Finance and Business News page 9

A 21-firm coalition of major banks says it will launch a jointly backed dollar stablecoin in the first half of 2027. A group of 21 banks has agreed to work together on a dollar-denominated stablecoin, according to multiple reports published this week. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and UBS are named among the participants.

The research firms frame a spectrum comparing how each network distributes control and validation power ARK Invest and Glassnode have published a joint research report examining decentralization across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The report was covered by CryptoBriefing and by Glassnode Research on September 1, 2026.

Fifty separate incidents were recorded last month, marking a sharp rise from July. Crypto hacks surged in August, with losses totaling $136 million across 50 separate incidents. That figure represents a 67% increase compared to the prior month, according to industry reporting.

The asset manager expanded its crypto-adjacent equity holdings with fresh purchases of Jack Dorsey's Block and stablecoin issuer Circle. Ark Invest has expanded its exposure to crypto-linked equities, purchasing shares of Block Inc. and Circle in a move reported by crypto.news and CoinGape.

The largest XRP-focused exchange-traded fund reached the milestone as analysts point to renewed price targets for the token. Bitwise's XRP exchange-traded fund has surpassed $500 million in assets under management. The fund reached the threshold roughly nine months after it began trading. It is now the largest XRP-focused ETF available to investors.

The funding round uses blockchain-based equity tokens to back expansion into nickel-linked energy systems and security technology. Alkemya Metacore has raised $50 million through a tokenised equity structure, according to four outlets covering the deal on September 1. The company intends to direct the funds toward expanding its nickel energy and security technology businesses.

Analysts point to Robinhood's expanding product lineup and user growth as reasons for the more bullish outlook. Morgan Stanley has raised its price target on Robinhood Markets, ticker HOOD, to $150. The bank also upgraded its rating on the stock to overweight, a signal that it expects the shares to outperform peers over the coming…

Seoul is building blockchain surveillance capacity to enforce a long-delayed capital gains levy on digital assets. South Korean regulators are preparing wallet tracing technology to support enforcement of a crypto capital gains tax scheduled for 2027, according to crypto.news.

The prediction market operator says former congressman George Santos manipulated a State of the Union trading contract. Kalshi has imposed a lifetime ban on George Santos, the former New York congressman, after determining he manipulated one of its prediction markets.

A decision siding with state regulators could send the fight over who oversees prediction markets to the Supreme Court. A recent court ruling touching on Kalshi's prediction market business has raised new questions about federal oversight of the industry. According to crypto.news, the decision puts the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's prediction market rules at risk.

Crypto custodian BitGo pays $7 million in cash and $35.5 million in stock for NYDIG's trading division. BitGo has agreed to purchase the institutional trading business of NYDIG, according to reports from CryptoPotato, American Banker, and Banking Dive.

A key risk-adjusted return metric for Ripple's token has reached a level not seen in twelve months, even as spot prices pull back. XRP's Sharpe ratio has moved to a level not seen in a full year, according to a report from CryptoPotato.

City officials say they will not pay the ransom as authorities work to determine the scope of the breach. Berlin authorities have opened an investigation into a cyberattack targeting city systems, after hackers reportedly demanded 30 Bitcoin in exchange for stolen data.

XRP-linked exchange-traded funds have logged nine straight days of net inflows, though reports differ on the total amount collected. XRP held steady around $1.35 on Sunday as inflows into ETF products tracking the token continued for a ninth consecutive day.

Digital assets will not qualify for the state's newly created savings scheme designed to encourage long-term investing. Ireland has decided to keep cryptocurrencies out of its newly established tax-advantaged investment accounts. The exclusion was reported by CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, BlockchainReporter and Coin Edition on August 31, 2026.

The brokerage giant is broadening its digital asset platform to include additional cryptocurrencies, according to reports. Charles Schwab is reportedly widening its cryptocurrency platform to include assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. CryptoPotato and NewsBTC both reported the expansion in late August 2026, describing it as a notable shift for one of Wall Street's largest brokerages.

A strike near the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil above $90 a barrel as spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows and traders weighed rising geopolitical risk. Bitcoin held near $78,000 on Monday, steadying after a sharp dip below $77,000 earlier in the session.

The central bank governor told G20 officials that advanced artificial intelligence could pose systemic risks to global finance. Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, has warned G20 officials that frontier artificial intelligence poses a threat to global financial stability. His remarks were reported by CryptoBriefing and Cryptopolitan on August 31, 2026.