regulation

Ondo Finance is urging U.S. regulators to bring the business of perpetual contracts anchored to individual stocks under regulation, asserting that this product can operate in compliance under the existing securities and futures framework without new rules. In three comment letters sent to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on August 24, Ondo stated that existing rules can accommodate stock perpetual futures while considering modern margin practices and on-chain listing data. Ondo mentioned that its affiliated company in Panama has been offering stablecoin-settled perpetual contracts anchored to U.S. stocks overseas, with a cumulative trading volume reaching $8 billion as of August 14 since its launch in June.Ondo believes that regular funding rate payments can keep perpetual contracts aligned with the underlying stock prices, functioning similarly to the expiration settlement of traditional futures. In the letter, Ondo stated that there are no provisions in the statutory definition of securities futures products that require a fixed expiration date to be set. The company also pointed out that many offshore perpetual contracts have underlying stocks primarily traded on U.S. exchanges, and bringing the related business back to the U.S. should be a direction actively promoted by both agencies. According to RWA.xyz data, Ondo is one of the largest managers in the tokenized real-world assets (RWA) space, with an allocated value of approximately $2.6 billion as of Wednesday, ranking fourth.Ondo's proposal comes as U.S. regulators are re-examining the existing market rules for on-chain products, including perpetual contracts and tokenized securities. In March of this year, the SEC and CFTC signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate regulation in overlapping areas of jurisdiction.

According to Cointelegraph, Hashkey has joined the Digital Asset Advisory Working Group of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), becoming the first Asian digital asset service provider to join this working group.DTCC is a core post-trade infrastructure provider for global financial markets, and this working group brings together over 100 global financial institutions and asset management companies, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, and the New York Stock Exchange, to jointly define the issuance, settlement, and custody standards for institutional-grade tokenized assets.DTCC plans to launch tokenized securities services in October. Previously, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a no-action letter to a DTCC subsidiary in December, allowing it to provide tokenization services for the securities market.SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated that the approval of this pilot is just the beginning, and the SEC will consider innovation exemptions to help builders promote the on-chain transformation of the market without bearing cumbersome regulatory requirements. Atkins first proposed the idea of tokenization innovation exemptions at the DeFi roundtable on June 9.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) has officially approved the travel rule for crypto assets, requiring digital asset operators to verify the ownership or control of wallets when customers send or receive crypto assets to self-custody wallets, and to retain transaction-related information for at least five years for regulatory review. Pornanong Budsaratragoon, Secretary-General of the Thai SEC, stated that the rule aims to reduce the risk of digital asset operators being used for money laundering and terrorist financing.The new regulations were finalized after two rounds of public consultations this year, with the first round presenting a draft in March and a notification draft released in June. The Thai SEC stated that most stakeholders expressed support. As the travel rule is implemented, Thailand is considering expanding the access to regulated crypto products. On Monday, the Thai SEC proposed allowing intermediaries to offer specific crypto derivatives traded on regulated overseas exchanges to retail investors.In the days prior, regulators also advanced the draft rules for spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and simultaneously sought opinions on the foreign digital asset custodians used by funds investing in crypto assets. Thailand's move aligns with global regulatory trends, as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) estimates that by 2026, 83% of surveyed jurisdictions will have enacted travel rule legislation.

According to Cointelegraph, participants in the crypto industry such as a16z, Grayscale, and the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to avoid implementing a one-size-fits-all restriction on "novel" exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and instead assess them based on individual risk parameters. Three comment letters were submitted on August 31, just as the SEC's 60-day window for public comments on the regulation of new ETFs was nearing its end. The SEC launched this consultation on June 30, seeking opinions on whether existing regulations are sufficient, how such funds should be regulated, and whether the registration process needs adjustments.a16z believes that crypto-based ETPs have now benefited from more mature market infrastructure, including exchange-approved listing standards and established disclosure requirements, and therefore should not be grouped with products that hold private assets or adopt other novel strategies. Grayscale similarly argues that digital asset products with mature compliance and disclosure records should not face new portfolio conditions or disclosure regimes simply because they are classified as "novel." CCI called for comparable regulatory efficiency between ETFs and non-ETF ETPs while retaining existing investor protection measures.There is widespread opposition to potential regulatory adjustments that could impose additional requirements or delay product launches, but there are differences in classification, approval processes, and terminology. The dispute over the ETF label is particularly pronounced: a16z proposed that the term ETF be used only for funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940, while Grayscale believes that ETFs should describe economic characteristics rather than legal shells.

The prediction market platform Kalshi announced a three-year suspension of trading eligibility for North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout, along with a fine of $2,589.96, due to her having purchased contracts related to her own campaign. According to a settlement agreement effective August 28, Buckhout purchased contracts worth less than $1,000 related to her candidacy, violating the platform's rule 5.17(z), which prohibits trading by individuals who have "direct or indirect influence" on the outcome.Buckhout stated in a declaration, "I did bet on myself, and it was indeed a foolish mistake. Once I realized the issue, I immediately cooperated to correct it. You could say my career as a Kalshi trader was very short." Kalshi indicated that Buckhout cooperated during the investigation and agreed to accept the penalties. Previously, Kalshi had imposed similar penalties on several politicians, including Minnesota Senator Matt Klein and former Texas congressional candidate Ezekiel Enriquez, who also bet on their own campaigns.Buckhout is a retired Army colonel who previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. She is challenging Democratic Congressman Don Davis, replaying the 2024 matchup, in which Davis won with 49.5% to 47.8%. The North Carolina legislature redrew the district last year to make it more favorable to Republicans, and the Cook Political Report rated the district as "leaning Republican."

After a two-day meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, G20 finance ministers and central bank governors issued a statement committing to developing clearer rules for digital assets to promote financial innovation. The statement acknowledges that digital financial innovations, including digital assets, can support "broad economic growth" and play a key role in driving private sector innovation.The statement reads: "We are committed to advancing a responsible and effective regulatory and supervisory framework to maintain financial stability, support economic growth, and establish a clear path for sound digital finance and digital asset innovation, while taking into account cross-border opportunities and challenges." G20 officials expressed anticipation for the upcoming findings from the Financial Stability Board regarding the cross-border impacts of global stablecoin arrangements, as well as related reports on stablecoin data sources, availability, and potential challenges.They also reiterated their commitment to strengthening the G20 roadmap for cross-border payments and called on member countries to extend the operating hours of large payment systems. Several G20 member countries, including the United States, the European Union, and Japan, have reviewed the potential of digital assets or stablecoins to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of existing financial and payment systems and have established relevant frameworks.

According to The Block data panel, the combined trading volume of Kalshi, Polymarket, and Polymarket US in August fell by 14.5% month-on-month to $45.33 billion, marking the first monthly decline in a year. Among them, Kalshi's trading volume in August was $37.17 billion, down 7.3% from $40.1 billion in July; the combined trading volume of Polymarket and its US platform was $8.16 billion, down 36.7% from $12.89 billion in July.The decline in August occurred after a surge in summer prediction market activity driven by the World Cup (June 11 to July 19), but the August trading volume was still significantly higher than May's $25.66 billion. Meanwhile, Kalshi and Polymarket are facing increasingly stringent scrutiny from state-level regulators in the US, particularly regarding sports-related contracts, with more than ten states taking enforcement actions or filing lawsuits against the two platforms. Last week, Connecticut sued Kalshi, seeking to prevent the platform from offering sports contracts.Despite the escalating legal disputes with state regulators, Kalshi continues to expand its presence in the sports sector, recently signing an agreement with the United States Tennis Association to become the exclusive prediction market partner for the US Open. Additionally, earlier this week, Kalshi permanently banned former US Congressman George Santos, marking its first permanent ban, due to Santos violating rules by betting on whether he would attend the State of the Union address, resulting in a fine of over $71,000.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed amendments to the Payment Services Act, requiring stablecoin issuers to always hold at least 100% of the circulating tokens in equivalent assets as reserves, which must be segregated from the issuer's own funds and only held with licensed financial institutions.The proposal also prohibits issuers from paying interest or other yields linked to stablecoin holdings to holders, on the grounds that stablecoins are intended for payments rather than investment or yield generation. This stance is consistent with the U.S. GENIUS Act and the EU MiCA regulation. The consultation also considers limited recognition for foreign stablecoins regulated under equivalent overseas frameworks. The consultation closes on October 16, and the implementation date has not yet been announced.MAS Deputy Managing Director Ho Hern Shin stated that trusted and well-regulated stablecoins can serve as reliable settlement assets in the tokenized financial market, while reducing risks for users and the broader financial system.

The Block's investigation shows that on the social trading app Fomo and Robinhood's self-custody wallet Robinhood Wallet, users can directly purchase Memecoin using credit cards via Apple Pay or Google Pay without completing a separate KYC identity verification. Transactions can also accumulate points or cash back rewards as normal credit card rewards. The media tested the purchase of WIF, and transactions on the Visa and Mastercard networks were classified under merchant category code MCC 5815 (digital goods media), rather than the cryptocurrency asset categories MCC 6012 or 6051 as stipulated by card organization rules, which typically come with crypto tags and do not earn rewards.These transactions are supported by the Token Checkout product from the crypto infrastructure company Crossmint. Crossmint insists that this classification is appropriate, citing the joint guidance released by the SEC and CFTC in March of this year, which views certain Memecoins like WIF as "digital collectibles." However, Chase stated that the Visa transaction was not marked as a cryptocurrency purchase and that the classification was incorrect, and they have initiated a case review with Visa; the New York Attorney General's office also stated that it is reviewing the matter. Vanderbilt University law professor Yesha Yadav and other payment experts believe that the SEC's position and card organization rules represent "two completely different systems."

Bitcoin recorded an increase of about 25% in August, marking its third-best August performance in history. André Dragosch, Head of Research at Bitwise Europe, noted in a post on the X platform on September 1 that Bitcoin's return in August was 25%, second only to approximately 65.6% in August 2017 and about 30.7% in August 2013, stating that "there was no 'summer slump.'"Multiple analyses show that the period from June to September is usually when Bitcoin underperforms for the year. In June and July this year, Bitcoin's volatility remained low, with prices dipping below $65,000 at one point. A turning point occurred in mid-August when the U.S. Treasury announced it would more than double the scale of government debt buybacks due to pressure in the fixed income market and yields reaching their highest levels in nearly 20 years. The decline in long-term yields reduced the holding costs of non-yielding assets like Bitcoin and gold, supporting risk appetite, leading investors to flock to Bitcoin. Subsequently, U.S. President Trump urged lawmakers to expedite the passage of the Crypto Clarity Act, calling the draft "very strong."In terms of funding, investors poured over $2.8 billion into Bitcoin ETFs in August, the largest single-month inflow since October last year. Bitcoin reached $81,281 last Monday before retreating, recently reporting $76,883, with a nearly 3% drop in 24 hours; over the past month, Bitcoin has cumulatively risen more than 20%.

According to Decrypt, the Gwangju Police Agency in South Korea arrested four Uzbek suspects in April under the Anti-Terrorism Financing Act and disclosed the case on Tuesday. One of them is listed on Interpol's Red Notice. The police stated that this is the first case involving cryptocurrency flowing out from a recognized terrorist organization and then being funneled back to fund physical goods.According to police investigations, from August 2024 to April 2025, the alleged mastermind transferred 4,267 USDT to the Syrian terrorist organization "Katibat Tawhid wal Jihad" (KTJ) in seven transactions. KTJ was established in 2014 and is mainly composed of Central Asian militants, recognized as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and the United States.Additionally, the mastermind is accused of receiving cryptocurrency from KTJ to purchase 11 used cars and 2 excavators, with a total value of approximately 170 million Korean won (about 121,000 USD), which were then shipped to Syria. The other three suspects are alleged to have assisted in the purchase and export of these vehicles.The police stated that previous terrorism-related cases mostly involved remittances to terrorist organizations, while this case is the first instance of receiving funds from a terrorist organization and reverse procuring and supplying vehicles.Investigations revealed that the mastermind rotated operations among three personal wallets, with the vehicle purchase funds deposited into an account under his spouse's name, and he presented someone else's driver's license when arrested. He entered South Korea in 2017 on a student visa, graduated from a university in Daejeon, and has been illegally residing since 2023. He denied the main charges during his first court hearing in June, claiming that the remittances were for family living expenses and that he did not know the identity of the vehicle purchasers. The police stated that the investigation also led to the capture of a second suspect listed on the Red Notice, and the case is still ongoing.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore is publicly soliciting opinions on the proposed legislative amendments to the Payment Services Act 2019, aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins in Singapore. At the same time, it is seeking public feedback on related proposals for further regulatory requirements, which reference the developments in the stablecoin industry since 2023.This consultation also seeks opinions on policy positions regarding the issuance of stablecoins across multiple jurisdictions and the recognition of overseas-issued stablecoins. The deadline for submitting opinions is October 16.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) has proposed allowing intermediaries to provide certain digital asset derivatives traded overseas to retail investors. According to the proposal, eligible products must be similar to crypto derivatives traded domestically in Thailand, including aspects such as underlying assets, duration, leverage, and settlement methods. At the same time, these products must be traded on exchanges that adopt central counterparty clearing and are supervised by regulatory bodies belonging to specific international regulatory or exchange organizations.Crypto derivatives that do not meet the above conditions will only be available to institutional investors. The Thai SEC stated that institutional investors are better equipped to assess and manage complex and high-risk products. Current rules only allow intermediaries to provide relevant investment services to retail and high-net-worth clients when overseas derivatives are similar to domestic trading products, while overseas crypto derivatives, due to their varying structures and risk levels, require targeted regulations.This consultation is the latest initiative by Thailand to incorporate crypto-related products into the regulated capital market. The Thai SEC officially designated cryptocurrencies and digital tokens as permissible derivative underlying assets in a notice issued on March 5 and is discussing potential contract specifications with the Thailand Futures Exchange. The consultation will continue until September 30, and the Thai SEC has not yet announced the proposed implementation date for the revisions.

CoinDesk reports that XRP has risen about 40% in the past two weeks, from approximately $0.99 to $1.38, but during the same period, the total open interest in XRP futures has decreased by 16% to about 2.34 billion. CoinGlass data shows that all exchanges, except for CME, have reduced their XRP futures positions.CME's XRP futures open interest has increased against the trend by about 36% to 387 million, with its share of the total market open interest rising from about 10% to 17%. CFTC data shows that as of August 25, leveraged funds had a net short position equivalent to about 116 million XRP, more than doubling from the previous week's 57 million; dealers and asset management institutions increased their net long positions by approximately 60 million and 28 million, respectively.This shift in positions occurs ahead of the procedural vote in the Senate on the U.S. CLARITY Act (expected in mid-September). The bill had previously pushed XRP up about 5% when it passed the Senate Banking Committee in May.

The prediction market platform Kalshi has permanently banned former U.S. Congressman George Santos and fined him $71,356 for manipulating a market related to his attendance at the State of the Union address, profiting nearly $18,000. This is the first time the exchange has imposed a lifetime ban on a former member of Congress.According to a disciplinary notice issued by Kalshi's compliance department on August 28, Santos conducted multiple large transactions in this market between February 2 and 25. Since he was able to influence the outcome, exchange rules prohibited him from participating in trading. He subsequently issued a series of public statements regarding his attendance, some of which were false or misleading, intending to drive price movements in the "Yes" and "No" contracts. The compliance department determined that these statements did indeed manipulate prices, allowing him to profit $17,839.57 in the relevant market, violating multiple rules regarding market manipulation, influencing trading outcomes, and using deceptive practices, and he faced additional penalties for failing to cooperate with the investigation.The prediction market allows users to bet on the outcomes of real-world events such as elections, sports, and economic data by purchasing "Yes" or "No" contracts. As event contracts have become mainstream, Kalshi and its crypto-native competitor Polymarket have seen a surge in trading volume over the past year, attracting significant institutional interest.

According to Bloomberg, the decentralized perpetual contract trading platform Hyperliquid is in advanced negotiations with Kraken's parent company Payward, planning to offer some crypto perpetual contract products to U.S. traders through its U.S.-regulated digital asset exchange and clearinghouse Bitnomial. Representatives from Payward and Hyperliquid Labs declined to comment.If the deal is reached, it will mark Hyperliquid's first entry into the U.S. market, headquartered in Singapore. The platform has a daily trading volume exceeding $4 billion, but it cannot be opened to U.S. users due to its design without a centralized operator. Providing access through Bitnomial's regulated infrastructure can meet regulatory requirements for operators and regulatory frameworks. Any agreement still requires regulatory approval, and Payward has submitted a proposal outlining the basic structure to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.This negotiation comes as Trump stated earlier this month that his administration is working to bring the platform to the U.S., and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig is also seeking to pave the way for Hyperliquid. Meanwhile, the SEC and CFTC are pushing to bring offshore perpetual contract trading back to U.S. platforms.

According to Cointelegraph, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan proposed in its 2026 tax reform request to exempt trust-based stablecoins from mandatory tax reporting obligations starting from the fiscal year 2027. The agency suggested that trust-based stablecoins do not need to submit beneficiary trust reports and calculation statements that include the names and income of beneficiaries.The reason given by the FSA is that trust-based stablecoins circulate among a large number of users, with frequent and numerous transactions, and holding these assets does not generate income. If the proposal receives legislative approval, the relevant tax exemption measures will take effect from April 1, 2027.This move is part of Japan's efforts to incorporate cryptocurrency assets into the regulatory framework for traditional financial assets. In July of this year, the Japanese Diet passed an amendment that classifies cryptocurrency assets as financial assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, a direction first signaled by Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki in January.

Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Simon Harris announced the framework for the country's new savings and investment plan via an Instagram video on Sunday, explicitly excluding crypto assets. Savers can hold stocks, bonds, funds, exchange-traded funds, and insurance products, while cryptocurrencies, derivatives, and interest-bearing cash are not permitted. The plan aims to guide approximately $203 billion (€175 billion) in deposits held by Irish households in bank accounts into the investment sector.Every Irish tax resident aged 18 and over can open an account, with contributions within the tax-free allowance being completely tax-exempt, while amounts exceeding this will be taxed at a low fixed rate annually. There are no minimum contribution amounts or lock-in period restrictions, but there is an annual contribution limit. Specific thresholds and tax rates will be announced on the budget day of October 6, with accounts expected to open next year. Research from the Central Bank of Ireland shows that Irish households allocate only 2.3% of their financial assets to direct investments such as listed stocks and bonds, significantly lower than the EU average of 7.5%.Harris also confirmed that the new accounts will not be subject to the "deemed disposal" rule—this rule requires certain funds to be taxed at a rate of 38% every eight years. The government will review this regulation more broadly in the coming weeks. A survey by the Central Bank of Ireland found that about 10% of adults hold crypto assets, primarily young men, with an average holding of approximately €2,266. Prior to the exclusion of crypto assets, Ireland launched its first national anti-money laundering strategy on August 13, enhancing scrutiny of private wallet transfers and due diligence requirements for overseas crypto businesses.

According to a Reuters report, Polymarket's new Global Head of Research and Intelligence, Shana Bautista (former analyst at Coinbase, former investigator at the FBI), stated that as the U.S. midterm elections approach, Polymarket has established a system to identify unusual trading activities and will continue to prevent U.S. users from using its international platform to comply with the settlement agreement reached with U.S. regulators in 2022.In addition, Polymarket plans to launch a new webpage to publicly disclose the operational details of market integrity review mechanisms such as machine learning, blockchain analysis, and trading monitoring, and revealed that it has referred over 100 cases to law enforcement agencies.