Hong Kong's 2026 policy address outlines a sweeping plan to bring real-world assets onto licensed platforms. The Securities and Futures Commission will refine virtual asset licensing rules and enable gold and other suitable RWAs to be issued and traded on regulated venues. The government also plans to issue digital bonds on a regular basis and explore using digital currencies for the full lifecycle of settlement, coupon payments, and redemption. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority will test tokenizing Exchange Fund bills worth more than HK$1.3 trillion (about US$166 billion) before year-end, alongside advancing CBDC settlement under its Ensemble project.

South Korean authorities have escalated their crackdown on prediction market platform Polymarket. Gangwon Provincial Police have opened cases against 26 users and referred 18 of them to prosecutors as of September 15, according to data submitted to lawmaker Yoon Kun-young's office. Cumulative wagers by the investigated users reached approximately 17.6 billion won (about US$13 million), with the largest single user accounting for roughly 5.7 billion won. Police used open-source intelligence techniques to trace blockchain transactions, and the Korea Communications Standards Commission blocked access to Polymarket on August 18.

A former relationship manager at China Construction Bank (Asia) has pleaded guilty in Hong Kong District Court to conspiracy to accept US$470,000 in Tether (USDT) bribes. Lin Junxian admitted collaborating with overseas fintech personnel between 2022 and 2023 to certify fraudulent standby letters of credit without bank authorization, supporting false documentation exceeding US$1.6 billion in value. The bribes were mostly converted into Hong Kong dollars. Sentencing is scheduled for September 18.

The Federal Reserve delivered a rare unanimous 25-basis-point rate hike, with all 12 FOMC members voting in favor. HTX chief analyst Andy noted the dot plot clearly points to at least one more hike this year, signaling that tight policy has become consensus. The economic projections raised growth forecasts and lowered unemployment expectations, reflecting confidence in a soft landing. However, the Fed chair placed inflation-fighting as the absolute priority, which pushed US Treasury yields and the dollar higher in the short term while pressuring gold.

DBS currency strategist Philip Wee argued the Fed's rate hike does not necessarily herald a sustained dollar rally, calling it a catch-up move rather than a 2022-style US-led tightening cycle. The Singapore-based bank expects the dollar index to remain in its 96 to 102 range established since mid-2025. Wee emphasized that the US Treasury market remains a key constraint on market confidence, with 10-year and 30-year yields staying firm amid unresolved debates over long-term borrowing costs.

Hong Kong-based robotics firm Rice Robotics has partnered with NFT project Pudgy Penguins to launch a companion robot called Pengu Minibot. The device supports mobility and interaction, aiming to bring the Pudgy Penguins IP experience into physical settings. The collaboration highlights how Asian hardware companies are tapping into crypto-native brands to bridge digital assets and consumer robotics.

Cryptocurrency markets broadly rebounded after the Federal Reserve's rate decision, with the PayFi sector climbing 5.03% in 24 hours. Zcash (ZEC) surged 23.28% while Dash (DASH) gained 17.21%. Bitcoin rose 1.28% to break above US$76,000, and Ethereum advanced 1.63% to hover near the US$2,400 level.

A US Department of Justice asset forfeiture filing from September 9 includes a letter from Hamas's military wing advising potential donors to avoid Binance for fund transfers. The letter instead recommended platforms including Bybit and OKX, along with Tether's USDT on the Tron blockchain's TRC-20 network. It described Binance as only suitable for purchasing currency before moving funds through another application. Binance's chief compliance officer Noah Perlman said the guidance from a terror organization demonstrates that the exchange's controls are working.

Chinese mining giant Zijin Mining announced that its wholly owned subsidiary will commit 1 billion yuan (about US$137 million) as a limited partner in the Xiamen Shidai Shenyuan venture fund. The unit will hold a 20.4% stake in the 4.9 billion yuan fund, which targets investments in artificial intelligence, embodied intelligence, technology applications, and frontier technology fields.

South Korean exchange Upbit announced it will list PayPal USD (PYUSD) and JPYC, a Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin, across Korean won, BTC, and USDT markets. The move expands access to yen-linked digital assets for Korean traders, reflecting growing regional interest in Asian currency stablecoins amid broader stablecoin adoption.