Spot gold reached $3,860, setting a new record high

- NH NongHyup Bank tests VAT refund system using stablecoin tech with Avalanche , Fireblocks, Mastercard , and Worldpay. - Aims to challenge USD stablecoin dominance by streamlining cross-border refunds via blockchain automation. - South Korea’s FSC plans KRW-pegged stablecoin rules by year-end, restricting non-bank issuers. - Domestic stablecoin transactions exceed $41B, as major banks collaborate on won-backed infrastructure. - Pilot could redefine cross-border payments with faster processing and reduced

- Fed President Raphael Bostic announced his retirement in 2025, leaving a key hawkish voice on inflation control in the FOMC. - His departure follows ethical scrutiny over 154 trades during blackout periods and Trump's push to reshape Fed leadership. - A Trump-aligned successor could shift monetary policy toward looser rates, impacting housing, tech, and import-dependent sectors. - Bostic's exit highlights political pressures on Fed independence as Trump campaigns to replace officials amid post-pandemic e

- ICP surged 22.15% to $9.49, overtaking TAO as the largest AI-focused crypto with $5.11B market cap, driven by ecosystem growth and Caffeine AI launch. - On-chain metrics show 24.91% TVL increase to $28.03M, 32.9% trading volume spike to $1.7B, and technical indicators like MACD crossover signaling sustained momentum. - Analysts project $10.52 target by mid-November if buying pressure holds, contrasting with broader crypto market dips and struggling peers like C3.ai. - ICP's 211.94% weekly gain highlights

- Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin declares DeFi "finally viable" as a savings tool, citing improved security and maturity since 2019-2020. - He advocates "low-risk DeFi" as Ethereum's foundation, comparing it to Google Search's role in Alphabet's dominance. - Institutional confidence grows with ARK Invest's ETH exposure and whale accumulations, while TVL declines and legal uncertainties persist. - Critics warn stability-focused DeFi risks becoming a "TradFi Trojan horse," stifling innovation despite bu