Author: James Wilson

South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) has announced plans to issue cryptocurrency tax guidelines in November 2026, ahead of the country’s scheduled 22% tax on qualifying digital asset gains beginning January 1, 2027. Summary South Korea’s tax authority expects to publish cryptocurrency taxation guidelines in November before implementation begins. Cryptocurrency income taxation is scheduled to begin January 1, 2027, following three previous implementation delays. Investors face a combined 22% tax on qualifying annual cryptocurrency gains exceeding 2.5 million won. Tax officials are reviewing how staking, airdrops, hard forks, and decentralized finance transactions should qualify. First cryptocurrency income tax returns are…

Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan has renewed speculation about a potential cryptocurrency token and airdrop after discussing an onchain asset at TOKEN2049 in Singapore on October 7, while the company considers further equity financing. Summary Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan discussed a potential onchain asset but announced no token launch date. Polymarket has not confirmed an airdrop, token distribution rules, eligibility criteria, or public launch schedule. ICE agreed in 2025 to invest up to $2 billion in the prediction market company. Polymarket US operates through QCX, a contract market designated by the CFTC in July 2025. Reports of Polymarket pursuing another funding…

Interactive Brokers, which reports more than $903 billion in client assets, has launched Ethereum staking through Zerohash, adding rewards on crypto holdings to a platform that supports trading in 20 digital assets. Summary Ethereum staking is available to eligible Interactive Brokers LLC clients through the broker’s Client Portal. Zerohash provides staking services, with earned rewards credited as additional staked cryptocurrency. IBKR’s existing crypto services include wallet transfers, stablecoin funding and Coinbase Derivatives futures. The broker also offers access to Kalshi, CME Group and ForecastEx prediction markets. Interactive Brokers announced on Oct. 13 that eligible customers can stake Ethereum while managing…

Federated Hermes, which manages $911.6 billion in assets, has partnered with Prometheum to develop tokenized funds for U.S. brokerage distribution, with the first product expected in Q1 2027. Summary Q1 2027 is the expected launch window for the partnership’s first tokenized fund product. ProFinancial will support distribution, while Prometheum Capital will provide custody, clearing and settlement services. Introducing broker-dealers will access the funds through Prometheum Capital’s correspondent clearing platform. Federated Hermes reported $911.6 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026. Prometheum and Federated Hermes said in their Oct. 13 announcement that the planned collaboration will bring blockchain-based…

Ripple has partnered with Stripe-owned Privy to bring XRP and RLUSD wallet tools into apps on the XRP Ledger, where Ripple says AI agents have already made 13 million payments. Summary Privy will let developers create XRPL wallets, manage them through software, and sign transactions. Embedded wallets will support stablecoin payments without requiring consumers to manage their own keys. Ripple says agent payments now account for roughly 25% of activity on the XRP Ledger. The integration will support XRP, RLUSD and other digital assets issued on the network. Privy announced that it is bringing its programmable wallet infrastructure to the…

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the arrests of two Americans accused of helping North Korean IT workers obtain jobs at more than 70 U.S. companies in a scheme that generated approximately $3 million. Summary Two Americans face fraud, money laundering, and identity theft conspiracy charges under an Ohio indictment. More than 70 U.S. employers allegedly hired overseas workers using stolen or fabricated identities. Approximately 187 laptops and remote-control devices were seized during a separate operation across Texas. Cryptocurrency transfers appear in the indictment’s account of how participants moved employment earnings overseas. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on…

Coinbase has joined a four-day operation with U.S. and UK law enforcement to disrupt West African scam networks by tracing illicit funds, supporting asset freezes and sharing intelligence. Summary The Oct. 6–9 London operation targeted West African scam networks and the services supporting them. Coinbase’s investigators traced financial activity and shared intelligence with law enforcement and industry partners. Targeted schemes included fake crypto investments, police impersonation, and staged arrests conducted over video calls. The operation involved the DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force and the UK’s National Crime Agency. Coinbase said in an Oct. 13 post that its Global Intelligence team…

Wells Fargo has outlined plans to issue stablecoins with 20 other financial institutions in the first half of 2027, while CEO Charlie Scharf has said their use cases in the United States remain unclear. Summary 21 financial institutions are establishing a stablecoin company, with a dollar token planned first. Scharf said Wells Fargo launched tokenized deposits for corporate and commercial clients in September. The consortium plans to support cross-border payments and digital asset settlements across several customer groups. Wells Fargo reported third-quarter net income of $5.95 billion, compared with $5.59 billion a year earlier. Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said…

HYPE price has fallen nearly 5% to around $81.20 over the past 24 hours despite Hyperliquid’s Assistance Fund having spent $1.36 billion buying more than 48 million tokens. Summary Hyperliquid’s Assistance Fund has purchased more than 48 million HYPE through its ongoing buyback program. HYPE traded near $81.20, while 24-hour trading volume increased more than 59% to $931.56 million. The daily chart places Supertrend support at $80.26, with MACD remaining below its signal line. USDC reserve income has added nearly $14.58 million to the fund’s trading-fee-funded purchases. Hyperliquid News reported on Oct. 13 that the Assistance Fund’s cumulative purchases had…

Bitcoin price has rebounded toward $84,000 on October 13 despite a steep selloff in South Korean equities, but weak ETF demand and heavy selling orders near resistance have prevented buyers from pushing higher. Summary Bitcoin recovered toward $84,000 despite heavy losses in South Korean technology stocks, with the KOSPI falling approximately 7.4% over the past week. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $451 million in net outflows during October, including $69 million on Monday, as institutional demand remained weak. CoinGlass data showed a concentration of sell orders near $84,000, where Bitcoin has repeatedly struggled to sustain gains. Bitcoin’s four hour…