Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The UK Financial Conduct Authority has proposed guidance on when decentralized finance interfaces require authorization in the UK, alongside a separate paper on how regulated firms must manage DeFi risks. Both consultations close on Nov. 18. The proposals clarify the regulatory perimeter for DeFi front-ends and set risk-management expectations for authorized firms involved in DeFi.

TREE NEWS update: US senators have asked Google to explain the cognitive effects of artificial intelligence on school-age children, following an earlier probe into the matter. The lawmakers are pressing the company for details as part of that inquiry. No further specifics of the request or Google’s response were disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: Six major blockchain organizations, including Chainlink and Cardano, have asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to formally recognize digital commodities as non-securities within its proposed regulatory framework. The groups submitted their request as the SEC shapes rules for digital assets, arguing that a clear commodity classification would remove regulatory ambiguity for token projects. No specific timeline for an SEC response was given.

TREE NEWS update: Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said he was right to publicly defend then-Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell against attacks by US President Donald Trump, and would do so again. Speaking Wednesday at an OMFIF online event on central bank independence, Bailey said he and other central bank chiefs spoke out because Trump had begun targeting Powell “personally” rather than just criticizing the institution’s policies. Bailey called Powell “a man of the utmost integrity” and a friend.

TREE NEWS update: The United States has made clear it wants AI companies to improve their ability to detect PHP vulnerabilities, an official said. The official added that AI firms found the problem but did not cause it. No further details, including the agency involved or any specific requirements, were provided.

TREE NEWS update: The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said it has not observed exploitation of PHP vulnerabilities so far, but warned that unpatched flaws would put affected organizations at risk. The agency’s statement focuses on the need to apply patches to avoid potential attacks.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Science and Technology detailed a six-point plan to deepen the integration of technological and industrial innovation, the ministry said in a Q&A on its policy guidance. The measures cover seamless links between innovation and industrial chains, high-quality tech supply for modernizing the industrial system, enterprise-led collaboration among industry, academia and research, more efficient allocation of innovation resources, a supportive ecosystem, and expanded room for integration.

TREE NEWS update: Douyin removed 201,000 pieces of rule-breaking content concerning minors over the past month and took graduated measures against 8,094 accounts, the platform said in a notice on its ongoing child-safety campaign. It said it targets content that infringes minors’ rights, spreads harmful information or induces bad behavior, and that it has reported suspected crimes to authorities. Since the start of 2026, Douyin has helped authorities apprehend 80 suspects in cases involving harm to minors.

TREE NEWS reports: CertiK warned that crypto trading bots and exchange apps may remain exposed to vulnerabilities tied to eight certificates issued by Indian certificate authority eMudhra, even after Google, Apple and Microsoft blocked them, since browser fixes may not cover software using independent security systems. Peiyu Wang, CertiK’s senior director of digital asset security, said attackers could use the compromised certificates to impersonate exchanges, wallet interfaces and APIs and swap deposit addresses, though such attacks also require intercepting or redirecting network traffic.

TREE NEWS update: China Securities Regulatory Commission Vice Chairman Li Ming said on Oct. 21 that the regulator will keep improving rules for the fund industry and steadily advance the high-level opening of the capital market. Speaking at the CSRC main forum of the 2026 Financial Street Forum, Li said the fund sector must balance serving the real economy with industry growth, expansion with investor returns, innovation with compliance and risk control, and “bringing in” with “going global.”

TREE NEWS update: Russia will require individuals to conduct peer-to-peer digital asset trades through licensed brokers or registered exchanges starting July 1, 2027, and will restrict transfers from regulated digital asset accounts to personal non-custodial wallets. Non-qualified investors must pass a knowledge test and will be capped at 300,000 rubles in annual digital asset purchases per intermediary. Using bitcoin and other digital assets to pay for goods and services remains prohibited in Russia.

TREE NEWS update: France’s Treasury, AMF, Banque de France and ACPR called on the European Commission to make crypto exchanges liable for certain client incidents when they provide DeFi access without adequate screening, in a joint response to the Commission’s MiCA review. The four bodies said platforms should be responsible for verifying users before opening DeFi protocols to them.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has published a national standard, “Test Methods for In-Service Traction Batteries of Electric Vehicles,” effective March 1, 2027. The standard covers testing of in-service EV power batteries, including battery hazard detection, used-car transactions and functional testing. The regulator announced the publication on the 21st.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Communist Party Central Committee and State Council said they will identify and screen disruptive technologies while strengthening oversight of new technology applications and exploring “sandbox regulation.” The policy directive, released Wednesday, calls for scouting emerging technologies and applying regulatory pilots to new applications. It did not specify which sectors or technologies would be covered.

TREE NEWS update: BlackRock filed a 485APOS registration statement with the SEC on October 19 for the iShares Bitcoin Managed Protection ETF, proposed ticker PBIT, its third bitcoin ETF filing. The fund would not hold bitcoin or IBIT shares, instead holding options on IBIT or similar bitcoin exposure through three overlapping call-spread tranches. The filing leaves the ticker, management fee and expense examples blank and does not name a listing exchange or date; under Rule 485(a)(2) it would take effect about January 2, 2027.

TREE NEWS update: China’s capital unveiled the Implementation Plan for Financial Support for Building the Beijing (Jing-Jin-Ji) International Science and Technology Innovation Center at the 2026 Financial Street Forum in Beijing. The plan comprises 15 measures across six areas, aimed at building a Jing-Jin-Ji science and technology finance coordination hub and supporting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.

TREE NEWS update: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has finalized a rule covering payment stablecoin issuance and some custody activities under the GENIUS Act framework, which takes effect in mid-January. The final rule sets the regulatory framework for stablecoin issuers and custody providers under the new law.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Director Liu Guiping met with Anthony Whelan, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, on October 21. The two sides exchanged views on the latest developments in antitrust legislation and enforcement in China and the EU and on China-EU antitrust cooperation, pledging to deepen cooperation on competition policy and antitrust enforcement and jointly safeguard fair competition in international markets. On the same day, SAMR Deputy Director Shu Wei held the 2026 China-EU Competition Policy Dialogue and a dialogue on fair competition review and state aid control with Whelan.

TREE NEWS update: Standard Chartered has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Zodia Custody, following shareholders’ acceptance of its non-binding offer in May. The transaction still requires regulatory approvals before it can close.