Standard Chartered Bank has signed an agreement to acquire Zodia Custody in full, subject to regulatory approval.

Tether announced it led the pre-seed funding round for Bolivian fintech firm Peso, backing its expansion of stablecoin payment infrastructure across Latin America and driving adoption of USDT in everyday use cases including retail, e-commerce, food delivery, ride-hailing, and banking payments. Peso offers USDT accounts that combine savings, spending, investment, and cross-border transfers, and integrates USDT with Bolivia’s banking system via QR codes and the ACH payment network, enabling conversion between stablecoins and local fiat currency. Peso has also integrated USDT payments into digital services platform Yango, allowing users to pay for food delivery directly within the app using USDT. The round’s proceeds will be used to expand Peso’s local fiat on- and off-ramps in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina, as well as to develop its merchant-facing POS payment network and virtual account infrastructure. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said: “Peso is building everyday consumption infrastructure, turning USDT from a savings tool into a payment channel for users’ daily needs.”

According to an official announcement, Robinhood Ventures Fund I has purchased $30 million worth of preferred stock in Erebor Bank, with the investment closing on September 17. Erebor is a U.S. national chartered bank focused on the innovative economy, serving sectors including defense, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and deep tech. It obtained a full national bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and FDIC deposit insurance in February 2026, and its deposit base has since grown to over $7 billion. Founded in 2025, the bank is backed by institutional investors including Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, and 8VC. RVI, the first fund launched by Robinhood Ventures, listed on the New York Stock Exchange on March 6, 2026. This closed-end fund primarily invests in private companies, aiming to provide retail investors with exposure to private markets, with no requirement for accredited investor status or minimum investment amount; it charges management fees but no performance fees.

Coinbase Institutional stated in a report that chip stocks have posted double-digit declines over the past two weeks, marking the second notable pullback since June, while Bitcoin has proven more resilient during both corrections. The firm noted the market no longer regards Bitcoin as a leveraged proxy for tech stocks. Per its charts, between June 22 and July 29, Bitcoin remained roughly flat, the Nasdaq 100 fell around 10%, the Semiconductor Index (SOX) dropped approximately 29%, and Micron, South Korea’s KOSPI index, and SK Hynix declined roughly 39%, 38%, and 52% respectively. Since October 2, Bitcoin has fallen about 3%, the Nasdaq 100 is down roughly 4%, the SOX has dropped ~14%, while Micron, KOSPI, and SK Hynix have declined approximately 16%, 21%, and 31% respectively.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview that Ukraine can reach a peace agreement while retaining control of at least 75% of its territory. When asked by the host whether he would accept a peace deal freezing the current situation, with Ukraine holding 75% or more of its land, Zelensky responded affirmatively, saying, "We must freeze the front lines now; this is a practical way to end the war." (CCTV)

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), U.S. pre-market crypto-related stocks saw their gains expand, with CEA Industries (BNC) rising over 13%, American Bitcoin (ABTC) up 3.52%, MARA up 2.95%, Strategy (MSTR) up 2.69%, Robinhood (HOOD) up 2.54%, Bullish (BLSH) up 2.19%, and BitMine (BMNR) up 2.06%.

Beating AI News Flash: OpenAI and Google have struck an AI distribution deal. In the coming weeks, OpenAI will supply Google Cloud with cutting-edge AI models including GPT-6 Astra and Codex. Enterprise customers can purchase these via Google Cloud Marketplace, with related expenses eligible to count towards their existing cloud service consumption commitments. The move follows OpenAI’s expansion of distribution to AWS after its exclusive distribution arrangement with Microsoft concluded.