YM Lee

Meta, Microsoft step up AI investment…Bitcoin miners pivoting to mining and infrastructure seen as beneficiaries

As US big tech companies reaffirm their commitment to ramping up investment in artificial intelligence (AI), Bitcoin mining firms that have pivoted their businesses toward AI infrastructure are back in the spotlight. With Meta and Microsoft unveiling

Kim Sang-hoon opposes limits on stakes in virtual-asset exchanges: ‘Accountability unclear, risk of capital flight’

The People Power Party (PPP) has officially voiced opposition to the Financial Services Commission’s (FSC) plan to cap controlling shareholders’ ownership stakes in virtual-asset exchanges. The party argues that such equity restrictions could instead

Will they hit ‘Samsung Electronics at 170,000’ and ‘Hynix at 900,000’?…Investor sentiment heats up in the bull market [Today’s Market Preview]

With the KOSPI and KOSDAQ indices extending their string of record highs, attention is focused on the direction of South Korea’s stock market on the 29th. Expectations for a semiconductor bull run, underpinned by Samsung Electronics’ solid results, c

SEC issues guidance on tokenized securities, clarifying distinction between issuer-led issuance and third-party tokenization

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released official guidance on tokenized securities, detailing how federal securities laws apply. On the 28th (local time), Eleanor Terrett, host of CryptoAmerica, wrote on X that “the SEC’s Divisi

Worldcoin surges more than 30% on reports of OpenAI’s plans for a ‘human-verified’ social network

Worldcoin (WLD) posted a sharp rally following reports that OpenAI is considering a biometric authentication-based social networking service (SNS). Speculation that iris and facial recognition could be used to block bots spurred buying interest in th

US crypto exchange Gemini launches Zcash Edition credit card

US crypto exchange Gemini has launched a credit card that offers Zcash (ZEC) rewards on purchases, putting a privacy-focused cryptocurrency front and center. Building on existing options tied to Bitcoin, Solana and XRP, the company expanded its crypt

Mirae Asset Securities issues blockchain-based digital bonds…First multi-currency funding by a private company

Mirae Asset Securities has issued blockchain-based digital bonds, becoming the first private company in South Korea to raise funds in multiple currencies. By processing the entire bond issuance workflow in a blockchain environment, the firm has integ

Bitcoin stays on the sidelines even as gold breaks through a record $5,400…divergence widens after Powell remarks

After remarks by Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell, gold prices refreshed record highs, while Bitcoin maintained a constrained range, underscoring a clear divergence. As macro uncertainty persists, the temperature gap between traditional safe

White House to convene banks and crypto industry next week… talks resume on the CLARITY Act

The White House plans to bring together representatives from the banking sector and the crypto industry to restart discussions on the CLARITY Act, a stalled crypto market structure bill. Whether to allow interest on stablecoins is emerging as the big

Ripple Combines Blockchain With Corporate Treasury…Unveils Integrated Cash-Management Platform

According to Cointelegraph on the 28th (local time), Ripple has launched an enterprise treasury platform that combines blockchain payment infrastructure with GTreasury’s cash-management software. The platform is designed to let companies maintain exi

OpenAI weighs ‘human-verification social network’…considers iris and Face ID to block bots

OpenAI is said to be considering building its own social networking service (SNS), putting the fight against bots front and center. Internally, the company is discussing ways to create a “platform where only real humans can participate,” using biomet

Fairshake, a US crypto super PAC, amasses $193 million in firepower ahead of the midterms

With US midterm elections approaching, a crypto-industry-backed political fundraising group is mobilizing again. Fairshake, a super PAC that supports crypto-friendly candidates, said it has secured $193 million in cash, signaling it will seek to chec

Grayscale Bitcoin ETF Listed on Morgan Stanley E*TRADE

Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF has been listed on Morgan Stanley’s ETRADE, expanding access to bitcoin in the U.S. institutional and advisory market. As regulated bitcoin investment products are offered through major financial firms’ online investing platfo

FSC Chair: Reviewing shift to a licensing regime for virtual asset exchanges

South Korea’s financial authorities have formally set out a plan to shift the regulatory framework for virtual asset exchanges from the current registration system to a licensing regime. The policy direction is to oversee exchanges not as mere privat

Coinbase tests buildout of bespoke stablecoin infrastructure for corporates

Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the United States, has entered a full-scale technical validation phase ahead of the launch of a bespoke stablecoin service for corporates. The buildout of infrastructure that would allow companies to issue the

Bitwise Registers Uniswap ETF Trust in Delaware

Asset manager Bitwise has begun preliminary steps ahead of launching an exchange-traded fund (ETF) backed by decentralized exchange Uniswap as the underlying asset. According to Decrypt on the 28th (local time), Bitwise registered a statutory trust i

Lee Heon-seung: “Domestic crypto investors up 70% over the past three years… urgent need to overhaul the system”

The number of participants in won-denominated crypto-asset trading in South Korea has risen by about 70% over the past three years. According to data submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service to Rep. Lee Heon-seung of the People Power Party on t

Ethereum ETFs log $63.85 million in net outflows…signaling waning risk appetite

U.S. spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw net outflows totaling $63.85 million in a single day. While a few products posted limited inflows, they were not enough to offset the broader pullback centered on large ETFs. According to data compi

Bitcoin ETFs see $146.05 million in net outflows…Funds pull back from BlackRock and Fidelity

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded net outflows totaling $146.05 million in a single day. With redemptions concentrated in major asset managers, institutional demand appears to be contracting again. According to data compiled by

Swept aside by the gold and silver frenzy…interest in crypto assets declines

An analysis suggests that as gold and silver prices surge, investor attention on social media is shifting from crypto assets to precious metals. The shift in focus among retail investors chasing short-term price gains is becoming increasingly pronoun

Ethereum to deploy AI agent registration and verification standard 'ERC-8004' on mainnet this week

A smart contract specification standardizing the registration and trust verification of artificial intelligence (AI) agents on the Ethereum network is expected to be applied to the mainnet this week. As groundwork is laid to enable interactions among

NFT winter deepens…Rodeo announces shutdown of its platform service

According to Cointelegraph on the 28th (local time), Rodeo announced the previous day via X (formerly Twitter) that it would cease operating its platform. Rodeo, an NFT platform launched as an Apple iOS app in March last year, debuted as a social ser

Bitwise: “If the market structure bill fails, prolonged uncertainty for the crypto industry will continue”

A warning has emerged that if the crypto market structure bill fails to pass the U.S. Congress, the industry as a whole could face long-term regulatory uncertainty. According to Cointelegraph on the 28th (local time), Bitwise Chief Investment Officer

Tether secures 140 tonnes of gold, emerging as a visible force in the global gold market

Stablecoin issuer Tether is emerging as a major source of demand in the global gold market on the back of large-scale gold holdings. The development is drawing attention as an example of a crypto firm expanding its influence in traditional commoditie

UK bans Coinbase promotional video from airing, deeming it an 'irresponsible financial ad'

The UK’s advertising regulator has banned the airing of a major Coinbase promotional video on YouTube and streaming platforms after judging it to be an “irresponsible ad.” The decision cited the lack of sufficient explanation of investment risks whil

NH NongHyup Bank validates combined stablecoin-STO model, targeting K-content investment

NH NongHyup Bank said on the 28th that it has completed a validation test of subscriptions for K-content tokenized securities (STOs) using stablecoins. On the 28th, NH NongHyup Bank said it had completed a proof of concept (PoC) for a stablecoin-base

Laser Digital applies for U.S. bank charter…pushes into spot crypto trading

Laser Digital, a crypto asset firm under Japanese financial group Nomura, is seeking to expand its business within the regulatory framework by applying for a U.S. bank charter. The company plans a business model centered on spot crypto trading and cu

Dollar at lowest level in four years… won-dollar rate plunges into the 1,430-won range

Trump: "A weak dollar is fine… look at the business we’re doing" The won-dollar exchange rate plunged by more than 10 won in early trading on the 28th as a weaker dollar coincided with a stronger yen. With the global value of the dollar sliding to it

[Analysis] "Bitcoin enters a stabilization phase…a substantial portion of excess leverage unwound"

An analysis suggests that the Bitcoin (BTC) market is moving into a more stable phase after undergoing a purge of excessive leverage. The assessment is that the market structure is shifting away from abrupt price swings toward one that responds more

KOSDAQ clears 'Cheon-sdaq' milestone—how far can it run? NH Investment & Securities: "1,500 is also possible"

NH Investment & Securities on the 28th raised its KOSDAQ target from 1,100 to 1,300. It cited the fact that, with the KOSPI expected to rise, the KOSDAQ has historically traded at a premium to the KOSPI. It also said that if the market enters an over