Tether has frozen more than $500 million in digital assets tied to a Turkish gambling ring, affecting addresses associated with the operation. The move highlights the stablecoin issuer's growing role in blocking suspected illicit flows tied to USDT.
The Bank of Russia has revised its digital ruble framework, imposing stricter requirements for opening wallets that make the onboarding process more complex for ordinary users and small firms. The changes could slow retail adoption and increase compliance costs.
The XRP Ledger has launched a suite of institutional DeFi tools — compliance modules, an institutional-grade lending protocol, and enhanced privacy features — aimed at banks and custodians. The announcement comes as XRP trades at $1.28 after a roughly 16% decline amid broader market softness.
Vietnam is proposing a VND-equivalent $408 million capital threshold for crypto exchanges alongside a new 0.1% transaction tax on trades done via authorized platforms. The measures aim to tighten oversight but could raise costs and push activity offshore or into unregulated channels.
TRM Labs raised $70 million in a financing round backed by Goldman Sachs, pushing its valuation above $1 billion and earning it unicorn status. The firm's multi-blockchain transaction-tracing software is seeing growing demand from law enforcement and financial institutions amid rising crypto crime.
U.S. investigators are probing whether certain crypto platforms were used by Iranian officials to evade sanctions, a blockchain researcher told Reuters amid a surge in cryptocurrency activity in Iran. The inquiry could widen scrutiny of exchanges and on‑ramps that service sanctioned jurisdictions.
Newly released DOJ emails suggest Jeffrey Epstein may have invested $3.2 million in Coinbase in 2014 and sold part of that stake for $15 million in 2018. The disclosures could renew scrutiny of investor vetting and fund provenance in crypto.
The FCA has published CP26/4, proposing stricter requirements on Consumer Duty, safeguarding of client assets, complaints handling, and tougher standards for overseas crypto firms serving UK customers.
The European Commission has issued formal warnings to 12 EU member states for failing to fully implement crypto tax reporting rules. The move targets delays in transposing the EU’s crypto reporting framework and signals possible escalation if compliance isn't achieved.
South Korea has tightened licensing rules for crypto exchanges, giving regulators broader discretion to scrutinize major shareholders, financial stability risks, and internal controls. The move narrows market access and raises compliance expectations for platforms and investors.