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☆ Crypto token ether could rise five-fold by end-2026, StanChart says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Representation of Ethereum, with its native cryptocurrency ether, is seen in this illustration taken November 29, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, may rise more than five-fold in value by the end of 2026, according to global bank Standard Chartered (STAN.L), its latest prediction of rocketing crypto prices. The price of crypto tokens are generally driven by the sentiment of investors. Ether has gained some 30% this year, though remains almost 70% below its all-time high of about $4,869, hit in Nov. 2021. StanChart said in July that top crypto token bitcoin could reach $50,000 this year and $120,000 by the end of 2024.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Geoff Kendrick, Kendrick, StanChart, Bitcoin, Tom Wilson, Elizabeth Howcroft, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Chartered, StanChart, FX Research, Reuters, Thomson Locations: West

☆ Israel freezes crypto accounts seeking Hamas donations, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Israel has frozen cryptocurrency accounts used to solicit donations for the Palestinian militant group Hamas on social media, police said on Tuesday. Hamas launched devastating attacks from Gaza into Israel on Saturday, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. The statement did not give further details of how many accounts were frozen, nor the value of crypto seized. "The data we use to pinpoint individuals, addresses, and infrastructures associated with specific organisations stems from intelligence provided by law enforcement and investigative tools we, and our partners, have developed." Reuters reported in May that Israel had seized around 190 crypto accounts at Binance since 2021, including two it said were linked to Islamic State and dozens it said were owned by Palestinian firms connected to Hamas.

Persons: Israel, Binance, Henriette Chacar, Tom Wilson, Nidal, Elizabeth Howcroft, Nick Macfie Organizations: Cyber Unit, Ministry of Defense, Reuters, Hamas, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Binance, Islamic State, Jerusalem, London

Treasury yields later receded on a cooler-than-expected U.S. private payrolls report that helped stocks on Wall Street rebound from Tuesday's sharp sell-off. "The market was so over-sold that it was looking for a catalyst to rally on and found it in ADP." The yield on 10-year Treasury notes touched 4.884%, a fresh 16-year high, while 30-year Treasury yields rose above 5% for the first time since August 2007. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAustralian, Canadian and British government bond yields have also surged this week. Gold prices crept lower for the eighth consecutive session as elevated Treasury yields amid expectations that the Fed will keep rates higher for longer weighed on investor sentiment.

Persons: Kim Rupert, Rupert, Rhys Williams, Brendan McDermid, Kit Juckes, Brent, Herbert Lash, Tom Wilson, Tom Westbrook, Simon Cameron, Moore, Will Dunham, Mark Potter Organizations: Treasury, ADP, Management, Institute for Supply Management, Federal Reserve, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Bank of Japan, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights Australian, U.S ., Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Bryn Mawr , Pennsylvania, U.S, New York City, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Tokyo, Russia, London, Sydney

European stocks (.STOXX) tumbled as much as 0.6% before clawing back some ground, with indexes in France (.FCHI) and Germany (.GDAXI) both posting losses. Thirty-year Treasury yields also rose above 5% for the first time since August 2007. Earlier, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) had fallen 1.3%, its second straight daily drop of over 1%. In commodity markets, the stronger dollar has helped put the brakes on oil prices and higher yields have weighed on gold. Reporting by Tom Wilson and Tom Westbrook; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Sandrine Perret, it's, Mel Siew, Kit Juckes, Tom Wilson, Tom Westbrook, Simon Cameron, Moore, Mark Potter Organizations: U.S ., Nikkei, REUTERS, LONDON, Bank of Japan, Muzinich, Co, THE, Federal, Treasury, Brent, . West Texas, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SINGAPORE, France, Germany, Unigestion, Asia, Pacific, Singapore

A bitcoin is seen in an illustration picture taken at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris, France, June 23, 2017. It's a bit old hat, say a cohort of crypto investors who are betting on blockchain technology breathing new life into traditional assets. Others like Franklin Templeton, UBS Asset Management and ABN Amro (ABNd.AS) have launched tokenized versions of assets such as money market funds and green bonds. Indeed, the actual issuance and value of tokenized traditional assets remains small. Some market players now see significant advances.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Franklin Templeton, Colin Butler, tokenization, hasn't, Morgan Krupetsky, Doug Schwenk, Lisa Mattackal, Medha Singh, Tom Wilson, Pravin Organizations: La Maison du, REUTERS, London Stock Exchange, Mirae, Securities, UBS Asset Management, ABN Amro, Polygon Labs, Reuters Graphics, Northern Trust, HSBC, Ava Labs, Digital Asset Research, Thomson, Reuters Locations: La, Paris, France, U.S, blockchain, Bengaluru

REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/ Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - The global cryptocurrency market remains badly scarred following the tumultuous collapse of crypto exchange FTX and other big players last year, with crypto prices, volumes and venture capital investment well below their 2021 peaks. BITCOIN BLUESBitcoin, by far the biggest cryptocurrency and the chief barometer for crypto market sentiment, has bounced back about 37% since Nov. 1. Reuters Image Acquire Licensing RightsCRUMBLING MARKET CAPAfter peaking at $3 trillion in November 2021, the value of the overall crypto market plummeted through 2022, hitting a two-year low of $796 billion as FTX imploded. Yet the relative calm in crypto markets is not necessarily a good thing, said some market participants, noting that many investors are attracted to crypto precisely because of its volatility, which offers opportunities to make quick profits. Reuters GraphicsVC CRYPTO BETS TUMBLEVenture capital (VC) investments flooded into crypto during its boom year of 2021, and even through 2022.

Persons: Damian Williams, Samuel Bankman, David, Dee, Delgado, Sam Bankman, FTX, cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, bitcoin, Ben Laidler, Usman Ahmad, Anders Kvamme Jensen, Robert Le, CCData, Noelle Acheson, Hannah Lang, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, Michelle Price, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Capital, Silvergate Bank, BlackRock, Reuters, Zodia, Chartered, Reuters Graphics, U.S, Venture, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Singapore, London, Washington

JPMorgan Chase Bank is seen in New York City, U.S., March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - JPMorgan's (JPM.N) British retail bank Chase will ban crypto transactions made by customers from Oct. 16 due to an increase in fraud and scams, the company said on Tuesday. "We've seen an increase in the number of crypto scams targeting UK consumers, so we have taken the decision to prevent the purchase of crypto assets on a Chase debit card or by transferring money to a crypto site from a Chase account," a spokesperson for the bank said. JPMorgan has attracted more than 1.6 million customers to its Chase retail bank since launching the mobile app-based service in Britain two years ago, and plans to roll out the consumer bank in other international markets over time. Spain's Santander said last year it would block UK customers from sending real-time payments to crypto exchanges as part of measures to protect customers from scams.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Chase, Spain's Santander, Iain Withers, Tom Wilson, Susan Fenton, Christina Fincher Organizations: JPMorgan Chase Bank, REUTERS, Chase, JPMorgan, NatWest, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Chase, Britain

European stocks (.STOXX) fell as much as 0.5% in early trading, with rate-sensitive tech stocks (.SX8P) losing 0.8%. And the latest spike in oil prices to 10-month highs is unlikely to escape the Fed's attention. Fuelling worries over persistent inflation were oil prices, which firmed after hitting a 10-month peak a day earlier. ECB HIKE BETSThe euro was down 0.1% at $1.074, after nearing one-week highs on the Reuters story which was published late on Tuesday. "The leak raises the possibility of a hawkish hike which would be much more supportive for the EUR," said Steve Englander, global head of G10 FX research at Standard Chartered, referring to the Reuters report.

Persons: Androniki, Robert Alster, you'll, Steve Englander, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam, Christina Fincher Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Consumer, Index, Federal Reserve, Management, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Nasdaq, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Markets, Standard Chartered, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, London, Sydney

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Regulated financial exchanges are talking about how to capitalise on interest in crypto, an industry group said on Tuesday, but a third of respondents to its latest survey said they had no plans to offer the asset class. Exchanges said they were concerned about a lack of uniform regulatory standards, market volatility and the potential for cybersecurity risks relating to crypto assets, a report from the London-based World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) said. Some 38% of the exchanges the WFE surveyed have established, or plan to establish, working groups to focus on crypto-related assets or services. Just over a quarter of respondents said they expect crypto assets to become mainstream in the near future, the WFE said. Mainstream financial institutions have long expressed interest in the potential for blockchain - the technology behind cryptocurrencies - to be used in the process of issuing and trading traditional financial assets.

Persons: Dado, Crypto, Nandini Sukumar, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Federation of Exchanges, Deutsche, Switzerland's SIX, London Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: London

While breezy bitcoin has bounced back, leaping by about 55% this year, investments in crypto startups have dropped for the fifth straight quarter. VC crypto bets totaled just under $2.3 billion in April-July this year, the lowest quarterly level for over three years, according to data firm PitchBook. In the first half of 2023, investments were down by almost three-quarters from a year ago to $5 billion. Those that are raising capital now are probably doing it because they have to," said Adam Reeds, CEO of Toronto-based crypto finance company Ledn. VC crypto investments have correlated with crypto asset prices with a lag of roughly three to six months, according to PitchBook, and if current trends continue, VC investment would rise during the second half of 2023.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tal Elyashiv, Crypto, Cameron Peake, Adam Reeds, Alyse Killeen, Medha Singh, Lisa Pauline Mattackal, Tom Wilson, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Arrows Capital, Restive Ventures, LayerZero, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Toronto, Bengaluru

☆ Factbox: Scrutiny of iris-scanning crypto project Worldcoin grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Worldcoin has drawn criticism from privacy campaigners over its data collection. It has said the biometric data is either deleted or stored in encrypted form, and that it is "committed" to working with regulators. CNIL had previously said it was aware of the Worldcoin project and that the legality of its biometric data collection "seems questionable". GERMANYA German data watchdog has been investigating Worldcoin since late last year due to concerns over its large-scale processing of sensitive biometric data, it said. PORTUGALPortugal's data regulator, the CNPD, has inspected Worldcoin's local data collection operation and been in contact with the Bavarian data protection authority in Germany, a spokesperson said.

Persons: Annegret, Sam Altman, Altman, Worldcoin, CNIL, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Agencia, Informacion Publica, Commissioner's, Communications Authority of, Data, Thomson Locations: cryptocurrency, Berlin, Germany, ARGENTINA, Argentina, Informacion, BRITAIN, FRANCE, Worldcoin's, GERMANY, Handelsblatt, KENYA, Kenya, Communications Authority of Kenya, PORTUGAL

Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are placed on a PC motherboard, in this illustration taken June 16, 2023. A spot bitcoin ETF would give investors exposure to the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization without having to own it. The SEC has denied all spot bitcoin ETF applications, saying applicants have not shown they can protect investors from market manipulation. Grayscale argued the same setup should be satisfactory for its spot ETF, since both products rely on bitcoin's underlying price. Other firms have spot bitcoin ETF applications with the SEC, including asset management giant BlackRock (BLK.N), Fidelity and WisdomTree (WT.N).

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Grayscale's, It's, Christopher LaVigne, Withers, Michael Sonnenshein, Bitcoin, Sui Chung, Joseph Toner, Seth Hertlein, Ryan Louvar, Paul Grewal, Coinbase, LaVigne, Carolina Mandl, Tom Wilson, Michelle Price, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, District of Columbia, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CNBC, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Fidelity, Coinbase, CME, BlackRock, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Washington, New York, WilmerHale, London

Bitcoins are seen in this illustration picture taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Bitcoin's gains from a U.S. court ruling that bolsters future prospects for retail investor-friendly funds have rescued the original cryptocurrency from a dismal month, offering new optimism over its longer-term outlook. The win for Grayscale is likely to now factor into the SEC's future decisions for spot bitcoin ETFs filed by several major financial firms this year, including the world's largest asset manager BlackRock (BLK.N), investors said. Any advent of spot bitcoin ETFs could help the crypto industry tap a glut of previously untapped retail investor cash, in turn bolstering the price of bitcoin. Still, bitcoin's prospects remain tied to the performance of wider markets, some investors said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, bitcoin, Noelle Acheson, Crypto, Anders Kvamme Jensen, Tom Wilson, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Securities, Exchange, U.S, Treasury, BlackRock, BTC, Thomson

☆ Bitcoin hits two-week peak after Grayscale spot bitcoin ETF ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are placed on a PC motherboard, in this illustration taken June 16, 2023. "Despite the inevitable SEC appeal, to our mind there is no doubt now, spot BTC ETFs are coming to the US. He also expects pent up U.S. demand to positively impact bitcoin prices and help global acknowledgement of crypto as a new asset class. The SEC last year rejected Grayscale's application for a spot bitcoin ETF, arguing the proposal did not meet anti-fraud and investor protection standards. So far this month and despite Tuesday's sharp gains, both bitcoin and ether were down 6% and nearly 8%, respectively.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tim Bevan, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Tom Wilson, Alun John, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, District of Columbia, BTC, ETC Group, U.S, Supreme, Fidelity, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: District, Washington, New York, London

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 15, 2023. Profit-taking weighed on shares across the board, with the MSCI All Country stock index (.MIWD00000PUS) down 0.36%. Profit-taking also took hold in Europe, where European stocks (.STOXX) gave up earlier gains to edge down 0.37%. EASING YIELDSGovernment bond yields eased, adding to a sense of relief across markets. In currency markets, the dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six other major currencies , added 0.474%, and remains higher over the month.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Dow Jones, Jerome Powell, Patrick Harker, Harker, Robert Alster, Zhang Zihua, Koh Gui Qing, Tom Wilson, Julie Zhu, Kirsten Donovan, Matthew Lewis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nasdaq, Investors, Federal, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, CNBC, Profit, Asset Management, Nvidia, Beijing Yunyi Asset Management, Brent, . West Texas, Hong, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, United States, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Europe, Turkish, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Beijing, New York, London, Hong Kong

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, August 23, 2023. U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Wednesday and shares of Nvidia jumped nearly 10% in trading after the bell, hitting an all-time high. EASING YIELDSGovernment bond yields eased, adding to a sense of relief across markets. Euro zone yields hit multi-week lows with Germany's 10-year yield 1.5 bps lower at 2.50%, having touched a 2-week low of 2.448%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) closed 1.5% higher, also lifted by Nvidia's bullish outlook.

Persons: Chipmakers, Jerome Powell, Robert Alster, Zhang Zihua, Tom Wilson, Julie Zhu, Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Federal, Asset Management, Nvidia, Beijing Yunyi Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, U.S, Turkish, United States, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Beijing, London, Hong Kong

☆ PayPal becomes first major fintech to launch dollar-backed stablecoin
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jaiveer Shekhawat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - Payments giant PayPal (PYPL.O) said on Monday it has launched a U.S. dollar stablecoin, becoming the first major financial technology firm to embrace digital currencies for payments and transfers. Prior attempts by major mainstream companies to launch stablecoins have met fierce opposition from financial regulators and policymakers. Meta's (META.O), then Facebook, 2019 plans to launch a stablecoin, Libra, were foiled after regulators raised fears it could upset global financial stability. PayPal's stablecoin, dubbed PayPal USD, is backed by U.S. dollar deposits and short-term U.S Treasuries, and will be issued by Paxos Trust Co. Argus Research Corp analyst Stephen Biggar said PayPal's brand name makes the stablecoin launch significant but the company has been associated with crypto previously so it's not a surprise.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, PayPal's stablecoin, Stephen Biggar, PayPal's, Jaiveer Singh, Manya, Tom Wilson, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Shounak Dasgupta, Shinjini Organizations: PayPal, REUTERS, European Union, U.S . House Financial Services, U.S, Paxos Trust, Argus Research Corp, Visa, Manya Saini, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Britain, United States, Bengaluru, London

☆ Wall St shares pare losses after choppy trading as yields spike
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Lawrence Delevingne | Thomson Reuters | Delevingne Works Primarily On Enterprise Stories Related To Finance. He Joined Reuters In | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Wall Street investors weighed another rise in Treasury yields with the latest batch of economic data and earnings. U.S. long-term Treasury yields hit nine-month highs on Thursday after employment and other economic data pointed to easing inflation, maintaining their high levels in the afternoon. EURO SHARES DOWNEuropean shares (.STOXX) slipped 0.6%, the third straight day of losses, bruised by disappointing earnings reports and elevated U.S. bond yields. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.2%, extending losses after a drop of 2.3% a day earlier. Spot gold ticked up 0.1% to $1,934 an ounce, held in check by a robust dollar and elevated bond yields.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, BoE, Gennadiy Goldberg, Goldberg, Sterling, Stuart Cole, Morgan Stanley, Brent, Lawrence Delevingne, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Jonathan Oatis, Will Dunham, Alexander Smith Organizations: Dow Jones, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Wall Street, Nasdaq, TD Securities, Reuters Global, . Labor Department, FTSE, Bank of England, Equiti, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Saudi, Boston, London, Sydney

European shares (.STOXX) slipped 0.6%, bruised by disappointing earnings reports and elevated U.S. bond yields, on course for their third straight day of losses. Sterling extended losses after the BoE decision, falling as much as 0.7% to its lowest since June 30. The BoE decision was closely watched for clues on how central banks globally will balance taming inflation and maintaining growth. U.S. 10-year yields hit a new nine-month peak of 4.17%, while 30-year yields rose to a fresh nine-month top. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.4%, extending losses after a drop of 2.3% a day earlier.

Persons: Sterling, BoE, Stuart Cole, Morgan Stanley, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Mark Potter, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Sterling, LONDON, Bank of England, FTSE, Equiti, Nasdaq, Treasury, U.S, AMAZON Investors, Apple, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, London, Sydney

European shares (.STOXX) slipped 1.1% after falling on Wednesday to two-week lows as rating agency Fitch cut the U.S. government's credit rating. UK shares (.FTSE) fell 1.3%, with the Bank of England (BoE) expected to raise interest rates later in the day. Pressuring stocks were a climb in long-term U.S. Treasury yields after stronger-than-expected private employment data and the announced refunding of the U.S. government's maturing debt. U.S. 10-year yields hit a new nine-month peak of 4.17%, while 30-year yields rose to a fresh nine-month top. The risk, investors said, was that a repeat of June's surprise half-point increase could fuel bets that major central banks are not done tightening yet.

Persons: Issei Kato, Fitch, BoE, Jonathan Petersen, Morgan Stanley, Sterling, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Apple, LONDON, Bank of England, Nasdaq, Treasury, U.S, Capital Economics, APPLE, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, SYDNEY, Pacific, China, London, Sydney

☆ Gloomy data makes investors more cautious on world economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Lawrence Delevingne | Thomson Reuters | Delevingne Works Primarily On Enterprise Stories Related To Finance. He Joined Reuters In | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. European stocks (.STOXX) fell 0.9%, stepping back from a 2% increase in July, the index's second month of gains. UK stocks (.FTSE) also fell 0.4%, though HSBC (HSBA.L) climbed 1.3% after announcing a $2 billion share buyback and raising its key profitability target. U.S. Treasury yields rose on Tuesday with 30-year paper touching a new year-high as investors expected an increase in government debt issuance and anticipated more signs of economic resilience, despite data showing a slowdown in activity. China's stumbling post-pandemic recovery remained in focus, for instance, after a surprise contraction in manufacturing in a private-sector survey released Tuesday.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Michael Hewson, Ronald Temple, Brent, Lawrence Delevingne, Tom Wilson, Kevin Buckland, Angus MacSwan, Susan Fenton, Deepa Babington Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Merck & Co, Pfizer, Caterpillar Inc, HSBC, . Federal, CMC Markets, U.S, Lazard, Fed, Energy, BP, Bank of, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Asia, Boston, London, Tokyo

European stocks (.STOXX) fell 0.2%, stepping back from a 2% gain in July, its second month of gains. UK stocks (.FTSE) edged up 0.1%, however, with HSBC (HSBA.L) climbing 2.6% after announcing a $2 billion share buyback and raising its key profitability target. Oil prices traded near a three-month high hit on Monday amid signs of tightening global supply. Also buoying prices were producers cutting output and demand in the United States, the world's biggest fuel consumer, remaining resilient. The U.S. dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers - rose as high as 102.07 for the first time since July 10.

Persons: Sandrine Perret, Hong, HSI, Alec Jin, Tom Wilson, Kevin Buckland, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum Organizations: HSBC, LONDON, . Federal, Fed, Brent, Energy, BP, Bank of, Japan's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Unigestion, United States, London, Asia, Tokyo

☆ Nomura's crypto arm wins Dubai licence
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The crypto arm of Japanese investment bank and brokerage Nomura (8604.T) said on Tuesday it had won an operating licence in Dubai, the latest in a number of mainstream financial institutions this year to enter the crypto sector. Laser Digital, which is headquartered in Switzerland with officers in Dubai and London, said in a statement it had received the licence from Dubai's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, allowing it to offer crypto-related broker-dealer, management and investment services. Laser said it would launch its trading and asset management business in the coming months, allowing institutional investors access to over-the-counter crypto trading and other investment products. French bank Societe Generale (SOGN.PA) became last month the first company in France to obtain a licence for crypto services, underscoring resilient hunger among mainstream banks to embrace crypto as markets have rallied through 2023. Reporting by Tom Wilson, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nomura, Tom Wilson, Louise Heavens Organizations: Laser, Regulatory, Societe Generale, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Switzerland, London, France

☆ Allstate posts bigger loss as catastrophe claims rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - Insurer Allstate Corp (ALL.N) posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Tuesday as claims related to higher catastrophic events offset gains from strong investment income. The insurer's adjusted second-quarter loss widened to $4.42 per share from 75 cents a year earlier. "Severe weather resulted in 42 catastrophe events, where we remediated losses for 160,000 customers," Allstate CEO Tom Wilson said in a statement. The insurer's catastrophe losses in the quarter were $2.7 billion, compared to $1.11 billion a year earlier. Allstate posted an underlying combined ratio of 92.9%, compared to 93.4% a year earlier.

Persons: Robert Galbraith, Tom Wilson, Sri Hari, Maju Samuel Organizations: Allstate, REUTERS, Allstate Corp, Analysts, Sri, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, United States, Bengaluru

Still, money market traders are split on the odds of another increase later in the year.FEDWATCH"The 25 basis point rise is a done deal. "The risk is that the Fed, looking at market bullishness, may not want to sound too dovish - they may want to keep the door open for more rate hikes." The MSCI world equity index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in 47 countries, was flat. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index (.HSI) was down 0.3% and China's blue chip CSI300 index (.CSI300) was off 0.2%. Positive sentiment had returned to China's market on Tuesday, when the CSI 300 Index snapped a six-day losing streak.

Persons: Luca Paolini, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage's, We're, David Chao, Tom Wilson, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed, Kim Coghill Organizations: Fed, Federal, Pictet Asset Management, NatWest, BBC, Lloyds, CSI, ECB, Brent, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, U.S, Germany, France, Britain, CHINA, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, London, Sydney

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