News linked to both this project and an event.
: Galaxy Digital founder Mike Novogratz testified in the Delaware Court of Chancery that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made it very difficult for the company to proceed with the planned $1.2 billion merger with BitGo in 2021. The merger was the largest cryptocurrency merger plan at the time. Galaxy Digital canceled the deal in August 2022, and BitGo subsequently demanded a $100 million termination fee from Galaxy Digital.Mike Novogratz stated that regulatory approval was unlikely to be achieved, and BitGo failed to provide the required financial information on time, thus forfeiting its right to the $100 million termination fee. BitGo CEO Mike Belshe, however, said BitGo had provided all necessary information. The trial is currently expected to conclude this week, and the judge will decide whether BitGo is entitled to the $100 million fee. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, a petition in South Korea calling for the abolition of the 22% tax on cryptocurrency investment gains has surpassed the 50,000-signature threshold, triggering the mandatory review mechanism of the National Assembly’s Committee on Strategy and Finance. The petition currently has over 52,000 signatures. This tax policy is scheduled to take effect in January 2027. Petitioners argue that taxing crypto assets is significantly heavier than taxation applied to other asset classes, which will increase investors’ burdens, restrict upward mobility—especially for younger demographics—and potentially lead to industry contraction and capital and talent flight. Meanwhile, South Korea’s cryptocurrency market continues to shrink: total crypto asset holdings have declined from approximately 121.8 trillion KRW (about $83.3 billion) in January 2025 to roughly 60.6 trillion KRW (about $41.4 billion) in February 2026. Daily trading volume across the country’s top five exchanges has also plummeted—from $11.6 billion in December 2024 to $3 billion.
Odaily, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce stated that the SEC’s “innovation exemption” for tokenized stocks is expected to apply only to on-chain equity products.She pointed out that synthetic tokens that merely mimic stock price performance but do not carry full shareholder rights are expected to be ineligible for the relevant regulatory exemption. (Cointelegraph)
the U.S. SEC is seeking public comments on prediction market ETFs and has postponed the approval process for related "new-type ETFs."SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated, "New products bring new questions," indicating that regulators need to further assess the impact of such products. Previously, Bitwise, Roundhill, and GraniteShares have submitted applications for prediction market ETFs, which would track the outcomes of events such as U.S. elections.Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that the SEC is currently evaluating prediction market ETFs cautiously, similar to its previous approach to spot crypto ETFs. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit against GPD Holdings—the parent company of cryptocurrency ATM operator CoinFlip—accusing it of “intentionally facilitating fraudulent transactions and profiting from them,” with victims including elderly residents and veterans in the state. The lawsuit stems from a targeted investigation launched by Missouri in December 2025 into multiple crypto ATM companies, which alleged “deceptive fee structures” and fraudulent conduct. The Attorney General’s Office is asking the court to rule that CoinFlip violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, prohibit it from continuing operations in the state, impose a $1,000 fine for each violation over the past five years (capped at $1.826 million), and provide restitution to affected consumers. CoinFlip currently operates 136 crypto ATMs in Missouri and 4,229 nationwide. Notably, Bitcoin Depot—another major crypto ATM operator—filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, and regulatory pressure is intensifying across the entire industry.
Odaily reports, In a recent video interview with Cointelegraph, Gate Founder and CEO Dr. Han stated that the crypto industry is transitioning from a primarily speculation-driven market towards a phase focused on infrastructure development and real-world applications. Dr. Han pointed out that stablecoins, RWA, AI, and asset tokenization are becoming core directions for the industry, and that clearer regulatory frameworks (such as the CLARITY Act) are expected to further drive innovation in DeFi, payments, and on-chain finance.Dr. Han also mentioned that high user entry barriers, security risks, and liquidity fragmentation remain significant challenges facing the industry. In the future, the crypto industry will further integrate with traditional finance, playing a more important role in areas such as payments, settlement, and the circulation of digital assets.Gate continues to deepen its multi-asset and TradFi strategy. In addition to expanding into assets such as stocks, metals, forex, indices, and commodities, it has also launched Pre-IPOs with the first project, SpaceX (SPCX). At the same time, as one of the first CEX platforms to integrate Polymarket, Gate is continuously promoting the development of the prediction market ecosystem, accelerating the construction of a comprehensive trading platform that spans crypto and traditional finance.
: Digital asset infrastructure platform Fireblocks announced the launch of the "Agentic Payments Suite" to support the AI Agent payment framework of the x402 protocol, and simultaneously announced its joining of the x402 Foundation. It is reported that this suite covers the entire AI Agent payment process, including wallet infrastructure for Agents to initiate transfers, a merchant receiving layer, and settlement and risk control functions for compliant financial institutions. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Yorkville America—the asset management firm behind Trump’s Truth Social—has announced the withdrawal of its three previously filed cryptocurrency ETF applications with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The withdrawn applications were for the Truth Social Bitcoin ETF, the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, and the Crypto Blue-Chip ETF. The company stated it will shift from the regulatory framework of the Securities Act of 1933 to that of the Investment Company Act of 1940 to offer more innovative products while providing stronger investor protections and tax advantages. However, it did not clarify whether it plans to pursue cryptocurrency ETFs under the new framework.
According to Cointelegraph, Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, stated at the London City Week event that tokenization holds promise for reducing payment costs, accelerating settlement speeds, and enhancing financial market efficiency—but only on the premise of maintaining trust and interoperability. She emphasized that central bank money will continue serving as the “anchor” of the monetary system, while supporting the parallel development of diverse payment forms—including tokenized deposits, regulated stablecoins, and retail CBDCs. At the infrastructure level, the Bank of England has proposed extending the operating hours of its core settlement systems to near 24/7 to meet demands for cross-border payments and securities settlement.
According to Cointelegraph, the Bank of England, in collaboration with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has proposed extending the existing settlement infrastructure to operate nearly around the clock to facilitate the UK’s wholesale markets’ transition to tokenized finance.
According to Cointelegraph, Republican lawmakers are pushing to include a provision in the 21st Century Housing Act that would permanently ban a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC). The current Senate version of the bill only imposes the ban until the end of 2030. Representative Mike Flood has introduced an amendment to make the ban permanent; the revised bill is expected to be voted on in the House this week. Representative Warren Davidson warned that the 2030 deadline effectively leaves a window open for CBDC implementation.
the leadership of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee has urged President Trump to fill four vacant seats at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as soon as possible.Relevant lawmakers warned that if the CLARITY Act is passed, granting the CFTC greater regulatory responsibilities over cryptocurrencies, the current institutional setup is not yet prepared. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News: Greg Cipolaro, Research Director at financial services firm NYDIG, stated that the most realistic legislative window for the U.S. Senate's crypto market structure bill is June to early August. If progress cannot be made during this period, the bill may face uncertainty extending beyond the midterm elections or even longer.Earlier, White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt had proposed July 4 as an ideal legislative timeline, but NYDIG considers this target overly optimistic. The bill still needs to clear multiple hurdles, including committee review, a full Senate vote, and House procedures.The bill aims to establish a clear regulatory framework for U.S. crypto assets and is regarded as one of the most critical pieces of legislation this year. However, it has faced repeated delays due to disagreements over stablecoin regulation, ethical clauses, and DeFi rules. The Senate Banking Committee has advanced the draft for a full Senate vote, but it still requires at least 60 votes to pass.Analysts point out that if the bill fails to pass before the election cycle, shifts in Republican and Democratic control of the Senate could further reduce legislative certainty, keeping the industry in a state of regulatory ambiguity.However, if the bill is ultimately passed and signed into law, it would bring regulatory clarity to the market. In particular, Bitcoin is expected to be clearly classified as a commodity, thereby reducing uncertainty for institutional entry. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, cryptocurrency analysts are divided on whether Bitcoin will reenact its historical “Sell in May” pattern in 2026. In the two midterm election years—2018 and 2022—Bitcoin experienced sharp declines in May, falling approximately 30% and 70%, respectively. Analyst Merlijn Enkelaar warned that this historical pattern could repeat, with Bitcoin potentially dropping to $33,000. Joao Wedson, CEO of Alphractal, also noted that if Bitcoin remains persistently below $78,000, the likelihood of a new capitulation phase increases. However, Jeff Ko, Chief Analyst at CoinEx, argued that past crashes stemmed from specific shocks—including the Mt. Gox incident, China’s ICO regulations, the Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening, and the collapses of Terra and FTX—not from calendar-based seasonality. He added that the launch of spot ETFs, corporate treasury allocations, and progress on the CLARITY Act have significantly broadened the institutional buyer base, making a 70–80% deep correction unlikely this cycle. Analyst Michaël van de Poppe highlighted $76,000 as the current critical support level; failure to hold it would likely trigger further downside pressure.
: White House Crypto Policy Advisor Patrick Witt stated that if the Clarity Act passes smoothly, it could provide approximately 90% of the regulatory framework and policy certainty needed by the crypto industry. The bill is seen as one of the most critical pieces of legislation in the current U.S. crypto regulatory system, expected to strike a significant balance between compliance, market structure, and industry development. (Cointelegraph)
: SharpLink CEO stated that if the CLARITY Act passes, market risk appetite recovers, and the tokenization process accelerates, ETH could rise. (Cointelegraph)
Bitcoin slumped shortly after the US stock market opened, briefly breaking below the $79,000 mark, with a daily decline of approximately 3%, trading near its lowest level since May. Market consensus suggests this pullback is closely linked to the sell-off in risk assets triggered by a surge in US Treasury yields.Data shows that the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note rose above 4.55%, reaching its highest level in nearly a year, fueling concerns over tightening liquidity and a reassessment of risk assets. Analysts point out that this level previously triggered adjustments in US stocks and policy expectations last year, and is now once again serving as a key pressure signal.Trading firm The Kobeissi Letter stated that the "panic-driven rally" in the bond market is intensifying, with expectations for prolonged high interest rates growing. The market has begun pricing in the possibility of further rate hikes in the future, quickly cooling the previous "euphoria" in risk assets.From a technical perspective, analysts believe that after encountering multiple rejections from resistance above $82,000, Bitcoin's support structure is weakening. In the short term, it may retest the $75,000–$77,000 range, as the market enters a phase of range-bound trading and directional selection. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, privacy-focused messaging app Signal stated it may exit the Canadian market if required to comply with Canada’s proposed lawful access bill, Bill C-22. Udbhav Tiwari, Signal’s Vice President of Strategy and Global Affairs, said the bill could compel service providers to build technical surveillance capabilities and retain certain user metadata for up to one year—potentially undermining end-to-end encryption and increasing the risk of cyberattacks. The report notes that Bill C-22 has not yet entered into force and still requires parliamentary review and royal assent. In addition to Signal, VPN provider Windscribe has also indicated it may follow suit and withdraw from Canada if the bill is passed.
According to Cointelegraph, the Bank of England (BoE) is reassessing its regulatory framework for sterling-backed stablecoins. Previously, in its November 2025 consultation paper, the BoE proposed a cap of £20,000 on individual holdings of any single sterling-backed stablecoin and a cap of approximately $13.5 million for enterprises, while also requiring at least 40% of reserve assets to be held at the central bank in non-interest-bearing form. Industry bodies have widely criticized these proposals as operationally cumbersome, profit-margin-constraining, and potentially detrimental to the competitiveness of UK-based stablecoins in institutional markets. Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor of the BoE, stated that the central bank is exploring alternative approaches to strike a balance between financial stability and market competitiveness. Currently, sterling-backed stablecoins account for a negligible share of the global stablecoin market—valued at roughly $300 billion—where dollar-pegged tokens continue to dominate.
According to Cointelegraph, a survey conducted by POLITICO and Public First among 2,035 U.S. adults found that only 4% of respondents said they would consider candidates’ cryptocurrency policy positions when deciding whom to vote for. The survey also revealed that only 18% of respondents ranked establishing regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrency markets as a congressional priority; 27% supported government efforts to promote cryptocurrency as a mainstream financial asset, while 31% opposed it. Additionally, over half of respondents stated they would not consider trading cryptocurrency, and 45% viewed investing in cryptocurrency as a risk not worth taking.