News linked to this event type.
Odaily News: New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Wednesday prohibiting state government employees from using non-public information to trade in prediction markets or assisting others in profiting from it. This move aims to address growing concerns over "insider betting" in prediction markets.According to the executive order, all government officials appointed by the governor or under her jurisdiction, as well as members of public agencies, are prohibited from using any non-public information obtained in the course of their duties to seek profits or avoid losses in prediction markets or similar services. They are also barred from assisting others in such activities. The governor mentioned in the document that the current "rapid expansion of prediction markets" has drawn regulatory attention.The day before, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also issued a similar executive order, banning state government personnel from using non-public information to participate in prediction market betting.Meanwhile, prediction market platform Kalshi disclosed that it has launched investigations into three insider trading cases involving candidates and has imposed fines and trading suspensions on the relevant individuals. One of those penalized is Mark Moran, a candidate in the Virginia State Senate Democratic primary, who was penalized for betting on his own campaign and stated he "hoped to be caught."
Odaily News Investment bank TD Cowen stated that disagreements surrounding the "CLARITY Act" extend far beyond the issue of stablecoin revenue, with multiple practical obstacles potentially slowing down the legislative process.First, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is understaffed, currently with only one commissioner in office. Under these circumstances, Congress is unlikely to confidently assign more cryptocurrency regulatory responsibilities to the agency, and filling the personnel vacancies alone would require several months.Second, the issue of prediction markets is heating up. Whether to include them under the bill's regulatory scope, along with potential concerns about insider trading and political conflicts of interest (including controversies related to Trump-affiliated projects), could cause some Democratic lawmakers to oppose the bill.Simultaneously, the ongoing controversy surrounding the Trump family's crypto project, World Liberty Financial, is also increasing the bill's political sensitivity, making bipartisan consensus more difficult to achieve.Geopolitics has also become a variable. Discussions regarding Iran's potential use of cryptocurrency payments are intensifying focus on anti-money laundering provisions and could even lead to the introduction of amendments unfavorable to the industry.Furthermore, some lawmakers are attempting to incorporate the "Credit Card Competition Act" into the bill. If pursued, this could trigger new conflicts of interest, further impeding the overall legislative progress.
According to official news, Hyperliquid has established the Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC) in the United States. Funded by the Hyper Foundation, this institution aims to advocate for legal clarity and protection for US users and developers. HPC will primarily focus on the on-chain perpetual contracts sector, advocating for the development of a regulatory framework that reflects the advantages of decentralized markets. It seeks to address the current issue within the US legal framework, where reliance on centralized intermediaries prevents retail investors from legally participating in decentralized derivatives trading. HPC is committed to establishing legal domestic participation pathways for a full range of financial instruments, including on-chain perpetual contracts, spot digital assets, prediction markets, and tokenized securities.
According to an official announcement, Kalshi—a prediction market regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)—has integrated Pyth as the settlement data source for its newly launched Commodities Hub, covering markets including gold, silver, Brent crude oil, natural gas, copper, corn, soybeans, and wheat. Meanwhile, Pyth Pro will provide Kalshi’s market makers with direct access to market data. Kalshi stated that this move aims to support continuous trading and reliable settlement of commodity-related event contracts; Pyth Pro will subsequently expand to additional asset classes, including indices, equities, and foreign exchange.
Odaily News: The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), in collaboration with HM Revenue & Customs and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, recently conducted raids on eight locations across the UK suspected of engaging in illegal P2P cryptocurrency trading. Officials issued prohibition orders on-site, requiring the operators to cease activities immediately and gathered relevant evidence. The UK FCA pointed out that currently, no P2P cryptocurrency traders or platforms are registered with the regulator in the UK. Furthermore, in the recent multi-agency Operation Atlantic, law enforcement agencies froze $12 million in assets linked to cryptocurrency scams and traced over $45 million in stolen cryptocurrency. The UK FCA has now launched a consultation on its guidelines for the cryptocurrency regulatory framework set to take effect in 2027.
Odaily News The Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament, passed the first reading of the draft bill No. 1194918-8, titled "On Digital Currency and Digital Rights," on Tuesday. The bill aims to establish the core legal framework for digital currencies in Russia, directing cryptocurrency transactions to licensed intermediaries regulated by the Bank of Russia. According to the bill, Russian residents could purchase cryptocurrencies through approved intermediaries as early as July, while unlicensed platforms will be banned by July 2027.The bill introduces restrictions for retail investors, stipulating that only digital currencies with high liquidity are permitted for purchase. Relevant assets must meet criteria such as an average market capitalization exceeding 5 trillion rubles (approximately $66.66 billion) over the past two years, a daily average trading volume exceeding 1 trillion rubles (approximately $13.33 billion), and a trading history of at least five years. Retail investors are required to pass a test and have an annual purchase limit of 300,000 rubles (approximately $4,000) per single intermediary. Furthermore, the bill allows residents to purchase cryptocurrencies through foreign accounts but mandates reporting to tax authorities, while explicitly prohibiting the use of cryptocurrencies for payments.
Odaily News Documentary Finding Satoshi was released on Wednesday, claiming that Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto is not an individual but a pseudonym jointly used by cryptographers Hal Finney and Len Sassaman. Directors Tucker Tooley and Matthew Miele, through a four-year investigation, pointed out that Hal Finney was responsible for writing the Bitcoin code, while Len Sassaman was responsible for writing the text content, including the whitepaper. Hal Finney's widow, Fran Finney, admitted in an interview that her husband may have been involved in the creation of Bitcoin. Investigators eliminated other candidates such as Adam Back through a process of elimination, noting that the online activity records of Hal Finney and Len Sassaman closely match those of Satoshi Nakamoto. Additionally, the film includes a 90-minute interview with Sam Bankman-Fried, but it was ultimately not used.
According to an official announcement, Coinbase has announced the listing of tGBP, a stablecoin pegged to the British pound, starting April 22, 2026. Users can buy, sell, exchange, send, and receive tGBP via the Coinbase App and Coinbase Exchange. It was disclosed that tGBP’s issuer, BCP Technologies, is registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and participates in the FCA’s regulatory sandbox. Coinbase stated that this listing forms part of its international expansion strategy to support more local-currency stablecoins.
TechFlow News, April 22: According to CoinDesk, Kraken stated that it has filed 56 million cryptocurrency transaction tax forms with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the 2025 tax year. Of these, approximately 18.5 million forms report transactions under $1, 74% report amounts under $50, and only 8.5% exceed $600. Kraken noted that the absence of a de minimis exemption threshold for cryptocurrency payments—and the current treatment of staking rewards as ordinary income upon receipt—are imposing a significant reporting burden on investors. Kraken is urging the U.S. Congress to enact broader, inflation-indexed de minimis exemption rules and to allow taxpayers to elect whether staking rewards are taxed upon receipt or upon sale.
According to The Block, B2B stablecoin technology provider Infinite has launched Infinite Accounts—a banking account service for enterprises that supports deposits, withdrawals, ACH transfers, domestic and international wire transfers, as well as stablecoin minting, burning, and on-chain transfers—all accessible via a single API. This service is powered by the traditional banking infrastructure of Erebor Bank, which recently obtained its banking license. Infinite states that fiat balances held in these accounts may be eligible for FDIC insurance, whereas stablecoin balances are not. This launch comes amid continued growing institutional adoption of stablecoins.
According to Reuters, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) stated that it has jointly searched eight London locations suspected of operating illegal peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading activities, together with tax authorities and police, and issued cease-and-desist letters to each site. The FCA said evidence obtained during on-site inspections supports multiple ongoing criminal investigations. This operation was conducted under anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regulations, aiming to prevent such operators from providing criminals with channels to transfer, conceal, and use illicit funds. Currently, no peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange operators are registered with the FCA in the UK.
According to PR Newswire, Valour, a subsidiary of DeFi Technologies, has secured approximately USD 11 million in institutional investment to purchase its Hedera (HBAR)-related ETP products—around USD 10 million for the product listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and approximately USD 1 million for Valour Hedera SEK, listed on Sweden’s Spotlight Exchange. DeFi Technologies stated that both transactions were facilitated by its Abu Dhabi workshop, reflecting growing institutional demand for regulated, exchange-traded products providing exposure to Hedera and supporting the growth of its assets under management in the German market.
According to Cointelegraph, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal stated that the company has removed the lawsuit filed against it by New York Attorney General Letitia James—regarding its prediction markets business—from state court to federal court, citing a substantial federal legal question concerning the regulation of event contracts. The lawsuit also involves Gemini Titan. New York alleges that the relevant prediction market products violate the state’s gambling laws and seeks penalties, disgorgement of alleged illegal profits, user compensation, and an injunction prohibiting the offering of similar products in New York without compliance with state law.
According to Edaily, Kim Hyun-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea’s Digital Asset Task Force, stated that the “Digital Asset Basic Act”—which covers stablecoin regulation—is expected to be submitted after the June local elections, and related committee deliberations may also commence around the same time. The bill aims to regulate the entire digital asset ecosystem, including issuance, circulation, information disclosure, and listing of virtual assets. Kim Hyun-jung added that the party and government have yet to fully reach consensus on issues such as bank-led consortiums and equity oversight of digital asset exchanges; however, with Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song sending positive signals regarding stablecoins, related legislation is still expected to move forward.
According to The Block, Russia’s State Duma has approved the cryptocurrency regulation bill at its first reading. The bill proposes classifying cryptocurrencies as “property,” designating the Central Bank of Russia as the authority responsible for licensing and supervising market participants, and introducing a tiered access framework for both qualified and non-qualified investors. The bill explicitly prohibits the use of cryptocurrencies for domestic payments—while the ruble remains the sole legal settlement currency—yet permits Russian companies to use cryptocurrencies for settlements with foreign counterparties in cross-border trade, thereby circumventing sanctions restrictions. The bill still requires approval at the second and third readings, followed by review by the Federation Council, before being submitted to the President for signature. If formally enacted, it is expected to enter into force on July 1, 2026.
According to Hong Kong media outlet HK01, before attending the Executive Council meeting, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee addressed journalists’ questions regarding the suspension of the basketball betting tax policy. He stated that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau must conduct regular reviews, and before continuing with the basketball betting tax policy, the government hopes to manage associated risks—a move he considers appropriate. Lee emphasized that the suspension is not solely due to gambling concerns but also relates to virtual currencies. The Hong Kong government has observed a sharp rise in trading volume on illegal gambling “prediction markets,” which are linked to the ability to place bets using cryptocurrencies; therefore, the policy should not be advanced blindly.
According to the Financial Times, UK-based startup Stratiphy will offer both cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (ETNs) and innovative finance ISAs (IF ISAs), enabling investors to hold crypto assets within capital gains tax-free accounts. Stratiphy provides three ETNs issued by 21Shares—the largest European crypto ETP issuer—which track Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a Bitcoin-and-gold composite product. The platform currently manages approximately £4 million in assets and serves around 2,000 clients. In October last year, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority lifted its four-year ban on retail investors purchasing exchange-traded notes (ETNs).
Odaily News According to Etherealize's latest research report, which proposes the "Productive Money" theory, if Ethereum captures the combined monetary premium of approximately $31 trillion currently held by gold and Bitcoin, its implied price could exceed $250,000, far above the current level of around $2,300.The report points out that ETH not only possesses traditional monetary attributes such as scarcity, verifiability, and censorship resistance but can also generate an annualized yield of about 2%–4% through staking, achieving an "interest-bearing" monetary characteristic, thereby distinguishing it from non-productive assets like gold and Bitcoin.Furthermore, within the DeFi system, ETH serves a triple demand source as a "collateral asset + fee-burning mechanism + staking lock-up," forming a mechanism for supply contraction and value accumulation. The report believes that with the development of on-chain finance and asset tokenization, ETH is expected to simultaneously possess the dual attributes of a "store of value + productive asset."However, the report also notes that ETH's path to achieving this valuation still faces multiple uncertainties including regulation, technology, and competition. Its long-term value revaluation depends on the market's recognition of its monetary properties.
According to Caixin, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released a consultation paper on April 17, 2026, proposing more accommodating regulatory capital guidelines for crypto assets on permissionless blockchains (i.e., public blockchains) ahead of implementing the Basel Committee’s new capital requirements for crypto assets. The current Basel framework is viewed as overly stringent in its classification of public blockchain-based assets, potentially stifling banking-sector innovation. MAS plans to abandon a “one-size-fits-all” classification approach and instead allow public blockchain-based crypto assets that meet a set of principle-based criteria to be classified as Group 1 crypto assets—carrying lower risk weights and less stringent prudential requirements—to achieve regulatory technology neutrality.
According to bits.media, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree establishing the Besqala Mining Valley Special Economic Zone in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Miners operating within the zone will enjoy tax incentives, valid until January 1, 2035. The zone will be connected to a unified power system powered by renewable energy and hydrogen. Cryptographic assets mined within the zone may be sold or exchanged via domestic Uzbek exchanges or overseas platforms. Mining licenses will be issued by the State Agency for Perspective Projects. Currently, Uzbekistan mandates that cryptocurrency transactions be conducted exclusively through state-licensed service providers; peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions are explicitly prohibited by law, digital assets cannot be used for payment or settlement, and only legal entities are permitted to engage in mining activities. The country introduced its mining licensing regime in 2023, with the first license officially issued only at the end of February 2026.