Liezl Gambe

Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) has underperformed the US stock market so far in 2026, even as equities have reached successive record highs, prompting debate among asset managers over whether the divergence will persist.

• The Australian Government plans to double the maximum financial penalty for systematic breaches of its under-16 social media law to $99 million.
• The regulatory crackdown targets age-verification compliance and data transparency across five of the world's largest digital communication and media platforms.
• Rising compliance costs and potential multi-million-dollar fines create an escalating operational risk for global tech giants operating within regional jurisdictions.

The Reserve Bank of Australia staff rejected a proposed 9.5% pay rise offer over three years.

The Australian Federal Government maintains the international student commencement limit at 295,000 places next year.

Standard Chartered and Circle have launched a bank-led service allowing institutional clients to mint and redeem USD Coin (CRYPTO:USDC) directly through the bank's platform.

Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) commences immediate upgrades at its 1,500-room West Pilbara village after workers report a mould infestation.

Riversgold (ASX:RGL) has secured mining lease M25/389 for a renewable 21-year term over the Northern Zone of its Kalgoorlie Gold Project.

Anchorage Digital has integrated Lido, enabling institutional clients to mint and burn Wrapped Staked Ether (CRYPTO:WSTETH) directly within its regulated custody platform without transferring assets to external providers.

Uniswap (CRYPTO:UNI) rose 14.2% over 24 hours after the decentralised exchange announced that Uniswap v2, v3, v4 and UniswapX had been deployed on Robinhood Chain.

The board of Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) has urged its retail shareholders to reject a financing and restructure proposal from IFM Investors for the Chicago Skyway toll road.