized RWA (including corporate bonds, commercial paper, funds, and real estate), the construction of cross-border payment infrastructure, on-chain financial services aimed at institutional investors, and the development of next-generation payment infrastructure for the AI Agent era.

According to BLOCKMEDIA, the South Korean police are investigating a case of political interference in the competition of the cryptocurrency market. A former assistant to independent lawmaker Kim Byung-ki is accused of pressuring the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) in February last year to force Upbit to terminate its fee waiver activities for $USDC and $USDT, in order to alleviate the financial pressure on its competitor Bithumb, which was suffering due to a zero-fee promotion.The suspicion arises from the fact that the assistant obtained an informal advisory position at Bithumb months after the interference, while at the same time, the lawmaker's son was also hired by the exchange as an intern. Bithumb denies any knowledge of political interference and insists that the fee adjustments were independent business decisions.

According to Jinshi reports, the International Financial Association pointed out that the Federal Reserve is becoming more hawkish, and with the resurgence of oil price fluctuations, this may tighten U.S. dollar liquidity and raise the risk threshold for emerging markets.

According to Bits.media, a new draft bill submitted by the Russian government aims to grant the Financial Supervisory Authority the power to monitor all cryptocurrency transactions. For cryptocurrency transactions exceeding 60,000 rubles and foreign trade cryptocurrency transactions exceeding 1,000,000 rubles, the agency will collect complete information such as the full names or corporate names of the payer and payee, wallet addresses, actual addresses, birth dates, and taxpayer identification numbers. Transactions below 60,000 rubles only require the provision of names and wallet addresses.The bill also stipulates that the new limit for digital asset transactions by banks is 1% of the bank group's capital, and banks must hold corresponding funds to cover risks for the purchased cryptocurrencies. The central bank will be authorized to restrict or prohibit specific cryptocurrency operations when they threaten investor interests or may "undermine the stability of the financial system," with the scope extending from non-bank financial institutions to banks. The bill is expected to take effect simultaneously with the main cryptocurrency regulatory legislation, originally scheduled for implementation on July 1, but the review has been postponed. The first deputy governor recently stated that the relevant laws may take effect on September 1.

According to The Block, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 in favor of Trump's right to replace the leaders of several independent federal agencies, including the FTC, excluding the Federal Reserve, strengthening the president's control over personnel in regulatory agencies.As this ruling comes out, the SEC and CFTC are advancing a new round of regulatory rules for crypto assets, including rule revisions, exemptions, and the allocation of responsibilities regarding digital assets. Currently, the SEC is led by three Republican commissioners, while the CFTC has only its chairman, Michael Selig, in office.Former CFTC officials and industry insiders have stated that the reduction in the number of commissioners may weaken internal negotiations and the robustness of rules, and may also make rules under a single commissioner more susceptible to being rewritten or abolished in future administrations. However, as long as they comply with their respective authorizing statutes and the Administrative Procedure Act, the relevant rules still have legal effect.