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Edition · 2026-09-02
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Sec Chairman Paul Atkins said the agency will hold a roundtable on September 17 at its Washington headquarters to examine the feasibility of continuous trading for U.S. securities markets. The roundtable will include representatives from NYSE, Nasdaq, State Street, Citadel Securities, Cboe, DTCC and Robinhood. The Securities and Exchange Commission also proposed a rule to revise its transfer agent regulations, adding blockchain technology to the definition of the role. The proposal, open for comment for 60 days, would update a rule last changed decades ago to permit electronic communications and blockchain use in securities offerings and share transfers. It would allow blockchains to serve as official records of transactions while imposing new cybersecurity requirements on transfer agents. Commissioner Hester Peirce asked whether transfer agents should continue to collect names and physical addresses of securityholders or be permitted to collect email addresses and digital wallet identifiers. The existing transfer agent role tracks ownership changes; the rise of onchain transactions has made the traditional process less applicable. A separate effort by the SEC aims to assess how overnight surveillance, pricing, clearing and settlement could operate in a continuous market. The agency noted that crypto broker‑dealers could be subject to new rules if continuous trading is adopted.
Twenty‑one financial institutions announced on Tuesday that they will establish a company in the second half of 2026 to issue stablecoins, beginning with a U.S. dollar token for payments and digital asset settlement. The venture, which has not been named, aims to launch the dollar‑denominated stablecoin in the first half of 2027 and later introduce tokens tied to other Group of Seven currencies, with a euro token given priority. The initiative stems from an October 2025 announcement in which ten banks said they were exploring a digital payment asset backed one‑for‑one by reserves on public blockchains. Participants are spread across North America, Europe, East Asia, the Middle East and Africa and include Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank, Santander, Fidelity Investments, MUFG Bank and Standard Bank, among others. The group said it will seek to meet requirements under the U.S. GENIUS Act and the European Union’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets framework. The stablecoin market grew from about $200 billion at the start of last year to roughly $303 billion, according to DeFiLlama data, with Tether’s USDT representing roughly 60 % of total market capitalization and USDC holding more than 20 %. Circle’s shares fell about 6 % on the day, underperforming most crypto‑linked stocks after more than 140 companies, including Stripe, Coinbase, Visa, Mastercard and BlackRock, announced plans to launch OpenUSD, a stablecoin that directly competes with USDC. The new venture’s success will depend on regulatory approvals and market adoption.
The London Stock Exchange Group and Payward, the parent company of Kraken, announced a partnership to tokenize the 100 largest UK‑listed equities, enabling 24/7 trading on blockchain‑based platforms. The firms said the tokenized shares, called xStocks, will be one‑to‑one backed by the underlying stocks and will trade on centralized exchanges, self‑custody wallets and on‑chain applications. The arrangement is pending regulatory approval and will initially list the tokens on LSE’s new 24‑hour trading venue, LSE 24, with the aim of expanding to other jurisdictions. The tokenization mirrors a broader trend of converting traditional assets into blockchain representations to improve liquidity and settlement speed. Traditional share settlement can take days and involves multiple intermediaries, whereas tokenized shares can settle instantly. The partnership could give investors in more than 110 countries access to UK equities. xStocks currently are not available to UK‑based investors. The LSE expects to support the tokens on its 24‑hour venue and explore issuing its own equity tokens directly onchain. Payward’s co‑CEO Arjun Sethi said the collaboration reflects a shift away from the notion that crypto and traditional finance must be opposed. LSE chief executive Julia Hoggett emphasized that tokenization must preserve the trust, rights and regulatory framework of regulated markets. The agreement also allows the two firms to look at using tokenized assets as collateral for credit creation. LSEG shares fell about 2 percent in early trading. The project awaits regulatory clearance and will determine how tokenized equities integrate with existing market structures.
President Donald Trump and interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Wednesday a 100-year oil concession agreement that grants a U.S.-led company control of 17 V...
By · 51d ago · Source: bbc
President Donald Trump and interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Wednesday a 100-year oil concession agreement that grants a U.S.-led company control of 17 Venezuelan oilfields containing an estimated 65 billion barrels of crude. The deal covers more than a fifth of Venezuela’s proven reserves. The United States has long sought to influence Venezuela’s oil sector, which has been hampered by mismanagement and sanctions. In January, U.S. troops entered Caracas to remove Nicolás Maduro, a move Trump said would secure control of the country’s oil resources. The agreement marks the first formal arrangement between the United States and a Venezuelan government since the 2019 diplomatic rupture. The United States will work alongside North American Blue Energy Partners, a private Venezuelan oil producer, and will have veto power over the appointment of any member of the company’s board and require that a majority of board members be U.S. citizens. The White House said the pact re-establishes the Monroe Doctrine and shifts the global energy market focus away from Middle East choke points. Critics, including former U.S. special representative Elliott Abrams, said the arrangement hands over 20 percent of the nation’s oil assets for little return and complies with Washington’s demands. Venezuelan economist Ricardo Hausmann described the agreement as an unconstitutional seizure with an oppressive government and said it undermines efforts to restore democratic order. The Venezuelan opposition and many socialists view the deal as a betrayal that deepens ties with the Maduro regime and hands a valuable national asset to the United States. Energy experts estimate that restoring Venezuela’s production to 30‑year levels may require a decade and about $100 billion in investment, longer than the two- to three-year profit timeline claimed by the administration. The deal’s long‑term economic impact and its effect on Venezuela’s political future remain uncertain, and no clear timeline for elections has been provided.
Binance announced it will offer options trading on more than 1,000 U.S. stocks and exchange‑traded funds to non‑U.S. users through its Abu Dhabi‑regulated broker‑dealer Nest Trading, with orders routed to Alpaca Securities for execution, clearing, settlement and custody. The launch follows Binance’s earlier rollout of equities trading and adds a physically settled options product that differs from its perpetual futures contracts. Binance said the options will be physically settled, meaning holders receive or deliver the underlying shares when exercised. Trading volume for traditional‑finance products on the platform reached about $433 billion in August, roughly 15 times the January total, according to Binance. RWA.xyz reported that tokenized stock market value has risen to $2.6 billion, up from $346 million a year earlier, with monthly transfer volume increasing 93% to $25.1 billion and the number of holders growing 157% to nearly 2.5 million. Competitors have also expanded on‑chain equity access: Coinbase added tokenized equities to Base for non‑U.S. users, Kraken opened trading of more than 7,000 U.S. stocks to European customers, and Robinhood introduced Robinhood Chain and stock tokens available in over 120 countries. The expansion underscores increasing demand for traditional‑finance services within crypto platforms, though the broader market impact remains uncertain.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a proposal to revise rules governing transfer agents, aiming to address the rise of blockchain-based recordkeeping and tokenized securities in U.S. markets. The plan would update registration, recordkeeping, safeguarding, and securities transfer requirements, and add provisions covering cybersecurity, operational resilience, and the protection of securities and investor records. Under the proposal, transfer agents would face expanded reporting obligations and new compliance standards, including rules on restrictive legends attached to securities and the use of third‑party service providers. SEC officials noted that existing transfer agent regulations have not been substantially revised since the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the industry relied primarily on paper certificates and manual processes. Public comment on the proposal will be accepted for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. The SEC’s broader agenda includes simplifying securities rules, as indicated by recent proposals to allow semiannual reporting for public companies, simplify filer classifications, and expand access to streamlined registered offerings. Additionally, the agency sent a separate proposal on adviser custody rules to the White House for review, which could clarify how investment advisers and funds custody digital assets while complying with securities regulations.
Grand Theft Auto 6's extended trailer became Netflix's top English film in 87 of 93 tracked countries, drawing 31.1 million viewers within days of its September 1 release.
Rockstar Games released the 27‑minute showcase on Netflix and later on YouTube, where it accumulated more than 17 million views. The presentation followed two shorter trailers and marked the first extensive look at the game since 2013.
The trailer indicated that the playable map will be roughly three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2, encompassing urban areas, beaches, rural regions, and a Florida‑inspired wilderness. Visual details include clothing that moves naturally, individual hair strands, visible sweat, and dynamic reflections. Environmental destruction was shown when characters broke through a wall, causing debris and dust to react to the impact. Players can switch between protagonists during gameplay, with scripted sequences sometimes limiting control to a single character, and the story appears to allow development of a romantic relationship between the two main characters.
Rockstar has not provided details about the online component of GTA 6. The game is scheduled for release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, while a PC version has not been announced.
The trailer offers the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming title to date, but the status of its online mode remains undisclosed.
Sony will pay nearly $8 million to settle a class‑action lawsuit filed in 2024 over digital game pricing on the PlayStation Store, pending court approval. The lawsuit alleged that Sony exercised monopoly power by requiring publishers to set final prices and by ending sales of third‑party digital download codes redeemable on the PlayStation Store. Sony denied any wrongdoing and sought to dismiss the case. The settlement would cover consumers who purchased eligible games on the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023. Eligible titles include Nier: Automata, Resident Evil 4, The Last of Us Remastered, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Killzone: Mercenary. The agreement would dismiss the claims with prejudice, preventing further suits on the same issue. A court hearing is scheduled to decide whether the settlement terms are approved. The resolution ends a four‑year legal dispute without a trial, though the amount each consumer would receive has not been specified.
Star Wars Zero Company began as a pitched Titanfall‑based tactics game before Respawn Entertainment redirected the project to the Star Wars franchise, according to a report by Game File's Stephen Totilo. The studio was furloughed weeks before launch after Bit Reactor exhausted its funding, though the company hopes to rehire the staff following the game's success, the report notes.
Game File uncovered legal documents from a lawsuit between Bit Reactor executives that show director Greg Foertsch and co‑founder Alison Kelly initially prepared a pitch for a tactics game set in Respawn's Titanfall universe, which would have linked the title to Apex Legends. Respawn co‑founder Vince Zampella rejected the Titanfall pitch and asked the team to develop a new concept based on the Star Wars IP, which Respawn controls, and the project was subsequently rebranded as Star Wars Zero Company, the report states.
Reviewers have praised the game, and it reached a peak of 77,889 concurrent Steam players in early 2026, with strong word‑of‑mouth activity on social media, according to Steam data. It is unclear whether the original Titanfall concepts will be revisited or if Bit Reactor will be able to bring back the furloughed employees after the game's performance.
Star Wars Zero Company, a tactical video game developed by Bit Reactor and published by EA, launched in 2026 and is set during the Clone Wars era.
The game draws on the XCOM series' turn‑based mechanics and emphasizes the economic challenges faced by a mercenary unit hired to stop a Separatist cult spreading a mysterious plague.
Players control a squad of mercenaries, managing missions and resources while making moral choices to secure credits; characters such as Runa discuss the squad's financial strain and debt to the Hutts.
The narrative has been compared to the anime Cowboy Bebop for its portrayal of a crew navigating inconsistent income, and the writer notes that this grounded approach adds humor and sincerity to the experience.
Zero Company's blend of strategy and economic storytelling may influence how future Star Wars media explore civilian life.
This edition was assembled from neutral, agent-rewritten summaries of the day's aggregated news.
Why it matters: Every article was reviewed for loaded language, partisan framing, and missing attribution before publication.
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