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Anthropic Hires Trump-Linked Lobbying Firm Ballard Partners
According to Bloomberg, just days after the Pentagon designated Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, Anthropic PBC has hired Ballard Partners—a lobbying firm linked to U.S. President Trump. This collaboration comes amid an ongoing dispute between Anthropic and the U.S. Department of Defense (i.e., the Pentagon). Public filings indicate that Ballard Partners will represent Anthropic in policy communications and lobbying activities.
Former CFTC Chairman Giancarlo Officially Leaves Law Firm to Fully Commit to Crypto and AI
According to Crypto in America, Chris Giancarlo—former Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and widely known in the industry as “Crypto Dad”—has officially stepped down from his role as Senior Advisor at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP at the end of April. He is now shifting his focus to digital asset strategic consulting, private investments, and public policy research. Giancarlo spent six years at the law firm, where he spearheaded the development of its cryptocurrency legal practice. Additionally, his new book, *CryptoDad’s New Adventure: The Path to Financial Freedom in the 21st Century*, is scheduled for publication this October, chronicling the evolution of the crypto industry from the 2024 U.S. presidential election through the potential second Trump administration.
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Caixin: Peng Jing, Partner at a Chongqing Law Firm, Goes Missing; Possibly Linked to Money Laundering Case Involving 30.8 Million USDT and Mayor Hu Henghua
According to Caixin, multiple independent sources confirmed to Caixin that the founding partner and director of a Chongqing-based law firm was recently taken away by relevant authorities. The lawyer in question is Peng Jing, founding partner and director of Chongqing Jing Sheng Law Firm. It is speculated externally that she is intricately linked to the aforementioned high-ranking officials who have fallen from grace. According to analysis by insiders, lawyers are typically not taken into custody by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI); “Peng Jing’s network is exceptionally extensive, and her case implicates numerous individuals.” On March 20, 2026, Hu Henghua, Mayor of Chongqing, was announced to be under investigation; on April 17, Luo Lin, member of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee and Secretary of the Liangjiang New Area Party Working Committee, was also publicly announced to be under investigation. According to information circulating among Chongqing’s political and business circles, Hu Henghua and Luo Lin’s downfalls are related to accepting bribes and money laundering via stablecoins—and “Peng Jing may be a key figure in this scheme, laundering money under the guise of collecting legal fees.” According to insiders, in Hu Henghua’s case, Lin Xiucheng’s son-in-law Lin Kechuang transferred 30.8 million USDT (approximately RMB 210 million, including RMB 10 million in exchange fees) to Hu Henghua. After Hu Henghua was placed under investigation, his cold wallet was seized, and authorities subsequently traced the fund flows from six additional cold wallets held by Lin Kechuang. One such transfer—15.5 million USDT sent simultaneously with Hu Henghua’s transaction—was reportedly transferred to Luo Lin, according to Lin Kechuang. Luo Lin was taken into custody by relevant authorities on April 14, 2026, and his residence was searched on the evening of April 15—but the cold wallet was not found. Later, authorities located Luo Lin’s cold wallet at a third party’s residence.
MoonPay Acquires Israeli Security Firm Sodot for $100 Million, Establishing Institutional Business Unit
According to Bloomberg, crypto payments company MoonPay has acquired Israeli crypto security startup Sodot and established a new division—“MoonPay Institutional”—based on this acquisition, focusing on meeting institutional clients’ digital asset needs. The division will provide services including trading, tokenized securities, payments, wallet management, and stablecoin issuance to major traditional financial institutions. Former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Acting Chair Caroline D. Pham will serve as head of the division; she joined MoonPay in late 2025 as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer.
South Korean legal community: Cryptocurrencies accumulated during the marriage are divisible assets.
According to South Korea’s Asia Economic Daily, a woman in her 40s learned—two years after her divorce—that her former husband had secretly invested in cryptocurrencies during their marriage and generated substantial profits. In response, attorney Kim Na-hee of South Korea’s Shinsegye-ro Law Firm stated that stocks and virtual assets acquired during the marriage constitute divisible marital property. If a party was entirely unaware of such assets at the time of divorce, they may exceptionally file an application for supplementary division—but must do so within two years from the date of divorce. Regarding asset tracing, the party may petition the court for a disclosure order concerning the other spouse’s assets and, by obtaining approximately three years’ worth of bank statements, identify deposits and withdrawals linked to cryptocurrency exchanges. Subsequently, the party may apply to the court for an order compelling submission of documents to verify the former spouse’s virtual asset holdings.
Bloomberg: Optiver Takes Stake in VC Firm Eden Block, Boosting Early-Stage AI and Crypto Investments
Odaily News According to Bloomberg, Amsterdam-based market maker Optiver has taken a stake in venture capital firm Eden Block, which focuses on the crypto and artificial intelligence sectors, to gain exposure to investments in related early-stage projects.Optiver stated that this move aims to position itself in two major technological directions that could reshape trading and capital market infrastructure—AI and digital assets. Its Head of Technology Ecosystem and Innovation pointed out that these two fields continue to attract institutional capital attention and possess long-term transformative potential. (Bloomberg)
Tether Holds an 8.2% Stake in Bitcoin Mining Financial Firm Antalpha
According to TheEnergyMag, Tether, the stablecoin issuer, along with several of its subsidiaries and its Chairman Giancarlo Devasini, collectively hold 1.95 million common shares of Bitcoin mining financial services company Antalpha—representing 8.2% of Antalpha’s total post-IPO share capital. Disclosure documents indicate that Antalpha raised approximately $49.3 million in its initial public offering (IPO), with a share offering price of $12.80 per share; Tether subscribed to roughly half of the issued shares. Antalpha maintains close ties with the Bitmain ecosystem and primarily offers Bitcoin-collateralized lending and financing for mining hardware supply chains. As of the end of 2024, its loan portfolio stood at approximately $1.6 billion.
Maritime Analysis Firm: 35 Ships Turned Around While Exiting the Strait of Hormuz in the Past 36 Hours
Odaily According to a report released on the 19th by Windward, a UK-based maritime analysis company, Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz before closing it again. In the past 36 hours, 35 ships have turned around and headed back while attempting to exit the strait. The report states that after Iran announced the reopening of the strait on the 17th, ship responses that day were relatively cautious. On the 18th, traffic through the strait was initially sparse but then rapidly increased, with ships rushing to pass through before the situation deteriorated. A total of 35 ships transited the strait that day, including 8 entering (comprising 4 oil tankers, 2 bulk carriers, and 2 other cargo ships) and 27 exiting (comprising 8 oil tankers, 3 bulk carriers, 15 other cargo ships, and 1 passenger ship). (Xinhua News Agency)