News linked to this event type.
According to The Block, a U.S. court sentenced Maximilien de Hoop Cartier—a descendant of the Cartier jewelry family—to eight years in prison for operating an unlicensed over-the-counter cryptocurrency exchange. Prosecutors stated that the exchange transferred over $470 million in drug proceeds through U.S. bank accounts to Colombia. Prosecutors alleged that Maximilien de Hoop Cartier falsely claimed his companies engaged in software publishing and software development. In reality, these companies were used to receive and transfer drug money and other illicit proceeds: drug funds were received in cryptocurrency, converted into fiat currency, deposited into shell company accounts under his control, and then forwarded to other nodes within the money-laundering network. These funds were ultimately withdrawn in Colombian pesos in Colombia. In addition to imprisonment, Maximilien de Hoop Cartier was ordered to pay a fine of approximately $2.36 million—representing commissions he earned from participating in the fraud scheme. The court also ordered the forfeiture of specific bank accounts held in the names of shell companies used in the scheme.
According to CertiK, Syndicate Protocol suffered an exploit due to a security breach in the Commons cross-chain bridge. The attacker exploited the vulnerability to acquire approximately 18.5 million SYND tokens, which were subsequently sold for roughly $330,000. The related funds have already been transferred to the Ethereum network via the cross-chain bridge. Syndicate’s official response states that it is investigating the security incident involving the Commons bridge. The team is tracking the attack and collaborating with security firms. It is also evaluating various options to compensate affected users. Syndicate holds sufficient token reserves to assist users who lost SYND.
According to Cointelegraph, Aptos recently launched its privacy token, Confidential APT, on the mainnet. Confidential APT is pegged 1:1 to APT and uses zero-knowledge proofs to conceal token balances and transfer amounts, while preserving wallet address visibility and transaction verifiability. Sherry Xiao, founding engineer at Aptos Labs, stated that the token aims to resolve the long-standing tension between blockchain privacy and regulatory transparency, and can mitigate sensitive on-chain information exposure—such as payroll distributions, treasury operations, and trading strategies. From a compliance perspective, enabling audit keys requires approval via on-chain governance voting. The launch of Confidential APT follows a governance proposal that passed with near-unanimous support. Xiao expects individual users to adopt the token more rapidly than enterprises; if the mainnet operates stably for six months and demonstrates strong trading volume, it could help shorten the sales cycle for enterprise adoption.
According to monitoring by the Odaily Seer Prophecy Channel, in the Polymarket prediction event regarding "What will Powell say at the April press conference," the probability of purchasing "Good Afternoon" has risen to 98.3%. As the transaction price is close to 98.3¢, the total trading volume for this event currently stands at $57,749.In related context, Federal Reserve Chairman Powell is about to hold the April monetary policy press conference. As his term is set to expire in mid-next month, this press conference is viewed as a final act of his career. Based on historical precedent, Powell habitually greets the media with "good afternoon" at the start of each press conference. Although the market is currently under pressure from a high-interest-rate environment, bettors have shown extremely high consensus in predicting this customary phrasing.The Odaily Seer Prophecy Channel continues to monitor the prediction market, observing changes before prices are set.
Odaily Odaily Odaily The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Tuesday sued the state of Wisconsin in an effort to uphold its regulatory authority after the state filed lawsuits against multiple prediction market platforms. In a statement, the CFTC said the lawsuit was filed in response to Wisconsin's legal actions against five CFTC-regulated prediction market operators: Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Coinbase. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig stated that states cannot circumvent clear congressional directives, and the agency will take legal action if they interfere with the implementation of federal laws regulating financial markets. This marks the fifth such lawsuit the CFTC has initiated against a U.S. state, following previous actions against New York, Arizona, Connecticut, and Illinois. Wisconsin had previously argued that prediction market contracts related to sporting events constitute illegal gambling and must obtain a state gambling license. The CFTC, jointly with the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division, filed a complaint in Wisconsin federal court, asserting its exclusive jurisdiction over prediction market event contracts operating as designated contract markets. The defendants include Wisconsin Governor Anthony Evers, state Attorney General Josh Kaul, and the state's gambling division.
According to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), tokens using the tickers “HKDAP” or “HSBC” have appeared in the market; however, these tokens are not issued by licensed stablecoin issuers and have no association with such issuers. The HKMA urges the public to remain vigilant and pay attention to the statements issued by Dingdian Financial Technology Co., Ltd. and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) regarding this matter. To date, both licensed stablecoin issuers have confirmed that they have not yet launched any regulated stablecoins in the market. The HKMA reminds the public to stay alert against any fraudulent activities claiming affiliation with licensed entities or their issued stablecoins. In case of doubt, members of the public should refer to the official announcements issued by the two licensed issuers and purchase or use stablecoins only through regulated channels.
According to CBC News, the Canadian federal government has announced plans to implement a nationwide ban on cryptocurrency ATMs to protect the public from fraudsters. This measure was formally proposed in the government’s spring economic update, which characterizes cryptocurrency ATMs as “a primary tool used by fraudsters to deceive victims and by criminals to launder money.” Cryptocurrency ATMs allow users to deposit cash and exchange it for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which are then transferred to any digital wallet worldwide. CBC News’ prior investigative report, “Feeding Fraud,” revealed that these machines have become the main channel through which fraudsters in Canada obtain victims’ funds. Canada’s financial intelligence agency, FINTRAC, reached the same conclusion in its February 2023 analytical report. Canada currently has the highest number of cryptocurrency ATMs per capita globally—nearly 4,000 units nationwide—yet still lacks industry-specific regulatory legislation. The government stated that, following implementation of the ban, the public will still be able to purchase virtual currencies through physical money service businesses.
after ASOS co-founder Quentin Griffiths died in a fall from a building in Thailand, approximately $4 million in assets from his Bitcoin wallet were transferred out. The funds were moved from his online account to an unknown destination in three separate transactions within days of his death. His eldest son, Joel, reported the incident to the police six weeks after his father's passing. Thai police are currently investigating the asset theft case. Prior to his death, Quentin Griffiths was under investigation for suspected fraud and faced multiple legal lawsuits and family property disputes before and after the fall.
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis responded to journalists’ concerns about the developer protection provisions in the CLARITY Act, stating, “This is not a new issue—the provision is currently under refinement to ensure the safety of developers who do not engage in fund transmission, while holding bad actors accountable.”
the Canadian federal government announced in its spring economic update released on Tuesday a plan to ban cryptocurrency ATMs to protect citizens from fraud. The government defined cryptocurrency ATMs as a primary tool used by scammers to defraud victims and by criminals to transfer illicit funds.Previous analysis by FINTRAC showed that cryptocurrency ATMs have become a major channel for scammers to obtain funds from victims in Canada. Since these machines do not require a bank account and lack manual review, funds can be transferred quickly and are difficult to trace. Canada currently has nearly 4,000 cryptocurrency ATMs, ranking first globally in per capita ownership. The Canadian government stated that the measure aims to better protect citizens from illegal activities when purchasing virtual currencies through physical money service businesses. Previously, countries such as the UK, New Zealand, and Australia have implemented restrictions or bans on cryptocurrency ATMs.
Visa has partnered with WeFi, an on-chain banking company founded by former Tether CEO Reeve Collins, aiming to enable digital asset payments through WeFi's on-chain banking infrastructure. WeFi allows users to hold assets in self-custodial wallets and retain control of their private keys, while ensuring they can spend at any merchant that accepts Visa payments.The project will initially launch in select markets in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, with plans to expand to other regions pending regulatory approvals. WeFi CEO Maksym Sakharov stated that stablecoins will be directly embedded into the underlying infrastructure, with settlement processes handled in the background, eliminating the need for users to manually perform conversions.
According to The Block, Visa has partnered with WeFi—a “blockchain-based bank” founded by Reeve Collins, former CEO of Tether—to enable users to hold digital assets in self-custodial wallets and spend them directly across the global Visa acceptance network, without depositing assets into centralized exchanges. Maksym Sakharov, Co-Founder and CEO of WeFi, stated that stablecoins are natively embedded into the underlying infrastructure, with settlements processed automatically in the background, delivering a user experience indistinguishable from conventional payments. This partnership will initially launch in select markets across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, with further expansion contingent upon regulatory approvals.
Odaily News, Web3 security company CertiK has released its "2026 State of Digital Asset Regulation" report, systematically reviewing global regulatory trends. The report indicates that as of April 2026, regulatory frameworks in major jurisdictions such as the United States, the European Union, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore have been largely established, and the industry is entering a phase of comprehensive compliance.The report shows that anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement has replaced securities classification as the primary regulatory risk. In the first half of 2025, global AML-related fines exceeded $900 million, making transaction monitoring capabilities a core compliance requirement. Meanwhile, smart contract security audits are evolving from industry best practices into access conditions, becoming a prerequisite for license approval and token listings. Additionally, global stablecoin regulatory frameworks are converging, with principles such as full reserve backing and licensed issuance becoming widespread, though cross-jurisdictional regulatory differences still pose compliance challenges.The report states that with regulatory convergence and strengthened enforcement, the industry has entered an "era of strong compliance." CertiK indicated that the core challenge for enterprises is shifting from "whether to comply" to "how to quickly build and implement compliance capabilities." Multi-jurisdictional licensing, AML investment, and continuous security audits are becoming fundamental entry requirements for institutional development.
CFTC Chairman Mike Selig, in an interview with CoinDesk, stated that the CFTC is developing tools leveraging AI to review registration applications for the U.S. crypto market and monitor trading activity. Mike Selig noted that due to federal government layoffs, which have reduced the agency's workforce by more than one-fifth, AI and automation technologies will be used to fill the manpower gap and improve the efficiency of document review. Currently, his employees are undergoing training on Microsoft Copilot, while the agency is also developing internal tools for reviewing swaps data and market surveillance.Furthermore, Mike Selig stated that the digital asset classification guide jointly released by the CFTC and the SEC is the most important initiative during his tenure, aimed at providing regulatory clarity for market participants. Regarding prediction markets, Mike Selig reiterated the CFTC's exclusive jurisdiction and emphasized that strict enforcement actions will be taken against violations such as insider trading.
Amber Premium (NASDAQ: AMBR), an institutional-grade crypto financial services provider, today announced its full-year 2025 financial results. The report shows the company achieved annual total revenue of $66.1 million, setting a new historical record; full-year client trading volume exceeded $11 billion, with average platform assets per active client reaching $1.3 million. On the compliance front, following an in-principle approval in Q4 2025, the company officially received the Dubai VARA VASP license in April 2026, completing its strategic "Pan-Asia Tri-Pole" layout across Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
the Israel Capital Market Authority has approved Bits of Gold to issue the country's first shekel-pegged stablecoin, BILS. The token is a regulated asset launched by Bits of Gold after a two-year evaluation and pilot program, with support from the Solana network, Fireblocks, and Ernst & Young. Bits of Gold stated that bringing the shekel on-chain aims to position it alongside currencies such as the euro, the Japanese yen, and the Singapore dollar, which have already entered the blockchain financial system. Currently, the stablecoin market size has exceeded $300 billion. This issuance aims to address the dominance of dollar-pegged tokens in on-chain payments and safeguard digital sovereignty.
According to the official announcement, Binance will update its Independent Broker (Cryptocurrency-as-a-Service, or CaaS—Basic/Advanced tiers) offering by imposing a cap on the number of KYC-verified sub-accounts that each Independent Broker’s end users may create. This change aims to standardize service requirements across the platform, thereby enhancing compliance and security for all products and users. Starting from 08:00 (UTC+8) on April 29, 2026, each KYC-verified user under an Independent Broker may link up to five sub-accounts.
on Sunday that after the Department of Justice concluded its investigation into Powell, Republican Senator Thom Tillis dropped his opposition to Kevin Warsh's Federal Reserve Chair nomination confirmation process. The Senate Banking Committee ultimately voted 13 to 11 in favor of sending Kevin Warsh's nomination as Federal Reserve Chair to a full Senate vote. According to the official website of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, the vote is scheduled for April 29th at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.On the same day, the Federal Open Market Committee will also announce its latest interest rate decision. Current Chair Jerome Powell will preside over his 63rd—and potentially final—press conference since taking the helm of the Federal Reserve eight years ago. Powell's term as Federal Reserve Chair expires on May 15th, but his term as a Board member runs until January 31, 2028. Whether Powell will also step down from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors has become a key focus for the market.
According to an announcement by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), LianLian Digital announced that it has successfully obtained a Money Services Business (MSB) license from Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) through an acquisition vehicle, enabling it to conduct regulated activities including foreign exchange, remittance, virtual currency, and payment services. The specific acquisition amount has not yet been disclosed.
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis stated at the "Bitcoin 2026" conference that she plans to push the CLARITY Act into the deliberation process in May and work towards its final implementation, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for the U.S. crypto market.Lummis also stated that Bitcoin, with its characteristics of not requiring a trusted third party and its limited total supply, is "true freedom money," and believes that the United States should become the global core for this asset.