Stablecoin Regulation Push: A new argument says the Fed should treat dollar-backed stablecoins as “real money” by designing interoperability with tokenized deposits, warning that without clarity value could stay uncertain. Stablecoin Clarity vs Politics: Another take says stablecoins need more than an act of Congress, arguing any U.S. rules raise barriers and slow consumer adoption. Crypto Market Mood: Bitcoin held near $64K as traders watched macro headlines around the Strait of Hormuz, while self-custody fears deepened after the Coldcard hardware-wallet exploit, now pegged around $100M+. Security & AI Scrutiny: Coinkite says AI failed to catch the flaw, urging teams to test build boundaries for security-critical code. Payments & Fintech in Focus: Circle reported higher Q2 revenue as USDC circulation jumped; Taiwan proposed mandatory Travel Rule-style customer info sharing for domestic crypto transfers; and India’s debate over charging fees on UPI/RuPay debit payments for large merchants heats up. Banking/Markets: Kenya’s NSE plans East Africa’s first AI-focused ETF, while Russia’s Putin signed a digital currency law legalizing key crypto activities. Corporate/Deal News: Boerse Stuttgart Digital and Tradias completed a merger to build an institutional crypto platform. Fintech Awards: LendKey made CNBC’s top fintech list; Shufti won a fraud-prevention Stevie.