News linked to both this project and an event.
research firm Benchmark Equity Research has highlighted that the market structure reform proposal put forward by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 11 could be one of the most far-reaching regulatory actions for the U.S. crypto industry this year. The proposal aims to abolish Rule 611 and Rule 610(e) of Regulation NMS, two core rules that have governed the routing and execution of U.S. stock trades since 2005, which are seen as having long constrained the development of tokenized stocks and on-chain trading.Rule 611 (Order Protection Rule) requires trading venues to avoid executing trades at prices inferior to "protected quotations" on other markets, thereby enforcing the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) system. Rule 610(e) prohibits locked and crossed markets, restricting quotation overlaps and price mismatches.Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer stated that if the rules are repealed, it would remove key legal barriers hindering DeFi trading models, such as automated market makers (AMMs), allowing them to operate without relying on traditional order routing systems. The regulatory changes would directly benefit infrastructure for tokenized stocks and crypto securities trading, with Securitize identified as the most immediate beneficiary. Additionally, Coinbase and Galaxy Digital could also benefit from the expansion of trading, custody, and market-making businesses.However, Benchmark also noted that even with looser rules, critical issues such as exchange registration, clearing and settlement, and custody frameworks remain unresolved. The market is still anticipating the SEC's potential introduction of an "innovation exemption" mechanism. The SEC has opened a 60-day public comment period, and Benchmark expects a final vote could take place in early 2027. (The Block)
According to The Block, Kraken has launched cryptocurrency perpetual futures trading in the U.S., with the related products available via Kraken Pro. This launch follows Kraken’s acquisition of Bitnomial—a CFTC-licensed exchange, clearinghouse, and broker—in May.
Bernstein suggests Robinhood is poised for a "strong tailwind" as prediction market trading volumes hit record highs during the World Cup.Data shows that daily trading volume in prediction markets during the early stages of the FIFA World Cup surged from $2.2 billion on June 11 to $4.8 billion on June 12, setting a new all-time high, surpassing the $1.4 billion traded during the previous Super Bowl.Analysts note that prediction markets have become one of Robinhood's fastest-growing revenue lines since their launch. The firm projects Robinhood's prediction market revenue will grow from $150 million in 2025 to $586 million in 2026, representing an increase of approximately 286% year-over-year, and is expected to account for 17% of trading-related revenue and 10% of total revenue in 2026.Bernstein believes Robinhood's partnership with exchange and clearing house Rothera, which is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is a competitive advantage. Since its launch on May 28, Rothera has processed approximately 200 million contracts in 18 days, with FIFA World Cup and MLB-related contracts contributing nearly all of the trading volume. Analysts state that Robinhood's core strength lies in its distribution capability, with its massive user base, a commission of $0.01 per contract, and strategies like up to 50% fee discounts for Gold members helping to drive user engagement.Furthermore, Bernstein indicates that competition in the prediction market space is expanding, including Polymarket launching event contracts for private companies and Kalshi introducing cryptocurrency perpetual contracts. The firm estimates that the World Cup will bring over $3 billion in new betting volume to prediction markets and boost overall consumer trading volume in the industry by $5 billion to $10 billion. (The Block)
the Public Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in South Korea has registered Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won as a suspect in a bribery case, which is linked to independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee. According to a former assistant's testimony, Kim Byung-kee asked Lee Jae-won in November 2024 to arrange jobs for his two sons at Bithumb. They joined the company two months later and worked for about six months. Kim Byung-kee also previously requested Bithumb to hire one of his assistants, who has been working at the company since September 2025. (The Block)
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has stated that if new AI models pose specific risks, governments should have the authority to prevent their deployment. In a lengthy post on Wednesday, Amodei argued that AI models should undergo mandatory third-party testing to assess potential risks across multiple domains. He wrote that if an AI is deemed to pose "unacceptable risks," then "governments should have the power to block or constrain its deployment." This is one of Amodei's strongest statements to date advocating for stricter AI regulation. "I believe that, at least during this current exponential growth phase, the most appropriate analogy is cars, airplanes, or pharmaceuticals—technologies that are essential to the modern economy but can also lead to significant loss of life if poorly designed or misused," Amodei wrote. Anthropic has previously warned that its AI model, Mythos, possesses the ability to discover and exploit critical software vulnerabilities, leading the company to restrict access to a small number of partners. This week, Anthropic also released a new version that removes related cybersecurity attack capabilities. (Jinshi)
Odaily Benchmark maintains a Buy rating for Securitize, a tokenized infrastructure company, with a price target of $16, based on the company's projected revenue of $178 million for 2027. The SEC has approved the registration statement for the merger of Securitize and Cantor Equity Partners II. Shareholders will vote on June 29. If the merger goes through smoothly, the combined entity will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SECZ.The report states that Securitize has a differentiated advantage through its compliance license framework spanning the U.S. and Europe, including being registered in the U.S. as a broker-dealer, an alternative trading system, a transfer agent, and a fund service provider, while holding trading and settlement licenses under the EU's DLT Pilot Regime. Securitize currently manages approximately $3.4 billion in tokenized assets, and its specific market segment has already exceeded $30 billion. (The Block)
financial infrastructure company TVL Capital announced the completion of a $5 million funding round, led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Flow Traders and other institutions. Co-founder Lars previously served as Head of Market Research at The Block. The company's products are benchmarked against traditional exchange-traded products, aiming to build compliant, composable derivatives and diversified yield structures, primarily targeting institutional investors to meet various structured investment and yield management needs.
According to The Block, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) formally proposed stablecoin regulatory rules—“Authorized Payment Stablecoin Issuers”—on June 10 local time. Building upon the 2022 guidance framework (which includes core requirements such as 1:1 U.S. dollar backing, redeemability, and independent audits), the new rules introduce several additional provisions: reserve assets must be held in a diversified custodial arrangement, with a cap on concentration at any single custodian; issuers with issuance volumes exceeding $25 billion must hold an additional minimum of 0.5% of reserves (capped at $500 million) at FDIC-insured depository institutions; redemptions must be completed within two business days; and rehypothecation of reserve assets and payment of interest on reserves are prohibited. The rules explicitly align with the “substantially similar” certification standard under the federal GENIUS Act, aiming to preserve New York State’s regulatory authority over issuers with issuance volumes below $10 billion. A 10-day pre-comment period has now opened, followed by a formal 60-day public comment period. The final rules will take effect concurrently with the GENIUS Act, and currently licensed issuers will be granted a one-year compliance transition period.
According to The Block, the Hyperliquid Policy Center and Paradigm have jointly written a letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury urging revisions to a proposed anti-money laundering rule, stating that it could impose strict liability on stablecoin issuers for secondary-market transactions over which they lack substantive control.
According to The Block, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Michael Selig, Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), questioning whether the agency is capable of assuming broader regulatory responsibilities for cryptocurrencies and prediction markets amid staff reductions and declining enforcement activities.
According to The Block, ANTIK, the blockchain division of asset management giant Janus Henderson—which oversees $480 billion in assets—has established a position in the ENA token and signed a strategic partnership agreement with Ethena to stake USDe for cash management purposes. The two parties have also committed to jointly developing compliant investment products based on USDe and ENA, including ETFs and ETPs, expected to launch in the second half of 2026. As part of the collaboration, Ethena has incorporated Janus Henderson’s JAAA strategy—which invests in AAA-rated CLOs—into the USDe reserve portfolio.
According to The Block, crypto market maker GSR has received approval from the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to formally complete its acquisition of Portland-based SEC-registered broker-dealer Equilibrium Capital Services, which has now been renamed GSR Securities. Xin Song, CEO of GSR, stated that this acquisition will strengthen its compliant broker-dealer platform in the U.S., with a focus on serving institutional clients. GSR previously disclosed plans to position its business as a “Web3 investment bank”; following the acquisition, it will further expand its tokenized financing services. Additionally, GSR has been highly active this year: in April, it launched the GSR Crypto Core3 ETF on Nasdaq; in March, it acquired token advisory firms Autonomous and Architech, and invested in Libeara—the tokenization platform under SC Ventures; last month, SC Ventures—the fintech investment arm of Standard Chartered Bank—became GSR’s first external shareholder and completed its investment.
: Institutional-grade digital asset custody platform Zodia Custody has announced that it has obtained a payment institution license from the Luxembourg financial regulator, the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). This authorization allows the company to compliantly provide custody and transfer services for electronic money tokens (EMTs, i.e., stablecoins) within the European Union.Zodia Custody stated that this approval represents a further expansion on its existing MiCA license, enhancing its digital asset service capabilities for institutional clients. The company believes that as the use of stablecoins in payment settlement, liquidity management, and corporate treasury operations continues to grow, stablecoin custody and transfer capabilities will become a core component of digital asset infrastructure providers.Founded in 2020, Zodia Custody focuses on the institutional client market. Its shareholders include institutions such as Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, SBI Holdings, Emirates NBD, and National Australia Bank. Following the approval of this Luxembourg license, Zodia Custody has now obtained relevant regulatory permissions in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, UAE, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, Australia, and the EU. (The Block)
Japan's SBI Shinsei Bank will launch a pilot program on June 10, allowing customers to convert a portion of their deposit interest into BTC, ETH, or XRP. The initiative uses "interest exchange" as an entry point to introduce crypto assets into traditional deposit products, enabling users to gain cryptocurrency exposure without direct purchase. Future expansion will depend on customer participation and the regulatory environment. (The Block)
MetaMask has officially launched Agent Wallet, a self-custody wallet designed for AI agents. It enables automated trading, perpetual contracts, and liquidity provision on Ethereum, multiple EVM-compatible chains, and the Hyperliquid network. The product is equipped with multiple security mechanisms, including transaction simulation, spending limits, and address whitelisting. It integrates with Blockaid's risk scanning, requiring user secondary confirmation for high-risk transactions. The platform also introduces a transaction guarantee service, offering up to $10,000 in compensation for compliant and secure transactions. Currently, the product is only being tested by a small group of users via the command line, with plans for a full public release this summer. (The Block)
a joint letter initiated by Stand With Crypto, in collaboration with the Blockchain Association, the Crypto Council for Innovation, and The Digital Chamber, has been submitted to U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging a full floor vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (the "CLARITY Act") as soon as possible.Over 200 crypto enterprises, industry associations, and community organizations, including Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, a16z, Circle, and Binance.US, have participated in signing the letter. The joint letter points out that the CLARITY Act would establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for the digital asset market, clearly delineate regulatory responsibilities, provide feasible registration pathways, protect software developer innovation, and simultaneously promote the return of more digital asset businesses to the U.S. market.The signatories stated that the bill would help retain innovation, jobs, investment, and market activity within the United States, further solidifying America's leading position in the global digital asset innovation sector.It is understood that the CLARITY Act received bipartisan support and passed committee review in the Senate Banking Committee last month. Senator Cynthia Lummis subsequently stated that the next step for the bill is to enter the full Senate deliberation stage.Additionally, 160 former national security and law enforcement officials have previously signed a letter supporting the bill. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Crypto Advisor Patrick Witt have also publicly called for advancing the legislative process. However, the issue of conflicts of interest between the Trump family and the crypto industry is still regarded as one of the main obstacles to the bill's progress. (The Block)
the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed allowing authorized investment funds (including UCITS schemes and most non-UCITS retail schemes) to allocate up to 10% of their assets to crypto Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs). This proposal is included in the FCA's Consultation Paper 52, with a five-week public and institutional comment period ending on July 13.The FCA stated that this move aims to bridge the regulatory gap between individual retail investors and authorized funds. Since the FCA lifted its four-year retail ban on crypto ETNs in August 2025, individual investors have been able to invest directly in ETNs, but funds had remained subject to an "effective ban." The FCA emphasized that the 10% limit is intentionally set, and exceeding this threshold could force a fund to be reclassified as a restricted mass-market investment product, impacting its retail fund status.Under the proposal, professional and qualified investor schemes are not subject to the cap; long-term asset funds and non-UCITS retail schemes operating as alternative investment funds are excluded. The FCA noted that cryptocurrencies do not align with the investment objectives of these funds.On the industry side, the Investment Association supports the proposal, believing that gaining exposure to crypto assets through regulated listed products is manageable in terms of risk, and that the 10% cap helps manage fund risk. Fund managers will need to ensure that holdings are consistent with the fund's disclosed investment objectives and risk profile, and disclose significant crypto ETN holdings.The FCA emphasized that it is not currently considering allowing authorized funds to hold crypto assets directly for investment purposes, and will decide after evaluating the impact of the upcoming crypto asset regulatory regime and client asset protection rules. (The Block)
According to The Block, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis’ latest report states that as the gray-market peptide industry’s scale exceeds an annualized $100 million, leading suppliers are accelerating adoption of Bitcoin and stablecoins as primary settlement instruments. In Q1 2026, cryptocurrency inflows into this industry reached $32 million—a 159% quarter-on-quarter surge. Due to widespread bans imposed by traditional banks and credit card payment channels on prescription-grade compounds and unregulated substances, numerous Chinese chemical manufacturers have turned to cryptocurrencies for transactions, with high-value orders especially favoring stablecoins to hedge against price volatility risk.
According to The Block, Patrick Witt, the White House’s cryptocurrency advisor, characterized the “Clarity for Digital Assets Act” as a “pro-regulation, pro-law-enforcement” bill during a virtual town hall hosted by the Blockchain Association—responding to law enforcement agencies’ concerns that the bill would weaken their ability to combat financial crime. Senator Cynthia Lummis warned that if the bill fails to pass this year, it may not be revisited until 2030. The bill currently faces multiple hurdles, including disputes over its anti-money laundering (AML) provisions, uncertainty regarding whether the “Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act” (BRCA) would exempt non-custodial developers from money transmission obligations, and unresolved conflicts of interest tied to former President Trump’s personal cryptocurrency investments. Last month, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto voted against the bill, citing concerns that it would impede law enforcement’s ability to trace illicit funds.
White House Chief Crypto Advisor Patrick Witt stated that the U.S. crypto market structure bill, the Clarity Act, is a "pro-regulation, pro-enforcement" piece of legislation, pushing back against criticism from some enforcement agencies that it is insufficient to prevent financial crimes.With the midterm elections approaching, the window for Congress to pass the bill is narrowing. Senator Cynthia Lummis warned that if progress cannot be made this year, the bill may not be seriously considered again until after 2030.Currently, the Clarity Act still faces multiple controversies, including arrangements for stablecoin yield, conflicts of interest related to Trump-affiliated crypto businesses, and whether anti-money laundering standards are stringent enough. The latest version also incorporates the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), pushed by DeFi advocates, which aims to clarify that non-custodial developers should not be considered money transmitters.However, some law enforcement groups and lawmakers worry that the BRCA and certain provisions of the bill could weaken the ability to trace illicit funds and recover victim assets. Witt countered that lawmakers have already responded to these concerns ahead of the Senate Banking Committee vote by adding new provisions to strengthen the regulatory and enforcement framework. (The Block)