banks

According to Jinshi, the Bank of England is investigating the rapid growth of investment banks operating in London with exposure to Asian stocks, as officials hope to avoid highly concentrated bets on a few companies related to artificial intelligence.Hedge funds and other institutional investors are rushing to invest in companies providing key infrastructure for the artificial intelligence semiconductor industry in Asia, such as SK Hynix and TSMC. The Bank of England is concerned that these stocks are gradually becoming an increasingly important part of the positions held by major brokers, with holdings highly concentrated in a few companies.

JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo are collaborating to build a shared tokenized deposit network, operated by The Clearing House, a payment company jointly owned by large banks. The plan is to convert commercial deposits into tokens that can be transferred around the clock between member banks, with a target launch in the first half of 2027.The first users of the network will be multinational corporations, with a product range that includes programmable treasury, real-time liquidity management, and cross-border payments. The Clearing House CEO David Watson stated that this project is a significant initiative for banks. JPMorgan's Kinexys platform currently processes an average daily volume of over $7 billion, having handled a total of over $40 trillion since its launch; Citi Token Services has been operating in the U.S., U.K., Singapore, and Hong Kong, transferring billions of dollars through Citigroup's own network.

Aave founder Stani Kulechov posted on X that the CLARITY Act will grant banks the legal authority to use digital assets and distributed ledgers without prior notice or approval, covering custody, staking, and lending, which represents a significant expansion of accessible market space for the crypto industry.Previously, he also stated that the bill is not perfect, and many aspects depend on the subsequent formulation of actual authorization rules, but it is the first regulatory framework to touch on DeFi, creating certainty for institutions, fintech companies, and banks to use on-chain business. He noted that once the CLARITY Act is passed, it will bring favorable conditions and investment for on-chain business similar to what the GENIUS Act has done for stablecoins.

According to the open-source dataset from NeobankBeat as of July 2026, there are 368 neobanks globally that are still actively operating, serving approximately 1.46 billion users. Among them, Asian users account for 817 million (with WeBank alone serving over 400 million people), and Brazil's Nubank has 131 million customers, surpassing the total of all U.S. neobanks. Out of the 368, only 127 hold a full banking license, with two-thirds relying on partner banks, electronic money licenses, or issuing institutions to operate, leaving customers largely unaware of the actual custodian of their funds.Among the neobanks established in the 2020s that are still alive today, 30% are Web3 native self-custody applications (compared to only 4% in the 2010s). This dataset audits the AI application status of the 368 one by one, revealing that only 67 (18%) have evidence of production-level AI deployment, with leaders mostly being lending institutions from emerging markets like Nigeria, the Philippines, and Mexico. The report warns that 106 infrastructure providers support 368 consumer brands, with a few partner banks and BaaS platforms each supporting dozens of brands, creating concentration risk that could lead to the next Synapse-like event.

According to South Korean media Daily NK, North Korean authorities arrested an elite hacker group on July 12, which is suspected of infiltrating the internal networks of the North Korean central bank and foreign trade bank, stealing national trade funds and laundering money through cryptocurrency. Sources say the group's leader is a veteran from the cyber warfare unit under the North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau, who recruited talented IT graduates from Kim Chaek University of Technology and Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, using encrypted communications and wireless devices to commit crimes.They split the stolen funds into small amounts and transferred them to overseas cryptocurrency wallets, exchanged them for cash through intermediaries, and then converted them into dollars and other currencies in border areas. Pyongyang officials launched an investigation after discovering anomalies in foreign currency payment approvals and records of overseas IP access, ultimately raiding a safe house and arresting suspects who were laundering money, seizing equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. This case has caused a stir among the elite and military circles in Pyongyang, with senior officials in the Reconnaissance General Bureau and the science and education sector worried about being implicated. North Korea has long been accused of stealing billions of dollars in cryptocurrency assets through hacker organizations like the Lazarus Group, but this incident rarely shows that its own financial system has also become a target of internal attacks.

According to Jinshi reports, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrell stated that sanctions have been imposed on over 100 banks and cryptocurrency operators, more than 40 shadow fleet vessels, and several refineries in Russia and Belarus.

Strategy President and CEO Phong Le posted that over the past 4 years, driven by factors such as Bitcoin treasury companies, ETFs, institutional funds, and support from the United States, Bitcoin's dominance has continued to rise.CoinGecko charts show that BTC's dominance has steadily increased from about 39% at the beginning of 2023 to nearly 60% by mid-2025, and as of July 2026, it remains around 55%.Phong Le further pointed out that with the adoption of stablecoins, asset tokenization, large banks, and increased global support, the digital asset economy surrounding Bitcoin will continue to expand, and Bitcoin's dominance is expected to continue growing.

According to Cointelegraph, Piero Cipollone, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB), stated that the large-scale adoption of stablecoins could weaken the retail deposit base of commercial banks and alter the competitive landscape of the traditional banking system. Cipollone pointed out during a speech at the Italian Banking Association in Rome on Friday that digital payments are reshaping the banking industry while increasing Europe’s reliance on non-European payment infrastructures.Banks are currently facing declining payment fee revenues and loss of transaction data due to the development of mobile payment service providers. As payment tools like stablecoins and other digital assets become more widespread, commercial banks may face increased pressure from deposit outflows. Cipollone emphasized that the digital euro will help maintain the status of public money and ensure that banks continue to participate in the payment ecosystem while meeting the evolving financial needs of customers."The digital euro can both maintain the role of public funds and ensure that banks retain an important role in the payment system," Cipollone stated. This Tuesday, the European Central Bank selected 36 payment service providers to participate in a 12-month pilot project for the digital euro, including banks, fintech companies, and payment firms.The pilot program is set to launch in the second half of 2027, aiming to test the feasibility of retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) operating in the eurozone. The European Central Bank has previously stated that if relevant legislation and testing progress smoothly, the digital euro could be officially issued as early as 2029.

India imposes a uniform 30% tax on the income from virtual digital assets and an additional 1% withholding tax on the transfer amount. Approximately 54 cryptocurrency service providers in the country have registered with the financial intelligence department, serving 39 million verified users, who collectively hold about $2.1 billion in assets.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has repeatedly expressed to Parliament its preference for a prohibitive policy towards private cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, urging banks to avoid related exposures to protect financial stability. The long-promised cryptocurrency bill has yet to be completed.Indian government agencies are also using permissioned blockchain in non-trading scenarios. AIIMS Delhi uses blockchain to manage teacher recruitment records, the Cotton Corporation of India tracks cotton bales through a blockchain identification system, and the aviation regulator DGCA is building a digital service platform associated with blockchain.

According to Bloomberg, several major banks in the United States, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and HSBC, have announced the formation of a joint network operated by The Clearing House, using blockchain to connect tokenized bank deposits in response to the rapid expansion of dollar stablecoins represented by USDT and USDC in the payment and clearing sectors.The network is scheduled to launch next year, aiming to achieve interoperability among the internal blockchain systems of various banks, with a priority on wholesale payments and liquidity management scenarios.Data from Artemis Analytics shows that the trading volume of stablecoins is expected to reach approximately $33 trillion by 2025, and Bloomberg Intelligence predicts that related payment flows could exceed $50 trillion by 2030. The banking industry believes that this trend has already posed direct competitive pressure on traditional deposit and payment businesses.

According to a report by South Korea's "Daily Economic News" on July 12, driven by the stock market investment boom and sustained housing demand, the five major commercial banks in South Korea (KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, NH Nonghyup) saw a surge in household loans in the first half of this year. As of the end of June, the household loan balance of the five major banks (excluding policy loans) reached 647.57 trillion won, an increase of about 3.7 trillion won compared to the end of last year. This means that in just half a year, the five major banks have exhausted 85.3% of the annual new loan limit set by financial regulatory authorities (approximately 4.33 trillion won), with two banks even exceeding the annual new limit ahead of schedule.To meet the strict overall control targets set by financial regulatory departments, banks are currently accelerating the tightening of credit thresholds. For example, KB Kookmin Bank recently significantly lowered the maximum limit for housing loans from 600 million won to 300 million won, while other banks are focusing on limiting new credit loans and reducing overdraft account limits. However, in just the first nine days of July, the household loan balance of the five major banks increased by over 1 trillion won. Industry insiders point out that against the backdrop of a severely limited remaining quota, banks will have to adopt stricter lending measures in the second half of the year to control the annual growth rate, and the South Korean market is expected to face a severe "credit winter."

According to official news, Swift announced that its blockchain-based ledger is ready, and 17 banks from six continents are preparing to pilot the use of tokenized deposits for 24/7 cross-border payment trials.The ledger provides a secure orchestration layer for participating banks, supporting them in issuing tokenized deposits on their own ledgers, enabling around-the-clock fund movement before final settlement through existing systems. Participating banks include ANZ, BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, Citibank, DBS Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, FirstRand Bank, HSBC, Itaú Unibanco, Lloyds Bank, Mashreq Bank, MUFG, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered, UBS Group, UOB, and Wells Fargo.

According to The Block, Cash App's parent company Block has agreed to pay $45 million to settle with regulatory agencies in nearly 50 states in the U.S. over allegations of misleading security promotions and insufficient anti-fraud measures. Regulators accused Block of marketing Cash App as having security protections comparable to traditional banks, but failing to establish a comprehensive fraud detection system and not providing an effective fraud reporting hotline, resulting in users suffering losses from scams.Additionally, regulators accused Block of continuing marketing activities despite being aware of the increase in scams and amplifying scam risks in promotional activities. Under the settlement agreement, Block must improve customer support services, provide 24-hour live customer service, and cease related promotions regarding Cash App's security. Block denies any wrongdoing, stating that the settlement involves previously disclosed legacy issues.

The European Central Bank has requested banks to develop plans to address the growing cybersecurity threats posed by cutting-edge AI models such as Anthropic's Claude Mythos. In a letter to the chief executives of banks, the ECB's chief supervisory officer, Claudia Buch, asked lending institutions to submit action plans by the end of October.She urged banks to accelerate software patch updates, strengthen AI-driven cyber defenses, and enhance oversight of third-party vendors, while emphasizing that banks need to modernize their infrastructure in the long term. Buch stated, "The ECB calls on all significant institutions to immediately assess the impact of the evolving threat landscape and develop comprehensive action plans outlining specific measures to strengthen relevant controls." ECB President Christine Lagarde warned last month that artificial intelligence could lead to a financial crisis and stated that bank CEOs need to ensure they are prepared and recognize that countermeasures require substantial investment. The ECB has conducted cyber attack tests under severe scenarios on 109 banks, and most of the vulnerabilities identified have been addressed.

According to Bloomberg, citing informed sources, SK Hynix Inc. is considering paying underwriting fees of approximately 0.5% of the total fundraising amount to investment banks participating in its U.S. listing project. This deal is expected to become one of the largest stock issuances in history.Informed sources stated that although SK Hynix has indicated plans to issue new shares equivalent to a maximum of 2.5% of the company's total equity, the final issuance scale has not yet been determined, which will directly affect the amount of underwriting fees that the investment banks will ultimately receive.Additionally, SK Hynix may also pay extra discretionary bonuses to the investment banks involved in the transaction, beyond the basic underwriting fees. Informed sources mentioned that discussions are still ongoing, and the final agreement details may still change.

According to Bloomberg, Germany's financial system is experiencing a rapid expansion of cryptocurrency asset services. Several local financial institutions, including cooperative banks and savings banks, are planning to launch cryptocurrency trading services for retail customers, allowing users to buy and sell virtual assets directly without going through third-party trading platforms.It is reported that banks in Germany, which have long served local families and businesses, are gradually embedding cryptocurrency trading functions into their existing retail banking systems. Relevant services are expected to be launched in the coming months. This trend indicates that Germany's traditional banking system is accelerating its embrace of the digital asset market within a compliance framework, which may further promote the penetration of cryptocurrencies into the mainstream financial system in Europe.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reiterated its support for a regulatory strategy of "containment and a tendency to prohibit" regarding crypto assets in a document submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, stating that "prohibition" remains one of the policy options recognized by the international regulatory framework. The RBI suggested that banks and other regulated financial institutions should not hold, trade, or provide exposure to crypto assets and privately issued stablecoins to avoid potential contagion risks to the financial system.The RBI stated that implementing traditional financial regulation on crypto assets could mislead the market, granting "legitimacy" to speculative assets that lack actual economic value and creating a false sense of security for users. The RBI also warned that the widespread use of stablecoins could undermine India's monetary sovereignty, weaken the transmission mechanism of monetary policy, disrupt the payment system, and pose risks to financial stability. Therefore, it recommended prioritizing the development of sovereign digital payment infrastructure such as Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Additionally, the RBI questioned the relevant rankings claiming "India is the country with the highest global crypto adoption rate," arguing that the data from private blockchain analytics firms has methodological flaws. It pointed out that there are currently 54 crypto service providers registered with the FIU in India, with approximately 39.3 million users who have completed KYC verification holding crypto assets worth about 20.437 billion rupees. It should be clearly distinguished between speculative crypto assets and the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) such as government bonds and corporate bonds to avoid impacting the innovation of financial asset tokenization.

According to Bloomberg, AirTrunk, a data center operator under Blackstone Inc., has selected partner banks and plans to conduct a real estate investment trust (REIT) initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore.According to informed sources, the fundraising scale for this IPO is expected to be around $1.5 billion, with the listing work likely to be completed as early as this year. Currently, Citigroup Inc., DBS Group Holdings Ltd., and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. have been chosen to assist in preparing for the listing project.

According to Jinshi News, the Governor of the Bank of Thailand stated that banks will be allowed to issue Thai baht stablecoins this year.