Category: Law and Order

SEC’s Coinbase Reversal Is Only the Latest Pro-Crypto Shift Under Trump The SEC is abandoning cases and shaping new rules for the industry, reflecting the Trump administration’s more crypto-friendly approach. Liz Napolitano Go to decrypt.co

Grayscale XRP ETF Countdown Begins as Filing Hits Federal Register Grayscale’s XRP ETF filing joins four other Solana ETF filings published in the U.S. SEC’s Federal Register in the past week. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

XRP Price Jumps as SEC Acknowledges Canary Capital and Wisdom Tree XRP ETF Filings XRP’s price rally follows the acknowledgment of multiple XRP filings by the SEC and rumors of delay in Ripple’s legal battle with the agency. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Indian Authorities Seize $190 Million Tied to BitConnect Crypto Scam It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the stash of Bitcoin taken from BitConnect investors, now valued at more than $31 billion. Luke Edwards Go to decrypt.co

SEC Acknowledges Bitwise’s Spot XRP ETF Filing Adding to a Crowded List SEC’s approval of Bitwise XRP ETF will depend on public feedback and the filing’s compliance with its investor protection standards. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Judge Assigned to Probe Argentina’s President Milei Over Alleged Crypto Scam The probe will tackle President Milei alleged promotion of LIBRA, a Solana-based token that lost investors millions. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Argentine President Milei Hit With Fraud Charges Over LIBRA Cryptocurrency: Report Milei deleted his promotional X post and disavowed the LIBRA project, but not before investors lost millions. Decrypt Staff Go to decrypt.co

FBI Says ‘Operation Level Up’ Stopped Crypto Fraud Victims From Losing $285 Million The government initiative is attempting to lessen the estimated $3.9 billion in losses from crypto fraud seen in 2023 alone. Luke Edwards Go to decrypt.co

SEC Acknowledges Grayscale’s XRP ETF Proposal, Setting Stage for Federal Review Details on Grayscale’s filing show a comprehensive framework for what could be the industry’s first spot XRP fund. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Estonian Nationals Plead Guilty in $577 Million Crypto HashFlare Ponzi Scheme The pair, who face 20 years in prison, lacked the necessary computing power to carry out the crypto mining they had promised to investors. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Court Grants 60-Day Pause in Binance, SEC Dispute The 60-day pause may prompt other crypto giants like Ripple and Coinbase to reassess their legal disputes under a new SEC. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Blast Exposes Illegal Bitcoin Mining Setup in Malaysia An explosion in a Malaysian city has uncovered an illegal Bitcoin mining operation, with police finding rigs powered by stolen electricity. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

New York Senator Pushes For Crypto Task Force as State Revisits Digital Asset Regulation If approved, the bill would form a 17-member panel to study digital assets’ tax impact as New York reviews its crypto regulations. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Judge Sides With Thomson Reuters in AI Copyright Dispute A judge ruled Ross Intelligence copied Westlaw data without permission, in a blow to AI developer’s fair use claims. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

A16z’s Crypto Policy Head Brian Quintenz Picked to Lead CFTC Quintenz’s appointment could speed up the CFTC’s growing crypto role, mainly if Congress expands the regulator’s authority. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

North Carolina Considers Bill to Invest Public Funds in Bitcoin ETFs North Carolina joins the trend of states considering investments into digital assets, only this bill is focused on Bitcoin ETFs. Liz Napolitano Go to decrypt.co

Parents of Dead OpenAI Whistleblower Sue San Francisco, Alleging Murder Cover-Up The family of Suchir Balaji say he was murdered and didn’t kill himself. Now they’ve sued San Francisco and its police department. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Kentucky and Maryland Are the Latest States to Consider Bitcoin Reserve Bills Maryland and Kentucky this week joined a growing list of U.S. states mulling Bitcoin as a way to strengthen their reserves. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Public Citizen Files Complaint Over Trump’s Meme Coin, Cites Foreign Payment Risks The US nonprofit watchdog is recommending a termination of TRUMP token sales and a return of funds to investors. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

CFTC to Review Prediction Markets in Public Roundtable The CFTC’s roundtable review is expected to influence both centralized and blockchain-based prediction markets. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

SEC Dials Down Crypto Oversight, Reassigns Agency Lawyers: Report The crypto unit overhaul aligns with Trump’s pledge to limit government intervention and position the U.S. as a leader in digital assets. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Meet the US Congressman Who’s Now Repping Ethereum on His X Profile Rep. William Timmons said that he created a self-custodial Ethereum wallet to gain familiarity with technology enabling financial sovereignty. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Coinbase CLO to Address ‘Operation Chokepoint 2.0’ in Congressional Hearing Coinbase CLO Paul Grewal will testify before Congress on regulators allegedly pressuring banks to cut off crypto. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Canadian Man Charged for Exploiting DeFi Vulnerabilities in $65M Hacking Scheme The man, still at large, faces five charges, including wire fraud, computer damage, extortion, and money laundering. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

ECB President Lagarde Dismisses Bitcoin as Reserve Asset for Member States Despite Bitcoin’s growing adoption, ECB President Christine Lagarde signaled Thursday that member states are unlikely to follow suit. Liz Napolitano Go to decrypt.co

South Dakota Seeks to Establish Bitcoin Reserve as More States Join the Trend The state-level Bitcoin reserve push aligns with Trump’s pro-crypto stance, driving renewed interest for crypto in U.S. financial policy. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Scammers Are Targeting Ross Ulbricht Supporters With Malware on Telegram Beware of Telegram groups bearing links. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Crypto-Critic Elizabeth Warren Urges Regulators to Probe Trump Meme Coins The letter to federal regulators warns the TRUMP meme coin opens up covert foreign influence, urging regulators to answer the call. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Better Markets Urges Appeals Court to Back SEC in Ripple Case The non-profit has backed the SEC’s appeal against Ripple, seeking to overturn a key district court ruling. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Who Is Ross Ulbricht? The Silk Road Founder and Bitcoin Icon Pardoned by Trump Bitcoiners have been waiting for this for years, but why now? And how did he get here after more than a decade in prison. Mathew Di Salvo Go to decrypt.co

UAE Crypto Firm Admits to Wash Trading on Uniswap Following FBI Sting Operation CLS Global deployed “volume generation” algorithms for “many clients” to fake their volume before being baited with a crypto made by the FBI. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

President Trump Sidesteps Crypto on Day One No crypto-related orders were included in President Donald Trump’s flurry of first-day actions, as prices sank. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Utah Proposes Bill to Invest Public Funds in Crypto To qualify for investment by Utah’s Treasury, digital assets must either maintain a beefy market cap or meet strict stablecoin criteria. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Trump Promised to Free Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht on ‘Day One’—So What Gives? The President’s pledge to commute Ulbricht’s sentence was notably absent on the first day of Trump’s second presidential term. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Italian Lawmaker Urges Banking Foundations to Buy Bitcoin Banking Foundations could be next to embrace Bitcoin, following the lead of Italy’s largest bank, an Italian lawmaker said Friday. Liz Napolitano Go to decrypt.co

Wyoming and Massachusetts Join Growing List of States Considering Bitcoin Reserves State Bitcoin reserve momentum is still growing, while Coinbase backed the idea of a federal BTC stockpile for the first time publicly. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Sen. Cynthia Lummis Accuses FDIC of Crypto Oversight Misconduct, Demands Accountability Lummis cited whistleblower claims the FDIC destroyed documents and silenced staff during a crypto oversight probe, sparking industry outrage. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Pump.fun Faces Possible Lawsuit Over Allegations of Investor Harm A US law firm has urged those allegedly harmed by Pump.fun to step forward and support a potential legal case aimed at securing restitution. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

SEC Appeals Ripple Ruling, Seeks Reversal on XRP Classification While the regulator already filed its appeal in mid-October, Wednesday’s opening brief represents a formal step in the appellate process. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

Rep. Tom Emmer Named Vice Chair of Digital Assets Subcommittee, Pledges US-Led Innovation Tom Emmer has been appointed vice chair of the Digital Assets Subcommittee which is expected to drive efforts on U.S. crypto legislation. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Singapore Blocks Access to Polymarket Over Gambling Law Polymarket faces mounting pressure as global regulators probe it for handling multimillion-dollar political wagers. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Treasury Pick Scott Bessent to Divest BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Before Trump’s Inauguration Scott Bessent will also resign from Key Square Group, the hedge fund he founded, to avoid conflicts of interest if the Senate confirms him. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

North Dakota Considers Crypto Reserve as State Bitcoin Treasuries Gain Momentum Legislators in North Dakota will weigh whether to diversify its assets with crypto and precious metals, following other state Bitcoin proposals. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

‘Live Free or Die’: New Hampshire the Latest State to Consider Bitcoin Reserve Bill New Hampshire Rep. Keith Ammon proposed a bill to enable a Bitcoin treasury reserve, which he framed as a matter of state sovereignty. André Beganski Go to decrypt.co

Crypto Industry Waves Goodbye to Top Fed Regulator as Resignations Pile Up Michael Barr stepped down from his post on Monday and follows closely on the heels of SEC Chairman Gary Gensler’s announcement late last year. Liz Napolitano Go to decrypt.co

Pro-Crypto Lawyer Deaton Calls for Congressional Probe Into FDIC Activity Deaton contends some regulatory actions appear driven by political agendas rather than grounded in sound policy, echoing industry concerns. Sebastian Sinclair Go to decrypt.co

FDIC Took Issue With Banks Using Public Blockchains Like Ethereum, FOIA Docs Reveal Banking regulator FDIC discouraged a member bank from using a public blockchain, according to unredacted documents obtained Friday by Coinbase. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Crypto Crystal Ball 2025: How Hard Will Trump Fight for Bitcoin and Crypto? President-elect Donald Trump has likely ended the U.S. government’s war on crypto. But will Trump be willing to start the war for crypto? Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Trump Picks Bo Hines to Lead Presidential Crypto Council Bo Hines, a former House candidate in 2022 and 2024, will work alongside David Sacks to promote crypto in Donald Trump’s administration. Andrew Hayward Go to decrypt.co

Ethereum and Solana NFT Scammers Charged in $22 Million Rug Pull Scheme California men Gabriel Hay and Gavin Mayo were charged by the Department of Justice over a series of alleged NFT investment scams. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

United States of Bitcoin? These States Are Considering BTC Reserves Multiple U.S. states are reviewing Bitcoin reserve bills, while crypto advocates are pushing for similar proposals in other states. Liz Napolitano Go to decrypt.co

Hawk Tuah Girl Wakes Up, Plays Ball With Lawyers Suing Meme Coin Makers Haliey Welch, the Hawk Tuah girl, is finally speaking up—and she’s working with the law firm suing her meme coin business partners. Sander Lutz Go to decrypt.co

Luigi Mangione Lands in Same Jail as Diddy, FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried The suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione, is sharing a facility with fellow high-profile inmates. Mathew Di Salvo Go to decrypt.co

German Watchdog Cracks Down on Worldcoin Over Biometric Data Bavaria’s data regulator has directed Worldcoin to establish a GDPR-compliant data deletion protocol by January’s end. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

El Salvador to Scale Back Bitcoin Efforts Under $1.4 Billion IMF Deal Under the agreement, El Salvador will make Bitcoin acceptance voluntary for the private sector while restricting public sector involvement. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis: ‘2025 Will Be the Year for Bitcoin and Digital Assets’ Wyoming Senator Lummis has declared 2025 crucial for Bitcoin, pledging to collaborate with “Crypto Czar” David Sacks on crypto legislation. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Ohio Representative Derek Merrin Introduces Bill to Establish State Bitcoin Reserve House Bill 703, the Ohio Bitcoin Reserve Act, proposes creating a state Bitcoin fund and granting the treasurer authority to buy the crypto. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

SEC Serves NFT Project CyberKongz With Wells Notice Citing Securities Violations Charges against CyberKongz could present “major implications” for the blockchain gaming industry, the project said Monday. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

FCA Calls for Industry Input on Plans to Tackle Abuse in UK Crypto Market The regulator hopes to bolster clarity by establishing “clear and consistent ‘rules of the game’” for crypto firms and consumers. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Russia Tests System to Block VPN Users From Global Internet Want to experience extreme internet censorship, but find a trip to North Korea too inconvenient? Now you can visit Moscow and feel what it’s like. Jose Antonio Lanz Go to decrypt.co

OpenAI Whistleblower Found Dead in San Francisco Apartment in Apparent Suicide OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji, 26, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment late last month, per San Francisco Police. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co

Crypto Advocate French Hill Picked to Lead House Financial Services Next Year The Arkansas Republican’s wins of a key committee chair could signal another shift for digital asset legislation next year. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

Australian Regulator Likens Bitcoin to Prison Currency Amid Controversial Consultation Paper ASIC’s digital asset lead compared Bitcoin to cigarettes while responding to questions on proposed Australian crypto regulation. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co

Vancouver Votes to Study Bitcoin Strategy Despite Provincial Pushback The Vancouver City Council has greenlit a study to integrate Bitcoin despite regulatory constraints and environmental concerns. Vince Dioquino Go to decrypt.co

South Korea’s Martial Law Derails Critical Crypto Reforms South Korea’s measures, viewed as vital steps toward modernizing the country’s crypto sector, are now in limbo. Vismaya V Go to decrypt.co