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Wisconsin Warns That Trading Election Contracts May Result in Losing Voting Rights in the Same Election; Kalshi Says It Suppresses Voters
OdailyOdailyOdaily News: The Wisconsin Election Commission has stated that residents who purchase contracts related to a specific election on Kalshi or Polymarket may lose their eligibility to vote in that same election. The Commission also noted that knowingly voting without being eligible could constitute a Class I felony. The Commission unanimously approved a legal memorandum regarding prediction markets during a meeting on July 9, and issued a statewide notice on Tuesday. The restrictions apply only to the corresponding election and do not automatically affect a trader's voting eligibility in other unrelated elections. Benjamin Freeman, Head of Election Business at Kalshi, stated that the guidance is "clearly unconstitutional and unlawful," adding that the company has hundreds of thousands of users in Wisconsin alone. Robert DeNault, Head of Enforcement and Legal Counsel at Kalshi, said that election markets certified by the CFTC and offered on federally regulated exchanges are legal. A spokesperson for Polymarket stated that the company would respond to the Commission's claims through appropriate legal proceedings. Both companies argue that their products are tradable financial contracts, not gambling.
A crypto investor from South Dakota, USA, faces 29 charges for an alleged $20 million fraud scheme
U.S. prosecutors have disclosed that a federal grand jury has indicted Benjamin Paul Wiener, a crypto investor from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on 29 criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, involving approximately $20 million.According to the indictment, Wiener, 43, is accused of inducing investors, through false statements, to invest funds and digital assets into multiple companies under his control, with victims spanning South Dakota and Minnesota and involving dozens of investors. Prosecutors allege that after obtaining the funds, Wiener transferred assets through banks and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal the source, ownership, and control of the funds, and used part of the money for personal expenses.Prosecutors further allege that when cash flow became tight or investors demanded redemptions, Wiener would recruit new investors and use the incoming funds to repay earlier investors, with the operation resembling a Ponzi scheme. It is reported that he utilized eight companies, including multiple LLCs, to carry out these activities.Additionally, Wiener is accused of fabricating documents and communication records in April 2025, and using another person's identity to fraudulently obtain a $1 million line of credit from a financial institution in Sioux Falls.Wiener appeared in court on July 10 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was released after posting bail. The trial is expected to begin on September 15. Under U.S. law, wire fraud and money laundering carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, bank fraud carries a maximum of 30 years, and aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years. The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are jointly investigating the case. (The Block)
Investigative journalist: Polymarket's official founding narrative is inaccurate, with deep ties to Peter Thiel and Israeli interests
investigative journalist Whitney Webb has published a series of articles on the origins and ambitions of Polymarket, questioning its official founding narrative.Whitney Webb stated that Polymarket's official claim that "Shayne Coplan founded the company alone in 2020, starting it in a bathroom" is not true. She believes that Polymarket's origins can be traced back to an earlier company, TokenBnk, and that it is linked to a crypto company founded by the nephew and niece of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Webb also stated that Polymarket is essentially a product of Peter Thiel and his team's attempt to revive the Pentagon's early controversial project, the Policy Analysis Market (PAM). This project was previously cancelled due to controversy, and Polymarket can be seen as its "privatized rebirth."
Trump insists on diplomatic solution to Iran issue, Netanyahu strongly opposes
According to the Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump had a tense and heated phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening. According to sources, Netanyahu strongly criticized the agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran during the call, while Trump defended the diplomatic process. Israel has long been skeptical about whether Iran will adhere to any agreement to dismantle its nuclear program and halt attacks on regional countries. According to insiders, Netanyahu reiterated these positions to Trump during calls on both last Sunday and Tuesday. However, Trump was not convinced. He told Netanyahu that he would continue to push for an agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump also stated that if Iran fails to show greater flexibility in negotiations, it may face a new round of strikes. (Golden Ten)
Believe Founder Arrested, Faces Second-Degree Strangulation and Assault Charges
Odaily News According to public records from the New York Criminal Court, Believe founder Benjamin Pasternak was arrested on suspicion of second-degree strangulation and assault, with a court appearance scheduled for June 11. He was previously accused of involvement in a token exit scam scheme involving millions of dollars. The platform's native token BELIEVE is currently trading at approximately $0.00075, down over 99% from its all-time high of $0.3569 set in May 2025.
RWA DeFi Deposits Surpass $3.98 Billion, 6x Growth in One Year
According to Cryptopolitan, data from the on-chain data platform DefiLlama shows that as of August 18, the active deposit size of Real World Assets (RWA) in DeFi protocols has reached $3.98 billion, representing an approximately 6-fold increase compared to $651 million a year ago; three years ago, this figure was only $12 million. The current total issuance of tokenized RWA is $34.55 billion, but the actual on-chain utilization rate is only about 11.5%. Of this, private credit accounts for over half of the active total with $2.13 billion, bonds contribute $799 million, and reinsurance contributes $406 million. In contrast, the utilization rate of tokenized treasury bonds is extremely low—BlackRock BUIDL issuance reaches $2.74 billion, but on-chain deployment is only $18 million, with a utilization rate of only 0.66%; Franklin Templeton BENJI utilization rate is zero. Analysis points out that such products are designed specifically for institutional cash management, where holders pursue treasury yields rather than lending capabilities; tokenization only improves settlement efficiency and does not convert them into collateral.
Wisconsin Warns That Trading Election Contracts May Result in Losing Voting Rights in the Same Election; Kalshi Says It Suppresses Voters
OdailyOdailyOdaily News: The Wisconsin Election Commission has stated that residents who purchase contracts related to a specific election on Kalshi or Polymarket may lose their eligibility to vote in that same election. The Commission also noted that knowingly voting without being eligible could constitute a Class I felony. The Commission unanimously approved a legal memorandum regarding prediction markets during a meeting on July 9, and issued a statewide notice on Tuesday. The restrictions apply only to the corresponding election and do not automatically affect a trader's voting eligibility in other unrelated elections. Benjamin Freeman, Head of Election Business at Kalshi, stated that the guidance is "clearly unconstitutional and unlawful," adding that the company has hundreds of thousands of users in Wisconsin alone. Robert DeNault, Head of Enforcement and Legal Counsel at Kalshi, said that election markets certified by the CFTC and offered on federally regulated exchanges are legal. A spokesperson for Polymarket stated that the company would respond to the Commission's claims through appropriate legal proceedings. Both companies argue that their products are tradable financial contracts, not gambling.
Investigative journalist: Polymarket's official founding narrative is inaccurate, with deep ties to Peter Thiel and Israeli interests
investigative journalist Whitney Webb has published a series of articles on the origins and ambitions of Polymarket, questioning its official founding narrative.Whitney Webb stated that Polymarket's official claim that "Shayne Coplan founded the company alone in 2020, starting it in a bathroom" is not true. She believes that Polymarket's origins can be traced back to an earlier company, TokenBnk, and that it is linked to a crypto company founded by the nephew and niece of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Webb also stated that Polymarket is essentially a product of Peter Thiel and his team's attempt to revive the Pentagon's early controversial project, the Policy Analysis Market (PAM). This project was previously cancelled due to controversy, and Polymarket can be seen as its "privatized rebirth."
STBL Launches RWA-Backed Stablecoin USST on Stellar
on July 1, 2026, STBL launched the institution-grade stablecoin USST on the Stellar network. This stablecoin is backed by real-world assets, with the initial minting collateral being the tokenized Treasury bill USDY. USST is built on STBL's Stablecoin 2.0 infrastructure, allowing market participants to deposit eligible real-world assets, such as tokenized Treasury bills or money market funds, to mint USST. It supports settlement, collateral liquidity, and cross-border payments. STBL plans to add Franklin Templeton's BENJI as a second collateral option but has not yet set a date for the BENJI collateral integration, nor has it disclosed the initial minting size of USST on Stellar.
Related news
RWA DeFi Deposits Surpass $3.98 Billion, 6x Growth in One Year
According to Cryptopolitan, data from the on-chain data platform DefiLlama shows that as of August 18, the active deposit size of Real World Assets (RWA) in DeFi protocols has reached $3.98 billion, representing an approximately 6-fold increase compared to $651 million a year ago; three years ago, this figure was only $12 million. The current total issuance of tokenized RWA is $34.55 billion, but the actual on-chain utilization rate is only about 11.5%. Of this, private credit accounts for over half of the active total with $2.13 billion, bonds contribute $799 million, and reinsurance contributes $406 million. In contrast, the utilization rate of tokenized treasury bonds is extremely low—BlackRock BUIDL issuance reaches $2.74 billion, but on-chain deployment is only $18 million, with a utilization rate of only 0.66%; Franklin Templeton BENJI utilization rate is zero. Analysis points out that such products are designed specifically for institutional cash management, where holders pursue treasury yields rather than lending capabilities; tokenization only improves settlement efficiency and does not convert them into collateral.
Bitcoin Approximately 69-73 Days Away from Cycle Bottom, Analysts and Institutions Disagree on Four-Year Cycle
According to BeInCrypto, crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen stated that Bitcoin is currently on day 1,363 of this cycle, while the past two cycles bottomed out on day 1,432 and day 1,436 respectively. Based on this, the bottom of this cycle is estimated to appear in October 2026, approximately 69-73 days from now. Cowen also pointed out that August and September have historically been seasonally weak periods for Bitcoin, with an average decline of about 10% in August during midterm election years. However, this prediction faces institutional-level skepticism. Fidelity pointed out that within months after Bitcoin hit an all-time high, one-year volatility touched a new low, a signal that never appeared in previous cycles; Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan believes that continuous inflows into spot ETFs and corporate balance sheet allocation demands have weakened traditional halving cycle patterns; Grayscale's 2026 outlook report also holds a similar view. Cowen, however, insists that although tops are becoming flatter, the bottom ranges of the four cycles have hardly shifted.
Wisconsin Warns That Trading Election Contracts May Result in Losing Voting Rights in the Same Election; Kalshi Says It Suppresses Voters
OdailyOdailyOdaily News: The Wisconsin Election Commission has stated that residents who purchase contracts related to a specific election on Kalshi or Polymarket may lose their eligibility to vote in that same election. The Commission also noted that knowingly voting without being eligible could constitute a Class I felony. The Commission unanimously approved a legal memorandum regarding prediction markets during a meeting on July 9, and issued a statewide notice on Tuesday. The restrictions apply only to the corresponding election and do not automatically affect a trader's voting eligibility in other unrelated elections. Benjamin Freeman, Head of Election Business at Kalshi, stated that the guidance is "clearly unconstitutional and unlawful," adding that the company has hundreds of thousands of users in Wisconsin alone. Robert DeNault, Head of Enforcement and Legal Counsel at Kalshi, said that election markets certified by the CFTC and offered on federally regulated exchanges are legal. A spokesperson for Polymarket stated that the company would respond to the Commission's claims through appropriate legal proceedings. Both companies argue that their products are tradable financial contracts, not gambling.
A crypto investor from South Dakota, USA, faces 29 charges for an alleged $20 million fraud scheme
U.S. prosecutors have disclosed that a federal grand jury has indicted Benjamin Paul Wiener, a crypto investor from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on 29 criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, involving approximately $20 million.According to the indictment, Wiener, 43, is accused of inducing investors, through false statements, to invest funds and digital assets into multiple companies under his control, with victims spanning South Dakota and Minnesota and involving dozens of investors. Prosecutors allege that after obtaining the funds, Wiener transferred assets through banks and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal the source, ownership, and control of the funds, and used part of the money for personal expenses.Prosecutors further allege that when cash flow became tight or investors demanded redemptions, Wiener would recruit new investors and use the incoming funds to repay earlier investors, with the operation resembling a Ponzi scheme. It is reported that he utilized eight companies, including multiple LLCs, to carry out these activities.Additionally, Wiener is accused of fabricating documents and communication records in April 2025, and using another person's identity to fraudulently obtain a $1 million line of credit from a financial institution in Sioux Falls.Wiener appeared in court on July 10 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was released after posting bail. The trial is expected to begin on September 15. Under U.S. law, wire fraud and money laundering carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, bank fraud carries a maximum of 30 years, and aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years. The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are jointly investigating the case. (The Block)
Israeli Prime Minister: Will Continue Opposing Iran's Nuclear Program Regardless of U.S.-Iran Agreement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on the 5th local time that he will continue to oppose Iran's nuclear program regardless of whether the United States and Iran reach an agreement. Netanyahu stated that to defend Israel's fundamental interests, his government will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
Investigative journalist: Polymarket's official founding narrative is inaccurate, with deep ties to Peter Thiel and Israeli interests
investigative journalist Whitney Webb has published a series of articles on the origins and ambitions of Polymarket, questioning its official founding narrative.Whitney Webb stated that Polymarket's official claim that "Shayne Coplan founded the company alone in 2020, starting it in a bathroom" is not true. She believes that Polymarket's origins can be traced back to an earlier company, TokenBnk, and that it is linked to a crypto company founded by the nephew and niece of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Webb also stated that Polymarket is essentially a product of Peter Thiel and his team's attempt to revive the Pentagon's early controversial project, the Policy Analysis Market (PAM). This project was previously cancelled due to controversy, and Polymarket can be seen as its "privatized rebirth."