News linked to both this project and an event.
The UK Labour Party has formally written to Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, accusing him of "avoiding legitimate scrutiny" regarding a £5 million (approximately $6.7 million) donation from Tether shareholder and billionaire Christopher Harborne in 2024.Harborne holds approximately 12% of Tether shares and is worth around $24.4 billion. Labour Party Chair Anna Turley stated that Farage should provide a clear public explanation to the public about the use of these funds and related circumstances, rather than continuing to evade questions from the media and regulatory bodies.Currently, the UK Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has launched a formal investigation into the matter to assess whether the funds were used for political activities. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also publicly questioned why Farage has kept this donation hidden for an extended period.Data shows that Harborne has donated a total of approximately £12 million ($16 million) to Reform UK, including the largest single personal political donation in modern UK political history. Additionally, BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo donated £4 million to the party in the first quarter of 2026, making Reform UK one of the most well-funded political parties in the UK. (Decrypt)
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent stated at a Senate Finance Committee hearing that the Treasury Department is advancing President Trump's executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve with "deliberate speed," emphasizing the adoption of "best practices" to ensure the long-term sustainability of the mechanism. Bessent noted that the strategic Bitcoin reserve is a new frontier and its implementation is relatively complex, so the government is carefully developing the custody and management framework. Currently, the U.S. government holds approximately 328,400 Bitcoins, valued at around $20.6 billion, primarily obtained from criminal and civil asset forfeitures.Additionally, Bessent called on Congress to advance the digital asset market structure bill, the CLARITY Act, which he believes is crucial for maintaining the U.S.'s leading position in digital asset innovation. The bill aims to clarify the regulatory framework for digital assets and define when crypto tokens fall under securities or commodity regulations. Relevant legislation has now entered the Senate review process. (Decrypt)
According to Decrypt, the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine has completed a pre-trial investigation into a criminal gang led by two former police colonels and comprising four other former police officers and one civilian with a criminal record. Using their law enforcement skills and official resources, the suspects posed as police officers to stalk, kidnap, and threaten at least four cryptocurrency entrepreneurs with firearms, forcing victims to sign forged debt documents and extorting approximately $2.2 million in total. One victim was coerced into signing a fake “debt agreement” for $5 million. The gang was arrested in November 2025, and the case has been referred to court.
the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office in Ukraine stated it has completed a pre-trial investigation into a criminal group, which includes four former police officers and a civilian with a criminal record, suspected of kidnapping a crypto entrepreneur and extorting over $2.2 million through violence, intimidation, and false debt claims.The prosecutors allege that the individuals involved targeted at least four victims, using law enforcement skills, official vehicles, and police identity disguises to commit the crimes, forcing victims to hand over funds and sign documents for non-existent debts. In one case, a victim from Kyiv was abducted at gunpoint and forced to sign documents for a false debt of $5 million. The prosecutors charged the suspects with forming and participating in an armed gang, kidnapping, illegal detention, robbery, extortion, and illegal possession of drugs. The group's activities were halted in November 2025, all involved individuals have been dismissed from the police force, and the case materials have been submitted to the court. (Decrypt)
According to Decrypt, the Digital Chamber sent a letter to Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), on May 26, urging him to uphold the OCC’s decision to grant national trust bank charters to cryptocurrency firms including Coinbase, Ripple, and Circle. Earlier, Senator Elizabeth Warren had accused the approval of these charters of violating the National Bank Act and posing a threat to the safety of the U.S. banking system. In response, the Digital Chamber argued that Congress has effectively authorized the OCC to extend bank charters to stablecoin-related activities through the GENIUS Act, and that the approved companies do not accept FDIC-insured deposits—meaning their operations do not constitute traditional banking activities.
According to Decrypt, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit against Bitcoin ATM operator CoinFlip, accusing it of “knowingly facilitating fraudulent transactions” and seeking a $1.83 million fine as well as a ban on its operations in the state. CoinFlip responded that the lawsuit is “baseless” and urged authorities to instead investigate the actual criminals. Against this backdrop, U.S. states are intensifying regulatory crackdowns on Bitcoin ATMs—particularly targeting scams targeting elderly individuals. FBI data shows that related losses reached $389 million in 2025.
Bitcoin treasury company Nakamoto plans to implement a 1:40 reverse stock split to push its share price back above $1, thereby meeting Nasdaq listing compliance requirements.According to the plan, the company's outstanding shares will be reduced from approximately 696.1 million to about 17.4 million after the split, which is expected to take effect on May 22.Previously, Nakamoto reported its Q1 2026 financial results, with a net loss of $238.8 million. Of this amount, approximately $107.7 million came from write-downs related to the acquisition of pre-paid options, while another approximately $102.5 million in losses resulted from the book loss on its holdings of 5,058 BTC during a 23% decline in Bitcoin prices that quarter. (Decrypt)
: Bitcoin financial services company Swan Bitcoin (along with its operating entity Electric Solidus Inc. named as defendants) is facing a lawsuit filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, with claims approaching $1 billion.The lawsuit was filed by PCT Litigation Trust, aiming to recover crypto assets related to the 2023 collapse of Prime Trust. The plaintiff accuses Swan of using "material non-public information" to transfer funds out of Prime Trust before its failure, thereby avoiding significant losses.According to the court filing, Swan had transferred assets including approximately 11,992 Bitcoin (currently valued at around $917 million) out of Prime Trust before it filed for bankruptcy, along with roughly $22.4 million in fiat currency, $5 million in stablecoins, and 91,444 XRP tokens.The plaintiff also alleges that Swan had ties to a senior executive at Prime Trust, who also served as an external consultant for Swan. This individual is suspected of providing Swan with information prior to regulatory meetings, thereby helping the company withdraw its assets early.Swan Bitcoin responded, stating that the relevant assets belong to client trust property and should not be used for bankruptcy liquidation, expressing confidence that the court will ultimately support its position. (Decrypt)
According to Odaily, Bitcoin's price is hovering around $80,350, up a slight 0.8% in the short term, facing sustained pressure after multiple failed attempts to break through the $82,000 resistance level. This zone is considered a confluence of resistance from the ETF cost basis, the 200-day moving average, and the CME gap fill area.Although the US CLARITY Act has passed the Senate Banking Committee, bringing positive expectations for crypto regulation, institutional capital continues to withdraw. Data shows that the 7-day average net outflow from US spot Bitcoin ETFs has fallen to -$88 million per day, the largest outflow scale since mid-February. Analysts suggest this selling pressure is more driven by "profit-taking" than panic selling.On the macro front, rising US Treasury yields are a core source of pressure. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note has climbed to approximately 4.52%, a 10-month high. Meanwhile, the April CPI rose 3.8% year-over-year, the highest level in three years, further pushing back market expectations for a Fed rate cut. Analysts point out that geopolitical conflicts are driving up energy prices, exacerbating inflationary pressures, thereby weakening the appeal of risk assets.From an institutional perspective, some analysts believe the current ETF outflows represent portfolio rebalancing rather than a structural retreat. The options market indicates significant resistance for Bitcoin in the $82,000-$84,000 range, while $77,000 stands as a key support level. If the price breaks below this zone without a cooling of leverage, the market could enter a deleveraging phase, increasing the risk of a correction. (Decrypt)
the UK Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is investigating MP Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, for allegedly failing to declare a £5 million (approximately $6.7 million) personal gift from Christopher Harborne, an investor in Tether.Christopher Harborne holds a 12% stake in Tether. Nigel Farage stated that the gift was received in 2024 before he announced his candidacy, and was used for personal security, therefore he was not obligated to declare it. According to the UK House of Commons Code of Conduct, new MPs must register interests received in the 12 months prior to their election. If found in violation, Nigel Farage could face penalties such as an apology, suspension, or expulsion from Parliament. (Decrypt)
According to Decrypt, the Bank of England has stated that it views stablecoins as “a new type of money” and plans to open applications for issuing “systemic stablecoins” in the UK by the end of this year. Sasha Mills, Executive Director at the Bank of England, said regulators are “remaining neutral” in the debate between tokenized deposits and stablecoins, and it remains unclear which type of new money is better suited to specific use cases. The Bank of England will oversee systemic stablecoins—those widely used for payments and potentially capable of affecting UK financial stability—while stablecoins with limited usage in retail or corporate payments will be regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
According to Decrypt, Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence team disclosed that attackers had injected malicious code into Mistral AI packages distributed via the PyPI platform. This malicious code automatically executes when developers use the packages on Linux systems, downloading and running a malicious file named <code>transformers.pyz</code> in the background—the filename deliberately mimics the widely used Hugging Face Transformers library to evade detection. Microsoft noted that the malware primarily steals developers’ login credentials and access tokens. It avoids execution on Russian-language systems and includes logic that can randomly delete files on devices located in Israel or Iran. This attack is linked to the “Shai-Hulud” supply-chain campaign launched in September. In response, Mistral stated that its investigation found the attack originated from compromised developer devices, and its corporate infrastructure was not breached.
According to Decrypt, MoonPay has announced the acquisition of AI trading startup Dawn Labs and officially launched its AI-native trading product, Dawn CLI. This platform enables users to build and execute automated trading strategies via natural language prompts—no development or quantitative trading expertise required. Initially, the product supports the prediction market platform Polymarket, with plans to expand to additional trading platforms and asset types. Dawn CLI employs a local, non-custodial wallet and auditable strategy code to mitigate potential risks associated with AI agents executing trades. This acquisition marks MoonPay’s latest move in building AI infrastructure, following its earlier launch of the stablecoin debit card MoonAgents Card for AI agents, an open-source wallet standard, and its acquisition of crypto key management firm Sodot.
According to Decrypt, in April 2025, family members of victims of the Florida State University shooting filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in federal court. They alleged that ChatGPT provided the shooter, Phoenix Ikner, with specific guidance—including firearm usage techniques, ammunition recommendations, and suggestions on timing—weeks before the incident. This allegedly included information about peak lunch hours at the student union and statements such as “involving children is more likely to attract national attention.” OpenAI denied the allegations, stating that ChatGPT only delivered publicly available information and did not encourage illegal conduct. Florida’s Attorney General has launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and issued subpoenas. This case is viewed as a pivotal precedent for establishing AI companies’ legal liability when their systems facilitate criminal acts; similarly, families of victims of a prior mass shooting in Canada have also filed lawsuits against OpenAI.
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.
According to Decrypt, the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex filed a motion this week with a federal judge seeking to vacate its $24 million settlement agreement with the SEC reached in 2023 and requesting that the SEC fully refund the penalty. In the motion, Bittrex’s attorneys argued that while the SEC had alleged in its lawsuit that the relevant crypto tokens constituted unregistered securities, the SEC has since publicly acknowledged—following the Trump administration’s return to power—that this legal theory was flawed. The agency has accordingly dismissed nearly all similar cases, leaving only the Bittrex case unresolved. Bittrex contends this treatment is unfair and demands equal treatment. Notably, the SEC initiated procedures in March 2026 to transfer the $24 million to the U.S. Treasury for distribution to harmed customers. Bittrex’s attorneys are urgently requesting that the court issue an order directing the return of the funds before the transfer occurs. The SEC has declined to comment on the matter.
According to Decrypt, an anonymous cryptocurrency whale filed a lawsuit against Coinbase this week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the exchange of refusing to return over $55 million worth of DAI stablecoins stolen in a phishing attack in 2024. The plaintiff claims to have engaged multiple on-chain investigation firms to trace the funds, ultimately identifying that the stolen assets flowed into a Coinbase account. Coinbase confirmed in December 2024 that it had frozen the relevant assets but refused to return them, citing the need for a court order. As of today—more than a year and a half after the incident—the victim has still not recovered the assets and has therefore turned to litigation. The attack was carried out by hackers using the “Inferno Drainer” tool to spoof the DeFi Saver login page; after the victim inadvertently interacted with the fake page, their wallet was fully compromised by the attackers.
According to Decrypt, Bitcoin financial services company Fold has launched a “Bitcoin Bonus Program” that allows businesses to distribute recurring bonuses to employees in Bitcoin. Steak ’n Shake is the first partner, offering over 10,000 hourly workers a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 per hour worked, fully vesting after two years. The program is operated by Fold Business, which handles all custody and compliance requirements—enabling traditional enterprises to offer crypto-based incentives without managing technical infrastructure. Fold plans to expand its enterprise offerings to include payroll disbursement, corporate Bitcoin treasury management, and corporate cards.
According to Decrypt, U.S. Representatives Thomas Massie and Lauren Boebert jointly introduced the AI surveillance bill titled the “Surveillance Accountability Act,” which would require U.S. federal agencies to obtain a judicial warrant before using artificial intelligence for data analysis and surveillance. The bill aims to close a loophole in the “third-party doctrine”—a legal framework originating from 1970s court rulings that permits the U.S. government to access users’ data held by third-party platforms (e.g., banks and telecommunications providers) without a warrant. The bill’s sponsors argue that, in the internet and AI era, this doctrine has been excessively expanded, thereby weakening protections for citizens’ privacy.
According to Decrypt, Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, stated during a hearing before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that the U.S. government is currently operating a Bitcoin node for cybersecurity-related testing—but is not engaged in mining. Paparo said the U.S. military’s interest in Bitcoin centers primarily on its value as a computer science tool—including cryptography, blockchain, and reusable proof-of-work mechanisms—with the aim of leveraging the Bitcoin protocol to strengthen cybersecurity and enhance military capabilities. This effort remains in the “experimental phase.” He also noted that maintaining the U.S. dollar’s global dominance aligns with U.S. military interests and offered positive remarks about the stablecoin legalization bill—the GENIUS Act—signed by former President Trump last summer, stating that the legislation helps reinforce the dollar’s global standing.