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Cryptocurrency exchange platform Luno announced that it has received a Class F digital asset business license issued by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. This license provides Luno with a regulated base outside of its core emerging markets, placing it alongside globally recognized operators such as Coinbase, Circle, and Kraken.Luno stated that for B2B and institutional business, Bermuda can extend its crypto-as-a-service and global settlement products to clients outside of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, establishing a base in a jurisdiction designed for digital assets and modern payments. The license allows for the provision of cryptocurrency, tokenized stocks and commodities, as well as over-the-counter trading of the rand-backed stablecoin ZAR Universal, which is issued by Luno's sister company BlockTowerTech and aimed at institutional use; the global spot market can access all tradable assets from Luno; and wallet infrastructure for secure custody and transfers.Luno claims that for 13 years, by prioritizing regulation and security, it has built trust with millions of customers, and Bermuda is the next step.

Arthur Hayes urges users to quickly create unique DID keys for their respective agents on Technocore.chat, stating that more collaborative methods for agents will be announced next week to obtain additional $FLOP airdrop quotas.The goal is to directly link "meaningful participation" in the flop_labs ecosystem with subsequent token incentives.

Asset management company Franklin Templeton plans to incorporate the tokenized money market fund Franklin Onchain U.S. Government Money Fund (BENJI) as holdings or collateral into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds, involving an asset scale of approximately $2.6 billion, with the earliest launch possible in the fourth quarter.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved a no-action letter for this structure, allowing funds under Franklin Templeton to use BENJI for cash management and collateral purposes, but it still requires approval from the boards of the respective funds. The company currently manages over 130 ETFs and approximately $82 billion in ETF assets, with mutual fund assets around $790 billion.Franklin Templeton has distributed tokenized funds through digital wallets and plans to launch more tokenized products for cash or collateral management across its broader fund product line. The market size for tokenized assets has now exceeded $38 billion.

Arthur Hayes forwarded a detailed airdrop tutorial for his new startup Flop Network, which is divided into four steps:Generate an Ed25519 DID key pair for the AI agent, formatted as did:key:z6Mk..., which will become the agent's identity on-chain and the future airdrop receiving address;Publish the public key to the Technocore registry to allow the network to recognize the identity;The agent signs a check-in message with the private key and sends an HTTP GET request to /lobby;Finally, securely store the private key locally to claim the airdrop share during the Q4 snapshot.Arthur Hayes previously announced on the 19th that he would end his retirement and "come out" to lead Flop Labs, launching the token FLOP. He stated that FLOP will serve as "food for AI Agents," and the project will not conduct a presale or introduce VC, adopting a 100% fair distribution model aimed at creating the currency for the Agentic Economy. More details about the project will be announced later, with a large-scale airdrop expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Laser Digital Japan, a digital asset company under Nomura Holdings, announced this week that it has completed the registration as a cryptocurrency asset trading service provider under Japan's Payment Services Act, with registration number 00032. It has also joined the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association, ending nearly four years without new industry participants in Japan.The license covers six types of cryptocurrency assets: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Shiba Inu, all of which are included in the industry's "green list." Initially, Laser Digital Japan will provide liquidity for licensed cryptocurrency companies in Japan, while the launch date for trading services aimed at professional investors has not yet been announced. Japanese regulations require the separation of customer assets from company assets, with at least 95% of customer cryptocurrency assets stored in offline cold wallets, and related measures verified through annual audits. This license does not cover cryptocurrency derivatives, nor does it allow Laser Digital Japan to initiate exchange-traded funds; major adjustments to Japan's cryptocurrency regulatory framework are expected to be implemented in the fiscal year 2027.

Japan's financial regulatory agency has approved Laser Digital Japan to register as a cryptocurrency asset trading service provider, becoming the first new entrant to obtain this license in Japan in nearly four years, marking the acceleration of institutional-level digital asset services entering the Japanese market. Laser Digital stated that initially, it will provide liquidity services for local virtual asset service providers in Japan, with plans to further launch digital asset trading services aimed at institutional investors in the future, although the specific launch time and scope of services have not yet been announced.Laser Digital is supported by one of Japan's largest investment banks, Nomura Holdings. Co-founder and CEO Jez Mohideen stated that the Japanese digital asset market is entering a new stage of development, and as institutional investor interest increases, the market needs more reliable trading counterparts and infrastructure. Previously, a survey of institutional investors conducted by Nomura and Laser Digital showed that 79% of respondents plan to invest in cryptocurrency assets within the next three years. This regulatory approval comes at a time when Japan is advancing cryptocurrency asset regulatory reforms. Japan has previously reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial assets, establishing a legal basis for the future launch of cryptocurrency asset ETFs and the implementation of an independent tax system, with related new regulations expected to take effect in 2027. Laser Digital's Executive Chairman Steve Ashley stated that global institutional investors are increasingly focusing on the digital asset market and seeking professional infrastructure that meets institutional needs.

According to Cointelegraph, the affiliated company of the trading platform Capital.com, Capital Vault, has obtained a virtual asset license issued by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) of the UAE, allowing it to handle virtual assets as an agent or matching party and provide custody services.Capital Vault will operate as an independent regulated entity, having established an office in Abu Dhabi and formed a local virtual asset team. After the service goes live, UAE users will be able to directly purchase and hold crypto assets through the Capital.com app, unlike the previous offering which only provided price exposure through contracts for difference (CFD).

KuCoin today announced that its Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) has officially obtained the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 international certification, further strengthening the company's systematic capabilities in the responsible deployment, governance, and continuous improvement of artificial intelligence.This certification is the world's first international standard for artificial intelligence management systems, providing an internationally recognized management framework for enterprises to establish, implement, maintain, and continuously improve their artificial intelligence management systems. This certification covers KuCoin's artificial intelligence management system and related support functions, further promoting the transparent, secure, and responsible application of AI in platform operations.As AI increasingly penetrates digital financial scenarios such as risk control, anti-money laundering, fraud detection, market monitoring, intelligent customer service, and platform operations, KuCoin continues to advance AI innovation alongside trustworthy governance. This certification further enhances KuCoin's trust framework, building a reliable infrastructure that covers information security, operational reliability, business continuity, and artificial intelligence governance, alongside ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 22301.

According to ZDNet Korea, Samsung Electronics is accelerating the expansion of its advanced wafer foundry capacity in the United States. The company plans to start the second phase of construction at the Taylor wafer plant in Texas by the end of this year, aiming for mass production by 2030, and has requested major equipment partners to obtain SEMI certification in advance for subsequent equipment import and export. SEMI certification is a standard for assessing the safety of semiconductor equipment and is usually a necessary procedure before equipment leaves the country.The Taylor wafer plant is responsible for Samsung's most advanced foundry mass production tasks. The first phase is currently undergoing equipment entry and installation, with a target to start production by the end of this year, focusing on a 2-nanometer mass production process, with Tesla seen as a core customer. Samsung stated in last month's second-quarter earnings call that to respond promptly to the growing customer demand, the second phase of Taylor will commence by the end of this year. Industry insiders say that although the specific specifications for the second phase have not yet been finalized, Samsung's foundry business has already pushed forward relevant preparations in advance.Previously, Samsung had postponed the investment in the first phase of Taylor multiple times due to insufficient customers and a sluggish market, until Tesla signed a foundry agreement worth approximately 22.76 trillion won in the third quarter of last year, which accelerated construction. The actual pace of mass production in the second phase will still depend on the expansion of supply to Tesla and the progress of new major customers. Additionally, there are reports that Samsung E&A is considering dispatching dozens of construction personnel locally.

According to a report by the Korean News Agency, global virtual asset infrastructure company BitGo announced that its Korean entity BitGo Korea has received acceptance of its VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) registration application from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Korea on August 18, becoming the first foreign cryptocurrency corporate entity to complete VASP registration directly in Korea.BitGo Korea was established in 2024, and this time chose to directly meet regulatory requirements to enter the market, rather than adopting the industry norm of acquiring existing VASP companies. Subsequently, it will use this as a foundation to officially launch virtual asset custody and transfer services in Korea, focusing on expanding business towards financial institutions and corporate clients.

Brian Armstrong posted on the X platform that Deribit has obtained a VARA brokerage license, allowing access to the market and liquidity of Coinbase Exchange. The UAE is embracing modern finance and digital assets.

The Supreme Joint Military Command of Iran stated that any vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz must obtain permission from Iran.

According to Cointelegraph, digital asset infrastructure provider Copper announced that its U.S. subsidiary Copper Markets (US) Inc. has officially obtained SEC-registered broker-dealer status and has become a FINRA member, establishing a compliant market presence in the United States.The company will provide qualified custody, staking, financing, and over-the-counter trading services to institutional clients, while also opening its ClearLoop network, allowing institutions to pledge and transfer crypto assets and tokenized assets as collateral between counterparties.

The cryptocurrency market maker Flowdesk, supported by Coinbase, has obtained a full brokerage license issued by Dubai VARA, allowing it to provide compliant services to local institutional investors.

Cregis Custody FZE announced that it has received the In-Principle Approval (IPA) granted by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), marking a significant milestone in its application for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license.Upon completing the subsequent regulatory requirements and obtaining final approval, Cregis Custody FZE will launch regulated digital asset custody services.

Coinbase posted on the X platform stating that the company has designated the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) as its international tokenization center. After obtaining the new FSRA license, the company can now offer global securities to any user with a wallet.Coinbase stated that the next frontier of global finance is the on-chain space, and the company is advancing related developments from the UAE.

KuCoin announced that it has obtained ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) certification, further strengthening its global operational resilience and service continuity capabilities. As an internationally recognized business continuity management standard, ISO 22301 aims to help enterprises identify operational risks, improve business continuity mechanisms, and enhance the ability to maintain and restore critical services in the event of sudden interruptions.This certification, along with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II, constitutes the three pillars of the KuCoin trust framework, covering information security, operational reliability, and business continuity. The three international standards and certifications complement each other, reflecting KuCoin's ongoing commitment to improving global operations and security systems, ensuring the stable operation of critical services, and providing safe and reliable digital asset services to global users.

The fintech company and crypto-friendly bank Revolut announced that it has obtained a banking license in France, becoming the second full banking license the company has acquired in the EU after Lithuania. The license was jointly reviewed by the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) and the European Central Bank, and approved by the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. After obtaining the license, Revolut Bank S.A. will be able to offer a wider range of banking services in France, including loans, mortgages, and regulated savings products. France is one of Revolut's largest markets in Western Europe.Previously, the company primarily operated in France under its Lithuanian banking license, mainly providing payment and financial services. Following this licensing, Revolut will gradually migrate its French operations to the new French banking entity and plans to subsequently expand to Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Revolut stated that it has invested over 1 billion euros in the Western European market over the past few years and has created over 600 new jobs locally, with plans to establish its Western European headquarters in Paris by 2027. However, the license comes with regulatory conditions. Reports suggest that the European Central Bank may impose restrictions on new products for Revolut's French operations, similar to the regulatory measures previously implemented on its Lithuanian entity, which may affect the speed of launching loan and savings products.This year, Revolut has continued to advance its global regulatory expansion. The company obtained a full banking license in the UK in March 2026 and a full banking license in Australia in July. Currently, Revolut covers 40 markets, with its valuation rising to $115 billion after secondary stock trading in 2026.

Bitcoin mining company MARA has completed two loans, obtaining $600 million in new debt after pledging 18,750 bitcoins to expand its power generation and AI infrastructure business. The collateral was valued at approximately $1.2 billion at the time of the transaction. The total principal of the two loans is $750 million, with Coinbase Credit providing $450 million, which includes refinancing of the existing $150 million credit line and an additional $300 million; Two Prime Lending provides another $300 million, and both loans have been fully drawn.The interest rate on the Coinbase loan is the midpoint of the Federal Reserve's target rate range plus 3.875 percentage points, maturing on August 4, 2028; the Two Prime loan has a fixed interest rate of 7.65%, maturing on August 3, 2028. If the principal remains unchanged, the annual interest expense for both loans is approximately $56.7 million. MARA stated that the loan funds will be used for general corporate purposes, including paying part of the cash consideration for the acquisition of Long Ridge Energy & Power LLC. The enterprise value of the transaction is approximately $1.5 billion, and Long Ridge owns a 505-megawatt gas power plant and over 1,600 acres of industrial land, which MARA plans to use for power generation, bitcoin mining, and potential AI and high-performance computing parks.