"I will not allow any Muslim to be harmed in my territory, and anyone who insults the Holy Qur'an means insulting me personally. The punishment for them will be commensurate with the nature of their actions."
GENIUS Act (stablecoin bill) passed relatively smoothly because it has natural constituents within the traditional financial system — both banks and payment networks benefit from regulated dollar tokens. #CLARITYAct is a different story: the primary beneficiaries are crypto exchanges, token issuers, and asset managers — smaller lobbies that are less "liked" than banking, while the costs are borne by the agencies that defend their jurisdiction (SEC vs CFTC) and by Senators who are wary of approving assets that, personally, the president also trades.
CLARITY Act enters the deciding room in Wall Street
Tomorrow, the House Financial Services Committee will bring a debate on US crypto regulation out of Capitol Hill and straight to the heart of Wall Street. Not for a vote — but to force all parties to show their cards right in the week that will determine the fate of this bill throughout 2026. Tomorrow's Agenda "Building the Future of Finance: How the CLARITY Act Unlocks Innovation" Friday, 17 July 2026 · 10:00 ET (21:00 WIB) · Federal Hall National Memorial, New York 43% POLYMARKET · OPPORTUNITY TO BE APPROVED IN 2026 1. Why is this hearing different
CLARITY Act enters the deciding room in Wall Street
Tomorrow, the House Financial Services Committee will bring a debate on US crypto regulation out of Capitol Hill and straight to the heart of Wall Street. Not for a vote — but to force all parties to show their cards right in the week that will determine the fate of this bill throughout 2026. Tomorrow's Agenda "Building the Future of Finance: How the CLARITY Act Unlocks Innovation" Friday, 17 July 2026 · 10:00 ET (21:00 WIB) · Federal Hall National Memorial, New York 43% POLYMARKET · OPPORTUNITY TO BE APPROVED IN 2026 1. Why is this hearing different
Tether’s investment of US$20 million into Argentina neobank Ualá is not just a financial investment. This move is part of a long-term strategy to expand Tether’s dominance in Latin America. Ualá itself has more than 11 million users in Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia. At present, Tether is only an investor and there are no plans to integrate $USDT directly because regulations in the region still restrict it.
1. Tether is building infrastructure, not just a stablecoin Rather than focusing solely on issuing USDT, Tether is now buying shares in fintech companies that have millions of users. If regulations improve in the future, that user network could become an entry point for adopting USDT.
2. Latin America is a highly strategic market Countries like Argentina have high inflation and local currencies that often weaken. Many people use the US dollar or stablecoins as a store of value and a tool for transferring value across countries. This means demand for USDT could potentially keep rising.
3. The expansion strategy is becoming clearer Previously, Tether also invested in several Latin American companies, including Belo, Adecoagro, and Mercado Bitcoin. This shows a consistent strategy of building a digital financial ecosystem in the region.
SBI Group originated #Jepang , valued at $250 billion, has partnered with Ondo Finance to tokenize Japanese stocks.
This partnership aims to bring Japanese stocks into the blockchain, distribute the assets that Ondo has tokenized through the SBI network, and use SBI’s JPYSC stablecoin for payments and collateral.
#Jepang has passed laws that officially recognize cryptocurrency as a financial asset.
The law expands oversight by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), paving the way for a Bitcoin ETF, introduces insider trading regulations and stricter disclosure requirements, and may potentially lower tax rates on qualifying cryptocurrency to around 20%. These changes are expected to take effect within one year.
1. Saturday, July 11 — The Polri Corruption Eradication Unit (Tipidkor) officially sets Febrie Adriansyah (former Jampidsus) as a suspect for corruption + money laundering (TPPU), involving the Asabri case, Krakatau Steel, and the PLN coal-fired power plant (PLTU batu bara). 2. Wednesday, July 15 afternoon — The Attorney General’s Office issues 3 new sprindik documents (Nos. 43, 44, 45) to take over the investigation from Polri. But in those sprindik documents, Febrie’s status changes to a witness, not a suspect anymore. 3. Wednesday, July 15 night — The Public Prosecutor’s Office issues another statement; Febrie’s status remains a suspect. It’s only a few hours different from the first announcement. The official reason from the Attorney General’s Office (Head of the Legal Information Center, Anang Supriatna): this change in status does not mean that the previous suspect designation has been revoked— the Attorney General’s Office only issued a sprindik first to begin investigations, before reviewing all the files and evidence submitted.
Trump posts on Truth Social on Monday (July 13), saying the Senate must pass the CLARITY Act "in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham" — a strong supporter of this bill who died suddenly the previous weekend at age 71. Trump has called for U.S. Senators to pass the Clarity Act as a way to honor Senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly over the weekend at age 71. He said China and other countries "want to take full and total control" of what he called this "momentous financial revolution" — as well as in the field of AI. Trump described the current moment as a 'momentous financial revolution' and stressed that other nations, including China, are actively working to dominate it. His claim: The U.S. is still ahead in AI and crypto now, but competition is fierce. We are currently ahead in artificial intelligence, but they are also competing fiercely.
The new Senate returned from recess on July 13, and has only about four weeks to schedule, debate, and vote on the CLARITY Act before the August recess — a window seen as the last realistic opportunity for this bill in the 119th Congress.
White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt added urgency, saying this week coincides with the first anniversary of the GENIUS Act. White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt amplified the urgency, noting the critical week coincides with the one-year anniversary of the GENIUS Act, cautioning "We cannot afford to delay any longer".
The bill was previously targeted to be completed before July 4, but missed.
Cumberland (major crypto market maker) received a full Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence from MAS on July 13, 2026, completing an in-principle approval from March. Cumberland SG Pte. Ltd. received a full MAS Major Payment Institution licence on July 13, 2026, completing an in-principle approval from March, authorising Digital Payment Token and Cross-Border Money Transfer services
This licence officially grants Cumberland access to Digital Payment Token (DPT) services and cross-border money transfers under the Payment Services Act
There are now 38 firms holding active MPI/DPT licences in Singapore as of July 7, 2026 — including Coinbase, OKX, BitGo, Anchorage, Gemini, GSR, HashKey, StraitsX, Circle MAS Licensed Crypto & Digital Asset Providers: 38 Firms, licence status last cross-referenced on Jul 7, 2026
MAS is selective, not lenient: At the same time this year, MAS also suspended the MPI licence of Bsquared Technology due to governance, outsourcing, risk management issues, and added Bybit Fintech to the Investor Alert List last June. Singapore keeps licensing cryptocurrency companies that comply while maintaining strict supervisory standards; earlier this year, MAS suspended the MPI licence of Bsquared Technology due to governance, outsourcing, and risk management issues, and added Bybit Fintech to the Investor Alert List. So the expansion pattern is: more licences are issued, but at the same time, oversight is getting tighter.
August 2025: Stablecoins Ordinance (Cap. 656) officially takes effect, making fiat-referenced stablecoin issuance a regulated activity under the HKMA With the Stablecoins Ordinance (Cap. 656) effective from 1 August 2025, any entity issuing fiat-referenced stablecoins in Hong Kong is required to obtain a license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
10 April 2026: HKMA grants the first two licenses — from among 36 applicants — to HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial (JV of Standard Chartered + HK Telecom + Animoca Brands) In Hong Kong, the decisive step came on.
April 10, 2026, when the Hong Kong Monetary Authority granted the city's first stablecoin issuer licenses to Anchorpoint Financial and HSBC, ending an eight-month wait.
24 June 2026: Secretary for Financial Services Christopher Hui said in the Legislative Council that these regulated stablecoins are targeted to launch between mid-2026 and the second half of the year. Secretary for Financial Services Christopher Hui told the Legislative Council on June 24, 2026, that regulated stablecoins are expected to launch between mid-2026 and the second half of the year.
HSBC plans to link its stablecoin to the PayMe app (~3.3 million retail users in HK) HSBC has signaled a second-half 2026 launch for its HKD-denominated stablecoin, with distribution anchored in the HSBC HK mobile banking app and PayMe.
The Ministry of Finance of South Korea (under Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol) launched the National Asset Basic Act to replace the 1950 State Property Act, which has been in place for 76 years. This is part of the second-semester 2026 economic policy package.
Key points: Crypto & digital assets + official IP are included in the definition of "national asset"—the total national portfolio managed at about 1,400 trillion won (~$940 billion). South Korea announced the National Asset Basic Act on July 15, 2026, formally recognizing cryptocurrencies and digital assets as state assets within a 1,400 trillion won (~$940 billion) portfolio and replacing the 1950 State Property Act.
The philosophy shifts from “merely storing/seizing assets” to “growing & extracting value”—Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said state assets should no longer be treated as mere holdings, but developed to extract value for the national balance sheet.
Government-owned real estate is planned to be tokenized via security tokens (STOs) so the public can invest and share in the returns. A pilot program for tokenized government bonds is scheduled for 2027, and the project will also connect with the Bank of Korea’s wholesale CBDC infrastructure.
Before that, treasury payments via deposit tokens are planned to be tested in H2 2026, with the goal that by 2030, 25% of all treasury spending will be routed through deposit tokens.
A legal amendment effective February 2027 will provide official recognition for blockchain-based ledgers as security registries under the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Act.
One of the biggest drivers of future job growth is data centers. These facilities are large, solid, ambitious, and are a money-making machine for the state where they are built. For political reasons, Governor Kathy Hochul has stopped the construction of all data centers that are being built or will be built in the State of New York. These companies are now being pursued in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and many other states. Both the taxes and the jobs they generate are comparable to EMAS CAIR! New York State has made a very bad decision. All of this revenue, along with other benefits, will flow to "Red" states and some "Blue" states, where data centers are viewed as "cash cows," with lower taxes and record-breaking job creation. They must fund their own water and power needs, and the remaining profits are returned to the state and local communities. Data centers are an extraordinary benefit for states and communities fortunate enough to have them. New York must change its policies, IMMEDIATELY. Radical left-wing Democrats must not be allowed to cause us to lose data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and all of these incredible new technologies—to China and other countries!
SEC Sits Down Together with Hyperliquid: A New Chapter in the Regulation Dialogue for On-Chain Perps
The SEC Crypto Task Force met with the Hyperliquid Policy Center, XYZ Ltd., and Sullivan & Cromwell—not as an enforcement call, but as a proactive push from the DeFi side to find a compliant path into the U.S. market.
On Tuesday, the SEC Crypto Task Force staff officially met with three parties: the Hyperliquid Policy Center, XYZ Ltd. (operator of Trade.xyz), and the top-tier law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Interestingly, the meeting was requested first by the crypto side, not by the SEC. This is a pattern that has started to show up in 2026: major DeFi builders are no longer waiting to be hit with enforcement actions—they move first to “have a good conversation” with regulators.
The Ministry of Finance #India has requested that the RBI and SEBI regulate crypto is not true according to an official clarification from the Government of India. However, discussions about crypto regulation in India are indeed ongoing at the level of parliament and regulators, so policy changes in the future remain possible.
For the global crypto market, if India ultimately chooses regulation (rather than a ban), sentiment is likely to turn bullish, as India is one of the countries with the largest crypto user base in the world. Conversely, if India follows the RBI’s recommendation to tighten or restrict access to crypto, the impact would be more bearish, especially for exchanges with large exposure to the Indian market.
#Linq launching Agent Pay — payment service like Apple Pay for AI agents in iMessage.
Your AI completes the task, then sends a clickable request. Approve with a few taps of Face ID without having to leave the chat. Funds go directly into your Stripe account. Available today.
This is what payment in an AI conversation should feel like.
#Ostium Suspending Trading After an Exploit Worth $18 Million – Here’s Why DeFi Security Is Back in the Spotlight
Ostium has halted trading after an attacker drained around $18 million in USDC from its OLP vault on Arbitrum.
Security researchers say the attack involved a manipulated oracle report to generate fake trading profits.
The stolen funds were converted into Ethereum and distributed across various wallets.
Ostium’s on-chain perpetual exchange has suspended trading after suffering an attack that drained around $18 million in USDC from its OLP vault on network #Arbitrum
Security firm #blockchain Blockaid identified the attack and said the attacker used a combination of a registered PriceUpKeep forwarder and an official oracle report dated in the future to generate fake trading profits before triggering large payouts from the protocol vault.