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The Central Bank of Russia has included Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, in the registry of institutions authorized to trade digital currencies, allowing it to buy and sell cryptocurrencies in its own name and with its own funds. Six days ago, Sberbank was listed among digital custodians.Sberbank plans to launch its first cryptocurrency products on December 1 through SberBank Online, SberInvestments, and SberBusiness, initially supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT issued by Tether. The specific launch time depends on the decisions of the Central Bank of Russia and the preparation of supporting regulations. According to relevant laws, retail investors can trade up to 300,000 rubles per year through a single intermediary and must pass a knowledge test; using cryptocurrencies to pay for goods within Russia remains illegal.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a report on de-banking on Wednesday, pointing out that some banks had established "public and non-public policies" to restrict services to multiple industries, including oil and gas, tobacco, firearms, and digital assets. This report was issued based on an executive order signed by President Trump in August 2025, aimed at preventing what it calls "illegal de-banking" practices.The OCC stated that many institutions also imposed restrictions on digital asset businesses, involving issuers, exchanges, or management agencies, often citing financial crime considerations as justification. However, this 47-page report did not provide specific de-banking cases related to digital asset activities. The OCC noted that based on a review of nine large banks, it "could not fully quantify the overall scale of de-banking or alleged de-banking activities," with the agency's head, Jonathan Gould, primarily discussing claims of de-banking related to coal and firearms.Gould stated that these decisions were not based on financial risk; banks cited concerns about negative news, public protests, and the potential reputational consequences of supporting related industries. In November 2024, more than 30 executives from the technology and cryptocurrency industries claimed they were denied banking services, informally referring to it as "Operation Chokepoint 2." Trump's executive order in 2025 came after industry-related calls, following allegations that the Biden administration might influence financial institutions to cut off certain services to cryptocurrency companies.

According to a report by The Block, Standard Chartered Bank has postponed its prediction for the stablecoin market to reach a scale of $2 trillion from 2028 to 2030. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank's global head of digital asset research, stated that the $2 trillion scale estimate remains unchanged, but he believes the market will need an additional two years to reach it. Over the past 12 months, the supply of stablecoins has remained in the range of $300 billion to $320 billion, currently around $309 billion. Kendrick believes this slowdown is cyclical rather than structural, as it occurs during a period of weak activity in the cryptocurrency market.Kendrick pointed out that despite the stagnation in supply growth, the use and trading activity of stablecoins continue to rise. The on-chain original transfer amount set a monthly record of $19 trillion in May, with an average monthly scale of nearly $10 trillion this year, higher than the $4 trillion expected in 2025.The monthly average circulation velocity, which measures the number of times each dollar of stablecoin is transferred, has doubled this year to about 30 times, compared to 15 times in 2025, with USDT maintaining around 7 times, while USDC has increased from 45 times to about 80 times. Kendrick stated that the differences stem from different uses, with USDT primarily used for dollar savings in emerging markets, while USDC is more used for payments, financial transactions, and early payments between AI agents.Kendrick expects that competition in stablecoin payments and trading in developed markets will be the most intense, with potential challengers including Open USD, stablecoin infrastructure provider M^0, and the A+ network, which plans to allow banks to issue shared stablecoins and retain reserve earnings.

According to The Defiant, the European Banking Authority has recognized the US dollar stablecoin USDC as the EU's first "significant" electronic money token. Under the arrangement, the financial regulatory responsibilities for USDC will be transferred to the European Banking Authority on November 12.Meanwhile, the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority will continue to be responsible for the governance and other corporate affairs of USDC.

According to The Block, Bank of New York Mellon (BNY) and Citadel Securities completed a triparty repurchase agreement using tokenized U.S. Treasury bonds. Citadel Securities purchased a 2-year U.S. Treasury bond through Tradeweb via Bank of New York Mellon, which recorded the tokenized version of the bond on its private digital ledger and completed the settlement in minutes, rather than the traditional T+1.Subsequently, Citadel used the tokenized Treasury bond as collateral for overnight triparty repurchase financing from Bank of New York Mellon. Bank of New York Mellon stated that this is the first use of tokenized assets on a major triparty repurchase platform.Carolyn Weinberg, the bank's head of innovation and market transformation, stated that using the tokenized representation of U.S. Treasury bonds for both settlement and financing helps create a more connected, efficient, and round-the-clock financial system. The bank also plans to enhance its capabilities for digital cash and tokenized deposits for institutional settlement and financing, with plans to extend the operating hours of the relevant settlement platform to European and Asian trading sessions next year.

Deutsche Bank data shows that active fund managers are skeptical about the rise in U.S. stocks due to high U.S. Treasury yields, the Iran war, and persistent inflation, leading to stock positions dropping to historic lows.At the same time, quantitative funds continue to buy stocks due to rising stock indices and decreasing volatility. Deutsche Bank strategist Parag Thatte stated that the divergence between the two sides is nearing its limit, and a concession from one side is expected soon.

According to CoinDesk, the consortium Qivalis, supported by 37 major European banks, announced that the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has granted it an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license, bringing it closer to issuing Euro-denominated electronic money tokens (EMT). The Amsterdam-based company still needs to meet the remaining requirements of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), including publishing a white paper, in order to issue the token in the coming months.This license enables Qivalis to provide a blockchain-based method for transferring Euros for banks and payment institutions. Qivalis plans to distribute its tokens through banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and payment service providers, rather than directly to consumers. Since its establishment in September 2025, the consortium has expanded to 37 European banks, including BBVA, BNP Paribas, ING, and DZ Bank, and has chosen Fireblocks to provide digital asset infrastructure.According to MiCA regulations, EMTs are classified as stablecoins, but not all stablecoins are EMTs. EMTs are pegged to a single fiat currency and must be issued by authorized credit institutions or electronic money institutions, with holders having legal claims to them and the right to redeem them at face value at any time, and EMTs cannot pay interest.Qivalis CEO Jan-Oliver Sell stated that the currency in Europe should be carried on-chain by European rules, and Europe should have Euro-denominated on-chain settlement assets issued under European law and subject to European regulatory standards.

AI Economic Settlement Agreement AEON announced the addition of local bank transfer payments in Chile, allowing users to enter amounts in Chilean Pesos (CLP) and complete payments using cryptocurrency assets. AEON is responsible for asset conversion and settling with merchants through local banks. This integration further expands AEON's local settlement network in Latin America, enabling AI Agents to make real-world purchases using familiar banking payment systems in the future, providing broader real purchasing power for the AI economy. AEON is currently operational in several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia.

According to the Financial Times, Kraken will acquire Saldo Bank, which is regulated by the European Union, with the transaction expected to be completed in 2027.

According to Bloomberg, the only Renminbi clearing bank in Hong Kong, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, plans to issue interbank certificates of deposit in the mainland market, with the quota already registered with the People's Bank of China. A statement released by Bank of China Hong Kong on Tuesday indicated that the company plans to issue up to 22.2 billion Renminbi (approximately 3.3 billion US dollars) in interbank certificates of deposit this year.Interbank certificates of deposit are short-term debt instruments with a maturity of one year or less, commonly used by domestic banks to raise funds from peers. Bloomberg stated that this move is another step by Chinese authorities to strengthen Hong Kong as a hub for Renminbi business.

On October 12, the Pan-African commercial bank Ecobank signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System Co., Ltd. (CIPS) to strengthen the connectivity of RMB payments between China and Africa. The signing ceremony was held under the witness of the Minister of Finance and Budget of the Republic of Togo, coinciding with the official visit of the President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, to China.Ecobank Group CEO Jeremy Awori stated that the cooperation will enhance the connectivity between the Chinese RMB payment ecosystem and Ecobank's African network, aiming to facilitate Chinese companies' access to the African market and help African companies participate more effectively in the Chinese market. China is Africa's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade expected to reach approximately $348 billion by 2025. The cooperation is anticipated to make RMB payments smoother, reduce settlement complexity, and improve the accessibility of cross-border payment channels.Ecobank has had a presence in China since 2012 and has officially opened a new office in Beijing, with Chinese business teams in West Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa, providing services such as trade financing, payments, cash management, and cross-border investments. The group's operations cover 34 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well as France, the UK, the UAE, and China, employing over 14,000 people and serving more than 32 million customers. Recently, it has also collaborated with institutions such as Bank of China (Mauritius), XTransfer, YiBao Payment, and Wanlihui.

According to Bloomberg, informed sources revealed that Bank of America will no longer act as a potential underwriter for the initial public offering of the Chinese artificial intelligence startup Dark Side of the Moon.Previously, Bank of America had engaged in discussions to serve as the overall coordinator for Dark Side of the Moon's Hong Kong IPO, but negotiations ultimately failed to reach a formal authorization. The report noted that this change comes at a time when the company is facing strict scrutiny in the United States.

According to official disclosure, Standard Chartered announced that it has received approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in the UAE to officially launch cryptocurrency trading solutions for professional investors in the UAE.Eligible affluent clients can buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) directly through their existing bank accounts, without the need to set up a separate wallet or use third-party platforms.

According to two informed sources, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the Philippines, Coins.ph, is facing punitive actions from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The alleged violations reportedly involve providing services to offshore betting companies, with a severity that could lead to the revocation of the operating license for this 12-year-old company. One source stated that this would trigger an "earthquake" in the Philippine crypto ecosystem.Coins.ph has over 18 million customers and a 24-hour spot trading volume of approximately $50 million, controlling about 75%-80% of the liquidity of pesos and stablecoins in the Philippines. Earlier this month, the BSP reportedly imposed restrictions on deposits made through Coins.ph's main wallet company, DCPay Philippines. Previously, several compliance executives from the exchange left, including Chief Compliance Officer Lexi Herrera, Head of Anti-Money Laundering Transaction Monitoring Chris Beaño, and Money Laundering Reporting Officer Irish Calagui.A year ago, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas restricted the use of e-wallet applications for gambling, requiring regulated entities to cut off access to gambling websites within the apps. Subsequently, several betting entities migrated to Coins.ph. This restriction is not a temporary measure and no reasons have been provided. Coins.ph is one of the earliest crypto wallets and exchanges in the Philippines, acquired by Indonesian tech company Gojek for $95 million in 2019, and later sold to former Binance CFO Wei Zhou. Neither Coins.ph nor the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas responded to requests for comment.

According to Bloomberg, Bank of America has been fined over $1.21 billion by U.S. regulators for anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance issues. Among them, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a $750 million civil penalty, setting a record for fines related to this agency; the settlement measures from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) involve 475 alleged violations of sanctions programs, with related countries including Russia and Iran.Regulators also issued a consent order against the bank.

Jeonbuk Bank is reportedly the first commercial bank in South Korea to start issuing Korean won loans secured by Bitcoin, according to local media. The Bitcoin is held by a third-party custodian; the effective changes to the execution rules allow the bank to sell the collateral through a court ruling for recovery without actually receiving the Bitcoin.The loan scale, interest rate, and loan-to-value ratio have not been disclosed. A representative from Jeonbuk Bank told Chosun that one loan has already been issued.

Strategy indicates that its "Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index" rose to 34% in the third quarter of 2026, showing that major banks worldwide are increasingly adopting Bitcoin and digital asset-related services, although the overall situation remains in the early stages. Among them, Fidelity ranks first with 77%, followed by JPMorgan Chase at 47% and BNY at 46%.Strategy states that the increase in the index this quarter was mainly driven by several advancements, including the expansion of Bitcoin ETF/ETP product access, the increase in institutional custody services, and the development of lending services using BTC as collateral.At the same time, progress in the fields of stablecoins and asset tokenization has also impacted the index's increase. As traditional financial institutions gradually explore digital asset infrastructure, Bitcoin-related services are extending from investment products to custody, financing, and financial application scenarios.

According to Bloomberg, Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, stated during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meeting that the UK is currently not in a hurry to launch a central bank digital currency for the public, namely the digital pound Britcoin. Whether to advance the digital pound project depends on whether other innovative payment solutions, such as commercial stablecoins and bank tokenized deposits, can achieve the benefits brought by tokenization.She also emphasized the hope that UK businesses can develop successful pound stablecoins, avoiding the situation where UK residents and businesses can only use innovative payment services through dollar stablecoins.