The latest in digital assets, markets and regulation.
Crypto hacks reached $1.18 billion in Q3 2026, driven largely by supply chain compromises. Major incidents at Bitget and Liquid Network accounted for most losses, though operators and white hats recovered over $700 million.
Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI disrupted 112 servers and 241 domains behind a crypto scam targeting Russian speakers. The scheme stole tens of millions, including via recovery scams. Authorities have seized $300,000 so far while investigating the three-year-old operation.
The OCC found that banks restricted services for digital asset firms, citing financial crime risks, though no specific examples were provided. The report, linked to a Trump executive order, notes institutions also limited coal and firearms sectors due to reputational concerns rather than financial risk.
Standard Chartered launched direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading for UAE Professional Investors, using a VARA-approved closed-loop model with Zodia Markets. This expands its crypto services from institutional desks to retail wealth management, aiming to provide secure, regulated access without third-party wallets.
Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI disrupted an Eastern European crypto scam network, seizing 112 servers and closing 241 sites. No arrests were made, but officials say disabling the infrastructure stopped further victimization amid rising US fraud losses.
The EBA classifies Circle's USDC as a significant e-money token under MiCA, placing it under joint oversight with French authorities. With a $73 billion market cap, USDC joins an exclusive group of 45 designated projects, highlighting its systemic role in European crypto markets.
Solana activates Alpenglow on Oct 21, replacing TowerBFT to cut finality to ~150ms. Vote transactions leave the chain, causing TPS metrics to drop despite unchanged activity. Validators face new 0.8 SOL fees, while Rotor updates remain pending.
Sberbank received dual regulatory approvals from the Bank of Russia to act as both a crypto exchange operator and digital depository. The bank plans to launch Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT trading within its existing online platforms starting December 1, subject to final secondary regulations.
Bank of America hired 1,000 contractors to patch software flaws exposed by Anthropic's Mythos AI model. CEO Brian Moynihan revealed the bank spent over $200 million on remediation and compliance efforts following the model's April release to select entities.
Chainalysis reports AI agents made over 138 million crypto payments via Coinbase's x402 protocol on Base by Q3 2026. Most transactions were under 10 cents, highlighting stablecoins' role in micro-payments despite questions about agent authenticity.
Crypto advocacy groups filed to expedite a court ruling on Illinois's 0.2% digital-asset tax, aiming for a decision by March. This follows a six-month enforcement pause agreed upon earlier this month, moving the effective date to July 2027.
Developer Brandon Thomas released WordCraft, GridCraft, and DeckCraft, open-source Microsoft Office clones built with Rust and Anthropic's Claude. Covering up to 88% of Word's features, the apps target $99.99 annual subscriptions but remain only 50-60% ready for professional use.