JOON HYOUNG LEE

Vance Says US-Iran Two-Week Ceasefire Is Fragile, Trump Wants Quick Progress

US Vice President JD Vance said on Aug. 8 that a two-week ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran remains "fragile." Speaking during a visit to Budapest, Hungary, Vance said Iran had agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open while the US had agree

White House Economists Say Stablecoin Yield Would Have Limited Effect on Regional Banks

The White House Council of Economic Advisers said allowing stablecoins to pay yield would have a limited effect on regional banks. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 8 that the council, in a report released that day, said bank lending would increase just 0.0

Japan's Takaichi Urges Iranian President to Ensure Strait of Hormuz Safety

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and urged him to ensure safety in the Strait of Hormuz. Takaichi spoke with Pezeshkian for about 25 minutes on July 8, NHK and other local media reporte

WSJ Says Iran’s Navy Told Ships Permission Is Still Required to Transit Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s navy has told ships anchored near the Strait of Hormuz that they still need permission to transit the waterway, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 8. The newspaper said Iran’s navy sent the notice to vessels near the strait that day. It

South Korea’s FIU Gives Coinone Advance Notice of AML Sanctions, Penalty Level Due Mid-April

South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit has given cryptocurrency exchange Coinone advance notice of sanctions over violations of anti-money laundering obligations, according to industry officials. The FIU, which operates under the Financial Service

Coinbase Secures Australian License, Eyes Derivatives Offering

Coinbase, the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, has obtained a regulatory license in Australia. The company said on its website July 7 that it had secured an Australian Financial Services Licence, or AFSL. The license will allow Coinbase to offer Austral

Swift to Launch Blockchain Ledger Service in First Half With More Than 40 Banks

Swift plans to launch a blockchain-based ledger service in the first half of this year. CoinPaprika reported on March 7 that Swift recently began building the blockchain ledger, targeting a launch within the first half. More than 40 banks are partici

Ethereum Stablecoin Supply Tops $180 Billion to Hit Record High

Stablecoin supply on the Ethereum network has exceeded $180 billion, setting a record high. Cointelegraph, citing data from blockchain analytics firm Token Terminal, reported on July 7 that stablecoin supply on Ethereum totaled about $180 billion as

Bitcoin Sentiment Improves on US-Iran Two-Week Truce, but Further Gains May Be Limited

A two-week truce between the US and Iran has lifted sentiment in the cryptocurrency market, though further gains may be limited, analysts said. The Block reported on June 7 that geopolitical tensions eased after President Donald Trump announced a two

South Korea’s Digital Asset Bill Stalls as Industry Warns on Stablecoin ‘Golden Time’

Debate over South Korea’s Digital Asset Basic Act remains deadlocked in the National Assembly, as Min Byung-deok, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, called won-denominated stablecoins a national strategic priority and urged swift legislation. Indu

Min Byung-duk Says Stablecoins Are National Strategy, Urges Won Token to Become Everyday Payment Coin

Min Byung-duk, a lawmaker from South Korea’s Democratic Party, said April 7 that stablecoins have moved beyond financial policy and into the realm of national strategy. Speaking at a seminar at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul

Terence Kwok: “Humanity, the internet’s ‘trust layer’…essential infrastructure in the AI era”

Interview with Terence Kwok, founder of Humanity Decentralized identity verification project Attending ‘CIS 2026’…“expanding partnerships” ‘Proof of Trust’ model...in the spotlight as AI fraud surges Signals intent to target Korea…“a large, active ma

Mounting stagflation fears put ‘digital gold’ Bitcoin to the test

Shockwaves from the Middle East conflict are weighing on investor sentiment toward cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC). Some observers warn that if a surge in global oil prices turns stagflation—an economic downturn amid high inflation—into realit

Iraq bypasses the Strait of Hormuz… exports crude by land

Iraq is bypassing the Strait of Hormuz and exporting crude oil by land. According to foreign media outlets including The Cradle on the 2nd (local time), Iraq’s Oil Ministry said in a statement that day that it had "begun exporting crude oil using Eur

"U.S. banking and crypto industries to conduct closed-door review of draft 'Clarity Act'"

Some officials in the U.S. banking and cryptocurrency industries are set to begin a closed-door review of provisions in the draft “Crypto Market Structure Act (Clarity Act)” related to stablecoin yields. Politico, a U.S. political news outlet, report

Grayscale: “Oil shock has investors on the sidelines… rebound possible if uncertainty eases”

An analysis suggests that geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran and a sharp rise in oil prices are dampening investor sentiment in the crypto market. Still, with major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) showing more resilience than expected, the

US digital bank Erebor adds 'Sui' to payments blockchain

US digital bank Erebor has added Sui (SUI) to its payments blockchain. Sui said via its official website on the 2nd (local time) that "Erebor supports Sui-based payments." Sui added that "Sui is one of the few blockchains supported by Erebor," and th

IMF: "Little room for the Fed to cut rates this year"

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to deliver only one interest-rate cut this year. According to Bloomberg on the 2nd (local time), the IMF said in its "Article IV consultation" report released the d

Yzi Labs Makes Follow-on Investment in Prediction-Market Platform Predict.fun

Yzi Labs, the venture capital arm of global cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has made a follow-on investment in prediction-market platform Predict.fun. On the 2nd (local time), Yzi Labs said via X that it had carried out a strategic follow-on investm

Polymarket Prices Odds of WTI Surging Past $120 in April Above 70%

Amid a sharp rally in global oil prices, the probability on global prediction-market platform Polymarket that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) will top $120 this month has risen above 70%. According to Polymarket on the 2nd (local time), the odds that W

US initial jobless claims at 202,000, below expectations

The number of initial jobless claims in the United States last week came in below market expectations. The US Department of Labor said on the 2nd (local time) that initial jobless claims totaled 202,000 last week. The figure was 10,000 below economis

Macron: Deploying military force in Hormuz is unrealistic…must consult with Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron has called claims that military force should be deployed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “unrealistic.” According to Bloomberg on the 2nd (local time), speaking to reporters in South Korea during a state visit, Macron

Polymarket’s ‘fee model’ overhaul triples revenue

A revamp of global prediction-market platform Polymarket’s fee model has sent related revenue surging threefold. Cointelegraph reported on the 2nd (local time), citing data from DefiLlama, that Polymarket’s daily fees jumped from $363,000 on the 30th

Huobi drops Tron from platform token lineup… Justin Sun: “I will drive HTX’s growth”

Crypto exchange HTX (formerly Huobi) has removed Tron (TRX) from its platform token lineup. Justin Sun, Tron’s founder and an adviser to crypto exchange HTX, said via X on the 2nd (local time) that it has “designated HTX as Huobi’s sole platform toke

From miners to Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) firms… Bitcoin selling pressure intensifies among U.S.-listed companies

Bitcoin (BTC) selling pressure is intensifying, led by U.S.-listed companies including Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) firms. According to CoinDesk on the 1st (local time), Nasdaq-listed Empery Digital said it sold 370 bitcoins for $24.7 million that da

Drift hacker buys about 1,200 Ethereum…total holdings reach 130,262 ETH

A hacker who recently attacked Drift (DRIFT), a Solana (SOL)-based DeFi protocol, has been found to have purchased about 1,200 Ethereum (ETH). According to Onchain Lens on the 1st (local time), the Drift hacker bought 1,195 ETH for about $2.46 millio

Iran’s Supreme Leader’s Adviser: “The Strait of Hormuz Will Always Be Closed to Our Enemies”

Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser on international affairs to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said that “the Strait of Hormuz will always be closed to enemies.” According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency on the 1st (local time), Ve

Japan’s Metaplanet buys about 5,000 bitcoins in Q1… average price around $80,000

Metaplanet, dubbed the “Japan version of Strategy,” was found to have spent about $400 million in the first quarter to purchase more than 5,000 bitcoins (BTC). Simon Gerovich, Metaplanet’s chief executive officer (CEO), said on X that the company “pu

Korea Investment & Securities Reviews Acquisition of a Stake in Coinone

Korea Investment & Securities is reported to be reviewing the acquisition of a stake in Coinone, a South Korean virtual-asset exchange. According to Herald Economy on the 2nd, Korea Investment & Securities has recently begun work to review the purcha

Alabama grants legal status to DAOs…second US state to do so

The US state of Alabama is granting legal status to "decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs)." a16z Crypto, the cryptocurrency-focused investment arm of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), said on the 1st (local time) that "with Governor Kay Ivey’s sig