News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis stated that if Congress fails to pass the digital asset market structure bill—the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (the “CLARITY Act”)—the United States risks falling behind other countries, including China, in leadership on crypto regulation. She noted that enacting a comprehensive crypto regulatory framework would help ensure that other nations do not write the rules for the next era of finance. Earlier, in May, the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the bill; however, it still requires passage by both chambers of Congress and the President’s signature before becoming law.
Odaily Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky has filed a motion with a New York court, seeking to overturn his 12-year sentence for fraud and market manipulation.Court documents show that Mashinsky chose to proceed pro se after his lawyers withdrew, claiming they 'stopped communicating' with him, forcing him to file documents personally with the court. He argues that his previous defense constituted 'ineffective assistance of counsel' and invokes the 'fruit of the poisonous tree' doctrine, challenging the legality of certain evidence in the case.In his filings, Mashinsky also accused Sam Bankman-Fried of intending to 'destroy Celsius' and attributed market manipulation related to the CEL token to FTX. Additionally, he publicly disclosed text messages with former Celsius Chief Revenue Officer Roni Cohen-Pavon, alleging that Cohen-Pavon attempted a 'hostile takeover' of the company.In 2025, Mashinsky pleaded guilty to commodities fraud and securities fraud, was ordered to forfeit $48 million, and must also pay a $10 million settlement to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Cohen-Pavon, who previously testified as a cooperating witness for the prosecution, has been sentenced to 'time served' and ordered to pay over $1 million in fines. (Cointelegraph)
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is calling on regulators to create a level playing field, allowing licensed institutions to offer around-the-clock on-chain perpetual contracts. ICE executives stated that while platforms like Hyperliquid are already conducting such trading, traditional institutions are restricted by regulations and unable to follow suit.ICE has engaged in discussions with Hyperliquid to explore areas of synergy between traditional finance and the crypto industry. Additionally, ICE recently partnered with OKX to launch crude oil-related perpetual contracts, while also teaming up with institutions to build a blockchain-based securities trading system, comprehensively deploying 24/7 on-chain trading operations. (Cointelegraph)
blockchain infrastructure platform and stablecoin issuer Paxos has announced that its subsidiary, Paxos Securities Settlement Company, has obtained registration as a clearing agency with the U.S. SEC, allowing it to provide clearing and settlement services as a central securities depository in the United States. In October 2019, the SEC issued a no-action letter to Paxos, permitting a pilot for blockchain-based U.S. stock settlement services, which went live in February 2020. Paxos stated that the pilot achieved same-day settlement, reduced costs, and improved operational efficiency within a regulated framework. Stablecoins and digital assets issued by Paxos include PayPal USD, Global Dollar, and Pax Gold. The SEC issued a Wells Notice to Paxos in 2023 regarding the issuance of Binance USD and concluded its investigation in 2024. Additionally, Paxos reached a $48.5 million settlement with the NYDFS in August 2025 concerning compliance issues related to Binance and BUSD. (Cointelegraph)
Polymarket's Vice President of Engineering, Josh Stevens, clarified in a post on X that the prediction market platform will not introduce mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) checks on its existing services. Stevens stated that KYC is only applicable to the early testing of a new Beta product for some users, and none of the existing products will require KYC as a result. The product will not require KYC after it exits Beta testing either. Polymarket currently faces access restrictions in several jurisdictions, including bans on users placing orders or only allowing position closures. In April, Brazil blocked 27 prediction market platforms, including Polymarket and Kalshi, while Spain's gambling regulator also restricted local users' access to Polymarket and Kalshi in May. (Cointelegraph)
Chainalysis has released a report indicating that overall compliance standards in the crypto industry are improving, but significant deficiencies remain in the monitoring of indirect fund flows.The report shows that among new institutions entering the crypto industry in 2026, approximately 47% adopted alert standards that would have ranked among the strictest top 10% in the industry five years ago. Chainalysis states that while industry standards for "direct monitoring" (funds coming directly from known illicit sources) have become largely unified, gaps remain in "indirect monitoring" (funds flowing through intermediate addresses).Data indicates that in 2020, only about 10% of institutions met top-tier industry compliance requirements. However, since 2023, this proportion has significantly increased, with newcomers generally adopting stricter monitoring standards. Nevertheless, for risk categories such as ransomware, scam shops, and darknet markets, industry thresholds for indirect monitoring are still commonly 10 to 20 times higher than those for direct monitoring. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily Odaily, Robinhood has received final regulatory approval to acquire Canadian company WonderFi for $180 million. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Binance has officially re-entered the Philippine market through a partnership with BlockShoals, leveraging the regulatory sandbox framework of the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Binance was previously banned by the Philippine SEC in 2024. Its return is facilitated by the compliant sandbox mechanism.
prediction market platform Kalshi has announced support for the establishment of a new prediction market lobbying organization, Americans for Fair Markets, and has appointed Taylor Budowich, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff under the Trump administration, as a strategic advisor. The organization will confront the sports betting and casino industries, which it alleges are "trying to maintain their monopoly and spread misinformation about prediction markets to policymakers."According to reports, Americans for Fair Markets will push for federal-level regulatory policy for prediction markets and launch paid advocacy campaigns to counter what it calls "false narratives" about the industry. The organization will also join a broader industry lobbying camp, including the Coalition for Prediction Markets, which was founded in December 2025 with support from Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Robinhood.On the same day, the U.S. House of Representatives launched an investigation into Kalshi and its main competitor, Polymarket, focusing on how the platforms handle insider trading issues. As prediction markets face increased scrutiny in the United States and globally, related regulatory controversies continue to escalate.Kalshi stated that the new organization will support the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) regulation of prediction markets and will advocate for KYC requirements, a ban on insider trading, and restrictions on markets related to violence and terrorism under a federal regulatory framework. John Bivona, Head of Government Relations at Kalshi, said: "We will not be outspent or out-organized by established interests trying to protect their monopoly." (Cointelegraph)
Odaily Odaily報道， multiple senior officials at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) who had raised compliance concerns regarding prediction market platforms were subsequently suspended, subjected to internal investigations, and ultimately forced to leave their positions. The report states that these officials had expressed concerns about the following companies: Polymarket lacking adequate anti-fraud mechanisms; Crypto.com not treating small bettors fairly; and a Gemini-affiliated company having not yet completed necessary regulatory reviews.The investigation noted that all the aforementioned companies are believed to have business ties with the Trump family. Sources said that the then-acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham and her senior advisor intervened to help these companies secure regulatory approvals.As of the end of 2025, two officials who raised the questions were placed on administrative suspension and subjected to internal investigations, while three other officials responsible for crypto enforcement faced similar treatment, none of whom were informed of the specific reasons. The report suggests this has created a signal within the CFTC to "avoid creating trouble for the relevant industry."The CFTC significantly scaled back crypto enforcement during the Trump era: the agency initiated over 80 crypto enforcement actions during the Biden administration, but only two during the Trump administration, both targeting individual operators rather than large corporations. Furthermore, Caroline Pham left the CFTC to join MoonPay, which has a partnership with Polymarket; her former senior advisor, Brigitte Weyls, joined Gemini Titan as General Counsel. The current CFTC Chair, Michael Selig, previously worked as a corporate lawyer for several crypto companies. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Binance CEO Richard Teng denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming that the platform processed approximately $850 million in Iran-related transactions ultimately destined for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), calling the report “completely inaccurate.” The report stated that Babak Zanjani—a figure recently re-sanctioned by the U.S.—and his associated network transferred funds via Binance accounts over a two-year period. Richard Teng stated that Binance has never permitted sanctioned individuals to trade on its platform, and any flagged activity occurred prior to the imposition of U.S. sanctions. Previously, the Wall Street Journal also reported that Binance’s internal compliance team had issued multiple alerts regarding these accounts.
According to Cointelegraph, prediction market platform Polymarket is seeking entry into the Japanese market and aims to obtain regulatory approval for prediction markets from the Japanese government by 2030. The report states that Polymarket has appointed Mike Eidlin, Japan Head of crypto firm Jupiter, to lead its local operations in Japan and advance related compliance efforts. Japan maintains strict regulation over online gambling, permitting only a limited number of government-authorized activities—such as horse racing and public lotteries. Although Polymarket has not yet received authorization to operate in Japan, its Japanese regional X (formerly Twitter) account has already amassed over 53,000 followers. Meanwhile, under regulatory pressure and amid competition from platforms like Kalshi, Polymarket’s monthly nominal trading volume declined nearly 15% month-on-month in April.
: 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.