Crypto markets on Aug. 10 were driven by a mix of trading data, policy signals, corporate developments and geopolitical headlines. On centralized exchanges, BMT and TUT posted the largest gains among the top 10 tokens by trading volume, while OKX’s 24-hour leaderboard was led by BOME and PEOPLE. On-chain, GMGN’s most watched meme tokens were TODA, REMUS, LOUIE, RISK and PUMPGUY. Away from the tape, Unitree Robotics officially opened subscriptions for its STAR Market IPO, with the market estimating an allotment rate of just 0.02% to 0.03%. In U.S. crypto legislation, Polymarket data showed the probability of the CLARITY Act becoming law by Dec. 31 had dropped to 21%, while Senate procedure points to a first cloture vote on Sept. 15. Industry updates included Bithumb restricting deposits and withdrawals tied to three entities sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, fresh data showing more than 100 crypto projects have shut down or filed for bankruptcy in 2026 so far, and DeFiLlama figures showing Pump.fun’s 30-day protocol revenue moved ahead of Hyperliquid. Separate updates covered Strategy’s lack of Bitcoin purchases since June, a $10.5 million seed round for Dow Protocol, and proposed South Korean tax and VASP rule changes.

A South Korean regulatory rationalization committee has proposed revising the enforcement decree of the Act on Reporting and Use of Specific Financial Transaction Information, according to Korean media outlet NATE. The proposed change would exclude minor legal violations from restrictions applied to major shareholders of virtual asset service providers, or VASPs. The proposal has triggered discussion in the market over whether the change could affect exchange mergers and acquisitions, the entry of new business operators, and the broader question of regulatory fairness. The suggested easing also raises a separate issue over the scope of authority attached to the enforcement decree itself. No additional details were provided in the cited report on how the revision would be implemented or when any next step might take place.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission has announced a phased rollout plan for a crypto transfer rule, or Travel Rule, covering virtual asset service providers. According to a report cited from Anue, the first phase will begin in October 2026 and apply to transfers between VASPs operating within Taiwan. A second phase is expected to extend the framework to cross-border transfers between domestic and overseas VASPs before the end of 2027. Under the rule, platforms must collect, transmit and verify key information on both the sender and the recipient. For transfers exceeding NT$30,000, individuals must provide their date of birth and residential address, while legal entities must provide an official identification number and registered address. The receiving VASP must also check that information against its own customer records. The rule is based on Taiwan’s Money Laundering Control Act and overseen by the FSC’s Securities and Futures Bureau. Violations may result in fines ranging from NT$500,000 to NT$10 million.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission is preparing a phased rollout of the crypto Travel Rule that would require added identity details for transfers above NT$30,000 through domestic virtual asset service providers. According to Huang Chung-hao, deputy director-general of the FSC’s Securities and Futures Bureau, individual users would need to provide their date of birth and residential address, while legal entities would need to submit an official identification code and registered address. Receiving VASPs would also be required to verify the beneficiary information against their own customer records. The plan would be introduced in two stages. The first stage is scheduled for October 2026 and would apply only to transfers between domestic VASPs. A second stage, expected by the end of 2027, would extend the framework to transfers between domestic and overseas VASPs. The FSC said Taiwan’s NT$30,000 threshold was set with reference to the Financial Action Task Force’s de minimis standard of no more than $1,000 or €1,000. Transfers below that level would still require a reduced set of information, including names and wallet addresses or transaction identifiers. The draft amendment still needs to go through a 30-day public notice process before formal rulemaking proceeds.

At a media briefing for Taipei’s "Trendy Taipei 2026" tech event on Aug. 4, Asian FinTech Alliance (AFA) chair and honorary chair of the Taiwan FinTech Association Tsai Yu-ling said she had specifically checked with Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission and was told that virtual asset service providers, or VASPs, will be classified as "financial institutions" under the new licensing framework rather than "quasi-financial institutions." Tsai said the change reflects how crypto assets, which were not legally defined assets last year, have now become legal and compliant assets after the passage of the dedicated law, and can be regarded as financial assets with FSC approval. She also pointed to the next issue for the market: how traditional financial institutions will work with VASP operators now that the law allows financial institutions to run such business lines concurrently. The event also outlined the first AFA Awards, which drew 88 nominations from 16 economies. Nine international judges are set to travel to Taipei for the Sept. 1 final and awards ceremony, where the Top 10 companies will pitch live and winners will be selected on site. FinTechOn 2026 and the second AFA Summit will follow on Sept. 2-3, with speakers including GBBC CEO Sandra Ro, Peter Kerstens, an Abu Dhabi regulator representative, and a JPMorgan managing director overseeing Asia-Pacific product for securities services.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission said it will roll out the crypto Travel Rule in stages, setting a new compliance timetable for virtual asset service providers operating in and with the local market. Under the plan announced on Aug. 4, the first phase will start in October 2026 and apply to transfers between domestic VASPs. A second phase, scheduled for the end of 2027, will extend the regime to cross-border transfers between domestic and overseas VASPs. For transfers above NT$30,000, individual users will need to provide their date of birth and residential address. Corporate entities will face extra disclosure requirements, including an official identification number and registered address. The receiving platform will also be required to verify the recipient information against customer records when the amount exceeds the threshold. The FSC said the move is meant to align Taiwan with anti-money laundering standards set by the Financial Action Task Force. Although Taiwan had already written related Travel Rule provisions into its 2021 AML and counter-terrorist financing rules for virtual asset service providers, the framework had not been formally enforced because of regulatory differences across jurisdictions, inconsistent data transmission standards, and technical difficulties in cross-border system connections. The draft amendments will be published for public comment for 30 days.

Brazil’s central bank said crypto asset purchases in the country reached $14.68 billion in the first half of 2026, up 135% from $6.24 billion in the same period of 2025. The figures cover transactions in Bitcoin, Ether and stablecoins processed by registered virtual asset service providers, or VASPs. In June alone, crypto purchases totaled $2.54 billion, compared with $1.48 billion in June 2025. Stablecoin purchases in May came close to $2.632 billion, marking 158% growth from a year earlier. Fernando Rocha, head of statistics at Brazil’s central bank, said the local crypto market has moved beyond its initial stage and is now expanding while testing use cases. He also said demand has been driven by dollar-pegged stablecoins, which now account for more than 90% of that demand and can be used for payments and cross-border settlement. The central bank classifies VASPs as Class 3 entities, and from January 2027 they will be subject to the same requirements applied to securities brokers, securities distributors and foreign-exchange brokerage firms.

OKX’s Android app is back on the Google Play Store in South Korea after a four-day removal, allowing users to download the app again and install updates. Bybit, which faced restrictions during the same period, is still unavailable and has remained inaccessible since July 10. The change follows earlier action by South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit, or FIU, against 29 unregistered virtual asset service provider, or VASP, apps. Of those, 14 have already been referred to law enforcement, while another 15, including OKX and Bybit, have not yet entered judicial proceedings. For now, OKX is the first exchange among the recently affected platforms to regain access to the country’s Google Play marketplace, according to a Techub news brief citing crypto.news.