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More →Standard Chartered-led Anchorpoint says it’s not rushing retail stablecoin
The Standard Chartered and Animoca Brands joint venture previously targeted retail access as early as the end of 2026, but its CEO declined to reaffirm that timeline. Standard Chartered-backed stablecoin venture Anchorpoint says it will take a cautious approach to opening its Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin to retail users, declining to confirm a launch date after rival HSBC rolled out RedCoin, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/business/cryptocurrency/article/3372060/standard-chartered-led-anchorpoint-plans-retail-stablecoin-hsbc-redcoin-launches" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">>according</a> to the South China Morning Post. The <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/standard-chartered-animoca-brands-hong-kong-stablecoin-license" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">venture</a> released its institutional stablecoin product in August and previously <a href="https://anchorpoint.hk/faqs/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">>indicated</a> a retail offering could arrive as early as the end of 2026. Anchorpoint CEO Dominic Maffei declined to confirm that timeline at a Friday press conference, saying the company would take a prudent approach. “We believe it’s important to build the market out in a long-term, sustainable manner,” Maffei said, adding that rushing a launch “does not make sense.” The update comes after <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/hsbc-launches-redcoin-hong-kong-dollar-stablecoin-payme" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HSBC launched its Hong Kong dollar-backed RedCoin</a> on Friday for the 3.3 million users of its PayMe app. <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/standard-chartered-animoca-brands-hong-kong-stablecoin-license" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Anchorpoint grew out of a partnership</a> between Standard Chartered, Animoca Brands and telecommunications provider HKT, which was announced in February 2025, following their joint participation in Hong Kong’s stablecoin issuer sandbox in July 2024. Animoca’s role is to bring its blockchain expertise and industry network to the venture and help develop uses for the stablecoin across the Web3 ecosystem. <em><strong>Related: </strong></em><a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/hashkey-begins-beta-distribution-of-hong-kong-regulated-hkdap-stablecoin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><em><strong>HashKey begins beta distribution of Hong Kong-regulated HKDAP stablecoin</strong></em></a>
Google Quietly Updates Privacy Policy to Let Gmail and Photos Data Feed Ads
Google has carved out an exception to its long-standing promise not to use Gmail, Drive, and Google Photos content for advertising, quietly revising its <a href="https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US&client_theme=dark" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="sc-adb616fe-0 dJryYS">>privacy policy</a> so that data from those apps can help personalize ads when users connect it to the company’s AI features. The change, which took effect Oct. 16 and was first spotted by <a href="https://www.androidauthority.com/google-personal-intelligence-privacy-3727111/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow external" class="sc-adb616fe-0 dJryYS">>Android Authority</a>, adds a conditional clause to a pledge Google has made for years. The updated policy now reads that Google doesn’t show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.” The catch hinges on Personal Intelligence, Google’s push to make its AI tools more useful by letting features like AI Mode in Search and Gemini draw on a user’s own data. Connecting Gmail, Drive or Photos to those tools delivers more tailored answers, such as surfacing a hotel reservation buried in an inbox. But under the revised wording, that same connected data can now also inform which ads a person sees. Google stressed the limits. Content from the three services still isn’t used for ad targeting by default, advertisers don’t get access to the contents of anyone’s Gmail, Drive or Photos, and the company says it won’t share personally identifying details without permission. In practice, that means Google isn’t scanning private emails and photos wholesale to sell ads, but users who opt into its AI conveniences may be trading some ad privacy for them. Users can opt out by disconnecting the apps under Connected Content apps in their Google Account’s Data & privacy settings, or by turning off personalized recommendations, though Android Authority noted that previously collected data may linger in a user’s Search history even after disconnecting. The quiet rollout echoes recent Google privacy posturing around its AI ambitions. As <i>Decrypt</i> reported in May, Google’s Chrome browser began <a href="https://decrypt.co/367060/chrome-quietly-installing-4gb-ai-model-computer" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="sc-adb616fe-0 dJryYS">>silently installing</a> a multi-gigabyte on-device AI model on users’ computers, and separately removed a privacy claim tied to its <a href="https://decrypt.co/367193/chrome-removes-privacy-claim-gemini-nano-google" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="sc-adb616fe-0 dJryYS">>Gemini Nano model</a>, both moves that drew scrutiny over how the company handles user data as it races to embed AI across its products. <span class="md:block">Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more. </span>
Franklin Templeton plans to launch two ETFs that convert dividends into Bitcoin.
CoinWorld data: Franklin Templeton is advancing the launch of two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that will invest in U.S. equities and reinvest dividends into Bitcoin. According to an SEC registration filing dated October 22, the Franklin U.S. Equity Bitcoin Dividend Index ETF and the Franklin U.S. Innovation Bitcoin Dividend Index ETF have been registered for trading on Nasdaq. The funds combine traditional equity investing with a system that directs dividend income toward Bitcoin-related investments. ETF analyst Nate Geraci noted that these products will hold U.S. equities while directing dividends toward Bitcoin, calling them a convenient way for ordinary equity investors to gain exposure to cryptocurrency.
Global government layoffs exceed 800,000, with about 10% related to AI.
According to CoinWorld news, governments worldwide have already laid off or plan to lay off more than 800,000 people, of whom approximately 86,300 (about 10%) are related to artificial intelligence. Specific figures include: the United States 256,000 layoffs, Pakistan 150,000, Vietnam 128,000, Argentina 77,500, Sri Lanka 50,000, El Salvador 47,100, Canada 40,000, Romania 31,200, the Netherlands 25,000, the United Kingdom 10,000, New Zealand 8,700, Ecuador 5,000, Slovakia 4,500, Austria 2,600, France 1,000, Australia (Victoria) 1,000, the Brussels region 500, the Czech Republic 300, and Germany 8,600.
Goldman Sachs cuts its outlook for the global AI trade by 25%.
CoinWorld news, MarketWatch reports that South Korea's KOSPI index is seen as a leading indicator of the global AI trade, and Goldman Sachs has just cut its forecast by 25%.
The total market capitalization of the crypto market stands at $2.68 trillion.
According to Bijie data, the total market capitalization of the crypto market is $2.68 trillion, with a trading volume of $54.131 billion over the past 24 hours.
Pakistan's central bank raised its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 12%, Cailian Press reported on October 26.
According to CoinWorld news, Caixin reported on October 26 that the State Bank of Pakistan raised its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 12%.
US oil prices weaken as Asia buys Canadian oil at high prices.
As U.S. oil prices weaken, Asian markets are buying Canadian oil at high prices. According to Platts data from S&P Global Energy, the price of Canadian "Cold Lake" crude delivered to South Korea in September was $9.50 per barrel higher than the Dubai crude benchmark, setting a record high. Since the beginning of this month, the premium has averaged $4.33 per barrel, whereas before the Iran war broke out, this crude was trading at a discount. In sharp contrast, in Canada's largest market, the United States, Canadian crude prices are steadily weakening. According to General Index data, last week in Alberta, the discount of Canada's oil sands benchmark "Western Canadian Select" (WCS) relative to the monthly average futures price of WTI crude widened to $28.25 per barrel, the largest drop in nearly four years.
Tesla is up nearly 2% in premarket trading after Barclays upgraded it to overweight.
According to CoinWorld news, Tesla (TSLA.O) rose nearly 2% in pre-market trading as Barclays upgraded its rating from equal-weight to overweight.
HSBC turns bullish on bonds, saying the fixed-income selloff has been "overdone"
According to CoinWorld news, Caixin reported on October 26: HSBC strategists have shifted their stance on developed-market government bonds from maximum underweight to overweight, saying their underperformance "now looks excessive." At the same time, they moved their stance on equities from maximum overweight to neutral. The team led by Max Kettner noted that the Middle East and oil, a possible shift in the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance, and the free cash flow of hyperscale data center operators will be the three major themes for 2027.