South Korean exchange Bithumb reported first-half revenue of 168.8 billion won (about $109 million), down 48.7% year-over-year, with a net loss of 108.7 billion won (about $70.1 million). Second-quarter revenue fell 35.8% to 86.3 billion won. The exchange blamed high U.S. interest rates diverting investor attention to AI and semiconductor stocks, reducing virtual asset trading activity. The results reflect a broader liquidity squeeze in Korean crypto markets.

Hong Kong saw 20,613 scam cases totaling HK$3.5 billion in the first half of 2026. Investment scams accounted for 2,151 cases and HK$1.66 billion in losses, including a single crypto investment fraud of HK$84 million. Police also updated the JPEX case: about 2,800 victims and HK$1.6 billion in losses, with 81 arrests since 2023. The figures highlight persistent retail vulnerability in Hong Kong's crypto market.

The Securities and Futures Commission warned of multiple fake websites posing as licensed virtual asset trading platform Hash Blockchain Limited. The sites were reported by the firm itself and have no connection to the licensed operator. The SFC continues to battle impersonation scams targeting crypto investors in Hong Kong.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao noted more than 20.07 million BTC have been mined, leaving only 4.4% of supply. He estimated 10% to 20% of existing Bitcoin is lost or inaccessible, arguing Bitcoin is inherently deflationary. His comments come as supply scarcity narratives gain traction among Asian retail investors.

Binance's report shows ETF trading accounted for 25% of Gen Z stock trading volume on its platform in early August. ETF net inflows among Gen Z rose to 21.9% of stock inflows in July from 18.5% in June. The shift suggests younger Asian traders increasingly prefer diversified products over single stocks.

YZi Labs opened applications for its 10-week EASY Residency program, focusing on programmable capital, stablecoin payments, AI infrastructure, and AI-biology. The program includes five weeks of online courses and five weeks in Thailand with accommodation covered. Selected projects can receive up to $500,000 from YZi Labs and up to $2 million from an aggregator platform.

Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, posted second-quarter revenue of 173.5 billion won and operating profit of 23.5 billion won, down 26% and 73% quarter-over-quarter respectively. The company cited global digital asset market liquidity contraction and weak investor sentiment. The decline mirrors Bithumb's struggles amid Korea's crypto winter.

GraphAI raised 17 billion won (about $12 million) in a Series A led by K2 Investment Partners, bringing total funding to 20.6 billion won. The company provides enterprise AI data infrastructure and will use the funds to expand its platform in Korea and beyond.

BLOX, a Malaysian digital asset infrastructure firm, completed a $1 million seed round led by Singapore's Kivo Technology. The funds will support its ringgit-pegged stablecoin MYRC, which recorded a 33-fold increase in cumulative trading volume over the past year. The company operates without a formal Malaysian regulatory framework and is engaging regulators.

SoftBank Group reduced its holding in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) by 71.5% to 565,000 depositary receipts, according to SEC filings. The move is part of SoftBank's ongoing portfolio reallocation toward AI infrastructure and chip startups. The Japanese conglomerate's retreat from TSMC may signal shifting strategic priorities in Asia's semiconductor sector.