AI for Regulated Finance: FINOS launched a new AI Fund backed by DTCC, Morgan Stanley, RBC and NatWest to help the industry set governance and standards for responsible agentic AI adoption. Trade & Development Finance: Afreximbank says Africa can turn global trade disruption into industrialisation gains, but flags a trade finance gap tied to FX shortages and limited correspondent banking. Cyber Risk Quantification: Commugen rolled out an AI agent to quantify cyber risk in financial terms for faster board-level reporting. SME Lending Push: Centenary Bank and the African Guarantee Fund launched an SME financing initiative in Uganda, with a focus on women and youth entrepreneurs. UK Public Finance Pressure: Varoufakis warns UK debt servicing costs are tightening future budget room as borrowing becomes more dependent on global market cycles. Crypto Compliance Tightening (India): India’s FIU asked major exchanges for OTC crypto records above $10,000, targeting beneficial ownership and AML traceability. MiCA Momentum (EU): Ripple received preliminary Luxembourg CSSF approval for a CASP license, paving the way for broader EEA rollout of Ripple Payments. Market Infrastructure: South Korea’s regulator plans a roadmap by October to move from T+2 toward T+1 settlement, alongside after-hours trading steps. US Housing Policy: The US Senate passed a housing bill that includes a temporary Fed CBDC ban through 2030 as it heads to the House.