regulatory

According to the latest report released by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), FATF conducted the seventh special assessment of the implementation of Recommendation 15 (R.15) across global jurisdictions. The report indicates that since the last update in 2025, countries have continued to advance in the regulation of virtual assets (VA) and virtual asset service providers (VASP), including conducting risk assessments, improving licensing and registration frameworks, implementing travel rules, and strengthening law enforcement actions.However, the report also points out that significant gaps still exist, mainly reflected in: the difficulty in effectively translating risk assessment results into mitigation measures, insufficient implementation of licensing and registration frameworks, challenges in identifying VASP activity subjects, and inadequate effectiveness of risk-based supervision and law enforcement. In terms of emerging risks, the report focuses on the following areas: the exacerbation of the "industrialization" trend of organized crime groups using virtual assets to commit fraud, the rising risk of stablecoin abuse, risks associated with non-custodial wallet peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, offshore VASPs operating outside of regulation, and ongoing challenges in the DeFi sector. FATF calls for the public and private sectors to jointly strengthen the implementation of R.15, enhance risk mitigation capabilities, and deepen domestic, international, and public-private cooperation mechanisms.

According to the official website of the Brazilian Securities Commission (CVM), the CVM officially established the Security Tokenization Working Group (GTT) on July 17, 2026, aiming to conduct research, testing, and regulatory framework development around Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), covering aspects such as the registration, custody, trading, and clearing of securities.The initial operating period of the working group is 120 days, which can be extended by 30 days, gathering representatives from 14 departments within the CVM, and will invite government agencies, self-regulatory organizations, and market experts to participate. The first task is to submit an experimental regulatory framework proposal for security tokenization to the CVM committee within 60 days of its establishment. CVM Chairman Otto Lobo stated that tokenization is one of the most important structural changes in the capital market and requires equally innovative regulatory responses.

According to BBX data, over the weekend, cryptocurrency concept stocks faced two significant substantive events related to publicly listed companies, with the core dynamics as follows:Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: $BTM, bankruptcy proceedings ongoing) completed all executive termination arrangements announced in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring process on July 17. According to the Form 8-K submitted to the SEC on May 18, 2026 (disclosed under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, WARN Act), the company issued layoff notices to all employees and executives immediately after filing for bankruptcy on May 17, with last Friday being the "expected effective date." Bitcoin Depot is one of the largest Bitcoin ATM operators in the United States (with over 7,000 machines in the U.S. and Canada at its peak), and its bankruptcy is one of the most representative cases of the collapse of a cryptocurrency infrastructure company during the 2026 bear market. The corresponding regulatory background includes: CFPB's enforcement pressure on cryptocurrency ATM service fees, tightening licensing requirements for cryptocurrency ATMs in various states, and a decline in retail cryptocurrency purchase volumes due to the bear market. Meanwhile, industry-wide pressures faced by similar companies providing ATM cash-to-crypto services, such as Coinstar, Coin Cloud, and PaySign, are also intensifying. Documents related to the restructuring process have been made public on the Kroll (claims agent) platform, and creditors can track progress at restructuring.ra.kroll.com/bitcoindepot.SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: $SOFI), as the only stablecoin directly issued by a U.S. national bank regulated by the OCC (SoFi Bank, N.A.), launched SoFiUSD on May 27. Over the weekend (July 18), it became the most direct regulatory test subject under the new framework as the deadline for the GENIUS Act regulatory agency's Customer Identification Program (CIP) rules approached. Regulators must finalize the CIP rules for the GENIUS Act by July 18, clarifying which stablecoin issuers can legally operate in the U.S. and the BSA/AML standards they must meet; there is a risk that the complete rule text may not be produced on time (there is a risk of delay), but even partial clarification of the framework will have a direct impact on SoFiUSD. SoFi's advantage lies in the fact that, as an issuer holding an OCC national bank charter, SoFiUSD falls under the category of "federally chartered stablecoin" in the GENIUS Act classification system, theoretically eligible for the most favorable regulatory treatment; Q1 2026 cryptocurrency trading revenue was $121.6 million, with a net income of approximately $852,000 after deducting costs in the cryptocurrency division. The stablecoin business is still in the early stages of strategic layout, with limited revenue contribution in the short term, but the establishment of the regulatory framework will determine the mid-term commercialization path.

David Sacks, Chairman of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, stated on the X platform that using regulatory uncertainty as a competitive tool is "completely unacceptable." Regulatory decisions should be based on facts, logic, and evidence, rather than deliberately creating fear and uncertainty (FUD). He is unsure whether venture capitalist and AI policy researcher Dean Ball is acknowledging a strategy of "regulatory capture" or merely predicting that such a situation will occur. However, in any case, the practice of issuing "soft law" warnings through regulatory agencies to create market panic, thereby forcing regulated companies away from Chinese open-source models, should not be accepted.David Sacks pointed out that Dean Ball believes there is no need to directly ban Chinese open-source models; it is sufficient to guide regulatory agencies to issue relevant warnings, which can influence corporate decision-making by creating enough doubt and uncertainty, and these reasons "do not even need to be very substantial." Any regulatory decision must have sufficient basis, rather than implementing policies by "artificially creating doubt." He warned that this practice of circumventing public deliberation procedures not only undermines the foundation of the rule of law but may also open the door to regulatory abuse against any company or individual in the future.David Sacks further stated that current AI policy is at a critical turning point. Leading closed-source laboratories, which have already formed a duopoly in AI model revenue, are attempting to use government power to eliminate open-source competitors. He called on other companies and developers in Silicon Valley that still support open competition to make clear statements to jointly maintain an open ecosystem in the field of AI.

According to a report by Reuters, informed sources revealed that the PayPal board believes the $53 billion acquisition offer from competitor Stripe and Advent International undervalues the company and faces regulatory and financing hurdles. The sources stated that PayPal has not formally responded yet, and the board is evaluating the trade-offs between the offer and the management's strategy to turn around the company, initially considering that the offer of $60.5 per share, while a premium over recent stock prices, does not fully reflect the company's future potential.The acquirers have secured approximately $50 billion in financing commitments from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, along with $17 billion in equity raised by Stripe and Advent, to support the $53 billion acquisition offer. If antitrust regulations are violated, the acquirers have considered remedies such as divesting the Braintree business to Advent. Block was initially involved but withdrew before the latest offer submission. Investors will be paying attention to PayPal's earnings report on July 28.

According to CNBC, the American prediction market platform Kalshi stated that a teleprompter operator is under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for allegedly trading prediction contracts related to public speeches by President Trump.

The Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, Emmanuel Tutuba, stated that the bank is completing the formulation of regulatory laws and regulations for digital assets, covering virtual assets, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins, to enhance regulation and supervision.Emmanuel Tutuba mentioned that many young people are investing in related fields, and the central bank has received complaints from individuals who have incurred losses in cryptocurrency-related transactions. The relevant rules will be used to protect Tanzanian investors. He stated that the new regulations will also address the risks of money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities related to virtual assets, ensuring that entities involved in related activities operate according to the guidelines that will be released soon.

According to Bitcoin News, the Czech Ministry of Finance officially listed the decentralized prediction market platform Polymarket on the "Unauthorized Online Gambling List" on July 13. The Czech gambling regulator requires internet service providers (ISPs) to complete access blocking for the platform within 15 days.The Czech regulator stated that Polymarket lacks necessary oversight, its operations essentially fall under gambling products, and due to its decentralized nature and unlicensed operation, it bypasses local gambling legal frameworks, posing risks such as market manipulation using insider information and lack of risk control. Recently, several European regulators have continued to tighten control over Polymarket, with Italy re-adding it to the ban list and the Netherlands also rejecting the platform's appeal.

According to reports, Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis recently predicted that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could be achieved in just a few years, with its transformative impact reaching ten times that of the Industrial Revolution, and its development speed accelerating tenfold. He pointed out that as the potential risks of cutting-edge models in areas such as cybersecurity, nuclear energy, and biology become increasingly prominent, the industry urgently needs to establish robust security protections for future AI systems that possess autonomy and self-improvement capabilities.To balance technological innovation and security risks, Hassabis called for the United States to take the lead in establishing a "Frontier AI Standards Agency" similar to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). This agency is proposed to operate under a public-private partnership or self-regulatory organization model, managed by independent technical experts and representatives from the open-source community, primarily funded through industry contributions. Its core function is to develop dynamic scientific assessment protocols, initially requiring frontier laboratories to voluntarily submit for review 30 days prior to the release of models, with plans to eventually transition to mandatory market entry testing, while non-frontier models from startups or academic institutions would be exempt. This framework aims to address unknown crises through a technology-driven review mechanism and to promote a global consensus on AI risk management within the international community.

Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett posted on the X platform that Patrick Witt, the Executive Director of the White House Cryptocurrency Council, stated that this week will be a "critical week" in the advancement of the U.S. CLARITY Act. As the crypto industry prepares to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the GENIUS Act officially becoming law, the construction of the U.S. digital asset regulatory framework has once again become a focal point for the market.Patrick Witt mentioned that the current U.S. crypto policy is at an important stage, and the advancement of the CLARITY Act will have significant implications for the market structure of digital assets, the division of regulatory responsibilities, and the future development direction of the industry.Previously, the CLARITY Act was regarded as one of the important legislations for establishing comprehensive regulatory rules for the U.S. crypto market, aiming to clarify the classification of digital assets, the authority of regulatory agencies, and the compliance requirements for market participants.Market participants believe that if the bill makes substantial progress, it could further enhance regulatory certainty for the U.S. crypto industry and impact the future strategies of exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and blockchain companies.

After a meeting with Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani, Bilal bin Saqib, the chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, stated that stablecoins, tokenized RWA, and other blockchain products should undergo separate technical and Islamic law assessments and should not be regarded as the same category.Previously, scholars including Usmani issued a fatwa declaring that USDT and other cryptocurrencies do not constitute wealth recognized by Islamic law, rendering transactions for purchasing physical goods or digital services invalid. Pakistan passed the Virtual Assets Act in March of this year, requiring exchanges, custodians, and token issuers to ensure compliance with Islamic law under the guidance of an Islamic finance scholars committee. At the same time, the country is advancing sovereign stablecoins, national asset tokenization, and licensing for cryptocurrency trading platforms.

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.

According to The Block, the European Union is considering revising its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), just about a week after this crypto regulatory framework fully came into effect. The European Commission is seeking feedback from relevant stakeholders, with a deadline of September 30.According to several anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the European Commission is assessing whether to expand the regulatory scope of MiCA to include emerging areas such as tokenization and non-EU stablecoin issuers.MiCA is a comprehensive regulatory framework established by the EU for crypto assets, aimed at creating unified rules for the issuance, trading, custody, and other related services of crypto assets across the EU. The regulation officially comes into effect in December 2024, but most service providers have been granted a transition period to complete compliance adjustments, which lasts until July 1 of this year.

The legal team of the Bank of Korea released a research paper titled "Regulatory Framework for Foreign Remittance Transactions Involving Stablecoins," proposing regulatory recommendations for large stablecoin transactions. The paper references South Korea's current foreign exchange management regulations and outlines constraints for stablecoin transfers exceeding $10,000 between individuals, requiring such transactions to be conducted only between officially certified wallets, along with a prior declaration mechanism.Institutions admit that comprehensive control over unregistered wallets faces technical obstacles, but due to anti-money laundering compliance requirements, it is necessary to strengthen restrictions on large cross-border stablecoin fund flows. South Korean regulatory authorities have previously stated the need to improve the monitoring system for cross-border cryptocurrency transactions involving non-custodial wallets, and this paper further refines the control approach.