Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Australia’s ASIC warned that crypto companies relying on temporary regulatory relief must apply for an Australian financial services license or amend an existing one by September 30, or face fines up to 10% of annual turnover. Firms requiring market or clearing and settlement licenses must also notify the regulator and attend pre-application meetings. From October 1, non-compliant firms may breach financial services laws and face civil and criminal penalties. ASIC has recorded over 45 digital asset-related license applications since updating guidance in October 2025.

TREE NEWS update: ASIC has recorded over 45 digital asset-related license applications as its temporary enforcement relief nears Sept. 30 expiration. The regulator warns unlicensed crypto firms of fines up to 10% of annual turnover, signaling stricter oversight ahead.

TREE NEWS update: At the 2026 World Power Battery Conference in Yibin, Sichuan, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiong Jijun said the ministry will further regulate competition order, strengthen industry monitoring and capacity warnings, and curb low-price competition and blind expansion. It will also promote new energy heavy-duty truck applications and expand battery uses in storage, transportation, and embodied AI.

TREE NEWS update: The Securities Association of China has issued a draft best-practice document for securities firm mergers and acquisitions, the first of its kind to cover the entire process. The draft, titled Securities Industry Best Practice No. 7 – Securities Firm M&A (Draft for Comments), was sent to member firms for feedback. It systematically outlines key points from due diligence to integration, drawing on completed merger cases to guide high-quality industry consolidation.

TREE NEWS update: The People’s Bank of China Shanghai Headquarters will speed up pilot policies supporting foreign exchange settlement for new trade models, said Deputy Director Su Yun at a municipal press conference. The central bank unit has gathered corporate demands and coordinated multi-department efforts to revise supporting rules, aiming to bolster Shanghai’s trade hub function.

TREE NEWS update: South Korea’s presidential office said on Thursday it will work to prevent US semiconductor tariff measures from hurting Korean companies, following comments by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. A presidential official stated details are not yet finalized, and the government will monitor developments closely and maintain communication with Washington to protect domestic firms.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will further regulate competition in the power battery sector and strengthen industry monitoring and dynamic capacity warnings, Vice Minister Xiong Jijun said at the 2026 World Power Battery Conference on September 3. The ministry will accelerate standards for safety, cycle life, carbon footprint, and recycling, aligning with international norms.

TREE NEWS update: Ledger is facing a class action lawsuit over its December 2023 data breach, filed today. Plaintiffs allege the company downplayed the severity and failed to disclose the incident timely, exposing customer names, emails, and phone numbers that ended up on the dark web. The suit cites a 2020 breach of 270,000 customers, calling the pattern ‘egregious’ and accusing Ledger of negligent and reckless security practices.

TREE NEWS update: Russia’s September 1 law on digital currencies only partially took effect, covering cross-border transfers, while domestic crypto trading remains on hold pending key regulations. The central bank said all necessary documents should be ready by early December. Market participants note infrastructure is largely prepared, with Sberbank planning to complete its digital custodian by December 1 and Finam expecting to offer services in early 2027. Central bank governor Nabiullina said transfers abroad are unrestricted but warned investors that foreign operations lack Russian legal protection.

TREE NEWS update: China’s drug regulator and customs jointly announced that methoxyetomidate, leretomidate and sonanfetol will be added to the controlled medicinal psychotropic substances list, with customs commodity codes published for declaration reference. The measure takes effect on October 1, 2026, and applies to imports and exports, excluding approved domestic pharmaceutical preparations containing the substances.

TREE NEWS update: The US Department of Justice issued a legal opinion on April 2 requiring states receiving federal welfare funds to expand reporting of undocumented immigrants to the Department of Homeland Security, or face funding cuts. The move pressures states to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, extending reporting duties to agencies like motor vehicle departments and state universities. At least 19 states and Washington, DC, currently allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

TREE NEWS update: A Michigan court has ordered Kalshi to continue blocking sports prediction markets, converting a temporary restraining order from June into a preliminary injunction. Violations would incur a fine of $500,000 per day. The ruling keeps the prediction market platform from offering sports event contracts in the state pending further legal proceedings.

TREE NEWS update: A two-day symposium on antitrust enforcement to protect businesses was held in Dalian, Liaoning province, on September 2-3. Officials reviewed progress and set next steps, emphasizing the fight against ‘involutionary’ competition to build a unified national market and ensure fair competition.

TREE NEWS update: The CFTC has filed to dismiss CME’s lawsuit challenging its crypto perpetual futures rules, arguing CME lacks standing because it is free to list perp futures as a designated contract market. The CFTC called the suit ‘much ado about nothing.’

TREE NEWS update: Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission has finalized its cryptocurrency “travel rule,” requiring digital asset operators to identify senders and receivers of every transaction from February 27, 2027. Operators must implement transfer risk policies, collect customer and counterparty identity data, and retain records for at least five years. Non-compliant transfers will be prohibited. The rule, aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, aligns Thai standards with FATF recommendations, including verifying user control over self-custody wallet funds.

TREE NEWS update: SEC Chair Paul Atkins said in a Fox Business interview that the CLARITY Act will be voted on in the Senate on September 15, expecting passage and presidential signature, making the US the ‘global crypto capital.’ He noted regulators are advancing rules to modernize for blockchain and crypto assets. Despite the vote delay, SEC and CFTC continue crypto policy work, with the SEC submitting a crypto custody framework proposal to the White House last week.

TREE NEWS update: Brazil’s Congress passed a critical minerals bill granting the government greater power to review mining transactions. Brazil holds the world’s second-largest rare earth reserves after China, along with other key minerals for smartphones, EVs, and military drones. President Lula, who pushed the legislation as part of his sovereignty-focused agenda, argues Brazil should process more minerals domestically to retain value.

TREE NEWS update: A Michigan court has issued a preliminary injunction against Kalshi, ordering the prediction market to continue blocking state residents from accessing sports event contracts. The injunction, effective September 3, converts a temporary restraining order from June into a formal ruling, with violations subject to a $500,000 daily fine.

TREE NEWS update: The FBI seized approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency, along with domains and servers, allegedly used by Hamas’s military wing to collect donations and recruit supporters. The action targeted digital assets and infrastructure tied to the group’s fundraising efforts.

TREE NEWS update: A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s latest executive order restricting birthright citizenship, dealing a setback to the policy. The ruling halts implementation of the measure, which sought to limit automatic citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizen parents. The judge’s decision marks a legal challenge to the executive action.