Australian Senate Panel Backs Framework to Regulate Crypto Platforms

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority has initiated legal proceedings against HTX, the crypto exchange founded by Justin Sun, for unlawfully promoting crypto services to UK consumers. The FCA expressed concerns about HTX's opaque structure and lack of response to engagement attempts.

Danske Bank is now allowing customers to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs through its eBanking and Mobile Banking services due to increasing demand. Despite this, the bank does not recommend cryptocurrencies as an asset class, emphasizing the high risks involved.

Aviva Investors and Ripple have announced a partnership to tokenize traditional fund structures on the XRP Ledger, aiming to bring regulated financial assets onchain. This move signifies Aviva's first step into tokenization, leveraging blockchain technology for faster settlement and lower operational costs.

During an interview at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, Consensys founder Joe Lubin stated that decentralized finance (DeFi) is as safe as traditional finance, highlighting the safety of "blue chip DeFi." Lubin also expressed concerns about the potential challenges that Bitcoin may face from quantum computers in the future.

Arkham Exchange, backed by prominent figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is shutting down after struggling with low trading volumes despite efforts to expand its services. The company, founded in 2020, had plans to rival major exchanges like Binance but faced challenges in attracting users.

Thomas Lee, CIO of Fundstrat, advised investors at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 to focus on opportunities rather than timing market lows. Bitcoin's recent 50% drawdown, the worst since 2022, has led to price fluctuations, with BTC dropping 2.8% in the past 24 hours.

Bithumb mistakenly distributed $43 billion in Bitcoin during a promotional event, leading to frozen assets and investigations. Legal experts suggest civil recovery as the exchange's best course of action.

Financial institutions are exploring tokenization and blockchain settlement, but face challenges with scale, speed, and coordination. LayerZero aims to address the blockchain trilemma by developing a new blockchain, Zero, to potentially bring the global economy on-chain.

Robinhood is exploring applications on its Ethereum layer-2 network and launching a public testnet for Robinhood Chain. The company aims to integrate decentralized finance and stock tokens into its services, using the technology to rebuild systems.

Ray Dalio cautioned that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) will provide governments with extensive visibility into financial activities, potentially offering tighter control over transactions. He mentioned that CBDCs could function like money-market funds but may not be significant due to lack of interest.