Hong Kong-based Victory Securities will begin charging a monthly insurance fee of 0.05% on virtual asset accounts custodied by HashKey, effective August 10. The fee, calculated daily based on account positions, will be settled on the second working day of each month and deducted in virtual assets. Previously, only OSL-custodied accounts were subject to the 0.05% insurance charge, while HashKey accounts were exempt. The move standardizes costs across Victory Securities' custodial partners and adds a new expense for Asian crypto investors using the platform.

Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) has undergone a reorganization, creating a new Crypto Asset and Stablecoin Division to oversee digital asset regulation. Toshiaki Adomi has been appointed as the first division head. The unit was elevated from the former Crypto Asset, Blockchain, and Innovation Counselor's Office and now sits under the newly formed Asset Management and Insurance Supervision Bureau. The restructuring underscores Japan's intensifying regulatory focus on crypto and stablecoin markets.

Crypto exchange Bybit has filed a civil lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against North Korea, its Reconnaissance General Bureau, and the Lazarus Group for last year's $1.5 billion hack. A US federal court has granted a preliminary injunction freezing certain stolen assets held by unidentified defendants, barring their transfer or disposal during litigation. Bybit stated it will pursue further relief as the case proceeds, marking a rare legal offensive against state-linked hackers by an Asian exchange.

A wallet reportedly associated with the Kingdom of Bhutan has transferred 434.86 BTC, worth approximately $27.96 million, to Binance in the past five hours, according to on-chain data. The address, tagged by Arkham as likely belonging to the Bhutanese government, last moved funds to the exchange about a month ago. The transaction adds to a series of movements by sovereign-linked entities in Asia and could signal potential selling or treasury rebalancing.

Kaito AI has revamped its staking reward mechanism to favor active participants. Under the new system, unclaimed airdrop allocations will be redistributed to active stakers, potentially doubling their per-person allocation. The platform has also introduced a qualification opt-in before distribution, waived token activity fees before TGE, and increased weight for consistent stakers throughout activity cycles. The minimum threshold remains 5,000 sKAITO for most airdrops, with Yapybara NFT holders receiving a 10% bonus. The changes aim to deepen engagement in Asian-led Web3 social and data initiatives.

Weekly AI model token usage in China surged to 28.13 trillion for the week of July 27 to August 2, marking fourteen consecutive weeks as the global leader, according to state media. Suppliers are struggling to meet peak demand, prompting a shift from flat-rate pricing to dynamic models. Kimi has launched tiered subscriptions from 39 to 559 yuan per month, while DeepSeek plans API price hikes and may introduce peak/off-peak pricing, with rates doubling during high-demand hours (9 AM-12 PM and 2-6 PM). The trend reflects Asia's booming AI compute ecosystem and its impact on business models.

Jiang Zhuoer, founder of Litecoin mining pool, warned that crypto stablecoin reserves on exchanges continue to drain, suggesting no imminent bull market. Over the past month, USDT supply shrank from $184.2 billion to $183.1 billion while USDC declined from $73.28 billion to $72.15 billion, a combined $2.23 billion outflow. He projects Bitcoin could rebound to $68,000-$70,000 before a final sell-off, as liquidity remains thin in Asian and global markets.

Binance has started a grayscale test of a feature allowing users to transfer US stock holdings into and out of its platform, according to market sources. The service, which could soon be fully rolled out, would compete with traditional brokerages by enabling crypto-native investors to manage equities alongside digital assets. The move aligns with Binance's strategy to offer comprehensive financial products to its predominantly Asian user base, though regulatory hurdles remain.

Gold jewelry prices in China have rallied back above the 1,300 yuan per gram level, with major brands such as Chow Tai Fook quoting 1,308 yuan and Chow Sang Sang at 1,315 yuan. The uptick reflects renewed demand and global geopolitical uncertainty, directly affecting Asian retail investors who often view gold as a safe-haven alternative to cryptocurrencies.

The Hyperliquid development team has unlocked 433,000 HYPE tokens worth $24.25 million and is selling them through market maker Flowdesk and exchanges. Of the total, 165,000 tokens ($9.23 million) were sent to Flowdesk, while 75,000 ($4.19 million) were sold into USDC on Hyperliquid and 90,000 ($5.04 million) deposited to OKX and Bybit. The sales could pressure HYPE's price, impacting Asian traders active on these platforms.