CFTC to join SEC in exploring crypto regulations without CLARITY bill

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced a committee meeting to advise the agency on policy issues, including a potential exploration of how to address cryptocurrency regulation in the absence of congressional action.  In a notice issued Thursday, the CFTC said it would hold a meeting for its Innovation Advisory Committee on Aug. 20 to address regulation related to crypto assets, AI and prediction markets. Among the potential topics to be discussed on crypto were “areas where regulatory action can complement future congressional legislation,” likely referring to the US Senate failing to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act before breaking for an August recess last week.  The CFTC announcement followed a similar notice of a meeting to be held by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday. The agenda said that it intended to discuss “new rules to create a tailored offering regime for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets.” A spokesperson added that it would support Congress effort to pass a market structure bill, but until such a law was passed, the SEC would work “within [its] authority” to advance crypto regulation.  Michael Selig remains the only Senate-confirmed CFTC commissioner and chair, with no indication that US

08-14Industry

MUFG PoC to bring Japanese government bond repo transactions onchain

Four MUFG companies plan to bring Japanese government bond repo transactions onchain using the Canton Network, as part of a new proof of concept (PoC).  The four companies, including MUFG, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking and MUFG Bank, will collaborate with Digital Asset Holdings and Progmat for the PoC, according to a Thursday announcement.  The companies said they seek to improve operational efficiency through automation of the transaction lifecycle, enable real-time intraday settlement 24/7, as well as enhance funding and capital efficiency.  The initiative is part of the Payment Innovation Project pilot announced by Japans Financial Services Agency in February 2026, aimed at helping fintech firms run PoCs on advanced payment technologies such as blockchain-based solutions, stablecoins, tokenization and onchain settlement.  MUFG has been extending its push into blockchain. In June 2023, the financial services firm announced that its stablecoin issuance platform “Progmat Coin” will be used by banks to launch Japanese yen-pegged stablecoins on several public blockchains.  MUFG dropped its blockchain payments project GO-Net Japan in February 2022 to focus on its stablecoin initiatives.  Magazine: How Hong Kong is turning tokenized bonds into real market infrastructure

08-14Industry

Neutrl pauses NUSD redemptions over undisclosed reserve issue

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Neutrl has suspended minting and redemptions for its NUSD synthetic dollar after unspecified circumstances affected protocol reserves, leaving the cause and scale of any potential impairment unclear.  On Thursday, Neutrl said it had also paused other protocol functions on legal advice while it assesses the impact. The protocol did not identify the affected asset or counterparty, say whether reserves suffered a realized loss or provide a timeline for resuming operations.  Structured-yield protocol Strata later said it paused minting, redemptions and related functions for contracts in its Neutrl market, which supports several NUSD-linked products. Strata said its other markets remained operational.  With about $53.6 million in NUSD in circulation, the suspension prevents approved counterparties from exchanging the token for its backing assets while Neutrl determines whether its reserves have been impaired. Neutrl said it would provide timing and next steps when available.  Cointelegraph contacted Neutrl for comment but had not received a response by publication.  NUSD supply falls 18% over 30 days  According to RWA.xyz, NUSD had a market capitalization of about $53.6 million on Friday, down 18.4% over 30 days, while monthly transfer volume fell 72.4% to $71.4 million. However, the data does not establish that the earlier contraction was related to

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Bitcoin holders Strategy and Metaplanet face stock-index exclusion under MSCIs new proposal

If it fails that, it moves to an exclusion screen that uses five ratios – operating asset intensity, expense intensity, cash flow, fair value intensity, and capital dependence – to make the final call.  A company becomes ineligible for index inclusion if it fails four out of the five test ratios.  MSCIs description of the so-called non-operating companies not fit for index inclusion reads like a checklist of bitcoin treasury firms without naming one.  Companies that “create value by accumulating and holding non-operating assets,” generate little cash from actual operations, and depend on outside capital rather than their own business to grow, MSCI explained. Companies not currently in the index face the stricter thresholds based on their latest single filing.  An earlier consultation, opened in October 2025, targeted “digital asset treasury” firms, specifically those holding 50% or more of assets in bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. That proposal named 39 companies, triggering crypto market volatility and industry backlash. The proposal was ultimately deferred.  Nothing is decided yet  MSCI has invited feedback from market participants through Sept. 30, and the results will be announced roughly two weeks later, on Oct. 16.  It has said that any resulting changes would be folded into the November 2026 index review, if the

08-14Industry

Leon Li Returns with UMX: Crypto and Stocks “Tie the Knot” — The TradFi Moment Has Arrived, and the

Recently, UMX Exchange, incubated by Leon Li s (Li Lin) Avenir Group, officially launched its invitation-only public beta.  Because of Leon Li ‘sidentity as the former founder of Huobi and UMX’s “Unified Market” vision, the platform attracted strong industry attention immediately after launch.  Thirteen years ago, Leon Li founded Huobi at Garage Coffee. That was the era of crypto “land grabbing,” when the industrys mission was simple: make Bitcoin accessible to more people. It was straightforward and aggressive.  Thirteen years later, the rules of the game have changed.  Cryptos self-contained “small world” is coming to an end. It now wants a seat at the same table as U.S. stocks, ETFs, and other forms of “old money.”  The reason is simple: the crypto island is gradually connecting with the traditional financial mainland.  Bitcoin spot ETFs have been approved in the United States. Stablecoins have gained legislative recognition from major economies. Real-world assets (RWA) are bringing government bonds and stocks into the crypto ecosystem. The era when crypto-operates independently is fading, and a new continent is emerging at the intersection of digital assets and traditional finance.  2026 can be described as the “TradFi moment” for crypto exchanges.  Crypto exchanges are collectively “transforming” or “expanding”: Binance, OKX, Gate, Coinbase, Kraken, and

08-14Deep Dive

CFTC sets Aug. 20 crypto talks as CLARITY vote waits

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission will use its inaugural Innovation Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 20 to examine crypto regulation, artificial intelligence and prediction markets as Congress delays action on a broader digital asset market structure bill.  The three-hour meeting begins at 1 p.m. ET in Washington and will be streamed publicly, according to the CFTC release.  The timing gives the meeting a sharper policy role than a routine technology discussion. The CFTC agenda explicitly lists “opportunities to modernize existing rules using current statutory authority” and areas where regulatory action can “complement future congressional legislation.” However, the IAC is advisory. It will not vote on a crypto rule, and its recommendations do not automatically represent the Commissions position.  CFTC Agenda on Crypto Assets ⬇️ Aug 20th  • The emergence of crypto asset markets and early regulatory  approaches.  • The evolution of state licensing regimes and the resulting patchwork  of requirements.  • The absence of a comprehensive federal market structure framework.  CFTC crypto talks focus on what regulators can do now  The first 50-minute session, titled “Cryptos Regulatory Evolution: From Uncertainty to Clarity,” will cover the lack of a comprehensive federal market structure framework, overlapping jurisdictions and recent regulatory efforts. It also lists cybersecurity, operational resilience and crypto infrastructure as areas

08-14Industry

BitMine lands $81.9M stake from Norway wealth fund

Norway‘s Government Pension Fund Global disclosed a $81.87 million position in BitMine Immersion Technologies, giving the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund indirect exposure to Ethereum through a U.S.-listed corporate treasury company rather than through a direct ETH purchase.  SummaryNorges Bank held 6,151,062 BitMine shares worth $81.87 million at June 30, SEC filings show.The position gives Norway indirect Ethereum exposure through equity, not direct ownership of ETH itself.BitMine reported 5,805,238 ETH holdings on August 9, with 5,067,309 ETH already staked through validators.BitMine was absent from Norges Banks December 2025 filing, while acquisition timing remains publicly undisclosed.Norways fund reached 22.683 trillion kroner at midyear, with 72.1% invested in global equities overall.  An Aug. 12 SEC filing from Norges Bank showed that the fund held 6,151,062 BitMine shares as of June 30. The position was valued at $81,870,635 at quarter end. Norges Bank reported sole investment discretion over the shares.  Norway ???????? Sovereign Wealth Fund disclosed a 6.15m share position in $BMNR, valued at $81.87m as of June 30https://t.co/N4AdIWeGgV  Got $ETH?  You might also like:  Bitmine adds 10,399 ETH as BMNR stock falls  Norway wealth funds BitMine stake appeared by June  The BitMine position was not present in Norges Banks Dec. 31, 2025 13F holdings table, confirming that it was added

08-14Industry

Strategy, Metaplanet face MSCI index removal proposal

MSCI is considering a new methodology that could remove Strategy and Metaplanet from its Global Investable Market Indexes as early as the November 2026 Index Review.  SummaryMSCIs May simulation would delete Strategy, Metaplanet and Yellow Cake under proposed non-operating company screens.SharpLink would enter a watchlist because current constituents need two consecutive annual failures before removal.Companies failing the core screen become ineligible after triggering four of five financial ratio tests.Consultation closes September 30, with results due October 16 and possible November implementation by MSCI.MSCI abandoned its earlier crypto-only exclusion proposal in January and promised this broader company review.  A simulation using May data identified the two Bitcoin treasury companies and U.K. uranium investor Yellow Cake as the three existing constituents that would be deleted under the proposed rules.  The proposal remains a consultation, not a final index decision. MSCIs announcement says feedback remains open through Sept. 30, with results expected by Oct. 16. Any methodology change would then be targeted for the November review. MSCI explicitly warns that the consultation “may or may not” result in the proposed changes.  You might also like:  Metaplanet launches BitBonds with ¥200M private sale  MSCI proposal replaces the earlier crypto specific test  The current review is broader than MSCIs earlier attempt to

08-14Industry

Ethereum study flags 65,340 risky addresses tied to $574.8M

A USENIX Security 26 study has identified 65,340 high-risk address instances across Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain, linking them to 126,982.94 ETH and 17,726.7 BNB in native-token losses.  The paper, presented at the 35th USENIX Security Symposium in Baltimore, estimates their dollar value at more than $574.8 million.  The dollar figure needs context. The researchers say they valued the token losses using reference prices of $4,408 per ETH and $847 per BNB rather than prices at the time of every transaction. They describe their findings as a “conservative lower bound” because the analysis covers only native ETH and BNB on the two networks and may miss less obvious cases.  USENIX Security 26 Study Identifies 65,000+ High-Risk Crypto Addresses Linked to $574.8M in Losses  A study presented at USENIX Security 26 identified 65,340 high-risk cryptocurrency addresses involved in abuse across Ethereum and BNB Chain, with estimated losses exceeding…  Ethereum address misuse spans contract and private-key risks  The researchers divide “Address Misuse” into two categories. Contract Account misuse happens when users treat an address without deployed contract code as a contract address, often because the same address is used in another network context. The study identified 49,344 such instances, associated with losses of 22,738.41 ETH and 8,681.41 BNB.  Externally

08-14Industry

JPMorgan shuttered its banking relationship with predictions platform Polymarket: FT

SummaryJPMorgan stopped providing banking services to the decentralized prediction market Polymarket in late 2025 amid regulatory concerns, according to the Financial Times.Polymarket, which was barred from serving U.S. users in 2022 after a $1.4 million CFTC settlement, reentered the U.S. market in late 2025 following a loosening of federal rules under the Trump administration.  JPMorgan Chase stopped providing its banking services to the decentralized prediction market platform Polymarket late last year, according to the Financial Times.  In October 2025 the bank told Polymarket it would have to secure a different banking partner amid regulatory worries. Polymarket has already moved to another lender, though that firms name remains undisclosed, the FT report said.  Polymarket was barred from serving U.S. users in 2022 after the CFTC hit the platform with a $1.4 million settlement for running an unregistered derivatives trading venue. The company nonetheless returned to the U.S. market in late 2025 once the Trump administration loosened federal rules.  Even after cutting the formal banking link, JPMorgan has reportedly kept some connection. For instance, it invited Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan to address a private client conference in February 2026 and is still angling for a role underwriting any future IPO.  CoinDesk reached out to Polymarket for a

08-14Industry
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