CMB International Securities, a subsidiary of China Merchants Bank, launched virtual asset trading services on August 18, becoming the first Chinese bank-affiliated securities firm to offer compliant crypto transactions in Hong Kong. According to a local report, the platform will provide 24/7 trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether through an integrated mobile application requiring Know…
Solana recorded 107,540 transactions per second on mainnet over the weekend, marking what developers claim as the first time a major blockchain has achieved 100,000 TPS. Helius co-founder Mert Mumtaz announced the milestone on social media, crediting developer “dr cavey phd” for executing the stress test that pushed Solana’s throughput to six figures. Solana just…
North Korea’s infamous Lazarus Group has been linked to the $23 million crypto heist that brought down British startup Lykke. Lykke, a crypto trading platform incorporated in the UK, lost nearly $23 million last year due to a security breach. Investigations at the time revealed that hackers stole 158 BTC and 2,161 ETH. The hacker…
Japan is preparing to greenlight its first yen-denominated stablecoin this autumn, marking a big step in the country’s approach to digital assets and cross-border payments, Nikkei reported Monday. The Financial Services Agency is expected to approve issuance of the stablecoin as early as October, with the token aimed at uses ranging from international remittances to…
Jeju City, in the South Korean island province of Jeju, has completed a crypto-themed investigation of almost 3,000 residents with unpaid tax bills, seizing Bitcoin (BTC) and other coins from dozens of individuals. The South Korean media outlet Newsis reported that tax delinquents in the city have been “lining their pockets with cryptoassets.” Jeju Crypto…
Solana validators are voting on SIMD-0326, a major protocol overhaul that would replace the current TowerBFT consensus mechanism with Alpenglow, a new system promising to reduce block finality from 12.8 seconds to as low as 100-150 milliseconds. The proposal introduces direct voting, signature aggregation, and a 1.6 SOL per epoch Validator Admission Ticket fee to…
Thailand launched its “TouristDigiPay” scheme on Monday, August 18, allowing foreign visitors to convert crypto into Thai Baht for electronic payment across the country. The initiative operates within a regulatory sandbox framework with strict Know Your Customer requirements and monthly spending limits to prevent financial crime while boosting tourism revenues. Thailand will launch the “TouristDigiPay”…
Digital Currency Group (DCG) has escalated its legal battle with bankrupt subsidiary Genesis Global Capital, filing a countersuit demanding $1.1 billion in promissory note relief and $105 million in alleged overpayments. The move comes as Genesis pursues over $3.1 billion in damages against its parent company through multiple ongoing lawsuits. Source: Kroll Three Arrows Capital…
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins says the agency is “mobilizing” to make the U.S. a global hub for digital assets, the federal regulator told Fox News reporter Maria Bartiromo in an interview on August 15. SEC ‘Mobilizing’ to Make America Crypto Capital, Paul Atkins Says During his appearance on the…
Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) supports U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Fox News interview this week, in which he revealed that the U.S. will not be buying Bitcoin for its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR). Sen. Cynthia Lummis Applauds Budget-Neutral Bitcoin Plan Speaking with reporter Maria Bartiromo on Thursday, Bessent revealed that the U.S. will not purchase…