Shinhan Financial Group posted a record first-half net profit of 3.44 trillion won, up 13.3 percent from a year earlier, helped by growth in its capital markets businesses such as brokerage and asset management. Net interest income rose 7.7 percent and non-interest income increased 19.7 percent, lifting the non-interest share of total earnings to 30 percent. The board set a second-quarter dividend of 740 won per share and plans additional share buybacks and cancellation.

Dollar-pegged stablecoins could bypass capital controls and weaken monetary sovereignty in emerging markets, researchers at the Bank for International Settlements said. Comparing foreign-currency deposits and stablecoin inflows across more than 130 countries, they found stablecoin flows were largely unaffected by capital and foreign-exchange restrictions. The researchers said households and firms may shift into dollar tokens where local currencies are unstable or financial access is limited, reducing central banks’ policy influence.