News linked to both this project and an event.
According to official announcements, financial-grade Layer 1 public chain Pharos Network has unveiled a brand refresh and an Agent Native upgrade. This refresh will commence at the Korean Blockchain Week, sequentially encompassing the protocol-level Agent Native upgrade for the Pharos Testnet, the user-level Pharos Port Agent Widget supporting natural language RealFi interactions, the developer-level AI capabilities portal at ai.pharos.xyz, as well as the Anvita Mate × Pharos collaboration. This launch marks Pharos' transition from treating AI Agents merely as an interface at the application layer, moving instead toward building mature blockchain infrastructure that allows agents to participate as native economic participants under established rules. Coinciding with this upgrade, Pharos simultaneously refreshes its brand identity, centering on the core proposition "Put Real-World Value to Work," backed by "Built for the Agentic Economy," and focusing on putting real value to work by humans and agents.
the Brazilian Federal Police, in Operation Commodity, have cracked down on a drug trafficking gang that laundered money through cryptocurrency. Since 2021, the gang has smuggled over 6.5 tons of cocaine to Europe via the Port of Rio de Janeiro, hiding the drugs in shipments of coffee, cement, and mortar. The operation covered the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, and Espírito Santo. Police executed 13 preventive arrest warrants and 44 search and seizure warrants. The court ordered the seizure of assets and the freezing of up to 1 billion Brazilian reais, approximately $196 million. According to police, the gang is linked to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), and laundered money through a luxury car dealership in the Greater São Paulo area and shell companies. The dealership in question sold vehicles such as Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, and Land Rover. Those involved used shell companies to issue invoices lacking supporting documentation, funneling drug trafficking proceeds into the Brazilian financial system and using cryptocurrencies to conceal transactions. The suspects will face charges including transnational criminal organization, international drug trafficking, and money laundering.