YM Lee

Lloyds Uses USDC for Visa Settlement, Completing Transfers Within an Hour on Weekends

Lloyds Banking Group has completed live settlement payments with Visa using the dollar-pegged stablecoin USDC, in a move that highlights the potential for stablecoins in inter-institution settlement. The funds arrived within an hour even on weekends.

Kospi Slips to 6,930 as Foreign, Institutional Selling Hits Chip Heavyweights

The Kospi slipped to the 6,930 level in early trading on October 2 as foreign and institutional investors sold in tandem. Large semiconductor stocks, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, also weakened. As of 9:04 a.m., the Kospi was down 34.71

Anthropic Pursues IPO at Up to $2 Trillion Valuation in Test of AI Pricing

Anthropic is pursuing a U.S. stock market listing at a valuation of as much as $2 trillion. Despite explosive revenue growth, the company continues to post steep losses and shoulder massive compute costs, setting up a key test of how public markets w

Billionaire Behind $29 Billion Company Sale Moves to Build Family Office Into Institutional Investor

Ultra-wealthy families are turning their family offices into professional investment organizations. As fortunes swell after company sales and other liquidity events, demand is rising to manage investments, taxes and inheritance matters in-house rathe

China State Security Ministry Calls Crypto an 'Accomplice' to Espionage, Warns on Anonymity

China's Ministry of State Security has issued a stark warning that virtual assets, or cryptocurrencies, can be exploited for espionage, money laundering and cyberattacks. Cointelegraph reported on October 1 that the ministry recently said in a social

Upbit Expands AI Market Intelligence Service to Analyze Drivers of Price Swings

Upbit is expanding its artificial intelligence-powered market intelligence services, aiming to provide not only broader cryptocurrency market trends but also analysis of what is driving price moves in individual assets. Dunamu said on October 2 that

South Korea’s September CPI Rises 2.9%, Returns to 2% Range Despite 14.8% Oil Surge

South Korea’s consumer inflation rate rose 2.9% in September, returning to the 2% range after one month. Agricultural product prices fell, while petroleum prices continued to post double-digit gains in the fallout from the Middle East war. According

New York, Wyoming Regulators Agree to Jointly Oversee Crypto Firms

New York and Wyoming financial regulators have agreed to jointly oversee cryptocurrency companies operating in both states. Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 1 that the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Wyoming Division of Banking

U.S. 10-Year Yield Hits 5.342% Before Easing; New York Stocks End Slightly Higher as Chip Shares Rally

New York stocks closed slightly higher on October 1 after U.S. Treasury yields pulled back from an intraday surge to their highest level since 2002. Semiconductor shares showed relative strength after upbeat results from Micron. The Dow Jones Industr

Illinois Delays Digital-Asset Tax by Six Months After Crypto Industry Lawsuits

Illinois has agreed to delay implementation of its digital-asset tax by six months as lawsuits from the crypto industry continue. The tax, originally set to take effect in January 2027, will now be imposed starting in July 2027. Cointelegraph reporte

Kospi PER Halves From Long-Term Average, but Brokerages Warn Against Bargain Hunting

The Kospi’s price-to-earnings ratio has fallen to about half its long-term average, but that should not be taken as an immediate sign the market is undervalued, according to an analysis. The market has marked down valuations because earnings estimate

Trump Presses Europe to Release Diesel Reserves as US Prices Surge

The Trump administration has pressed Europe to release diesel from its reserves to the market to boost supply after diesel prices in the US surged. According to Politico and other foreign media outlets on October 1, President Donald Trump indicated h

Ethereum Withdraws Staking-Reward Burn Proposal From Hegota Upgrade Review

Ethereum’s EIP-8363, which would have burned part of validator rewards, has been withdrawn from consideration for the network’s next upgrade, Hegota. The broader debate over Ethereum’s issuance policy and staking-reward structure is set to continue t

Europe Faces Pressure to Allow Stablecoin Rewards Ahead of MiCA Review

Pressure is building ahead of the European Union’s review of its Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, or MiCA, to loosen restrictions on stablecoin rewards. More than 50,000 people have taken part in a related public consultation, while the European

South Korea's Outstanding Derivative-Linked Securities, Bonds Hit 96.7 Trillion Won, Highest in Three Years

The outstanding balance of derivative-linked securities and derivative-linked bonds in South Korea climbed to nearly 100 trillion won in the first half, reaching the highest level in three years as gains in domestic and global stock markets revived d

South Korea's Crypto Demand Ranks Among the World's Highest, but Institutional and Cross-Border Curbs Weigh on Competitiveness

South Korea's cryptocurrency market has remained among the world's leaders in trading demand, but institutional limits including restricted access for companies and weak cross-border openness have left the country near the bottom of global competitiv

Block Adds Bitcoin Lightning Support to AI Agent Payments Protocol x402

Jack Dorsey-led fintech company Block is integrating the Bitcoin Lightning Network into x402, an AI agent payments protocol. The move is aimed at expanding Bitcoin’s role in environments where AI agents process large volumes of micropayments. Crypto

Fund Managers Cut Kospi Targets, See 7,764 Ceiling and Watch US Midterm Elections

South Korean fund managers have sharply lowered their outlook for the Kospi. Even so, most viewed the recent pullback as a process of shaking off short-term overheating and seeking a rebound, rather than the start of a full-blown bear market. A surve

US Spot Ethereum ETFs See $66.01 Million of Net Inflows, Led by BlackRock and Fidelity

U.S. spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds recorded more than $60 million in net inflows. Trader T data for Sept. 24 showed U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs posted total daily net inflows of $66.01 million. BlackRock’s ETHA led with $26.81 million in net inflow

US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Draw $190.64 Million in Net Inflows, Led by BlackRock’s IBIT

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds attracted more than $190 million in fresh capital in a single day. Data compiled by Trader T on Sept. 24 showed total daily net inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs reached $190.64 million. BlackRock’s iShares B

Bybit Backs Bitget After Hack, Offers to Help Track Stolen Funds

Global cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has moved to support Bitget after the rival platform was recently hit by a major hack. Bybit said it would cooperate in tracking the stolen funds, noting that Bitget had helped Bybit during its own past hack. Bybi

Bitget Says User Protection Fund to Cover All Losses From Hot Wallet Security Incident

Bitget said it will cover losses stemming from a recent hot wallet security incident with its user protection fund. In a post on its official X account on September 25, the exchange said the fund was created for situations like this. It added that th

Bitget CEO Says North Korea Link Highly Likely in $351.6 Million Theft

Bitget said a recent large-scale theft of funds was highly likely to be linked to a North Korea-affiliated hacking group. Bitget Chief Executive Officer Gracy Chen wrote on X on September 25 that the VPN usage patterns of some confirmed IP addresses

Bitget Wallet Says Exchange Security Incident Didn’t Affect Its Systems or User Assets

Bitget Wallet said its systems and user assets were not affected by the recent security incident at the Bitget exchange. In a post on its official X account on Sept. 25, Bitget Wallet said it was unaffected and that user assets remain safe. The compa

Trump Stays Vague, Xi Emphasizes Taiwan in White House Summit

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit at the White House, but the two sides delivered contrasting messages about the outcome. Trump did not disclose specific agreements, while Xi more forcefully laid out China’s positi

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen Says No Private Key Leak in Hack, Attack Route Partly Identified

Bitget said it has partly identified the route used in a recent large-scale fund outflow incident. The exchange said it has ruled out the possibility of a private key leak and blocked the risk of further losses. Bitget Chief Executive Officer Gracy C

South Korean Financial Firms Rush Hybrid Capital Sales Before Rates Rise Further

Banks, securities firms and insurers in South Korea are rushing to issue hybrid capital securities. The move is aimed at shoring up capital in advance and managing capital adequacy metrics before any further rise in interest rates drives funding cost

Tether Says Some Funds Are Exposed to EQI Bank Liquidation Risk, Under 0.034% of Assets

Some of Tether's funds are tied up at offshore lender EQI Bank, which is facing liquidation risk, The Information reported. Tether said the exposure represents an extremely small share of its total assets. The Information reported on September 24 tha

US 10-Year Treasury Yield Tops 5.2%, Fueling Bets on Another Fed Rate Hike

Longer-dated US Treasury yields extended their climb above 5%, adding to tension across global financial markets. The prospect of another Federal Reserve rate increase is also gaining traction as oil prices rise, the US economy remains resilient and

Gavekal CEO Says 60/40 Investing Is Broken, Urges Bigger Gold and Energy Weightings

The traditional asset-allocation strategy of holding 60% stocks and 40% bonds no longer offers adequate downside protection, according to Louis-Vincent Gave, co-founder and chief executive officer of Gavekal Research. In an environment of rising long