July 28, 2026 @ 7:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A state-backed Chinese company has started mass production of domestically developed immersion deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, a critical technology for advanced semiconductor manufacturing previously dominated by Dutch firm ASML. The development, first reported by The Information and later detailed by Reuters, marks progress in Beijing’s… Read More

July 28, 2026 @ 5:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Robinhood’s (NASDAQ: HOOD) blockchain has recorded a sharp rise in real-world asset activity, with the value of tokenized equities and related holdings climbing rapidly in recent weeks. Data from analytics platforms shows the market capitalization of RWAs on the network has grown approximately fivefold over… Read More

July 28, 2026 @ 12:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge has determined that a financial technology firm unlawfully dismissed a data engineer after he posted public criticism of the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on social media. The ruling requires the company to restore the worker… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 10:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

TRM Labs has noted that on July 24, 2026, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) significantly widened its Iran-related sanctions by designating additional individuals and companies linked to Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani and the associated Dot One commercial network…. Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 10:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cryptocurrency exchange BitMart has announced it will begin an orderly wind-down of its trading platform operations. The decision follows a thorough review of the company’s current operating conditions, the broader market environment, and its longer-term strategic priorities. Officials expressed deep regret over the move while… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 4:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed Registered Offering Reform this past May. The rule change has been receiving comments with a deadline of today. The goal is to make it easier for public firms, especially smaller ones, to raise money through a registered offering. A… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 3:53 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Fintech innovators were busy integrating AI agents into their products and expanding into new markets. Wondergate’s Payment SaaS platform Payment SaaS platform is designed to help payment platforms and merchants rapidly build global acquiring capabilities. It contains Hong Kong MSO and US/Canada MSB licenses. A… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 3:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

Cross River Bank will power X Money, part of the Elon Musk social media platform X. X has long held Fintech ambitions, aiming to become an “everything App.” X has emerged as the world’s community forum, offering global news and perspectives unfettered by opinion, where… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 2:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ongoing efforts sharply focused on advancing more comprehensive cryptocurrency / blockchain market structure legislation in the US Senate have encountered significant new resistance over ethics rules that are intended to limit financial conflicts involving senior government officials and digital assets. Lawmakers from both parties are… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 12:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

San Francisco-based AI-powered insurance startup Corgi has closed an additional financing round that values the company at $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The transaction nearly doubles the firm’s valuation from the $2.6 billion level established roughly eight weeks earlier and constitutes… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 10:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Kingscrowd, a leading data provider for online capital formation, is extending its Reg CF funding round listed on StartEngine. Typically, platforms in the funding portal/online capital formation sector will partner with another platform to raise money online. Kingscrowd covers data for both Reg CF and… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 9:51 am By JD Alois  |  

Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) says it has acquired IBM’s (NYSE:IBM) blockchain patent portfolio. The terms of the deal were not immediately available. In a release, Circle said it had purchased over 1000 issued patents worldwide that address banking, financial services, insurance, infrastructure, and more. Circle… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 9:40 am By JD Alois  |  

The CLARITY Act, crypto market-infrastructure legislation, is approaching a floor vote in the US Senate. While the typical negotiations continue between proponents and those seeking to undermine digital asset innovation, Senate Republicans have been working to highlight the benefits of the bill. The most recent… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 8:44 am By Michael Wong  |  

Early-stage companies developing solutions in clean energy, sustainable agriculture, inclusive finance, and other priority sectors may receive up to $400,000 in seed funding under a new program launched by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). ADB Ventures, the venture… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 8:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Open banking platform Salt  Edge has made a strategic investment in Sientia. Sientia is a “payments-linked advertising platform” that supports rewards, loyalty programs, and insight into purchasing activity. Sientia is a bootstrapped firm that works with global brands including Adidas, Ocado, Lyle & Scott, Honest… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Chainalysis has pointed out that on July 23, 2026, the European Union adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, representing the most extensive set of designations in four years and encompassing 218 listings overall. The measures focus heavily on disrupting Russia’s financial systems that… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 8:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Elliptic has noted that Crypto ATMs, often called Bitcoin ATMs because of the cryptocurrency’s dominance, provide a straightforward way for people to convert physical cash into digital assets. While these machines serve legitimate customers, they have also become a favored tool for fraudsters. Scams typically… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 6:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

One of South Korea’s commercial banks is preparing to introduce a new blockchain-powered option for corporate clients engaged in international trade. KB Kookmin Bank announced plans to introduce a specialized payment service next month that leverages JPMorgan’s Kinexys distributed-ledger network. The offering targets importers and… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 5:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

International digital payments provider Checkout.com has secured preliminary authorization for a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. This regulatory step positions the company to expand its local services by combining payment acceptance functions with card issuance capabilities within… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 2:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Efforts to advance major cryptocurrency legislation in the US Senate are encountering significant timing obstacles as lawmakers approach their summer break. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated limited confidence in securing full passage of the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, commonly referred to as… Read More