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Every Markets story we’ve published. Sourced, cross-checked, fact-verified.
Visa Agrees to Buy BioCatch for $2.4 Billion
Visa announced it will acquire Israeli fraud-detection startup BioCatch for $2.4 billion in cash from Permira and other investors. The purchase centers on behavioral biometrics technology and expands the payments company’s fast-growing value-added services business as global fraud losses surpass $1 trillion a year.
Visa to cut 7% of workforce, about 2,600 jobs
Visa plans to cut about 2,600 jobs, representing roughly 7% of its workforce, with AI cited as a significant but not sole factor. The company will redirect savings into growth areas such as affluent customers, cross-border activity and geographic expansion as it reports quarterly earnings the same day.
CXMT jumps 466% in Shanghai debut to eclipse all other China-listed firms
CXMT shares jumped nearly 466% in their Shanghai debut, closing at 49 yuan to reach a 3.3 trillion yuan market cap that exceeds every other China-listed firm. The $8.6 billion IPO haul will support memory wafer manufacturing while the firm commands 7.67% of the worldwide DRAM sector and stands to benefit from Beijing's semiconductor self-reliance campaign.
Seattle startup funding drops 40% amid AI shift
Seattle startup funding dropped about 40% in the first half of 2026 while AI money flowed elsewhere, alongside a court loss for Kalshi, Impinj's 10-year Nasdaq milestone, and a local flip-phone detox trial. The developments highlight shifting venture dynamics, legal hurdles for prediction markets, corporate endurance, and growing interest in reducing smartphone reliance.
Repligen Agrees to Buy BioLife Solutions in $1.5 Billion Deal
Repligen will acquire BioLife Solutions for $1.5 billion, merging two longtime providers of tools for cell and gene therapy and biopreservation. The deal values BioLife shares at $31 each and is slated to close in the fourth quarter pending approvals.
BitMEX to Shut Down in September
BitMEX will close its crypto derivatives exchange in September and has urged users to withdraw funds as soon as possible. The shutdown follows a strategic review and comes after years of regulatory penalties and legal actions against the company and its founders.
DTCC Processes First Live Trades of Tokenized Securities
DTCC has completed its first live production trades of tokenized stocks, ETFs and U.S. Treasurys with more than two dozen major institutions. The milestone advances its planned tokenization service launch in October and shows blockchain integration into core Wall Street infrastructure while preserving traditional legal rights.
Inflation cools, IBM plunges 25%, Morgan Stanley beats
Inflation cooled sharply in June while Morgan Stanley delivered record earnings and IBM suffered its worst trading day on record. Markets reacted positively to the inflation data and bank results but remain on edge over potential oil-price spikes from Middle East conflict.
Stripe and Advent International Propose $53 Billion PayPal Takeover
Stripe and Advent International have reportedly jointly offered $53 billion to acquire PayPal at $60.50 per share, representing a 28% premium with about $50 billion in committed financing. The approach underscores both firms' deepening involvement in stablecoins while PayPal contends with competitive pressures.
State Attorneys General File Antitrust Suit Against Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
A dozen state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit to halt Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery one month after Department of Justice approval, alleging the $110 billion deal would lessen competition in theatrical film distribution and basic cable licensing.
Robinhood Chain Launches as Ethereum L2 for Tokenized Stocks
Robinhood launched Robinhood Chain on July 1, 2026, as an Ethereum layer-2 network using Arbitrum technology to support tokenized stocks, ETFs, and DeFi applications. It enables developers to build on-chain financial products with reduced fees while blending traditional finance exposure through Stock Tokens that do not grant legal ownership.
Circle Secures Final OCC Nod for National Trust Bank
Circle obtained final OCC approval to charter Circle National Trust, subjecting USDC reserves to federal oversight while expanding its regulated digital asset custody services and tightening links to the U.S. banking system ahead of the GENIUS Act’s rollout.
Robinhood Chain racks up $1B DEX volume in debut week
Robinhood Chain has posted more than $1 billion in first-week DEX volume while its TVL soared millions of percent on memecoin momentum; Circle obtained a national trust bank charter and crypto legislation inches forward with a possible Clarity Act draft next week.
SK Hynix Nasdaq Debut Tests Long-Standing Korea Discount
SK Hynix begins trading on the Nasdaq via ADRs on Friday, raising $26.5 billion while testing whether better access for U.S. investors can reduce its long-standing Korea discount. The stock's 4.8 times forward earnings multiple remains far below the industry median of 29.84 times and Micron's 6.6 times despite its leading position in high-bandwidth memory chips.
Warsh taps Andreessen, McMillon and ex-central bankers for Federal Reserve review panels
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh on Thursday disclosed experts for five task forces reviewing the central bank's operations, including Marc Andreessen, Doug McMillon, Mervyn King and Raghuram Rajan. The independent panels will examine communications, data, the balance sheet, productivity, jobs and inflation frameworks with findings due back to the Federal Open Market Committee.
SWIFT activates blockchain ledger to begin 17-bank tokenized deposit trial
SWIFT has introduced a blockchain ledger that will run a tokenized bank deposit pilot involving 17 major banks targeting faster cross-border payments. The initiative reportedly extends regulated tokenized deposits to continuous 24/7 availability without altering compliance standards and is described by the firm's CBO as a milestone for digital assets inside traditional finance.
Sony Bank Gains Preliminary OCC Approval for New York Stablecoin Trust
Sony Bank received preliminary conditional OCC approval to form Connectia Trust, a New York-based subsidiary capitalized with $40 million to manage dollar-denominated stablecoins. The approval arrives as stablecoin transaction volumes hit a record $1.79 trillion last month, intensifying competition in a market dominated by USDT and USDC.
Luxshare Shares End Down 1.55% After Tepid Hong Kong Debut
Luxshare Precision Industry shares closed 1.55% lower at HK$62.3 in their Hong Kong trading debut after raising $3.09 billion in the year's largest IPO there. The Apple supplier, already listed in Shenzhen, derives about 70% of revenue from the iPhone maker and continues expanding through acquisitions.
Paradigm Closes $1.2 Billion Fund Aimed at Crypto, AI and Robotics Startups
Paradigm has closed a $1.2 billion fund targeting startups in crypto, AI, robotics and other emerging technologies while continuing to center digital assets. The vehicle reflects colliding frontiers in technology and arrives as crypto builders create tools that let AI agents transact with minimal oversight.
Analysts Initiate Bullish Coverage on SpaceX After Quiet Period
Major brokerages initiated coverage of SpaceX with mostly buy ratings and price targets ranging from $205 to $800 after the post-IPO quiet period ended. The bullish calls underscore Wall Street confidence in the company's launch, Starlink and government contract businesses following its $75 billion June IPO.
Coinbase Obtains UK Approval to Add Equities and Derivatives
Coinbase has secured UK authorization to offer equities and derivatives alongside crypto, enabling perpetual futures for institutional traders and equity trading for retail customers. The move advances the company's Everything Exchange strategy ahead of the UK's full crypto framework in 2027.
Sky buys UK's largest commercial broadcaster ITV for £1.6B
Sky has agreed to buy ITV's media and entertainment business for £1.6 billion base with up to an additional £200 million earn-out, gaining its broadcast channels and ITVX platform. The move aims to build scale against streaming giants and YouTube but faces regulatory scrutiny over media plurality.
ESMA Targets Binary Event Contracts in EU Prediction Market Surge
ESMA has warned that binary prediction-market event contracts functioning as financial instruments are prohibited for retail clients under the EU’s binary options ban. The move comes as platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket expand rapidly and attract traditional-finance interest.
Revolut to delist USDT after Aug. 31
Revolut will stop supporting USDT purchases from July 6 and fully delist the stablecoin after Aug. 31, automatically converting leftover holdings. The move reflects ongoing European regulatory pressure on non-compliant stablecoins such as Tether's USDT.