Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Brazilian crypto exchanges face a Friday application deadline, with costly requirements and unresolved regulatory questions complicating compliance. The deadline falls on Halloween eve, and firms must weigh the expense of meeting the requirements against unanswered questions from regulators.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai’s draft taxi regulations, published for public comment, propose promoting the safe application of autonomous driving technology in the taxi industry in an orderly manner, with transport and public security departments stepping up guidance and services. The draft also calls for using big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence to expand application scenarios and raise the digital and intelligent level of taxi services and management.

TREE NEWS update: Justin Sun-linked exchange HTX has agreed to stop targeting UK consumers as part of a settlement with the Financial Conduct Authority, the regulator said. The agreement ends the FCA’s first case against a crypto firm over marketing. HTX will leave the UK market under the settlement.

TREE NEWS update: The loan balance under Shanghai’s “Five Major Articles” framework rose 11.6% year-on-year as of the end of September, consistently outpacing overall loan growth, Zhou Peng, deputy director of the monetary and credit research department at the People’s Bank of China’s Shanghai headquarters, said at the bank’s fourth-quarter 2026 press conference and a special Shanghai financial “Five Major Articles” briefing.

TREE NEWS reports: Chainalysis has traced North Korean crypto cash-outs through the sanctioned exchange Garantex, following US sanctions against 10 people and one entity accused of helping North Korean IT worker schemes fund weapons programs. The analysis maps how the proceeds were moved through the exchange.

TREE NEWS update: HTX has agreed to stop crypto marketing in the UK until October 2031 following an FCA case, the exchange said. Deposits and new account registrations for UK users are already blocked. The undertaking ends HTX’s UK promotional activity for more than six years.

TREE NEWS update: Utah Attorney General Derek Brown filed 14 criminal charges against Kalshi and co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara on Oct. 28, including one second-degree felony and 12 third-degree felonies tied to online gambling promotion. The charges stem from a September undercover operation in which a Utah investigator placed 12 bets on the platform. Kalshi called the charges “crazy overreach” and said it will fight them in court.

TREE NEWS update: The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its target range at 3.75%–4% was in line with market expectations, and that Hong Kong’s currency and financial markets are operating in an orderly manner. The HKMA noted the wide interest-rate gap between the Hong Kong dollar and the US dollar could allow carry trades to gradually weaken the local currency, but said the direction of the exchange rate and interbank rates remains subject to considerable uncertainty.

TREE NEWS update: Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed on October 28 that Moscow is in talks with the US government over lifting sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Ushakov said the consultations have been ongoing for some time, with Kirill Dmitriev, the fund’s head and Russia’s special presidential representative for foreign investment and economic cooperation, in active contact with the US side. No timeline for a result was given.

TREE NEWS update: Coinbase has applied for authorization to operate in Brazil ahead of the country’s Oct. 30 licensing deadline, the exchange said. It expects to maintain existing services while regulators review the application, with no disruption anticipated. Brazil has been tightening requirements for crypto firms under its new licensing regime.

TREE NEWS update: Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, is partnering with Trade.xyz to set up a separate U.S. exchange and clearinghouse for round-the-clock Hyperliquid perpetual contracts. The plan still requires approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Stan Druckenmiller is also investing in the venture.

TREE NEWS update: The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 11 individuals and entities tied to a North Korean IT worker scheme, including two Russian nationals who converted more than $5 million in crypto for North Korean networks. OFAC listed the wallets used in the conversions, which moved millions in digital assets to fund the sanctioned networks.

TREE NEWS update: A feeder fund listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that tracks the STAR Market chip ETF (588200) was approved on Oct 28 and is expected to list on the HKEX on Nov 6. The cross-listing arrangement lets overseas investors trade STAR Market chip-industry assets directly in Hong Kong, giving them easier access to the sector’s supply chain.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong’s government published the independent committee’s report on the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire on 29 May. Chief Executive John Lee held a press conference that afternoon with senior officials to announce accountability decisions and reform measures. The report and the government’s response set out systemic changes to be rolled out.

TREE NEWS update: Utah has filed felony charges against Kalshi and its co-founders over sports betting, alleging an undercover agent placed a dozen sports wagers on the platform. The action comes a day after the CFTC sued Utah to block the state’s enforcement actions against prediction markets. The charges mark an escalation in the conflict between state regulators and federally regulated event-contract exchanges.

TREE NEWS update: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, and Trade.xyz plan to build a new US-focused trading platform using Hyperliquid-based trading and clearing infrastructure, subject to approval from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The planned contracts cover equities, indices, commodities, foreign exchange and cryptocurrencies, accessible through participating brokers and platforms. ICE will also take an equity stake in Trade.xyz, without disclosing the investment details.

TREE NEWS update: The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate at 3.75%-4.00% on Oct. 28 in a 10-2 vote, with Cook and Hammack dissenting in favor of a 25-basis-point increase. The statement upgraded its read on economic activity to “strong” from “moderate” while retaining that inflation remains elevated. Markets priced roughly 87.5% odds of a December hike after the meeting, up from 79%-84% beforehand, with Q3 GDP and September PCE due Oct. 29.

TREE NEWS update: European Council President António Costa said the process to find a successor to European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will begin on Thursday. Costa said the appointment procedure will be launched today and pushed forward without delay so the European Council can make a timely decision, ensuring a smooth transition to the ECB’s next leader.

TREE NEWS update: China’s National Press and Publication Administration published its October 2026 approvals for domestic online games, clearing 183 titles for release. The regulator disclosed the batch in its regular monthly licensing notice. The figure covers domestically developed online games only.

TREE NEWS reports: European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will step down ahead of the end of her term. No date or reason for the early departure was given in the initial account. Lagarde has led the ECB since 2019, steering eurozone monetary policy through the post-pandemic inflation surge and successive interest-rate cycles.