News linked to this event type.
: Texas Deputy Comptroller Kelly Hancock has officially appointed four external members to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Advisory Committee. Established pursuant to Senate Bill 21, the committee includes CleanSpark President and CFO Gary Vecchiarelli, Bitcoin mining firm Cormint founder and CEO Jamie McAvity, Southern Methodist University law professor Carla Reyes, and investment executive Laurie Dotter. They will advise the Comptroller on Bitcoin valuation, custody, and risk management. (The Block)
Odaily Odaily News Aaron Klein, a scholar at the Brookings Institution in the United States, has warned that as Congress deliberates on digital asset legislation, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) may face a lack of regulatory capacity when expanding its authority over digital assets. Klein noted that the CFTC was originally established to oversee commodity futures markets and was not designed for the scale of responsibilities proposed under current crypto regulations. A lack of additional personnel, funding, and specialized expertise could lead to a situation of "regulatory authority without substantive oversight." Recent staff departures and institutional adjustments at the CFTC have weakened its regulatory capacity, and expanding its duties could replicate the regulatory failures seen during past financial crises. If crypto regulatory responsibilities are fragmented across multiple agencies, it could result in delays and confusion, repeating the implementation shortcomings of the Dodd-Frank era.Aaron Klein criticized the allegation that financial regulation is influenced by politics, emphasizing that law enforcement should remain independent from the White House or political relationships. He called for increased accountability and prevention of financial misconduct, suggesting that the SEC and CFTC should enhance coordination, and possibly even merge, to improve the efficiency of digital asset and prediction market regulation. In the short term, sharing office space could improve collaboration and be more effective than formal agreements. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Market Participants Division today issued an interpretive opinion and a "No-Action Letter" in response to an application from Coinbase Financial Markets, allowing it to offer trading services for certain digital commodity derivatives through its affiliated offshore trading platform, Deribit. CFTC staff confirmed that, based on the framework approved for Kalshi's BTCPERP contract on May 29, 2026, relevant crypto perpetual contracts can be classified as "foreign futures" as defined under Regulation 30.1.Simultaneously, under the fulfillment of specific conditions, the CFTC's Market Participants Division stated it does not recommend enforcement action against Coinbase Financial Markets. This allows Coinbase to transfer customer-held digital commodities and stablecoins, used as margin, to its affiliated offshore broker-dealer to support trading positions in foreign futures and options, even if the relevant offshore broker-dealer has the right to rehypothecate these assets.Analysts believe this statement further clarifies the classification path for crypto perpetual contracts within the U.S. regulatory framework and provides institutional space for compliant entities to access derivatives trading through offshore liquidity markets.
the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced today that it has issued an approval order to KalshiEX, LLC, a designated contract market (DCM), allowing it to list the perpetual contract BTCPERP, which references the spot price of Bitcoin, for trading as a futures product. The contract was submitted for review on May 29, 2026, pursuant to CFTC Regulation 40.3.The CFTC reviewed the BTCPERP contract under Section 5c(c)(4) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and relevant regulations, confirming that it complies with the CEA and CFTC rules, including core principles applicable to DCMs. The approval order requires Kalshi to strictly adhere to the CEA and all relevant CFTC regulations when listing and maintaining the contract.The CFTC also noted that the perpetual contract structure is not suitable for all asset classes and encouraged market participants to voluntarily submit applications for perpetual contract approval under the 40.3 rulemaking for uncovered assets to ensure compliance and robust market development.
Coinbase has announced it has become the first and currently the only Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), providing U.S. clients with access to the global crypto derivatives market, including crypto perpetual contracts and options. Previously, U.S. institutions could only trade crypto products derived from domestic futures exchanges, lacking access to global markets.Previously, U.S. clients were unable to participate in such global markets through compliant channels and had to establish offshore entities to access liquidity, resulting in increased counterparty risk and duplicated infrastructure costs. Through a single CFTC-regulated FCM, Coinbase Financial Markets is opening compliant access to global crypto options and perpetual contracts for U.S. institutional clients, including connectivity to platforms like Deribit, whose Bitcoin options open interest exceeds $31 billion, accounting for the vast majority of the global options market.Institutional clients can begin onboarding immediately. Deribit options are now available via Coinbase Financial Markets, with perpetual contracts and additional collateral types to be rolled out gradually. Broader access for retail clients is also in the pipeline.This move means that U.S. clients can finally participate in the world's largest and most liquid crypto derivatives market through a single, regulated channel, providing institutional investors with a more complete and compliant trading environment while reducing cross-border operations and complexity.
According to CoinDesk, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved, for the first time on May 29 local time, a regulated exchange to list and trade Bitcoin perpetual futures contracts (“Perps”), marking the first such case in U.S. regulatory history. CFTC Chair Mike Selig characterized this move as a “significant milestone,” stating that perpetual contracts serve as foundational risk-management and price-discovery tools in global crypto-asset markets, and that the CFTC will provide an actionable regulatory framework for such contracts while restricting excessive leverage and systemic risk. Previously, perpetual contract trading had long migrated to non-U.S. jurisdictions due to the absence of regulatory oversight. The CFTC has not yet disclosed the names of the first batch of approved exchanges, and this policy has not yet been elevated to the level of formal regulation—meaning it remains subject to potential reversal in the future.
the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) departments, including Market Oversight, Clearing and Risk, jointly issued staff guidance outlining regulatory expectations and compliance requirements for the growing 24/7 trading, clearing, and settlement model in the markets, encouraging market innovation while ensuring compliance.The guidance emphasizes that regulated trading platforms, swap execution facilities, derivatives clearing organizations, and futures commission merchants must comply with the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and relevant regulatory rules when expanding to 24/7 trading, and must proactively assess risk management and operational arrangements.The CFTC noted that different asset classes have varying suitability for 24/7 trading. Derivatives related to crypto assets, due to their digital infrastructure and global continuous trading characteristics, are more suitable for around-the-clock trading and clearing. In contrast, traditional commodity derivatives such as agricultural products, due to their regional and trading structure characteristics, may not be fully suited for 24/7 operations.CFTC staff stated that relevant institutions should ensure they meet the regulatory framework and risk control requirements while promoting continuous market evolution, in order to support "responsible market innovation."
Bowman believes that when conflicts arise between inflation and employment objectives, a more “flexible” balancing approach should be adopted rather than prioritizing one objective exclusively. While policymakers should moderately “look through the noise” when identifying “transitory inflation shocks,” they must also remain vigilant against the secondary impact of persistent conflicts on inflation expectations. She reiterated that policy must maintain transparency and consistency to uphold the Federal Reserve’s credibility and policy effectiveness.
According to Fortune, U.S. prosecutors this week charged Michele Spagnuolo, a 36-year-old Italian software engineer at Google currently residing in Switzerland, with insider trading. Prosecutors allege that under the online alias “AlphaRaccoon,” Spagnuolo placed bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket—using internal Google search trend data—before the public release of Google’s “Search of the Year 2025” data, netting over $1.2 million in profits. The FBI identified Spagnuolo by tracing cryptocurrency payments. Google has suspended him and stated that betting using confidential information constitutes a serious violation of company policy. Spagnuolo is charged with violations of the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, wire fraud, and money laundering, and faces potentially multiple years of imprisonment.
Odaily News “1011 Insider Whale” agent Garrett Jin pointed out in his latest market commentary that, against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively “blockaded” for three months. However, the market has already become “desensitized” to this geopolitical risk, and the AI narrative is reshaping traditional risk pricing logic. As a result, AI is significantly weakening the market's sensitivity to oil prices and geopolitical shocks. Since the emergence of ceasefire signals, U.S. stocks have “decoupled” from energy shocks, with gains in chip and tech stocks offsetting the impact from the energy sector, leading the market to gradually overlook the Strait of Hormuz risk. Nevertheless, he cautioned that the AI sector faces short-term risks of overvaluation and crowded trades, and a pullback could occur at any time.In the energy market, the earlier assessment that the Strait of Hormuz risk had not been fully priced in has proven correct. Oil prices had risen due to supply shock expectations, but peaked and then declined following the release of strategic reserves and the U.S. intervention as a “supplier of last resort.” A successful exit was achieved on April 29-30. He believes the current risk-reward ratio for oil prices is no longer attractive.On the macro and equity market front, U.S. households' holdings of stocks as a percentage of financial assets have reached approximately 47%, surpassing the level seen during the internet bubble era. This means a market downturn would, in turn, constrain policy. The VIX volatility index triggered different policy shift thresholds around 30 and 50, reflecting a “risk-off driven policy” characteristic.In the gold market, the recent pullback in gold is not due to the fading of a war premium but rather changes in long-term structural demand. Since 2022, central banks globally have been purchasing gold at an average annual rate of over a thousand tons, primarily for de-dollarization and hedging against sanctions risks. He defines gold as “an ultimate exit tool outside the dollar system” rather than a mere safe-haven asset.In the crypto market, the liquidity inflection point occurred last October, with funds flowing more toward AI assets, leading to a periodic drain from the crypto market. However, he believes the market is currently in a cyclical bear phase. Rebound rallies exist, but they do not equate to the start of a new bull run. The market must wait for liquidity to restart in a new cycle. The AI era is emerging as the dominant capital narrative. Even if a bubble exists, the structural opportunities it brings represent “a rare window of opportunity for ordinary investors.” Nevertheless, market cycle discipline should not be overlooked.
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is calling on regulators to create a level playing field, allowing licensed institutions to offer around-the-clock on-chain perpetual contracts. ICE executives stated that while platforms like Hyperliquid are already conducting such trading, traditional institutions are restricted by regulations and unable to follow suit.ICE has engaged in discussions with Hyperliquid to explore areas of synergy between traditional finance and the crypto industry. Additionally, ICE recently partnered with OKX to launch crude oil-related perpetual contracts, while also teaming up with institutions to build a blockchain-based securities trading system, comprehensively deploying 24/7 on-chain trading operations. (Cointelegraph)
According to PR Newswire, the Open Transaction Layer (OTL) officially launched on May 28 as an open industry initiative aimed at establishing a unified transaction coordination standard for on-chain finance. OTL defines shared protocols among institutions, non-custodial wallets, and AI agents for identity verification, messaging, and transaction coordination—covering the entire transaction lifecycle, including discovery, compliance, and settlement. The founding alliance comprises over 25 members, including leading financial institutions, payment service providers, and blockchain foundations such as Fireblocks, Checkout.com, Cross River Bank, MetaMask, Robinhood, Securitize, Wintermute, Solana Foundation, and Polygon. OTL’s technical specifications are built upon mature standards including W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and ISO 20022, and adopt a modular five-layer architecture covering Identity, Session, Transport, Messaging, and Application layers. The specifications have been published under an open-source license at otl.network, and the alliance is also open to additional institutional participation.
According to Decrypt, the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine has completed a pre-trial investigation into a criminal gang led by two former police colonels and comprising four other former police officers and one civilian with a criminal record. Using their law enforcement skills and official resources, the suspects posed as police officers to stalk, kidnap, and threaten at least four cryptocurrency entrepreneurs with firearms, forcing victims to sign forged debt documents and extorting approximately $2.2 million in total. One victim was coerced into signing a fake “debt agreement” for $5 million. The gang was arrested in November 2025, and the case has been referred to court.
: Multiple institutions including Robinhood, MetaMask, and eToro, along with Fireblocks, Checkout.com, Cross River Bank, Securitize, Wintermute, and others, jointly announced their participation in the "Open Transaction Layer (OTL)" initiative, aimed at establishing a unified transaction coordination protocol layer for on-chain finance.OTL is positioned as an open protocol stack for coordinating identity verification, compliance validation, transaction messaging, and execution processes among wallets, institutions, and AI agents, addressing the integration fragmentation problem currently plaguing cross-institutional interactions in on-chain finance, where entities operate in silos.The current coalition members include payment companies, trading platforms, wallets, market makers, and custody and stablecoin infrastructure providers, including Robinhood, MetaMask, eToro, MoonPay, SoFi, Wintermute, among others, as well as foundations from multiple public chains such as TON, Solana, Stellar, and Polygon. (Financefeeds)
the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office in Ukraine stated it has completed a pre-trial investigation into a criminal group, which includes four former police officers and a civilian with a criminal record, suspected of kidnapping a crypto entrepreneur and extorting over $2.2 million through violence, intimidation, and false debt claims.The prosecutors allege that the individuals involved targeted at least four victims, using law enforcement skills, official vehicles, and police identity disguises to commit the crimes, forcing victims to hand over funds and sign documents for non-existent debts. In one case, a victim from Kyiv was abducted at gunpoint and forced to sign documents for a false debt of $5 million. The prosecutors charged the suspects with forming and participating in an armed gang, kidnapping, illegal detention, robbery, extortion, and illegal possession of drugs. The group's activities were halted in November 2025, all involved individuals have been dismissed from the police force, and the case materials have been submitted to the court. (Decrypt)
Arkham posted on X stating that Nakamoto purchased approximately $679 million worth of Bitcoin at an average price of about $118,000 per BTC and has held it long-term without selling—except for a sale of 284 BTC at roughly $70,000 per BTC three months ago, resulting in cumulative losses of approximately $224 million. It is thus far the worst-performing Bitcoin treasury company. Currently, the market value of Nakamoto’s Bitcoin holdings has declined by over 35%, and its stock price has plunged 99.4%, falling from $1,000 (post-split adjusted) to $5.60. Its actual peak stock price reached only around $30, subsequently dropping below $0.20, prompting a 1-for-40 reverse stock split to comply with Nasdaq listing requirements.
Fed’s Schmidt: May need to consider how to make monetary policy more restrictive. (Jinshi)
According to CoinDesk, prediction market platform Kalshi has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Minnesota law set to take effect on August 1 that criminalizes operating, hosting, or promoting prediction market platforms. Kalshi argues the law is unconstitutional, asserting it infringes upon the Commodity Exchange Act’s grant of exclusive federal jurisdiction over derivatives markets to the CFTC and violates the First Amendment by restricting advertising. Earlier, on May 19, the CFTC filed a motion making the same constitutional challenge against the state law. U.S. President Trump has also publicly voiced support for the CFTC’s sole regulatory authority over prediction markets. Kalshi previously secured preliminary injunctions in similar enforcement actions brought by New Jersey and Arizona.
Gate Europe will host the "Capital Social at Money20/20 Europe" industry networking event on June 2, focusing on key topics such as the integration of fiat and digital assets, institutional liquidity, cross-border payments, and institutional-grade settlement. The event is co-organized by Gate Institutional, Gate Fiat, and Gate Pay, and presented together with Utexo, OpenPayd, and CyantArb. It is expected to attract over 150 professionals from the payments, OTC, institutional trading, and fintech sectors.This event will feature in-depth discussions on capital flows in the digital asset era, global payment networks, on-chain settlement efficiency, and institutional infrastructure collaboration. The Gate senior management team and several industry guests will also share the latest trends and practices in areas such as institutional liquidity, fiat infrastructure, and payment synergies.As the European digital asset market continues to mature, institutional demand for compliant payments, stable liquidity, and cross-border clearing and settlement systems is growing rapidly. Gate is steadily advancing its European compliance efforts. Gate Europe, the Malta-based entity under the Gate Group, has obtained European MiCA and PI licenses under the supervision of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), further strengthening its global compliance framework.
According to The Block, Base—the Ethereum Layer 2 network operated by Coinbase—has officially activated the Azul upgrade on its mainnet. This marks Base’s first independent network upgrade following its separation from the Optimism Superchain. The Azul upgrade introduces a multi-proof system that combines TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) proofs with zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, reducing the shortest possible withdrawal finalization time to just one day. Both proof types can independently confirm proposals; in case of conflict, permissionless ZK proofs override TEE proofs—further enhancing the network’s censorship resistance. Additionally, Azul integrates Base into a single execution client, <code>base-reth-node</code>, and introduces a new consensus client, <code>base-consensus</code>, built on OP Kona. Following the upgrade, the number of empty blocks has plummeted from approximately 200 per day to roughly 2 per day, and the network has achieved a sustained peak throughput of 5,000 transactions per second.