The dominant theme in digital assets over the past week was the U.S. Digital Asset Market Structure Act, known as the Clarity Act. As the bill stalls, the White House and regulators expanded direct contacts with the industry. In South Korea, a revised anti-money laundering law takes effect on Aug. 20, tightening entry requirements. Markets also tracked bitcoin’s range near $63,000, sharp debate over its outlook, XRP weakness and growing won stablecoin proof-of-concept activity.

South Korea will implement an amended Special Financial Information Act on Aug. 20, expanding screening of digital asset operators to include major shareholders and governance structures. An enforcement decree allows exceptions when violations are minor or punished under vicarious liability rules, easing some uncertainty around Naver Financial and Dunamu’s share-swap plan. Regulators will also tighten requirements on leverage, creditworthiness and internal controls, likely increasing compliance burdens for smaller operators.