News linked to this event type.
According to The Block, Lee Reiners—a lecturer in law at Duke University and former examiner at the New York Federal Reserve—published a post on May 8 stating that WLFI, the governance token issued by the DeFi project World Liberty Financial—which is closely associated with the Trump family—may constitute an unregistered security. Reiners cited the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recently released token classification framework, arguing that WLFI is not a “pure digital commodity” and therefore falls under SEC regulatory scrutiny. He contends that WLFI was publicly presold—approximately 25 billion tokens—prior to the protocol’s launch and was marketed leveraging the Trump family’s brand, leading buyers to reasonably expect profits—a key element of the SEC’s “Howey Test” for determining whether an asset qualifies as a security. Regarding decentralization claims, Reiners referenced litigation filed by Justin Sun, noting that World Liberty unilaterally froze Sun’s tokens and revoked his governance rights—revealing a high degree of centralized control. Additionally, he highlighted clear conflicts of interest: the project borrowed $75 million in stablecoins from the Dolomite protocol, using 5 billion WLFI tokens as collateral; notably, a co-founder of Dolomite also serves as an advisor to World Liberty, and part of the borrowed stablecoins flowed directly to World Liberty itself.
According to the SEC’s official website, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul S. Atkins delivered a speech on May 8 at the Special Competitive Study Project’s AI+ Expo, outlining the SEC’s regulatory approach toward AI and on-chain financial markets. Atkins stated that the SEC will advance several regulatory initiatives targeting on-chain markets, including: establishing rules defining “exchanges” for on-chain trading systems; clarifying the applicability of definitions for “brokers” and “dealers” to on-chain activities; delineating the scope of the “clearing agency” definition as it applies to on-chain clearing and settlement activities; and issuing regulatory guidance for activities related to “crypto vaults.” Regarding AI regulation, Atkins emphasized that the SEC will not mandate specific AI models for firms but will uphold its core mission of protecting investors, maintaining fair and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation—while requiring firms to take responsibility for the outputs of their deployed AI tools. Atkins also urged Congress to promptly send the CLARITY Act to the President for signature, thereby providing long-term regulatory certainty for digital asset markets through legislation. He warned that driving innovation offshore would repeat the FTX debacle and harm U.S. investors.
According to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking will hold a markup session for H.R.3633, the “Digital Asset Markets Structure Act of 2025,” at 10:30 a.m. ET on May 14. Committee members will vote on the bill’s text and related amendments. If approved, the Banking Committee’s version will be merged with the portion overseen by the Senate Committee on Agriculture to form the final version, which will then proceed to a full Senate vote.
after the U.S. Senate reached a compromise on stablecoin yield issues, expectations for advancing the crypto market structure bill have noticeably improved. Industry insiders stated that this progress "significantly boosted market sentiment," and the Senate Banking Committee may advance deliberation and voting as early as next week.Previously, the probability of the bill passing was only around 20%–30%, but expectations have now risen to approximately 60%. However, ethical issues surrounding Donald Trump and his crypto-related business ties are still seen as a key final obstacle.The bill aims to establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for the first time and delineate the regulatory authority between the SEC and the CFTC.
Payward (Kraken's parent company) has applied to the OCC for a national trust company charter, planning to establish Payward National Trust Company (PNTC).The entity will offer regulated, bank-grade digital asset custody and trust services to both institutional and individual clients.Previously, Coinbase and Ripple have received conditional approval for similar charters, indicating that crypto institutions are accelerating their alignment with compliant financial systems.
: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has stated that the regulator is considering establishing new rules for on-chain financial markets and related software applications.Atkins pointed out that current DeFi software protocols are difficult to classify within traditional regulatory frameworks as exchanges, brokers, or clearing agencies, as a single protocol often simultaneously performs multiple functions such as trade execution, collateral management, liquidity routing, and settlement.His remarks are seen as a sign of the SEC adopting a more open attitude towards the crypto industry, appearing friendlier compared to his predecessor Gary Gensler. Meanwhile, the SEC is also exploring innovative exemption mechanisms for tokenized securities and advancing the clarification of digital asset classification systems.
major US-based crypto exchanges Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini are pushing for amendments to the Senate's crypto market structure bill, seeking to delete or relax the listing restrictions on 'digital assets susceptible to manipulation.' The original clause requires trading platforms to only list digital assets that are 'not easily manipulated.' The industry is concerned that this standard could limit the ability of small-cap tokens to be listed on exchanges, thereby impacting liquidity and market development.According to sources, the exchanges submitted revision proposals to the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this year, suggesting the removal of the relevant restrictive language and emphasizing that the current wording could create a 'listing barrier' for small-cap crypto assets. Under the bill's design, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would gain broader regulatory authority over digital commodity markets in the future, adopting a 'self-certification' mechanism used in traditional commodity markets, which requires exchanges to confirm that a product is not easily manipulated before it can be listed.However, the crypto industry believes that digital assets have structural differences from traditional commodity derivatives, making it unreasonable to simply apply existing standards, which could stifle innovation and market access. A source noted that the current direction of revisions is seen as a 'clear push for regulatory easing.' A Coinbase policy executive stated that the industry supports stronger regulatory and anti-fraud frameworks but opposes directly transplanting standards unsuitable for spot markets, as it would affect market liquidity and consumer participation. It is understood that the bill is still in the negotiation phase between two Senate committees and is expected to undergo further adjustments before being formally submitted for a full floor vote. (Politico)
according to a UK police announcement, former World Athletics Championships 4x100m relay gold medalist and British sprinter CJ Ujah, along with nine other individuals, has been charged with "conspiracy to defraud" in connection with a cryptocurrency fraud case.Police stated that the criminal gang posed as police and cryptocurrency company personnel to conduct phone scams against multiple victims, tricking them into disclosing critical wallet security information, including seed phrases. The perpetrators then transferred the victims' crypto assets, with one victim losing over £300,000. The case was cracked following a joint investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) across Kent, Essex, and London. The ten suspects have appeared in court, with Ujah released on bail until a further hearing on May 28.Ujah, now 32, won a 4x100m relay gold medal for Team GB at the 2017 World Championships and also claimed the Diamond League title that same year. In 2022, he was suspended for 22 months due to a doping violation, which was later attributed to contamination from a supplement causing an adverse analytical finding. In addition to Ujah, another British sprinter, Brandon Mingeli, is also on the list of those arrested and is currently in custody pending trial. (The Guardian)
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong recently issued a public notice warning investors to be vigilant against certain unlicensed platforms and related marketing activities, specifically naming HabitTrade. In response, HabitTrade issued a statement clarifying that it is a licensed Australian brokerage firm and a compliant financial services platform, and that it does not conduct any regulated business in Hong Kong nor promote or provide related services to the Hong Kong public. The statement further notes that certain third-party promotional content, video materials, and traffic-driving activities circulating in the market do not represent HabitTrade’s official position. The company reserves the right to pursue legal action against any unauthorized use of its brand, technical infrastructure, or partnership affiliations for misleading or non-compliant promotional purposes. HabitTrade stated that it remains committed to regulatory compliance as its top priority and will cooperate fully with relevant regulatory authorities in jurisdictions where it operates to conduct necessary investigations.
Odaily, Aptos Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NETSTARS, a Japanese QR code payment service provider, to jointly explore multi-chain payment solutions. The two parties plan to integrate the high-performance Aptos L1 blockchain into NETSTARS' existing cashless payment system, introducing stablecoin payments to its merchant network, with a focus on instant settlement, low costs, and a compliant embedded transaction experience.
Odaily Odaily News: At the Consensus Miami 2026 conference, executives from MoonPay, Ripple, and Paxos stated that regulatory clarity is driving accelerated institutional adoption of stablecoins. However, infrastructure, privacy protection, and real-world use cases remain the core challenges facing the industry.Richard Harrison, Vice President of Banking and Payment Partnerships at MoonPay, noted that the GENIUS Act provides a "license" for enterprises to enter the stablecoin space, making it easier for traditional financial institutions to participate in the stablecoin market. He pointed out that stablecoins can significantly improve the efficiency of cross-border payments, but their share in global remittances remains low, predicting it could rise to approximately 10% in the next five years.Jack McDonald, Senior Vice President of Stablecoins at Ripple, stated that institutional clients are more focused on regulatory compliance, custody security, and trusted counterparties, rather than simply the market capitalization of stablecoins. He mentioned that Ripple places greater emphasis on the practical utility of stablecoins in scenarios such as payments, enterprise cash flow management, and capital market collateral.Brent Perrault, Senior Software Engineer at Paxos, pointed out that on-chain privacy issues have not yet been effectively addressed, as public blockchains can expose transaction amounts and fund flows. He believes that the key to future competition among stablecoins will be trust, distribution capabilities, and user incentive mechanisms.Harrison also compared stablecoins to electric vehicles, stating that "the product itself is already viable, but true mass adoption still depends on supporting infrastructure." This includes real-world consumer use cases such as paying rent or buying coffee with stablecoins. (CoinDesk)
According to Cointelegraph, after a 15-month investigation, police in New South Wales, Australia, seized 52.3 bitcoins—valued at approximately AUD 5.7 million (about USD 4.1 million)—and arrested two suspects allegedly operating a dark web marketplace in Ingleburn, Sydney. Authorities stated that the seized bitcoins are suspected proceeds from illicit dark web activities linked to drug and weapons trafficking. The operation, conducted by the State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad (Strike Force Andalusia), is regarded as one of the largest dark web-related cryptocurrency seizures ever carried out in Australia. Meanwhile, AUSTRAC has recently intensified its anti-money laundering (AML) oversight of domestic virtual asset service providers and cryptocurrency exchanges.
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has issued a warning, adding two unlicensed platforms—StableStock and HabitTrade—to its warning list. The SFC noted that online videos are inducing the public to use the StableStock platform, which claims users can subscribe to Hong Kong IPOs using virtual assets and states it is collaborating with HabitTrade. The SFC emphasized that neither entity holds an SFC license and therefore must not engage in any regulated activities in Hong Kong or promote their services to the public.
According to Decrypt, Australia’s financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC has launched two targeted regulatory initiatives against the virtual asset industry, focusing on anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) risk management practices of relevant businesses. These initiatives cover 36 cryptocurrency-to-fiat over-the-counter (OTC) trading operators and 27 domestic cryptocurrency exchanges. Australia’s new regulations have expanded oversight from traditional cryptocurrency exchanges to Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), including custodial and brokerage services. The Travel Rule for virtual asset transfers will become mandatory on July 1.
CoinMarketCap’s April 2026 Exchange Monthly Report shows that the total trading volume across the 12 tracked cryptocurrency exchanges amounted to $4.50 trillion, with Binance holding a 36.23% market share. Overall derivatives trading volume was 5.38 times that of spot trading, and the combined proof-of-reserves across eight exchanges totaled $220.07 billion. The report also notes that Coinbase surpassed Binance in BTC spot order book depth within ±2%, becoming the exchange with the deepest liquidity; for ETH spot liquidity, Binance remains the leader. On the regulatory front, Binance is advancing its MiCA authorization application in Greece, while Gemini completed its withdrawal from the UK, EEA, and Australian markets on April 6.
According to The Block, South Korea’s National Assembly has passed an amendment to the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act, requiring enterprises engaged in cross-border inflows and outflows of crypto assets to register with the Minister of Economy and Finance to strengthen systematic oversight of cross-border crypto asset flows. The amendment introduces a new definition of “virtual asset transfer business,” covering activities involving the transfer of crypto assets between South Korea and overseas jurisdictions through buying, selling, or exchanging—such as those conducted by cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset custodians. Separately, it is reported that South Korea’s Financial Services Commission plans to extend the Travel Rule to all crypto transactions; South Korea also intends to impose a 22% tax on crypto asset gains exceeding 2.5 million KRW starting January 2027.
: European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that even stablecoins denominated in euros could pose risks to financial stability and the transmission of monetary policy. (Cointelegraph)
According to Bloomberg, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde stated in a speech delivered on May 8 local time that even euro-denominated stablecoins would pose risks to financial stability and monetary policy transmission, and she questioned the necessity of introducing such instruments. Lagarde noted that while euro stablecoins might help reduce financing costs in the euro area and enhance the euro’s global influence, the associated trade-offs “cannot be ignored.”
According to Caixin, YF Financial’s gold token product has no secondary market, and the physical gold is stored in a Hong Kong vault. The product will be available only to users who have completed Hong Kong’s Professional Investor (PI) certification. A relevant official stated that physical-gold-backed token products are “in essence not financial leverage, but rather the digitization of assets.” In February this year, eight Chinese government departments—including the People’s Bank of China—jointly issued the “Notice on Further Preventing and Addressing Risks Related to Virtual Currencies and Other Matters,” which for the first time incorporated Real World Assets (RWA) into the regulatory framework at the supervisory level, adopting an overall approach of “strict prohibition domestically and strict oversight overseas.” Earlier reports indicated that YF Youyu—a subsidiary of YF Financial, in which Jack Ma holds an indirect stake—launched a physical-gold-backed token product, with physical gold as its underlying collateral asset; each unit of the product corresponds to 1 gram of LBMA-certified physical gold with 99.99% purity.
According to CoinDesk, at the “Perp DEX Explosion: Bullish Volumes and Bear Market Resilience” panel at Consensus Miami, several industry insiders stated that institutional investors are still largely avoiding decentralized exchanges offering perpetual futures (Perp DEXs). Veteran trader Wizard of SoHo pointed out that Drift’s recent multi-million-dollar hack highlights security vulnerabilities in the DeFi ecosystem, making secure onboarding of institutional capital a core competitive focus for major Perp DEXs. Anderson of Canary Labs expressed concern about DeFi’s current security posture, noting that large institutions face significantly greater challenges adopting decentralized exchanges compared to centralized platforms. Additionally, the structural tension between DeFi’s permissionless, open design and institutions’ stringent KYC compliance requirements is seen as a key barrier to scaling adoption. Michaël van de Poppe, founder of MN Fund, shared his views on AI-powered trading tools, stating that AI agents represent an evolutionary extension of algorithmic trading—and that trading will increasingly become fully automated.