regulation

According to The Defiant, Australian bank Westpac announced that starting in December, it will set a monthly limit of 10,000 Australian dollars on payments involving cryptocurrency for its customers, and it will not provide exemptions or arrangements for higher limits.Westpac also stated that withdrawals from cryptocurrency exchanges to Westpac accounts are not affected by this adjustment and will continue to be processed as before.

According to RBC, Russia has established testing standards for cryptocurrency investors, planning to require investors to pass a knowledge test before buying and trading cryptocurrencies on regulated platforms. Ekaterina Andreeva, the First Vice President of the National Association of Securities Market Participants of Russia (NAUFOR), stated that the draft of the relevant standards has been submitted to the Central Bank of Russia's Basic Standards Committee.Brokerages expect to start offering tests to clients as early as the end of November, with scores recognized across different regulated platforms. According to the cryptocurrency regulatory law that Russia began implementing in phases starting this September, non-qualified investors can only trade high liquidity crypto assets on the whitelist after passing the test.

Michael Selig, the Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, stated at the CFTC's inaugural Frontier Forum in Washington that imagining a refrigerator autonomously purchasing groceries with funds from staked ETH, or even issuing its own Memecoin, "is no longer science fiction." He believes that when AI agents can hold assets and execute trades autonomously, regulators must make adjustments.Selig pointed out that the CFTC's regulatory framework is built around executing specific financial functions concerning "identifiable market participants," but autonomous software is raising questions about how these rules apply. He proposed that if AI agents identify trading opportunities and execute trades for users, their developers may need to register, who is responsible when the agent goes out of control, how regulators know for whom the agent is trading, and whether a new type of "Know Your Agent" rule, referred to as KYA, is necessary.Selig also mentioned that AI could provide smaller traders and businesses with risk management capabilities that were previously only available to large institutions, but greater autonomy also brings new risks: agents may react unexpectedly to market conditions, agents using similar models may exhibit correlated trading behaviors, and the speed of autonomous trading could complicate market regulation and risk management. Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu recently expressed similar concerns to Cointelegraph; Coinbase launched Agentic Wallets in February, and Binance introduced AI Agent Skills in March, allowing agents to trade within user-defined parameters or provide spot order tools.

According to Bloomberg, Sarah Court, the chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), stated at a parliamentary hearing that the agency has not received any applications submitted by prediction market operators. Prediction market platforms like Polymarket may face strict regulation in Australia, and any application for an operating license will also undergo rigorous scrutiny.Sarah Court pointed out that the trading mechanisms of prediction markets are similar to the binary options that have been banned in Australia, characterized by a win-or-lose outcome, and the trading subjects are often unrelated to investment or financial markets. Although Australian users can directly access relevant overseas platforms, they are not protected by local financial regulations, making it difficult to obtain dispute resolution and customer fund protection measures.

Circle submitted comments to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding its proposed regulatory framework for cryptocurrency assets. Circle supports the proposal's goal of fostering innovation under clear rules while maintaining the advantages of U.S. capital markets, including transparency, investor protection, market integrity, liquidity, and efficiency.Circle also suggested that the cryptocurrency asset regulatory framework should align with the GENIUS Act. Given that payment stablecoins are increasingly becoming important considerations and settlement assets for on-chain capital formation, Circle requests that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clarify how payment stablecoins that comply with the provisions of the GENIUS Act can be used for these purposes.The letter further requests that the Commission clarify that eligible payment stablecoins constitute "cash" under proposed Rule 302(b), should receive appropriate U.S. dollar valuation treatment, and comply with the corresponding accounting and customer reserve treatment conditions.Circle also recommends that, provided objective safeguards are in place, the current 2% broker discount for payment stablecoins that comply with GENIUS be reduced to zero. Finally, Circle requests that the SEC clarify that technical services provided after the network goes live (including maintaining a known set of validating nodes) do not constitute necessary management work. Establishing safe harbor rules for the technical roadmap would allow issuers to continue maintaining and improving the operational network without inadvertently restarting the related analysis.

According to Solid Intel, Brazil's largest bank Itaú Unibanco has become the first bank to officially engage in cryptocurrency trading and custody services under the new regulations set by the Central Bank of Brazil. The bank has reported the relevant business to the Central Bank of Brazil on Tuesday, ahead of the deadline of October 30.

According to First Financial News, the Korea Communications Commission (KMCC) has determined that Google and Apple violated the Telecommunications Business Act by enforcing in-app payments, and has decided to impose a total fine of 63.7 billion Korean Won on the two companies. Among them, Google was fined 42.9 billion Korean Won, and Apple was fined 20.81 billion Korean Won.The regulatory agency also issued a corrective order, requiring both companies to modify their relevant business procedures. This penalty comes about three years after South Korea first announced its sanction plans in 2023.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an appeal, attempting to reinstate a nationwide ban against the artificial intelligence company Anthropic. The next day, the General Services Administration (GSA), responsible for government procurement, announced an expanded collaboration, allowing government agencies to use Claude at a 40% discount, paying based on actual usage without a commitment to a minimum expenditure. Anthropic disclosed that approximately 500 federal, state, and local government organizations in the U.S. are currently using Claude, with usage by federal civilian agencies increasing about 20 times over the past year.The GSA publicly supported Trump's ban on Anthropic in February of this year and removed Claude from the government procurement list. In March, a California court halted the comprehensive ban, and the GSA restored procurement eligibility in April. In August, the court further ruled that the government's broad ban was illegal. Although the Department of Justice has appealed, the relevant ruling will not automatically become invalid as a result.

According to Cointelegraph, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev stated during the third quarter earnings call on Tuesday that there is uncertainty about whether U.S. tokenization rules can be sustained in the long term, which may hinder investors from allocating large assets into the tokenized market. He described the five-year innovation exemption granted by the SEC in September as "a very positive step," but emphasized that further rule-making or legislation is needed to bring long-term regulatory certainty.Tenev noted that the uncertainty regarding the direction of the rules after five years is likely to become an obstacle to allocating large assets to this technology when communicating with clients. Tokenized stocks have previously faced resistance from traditional issuers, with 16 companies including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Goldman Sachs opposing their stocks being listed on the proposed OKXICE platform. AMC CEO Adam Aron has also publicly criticized Robinhood's tokenized stock products.Robinhood currently offers about 200 stock tokens on the Robinhood Chain, supported by the underlying stocks, but constructed in the form of tokenized debt securities, providing only economic exposure without dividend and voting rights, thus falling outside the scope of the SEC innovation exemption that requires rights parity. Tenev stated that tokenized stocks of private companies will be launched overseas, while seeking a path that complies with accredited investor restrictions within the United States. Binance Research's baseline scenario predicts that the market size could reach $34.9 billion by 2030, with approximately $4.43 billion as of September 15.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is once again investigating the prediction market platform Polymarket to determine whether it has violated the 2022 settlement agreement, focusing on whether it has taken adequate measures to prevent U.S. users from accessing the main overseas platform. This review is part of a broader investigation initiated by the CFTC earlier this year, involving user geographic location identification mechanisms, advertising activities in the U.S. market, as well as the customer account opening processes and protective measures of U.S. platforms.According to the 2022 settlement agreement, Polymarket agreed to cease providing services to U.S. users. In 2024, the CFTC and the U.S. Department of Justice conducted investigations, which concluded in 2025 without any charges being filed; thereafter, Polymarket gradually returned to the U.S. market through the acquisition of a licensed derivatives exchange. Polymarket previously stated that it has strengthened geographic restrictions, prohibiting circumvention through methods such as VPNs, and established monitoring mechanisms. There is currently no information indicating that the CFTC has filed formal charges regarding this investigation.

According to The Washington Post, U.S. President Trump will announce the easing of regulations related to methane leaks from oil companies.

The U.S. Department of Justice submitted a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, attempting to overturn the ruling made by a California court in August, which restored a full federal agency ban against the developer of Claude, Anthropic. On October 26, local time, Anthropic publicly submitted its IPO prospectus, and on the same day, the U.S. Department of Justice filed the aforementioned appeal.In September, the Washington appellate court allowed the Pentagon to exclude Claude from military systems and related defense procurement on the grounds of supply chain risks. The California court had previously blocked a broader ban that not only required all federal agencies to stop using Claude but also prohibited defense contractors from engaging in non-military commercial cooperation with Anthropic. The judge believed that the government lacked sufficient evidence to prove the associated risks, and the ban was essentially retaliation against Anthropic for publicly criticizing the government.The prospectus shows that government agency contract revenue accounts for only about 1% of Anthropic's total revenue. Evidence cited by the California court indicated that three government contractors terminated their contracts with Anthropic or were asked to cease cooperation, and three deals worth over $180 million, which were close to being finalized, fell through. Some clients requested the addition of unilateral termination clauses, while others turned to competitors. Anthropic had previously estimated to the court that if the broadest ban were fully implemented, revenue could decrease by billions of dollars by 2026.

According to Bitcoin.com News, the Central Bank of Ireland announced on October 22 that it has imposed a fine of €3,252,618 on Coinbase Ireland Limited for violating customer funds protection and outsourcing requirements in the Irish Electronic Money Regulations 2011. Coinbase admitted to the violations.The regulator stated that the violations occurred between November 1, 2020, and August 19, 2025, with a settlement reached on October 21. The case involves Coinbase Ireland's role as an electronic money institution, including the fiat and electronic money used by customers to purchase crypto assets, and should not be described as a MiCA custodial enforcement action.

Binance has submitted a cryptocurrency service provider license application to the Central Bank of Brazil through its local entity BBrasil, in order to maintain its operations in one of the largest cryptocurrency markets in Latin America before the regulatory deadline of October 30. The application was submitted on October 23, and the company stated that this will allow Brazilian users to continue accessing cryptocurrency assets, stablecoin trading, payment, and investment services.Meanwhile, Binance announced that changes for Brazilian users will take effect on Tuesday, including restrictions on crypto lending, margin trading, and other services, and will delist 22 cryptocurrency assets in the country. Thiago Sarandy, General Manager of Binance Brazil, stated that the company supports the consideration of regulated markets for virtual asset characteristics and hopes that ongoing dialogue with the Central Bank of Brazil will enable it to offer other products that were suspended to comply with current regulations in the near future.According to the regulations of the Central Bank of Brazil, existing cryptocurrency service providers must submit authorization applications by October 30 to continue operating under transitional arrangements. However, submitting an application does not equate to obtaining regulatory approval; Binance still needs to wait for the official review results from the Central Bank of Brazil to determine whether its local business can operate in full compliance.

The Canadian Ministry of Finance has launched a 60-day public consultation on the stablecoin regulatory draft, which will end on December 23. The draft maintains the prohibition on stablecoin issuers paying interest or returns to holders, including arrangements that encourage customers to hold tokens through third parties, although rewards related to transactions may still be allowed.The draft requires non-bank issuers to back circulating fiat-pegged tokens with reserves held by qualified Canadian financial institutions at a 1:1 ratio. Qualified institutions include banks, credit unions, and trust companies. Holders must be able to redeem stablecoins for conventional currency within three business days, with a redemption fee cap of 1%. Earlier this year, the government passed the Stablecoin Act, stating that the draft is necessary for the law to take effect and will specify the requirements for issuers to register with the Bank of Canada. The stablecoin framework is expected to take effect by the end of 2027.A spokesperson for the Canadian Bankers Association stated to The Logic in June that the association firmly supports the explicit prohibition of direct and indirect returns in the Stablecoin Act, as the banking industry is concerned that stablecoin returns may lead to deposit outflows and reduce available lending funds. Coinbase Canada has received permission from the Ontario Securities Commission this year to offer returns on eligible tokens, but must warn of risks and clarify that funds are not covered by deposit insurance. At the end of last month, Canada's six largest banks announced they are exploring a Canadian dollar tokenization system to expedite fund transfers between traditional financial institutions.

The French Ministry of Finance, the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), the French Central Bank, and the Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) jointly suggested to the European Commission to allow third parties, such as crypto platforms, to offer rewards to stablecoin holders under specific conditions. The four institutions believe that such rewards should be regulated rather than outright prohibited.The four institutions proposed that platforms should disclose reward information to holders, must not promise guaranteed returns, and should not promote rewards as savings products; regulators should also monitor the impact of rewards on bank deposits. The French side still supports banning stablecoin issuers from paying interest but opposes extending the ban to staking and lending activities. The European Central Bank and the central banks of EU countries advocate maintaining the ban on interest for stablecoins and including indirect benefits such as rewards and fee waivers, as well as lending and staking activities within the scope of restrictions.The European Commission must submit a review report on the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) to the EU legislative bodies by June 30, 2027, and may propose amendments.

According to Bloomberg, cryptocurrency, venture capital, and prediction market companies associated with Trump and his family are ramping up efforts to hire lawyers and lobbyists in preparation for a potential congressional investigation.Democratic lawmakers have requested information from World Liberty Financial and 1789 Capital, focusing on whether the related companies have received government contracts, policy favors, and whether there are any conflicts of interest.Bloomberg reports that even if Democrats gain a majority in Congress in the midterm elections, the investigation may face obstacles, including difficulties in compelling foreign individuals to provide testimony or documents, as well as whether federal agencies like the Department of Justice will take further action. The related companies and the Trump family insist that their business activities comply with legal regulations.

According to the regional service restriction notice released by MEXC on October 21, the exchange is gradually exiting the Dutch market, requiring local users to transfer their assets by October 31, and plans to complete the exit by November 16.MEXC confirmed that it has not yet obtained EU MiCA authorization. Previously, due to providing cryptocurrency asset services in the Netherlands without permission, the exchange was listed on the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) temporary list of non-compliant entities.Earlier, on October 20, MEXC announced the cessation of services to users in Russia and Belarus. Its user agreement also lists 13 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China, as prohibited service areas.