Crypto & Web3 News

TL;DR: Eligible Grayscale investors can now contribute crypto assets directly for shares in selected products, avoiding a preliminary conversion into cash. Grayscale is making the journey from a crypto wallet to a conventional investment account a little less circuitous. The asset manager announced on October 21 that eligible investors can subscribe to a selected group of digital asset products by contributing underlying tokens in kind. The lineup spans ten products, including Bitcoin, Ethereum,

TL;DR: The FCA’s CP26/36 consultation proposes guidance on regulatory exclusions for settlement, stablecoin handling and certain technical crypto services. Crypto businesses preparing for the UK’s expanded regulatory regime have a new document to digest. The Financial Conduct Authority opened consultation CP26/36 on October 21, addressing an increasingly difficult question: where does regulated financial activity end and ordinary blockchain software begin? The paper focuses on exemptions introdu

TL;DR: Standard Chartered has signed definitive agreements to acquire Zodia Custody, deepening its push into institutional digital asset safekeeping. Standard Chartered is bringing one of its better-known digital asset ventures closer to the centre of the bank. On October 21, the banking group announced definitive agreements to acquire 100% of Zodia Custody Limited through Standard Chartered I H Limited. The agreement follows a previously accepted non-binding offer and remains subject to regulat

TL;DR: The OCC has published its final GENIUS Act rule, setting out how payment stablecoin issuers under its supervision will be regulated from January 18, 2027. America’s national banking regulator has put considerably more detail around the new federal framework for dollar-backed stablecoins. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued its final rule on Wednesday, covering issuers under its jurisdiction and certain custody activities carried out by regulated institutions. The regulati

The British Virgin Islands, Road Town, October 2026 — Probly, an on-chain prediction market for sports, politics, crypto, finance, and global events, has concluded its participation as a Gold Sponsor of TOKEN2049 Singapore and co-host of the WHALE3RA Afterparty alongside BloFin, TxFlow, and other ecosystem partners. Across TOKEN2049 week, Probly connected with traders, builders, infrastructure teams, partners, and Web3 communities around the growing role of prediction markets as a way to express

TL;DR: The Hyperliquid Policy Center supports the SEC’s proposed crypto framework but says five changes are needed to make the rules workable for token developers and markets. The Hyperliquid Policy Center has welcomed the US Securities and Exchange Commission‘s attempt to clarify how securities law applies to crypto assets, while warning that details around distributions and trading could still create unnecessary barriers. In a comment published October 19, the group urged the regulator to revi

TL;DR: Super League shareholders have approved proposals connected to Metaplanet’s plan to contribute 2,100 BTC and cash to a new US-listed Bitcoin treasury platform. Metaplanet’s proposed American Bitcoin treasury vehicle has moved a step closer to reality, but the transaction has not yet closed. Super League Enterprise said shareholders approved the relevant proposals at their annual meeting on October 16, clearing an important hurdle in the arrangement announced earlier this year. Under the d

TL;DR: Bitmine says its Ethereum holdings reached approximately 6.04 million ETH after it added 12,535 tokens over the past week. Bitmine Immersion Technologies has pushed its Ethereum treasury past the six-million-token mark, reporting holdings of 6,041,481 ETH as of October 18. The company said it acquired another 12,535 ETH during the preceding week. The size is striking even by corporate crypto-treasury standards. Bitmine describes its position as roughly 4.9% of Ethereum’s circulating suppl

TL;DR: AnchorWatch has opened its Nevada-chartered Bitcoin custody service, pairing a choice of key-control structures with optional Lloyd’s-backed insurance. Bitcoin custody is no longer just a question of who holds the private keys. For professional trustees, company treasuries and advisers, it also involves governance, recoverability and what happens if assets are lost through theft or coercion. AnchorWatch Trust Company has entered that market as a Nevada-chartered qualified custodian. The c

TL;DR: The Blockchain Association has urged the US Treasury to draw clearer lines around DeFi software, foreign stablecoin issuers and who could face liability under proposed GENIUS Act rules. The fight over US stablecoin regulation is shifting from Congress to the details of implementation. In comments on Treasury’s proposed Section 3 rules under the GENIUS Act, the Blockchain Association has argued that a framework designed for regulated payment issuers should not inadvertently catch unrelated

TL;DR: Mesh and Visa have announced a partnership intended to let consumers spend cryptocurrency and stablecoins from participating wallet apps wherever Visa payments are accepted. Holding stablecoins is one thing. Actually spending them in a shop usually involves moving funds to an exchange, selling them, or relying on a separate payment product. Visa and Mesh are pitching a way to make that process less visible to the customer. Under their newly announced partnership, Mesh’s payment infrastruc

TL;DR: Mastercard has launched Stablecoin Security, a risk-scoring tool designed to help financial institutions examine payments before and during their movement across blockchains. Stablecoin transfers can settle quickly. Investigating a suspicious payment before it happens is a much harder task, particularly when the transaction crosses providers, blockchains and traditional banking systems. Mastercard wants to tackle that problem with Stablecoin Security, introduced at Money20/20 in Las Vegas

TL;DR: BlackRock’s IBIT recorded roughly $665 million in net inflows on October 19, even as several other US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw investors take money out. A strong day for Bitcoin ETFs wasn’t quite as broad-based as the headline number suggests. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust took in approximately $665.16 million on Monday, according to SoSoValue’s fund-flow figures, while the US spot Bitcoin ETF group recorded a combined inflow of about $526.6 million. That difference is the story. Money g

TL;DR: BlackRock has proposed another Bitcoin-linked ETF, this time using options to pursue some protection against losses while giving up part of the potential upside. BlackRock’s latest Bitcoin fund filing takes a different approach from the familiar buy-and-hold exposure offered by its iShares Bitcoin Trust. Instead of simply following the price of Bitcoin, the proposed iShares Bitcoin Managed Protection ETF would use an options strategy linked to IBIT or similar exposure. The ambition is str

South Korea is approaching another decision point on its long-delayed cryptocurrency gains tax, with exchanges and policymakers preparing to discuss whether the January 2027 start date is realistic. TL;DR: The country’s planned crypto tax has already been deferred three times. A new proposal would push implementation toward 2029, but no additional delay has been enacted. Finance officials are expected to meet representatives of major domestic exchanges on October 20. The industry is arguing that

Payward, the company behind crypto exchange Kraken, has agreed to acquire Lithuania-based Saldo Bank, taking a route into European banking that goes beyond obtaining another exchange registration. TL;DR: The proposed acquisition would give Payward an existing licensed banking operation in Europe. The deal remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in 2027. Saldo provides banking products including loans and deposits. Bringing it into Payward would potentially put cash accoun