A clearer view of today.

NatWest Group has announced a 12.0p interim dividend totaling about £955m, underlining its commitment to returning capital to shareholders. For investors, the payout size can be read as a barometer of earnings durability and management’s view on credit conditions. The key question now is how quickly loan performance and funding costs are improving enough to sustain dividends through the rest of the year.

Source: SeekingAlpha All

A commentary attributed to St. Louis Fed official Musalem argues that bond-market weakness must not erode policymakers’ credibility. The message matters because credibility is what keeps term premia, borrowing costs, and longer-dated inflation expectations from drifting higher. If markets interpret policy as inconsistent, the impact can quickly spread from Treasuries into corporate credit and mortgages.

Source: SeekingAlpha All

The SEC has suspended approval of cash-settled Nasdaq Bitcoin index options (QBTC) while it reviews a jurisdictional challenge filed by CME. At stake is the regulatory boundary between securities- and commodity-based crypto derivatives—i.e., whether exchanges can use SEC pathways and exemptions to launch contracts tied directly to Bitcoin. The outcome could shape future product timelines and determine which venues capture options volumes as institutional hedging grows.

Source: FinanceFeeds

Russia is extending its regional crypto-mining ban to Moscow and the Moscow Region through the end of 2032, citing pressure on electricity networks serving the country’s biggest economic hub. The policy reinforces Russia’s “regional permission” approach: mining isn’t universally banned, but operating rights depend on grid capacity and demand conditions. For miners and data-center-linked compute businesses, the risk shifts from legality to geography—where electricity availability can change with policy.

Source: FinanceFeeds

Minnesota has prohibited crypto ATMs and virtual-currency kiosks statewide, with the effective date beginning Aug. 1. The move follows claims that scams—especially targeting older residents—used kiosks as a fast route from cash to irreversible crypto transfers. The law’s broader impact is economic: operators face a shrinking physical distribution channel, and other states may now weigh similar consumer-protection-first restrictions.

Source: FinanceFeeds

Coinkite acknowledged a Coldcard vulnerability that Galaxy Research linked to theft of more than 1,000 BTC—raising the estimated loss to roughly $70m. Importantly, the incident highlights that updating firmware may not fully solve exposure when seed generation is compromised; affected users may need to generate new seeds and migrate funds. The case is likely to intensify pressure on hardware-wallet testing standards, incident disclosures, and end-user remediation guidance.

Source: FinanceFeeds

The ECB’s digital euro application plan includes design choices intended to exceed accessibility requirements under EU law—such as keyboard navigation, screen-reader compatibility, and safeguards against user error. The emphasis on a standalone app is a central policy tradeoff: it improves fallback access and consistency, but could reduce the control private payment providers have over user interfaces. Even if accessibility improves uptake, privacy, data visibility, and the final architecture remain critical for adoption and politics.

Source: FinanceFeeds

Bitcoin ETFs end July with $172m inflows despite late sell-off
Former BNB Chain employee allegedly netted $628,000 from ASTEROID
Digital euro app as backup when bank apps fail
CFTC fines George Santos $35,000 over manipulative Kalshi trading
Russia expands crypto mining ban to Moscow through 2032