The Senate vote to bring the crypto market-structure bill known as the "Clarity" bill to the floor is increasingly likely to be postponed to next week, raising last-minute hurdles for the legislation. The industry says the leadership should at least begin the cloture process to open floor debate before the August recess.

• U.S. Senate postpones Clarity bill vote to next week; fate before August recess unclear

Related industry groups continue to call for the bill to pass quickly.

Tom Lee (톰 리), co-founder of Fundstrat and chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, said in a CNBC interview that the bill could be a turning point that brings a single set of rules to the U.S. crypto market. BlackRock also declared public support for the U.S. crypto market-structure bill known as the "Clarity" bill. Anthony Scaramucci (앤서니 스카라무치), founder of SkyBridge and a U.S. financier, stressed that even if the Clarity bill is not perfect, it is a much better alternative than the current lawless state of crypto.

• Tom Lee: Clarity bill could be a turning point on par with the 1934 launch of the SEC, key to a crypto market recovery • Asset manager BlackRock: Clarity bill would help maintain U.S. leadership in capital markets • SkyBridge founder: Clarity bill is better than a regulatory lawless zone even if imperfect

South Korea's crypto market is seeing established financial companies move faster. Domestic won-based digital-asset exchanges are reshaping their business foundations by bringing in financial firms as new shareholders. Attention is on whether the exchange market structure led by Upbit and Bithumb will change. NH Investment & Securities set up a dedicated organisation to respond to the institutionalisation of digital assets and the legal framework for tokenised securities (STO). Shinhan Securities is expanding cooperation on digital-asset and tokenisation businesses by investing in Digital Asset, the operator of the institutional blockchain Canton Network. NHN KCP is taking part with Shinhan Bank in Phase 2 of "Project Hangang", the Bank of Korea's central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot programme.

• Financial firms join in succession; will the digital-asset exchange landscape be shaken? • Stock trading for Korea Investment & Securities on the Coinone app; first cooperation after an equity investment • NH Investment & Securities sets up digital-asset team, prepares STO business • Shinhan Securities invests in Digital Asset, operator of Canton Network • NHN KCP joins Phase 2 of Project Hangang with Shinhan Bank

The article also summarised moves and issues involving companies at home and abroad around crypto.

Global payments company Visa unveiled a stablecoin strategy that includes OpenUSD, tokenised deposits and on-chain wallet infrastructure. It is seen as a move to bring stablecoins into the core infrastructure for settlement and fund transfers beyond existing card payment networks. Galaxy Digital and MARA Holdings secured new sites in Texas, each moving to expand infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC) and bitcoin mining. Blockchain network developer Flare Networks is pushing plans to broaden its DeFi connections from XRP to bitcoin as well. Lido proposed cutting the number of Ethereum validators by about one third through a staking infrastructure upgrade. The upgrade focuses on improving the efficiency of validator operations and decentralisation. Real-world asset tokenisation platform Ondo Finance moved away from an institution-focused Layer 1 blockchain plan and launched an off-chain execution network called the Ondo Network. The Ondo Network processes trades outside public blockchains and has been applied to the perpetual futures platform Ondo Perps.

• Visa expands stablecoin push from OpenUSD to tokenised deposits • Mining firms Galaxy Digital and MARA secure Texas sites, expand AI infrastructure • Blockchain infrastructure firm Flare targets XRP and bitcoin, aims at institutional money • Lido upgrade seeks to cut Ethereum validator count by one third • Ondo Finance starts Ondo Network, positions off-chain execution network instead of institutional Layer 1

Circle acquired key assets in IBM's blockchain patent portfolio, becoming the largest blockchain patent holder in the United States. Payward, the parent of Kraken, is acquiring Magic Labs' wallet-as-a-service business. Payward plans to integrate Magic Labs' non-custodial wallet technology into its enterprise platform, "Payward Services," through the acquisition.

• Circle acquires a large number of IBM blockchain patents, becomes largest holder in the United States • Kraken parent Payward to acquire Magic Labs' wallet business

The Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA) will support non-won digital-asset exchanges in complying with the system ahead of an expansion of the scope of the Telecommunications Fraud Damage Refund Act.

• DAXA launches joint exchange response ahead of implementation of Telecommunications Fraud Damage Refund Act