Finance and Business News page 58

The exchange's new debit card supports more than 600 currencies as it pushes into everyday crypto spending in the American market. Kraken has introduced the Krak Card to customers in the United States, according to an announcement from the exchange.

The new HINC fund brings tokenized exposure to high-yield credit, with Avalanche among the supported networks. Securitize has introduced the Neuberger Securitize High Income Tokenized Fund, a new product built to give investors blockchain-based access to high-yield credit markets. The fund, trading under the ticker HINC, is being made available across four separate blockchain networks.

The tokenized fund, reported to trade under the ticker HINC, is live on Avalanche alongside three other networks Securitize has introduced a new tokenized fund built in connection with asset manager Neuberger Berman, according to reporting from CryptoBriefing and CoinGape.

The auto lender's finance arm is letting everyday users buy digital bond products directly from a smartphone payment application Toyota Finance has started allowing retail investors to purchase tokenized bonds directly through a mobile payment application. The development was reported by Cointelegraph and CryptoBriefing on August 18, 2026.

The new teen-focused build arrives as OpenAI faces a growing number of legal complaints over its chatbot's interactions with minors. OpenAI has introduced a version of ChatGPT built for users under the age of 18, according to reports published on August 18, 2026.

The card network is searching for a replacement after rival Mastercard bought its stablecoin infrastructure partner BVNK. Visa is searching for a new stablecoin settlement partner following Mastercard's acquisition of BVNK, according to reports from CoinDesk and CryptoBriefing. BVNK had reportedly worked with Visa on stablecoin settlement infrastructure before Mastercard moved to acquire the company.

The bank expects to offer digital asset custody, including Bitcoin, later this year. Citi is moving ahead with plans to offer digital asset custody, including Bitcoin, according to CryptoBriefing and The Block. The new service will operate under a platform the bank calls Custody+.

Derivatives data show traders paying steep premiums to hold long positions, a signal some analysts read as bullish momentum Bitcoin's funding rate on perpetual futures contracts has climbed to its highest point since late 2024, according to data cited by several market observers on August 18.

LINK's price consolidates below key resistance while reported ETF demand raises questions about a move toward $10. Chainlink's native token, LINK, is trading near $9.56, according to reports covering the asset's recent price action.

Bitcoin posted gains while the S&P 500 fell, though sources differ slightly on the exact size of the move. Bitcoin moved higher on August 18 even as the S&P 500 slipped, a pattern that breaks from the tighter correlation the two assets have shown in recent years.

The crypto trade group says removing the rules would clear the way for tokenized markets to develop within existing regulatory structure. The Blockchain Association, a trade group representing major players in the digital asset industry, has called on the Securities and Exchange Commission to drop two trading rules under the National Market System framework.

The Trump family-linked crypto venture, holding assets above $1.4 billion, faces new questions over its association with a platform tied to Chinese AI systems. World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance venture associated with the Trump family, is reportedly expanding its links to Chinese AI models through a platform identified as WorldClaw.

Regulators cite illegal gambling risk as the trigger for the move against the crypto-based platform. South Korean regulators have ordered a block on Polymarket, according to reports from crypto.news and Cointelegraph. The action stems from concerns that the platform's betting-style markets amount to illegal gambling under local law.

The crypto exchange now lets EEA-based users trade US-listed equities alongside digital assets. Kraken announced on August 18 that customers in the European Economic Area can now trade US-listed stocks through its platform. The exchange confirmed the rollout in its own blog post, and The Block reported the same development.

Total value locked on Robinhood's blockchain network climbed sharply even as the broader tokenized real-world asset sector cooled Robinhood Chain's total value locked climbed 45% in August, according to reporting from The Block and Coincu. The increase stands out against a broader slowdown in tokenized real-world asset activity during the same period.

Tokenized treasuries, credit, and other real-world assets are drawing rising deposits into decentralized finance protocols. Deposits linked to real-world assets held within decentralized finance protocols have reached nearly $4 billion. That total represents roughly a sixfold jump compared to the same period last year.

The move is tied to concerns over crypto's use in evading Russia sanctions European Union regulators now have authority to block crypto platforms operating from outside the bloc, according to reports from Bitcoin.com News and crypto.news. The change gives national and EU-level authorities new tools to restrict access to non-EU trading venues.

Analysts warn the breakdown may deepen before XRP finds stable footing again XRP has broken below the $1 level, a threshold traders and analysts often treat as a psychological floor for the token. The move comes despite Ripple's continued effort to broaden its presence in traditional banking, a disconnect that has drawn attention from market…