Finance and Business News page 8

Regulators want current virtual asset businesses to register or risk losing market access. Pakistan has opened a licensing portal for companies offering cryptocurrency and virtual asset services, according to reports from Cointelegraph and CryptoBriefing. The portal gives existing firms a clear path to formal registration for the first time.

The move comes as the Strive asset management firm's chief executive predicts Bitcoin's next market cycle could outperform all previous ones. Bitcoin logged its largest weekly dollar gain on record this week, The Block reported. The figure marks a milestone in the asset's price history, measured in absolute dollar terms rather than percentage terms.

A pilot program brings financial institutions and regulatory bodies together to trial post-quantum cryptography for digital asset transfers. A group of banks and regulatory bodies has joined a pilot program testing quantum-resistant crypto transfers, according to reports from Cointelegraph and CryptoBriefing.

Bitcoin and broader digital asset markets face a heavy macroeconomic data calendar that could shape short-term sentiment. Crypto markets enter a pivotal week as investors turn their attention to a cluster of US economic reports. Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation data, jobs figures, and gross domestic product growth numbers are all due for release.

The billionaire investor says rising US debt levels justify holding hard assets alongside traditional portfolios. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, has again sounded the alarm on US government debt. He warned that current fiscal trends could push total US debt toward $60 trillion, according to Bitcoin.com News.

Japanese financial giant SBI joins investors funding Fasset's push into stablecoin-based payments Fasset, a neobank built around stablecoin infrastructure, has reached a $1 billion valuation. The milestone follows an investment from SBI Group, the Japanese financial conglomerate known for its diversified holdings across banking, brokerage, and crypto ventures.

Cointribune EN and CryptoSlate report the same weekly Bitcoin and Ether ETF inflow totals but give conflicting figures for XRP and Solana ETF inflows over the same period. Cointribune EN and CryptoSlate report the same weekly Bitcoin and Ether ETF inflow totals but give conflicting figures for XRP and Solana ETF inflows over the same…

Crude markets pulled back amid uncertainty over forthcoming US sanctions guidance, according to a report from CryptoBriefing. Oil prices moved lower as traders awaited further details on US sanctions policy from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to a report from CryptoBriefing.

A weekly market roundup credits growing worry over US government debt for pushing bitcoin sharply higher. Bitcoin climbed 23% in a rally that outlets tracking weekly crypto news attributed to mounting anxiety over US government debt policy.

Fundstrat's Tom Lee highlighted the asset manager's inflows as a sign of resilient demand amid falling crypto prices. Bitwise has pulled in $1.8 billion in investor capital during a period marked by declining cryptocurrency prices, according to figures highlighted this week.

ARK Invest's founder says Wall Street analysts do not understand the stablecoin issuer's business model. Cathie Wood has kept buying Circle shares through a steep decline, according to reports from BeInCrypto and Yahoo Finance. The stock has dropped 42% from earlier levels this year.

Spot fund flows surged as institutional buyers returned and crypto prices climbed sharply. Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds pulled in their largest weekly inflows in ten months, according to reports from CryptoPotato and CryptoSlate.

The longtime gold advocate and Bitcoin critic argues that AI-driven technology, not regulation, may pose the bigger risk to the cryptocurrency. Peter Schiff, the well-known economist and gold advocate, has said artificial intelligence could become the biggest threat facing Bitcoin. The remarks were reported by Bitcoin.com News on August 23, 2026.

Bessent has criticized his predecessor's debt-issuance strategy while outlining plans to change how the Treasury manages the bond market. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has publicly criticized the debt-management strategy pursued by his predecessor at the department. According to a report from CryptoBriefing, Bessent is now targeting broader reforms to how the U.S. bond market functions.

The Wyoming senator says banking industry pressure is slowing the crypto market structure bill's path through Congress. Senator Cynthia Lummis has publicly accused banks of interfering with progress on the CLARITY Act, according to reports from CryptoBriefing and The Cryptonomist.

Payments software provider Volante has connected Ripple's technology to the Federal Reserve's instant payment rail, according to multiple reports. Volante Technologies has enabled XRP for use within FedNow, the Federal Reserve’s real-time payment system, according to reports published this week.

ZEC hits an eight-year price high after a reported surge, with a Grayscale exchange-traded fund set to debut on the NYSE. Zcash, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency known by its ticker ZEC, has posted one of its strongest rallies in years.

Inflows into XRP exchange-traded products reached $39.7 million as the token rebounded 47% from its 2026 low. XRP-linked exchange-traded funds posted their strongest weekly performance since May, according to data cited by multiple crypto outlets. The products drew a combined $39.7 million in net inflows over the period.