According to Cointelegraph, South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has instructed cryptocurrency exchanges to pause the introduction of new digital asset lending services. This directive comes amid increasing concerns over the risks associated with such services and underscores the necessity for well-defined regulations. The FSC has communicated to exchanges that while new lending services should be halted, existing agreements, including repayments and maturity extensions, will continue to be allowed. On July 31, the FSC, in collaboration with the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), announced the formation of a joint task force aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for crypto lending. The forthcoming guidelines are anticipated to address leverage limits, user eligibility, and risk disclosures pertinent to virtual asset lending activities. The FSC has also indicated its intention to conduct on-site inspections and enforce supervisory measures against platforms that do not adhere to these guidelines. The decision to suspend new lending services follows reports of significant user losses, including numerous forced liquidations within exchange-operated lending programs. The FSC highlighted an unnamed exchange that attracted approximately 27,600 users within a month of launching a lending service in mid-June, generating a volume of about 1.5 trillion Korean won ($1.1 billion). Of these users, around 13%—or 3,635 individuals—experienced forced liquidations as the value of their crypto holdings declined. Additionally, the FSC noted the activities of two companies offering Tether (USDT) lending services, which led to a spike in selling volume and an unusual drop in USDT prices. The agency warned that continuing new lending operations without adequate safeguards could further jeopardize investor funds. Crypto lending has remained a regulatory gray area in South Korea despite the country's efforts since 2020 to establish foundational regulations for virtual asset service providers (VASPs). These efforts include Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Travel Rule requirements under the revised Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information. In 2023, the Virtual Asset User Protection Act was enacted, providing a legal basis for penalizing unfair practices such as market manipulation and the mishandling of user deposits. However, crypto lending has continued to operate without a clear regulatory framework or licensing regime, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive rules in this sector.

According to Foresight News, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has announced that community banks are encouraged to collaborate with companies developing stablecoins. This initiative aims to foster innovation and introduce new products within the banking sector. The OCC plans to review and update its regulatory and supervisory approaches as necessary to ensure that while supporting innovation in the banking industry, the vitality of community banks is maintained.

Japanese 3D housing manufacturer Lib Work announces $3. 3M Bitcoin treasury strategy between September-December 2025 as part of explosive corporate crypto adoption wave with over 289 companies now holding $418B in BTC amid favorable regulatory reforms. source: https://cryptonews.com/news/japanese-3d-housing-firm-lib-work-adopts-bitcoin-treasury-strategy-buys-3-3m-btc/

Spot XRP ETFs have witnessed another setback in the buildup to their mainstream debut. source: https://zycrypto.com/sec-delays-decision-on-usspot-xrp-etfs-until-october-despite-growing-market-optimism/

Ripple has emerged as a key backer of Gemini’s upcoming IPO, providing the exchange with a $75 million credit line that could expand to $150 million. source: https://cryptonews.com/news/ripple-backs-geminis-ipo-filing-with-75m-credit-line-rlusd-option-included/

Company adds 373,000 ETH tokens in one week as institutional backing fuels aggressive accumulation strategy source: https://www.blockhead.co/2025/08/19/bitmine-surges-past-6-6-billion-in-holdings-to-become-2nd-largest-crypto-treasury/

Will ADA plunge to $0 this cycle? source: https://cryptopotato.com/250k-btc-0-ada-no-xrp-influencers-shocking-bull-market-targets/

US spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw heavy redemptions on Aug. 18, with investors pulling $196. 6 million in a single day. Data from SoSoValue showed that this was the second-largest daily outflow since the products debuted and the fourth outflow this month source: https://cryptoslate.com/insights/us-ethereum-etfs-face-second-largest-outflow-of-196-6-million-in-a-day/

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is finalizing a bill that could be tabled in parliament as early as October, marking […] The post South Korea to Roll Out Won-Based Stablecoin Law This October appeared first on Coindoo. source: https://coindoo.com/south-korea-to-roll-out-won-based-stablecoin-law-this-october/

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform is set to introduce a new trading challenge to celebrate the listing of Plume (PLUME) on Binance Spot. The event will feature two promotional activities, offering a combined prize pool of 10,000,000 PLUME in token vouchers. The promotion period is scheduled from 2025-08-19 09:30 (UTC) to 2025-09-02 09:30 (UTC). Promotion A is open to all verified regular and VIP users. Participants must trade a cumulative amount of at least $300 equivalent in PLUME on Binance Spot during the promotion period. Eligible users can earn a random reward ranging from 20 to 100 PLUME in token vouchers, with rewards limited to the first 40,000 participants. Promotion B involves a trading volume tournament, where users must trade a cumulative amount of at least $500 equivalent in any PLUME pairs on Binance Spot. The prize pool for this promotion will be determined by the total number of eligible participants, with a maximum of 8,000,000 PLUME available. Rewards are capped at 2,200 PLUME per user, and the final allocation is based on the user's trading volume relative to the total trading volume of all eligible participants. Binance has outlined specific rules for the promotions, including the exclusion of zero-fee trading pairs from volume calculations and the requirement for users to claim their rewards within 21 days of distribution. The leaderboard will be updated daily, and all token vouchers will be distributed by 2025-09-16. Binance reserves the right to amend or cancel the promotions at its discretion, and all participants must adhere to the terms and conditions set forth by the platform.