Central Banking & Rates: Deutsche Bank says the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas should still deliver another 25 bps hike to 5% on Aug. 27, arguing inflation pressure remains broad-based even as headline inflation cools. Digital Money & Payments: RBNZ’s Karen Silk says “core infrastructure” must be in place before any CBDC move, while Solomon Islands’ central bank launched Instant Funds Transfer via SOLATS with a SBD5,000 limit. Banking Regulation & Resolution: Sri Lanka’s central bank seeks liquidators to wind up failed banks and finance companies, and India’s Sebi dropped fraud allegations against Max Financial and Axis Bank executives. Scams & Security: Australia’s banks push stronger anti-scam steps like Confirmation of Payee and SMS sender-ID rules, as phishing tactics keep evolving. Banking Deals & Expansion: Bank of America will invest up to $1.9B for a 49.9% stake in Jio Credit to expand digital lending in India. Fintech & Crypto Rails: Coinbase picked Chainlink for tokenized stock price infrastructure on Base, while SEC subpoenas Wall Street lenders tied to the near-collapse of an AI hedge fund. Asia Retail Banking: Pakistan’s Easypaisa reported 2.27x profit growth in HY2026, and Krungsri Finnovate backed three global startups. Markets: Australian bank stocks rebounded as the ASX lifted, but ETF flows show investors rotating toward resources over lenders.