Regulation & Policy

Intercontinental Exchange adds $600 million investment to Polymarket, bringing the total to $1.64 billion. Trump emphasizes the importance of Bitcoin, while Yilihua states the cryptocurrency market has performed poorly for four years. The U.S. plans to release a draft of stablecoin yield provisions, and Ripple's CEO says the CLARITY Act may be delayed until May. California bans public officials from trading on insider information. The crypto industry enters the "Shirt Era," with blockchain and AI integration driving development. Lido proposes to buy back LDO tokens, and Ripple and Stellar founders jointly invest $1 billion in AGI research.

Plume legal advisor B. Salman Banaei testified before Congress, urging the SEC to expedite the development of tokenization rules and criticizing the reliance on an "innovation exemption" mechanism. He emphasized the need for public consultation to promote permanent solutions that would attract large institutions to participate in the tokenization of real-world assets, reminding SEC leadership of the urgency to act.

South Korea’s banking industry is actively strengthening cooperation with cryptocurrency exchanges to deal with constrained loan growth and to seek new profit opportunities. Several banks have established partnerships with exchanges, despite historical incidents involving mistaken Bitcoin airdrops. Regulators plan to expand their regulatory authority, which could intensify competition among banks.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order prohibiting state-appointed officials from profiting in prediction markets using non-public information, emphasizing the maintenance of government integrity and public trust, and criticizing recent insider trading issues among internal personnel.

Circle has unfrozen two hot wallets linked to 500 Casino and a crypto whale after a compliance freeze blocked user withdrawals at a centralized exchange. The lack of transparency regarding the initial freeze raises concerns about centralized control over assets.

The team behind the P2P.me decentralized trading platform disclosed that it opened positions on the Polymarket prediction market related to its recent capital raise. The team opened the positions 10 days before the raise went live, wagering whether the project would hit its $6 million fundraising t

Vietnam is investigating a major crypto fraud linked to Vemanti Group, which reportedly attracted billions from investors. The case reflects increasing scrutiny over online financial scams in Vietnam and the region as the crypto market expands.

In brief California public officials are banned via executive order from using inside information to make money on prediction markets. The ban extends to state officials and appointees using information to help others from profiting, as well. The order follows continued scrutiny from

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), said Friday it completed a new $600 million direct cash investment in Polymarket, deepening its bet on prediction markets as a new area of growth for exchange operators. The company also said it expects to

Chen Zhi, the founder of the Prince Group in Cambodia, has been detained on charges of fraud and other crimes. The UK has imposed sanctions on the group, with the sanctions list including his collaborator Hu Xiaowei. Chen Zhi had amassed a fortune through online fraud but was ultimately arrested and had his nationality revoked.

The crypto space is once again debating control and transparency after blockchain investigator ZachXBT revealed a fresh update involving Circle. The company has now unfrozen two USDC wallets tied to 500 Casino and a user known as “Whale.” Together, the wallets held more than $330,000. This move

The Federal Court of Australia fined Binance's local branch A$10 million for misclassifying over 500 investors, exposing them to high-risk crypto-asset derivatives, leading to losses over A$12 million. Binance admitted to significant compliance failures in client onboarding.

Rumors surrounding the "secret XRP contract" spread rapidly in 2026, with Ripple's Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz publicly denying it, emphasizing that no pre-allocation agreement had ever been confirmed. This incident originated from misleading posts on social media, drawing market attention and highlighting issues in the dissemination of cryptocurrency information, reminding investors to verify sources when confronted with sensitive news.

The UK sanctioned Xinbi to disrupt a $20 billion crypto-enabled scam and money laundering network globally. The authorities targeted the infrastructure for fraud ecosystems, especially in financial channels, marketplaces, and interconnected illicit services. The United Kingdom has recently sancti

The U.S. Senate has introduced the "Financial Prediction Markets Public Integrity Act," aimed at stopping government officials from trading event contracts using non-public information. The bill covers multiple officials, with violators facing severe economic penalties and transparency requirements. This legislation reflects the rising demand for regulation of prediction markets, signaling that they will become mainstream financial instruments.

David Sacks has concluded his 130-day tenure as the White House's cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence affairs chief and will transition to co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, continuing to influence U.S. technology policy. He will focus on advancing a unified regulatory framework for artificial intelligence and engage in policy research across several key areas. This change may affect the future coordination of cryptocurrency and AI regulation.

The regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency in the U.S. is changing, as David Sacks concludes his term in the Trump administration and transitions to co-chair of the Technology Advisory Council, leading to concerns about the continuity of digital asset policy. The outlook for the CLARITY Act has become uncertain, with the market focusing on future legislative developments and the emergence of new policy leaders.

_David Sacks leaves AI and crypto czar role after 130 days, shifts to new advisory position shaping US technology policies._ David Sacks has stepped down from his White House role as crypto and AI Czar after 130 days. However, he will continue to advise on technology policy in his new role.

The UK Foreign Office has imposed sanctions on the Chinese cryptocurrency platform Xinbi, accusing it of playing a core role in fraud activities in Southeast Asia. The sanctions will freeze its assets in the UK and prohibit its access to the UK financial system. Chainalysis reports that Xinbi processed over $19.9 billion in transactions between 2021 and 2025, with deep connections to fraud networks. The purpose of these sanctions is to isolate Xinbi from the legitimate crypto ecosystem and will not affect ordinary compliant crypto users.

U.S. lawmakers have introduced the "2026 Financial Prediction Market Public Integrity Act," which aims to prohibit government officials from using non-public information to place bets in prediction markets and requires the reporting of bets exceeding $250. The bill broadly defines insider information, with violations facing penalties of up to double the profits gained. This legislation reflects an increase in U.S. regulation of prediction markets.