Finance and Business News page 23

Chairman Selig orders a regulatory backup plan as Congress weighs digital asset market structure legislation CFTC Chairman Selig has instructed staff to prepare crypto regulations that the agency could issue on its own. The directive would apply if the Clarity Act does not advance through Congress.

CryptoBriefing and Coinfomania both report T. Rowe Price's acquisition of F/m Investments but cite conflicting figures for F/m's assets under management. CryptoBriefing and Coinfomania both report T. Rowe Price's acquisition of F/m Investments but cite conflicting figures for F/m's assets under management. What all sources agree on T. Rowe Price is acquiring F/M Investments.

The exchange chief pushed back publicly on regulatory approach to fast-growing event contracts Terry Duffy, the chief executive of CME Group, publicly clashed with CFTC Chair Selig over the regulation of prediction markets, according to BeInCrypto.

A court has ruled partly in favor of the TRON founder in his dispute with the Trump family-linked decentralized finance venture. Justin Sun, founder of the TRON blockchain, has won a partial court victory in a lawsuit connected to World Liberty Financial.

The agency is said to be drafting a regulatory framework as a fallback if the CLARITY Act stalls on Capitol Hill The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is reportedly moving to establish crypto market rules independent of legislative action, according to reports published this week.

A 12% two-day surge pushed Bitcoin to $72,000, though overbought indicators suggest the advance may pause. Bitcoin's price reached $72,000 this week, marking a notable rebound after a period of consolidation. The move came quickly.

The derivatives regulator opens a public comment period on a rule change affecting how certain swaps are executed on registered platforms. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has opened a public comment period on a proposal to remove the order book requirement for certain swap transactions.

U.S. authorities allege the group ran a broad cyber operation that included ransom payments demanded in bitcoin. U.S. authorities have charged a group of Iranian hackers accused of running an extensive cyber campaign that included a $6 million bitcoin extortion scheme.

The Coinbase chief executive pointed to a range of $300,000 to $400,000 as bitcoin's price climbed past $72,000. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has offered a long-term price outlook for bitcoin, suggesting the asset could reach $400,000 by 2030.

Wall Street banks assess a fresh Bitcoin rally while longtime critic Peter Schiff dismisses the move as Treasury-fueled and unsustainable. Bitcoin's push past $72,000 has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over what is driving crypto markets higher. Major financial institutions and outspoken critics are offering competing explanations for the move.

CoinTurk News EN and Yahoo Finance report Ether ETF net inflows of $189.2 million on Aug 19, while NewsBTC reports $17.7 million for the same session. CoinTurk News EN and Yahoo Finance report Ether ETF net inflows of $189.2 million on Aug 19, while NewsBTC reports $17.7 million for the same session.

Crypto News Australia reports the securities regulator is preparing a broad rules initiative as Washington's approach to digital assets shifts. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a major push on crypto rulemaking, according to a report from Crypto News Australia.

The asset manager can now let existing mutual funds hold blockchain-based tokenized securities alongside conventional holdings. Franklin Templeton has secured clearance from the SEC allowing its traditional funds to hold tokenized assets. The move gives the asset manager a regulatory greenlight to bring blockchain-based instruments into products that have historically held only conventional securities.

The social platform is said to be exploring USDC payouts for its content creator rewards program. X is reportedly exploring the use of stablecoins to pay content creators through its royalty and rewards program. CryptoPotato reported the talks on August 20, describing the plan as still under discussion rather than finalized.

FBI secures return of alleged scheme founder after roughly a year evading capture in the Pacific nation A man described by prosecutors as the mastermind behind a $165 million cryptocurrency fraud scheme has been deported from Fiji, according to reports citing the FBI.

The funding round included participation from 0G Foundation, according to reports from BeInCrypto and CryptoBriefing. NeoSoul has raised $11 million in a Pre-A funding round. The company said the capital will support its expansion in what it describes as the AI economy. Reports from BeInCrypto and CryptoBriefing confirmed the raise on August 20, 2026.

Intercontinental Exchange is reportedly considering a follow-on stake in the prediction market platform after its valuation surged past $20 billion. Intercontinental Exchange, best known as the operator of the New York Stock Exchange, is reportedly considering putting more money into Polymarket.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signaled additional government intervention after Bitcoin's mixed response to prior moves. Bitcoin's price behavior over the past period has revealed a split reaction to US government intervention in markets.