Category: Law and Order

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Eyes State Stablecoin Framework Following Senate Passage The bill establishes Florida-centric consumer protections and safeguards against money laundering André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Binance Denies $1.7 Billion in Iran Sanctions Violations Amid US Senate Probe Binance denied $1.7 billion in Iran sanctions violations and stood behind its compliance operations, in a new letter to Senator Richard Blumenthal. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

SEC Moves to Settle Justin Sun Case With $10M Penalty for BitTorrent Owner The judgment would resolve one of the agency’s highest-profile crypto enforcement actions and dismiss the remaining claims against Sun. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

Vancouver Moves to Close Bitcoin Reserve Proposal After Legal Review Over a year after Vancouver explored becoming a “Bitcoin-friendly city,” staff say municipal law bars holding Bitcoin in city reserves. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Senator Flags White House ‘Corruption’ Concerns Over Iran War Predictions Markets The senator has slammed predictions markets betting on war in the Middle East, accusing White House officials of corruption. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Canadian Robbed of Crypto via ATM Kiosk, Recovery Efforts Lead to Another Scam Attempt Police say scammers used RCMP branding to target a Nanaimo victim in a crypto recovery scheme after an earlier fraud. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Court Ruling Raises Risk of Nevada Trading Halt for Kalshi, Polymarket A federal judge has sent Nevada’s cases against Kalshi and Polymarket back to state court, allowing regulators to seek temporary injunctions. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Senate Advances Housing Bill With CBDC Ban, Draws White House Backing The vote marks one of the strongest bipartisan showings of this Congress, suggesting the package could clear further procedural hurdles. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

Finance Minister Pledges Reform After Crypto Handling Failure in Korea The pledge follows examples of custody lapses that have exposed weaknesses in how South Korean authorities secure seized crypto. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

Banking Regulator Floats New Stablecoin Yield Rules—Do They Hurt Coinbase? The proposed rules would limit the ability of third parties to pass stablecoin rewards on to users, but experts are split on what the language could mean for America’s top crypto firms. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Trump Orders Federal Agencies to Dump ‘Woke’ Anthropic AI After Pentagon Dispute President Trump gave government agencies six months to phase out Anthropic’s products after a clash over military safeguards. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Elizabeth Warren, OCC Chief Spar Over Trump-Linked Crypto Bank Bid Warren called WLFI’s charter bid the “most disgraceful” corruption scandal, with the OCC’s chief quick to defend the regulator’s processes. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Suspects Arrested After South Korean Police Mishandle $1.4 Million in Bitcoin: Report Police in South Korea didn’t follow proper procedures and lost $1.4 million worth of confiscated Bitcoin, according to a local news report. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

OCC Lays Out Framework for Regulated Stablecoins Under GENIUS Act The proposal details how banks, nonbanks and foreign issuers could operate stablecoins under U.S. banking supervision. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Coinbase CEO Pushes Back on UK Stablecoin Caps as Token Profits Surge The proposal would cap stablecoin holdings and curb yields, a move critics say could push liquidity overseas as stablecoins become a core revenue stream. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Treasury Sanctions Russian ‘Exploit’ Broker Over Stolen US Cyber Tools It marks the first use of the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, targeting a firm accused of brokering stolen U.S. cyber tools. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Terraform Estate Sues Jane Street Over Trades Tied to 2022 Crypto Market Collapse: WSJ The lawsuit alleges the trading firm positioned itself around undisclosed liquidity shifts as TerraUSD unraveled in 2022. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Fed Moves to Permanently Drop ‘Reputational Risk’ From Bank Supervision Supporters say clearer rules are needed to replace informal supervisory pressure, as lawmakers and industry push Congress to settle crypto banking access. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

After State Lawsuit Losing Streak, Kalshi Nabs Victory in Tennessee—This Could Be Why States are scoring victories against prediction markets when they invoke congressional intent, said a legal expert—and losing when they focus on narrower legal definitions. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Australian Executive Accused of Selling Cyber Secrets to Russia for Crypto U.S. prosecutors say the former defense contractor executive took about $1.26 million in crypto to transfer sensitive exploit tools tied to Five Eyes intelligence work. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Custodia CEO Says Trump Family Crypto Ties Are Part of Clarity Act Problem At ETH Denver, Caitlin Long said the ethics controversy around Trump-linked crypto projects has complicated Senate support. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

White House, Banks and Crypto Groups Resume Talks on Stablecoin Rewards Stablecoin incentives remain a key unresolved issue as lawmakers seek to advance digital-asset market-structure legislation. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Kalshi Bid to Pause Nevada Enforcement The ruling clears a path for state action, leaving predictions-market operator Kalshi with limited options, according to one legal expert. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

UK Prime Minister Seeks New Powers to Regulate AI Chatbots as Child Safety Concerns Mount The move would bring AI chatbots under UK online safety laws, enabling rapid age limits and feature curbs to protect children. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Can Meme Coins Power a Senate Bid? Virginia’s Mark Moran Says Yes Mark Moran is using a meme coin on Solana to elevate his U.S. Senate bid, rallying degens against a pro-crypto Democrat in Virginia. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Publicly Traded Blockchain Lender Figure Confirms Customer Data Breach Blockchain lender Figure said hackers accessed customer data after an employee was targeted in a social engineering attack. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Binance France CEO Targeted in Home Invasion Attempt: Report The CEO of Binance France was targeted in a recent home invasion attempt, but the executive was unharmed and the criminals were arrested. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

CFTC Brings Crypto Heavyweights Onto Advisory Panel Amid Fight Over Market Structure The CFTC has brought in leading crypto executives to its advisory panel as lawmakers weigh how new rules should govern digital-asset markets. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

US Prosecutors Warn of Crypto-Linked Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day Many of the cases now intersect with “pig-butchering” schemes, long-form scams blending emotional grooming with fake crypto platforms. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Crypto Flows to Suspected Human Trafficking Services Jump 85% in 2025: Chainalysis Suspected trafficking-related crypto flows reached hundreds of millions, Chainalysis reported, with one CSAM site topping $530,000. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Thailand’s SEC Clears Path for Crypto-Linked Derivatives Thailand will allow digital assets to back regulated derivatives, deepening crypto’s role in its capital markets. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

US Banks Urge Regulator to Slow Crypto-Linked Charters Amid Rule Overhaul The warning comes as crypto firms push for deeper access to the U.S. banking system, heightening tensions over unresolved regulatory gaps. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Bithumb’s Bitcoin Blunder Puts Burden on Users as Legal Case Favors Civil Recovery Legal experts say civil claims offer Bithumb the clearest route to recovering Bitcoin mistakenly distributed in a $43 billion error. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Fintechs Back Fed Payments Account That Could Open Rails to Crypto Firms Fintech groups are pressing the Fed to loosen payment access for non-banks, setting up a clash with banks over risk and crypto exposure. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

US Sentences Fugitive to 20 Years Over $73 Million Crypto Scam The sentence was handed down in absentia after prosecutors said the defendant cut off an ankle monitor and fled supervision. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

FDIC Agrees to Pay Fees, Drop FOIA Fight Over Crypto ‘Pause Letters’ The banking regulator will revise transparency policies to settle Coinbase’s “Operation Choke Point 2.0” lawsuit. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

French Police Arrest Six After Magistrate Kidnapped in Crypto Ransom Case Authorities in France launched the manhunt after a magistrate and her mother were abducted overnight and found injured. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Japan’s Crypto Industry Faces Critical Test Ahead of Snap Election Japan heads to polls as crypto industry watches tax reform, stablecoin rules, and legal reclassification timelines. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

The Most Surprising Bitcoin and Crypto Stories in the Epstein Files The Justice Department’s release of millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein has unearthed some wild Bitcoin and crypto stories. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

Senator Lummis Urges Banks to ‘Embrace’ Stablecoins Amid CLARITY Act Stalemate The Wyoming Senator said stablecoins give banks an “entirely new financial product” as the crypto market structure bill faces a delay. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Brock Pierce’s Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein Went Deeper Than Anyone Knew Convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was involved in Tether co-founder Brock Pierce’s love life, among other things. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Operator of Crypto-Fueled Dark Web Drug Market Sentenced to 30 Years The Incognito Market operator extorted vendors by threatening to publish their transaction histories and crypto addresses. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Alleged Bitcoin Ransom Note Sent to TMZ in Case Involving ‘Today’ Show Host’s Missing Mother Authorities say they are reviewing reports of a Bitcoin ransom note tied to the case of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Nevada Moves to Bar Coinbase’s Prediction Markets Without State Gaming License Nevada’s enforcement action comes after Coinbase filed federal lawsuits challenging three other states over prediction market jurisdiction. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

UAE Royal’s Alleged Stake in Trump Crypto Venture Raises Ethical Concerns A foreign investment in a Trump crypto firm reportedly preceded a reversal in U.S. AI chip restrictions, prompting corruption allegations. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Nevada Court Grants Temporary Restraining Order Against Polymarket Nevada’s court ruling against Polymarket comes as prediction markets face global regulatory pressure and bans across multiple jurisdictions. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

CrossCurve Threatens Legal Action After $3M Cross-Chain Bridge Exploit The protocol warned it may pursue criminal and civil action after identifying addresses tied to a hack of its token transfer system. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

India Faces Pressure to Rethink Crypto Taxes Ahead of Union Budget as Trading Shifts Offshore Industry leaders are pushing for tax reform as traders flee offshore, draining domestic exchanges and undermining regulatory oversight. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Democrats Press DOJ Deputy Over Crypto Holdings, Enforcement Retreat A group of Democratic senators is pressing the Justice Department over ethics questions tied to a rollback in crypto enforcement. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

US Finalizes Forfeiture of $400 Million Tied to Helix Darknet Mixer The mixer processed hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin that prosecutors say were tied to illicit activity on the dark web. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

SEC Says Tokenized Assets Are Securities First, Technology Second The SEC said Wednesday blockchain-based recordkeeping does not alter investor protections, while leaving unresolved how crypto-native products fit into existing law. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Australia Fines Qoin Wallet Operator $14 Million for Unlicensed Activity The ruling marks one of the largest court-imposed penalties yet tied to crypto marketing practices in Australia. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Chinese National Gets 46 Months in Prison for $37 Million Crypto Scam Targeting Americans A Chinese national was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in a $37 million crypto scam that claimed American victims. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

WhatsApp Lawsuit Draws Skepticism From Cryptographers, Privacy Lawyers A proposed class action accusing Meta of accessing WhatsApp messages is drawing early skepticism from experts, claiming it lacks evidence. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

EU Investigates X Over Alleged Failures to Curb Illegal Grok AI Content The probe will examine whether the platform adequately assessed risks tied to Grok’s rollout and complied with its obligations under EU law. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Australia Puts Crypto Oversight Gaps on 2026 Risk List The warning comes as Canberra moves to close digital-asset regulatory gaps through long-awaited licensing legislation. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Olympic Snowboarder Turned Alleged Crypto Crime Kingpin Arrested in Mexico Ryan James Wedding was accused of using stablecoin Tether to fuel a cocaine smuggling and murder operation in Latin America and the U.S. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

DOJ Flags Three Crypto Cases in ‘America First’ Push Against Fraud The Justice Department ramps up crypto fraud enforcement as scams surge, losses hit record highs, and AI aids financial crime. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

White House Says ‘Memes Will Continue’ After Allegedly Altering Woman’s Arrest Photo The White House came under scrutiny for sharing a modified arrest image on X, as the administration pushes tougher limits on manipulated media. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Crypto Market Bill Heads to Senate Agriculture Markup Amid Banking Committee Delays The Agriculture Committee is moving ahead on crypto legislation despite a lack of bipartisan agreement, even as the Banking Committee slows its own work. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

CFTC Faces Tough Crypto Mandate With Fewer Staff, Inspector General Says Expanding the CFTC’s authority would require new staff, technical expertise, and data systems as the agency’s workforce continues to shrink. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

White House Crypto Council Director Says Operating Without Market Rules Is ‘Fantasy’ It comes as divisions deepen within the crypto industry over whether to accept imperfect legislation now or risk tougher rules later. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Bermuda Plots ‘Fully On-Chain National Economy’ With Help From Coinbase and Circle Bermuda wants to take its entire economy on-chain and will lean on Coinbase and Circle for support in the process. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

Bitcoin Seized From Samourai Wallet Has Not Been Sold, White House Says Advocates for the incarcerated Samourai Wallet developers have argued that the DOJ liquidated the Bitcoin funds against the president’s wishes. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Democrats Blast SEC Over Crypto Retreat, Justin Sun’s Alleged China Ties House Democrats have accused the SEC of selectively enforcing laws against crypto firms, while spotlighting Tron founder Justin Sun. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Utah Man Gets Three Years for $2.9M Fraud Tied to Crypto Cash Scheme The sentencing of a Utah man links investor fraud and unlicensed cash-to-crypto activity under the same prosecution. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

California Fines Crypto Wealth Platform Nexo $500K Over ‘Unlicensed’ Loans Nexo faces fresh headwinds as California regulators take action against the digital assets platform for the second time in three years. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Senate Banking Committee Delays Markup of Key Crypto Bill as Industry Support Frays Senate efforts to rewrite U.S. crypto rules hit another snag after the Banking Committee delayed markup of the industry-shaping bill. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Manhattan DA Urges Lawmakers to Strengthen Crypto Enforcement Tools Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is demanding criminal penalties for crypto scams, including one that have drained elderly New Yorkers’ life savings. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Galaxy Compares DeFi Provisions in Crypto Bill to Patriot Act Surveillance Galaxy said that new Treasury authorities in a Senate draft could mark the largest surveillance expansion since 2001. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Bitcoin Advocates Press US Lawmakers on Stablecoin Tax Rules The groups urged Congress to extend crypto tax relief beyond stablecoins, warning the current approach would not simplify everyday payments. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Markup of Senate Crypto Market Structure Bill Pushed to Late January Senate leaders have delayed a key vote on crypto market structure legislation, citing unresolved policy issues around stablecoin yield. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks Clarity on Crypto Developer Liability Under Federal Law The bill aims to define when and how crypto developers can face liability, as enforcement actions have intensified the debate. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Democrats Test Crypto Fundraising Reset With BlueVault Launch The new platform aims to help Democratic campaigns win over crypto donors ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Bitcoin Shrugs Off Powell Probe as DOJ Targets Fed Chair Experts note Bitcoin’s hedge narrative could strengthen if ​​Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s criminal investigation is successful. Akash Girimath Go to decrypt.co

Should Politicians Be Able to Use Prediction Markets? House Bill Proposes Ban Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced legislation to ban government officials from prediction markets, citing insider information concerns. Stacy Elliott Go to decrypt.co

Masked Gunmen Tie Up Woman in France, Steal Crypto USB France is becoming a European hotspot for crypto wrench attacks, with over 14 crypto-related attacks documented last year. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Australian Regulator Flags Grok in Rising AI Image Abuse Complaints Reports of non-consensual AI-generated sexual images doubled since late 2025, with some involving children, the Commissioner said. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Trump Rules Out Pardon for FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried: NYT Trump was responding to a reporter who also asked about pardon requests for other high-profile figures, including Sean “Diddy” Combs. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Google, Character.AI Agree to Settle US Lawsuit Over Teen’s Suicide A lawsuit alleging an AI chatbot contributed to a teen’s suicide has been settled, closing a closely watched case over AI accountability. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Senate Republicans Schedule Crypto Bill Vote Despite Divide on Key Issues The Senate Banking Committee will vote on its crypto market structure bill next week, even as Democrats and Republicans still appear far apart on major sticking points. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Global Index Maker MSCI Defers Decision on Dropping Crypto-Focused Companies MSCI will keep crypto-heavy firms in its indexes through February, deferring changes after investor feedback raised classification concerns. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Why 2026 Could Redefine Crypto Market Structure As regulation advances and institutions scale in, 2026 is shaping up as the year crypto markets are forced to prove their resilience. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

The Grisliest Bitcoin and Crypto Wrench Attacks That Grabbed Headlines in 2025 Attacks against Bitcoin and crypto holders became increasingly physical in 2025. Here’s a look back at some of the horrific assaults. Logan Hitchcock Go to decrypt.co

All of Trump’s Pardons of Prominent Crypto Figures—So Far The pardons cemented crypto as both an economic force and a partisan issue in Washington. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

From Bybit to Coinbase: 2025’s Biggest Crypto Hacks and Breaches Crypto firms faced a record $2.72 billion in theft this year as attackers expanded their reach across major exchanges and DeFi platforms. Mathew Di Salvo Go to decrypt.co

Crypto Crystal Ball 2026: Will Crypto Lose the Fight for a Market Structure Bill? The crypto lobby is becoming convinced their coveted bill can’t pass Congress next year. Just how crucial is it? Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Binance Failed to Prevent Suspicious Accounts from Moving $144M After 2023 Plea Deal: Report Details have been leaked of 13 suspicious Binance accounts which moved $144 million since the 2023 settlement, and $1.7 billion since 2021. Simon Chandler Go to decrypt.co

‘Bitcoin Senator’ Cynthia Lummis Will Not Run for Reelection Senator Lummis, one of crypto’s most powerful allies in Washington, has been instrumental in fights to pass industry-favored legislation. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

FTX, Alameda Execs Will Be Barred From Wall Street Roles for Up to 10 Years The SEC proposed settlement agreements for key members of FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Brooklyn Man Charged in Phishing Scheme That Swiped $16 Million From Coinbase Users A 23-year-old Brooklynite, Ronald Spektor, was charged with stealing $16 million in cryptocurrency from dozens of Coinbase users. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

ECB Says Digital Euro Is Ready as Decision Shifts to EU Lawmakers With most work finished, the ECB says the digital euro now depends on political approval as discussion continues on sovereignty and privacy. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Fed Overhauls Bank Policy, Pulls Back From Prior Crypto-Focused Restrictions The change distances the Fed from policies denounced as Operation Chokepoint 2.0, which state-chartered crypto banks said boxed them out. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

India’s Competition Regulator Clears Coinbase’s Minority Stake in CoinDCX India has cleared Coinbase’s minority stake in CoinDCX, paving the way for the U.S. exchange to expand in the local crypto market. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Former Theta Executives Accuse Crypto Firm’s CEO of Fraud, Retaliation Two former Theta Labs executives filed whistleblower lawsuits alleging deceptive token practices and retaliation by the company and its CEO. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Bhutan Pledges 10,000 Bitcoin Worth $1B to Fund Mindfulness City The 10,000 BTC will generate yields for GMC’s growth while being held long-term, with Bhutan ruling out selling the reserves. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

FTC Compels Nomad Operator to Repay Users After $186M Crypto Bridge Hack in 2022 Regulators said Illusory Systems misled users about security and failed to prevent a 2022 exploit that drained the Nomad cross-chain bridge. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

PayPal Moves to Set Up Utah-Chartered Bank to Bolster Payments and Lending PayPal is seeking a state-chartered bank license as it deepens lending, deposits, and crypto-linked settlement services in the U.S. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co