Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Thailand has suspended 49 data center projects to develop new industry regulations, expected within a month. The government aims to establish unified, clear standards to ensure sustainable development of the sector.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) unconditionally approved a batch of concentration-of-undertakings cases between Aug 24-30, 2026. The list includes POSCO Holdings’ acquisition of Li Holdco Pty Ltd, a new joint venture between Jingrui Electronic Materials and Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical, and AISG Labs’ purchase of INCLOO Technology. Other approvals cover Shandong Jixin’s acquisition of Jiangsu Changlv Aluminum and ConocoPhillips Iraq’s purchase of BP Kirkuk Energy shares.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that 52 Singaporeans are being investigated for alleged pyramid scheme activities in Guangxi. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing handles foreign nationals’ criminal cases in accordance with the law and protects their legal rights, referring further questions to competent authorities.

TREE NEWS update: China’s securities regulator has approved Shenyin Wanguo Futures Co., Ltd. to absorb and merge Hongyuan Futures Co., Ltd. The approval, granted by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, clears the way for the consolidation of the two futures firms.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the AI SME Entrepreneurship Support Plan (2026-2028), promoting open-source entrepreneurship. It supports the national AI open-source community AtomGit and encourages AI startups to contribute open-source models, tools, and datasets, fostering an open and collaborative ecosystem.

TREE NEWS update: AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron publicly criticized Robinhood’s tokenized stock program on X, calling it “despicable, outrageous, and revolting” for involving shares of AMC and over 190 companies without US securities registration. Aron said AMC is unrelated and will immediately hire outside securities lawyers to investigate. Robinhood’s disclosure notes the tokens are unregistered and restricted from US persons.

TREE NEWS update: The US and UK have formed a joint alliance to combat crypto scam centers, agreeing to parallel investigations and information sharing. Authorities plan a private-sector disruption operation in London in October.

TREE NEWS update: On September 4, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published a second batch of seven enforcement cases targeting obstacles to fair enterprise market access and independent operation. The cases span healthcare, energy, funeral services, waste removal, and internet services. They mainly involve discriminatory entry conditions creating regional barriers, exclusive cooperation agreements, and delays in implementing policy adjustments.

TREE NEWS update: Liu Min, chief engineer of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, said at the 2026 World Power Battery Conference that preventing ‘involution-style’ competition has been incorporated into the comprehensive rectification framework. Jointly with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission, the administration will continue capacity early-warning regulation, standardize price competition, and strengthen product quality supervision to build a market environment of quality-first, fair competition.

TREE NEWS update: A Chinese court ruled that a virtual currency loan contract is invalid, and the borrower must compensate the lender based on the original cost of the coins. In July 2023, Chang borrowed one virtual coin from Jin, who bought 1.14 coins for 228,200 yuan. The court found the repayment clause giving the lender price appreciation benefits invalid, and ordered compensation of 199,600 yuan per coin.

TREE NEWS update: The IMF and El Salvador reached a staff-level agreement on the second and third reviews under the Extended Fund Facility, unlocking about $140 million pending board approval. The IMF confirmed Chivo wallet has largely exited public use, with ownership and control transferred to private operators, and El Salvador pledged no further bitcoin acquisitions beyond recorded private donations.

TREE NEWS update: China’s National Healthcare Security Administration said 28 provinces and 303 coordinated regions now implement zero personal payments for policy-covered hospital childbirth. Maternity insurance covers 260 million people, with flexible workers included in 22 provinces. In the first seven months, maternity insurance fund spending reached 78.42 billion yuan, benefiting 25.56 million people, and maternity allowances were fully paid directly to individuals.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a plan allocating carbon emission allowances for the power sector in 2025-2026 and for steel, cement, and aluminum smelting in 2026. The scheme details allocation scope, calculation methods, issuance, and compliance procedures for the national carbon market.

TREE NEWS reports: Thai businessmen have filed a lawsuit against Tether over $42 million in frozen USDT allegedly tied to a pig butchering scam. The plaintiffs claim the stablecoin issuer’s actions have caused losses. Separately, Australian crypto firms face significant fines unless they meet their licensing deadline.

TREE NEWS reports: South Korea and the United States are continuing negotiations over US chip tariffs, a South Korean minister said. The talks aim to address trade measures affecting semiconductors, with details still under discussion. No outcome was announced.

TREE NEWS update: Distressed-asset firm Echo Base has formed a claimholder committee for creditors of crypto exchange BitMart and is weighing an involuntary bankruptcy filing. Echo Base says BitMart never responded to its offer of up to $10 million to fund a court-supervised bankruptcy. The committee aims to organize creditors to pursue recovery.

TREE NEWS update: Utah has become the first US state to target VPNs in its age-verification crackdown, raising First Amendment concerns. Privacy advocates argue the law poses constitutional questions that courts have yet to resolve, potentially setting a precedent for other states.

TREE NEWS update: The CFTC has asked a judge to dismiss CME’s challenge to its classification of perpetual futures as futures rather than swaps. At an Unchained panel, lawyers from Hyperliquid Policy Center, WilmerHale, and Temporal supported the CFTC’s stance, arguing that perps are futures. The move could shape regulatory oversight of crypto derivatives.

TREE NEWS update: Coinbase has filed notices with the SEC in a bid to offer single-stock perpetual futures to US customers, expanding its equity-derivatives lineup beyond thematic stock indexes. The exchange still needs CFTC product approval, which it states as the next step.