Xiaomi posted 2026 second-quarter revenue of about RMB 108.9 billion, down 6.1% from a year earlier, while adjusted net profit fell 42.6% to roughly RMB 6.2 billion. The company’s core "smartphone x AIoT" segment generated RMB 84 billion with a 20% gross margin, and smartphone average selling price rose 25.9% year over year to RMB 1,351 as Xiaomi pushed further upmarket. Management said the premium push helped offset weaker handset shipments. According to Omdia data cited in the report, Xiaomi shipped 31.2 million smartphones globally in the quarter, ranking No. 3 worldwide for the 24th straight quarter. In mainland China, phones priced at RMB 3,000 and above accounted for 32.1% of Xiaomi’s total smartphone sales, a record high. New businesses kept expanding but remained loss-making. Xiaomi’s smart EV and AI segment reported revenue of RMB 24.9 billion, including RMB 23.9 billion from electric vehicles and about RMB 1 billion from AI-related emerging businesses. The segment posted an operating loss of RMB 2.6 billion in the quarter. Xiaomi CFO Alain Lam said AI is still in a heavy investment phase, and monetization is not the company’s main goal for now. The company also outlined a broad slate of product and technology updates, including HyperOS 4 Beta, Super XiaoAI 2.0, Xiaomi MiMo AI releases, and progress in robotics and self-developed chips.

Standard Bank is in discussions to acquire a stake in Nigerian fintech company OPay, with the deal targeted for completion before OPay’s planned U.S. initial public offering, according to Bloomberg. OPay is working with Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, and JPMorgan on a New York listing, while its backers include SoftBank Group and Sequoia Capital. The report said no final agreement has been reached, leaving the transaction uncertain. Founded in 2018, OPay has about 50 million users across markets including Nigeria. The company said its transaction volume doubled to $358 billion in 2025 and that it has turned profitable. It also operates in countries including Egypt and Pakistan. McKinsey estimates African fintech revenue could reach $47 billion by 2028, while mobile payments in sub-Saharan Africa have reached $1.4 trillion, or about 66% of the global total.

Blockchain.com has been cleared to join the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission’s Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Program, or ARIP, according to Chainwire. The approval means the global crypto platform has met the SEC’s initial participation threshold and can operate within a defined sandbox while continuing to comply with ongoing regulatory conditions, testing parameters, and compliance requirements. Through the program, Blockchain.com will work directly with the Nigerian SEC to assess digital asset business models, test safeguards, and contribute to the development of a longer-term regulatory framework. ARIP is designed for virtual asset service providers and fintech innovators, with a focus on reviewing emerging business models, operational risk, investor protection, and anti-money laundering standards. Owen Odia, Blockchain.com’s general manager for Africa, said Nigeria is one of Africa’s most important digital asset markets and described the company’s participation in ARIP as a key step in its long-term commitment to the country. He said the process would allow the firm to bring global experience into a controlled environment while supporting a framework that protects consumers and encourages responsible innovation. Over the past year, Blockchain.com has also secured UK FCA registration, authorization under the EU’s MiCA framework, and a VASP license from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.

The week ahead includes a dense run of crypto policy, exchange and project events. DeepSeek’s revised API pricing takes effect on Aug. 17 with peak and off-peak rates, while Coinbase is scheduled to carry out system maintenance, launch US500 perpetual-style index futures for U.S. users through Coinbase Derivatives, and end support for USDC deposits and withdrawals on Noble. Hashdex is also set to close and liquidate its Bitcoin ETF, and Binance will delist six tokens on the same day. Attention then shifts to regulation. South Korea will implement tighter rules for single-stock leveraged ETF and ETN products on Aug. 19, including stricter deviation-rate controls and an added simulated-trading requirement for first-time retail investors. Politico, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that the White House may meet crypto and prediction-market executives on Aug. 19. On Aug. 20, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Innovation Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting, with crypto assets, artificial intelligence and prediction-market oversight on the agenda. The week also features several token unlocks, including LayerZero, KAITO, MBG and SOON, plus project updates from Solana, DGrid AI, SNS, Doodles, Step App and Manus. Binance will make additional network and compliance-related changes later in the week, including restrictions involving EXMO and other platforms.

An analysis based on Allium’s geographic payment data suggests stablecoin activity is far more concentrated in domestic settlement than the market’s cross-border narrative often implies. The dataset covers $15.2 billion in on-chain transfers where both the sending and receiving countries could be identified, while noting that most blockchain transactions still cannot be tied to a specific country and are therefore outside the sample. Within the identifiable volume, domestic transfers accounted for 62.6%, or $9.5 billion. The study also found that 73.0% of all identifiable transfer volume ultimately stayed within the sender’s own region. Asia-Pacific stood out across several measures: it sent $6.23 billion, received $6.4 billion, represented 41.6% of global domestic stablecoin volume, and posted a net inflow. Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea were among the markets with the largest positive net inflows in the sample. The article argues that institutions evaluating stablecoin payment demand should look beyond remittances alone. Based on the observable flows, domestic payment and settlement services, along with cross-border corridors inside Asia-Pacific, appear to be the most immediate areas of market demand.

A new analysis based on Allium’s geographic payment data argues that the largest real-world use case for stablecoins is not cross-border remittance, but domestic transfers between wallets in the same country. The dataset covers $15.2 billion in on-chain transfers where both sending and receiving countries could be identified, though the author notes that this represents only a sample of total stablecoin activity because most on-chain transactions still cannot be tied to a specific country. Within that identifiable volume, domestic transfers accounted for 62.6%, or $9.5 billion. When all identifiable transactions are grouped by region, 73.0% of the value remained within the sender’s home region. Asia-Pacific led the dataset with $6.23 billion in outgoing stablecoin transfers and $6.4 billion in incoming transfers, while also generating 41.6% of global domestic stablecoin volume. Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea were among the markets posting the strongest net inflows in the sample. The analysis points to a practical takeaway for firms evaluating stablecoin payment demand: domestic settlement services may offer a larger current market than products built only around remittances, while regional payment corridors in Asia-Pacific already show measurable bilateral demand.

Binance will stop processing transactions involving 16 crypto asset service providers, with the restrictions taking effect in three batches on Aug. 7, Aug. 13 and Aug. 23. After the applicable dates, users will no longer be allowed to send or receive assets, either directly or indirectly, with the affected entities. Binance said transactions initiated after the effective dates may be held for compliance review, and impacted wallets could face temporary restrictions. The platforms named include Shelbit, Aban Tether Exchange, A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa, HTX, EXMO, Rapira, Bitpapa and Exnode, among others. Bitcoin.com News said the U.S. has sanctioned Shelbit and Aban Tether over an Iranian crypto network, while the U.K. has separately sanctioned Russia-linked trading platforms and the A7 network. A7 said it moved more than $90 billion in funds over the past year.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has issued a five-year digital bond worth 350 million Swiss francs, or about $431 million, through Switzerland’s SIX Digital Exchange. According to the report cited by Techub News, AFC said the deal makes it the first African institution to issue this type of bond through a regulated exchange and a central securities depository. The bond carries a 1.4925% coupon, and 90% of investor demand came from Swiss domestic accounts. AFC described the transaction as its fourth Swiss franc bond sale and its largest one so far in that currency. The proceeds will be used to finance infrastructure projects in Africa. The bond exists as a tokenized security, with ownership records maintained using distributed ledger technology. The transaction was arranged by Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank. The report was attributed to crypto.news.