Top Fintech News Around the World — August 11, 2026
A crypto-regulation and payments-infrastructure-heavy day. The SEC set a meeting to propose Regulation Crypto — its first formal crypto rulemaking — while the SEC, banks and crypto ATMs each drew regulatory and legal scrutiny (UK banking access, AUSTRAC's Cryptolink suspension, FlightAware's Kalshi lawsuit). MoneyGram expanded to Solana, Coinbase picked Abu Dhabi as its tokenization hub, and Canada's Moneris was sold to Francisco Partners. Two Asia stories led on bank-owned payment infrastructure (RHB PAY) and rewards-meets-payments (ShopBack).
TLDR
- SEC Proposes Reg Crypto — First formal US crypto rulemaking, voted Aug 14.
- MoneyGram Expands on Solana — Crypto-to-cash (Ramps) for Solana wallets/apps.
- Coinbase Picks Abu Dhabi for Tokenization — FSRA approval; $75M Mubadala on-chain stake.
- UK Lawmakers Press Banks on Crypto Access — Banking "chokepoint" inquiry ahead of FCA regime.
- FlightAware Sues Kalshi — Data/trademark fight over flight-cancellation bets.
- Australian Watchdog Suspends Cryptolink — 96 crypto ATMs offline; AML enforcement.
- Moneris Sold to Francisco Partners — RBC/BMO exit ends 25-year payments venture.
- Square Credit Card + Bill Pay Expand — Rewards and vendor payments for SMBs.
- RHB Launches Malaysia's First Bank-Owned Gateway — RHB PAY. [ASIA]
- ShopBack Brings Visa Rewards In-Store — Rewards-led payments in Singapore. [ASIA]
Top-10 notes
Follow-up reference notes
| # | Title | Seed Question |
|---|---|---|
| REF-1 | REF: SEC's Reg Crypto — Durable Rulemaking in the Absence of the CLARITY Act | How does Reg Crypto change the trajectory of US crypto regulation? |
| REF-2 | REF: MoneyGram and the Blurring of Traditional Payments With Stablecoin Rails | How does MoneyGram reflect the convergence of payments with stablecoin rails? |
| REF-3 | REF: Coinbase's Abu Dhabi Tokenization Hub — Institutionalizing Tokenized Securities | How does Coinbase's hub reflect the institutionalization of tokenized securities? |
| REF-4 | REF: The UK Crypto Banking-Access Question — Chokepoint vs. Regime Readiness | How does the UK inquiry test whether the FCA regime will unlock crypto growth? |
| REF-5 | REF: Prediction Markets Under Pressure — Data Licensing, Trademark and State Challenges | How do the lawsuits illustrate pressures on the prediction-markets industry? |
| REF-6 | REF: Crypto ATM Regulation Intensifies — AUSTRAC's Suspension of Cryptolink | How does the suspension reflect tightening AML oversight of crypto ATMs? |
| REF-7 | REF: Bank Exits From Merchant Acquiring — The Moneris Sale and Specialist Owners | How does the sale reflect banks exiting merchant acquiring? |
| REF-8 | REF: Banks Building Payment Gateways — RHB PAY and the SEA Payments Race | How does RHB PAY reflect Southeast Asia's digital payments dynamics? |
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