News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily News: The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging its authority to grant national trust bank charters to crypto firms and asking the court to vacate the final rule dated March 2, 2026, and Interpretive Letter No. 1176.ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said the charters give crypto firms the credibility of a federal bank charter without requiring compliance with federal deposit insurance, capital and liquidity standards, and the Community Reinvestment Act. The ICBA also seeks to revoke Protego Holdings' conditional charter, citing deficiencies in its governance and risk controls.The lawsuit involves digital asset firms that have applied for or obtained OCC charters, including Circle, Ripple, Paxos, Fidelity, BitGo, Kraken parent company Payward, Block, and World Liberty Financial. Senator Elizabeth Warren separately accused the approvals of being unlawful, drawing pushback from the industry; the OCC plans to complete stablecoin rules under the GENIUS Act by November. (Decrypt)
Odaily reports: Cross-chain swap service Near Intents announced that the $3.8 million in funds stolen in a previous exploit has been fully returned, and the team has closed its investigation. Near Intents General Manager Alex Shevchenko had previously issued a 48-hour return deadline to the attacker, providing Bitcoin, BNB, Ethereum, and Solana addresses.The attacker acknowledged wrongdoing in an on-chain message, stating that all funds had been returned and urging others to report issues through the bug bounty program. The incident stemmed from a vulnerability in the interaction between its Omni deposit and withdrawal layer and the main smart contract. Near Intents had suspended services and promised full compensation to users. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: Spanish police have arrested a 16-year-old Romanian national in Alicante on suspicion of being the administrator and primary operator of the KillSec ransomware group. Europol stated that law enforcement agencies have seized control of the group's servers and leak site, and preserved at least 110 TB of stolen data.The operation involved searches at 8 residences across Spain, Greece, Romania, and the United Kingdom, investigating approximately 1,000 suspected attacks worldwide, of which about 500 have been confirmed successful. Two other suspects in their 20s were arrested in the UK and Romania respectively, while a Dutch national residing in the UK was indicted and arrested in Puerto Rico, awaiting extradition.KillSec has been active since around 2024, often demanding ransoms in cryptocurrency and carrying out double extortion through encrypted servers and threats to publish stolen data. Investigators are tracing the group's proceeds, including cryptocurrency; Europol's European Cybercrime Centre provided cryptocurrency tracing and digital forensics support. (Decrypt)
former UK National Crime Agency (NCA) officer Paul Chowles has been ordered by a court to forfeit £1,810,700, approximately $2.4 million, for stealing 50 bitcoins from a wallet seized during the Silk Road 2.0 investigation. The bitcoins were worth about $77,000 at the time of the theft in 2017.Of those, 30 bitcoins have been recovered, and the forfeiture order accounted for their current total value. Paul Chowles pleaded guilty in 2025 to theft, transfer, and concealment of criminal property, was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison, and was dismissed by the NCA in July of the same year. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is investigating former U.S. Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger for using a Kalshi account on a prediction market platform to bet on whether he would receive a presidential pardon. The trades occurred between December 2024 and January 2025.Kinzinger confirmed that he participated in contract trading related to his own pardon and whether Biden would issue a preventive pardon, stating that he made approximately 25 trades, with the majority resulting in losses overall, and that the related trading generated a profit of $823. He denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not possess non-public information. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: The U.S. Senate failed to advance the Clarity Act last week in a procedural vote of 49 in favor and 50 against, falling short of the required 60-vote threshold. Negotiations on the market structure bill reached a deadlock over ethics provisions related to Trump's crypto business.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subsequently introduced a digital asset "innovation exemption," allowing qualifying platforms to trade onchain tokenized U.S. stocks without registering as national securities exchanges. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a no-action position for passive software providers and submitted a broader crypto market rulemaking proposal to the White House for review.The Federal Reserve proposed requiring stablecoin issuers under its supervision to fully back tokens with safe, liquid assets and hold capital against operational risks. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is advancing stablecoin rulemaking and plans to finalize the relevant rules by November. (Decrypt)
Odaily reports: Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic has launched an AI product called Pulse, which allows frontline law enforcement officers to input a wallet address or transaction hash and receive a plain-language summary of fund flows within seconds, without requiring any blockchain expertise.For further investigation, law enforcement officers can, with a single click, transfer the results — including analytical reasoning and on-scene case number records — into Elliptic's screening and forensic tracing tools, or integrate them into their own agency workflows. Elliptic states that the final judgment remains with law enforcement officers. (Decrypt)
Odaily reports: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Mike Selig stated that after the Senate rejected the Clarity Act, the CFTC will still advance crypto market structure rulemaking, saying "now is the time to act."Selig pointed out that the CFTC's existing statutory authority provides room for advancing rules without waiting for Congress to pass new legislation. The agency will also reassess existing rules applicable to 24/7 on-chain markets driven by algorithms and intelligent agents.Related arrangements may include establishing a designated contract market category to allow exchanges to offer crypto leveraged trading under CFTC oversight; however, the CFTC does not have the authority to regulate the spot market on this basis, and spot market regulation still requires legislation. (Decrypt)
derivatives exchange CME Group has announced that, pending regulatory approval, it will launch Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Uniswap futures on October 19. The standard BCH contract corresponds to 250 BCH, while the micro contract corresponds to 25 BCH.Following the announcement, BCH briefly surged 30%, breaking above $340 and briefly touching $358, with weekly gains at one point exceeding 50%. Bitcoin SV (BSV) also rose approximately 20% in tandem, approaching its yearly high of $21; Bitcoin fell back to around $84,000 on Wednesday.Digital asset management firm Grayscale has filed to convert its Bitcoin Cash Trust into a spot ETF listed on NYSE Arca. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: North Korean hacker group WaterPlum obtained funds or credentials from over 7,000 crypto wallets through fake recruitment processes and transferred approximately $10.71 million to North Korea. Between December 2025 and July 2026, the group infected at least 30,000 devices across more than 100 countries.WaterPlum impersonates AI, crypto, or NFT companies and approaches developers through social media, job platforms, and freelance platforms, luring them into downloading malware-laden files under the guise of technical interviews or coding assignments. Targets include web designers, engineers, and professionals in the crypto, blockchain, and Web3 sectors.Japanese law enforcement dismantled a "laptop farm" within the country for the first time, discovering that hundreds of millions of yen in crypto assets had already been transferred overseas. Investigations suggest that WaterPlum and some North Korean remote IT workers both belong to the 313th General Bureau of North Korea's Ministry of Munitions Industry and share IP addresses used to access the laptop farm and job-seeking services. (Decrypt)
According to Decrypt, on September 23, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Market Surveillance Division issued an advisory opinion classifying “mention-type contracts” in prediction markets that involve specific individuals’ statements, appearances, handshakes, photographs, and social media interactions as products presumed susceptible to manipulation. The CFTC noted that the settlement outcomes of such contracts can be actively controlled by the parties involved, and relevant insiders (such as those holding draft speeches or guest lists) may possess material non-public information. Exchanges seeking to rebut this presumption must provide detailed monitoring mechanisms and risk control evidence, including measures such as establishing restricted participant lists, third-party reviews, and position limits. This advisory opinion was issued approximately three weeks after the CFTC fined former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez $172,000 for trading “presidential mention contracts” after learning the contents of the president’s speech in advance. The advisory opinion is not legally binding and represents only the stance of the division's staff.
Visa is closing a checkout loophole supported by crypto payment infrastructure company Crossmint. The loophole previously allowed users purchasing Meme coins with credit cards to have transactions classified under a merchant category code intended for digital media such as e-books, movies, and music.Visa has notified payment processors, including Checkout.com, that it will no longer accept that code for Meme coin transactions, giving processors a grace period to stop the practice, which is expected to end next week. Thereafter, Meme coin purchases must be processed as cryptocurrency transactions and are subject to Visa's corresponding rules.Chase had disputed a Visa transaction that was not flagged as a cryptocurrency transaction, arguing that its merchant category code was incorrect and that it should not have earned credit card rewards. The New York State Attorney General's Office is also aware of and reviewing the matter. (Decrypt)
According to Decrypt, UAE and Swedish police jointly arrested seven suspected members, successfully dismantling a transnational cryptocurrency money laundering network. The network processed approximately 70 million Swedish kronor (about $7.1 million) in illicit funds over a 10-month period, using cryptocurrencies to transfer and conceal assets. The network's ringleader was a Swedish fugitive with an Interpol Red Notice who was apprehended in the UAE, while six other members were simultaneously arrested in Sweden. By tracking on-chain transaction records, investigators further uncovered the network's ties to organized crime and contract killings.
Odaily News: The U.S. House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday advanced the American Reserve Modernization Act (H.R. 8957) by a vote of 28 to 21. All 28 votes in favor came from Republicans, while all 21 votes against came from Democrats.The bill requires the Treasury Department to establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve and a digital asset reserve within 180 days, and mandates that federal agencies declare their asset holdings within 60 days. Bitcoin included in the reserve may not be sold, exchanged, auctioned, or pledged as collateral for 20 years.The revised text removes provisions to purchase additional Bitcoin using Federal Reserve funds, gold certificate revaluation, and tariff revenues, and changes the frequency of proof-of-reserve reports from quarterly to annual. The bill does not authorize the purchase of Bitcoin; it only requires the Treasury Department and the Commerce Department to study acquisition plans that impose no cost on taxpayers. (Decrypt)
Odaily reports: Earlier this month, the verified Reddit account of streaming service HBO Max was hijacked by hackers, who deployed 108 malicious ads over approximately 48 hours, tricking Mac and Windows users into executing commands to install infostealer malware.The malware can steal browser credentials, Telegram data, Apple Notes, saved passwords, and crypto wallet recovery phrases, and may also alter wallet addresses in the clipboard. Reddit has suspended the relevant ads and launched a security investigation. The number of infections and crypto asset losses have not yet been confirmed. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: The UK government has announced that it will invest £500 million over the next three years in a new anti-money laundering and asset recovery strategy, and will recruit 500 additional personnel across police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and the Crown Prosecution Service to track down and seize criminal funds.The funding comes from an economic crime levy imposed on regulated businesses. The UK Home Office stated that the NCA estimates more than £100 billion is laundered through the UK or UK corporate structures each year, with the development of fintech, cryptocurrency, and AI increasing related risks.The additional personnel will support "Operation Destabilise," which targets Russian-speaking networks that convert street cash into cryptocurrency. To date, the operation has arrested 119 suspected money launderers and seized over £25 million in cash and crypto assets in less than a year. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: The Albuquerque City Council in New Mexico, USA, has passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of cryptocurrency ATMs and counter-assisted virtual currency transactions within city limits. The city government will notify known operators and retailers hosting the devices, and the relevant equipment must be removed within 45 days.Albuquerque City Councilor Stephanie Telles stated that 90% of cryptocurrency ATM transactions in the city are related to scams, and noted that high fees discourage legitimate users from using such devices. Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn pointed out that these transactions are instant, anonymous, and irreversible, characteristics that could be exploited by scam groups, organized crime, and human traffickers.The City Council stated that residents can still hold, mine, and transfer cryptocurrencies through online trading platforms and personal wallets. Indiana, Tennessee, and Minnesota have already banned such devices statewide; North America's former largest operator, Bitcoin Depot, filed for bankruptcy in May and took approximately 9,700 devices offline. (Decrypt)
: Mexico's federal prosecutor's office, Navy, and Puebla State Police seized approximately 300 cryptocurrency mining machines in the mountainous northern area of Huauchinango, Puebla State. During the operation, transformers, medium-voltage cable terminals, and functional satellite internet antennas were also confiscated. Electricity at the site is suspected to have been illegally drawn from federal hydroelectric facilities powered by the Nuevo Necaxa Dam.Crypto mining itself is legal in Mexico, but prosecutors are preparing to file charges of electricity theft. Puebla State Security Secretary Francisco Sánchez stated that investigators traced local illegal mining leads due to the site's proximity to the Nuevo Necaxa Dam and discovered a large-scale power connection at the location.Suspicions of money laundering have not been ruled out. Forensic accountants are currently tracing the source of funds used to purchase the mining machines, and state authorities are also examining whether the mined output was used to launder criminal proceeds. Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission has joined the investigation. From January to July 2024, non-technical losses caused by electricity theft, meter tampering, and illegal connections amounted to approximately 6.346 billion kilowatt-hours, valued at around 1.38 billion pesos. (Decrypt)
According to Decrypt, Mexican federal prosecutors, along with the Navy and Puebla state police, raided a property in the remote mountainous area of Tlaola City, Puebla State. Approximately 300 cryptocurrency mining rigs were seized on-site, along with equipment such as transformers, medium-voltage terminals, and satellite internet antennas. The investigation revealed that the mining farm was illegally connected to the grid of the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric power plant, and authorities have filed charges for "theft of electricity." Forensic accountants are currently tracing the funding sources for the hardware, and money laundering suspicions have not been ruled out. Data from the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission shows that non-technical electricity losses reached as high as 6,346 gigawatt-hours between January and July 2024, valued at approximately 13.8 billion pesos (about $817 million).
Odaily News: Brazil's cryptocurrency market recorded a trading volume of 505.5 billion reais in 2025, approximately $98.7 billion, representing a more than fivefold increase from 94.9 billion reais in 2020. Corporate-related transactions totaled 497 billion reais, accounting for 98.3% of the total tracked by Brazil's Federal Revenue Service, with individual investors accounting for the remainder.Itaú, Brazil's largest bank by assets under management, now offers 15 crypto assets through its investment app, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the USD-pegged stablecoin USDC. Fintech company Nubank lists 28 crypto assets, while Banco do Brasil has seen trading volume exceed 11 million reais since opening direct trading in Bitcoin and Ethereum in January.Filings with the Central Bank of Brazil through March 2026 show that Brazilian banks hold no proprietary virtual asset positions, but may custody and process crypto assets on behalf of clients. Since 2025, Itaú, Bradesco, Santander, Banco do Brasil, and Nubank have all expanded their crypto asset service offerings.Brazil passed the Virtual Asset Legal Framework in 2022 and issued three regulatory resolutions in November 2025, requiring institutions providing crypto asset trading, custody, or transfer services to obtain licenses, meet minimum capital requirements, and maintain segregated client accounts, with a compliance deadline of October 30, 2026. Banco Safra issued the USD-pegged stablecoin Safra Dólar in September 2025, with the bank providing self-custody. (Decrypt)