News linked to both this project and an event.
The Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) has launched a public consultation on the draft “Pakistan Virtual Asset Services Regulations 2026” and its accompanying Activity-Specific Handbook, open for comments from June 11 to July 2, 2026, at 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST).
, the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice (STJ) has rejected the release request of Mirelis Yoseline Diaz Zerpa, a Venezuelan woman who is the wife of “Bitcoin Pharaoh” Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, currently held in pre-trial detention. Her legal team filed a habeas corpus petition, citing reasons including the prison's failure to meet her “vegan diet” needs. However, the court ruled that dietary preferences do not constitute grounds for illegal detention, and any related adjustments can be handled administratively by the prison system at its discretion.Judge Maria Marluce Caldas, presiding over the case, noted that dietary restrictions based on personal choice lack the legal standing to overturn the legality of the detention, thus upholding the original ruling while requesting the prison to make reasonable dietary arrangements where conditions permit. Case documents show that Mirelis had been a fugitive in the United States for nearly four years before being deported back to Brazil due to visa issues and subsequently arrested. Prosecutors accuse her of involvement in organized crime leadership and large-scale crypto asset transfers, linked to investigations such as “Operation Kryptos.”The Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) stated that during the investigation, approximately 20 million reais worth of crypto asset movement was identified, and related account operation records in Florida, USA, were traced. Authorities believe she still retains the ability to remotely control funds, posing a significant judicial risk. The case is currently under further review. (livecoins)
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)
on-chain detective ZachXBT posted on X, stating that the crypto community's demands for his investigative work are often difficult to meet.ZachXBT said that when he publishes token manipulation investigations before insiders exit, he is accused of shorting the relevant projects, such as RAVE, M, and LAB. Conversely, when he reveals findings after an incident has occurred, he is criticized for failing to provide advance warnings.He indicated that constantly facing such criticism has gradually diminished his motivation to regularly publish investigative reports publicly, as he would rather continue his work privately than bear the pressure of public opinion. ZachXBT also criticized some community members for excessively relying on his investigation results instead of conducting their own research.
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a notice proposing amendments to CFTC Rule 40.11 and the addition of Appendix F, and formally soliciting public comment to establish a structured assessment framework for event contracts. It is reported that the number and variety of event contracts listed by registered trading entities continue to grow—including contracts tied to sporting events—with the aim of evaluating whether such contracts involve activities enumerated in the Commodity Exchange Act (e.g., terrorism, assassination, war, gambling, or acts violating federal or state law) and determining whether they contravene the public interest. This notice of proposed rulemaking forms part of the CFTC’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on prediction markets, released last March, and establishes a 90-day public review period while clarifying key legal terms such as “involves” and “gambling.”
: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Mike Selig announced the official opening of a public comment period to establish a structured framework for evaluating the types of events that may underlie prediction market trading contracts. It is understood that this framework will provide long-term, transparent regulatory guidelines to identify contracts subject to enhanced Congressional scrutiny, while allowing lawful markets to continue operating in the public interest. The CFTC expressed gratitude for feedback from market participants, federal and state officials, tribal leaders, and the public, and welcomes continued input.Mike Selig emphasized that this will not be the final rulemaking concerning prediction markets, and the agency will continue to seek a balance between maintaining market integrity and supporting innovation.
Backpack has announced the appointment of former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner and Acting Chairman Dr. Michael S. Piwowar to the Board of Directors of Backpack US.Public records show that Piwowar served as an SEC Commissioner from 2013 to 2018 and was appointed Acting Chairman by President Trump. He was among the earliest top U.S. regulators to engage in discussions on digital assets and ICO oversight. Prior to joining the SEC, he served as Chief Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, contributing to the drafting of SEC-related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act and the JOBS Act.Backpack stated that this appointment comes at a time when the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved the first regulated Bitcoin perpetual contract. The company previously offered regulated perpetual contract trading services within the EU and has the capability to roll out the same product line under the new U.S. framework. Additionally, former CFTC Acting Chairman Mark Wetjen serves as President of Backpack US and participates in the DTCC Tokenization Working Group, continuously advancing the company's compliance strategy within the U.S. market.
According to Yonhap News Agency, on June 1, the Incheon Metropolitan City Election Commission formally filed a complaint with the Incheon Police Agency against Yoo Jeong-bok, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party for Incheon mayor, citing violations of the Public Official Election Act. Yoo is accused of submitting false information in his candidate asset disclosure: his spouse’s actual assets amount to approximately 518.57 million KRW—significantly higher than the declared amount of 439.88 million KRW—and their combined household assets should total approximately 1.92297 billion KRW, not the declared 1.84472 billion KRW. Earlier media reports indicated that his spouse held 21,000 units of virtual assets and transferred them to overseas exchanges to evade local election asset disclosure obligations. The Incheon Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit will merge this complaint with a related case previously filed by the Democratic Party of Korea for joint investigation.
Odaily Odaily Planet Daily reports that U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael S. Selig announced the appointment of Dr. Patrick J. Schorno as the agency's Chief Economist. In this role, he will provide economic advisory support to the Commission and integrate regulatory cost-benefit analysis and related research work. It is reported that this appointment aims to strengthen economic analysis capabilities for the U.S. derivatives market, enhance the transparency and scientific rigor of regulatory policies, and support ongoing regulatory coordination efforts with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).Dr. Schorno previously served as Deputy Chief Economist at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), held the position of Executive Director at Ally Financial, and worked as a Financial Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Banking & Finance, the Journal of Financial Intermediation, and the Journal of Corporate Finance.The CFTC stated that this appointment will further enhance its economic analysis capabilities in the formulation of financial regulatory policies.
Binance's US stock business adopts a dual-core structure of "introducing broker + clearing broker," with Nest Trading responsible for order referral, and US fintech company Alpaca Securities handling the entire process of trade execution, clearing, settlement, and asset custody.Nest Trading, formerly known as BCI Limited, obtained a broker-dealer license from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) FSRA at the end of 2025 and officially began operations on January 5, 2026. Together with Nest Exchange and Nest Clearing and Custody, it forms Binance's compliance "troika" in ADGM. Registered on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, Nest Trading handles key Binance services such as OTC, Convert, and Earn.Alpaca is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and a member of FINRA and SIPC, commanding a 94% market share of tokenized US stocks and ETFs, facilitating 1:1 on-chain asset conversion for platforms like Ondo Finance. In January 2026, Alpaca completed a $150 million Series D funding round at a valuation of $1.15 billion, achieving unicorn status with investments from Citadel Securities, Kraken, MUFG, and others. As of early 2026, Alpaca serves over 300 institutions, covering 9 million brokerage accounts. By the end of 2025, it held total assets of $1.386 billion and net capital exceeding $100 million.Public information indicates that Binance and its core team had no prior connection with Alpaca. This collaboration establishes a cross-border US stock trading loop characterized by "ADGM licensed connectivity + US compliant clearing."
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)
Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg ETF analyst, stated in a post that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair is soliciting public comments on prediction market ETFs. Balchunas noted that the Commission is clearly researching and evaluating such products and seeks additional time and input. He believes prediction market ETFs are a novel concept—akin to cryptocurrencies—and regulators aim to ensure their safety before formally approving them.
Odaily Odaily The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a lawsuit against Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Public Safety Director Jon Anglin. The lawsuit stems from Minnesota's legislative approval of SF 4760, which imposes a comprehensive ban on prediction markets.The bill prohibits advertising, creating, operating, or promoting prediction market platforms, classifying event contracts on platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket as wagers and banning them, with an original effective date of August 1. In the lawsuit, the CFTC argues that under the Commodity Exchange Act, it has exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets, and is seeking a court order to block the state law. (cointelegraph)
South Carolina Governor has signed Bill S.163. This bill prohibits any government entity from accepting or requiring payment in, or participating in testing of, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs); permits individuals or businesses to transact using digital currencies; stipulates that digital assets must not be treated differently; specifies that digital currency transactions may be taxed only if the tax rate applied is identical to that applied to transactions conducted using U.S. legal tender; restricts certain digital currency operations within areas zoned for industrial use; mandates that digital asset mining operations must not impose any additional strain on the electrical grid to which they connect; requires digital mining enterprises to provide certain information upon request by the Public Service Commission; exempts persons engaged in digital mining operations from obtaining certain licenses; clarifies that persons providing certain services related to digital mining or staking do not constitute securities transactions; authorizes the Attorney General to bring legal action against individuals or entities that fraudulently claim to offer digital asset mining or staking services; and defines necessary terms.
According to an official announcement, the blockchain infrastructure protocol project IOTA has named Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria as the first countries to implement the ADAPT initiative. These three countries were selected through a rigorous evaluation process assessing their political commitment, regulatory readiness, maturity of digital infrastructure, and private-sector engagement. Launched in November 2025, the African Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) initiative is spearheaded by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and co-developed with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the World Economic Forum, and the IOTA Foundation. ADAPT aims to build shared digital infrastructure for intra-African trade, covering digital identity, cross-border data exchange, and payment interoperability.
on the 18th local time that U.S. health officials announced on the 16th that an adult resident of Douglas County, Colorado, died from a Hantavirus infection. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stated that an investigation into the incident is underway and clarified that this case is not related to the Hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship "Hondius." Additionally, preliminary investigation results indicate that the patient contracted the virus locally through contact with rodents.In Colorado, rodents are the most common source of Hantavirus transmission. The patient's identity information and exact date of death have not yet been disclosed. (CCTV)
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.
According to The New York Times, OpenAI opened its first lobbying office—named “Workshop”—in Washington, D.C., this week, just a few blocks from the White House, aiming to advance policies supporting data center expansion and unrestricted use of copyrighted content. In Q1 2026, OpenAI’s federal lobbying expenditures reached $1 million, doubling year-on-year. Its competitor Anthropic also opened an office in Washington, D.C., in April this year; its lobbying spending last year surged tenfold to $3 million. Meanwhile, Meta, Nvidia, and Alphabet collectively spent $47.8 million on lobbying last year—a 22% increase year-on-year. According to the citizen watchdog group Public Citizen, one-quarter of all federal lobbyists in Washington, D.C. are now engaged in AI-related issues, a sharp rise from 11% in 2023.
According to CoinDesk, Denis Beau, Deputy Governor of the Bank of France, has publicly called on Europe’s public and private sectors to jointly advance the development of euro-tokenized money to counter the dominance of U.S. dollar–pegged stablecoins. This stance stands in clear contrast to that of European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde, who remains cautious toward private stablecoins—citing financial stability risks posed by USDT, USDC, and others—and favors a central bank–led digital euro initiative expected to launch in 2029. Beau outlined a “triple objective” for Europe’s development: aligning with central bank monetary services; enabling regulated institutions to issue pan-euro tokenized private money; and strengthening the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. His position closely aligns with that of the Qivalis consortium—a group comprising 12 major European banks, including ING, BBVA, and BNP Paribas—which plans to launch a private digital euro this year. Beau also revealed that the eurosystem will roll out its first tokenized wholesale central bank money service before year-end.
: tZERO, a regulated securities trading platform, has announced the integration of its tokenization issuance platform with the Aptos network, enabling issuers to directly issue Real World Asset (RWA) tokens on this high-performance public chain, further broadening the path for institutional-grade assets to be placed on-chain.Aptos is being positioned as the underlying network for institutional-grade tokenization infrastructure and is consistently attracting integration by traditional finance and compliant tokenization platforms. Currently, tokenized funds from institutions including BlackRock and Franklin Templeton are already operating on the chain. With tZERO's integration, the compliant asset issuance and trading infrastructure on Aptos is further enhanced, covering the full-chain capabilities from issuance, circulation, to settlement.