Policy Regulation

Philippines

2026-10-04 01:39:55

Philippine AMLC freezes more than 100 accounts and crypto wallets tied to corruption probe

The Philippines’ Anti-Money Laundering Council, or AMLC, has secured a court-issued freeze order covering more than 100 financial accounts and other assets linked to a lawmaker, as well as several individuals and entities, according to The Philippine Star. The assets are suspected to be connected to corruption, plunder, and irregularities involving flood control projects. The freeze order covers 86 bank accounts, four investment accounts, one insurance policy, and 25 virtual asset wallets. AMLC said the funds moved through multiple virtual asset service providers and several virtual asset wallets, which made tracing more difficult. The council did not disclose the identity of the lawmaker or the other parties involved.

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crypto market

2026-10-04 01:17:55

Crypto Fear and Greed Index Falls to 65 as Greed Cools

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index came in at 65 on Oct. 4, according to data from Alternative, down from 67 a day earlier. The reading indicates that the market remains in "Greed" territory, though sentiment has eased compared with the previous day. The index is measured on a 0-to-100 scale and tracks several inputs used to gauge market mood. These include volatility, which accounts for 25% of the score, and market trading volume, also weighted at 25%. Social media activity and market surveys each make up 15%, while Bitcoin’s share of the overall market and Google search trend analysis each account for 10%.

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Federal Reser

2026-10-04 00:29:56

Fed and ECB minutes due next week as inflation concerns stay in focus

The Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are set to release minutes from their September meetings in the coming days, with markets looking for clues on how seriously officials viewed inflation risks at the time. Both central banks raised rates last month because of concern over rising price pressures, and the Fed minutes may show that many policymakers were worried about the inflation outlook and expected at least one more rate increase before year-end. Since then, however, the data backdrop has shifted. Weak U.S. nonfarm payrolls on Friday, along with soft wage growth, suggested the labor market is not adding to existing inflation pressure. Earlier in the week, a government revision to PCE data also showed inflation this year had been slightly lower than previously estimated. Economists now see a high bar for an October rate hike. Even if the minutes remind markets of the hawkish tone officials struck in September, the latest data has strengthened the case for patience. Service-sector inflation may still keep a December move on the table, but the Fed would likely need clearer evidence that price pressures are building again before raising rates once more, according to the report cited by BlockBeats from Jin10.

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Policy Regula

2026-10-03 09:25:01

Community banks sue OCC over trust charters granted to crypto firms

A US community banking group has sued the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, arguing that the regulator went beyond the authority granted by Congress by allowing cryptocurrency companies to obtain limited national trust bank charters. The lawsuit was filed Friday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia by the Independent Community Bankers of America. The group says the OCC has given crypto firms the credibility associated with a federal bank charter without requiring the safeguards and obligations that normally apply to insured depository institutions. ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said Congress did not create the national trust charter as a way for crypto firms to enter the banking system without Community Reinvestment Act duties, consolidated supervision, capital and liquidity standards, and FDIC insurance. The OCC had not responded to a request for comment by publication. Cointelegraph previously reported in August that, under President Donald Trump and OCC head Jonathan Gould, the agency had approved or conditionally approved several trust charter applications from crypto companies seeking to expand services in the US. Those charters do not permit deposit-taking or lending.

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Policy Regula

2026-10-03 19:49:20

ICBA sues OCC over national trust bank charters for crypto firms

The Independent Community Bankers of America, or ICBA, has sued the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency over rules that allow crypto companies including Circle, Ripple, BitGo and Paxos to obtain national trust bank charters. The group argues Congress never intended the charter to serve as a backdoor for crypto firms to gain the credibility associated with a federal bank charter while avoiding requirements such as deposit insurance. In the lawsuit, ICBA asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to declare the OCC’s final rule and Interpretive Letter 1176 unlawful. The filing comes after Circle, Ripple and other companies received final OCC approval in recent months to establish national trust banks, according to CryptoPotato as cited by Techub.

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Federal Reser

2026-10-03 20:47:41

Fed and ECB Seen Less Urgent on Rate Hikes as Fresh Data Softens October Case

Federal Reserve and European Central Bank policymakers are showing less urgency about raising interest rates after weak U.S. nonfarm payroll data and market turmoil in France. Minutes from last month’s meetings are due soon and are expected to show that both central banks remain concerned about inflation pressures. At the same time, the Fed’s September minutes may indicate that officials still expected one more rate hike before year-end. Recent data, however, suggests the labor market has not been pushing inflation higher, leaving the bar for an October move elevated. The update points to a policy backdrop in which inflation concerns remain in place, but the immediate pressure to tighten further has eased compared with earlier expectations.

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Circle

2026-10-03 14:16:38

Circle asks EU to revise MiCA rules for offshore stablecoins and drop bank deposit reserve requirement

Circle, the issuer of USDC, has submitted recommendations to the European Commission calling for changes to the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, or MiCA, as it applies to stablecoins issued outside the European Union. The company said the framework should include a recognition mechanism for foreign issuers rather than rely solely on the current structure. Under Circle’s proposal, oversight of offshore stablecoin issuers would remain primarily with regulators in the issuer’s home jurisdiction. Once equivalence is recognized by relevant parties and the European Banking Authority, or EBA, distribution inside the EU would be handled by locally licensed entities. Circle said the same mechanism should also allow euro-denominated stablecoins to circulate in jurisdictions outside the bloc. Circle also called for the removal of MiCA’s requirement that electronic money token issuers place 30% of reserve assets with commercial banks. For “significant” electronic money tokens, the ratio is 60%. The company argued that the requirement increases exposure to banking-sector credit risk and counterparty risk. The development was reported by Bitcoin.com News.

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SEC

2026-10-03 20:29:46

SEC proposal would let advisers hold Bitcoin directly if no qualified custodian will take it

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a new rule under the 1940 Act that would allow investment advisers to directly hold Bitcoin and other digital assets when no qualified custodian is willing to do so, according to a post by Bitcoin News on X. The regulator said traditional custodians often refuse to custody these assets, leaving a compliance gap in the current custody framework. Once the proposal is published in the Federal Register, it will open a 60-day public comment period. The proposed change centers on how advisers can handle digital assets in cases where the existing custody structure does not offer a workable compliant option.

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