News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Decrypt, Build American AI, an advocacy group under the super PAC "Leading the Future" backed by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, has announced it will invest millions of dollars in advertising across Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin to strongly support data center construction. However, a recent poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that 61% of U.S. respondents oppose building new data centers locally, a significant rise from 49% earlier this year. A majority opposed the projects across all major political affiliations, with Democrats at 69%, Republicans at 54%, and Independents at 53%. President Trump commented on the matter, stating that communities resisting data centers would be "backward and poor," and warned that China is eager to see this backlash. Currently, New York has imposed a moratorium on hyperscale data centers, Texas has halted approvals, and multiple cities have followed with bans. According to Data Center Watch, approximately $130 billion in projects faced obstacles or delays in the first quarter of 2026.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has opened a public consultation on proposed amendments to the Payment Services Act 2019 to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins in Singapore. It is also soliciting public feedback on further regulatory measures, drawing on developments in the stablecoin industry since 2023. The consultation additionally seeks views on policy positions concerning multi-jurisdictional issuance and the recognition of offshore-issued stablecoins. The consultation closes on October 16.
Odaily News: Deribit will remove its public "Proof of Reserves" page on September 1, and users will no longer be able to verify the platform's customer assets and liabilities on a daily basis through that page.It is reported that this adjustment comes after Deribit completed its integration with Coinbase, with approximately 90% of customer assets now under Coinbase's custody arrangements. This change means Deribit is shifting from daily public transparency verification to an asset verification model primarily based on third-party custody and regulatory audits. Deribit stated that regulatory audits will continue, but no new public proof-of-reserves dashboard has been announced as a replacement. (Coin Bureau)
According to CNBC, the Democratic Senate primary in Massachusetts will take place next Tuesday, with artificial intelligence emerging as a central focus. The race between incumbent Senator Ed Markey, 80, and Representative Seth Moulton, 47, continues to heat up. Moulton seized on Markey's gaffe during a debate where he admitted to not knowing whether he uses AI himself, turning it into a campaign ad that cited the incident as exactly "why we need a new generation of leaders." Public First Action, an organization supported by Anthropic, donated $500,000 to the Markey-supporting PAC "Commonwealth Together," citing Markey's "clear support for AI regulation" and his leadership in driving a 99-to-1 vote to remove a statewide AI regulatory ban provision from a budget reconciliation bill. Anthropic has previously donated $20 million to the organization. Both candidates advocate for stronger AI regulation: Moulton calls for federal AI legislation, while Markey has introduced an "AI Accountability Agenda." Markey also boasts endorsements from prominent progressive figures such as Sanders, Warren, and Ocasio-Cortez. Latest polls show Markey leading Moulton by 35 percentage points, 63% to 28%.
Public Citizen has written to regulators, warning that Trump-related cryptocurrency policies and business activities pose a conflict of interest and have already resulted in significant losses for investors.
Odaily News - U.S. President Donald Trump and his family have caused investors at least $4.7 billion in losses through digital asset projects since 2022. Consumer rights advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen stated that the related projects include the World Liberty Financial governance token, NFT trading cards, Official Trump (TRUMP), and Trump Media's digital asset reserve.Among these, TRUMP investors lost approximately $3.2 billion, while USD1 stablecoin investors did not suffer significant losses. Public Citizen noted that the losses from TRUMP primarily reflect a transfer of wealth to a small number of early buyers, rather than funds disappearing outright. Donald Trump also earned $7.2 million from NFT licensing fees and royalties, as well as over $600 million from World Liberty token sales and equity sales.Public Citizen also called for adding ethical standards to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act), requiring the U.S. President and his family to withdraw from related industry projects. Trump met with crypto company executives last week and called for passing a "fair version" of the bill. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a procedural motion on September 15, and advancing the bill requires support from at least 60 senators. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily News, Hyperliquid Policy Center stated on the X platform that perpetual contracts should be central to the innovation agenda of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The agency has submitted a statement ahead of the first meeting of the CFTC's Technology Advisory Committee on August 20, noting that perpetual contracts are expanding beyond digital asset markets into traditional asset classes such as equities and commodities, and that demand for these products among U.S. market participants is rising. Perpetual contracts can meet the risk management needs of various market participants, particularly suited for airlines hedging fuel costs, investment funds managing portfolio exposure, and AI developers addressing compute costs—exposures that are ongoing and have no defined expiration date. Compared to futures with fixed expiration dates, perpetual contracts require no rollover and face no expiration or delivery issues, using periodic funding rates to anchor the contract price to the underlying asset. Currently, on Hyperliquid, perpetual contracts deployed by third-party developers have covered over 80 traditional commodity and stock markets, with cumulative notional trading volume exceeding $500 billion. The CFTC has taken multiple steps this year to facilitate the launch of perpetual contract markets in the U.S. In May, the CFTC approved the first perpetual futures contract listed in the U.S. and issued a policy statement on listing perpetual contracts along with guidance on continuous trading; in June, the CFTC sought public comment on expanding perpetual contracts to energy commodities and further consulted on compute derivatives. Additionally, Hyperliquid Policy Center believes that on-chain infrastructure can also modernize U.S. derivatives markets within the existing regulatory framework. Public blockchains can openly record markets, orders, and positions, conduct margin assessments programmatically on an ongoing basis, and enable real-time collateral transfers, thereby reducing counterparty credit risk and settlement risk. The agency will continue to provide research and technical documents to the CFTC's Technology Advisory Committee and committee staff, and work to establish a pathway for U.S. market participants to access on-chain markets in a compliant manner. The agency believes that perpetual contracts represent one of the most notable financial innovations of the past decade and should be further developed in the U.S. market.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (Thailand) has issued an announcement soliciting public comments on the draft regulatory framework for establishing cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (crypto ETFs) in Thailand, as well as the revised eligibility requirements for mutual funds and private funds to engage foreign digital asset custodians, with a comment submission deadline of September 20, 2026.
: Galaxy's Head of Research posted on X, stating that on August 18, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed the "Regulation Crypto Assets," abbreviated as Reg Crypto. The proposal aims to establish a legal pathway for certain tokens to be offered to the U.S. public and to set up a mechanism for terminating investment contracts. Its applicability is limited to crypto assets that are not themselves securities but were previously issued or sold as part of an investment contract; tokenized stocks, bonds, and arrangements bundling tokens with equity or other securities are not covered by the framework.The proposal sets out four stages: offering, disclosure, build-out, and exit. A one-time startup exemption allows issuers to raise up to $5 million over a maximum of four years; a higher-threshold exemption modeled on Regulation A permits raising $20 million or $75 million within 12 months. Such offerings must pass SEC qualification review and involve ongoing disclosure, with non-accredited investors capped at 10% of the higher of their annual income or net worth. Issuers are also required to disclose token supply and unlock schedules, minting and burning mechanisms, governance and smart contract permissions, source code, as well as project construction commitments and progress.Once an issuer completes or permanently ceases the relevant build-out obligations, makes no new construction commitments, and submits a transition report, the related investment contract will be deemed terminated, and the crypto asset will no longer be subject to securities laws under that investment contract. Issuers that did not use the above offering exemptions may also use this safe harbor. The SEC estimates that approximately 475 issuers per year would use the investment contract safe harbor, and about 130 issuers would use the two new exemptions. Offerings that qualify would not be considered restricted securities and could be resold immediately without contractual restrictions.The proposal also excludes covered initial offerings and certain secondary transactions from state registration and qualification requirements, but it does not address exchanges, brokers, dealers, or custody, nor is it a standalone innovative exemption for tokenized securities and on-chain transactions. The comment period is 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda all issued statements of support. The article was written by Alex Thorn.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued proposed rules on the GENIUS Act and opened a 60-day public comment period. The Act is scheduled to take effect in January 2027, requiring a federal or state license for payment stablecoin issuance.
Odaily News The U.S. Department of the Treasury released on August 17 a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the implementation rules for the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins), and is seeking public comments to advance the establishment of a U.S. regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the Trump administration and Congress have driven the passage of the GENIUS Act, establishing a "landmark regulatory framework and clear rules" for payment stablecoins, and the Treasury is accelerating the implementation of related systems. He stated that the Treasury hopes to support innovation and development by U.S. companies by providing regulatory certainty, while consolidating the U.S. dollar's status as the global reserve currency and positioning the United States as a global hub for crypto assets.Under the GENIUS Act, starting January 18, 2027, any entity seeking to issue payment stablecoins in the United States will generally be required to obtain an appropriate federal or state license. Additionally, digital asset service providers will generally be prohibited from offering, selling, or distributing payment stablecoins issued by foreign entities to the U.S. market, unless the foreign issuer has the technical capability to comply with U.S. regulatory requirements and can adhere to relevant arrangements reached between the United States and the issuer's jurisdiction.Starting July 18, 2028, the Act further requires that digital asset service providers generally may not offer or sell payment stablecoins to "U.S. persons" unless the relevant stablecoins are issued by a licensed issuer.The Treasury's draft rules primarily provide regulatory interpretation on two key issues: first, clarifying what constitutes "issuing payment stablecoins in the United States" to help issuers determine when they need to obtain a license under the GENIUS Act; second, clarifying what constitutes "offering or selling payment stablecoins to U.S. persons" to provide compliance guidance for companies participating in the U.S. stablecoin market.The U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the public comment period will last 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, during which the public and industry participants may submit comments.
Odaily News: The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has sold cryptocurrencies seized from the bankrupt Dutch crypto platform Knaken, raising $2.5 million to repay creditors. Court-appointed bankruptcy administrator Carl Hamm stated that this amount is currently the sole source of funds in the bankruptcy estate. Knaken had offered Dutch users cryptocurrency trading and custody services through its app but failed to obtain the license required by the country's market regulator. The platform ceased operations in early June, and the Rotterdam court declared it bankrupt on July 16 after prosecutors sought liquidation on public interest grounds. Hamm estimates that customer funds totaled $12 million to $14 million and has notified approximately 6,300 customers to lower their expectations. A lawyer representing one client questioned whether prosecutors had the right to sell the relevant assets. Knaken founder Ronald J. disputed some of the investment figures and stated that the platform, operating as a broker, recorded all orders. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: The French Finance Minister has confirmed that hackers breached the systems of the French Public Finance Directorate in late June and stole taxpayer data belonging to individuals and businesses. According to FrenchBreaches, a platform that tracks cyberattacks in France, this incident affects approximately 678,437 people, roughly 1% of France's population, though the exact number is still under investigation and has not been finalised.The compromised data reportedly includes sensitive information such as names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, tax identification details, and income data. Among those affected, nearly 27,000 individuals had taxable income of at least €100,000, 386 exceeded €1 million, and another 8 surpassed €10 million.Reports indicate that the database has been listed for sale on dark web marketplaces for several thousand euros. The attacker, going by the name ZeroBytes, claims to have extracted the records using an internal search tool before being detected and having access cut off.The incident has raised concerns within the crypto industry, as France has seen a noticeable increase in "wrench attacks" targeting crypto holders in recent years. If high-income individuals' addresses and contact details are exposed, it could provide criminals with a more precise list of targets.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Galaxy Digital, Compass Datacenters, and Montera Infrastructure have committed to complying with new standards and regulatory requirements established by Texas for data center construction.It is understood that these guidelines are being implemented across data center projects statewide, aiming to ensure that data center expansion does not add burdens to residents, nor affect grid stability, water supply, or community quality of life. Under the new rules, data center operators must meet several requirements, including: bearing the costs of power infrastructure themselves without shifting construction and operational costs onto Texas households and small businesses; implementing water recycling for their own use to reduce pressure on public water resources; taking measures to lower overall electricity costs; avoiding disruption to residential communities by reducing noise, light, and traffic impacts; and reducing dependence on government subsidies and taxpayer funds to achieve self-sustaining project operations.Additionally, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will review data center projects, requiring companies to disclose project ownership structures, government subsidy details, electricity demand forecasts, self-built power generation plans, water usage plans, and community impact mitigation measures.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a former department head surnamed A at the Korea Food Research Institute filed an administrative lawsuit after being fired for privately mining cryptocurrency in the institution's warehouse, but was ruled to have lost the case by the Seoul Administrative Court on the 3rd of last month. According to the investigation, between February and September 2023, A unauthorizedly installed 2 GPU servers in the idle Promotion Hall warehouse of the institute and used institutional budget to complete air conditioning, network, and electrical renovation projects, cumulatively illegally mining approximately 71 million altcoins. After the incident was discovered, A also forged approval documents attempting to retrieve the GPU servers to destroy evidence. In addition, between August 2023 and May 2024, A used an unauthorized VPN to clock in in violation of regulations a total of 117 times, indirectly causing important scientific research data of the institute to be illegally leaked. The Audit Committee of the National Research Council for Science & Technology launched a special audit on A in 2024, subsequently reported to the police, and requested the institute to impose a dismissal penalty. After A's internal appeals and relief applications to the Local Labor Relations Commission and the Central Labor Relations Commission were all rejected, A resorted to the administrative court, but still ended in defeat. The court ruled that the dismissal "did not involve any circumstances clearly violating social common sense or abuse of discretion." In the criminal case, A was charged with crimes such as theft, violation of the Information and Communications Network Act, and forgery of private documents, sentenced to 1 year in prison in the first instance, and the second instance upheld the original verdict in April this year, formally finalizing the sentence.
Odaily News - Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC) announced that it has submitted a policy statement regarding the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting, supporting U.S. users' participation in the on-chain derivatives market and calling on regulators to adopt a gradual path to promote the development of innovative products such as Perpetual Futures.HPC stated that the U.S. derivatives market originated in agriculture. In the 19th century, grain exchanges in the U.S. Midwest used futures contracts to help farmers and traders discover prices and manage future delivery risks. Since 1922, the U.S. futures market had been regulated under the Department of Agriculture for a long period, until Congress established the CFTC in 1974, placing oversight of the agency under the jurisdiction of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. Modern derivatives regulation should still revolve around the actual users of the market. Agricultural producers and processors have always been important constituents served by the CFTC, and market participants' needs for product choice, risk management tools, and market innovation should also serve as important references for the evolution of regulatory policy.HPC noted that perpetual futures are now becoming an important innovative derivative in the digital asset era. The committee's discussions on product choice, risk management gaps, and market modernization are highly relevant to current regulatory efforts to explore a regulatory framework for on-chain derivatives. In the submitted statement, HPC put forward three key points:1. Market choice is crucial for risk management. Users in agricultural and other derivatives markets need more tool options. Past experience with restricting innovative products suggests that closing off market choices without adequate evaluation can impose costs.2. A phased approach by the CFTC to regulating perpetual futures is a reasonable direction. HPC stated that the development of new derivatives should be driven by end-user demand rather than relying solely on regulatory presuppositions.3. Public blockchains can enhance the efficiency of financial infrastructure. HPC believes that blockchain technology can modernize clearing and settlement systems, improve collateral liquidity, while continuing to comply with the Commodity Exchange Act's requirements regarding market integrity and risk protection.
According to an official media announcement, the South African National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) jointly released the "Draft Manual on Cross-Border Crypto Asset Activities" on August 3, 2026, which is now open for public consultation with a deadline of September 30, 2026. The manual is implemented in conjunction with the previously released "Draft Regulations on Capital Flow Management 2026," aiming to strengthen supervision over cross-border financial activities and prevent risks related to illicit financial flows associated with crypto assets. The manual clarifies the trigger points for cross-border crypto asset transactions—when crypto assets are transferred between a domestic authorized CASP and a foreign CASP, or from a domestic authorized CASP to a non-custodial wallet, it constitutes cross-border capital inflow or outflow and must be reported to the Financial Supervision Department (FinSurv). It is worth noting that at this stage, only individuals are allowed to conduct crypto asset outflow operations through authorized CASPs within the single discretionary allowance or foreign capital allowance; South African entities are temporarily not allowed to conduct related cross-border operations. In addition, the manual currently does not distinguish between different types of crypto assets, nor does it list crypto assets as official South African currency.
According to the South China Morning Post, researchers from the People's Public Security University of China have developed an AI framework capable of detecting illegal cryptocurrency transactions, with an overall accuracy of 89.4%, a precision of 89.1% for illegal transactions, and a recall rate of 64.5%. The system combines dynamic graph neural networks, memory modules, and large language models. By analyzing transaction structures, fund flows, and historical illegal transaction patterns, it generates risk scores and reasoning chains, providing regulatory agencies with a traceable basis for decision-making. The research results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Journal of Intelligence, with the test dataset sourced from the public Elliptic Bitcoin transaction dataset, containing over 200,000 transaction nodes.
According to the announcement on the CFTC official website, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 30 to solicit public comments on amendments to Parts 37, 38, and 39 of the regulations and sections 1.52 and 1.55, with a comment period of 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. This revision targets the increasingly common affiliations among CFTC-regulated entities, covering market participants including Derivative Clearing Organizations, Designated Contract Markets, Swap Execution Facilities, Futures Commission Merchants, and market makers, with a focus on resolving potential conflicts of interest within vertically integrated market structures. CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig stated that the proposed rule will establish a principles-based regulatory framework for vertically integrated market structures, maintaining market integrity while avoiding stifling innovative market structures or imposing excessive compliance burdens on registered entities.
According to CNBC reports, Frank Pallone (New Jersey), the ranking Democratic member of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, wrote to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on July 29, requesting that he provide relevant records regarding its xAI Memphis data center by August 11 and allow an onsite visit. Pallone accused SpaceX of extensively using natural gas combustion turbines to power the Colossus and Colossus 2 data centers without obtaining permits or installing pollution control equipment, posing "significant health risks" to surrounding communities. Notably, the Trump administration's Department of Justice has sought to intervene to assist xAI in defending against relevant lawsuits filed by environmental organizations and the NAACP. A May Gallup poll showed that 70% of Americans oppose building AI data centers locally, as public resistance to the expansion of AI infrastructure by major tech companies continues to intensify.