01
What changed in banking regulation and policy this week?
Government decisions, new rules and policy shifts reported this week.
02
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has intervened to reduce long-term borrowing costs in the United States.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗03
Scott Bessent is assuming a prominent role in managing U.S. Treasury bond market strategy as yields reach nearly two-decade highs.
Read at wsj.com ↗04
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is working to finalize regulatory rules for stablecoins by November 2026.
Read at theblock.co ↗05
The U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan to double the volume of debt it repurchases from investors to alleviate stress in the bond market.
Read at nytimes.com ↗06
On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the US Treasury announced a surprise bond buyback program.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗07
Jonathan Gould, head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), announced that the agency aims to finalize stablecoin regulations under the GENIUS Act by November 2026.
Read at decrypt.co ↗08
The US Treasury announced it will double its purchases of long-term bonds to lower borrowing costs.
Read at semafor.com ↗8 of 26 regulation and policy events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What funding rounds and acquisitions happened in banking this week?
The week’s notable investments, financing rounds, acquisitions and strategic deals.
09
Monte dei Paschi di Siena has announced twin takeover bids for Banca Generali and Banco BPM.
Read at ft.com ↗What products launched in banking this week?
Notable product launches, releases and platform updates from the week.
10
Global banking institutions, including Barclays and Deutsche Bank, have adopted a new AI forecasting model developed by Ant International.
Read at finextra.com ↗11
DBS Bank is deploying specialist AI agents to support approximately 1,500 bankers globally.
Read at finextra.com ↗12
UK-based neobank Starling Bank has launched a new suite of AI-powered tools on August 20, 2026.
Read at finextra.com ↗13
Starling Bank has announced a weekly rollout of new AI-powered features to compete in the European neobank market.
Read at sifted.eu ↗14
Standard Chartered has issued USD 200 million in three-year floating-rate digitally native notes (DNNs).
Read at finextra.com ↗15
HSBC and Standard Chartered have successfully completed the first live tokenised deposit transaction using Swift's new blockchain-based ledger.
Read at finextra.com ↗16
Emirates NBD, a banking group based in the UAE, has launched its inaugural Transition Finance Framework to support decarbonization efforts in hard-to-abate sectors across the Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye, and South Asia.
Read at esgtoday.com ↗17
Revolut is expanding its business model by entering the airport lounge market, aiming to offer physical travel-related services.
Read at sifted.eu ↗8 of 14 product launches events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What financial results were reported in banking this week?
Earnings, guidance and other financial results reported this week.
18
Bitcoin surpassed $70,000 on August 20, 2026, triggering $2.89 billion in short liquidations across the crypto market.
Read at unchainedcrypto.com ↗19
Bitcoin surpassed $68,000 and Ether rose 9% on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following a U.S. Treasury announcement to double long-dated bond buybacks.
Read at thedefiant.io ↗20
Global government bond yields reached multi-decade highs on August 18, 2026, as investors reacted to persistent inflation concerns and increased debt issuance related to AI infrastructure projects.
Read at ft.com ↗21
The U.S. dollar dropped to a 10-week low against a basket of currencies on August 17, 2026.
Read at wsj.com ↗22
On August 17, 2026, government borrowing costs in major economies including the US, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK reached their highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis or earlier.
Read at theguardian.com ↗23
Average government bond yields across the Group of Seven (G7) countries reached their highest level since 2008 in mid-August 2026.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗24
Bank of America increased its quarterly dividend by 14% to $0.32 per share, resulting in a new forward annual dividend of $1.28 per share.
Read at thestreet.com ↗25
Berkshire Hathaway, led by CEO Greg Abel, sold approximately 30.2 million shares of Bank of America during Q2 2026 for an estimated $1.6 billion.
Read at thestreet.com ↗8 of 18 financial results events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What court rulings and legal actions hit banking this week?
Court rulings, filings and legal actions reported this week.
26
A Ukrainian tech investor has filed a lawsuit against Scottish billionaire Jim McColl regarding a fintech venture co-founded with Monzo co-founder Jason Bates.
Read at sifted.eu ↗27
The National Association of Industrial Bankers, the American Fintech Council, and the American Financial Services Association have requested an en banc review by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.
Read at courthousenews.com ↗28
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued two federal rules on May 15, 2026, which took effect on June 18, 2026, allowing national banks and federal savings associations to stop paying interest on mortgage escrow accounts.
Read at thestreet.com ↗What research was published in banking this week?
New research findings and studies published this week.
29
The European Central Bank released its Consumer Expectations Survey for July 2026 on August 21, 2026.
Read at europa.eu ↗30
Researchers at Banca d'Italia have concluded that stablecoins do not provide a systematic cost or speed advantage for cross-border remittances compared to traditional payment channels.
Read at finextra.com ↗31
The European Central Bank reported that the decline in cash acceptance, which occurred during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, has paused.
Read at finextra.com ↗What incidents and outages hit banking this week?
Incidents, outages and safety events reported this week.
32
The Grandoreiro banking Trojan has resurfaced in a new campaign targeting banking customers in Mexico, as reported by Acronis on August 20, 2026.
Read at darkreading.com ↗33
On August 19, 2026, the UK-based digital bank Monzo activated its independent backup banking system.
Read at finextra.com ↗34
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) has issued a warning regarding a rise in 'scam-coaching' tactics.
Read at finextra.com ↗3 of 4 incidents and safety events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What partnerships were announced in banking this week?
Partnerships, integrations and joint projects announced this week.
35
South Korea’s Shinhan Bank has entered a partnership with the Solana Foundation, Etherfuse, and Orca to develop a proof-of-concept for a tokenized fund.
Read at theblock.co ↗1 of 6 partnerships events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What people moved in and out of banking roles this week?
Executive appointments and departures reported this week.
36
Gary Hoffman, the chair of the fintech company Monzo, announced his resignation effective next month.
Read at bankingdive.com ↗What else happened in banking this week?
Developments from the week that fit none of the other sections.
37
Report Fraud recorded 140 conveyancing fraud cases in the UK between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, with an average loss of £78,393 per victim.
Read at theguardian.com ↗38
The United States economy is facing a period of rapid readjustment following approximately two decades of ultralow interest rates.
Read at nytimes.com ↗39
Philip Lane, chief economist of the European Central Bank, reported that the total stock of banknotes in circulation in the EU has risen to €1.6 billion as of June 2026, up from €1 billion in 2016.
Read at theguardian.com ↗40
As of August 20, 2026, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate in the United States was 6.65%, according to Freddie Mac.
Read at thestreet.com ↗41
Banks are transitioning traditional deposits to on-chain systems using permissioned blockchain technology.
Read at coindesk.com ↗42
The Hong Kong dollar is approaching the weak end of its trading band against the US dollar due to increased demand for carry trades.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗43
Absa Group, a South African banking institution, is considering converting its existing representative office in Nigeria into a merchant bank.
Read at techcabal.com ↗44
Bloomberg reports that Donald Trump is preparing an economic isolation plan for Iran and reducing US-South Korea military drills.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗8 of 17 other developments events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.