
With open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act set to begin November 1, 41 state lawmakers have issued a sharp rebuke of congressional Republicans. The coalition warns that failing to extend federal subsidies will trigger a catastrophic spike in premiums and leave millions of Americans without essential medical coverage.

As energy prices climb during the ongoing conflict in Iran, Shell has reported a massive surge in quarterly profits, reigniting criticism over corporate windfall gains. From April to June, the oil giant posted $9.84 billion in net profit, marking its strongest financial performance in four years.

Fhenix and Canopy are embedding confidential computation directly into the Canopy Stack, allowing developers to build sovereign applications that maintain data encryption during active processing. By leveraging fully homomorphic encryption, the integration aims to replace the need for separate, complex cryptography stacks with a streamlined developer experience.

As Abdul El-Sayed surges to a double-digit lead in Michigan's U.S. Senate primary, establishment Democrats are pivoting from policy debates to sharp personal attacks. Critics argue the campaign against the former public health official is increasingly relying on xenophobic tropes to undermine his progressive platform.

Police in the Batu Gajah district dismantled an illegal Bitcoin mining network Tuesday night, arresting two men following raids on three properties in Tronoh. The operation, codenamed Op Elektrik, uncovered 73 mining rigs powered by unauthorized electricity lines connected directly to the national grid.

Five hundred investors, policymakers, and industry leaders will gather in Jackson Hole this August as Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse joins the roster for the third annual Wyoming Blockchain Symposium. The invitation-only event, hosted by SALT and Kraken, focuses on the evolving landscape of U.S. digital asset regulation.

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has frozen HK$125.247 million in a single client account at Futu Securities International, citing an ongoing probe into suspected IPO share manipulation. The regulator emphasized that the brokerage itself is not under investigation and its broader operations remain unaffected by the order.

Starting August 1, Bitget Wallet card users will see their purchase rewards automatically converted into Bitcoin, tokenized stocks, or gold. The new "Assetback" program replaces the platform's traditional cash-back model, pushing users toward a recurring investment strategy as they spend across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and parts of Africa.

Mark Zuckerberg has declared that the future of artificial intelligence must prioritize individual empowerment over institutional control. In a recent manifesto, the Meta CEO argued that concentrating superintelligence within a handful of organizations creates a dangerous power imbalance, advocating instead for the widespread distribution of these tools to the general public.

The Bank of Korea has successfully processed live cross-border transactions using tokenized central bank reserves, marking a pivotal step in the BIS-led Project Agora. By validating payment workflows across six major currencies, the central bank is testing the viability of wholesale digital assets to replace traditional, fragmented settlement systems.

Legacy rule-based security systems are increasingly struggling to keep pace with the sophisticated, unpredictable nature of modern cyber threats. For small and mid-sized businesses relying on Linux VPS environments, shifting toward AI-driven monitoring offers a critical advantage: the ability to detect anomalous behavior rather than just matching known attack patterns.

South Korea’s Samsung SDS is moving beyond passive investment, leveraging its recent stake in Dunamu to build the backbone for next-generation digital finance. President Lee Joon-hee confirmed the company is actively developing stablecoin infrastructure and AI-powered payment systems, marking a shift toward deep integration with the operator of the Upbit exchange.

The Aave lending protocol is preparing a sweeping reduction of its footprint, targeting the closure of six blockchain deployments and the removal of 50 low-adoption asset reserves. Founder Stani Kulechov confirmed the plan on July 30, citing a need to streamline operations and phase out underperforming liquidity pools.

Conflict emerged within the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as a scheduled vote to advance Todd Blanche for U.S. attorney general was abruptly postponed. The delay follows a standoff over Blanche's refusal to provide written commitments regarding a controversial $10 billion IRS settlement involving President Donald Trump.

Adam Hollander is departing his role as chief marketing officer at OpenSea after an 18-month run, citing a need to prioritize his health and family. The executive confirmed his exit in a public post this week, clarifying that he is not transitioning to another firm or seeking new employment.

Executives are being targeted by an impersonation campaign where scammers pose as China Business Journal reporters to solicit Bitcoin. Using Proton Mail, the perpetrators threaten to publish damaging investigative reports unless companies pay to suppress the findings, a tactic that leverages the publication’s reputation to intimidate business leaders.

A $23.75 million drain from Ostium’s liquidity vault was not caused by code flaws, but by an intruder infiltrating the protocol’s off-chain infrastructure. The attacker manipulated BTC-USD price reports to fabricate trading profits, bypassing security checks while leaving the protocol’s core smart contracts entirely intact.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins has signaled that the agency is prepared to establish its own crypto market framework should the CLARITY Act fail to secure a Senate vote. While Atkins continues to support the legislative path, he maintains that the SEC remains ready to act unilaterally.

The Australian eSafety Commissioner has launched Federal Court proceedings against Telegram, alleging the platform repeatedly ignored notices to remove videos of mass shootings. If found in violation of national safety standards, the company faces civil penalties reaching A$54.6 million for failing to curb extremist material.

UK asset manager Schroders reported a statutory pre-tax profit of £396.8 million for the first half of 2026, more than double the £196.9 million recorded a year prior. The surge comes as the firm nears its acquisition by the US-based Nuveen, reflecting a broader trend of transatlantic consolidation in wealth management.

Institutional custodian BitGo has introduced four new risk management controls designed to measure and mitigate public-key exposure in Bitcoin wallets. While current quantum computing power remains insufficient to threaten the network, these tools allow institutions to proactively manage data visibility before future cryptographic vulnerabilities materialize.

Binance.US intends to apply for a Commodity Futures Trading Commission license this August to launch a regulated prediction market platform. CEO Stephen Gregory confirmed the move at the Rare Evo conference in Las Vegas, marking a aggressive effort to move beyond spot crypto trading and regain lost U.S. market share.

PIMCO is expanding its European fund lineup by converting its long-standing StocksPLUS strategy into a UCITS ETF format. The new PIMCO Advantage StocksPLUS US Large Cap UCITS ETF aims to marry US equity exposure with active fixed income management, marking a significant shift in how the firm distributes its flagship investment products.

Societe Generale’s private banking division posted a robust €363 million in net income for the second quarter of 2026, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase. This growth reflects a broader trend of rising performance across the French lender's business units as the group pivots toward higher profitability targets.

As the Open USD stablecoin prepares for its debut, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney has signaled that the payments giant will not abandon its agnostic approach to digital assets. Despite joining a consortium of 140 companies backing the new token, Visa maintains that its infrastructure remains focused on neutral multi-chain support.

St James's Place reported a decline in adjusted pre-tax profits to £278.4 million for the first half of 2026, down from £307.0 million a year prior. While assets under management climbed to a record £240.8 billion, the wealth manager faces ongoing pressure from charging controversies and a shift in its fee model.

South Korean policymakers are facing pressure to introduce interim stablecoin licensing guidance, potentially decoupling the sector from the slower legislative progress of the broader Digital Asset Basic Act. A recent policy report argues that waiting for comprehensive legislation leaves local businesses without the clarity needed to operate won-backed payment services.
The U.S. Treasury Department has blacklisted two Iranian maritime insurance firms, accusing them of operating an extortion scheme that accepts Bitcoin to bypass international sanctions. While officials claim the platform supports Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps revenue, the government provided no on-chain evidence to verify specific cryptocurrency transactions or volumes.

The Sixth WealthBriefing WealthTech Americas Awards have officially opened for entries, inviting firms across North and Latin America to showcase their latest innovations. The program highlights leaders in the wealth technology ecosystem, spanning critical sectors from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to digital client onboarding and regulatory compliance.

Crypto exchange Luno is cutting 20% of its global workforce, a restructuring move confirmed by CEO James Lanigan to pivot resources toward institutional and business-to-business services. The decision follows a broader industry trend that saw at least 12 crypto-related companies announce staff reductions throughout July.