Flash News

TREE NEWS update: French deputies approved an amendment ending tax deferral for conversions into single-currency e-money tokens, by a one-vote margin. The measure now faces a budget vote on Oct. 20. If enacted, the change would take effect from January 2027.

TREE NEWS update: Mastercard introduced a new service that combines payment data with blockchain analytics to help banks and payment providers detect suspicious stablecoin transactions before settlement. The tool is aimed at screening stablecoin flows for risk prior to final settlement, the company said. No pricing or launch date was disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company has frozen sanctioned addresses an average of four weeks before OFAC and Israel’s NBCTF formally designated them since 2023, and in 99% of cases before Chainalysis flagged them. In a post on X responding to Senator Richard Blumenthal’s report on Tether’s sanctions compliance, Ardoino said Tether’s actions cut Iran-related stablecoin transaction volume by 94%.

TREE NEWS update: The Department of Homeland Security has ordered civilian agencies to remove China’s DeepSeek and any service built on it from government systems, and banned further purchases, citing the risk that sensitive data could reach Beijing. The directive covers all civilian agencies under DHS guidance.

TREE NEWS update: Revolut has obtained a crypto license in Gibraltar, the UK-based fintech announced, enabling it to offer crypto services in additional international markets. The company did not disclose which countries it plans to enter or when those launches would occur. The authorization supports Revolut’s broader global expansion strategy.

TREE NEWS update: The Securities and Exchange Commission will host a roundtable on November 9, 2026, to discuss the use of machine-understandable data and Super Intelligence (SI), along with related risks and costs. The agency announced the event without detailing participants or agenda. The roundtable will examine how high-quality data feeds into SI-era systems.

TREE NEWS update: Google will begin allowing cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, contracts for difference and forex advertisers to run ads in the UAE from October 21, provided they obtain Google certification. The policy change opens paid search and display inventory to licensed crypto and trading firms targeting Emirati users.

TREE NEWS update: Republican U.S. Representative Miller said the White House should not exempt Russia from sanctions. The lawmaker’s statement comes as Washington weighs sanctions policy toward Moscow. Miller did not elaborate on which measures or exemptions he was referring to.

TREE NEWS update: Mastercard unveiled Stablecoin Security, a risk-intelligence service that lets financial institutions assess stablecoin payment risk before funds move on-chain, at the Money20/20 USA conference. The tool traces fund origins and flags potential links to fraud, scams, sanctions violations and other financial crime, integrating via API into banks’ existing anti-fraud and compliance systems. Borderless.xyz and Keyrails are the first partners; the service launches first in North America, with global commercial availability expected in 2027.

TREE NEWS update: Apple told a California federal court that Hannibal IP LLC abruptly ended 5G licensing talks and then sued the company for infringement, breaching their contract. In a complaint filed Friday in the Northern District of California, Apple said Hannibal, an affiliate of Longhorn IP LLC, had negotiated with Apple since 2022, including multiple online meetings and email exchanges. Hannibal sued Apple in a Texas federal court in August over smartphone and tablet patents without warning, Apple said.

TREE NEWS update: Mastercard unveiled Stablecoin Security, a risk screening service designed to screen stablecoin payments for fraud and sanctions risks. The service is launching first in North America, with global availability planned for 2027, the payments company said. The tool is intended to help payment participants assess risk before stablecoin transactions are processed.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee met Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Zou Jiayi at Government House on May 19 and voiced support for the AIIB’s planned Hong Kong office. Lee welcomed Zou’s delegation attending the 2026 APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting and said Hong Kong, as an AIIB member, actively supports the bank’s work in helping developing economies improve infrastructure and sustainable growth.

TREE NEWS update: Nevada-chartered qualified Bitcoin custodian AnchorWatch Trust Company has launched a Bitcoin custody service, priced at a flat fee of no more than $10,000 per month, with optional insurance coverage of up to $370 million per client. Clients include trustees, public companies, trust institutions and high-net-worth individuals requiring qualified Bitcoin custody.

TREE NEWS update: AnchorWatch has launched a Nevada-chartered bitcoin custody service offering optional insurance coverage of up to $370 million per client, with a monthly fee capped at $10,000. The trust company’s launch adds an insured custody option for institutional bitcoin holders.

TREE NEWS update: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Standard Bank Group on Tuesday released ten measures to expand cross-border use of the Chinese yuan in Africa, ICBC said. The initiative, announced in Beijing, is intended to implement China’s 15th Five-Year Plan provisions on promoting RMB internationalization and support high-level opening-up.

TREE NEWS update: Turkey’s market regulator has resigned. The report did not name the official, specify the agency involved, or give a reason for the departure. No replacement or transition details were provided.

TREE NEWS update: DekaBank has enabled bitcoin trading for customers of five German savings banks through their banking app, with more than 230 additional Sparkassen expressing interest in the service. Trades cost €0.99 plus a spread, and withdrawals are restricted to approved custodians, Deka said. The rollout marks the first live bitcoin offering for the savings bank network.

TREE NEWS update: China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Wu Qing said the regulator has approved the registration of the first 18 active ETFs, calling it a key step in promoting fund product innovation and bringing more incremental capital into the market. The remarks were made at the opening of the 2026 Financial Street Forum. Zhongyuan Securities chief economist Deng Shubin said the move marks a shift in long-term capital entry from passive broad-based index exposure to active management via transparent, standardized vehicles.

TREE NEWS update: Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, left on Oct. 14 when his secondment expired, with no successor named. Witt was the council’s last remaining staffer, following the departures of Bo Hines in August 2025, David Sacks in March 2026 and Harry Jung in July 2026. The CLARITY Act, which Witt championed, failed a Senate procedural vote 49-50 on Sept. 15.

TREE NEWS update: China’s listed companies reported combined first-half revenue of 37.7 trillion yuan and net profit of 3.6 trillion yuan, up 19.5% year on year to a near three-year high, China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Wu Qing said at the opening of the 2026 Financial Street Forum. Dividends and buybacks reached 2.1 trillion yuan in the period, 2.7 times the combined IPO and refinancing volume, he said.