News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily reports: A survey covering 4,506 adults across the United States shows that most respondents oppose betting on U.S. elections and other government actions through prediction markets. 69% of Democratic respondents and 61% of Republican respondents opposed betting on election results. The survey was conducted from September 30 to October 5.The prediction market industry, driven by platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi, allows users to bet on U.S. elections, changes in government policy, and sporting events. The related business has triggered multiple regulatory lawsuits between state governments and federal agencies.The survey shows that 43% of respondents oppose betting on professional sports events, while 29% expressed support. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for the industry to be regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). 39 states and the District of Columbia have submitted amicus briefs, stating that the dispute between federal and state regulators has evolved into a nationwide jurisdictional conflict. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily reports: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in a filing submitted on Monday, cited the appellate ruling in the case of Roman Sterlingov, the operator of cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog, as supplementary grounds for opposing Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm's acquittal motion.U.S. prosecutors stated that the ruling supports their position that the Southern District of New York is the proper venue for the trial. Prosecutors argued that Shakeeb Ahmed used Tornado Cash in a Manhattan apartment, and that this activity is sufficient to establish venue for the money laundering and unlicensed money transmission conspiracy charges against Roman Storm.Judge Katherine Polk Failla heard arguments on Roman Storm's acquittal motion in April 2026 but has not yet issued a ruling. A jury in August 2025 convicted him of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, but failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the money laundering and sanctions conspiracy charges, with a retrial tentatively scheduled for April 26, 2027. (Cointelegraph)
According to Crowdfund Insider, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) filed a lawsuit on October 2 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accusing the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) of relaxing national bank charter rules, thereby allowing cryptocurrency companies to enter the banking system without assuming the same regulatory obligations as traditional banks. The ICBA is seeking a court order to vacate the OCC's National Bank Charter Rules issued in March 2026 and related prior interpretive documents, and to invalidate the conditional national trust bank charter granted to digital asset custody firm Protego Holdings. The complaint states that the current U.S. administration has approved or conditionally approved 21 national trust banks, with at least 13 being cryptocurrency enterprises. ICBA argues that these institutions do not need to comply with certain regulatory requirements applicable to traditional banks, such as capital, liquidity, and deposit insurance mandates, yet are permitted to operate nationwide using a federal charter, creating unfair competition. The ICBA also warned that some crypto trust banks lack adequate risk management and independent oversight mechanisms, potentially posing risks to the financial system. The OCC has currently declined to comment on the lawsuit.
According to Ariel Givner, Judge Pacold of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a ruling supporting a partial preliminary injunction in a lawsuit involving Coinbase, Kalshi, and the U.S. federal government/U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) against Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, thwarting Illinois' attempt to classify sports event contracts on the prediction market platform Kalshi under the state's gambling regulations in its initial legal push.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has charged Robinhood engineers Hefu Chai and Huaisong Xiang with exploiting their positions to obtain cryptocurrency listing plans, purchasing perpetual contracts for the related tokens on the decentralized derivatives trading platform Hyperliquid prior to public announcement, each profiting over $50,000. Both currently face charges of commodity fraud and wire fraud, carrying maximum sentences of 10 and 20 years, respectively. The charges have not yet been adjudicated by a court.
According to Hyperliquid News, the Hyperliquid Policy Center has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) against the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The lawsuit concerns the CFTC's prior approval of regulated cryptocurrency perpetual contracts through Kalshi in the United States. CME had previously challenged that regulatory decision in court, and the Hyperliquid Policy Center now supports the CFTC, arguing that the court should dismiss CME's lawsuit.
Odaily News – Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett stated that the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) has adjusted its position on the CLARITY Act from opposition to neutral, becoming the last major police organization to change its stance among those that previously opposed the bill. Terrett noted that as recently as July 31, the NSA had called the bill "harmful" and strongly criticized the BRCA's provisions protecting non-custodial software developers. This shift likely reflects extensive behind-the-scenes communication between the White House and the organization over the past few months. While the NSA's move to neutral does not constitute formal support for the bill, it is widely seen as clearing yet another hurdle on its path to the Senate procedural vote on September 15.Terrett added that the National District Attorneys Association and the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys are still expected to hold their positions, with both demanding a significant narrowing of the BRCA's protections for non-custodial software developers. However, the White House, the Treasury Department, some members of Congress, and the crypto industry are all unwilling to accept such changes. Additionally, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who previously supported the prosecutors' proposed amendments, has not yet publicly changed her stance.
According to The New York Times, Judge Rita Lin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a 59-page ruling on August 27 local time, finding that the Trump administration’s designation of AI startup Anthropic as a security risk and its ban on the company’s participation in government contracts were unlawful. The judge noted that the government’s actions constituted retaliation for Anthropic’s constitutionally protected speech—specifically, the company’s firm opposition to its technology being used for the mass surveillance of American citizens or in the field of autonomous lethal weapons. The ruling stated, "A hollow invocation of national security cannot serve as a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics."
According to South Korean media outlet Digital Asset, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on August 27 that Bithumb won an unjust enrichment restitution lawsuit against a user, ordering them to return the proceeds from the sale of mistakenly sent Bitcoin. The case involves approximately 194 million KRW and is one of four independent lawsuits filed by Bithumb following a February BTC mis-issuance incident this year; the amounts involved in the remaining cases are approximately 500 million KRW, 14.8 million KRW, and 5 million KRW, respectively. Previously, Bithumb had mistakenly distributed 620,000 BTC to users as part of an activity reward program and subsequently launched a recovery initiative. In March, the exchange reported to the National Assembly that nearly 99% of the remaining unrecovered 1,788 BTC had been successfully reclaimed. The first ruling, which affirms the exchange's right to recover proceeds from the sale of mistakenly issued assets, may increase the likelihood of Bithumb prevailing in the other three cases.
Odaily News Unitree Robotics today released the announcement regarding the online issuance subscription and lottery result for its initial public offering of shares on the STAR Market. The announcement disclosed that after the strategic placement adjustment, the offline issuance volume is 25,886,148 shares, accounting for approximately 80.00% of the issuance volume after deducting the final strategic placement quantity. This offline issuance adopts a proportional lock-up method, where offline investors must commit that 10% of their allocated shares (rounded up) will be subject to a lock-up period of 6 months from the date of the issuer's initial public offering and listing. Specifically, for the shares allocated to each placement object, 90% of the shares have no lock-up period and can be traded immediately upon listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange; the remaining 10% of shares will be locked up for 6 months, with the lock-up period commencing from the date the shares are listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.Unitree Robotics also announced that the issuer and the lead underwriter (sponsor) have scheduled the online issuance lottery drawing ceremony for the morning of August 11, 2026 (T+1 day) at Room 707, North Tower, Shanghai Securities Building, No. 528 South Pudong Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai. The results of the online lottery drawing will be announced on August 12, 2026 (T+2 day).
Odaily News, Bybit announced today that it has officially filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against North Korea (DPRK), its Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), and the Lazarus Group, holding the organization legally accountable for the大规模 cyberattack launched against Bybit in February 2025.It is reported that Bybit has successfully obtained a preliminary injunction from the court, freezing identified stolen digital assets held or transferred by unidentified individuals and entities (i.e., "John Doe" defendants). In approving the preliminary temporary restraining order, the court described the incident as "one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in history" and determined that Bybit has a "likelihood of success on the merits" of the case. This civil lawsuit is independent of criminal investigations by U.S. law enforcement and aims to provide an additional legal avenue for asset recovery.In terms of asset recovery and global collaboration, Bybit has achieved notable results in partnership with blockchain analytics firms, multiple exchanges, custodial institutions, and international law enforcement agencies. To date:Approximately $48.4 million in stolen assets have been successfully recovered;Approximately $30.5 million in involved assets have been successfully frozen (distributed across more than 28 exchanges and custodial institutions).These efforts have also supported broader law enforcement actions targeting key infrastructure allegedly used to launder stolen funds: German authorities have dismantled cryptocurrency exchange eXch; German and Swiss authorities subsequently jointly shut down mixing platform Cryptomixer.io, cutting off critical channels for transferring illicit proceeds. These actions collectively demonstrate the effectiveness of collaboration between the private sector and law enforcement agencies in combating transnational cybercrime.Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit, stated: "Our core goal has never changed: prioritizing user protection, making every effort to recover assets, and ensuring those behind this are held accountable under the law. The Lazarus attack was not only directed at Bybit, but also a challenge to the trust foundation of the entire crypto industry. We will continue to deepen cooperation with law enforcement agencies, regulatory authorities, and courts to make the crypto world a place where criminals find it difficult to hide."Bybit emphasized that it will continue to invest in advanced blockchain tracking technology, utilize all available legal means to combat state-sponsored hacker groups, and drive the establishment of a more resilient digital asset ecosystem. The civil lawsuit is currently ongoing.
: U.S. Federal District Judge Robert J. Shelby ruled that the Commodity Exchange Act does not prevent Utah from applying its anti-gambling laws to Kalshi's sports event contracts, granting Utah's motion for summary judgment and denying Kalshi's motion for a preliminary injunction. Shelby stated that the jurisdictional provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act are subject to multiple reasonable interpretations, and in such cases, courts generally do not support federal law preemption. He also rejected Kalshi's argument that amendments under the Dodd-Frank Act established federal preemption for derivatives trading. Kalshi spokesperson Jacki McGavick said the company disagrees with the ruling and will appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Currently, Utah users can still use sports event contracts, and the state has not yet initiated enforcement action. The New York Attorney General has already cited the ruling as supplementary grounds in opposing the CFTC's motion for a preliminary injunction against New York state. Earlier, New York sued Kalshi last week, alleging that it operates as an unlicensed gambling operator.
Odaily News: Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney defeated incumbent U.S. Representative Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 13th Congressional District. As of Wednesday, McKinney held 51.9% of the vote, compared to Thanedar's 48.1%. In this primary, Protect Progress, a crypto-backed political action committee, spent over $2 million on media expenditures to support Thanedar's re-election and oppose McKinney. Protect Progress is affiliated with Fairshake, which is primarily backed by crypto companies Coinbase and Ripple. Thanedar previously voted in the House in favor of bills such as the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act. McKinney will face Republican candidate Taras Nykoriak in the November election.
According to Cointelegraph, decentralized cloud storage provider Storj Labs has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. The company stated that during the restructuring, the network will maintain normal operations, customer service will not be affected, and parent company Inveniam will continue to provide support. Storj management plans to propose a mechanism allowing STORJ token holders to participate in the equity of the restructured company, but specific eligibility criteria, token snapshots or lock-up arrangements, and equity allocation ratios have not yet been disclosed; any plan must be approved by the court.
According to Cointelegraph, BitMEX was sued in a class-action lawsuit by BKX Services Inc. and David Namdar in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on July 24. The plaintiffs allege that BitMEX's internal trading team used privileged access during server freezes to illegally obtain customer Bitcoin collateral by manipulating the forced liquidation mechanism. The two plaintiffs suffered a combined loss of 622.66 BTC (BKX lost at least 305.81 BTC, and Namdar lost over 316.85 BTC). The plaintiffs demand the return of the seized Bitcoin and seek compensatory and punitive damages, representing U.S. users who purchased BTC swap products since July 23, 2018. Notably, the lawsuit was filed on the same day as the announcement of BitMEX's closure—BitMEX's parent company HDR Global Trading announced it will cease services on September 23 and has stopped accepting new user registrations. Following the announcement, the price of its BMEX token plummeted by approximately 90%.
Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has donated approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin to MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting former US President Donald Trump. According to a report filed with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC), Gemini co-founders Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss completed the donations in two installments on June 19, each worth over $5 million. This donation occurred about three weeks after the CFTC and Gemini jointly filed a motion with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking to vacate the $5 million settlement agreement reached in January 2025. The settlement stemmed from the CFTC's earlier allegations that Gemini had made false or misleading statements. MAGA Inc. can use these funds to support independent political expenditures for Donald Trump. Previously, the Winklevoss brothers each donated $1 million to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and contributed $21 million worth of Bitcoin to the Digital Freedom Fund PAC to support the crypto policy direction of the Trump administration. Currently, the court has not yet ruled on the motion to vacate the settlement between the CFTC and Gemini. Meanwhile, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig remains the sole commissioner of the agency. As of June 30, MAGA Inc. has reported receiving over $397 million in funds.
ByteDance has officially launched the Seed STEM Scientist Program, planning to invite 100 outstanding scholars in cutting-edge scientific fields for industry-academia-research collaboration, leveraging artificial intelligence technology to accelerate exploration and breakthroughs across various scientific domains. The program is led by ByteDance's Seed Edge research team, offering sufficient computing resources and competitive compensation, with two participation roles available: Scientist Advisor and Doctoral Intern. The initial project cycle is approximately 6 months, with the work location set in Beijing's Haidian District. The talent application channel remains open until September 30, 2026. (IT Home)
documents filed by Protect Progress PAC, an affiliate of the crypto-focused political action committee Fairshake, with the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) show that as of Tuesday, it has spent over $986,000 to support current Democratic Representative Shri Thanedar in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District and oppose challenger Donavan McKinney. The expenditure occurs two weeks before the August 4 Democratic primary, which will determine the party’s nominee for the November general election. Protect Progress PAC spent approximately $1 million in 2024 to support Thanedar, who received 54.9% of the vote in that year’s Democratic primary and went on to secure 68.6% of the vote in the November general election. Fairshake and its affiliated organizations report having a $191 million war chest to influence key elections. Other crypto industry-related political action committees include the Fellowship, backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, and the Blockchain Leadership Fund, supported by Anchorage and Chainlink Labs. Protect Progress PAC has also spent over $100,000 to support Arizona Representative Greg Stanton’s re-election. Meanwhile, Defend American Jobs PAC has spent over $65,000 to support Amanda McKinney, the Republican candidate in Washington’s 4th Congressional District.
Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett tweeted that Judge Analisa Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied its preliminary injunction application in the case involving Kalshi, allowing the case to proceed to the motion to dismiss stage. The court held that New York State gambling law applies to Kalshi's sports event contracts, and such application is not preempted by the Commodity Exchange Act. This ruling means Kalshi has suffered another unfavorable setback in the relevant legal dispute.
Odaily, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina resident Trevor Vernon and his company, Argent Capital Management LLC, accusing them of defrauding approximately 60 investors out of a total of $14 million through a fraudulent commodity pool.According to the complaint filed by the CFTC on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the commodity pool operated by Vernon and his company involved trading in multiple asset classes, including stock index futures options, stock index futures contracts, and crypto assets.The CFTC alleges that Vernon misled investors by portraying himself as a "successful trader" through quarterly financial updates and monthly performance review emails. In reality, however, he incurred substantial losses while trading with investor funds.The regulator stated that Vernon suffered cumulative losses of at least $8.6 million from trading futures, options, and crypto assets. The CFTC claims that his actual trading results were marked by "consistent and catastrophic losses," which significantly contradicted the profitability he presented to investors.