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The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued proposed rules on the GENIUS Act and opened a 60-day public comment period. The Act is scheduled to take effect in January 2027, requiring a federal or state license for payment stablecoin issuance.
Odaily News The U.S. Department of the Treasury released on August 17 a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the implementation rules for the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins), and is seeking public comments to advance the establishment of a U.S. regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the Trump administration and Congress have driven the passage of the GENIUS Act, establishing a "landmark regulatory framework and clear rules" for payment stablecoins, and the Treasury is accelerating the implementation of related systems. He stated that the Treasury hopes to support innovation and development by U.S. companies by providing regulatory certainty, while consolidating the U.S. dollar's status as the global reserve currency and positioning the United States as a global hub for crypto assets.Under the GENIUS Act, starting January 18, 2027, any entity seeking to issue payment stablecoins in the United States will generally be required to obtain an appropriate federal or state license. Additionally, digital asset service providers will generally be prohibited from offering, selling, or distributing payment stablecoins issued by foreign entities to the U.S. market, unless the foreign issuer has the technical capability to comply with U.S. regulatory requirements and can adhere to relevant arrangements reached between the United States and the issuer's jurisdiction.Starting July 18, 2028, the Act further requires that digital asset service providers generally may not offer or sell payment stablecoins to "U.S. persons" unless the relevant stablecoins are issued by a licensed issuer.The Treasury's draft rules primarily provide regulatory interpretation on two key issues: first, clarifying what constitutes "issuing payment stablecoins in the United States" to help issuers determine when they need to obtain a license under the GENIUS Act; second, clarifying what constitutes "offering or selling payment stablecoins to U.S. persons" to provide compliance guidance for companies participating in the U.S. stablecoin market.The U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the public comment period will last 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, during which the public and industry participants may submit comments.
Odaily News: The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has sold cryptocurrencies seized from the bankrupt Dutch crypto platform Knaken, raising $2.5 million to repay creditors. Court-appointed bankruptcy administrator Carl Hamm stated that this amount is currently the sole source of funds in the bankruptcy estate. Knaken had offered Dutch users cryptocurrency trading and custody services through its app but failed to obtain the license required by the country's market regulator. The platform ceased operations in early June, and the Rotterdam court declared it bankrupt on July 16 after prosecutors sought liquidation on public interest grounds. Hamm estimates that customer funds totaled $12 million to $14 million and has notified approximately 6,300 customers to lower their expectations. A lawyer representing one client questioned whether prosecutors had the right to sell the relevant assets. Knaken founder Ronald J. disputed some of the investment figures and stated that the platform, operating as a broker, recorded all orders. (Decrypt)
Odaily News: The French Finance Minister has confirmed that hackers breached the systems of the French Public Finance Directorate in late June and stole taxpayer data belonging to individuals and businesses. According to FrenchBreaches, a platform that tracks cyberattacks in France, this incident affects approximately 678,437 people, roughly 1% of France's population, though the exact number is still under investigation and has not been finalised.The compromised data reportedly includes sensitive information such as names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, tax identification details, and income data. Among those affected, nearly 27,000 individuals had taxable income of at least €100,000, 386 exceeded €1 million, and another 8 surpassed €10 million.Reports indicate that the database has been listed for sale on dark web marketplaces for several thousand euros. The attacker, going by the name ZeroBytes, claims to have extracted the records using an internal search tool before being detected and having access cut off.The incident has raised concerns within the crypto industry, as France has seen a noticeable increase in "wrench attacks" targeting crypto holders in recent years. If high-income individuals' addresses and contact details are exposed, it could provide criminals with a more precise list of targets.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Galaxy Digital, Compass Datacenters, and Montera Infrastructure have committed to complying with new standards and regulatory requirements established by Texas for data center construction.It is understood that these guidelines are being implemented across data center projects statewide, aiming to ensure that data center expansion does not add burdens to residents, nor affect grid stability, water supply, or community quality of life. Under the new rules, data center operators must meet several requirements, including: bearing the costs of power infrastructure themselves without shifting construction and operational costs onto Texas households and small businesses; implementing water recycling for their own use to reduce pressure on public water resources; taking measures to lower overall electricity costs; avoiding disruption to residential communities by reducing noise, light, and traffic impacts; and reducing dependence on government subsidies and taxpayer funds to achieve self-sustaining project operations.Additionally, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will review data center projects, requiring companies to disclose project ownership structures, government subsidy details, electricity demand forecasts, self-built power generation plans, water usage plans, and community impact mitigation measures.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a former department head surnamed A at the Korea Food Research Institute filed an administrative lawsuit after being fired for privately mining cryptocurrency in the institution's warehouse, but was ruled to have lost the case by the Seoul Administrative Court on the 3rd of last month. According to the investigation, between February and September 2023, A unauthorizedly installed 2 GPU servers in the idle Promotion Hall warehouse of the institute and used institutional budget to complete air conditioning, network, and electrical renovation projects, cumulatively illegally mining approximately 71 million altcoins. After the incident was discovered, A also forged approval documents attempting to retrieve the GPU servers to destroy evidence. In addition, between August 2023 and May 2024, A used an unauthorized VPN to clock in in violation of regulations a total of 117 times, indirectly causing important scientific research data of the institute to be illegally leaked. The Audit Committee of the National Research Council for Science & Technology launched a special audit on A in 2024, subsequently reported to the police, and requested the institute to impose a dismissal penalty. After A's internal appeals and relief applications to the Local Labor Relations Commission and the Central Labor Relations Commission were all rejected, A resorted to the administrative court, but still ended in defeat. The court ruled that the dismissal "did not involve any circumstances clearly violating social common sense or abuse of discretion." In the criminal case, A was charged with crimes such as theft, violation of the Information and Communications Network Act, and forgery of private documents, sentenced to 1 year in prison in the first instance, and the second instance upheld the original verdict in April this year, formally finalizing the sentence.
Odaily News - Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC) announced that it has submitted a policy statement regarding the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting, supporting U.S. users' participation in the on-chain derivatives market and calling on regulators to adopt a gradual path to promote the development of innovative products such as Perpetual Futures.HPC stated that the U.S. derivatives market originated in agriculture. In the 19th century, grain exchanges in the U.S. Midwest used futures contracts to help farmers and traders discover prices and manage future delivery risks. Since 1922, the U.S. futures market had been regulated under the Department of Agriculture for a long period, until Congress established the CFTC in 1974, placing oversight of the agency under the jurisdiction of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. Modern derivatives regulation should still revolve around the actual users of the market. Agricultural producers and processors have always been important constituents served by the CFTC, and market participants' needs for product choice, risk management tools, and market innovation should also serve as important references for the evolution of regulatory policy.HPC noted that perpetual futures are now becoming an important innovative derivative in the digital asset era. The committee's discussions on product choice, risk management gaps, and market modernization are highly relevant to current regulatory efforts to explore a regulatory framework for on-chain derivatives. In the submitted statement, HPC put forward three key points:1. Market choice is crucial for risk management. Users in agricultural and other derivatives markets need more tool options. Past experience with restricting innovative products suggests that closing off market choices without adequate evaluation can impose costs.2. A phased approach by the CFTC to regulating perpetual futures is a reasonable direction. HPC stated that the development of new derivatives should be driven by end-user demand rather than relying solely on regulatory presuppositions.3. Public blockchains can enhance the efficiency of financial infrastructure. HPC believes that blockchain technology can modernize clearing and settlement systems, improve collateral liquidity, while continuing to comply with the Commodity Exchange Act's requirements regarding market integrity and risk protection.
According to an official media announcement, the South African National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) jointly released the "Draft Manual on Cross-Border Crypto Asset Activities" on August 3, 2026, which is now open for public consultation with a deadline of September 30, 2026. The manual is implemented in conjunction with the previously released "Draft Regulations on Capital Flow Management 2026," aiming to strengthen supervision over cross-border financial activities and prevent risks related to illicit financial flows associated with crypto assets. The manual clarifies the trigger points for cross-border crypto asset transactions—when crypto assets are transferred between a domestic authorized CASP and a foreign CASP, or from a domestic authorized CASP to a non-custodial wallet, it constitutes cross-border capital inflow or outflow and must be reported to the Financial Supervision Department (FinSurv). It is worth noting that at this stage, only individuals are allowed to conduct crypto asset outflow operations through authorized CASPs within the single discretionary allowance or foreign capital allowance; South African entities are temporarily not allowed to conduct related cross-border operations. In addition, the manual currently does not distinguish between different types of crypto assets, nor does it list crypto assets as official South African currency.
According to the South China Morning Post, researchers from the People's Public Security University of China have developed an AI framework capable of detecting illegal cryptocurrency transactions, with an overall accuracy of 89.4%, a precision of 89.1% for illegal transactions, and a recall rate of 64.5%. The system combines dynamic graph neural networks, memory modules, and large language models. By analyzing transaction structures, fund flows, and historical illegal transaction patterns, it generates risk scores and reasoning chains, providing regulatory agencies with a traceable basis for decision-making. The research results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Journal of Intelligence, with the test dataset sourced from the public Elliptic Bitcoin transaction dataset, containing over 200,000 transaction nodes.
According to the announcement on the CFTC official website, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 30 to solicit public comments on amendments to Parts 37, 38, and 39 of the regulations and sections 1.52 and 1.55, with a comment period of 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. This revision targets the increasingly common affiliations among CFTC-regulated entities, covering market participants including Derivative Clearing Organizations, Designated Contract Markets, Swap Execution Facilities, Futures Commission Merchants, and market makers, with a focus on resolving potential conflicts of interest within vertically integrated market structures. CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig stated that the proposed rule will establish a principles-based regulatory framework for vertically integrated market structures, maintaining market integrity while avoiding stifling innovative market structures or imposing excessive compliance burdens on registered entities.
According to CNBC reports, Frank Pallone (New Jersey), the ranking Democratic member of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, wrote to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on July 29, requesting that he provide relevant records regarding its xAI Memphis data center by August 11 and allow an onsite visit. Pallone accused SpaceX of extensively using natural gas combustion turbines to power the Colossus and Colossus 2 data centers without obtaining permits or installing pollution control equipment, posing "significant health risks" to surrounding communities. Notably, the Trump administration's Department of Justice has sought to intervene to assist xAI in defending against relevant lawsuits filed by environmental organizations and the NAACP. A May Gallup poll showed that 70% of Americans oppose building AI data centers locally, as public resistance to the expansion of AI infrastructure by major tech companies continues to intensify.
Fidelity's Public Policy Department urged the U.S. Senate to pass the Digital Asset Market Structure Act, the CLARITY Act, as soon as possible, stating that establishing a clear regulatory framework would help boost investor confidence and enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global digital asset market.
According to the latest poll released by CNBC, American pessimism over the economic outlook has intensified, with 61% of respondents expressing pessimism about the current economic conditions and future trajectory — the highest level since December 2023. Only about a quarter of respondents hold an optimistic view. The survey shows that a majority attribute economic pressures to President Trump's economic policies. Regarding Trump's handling of the economy, 60% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction, while only 38% approved — one of the lowest ratings on this metric in his political career.Micah Roberts, a partner at Public Opinion Strategies, stated that the overall mood among voters is currently low, with those expecting the situation to worsen outnumbering those expecting improvement by 41% to 29%. Market confidence is entering a trough phase ahead of the midterm election cycle.Meanwhile, rising living costs are forcing American consumers to cut spending. The survey found that 47% of respondents are reducing spending on necessities such as food and healthcare — up 6 percentage points from April. About two-thirds of consumers are cutting back on non-essential spending like dining out.A separate study conducted by Bain & Company in collaboration with NielsenIQ showed that U.S. grocery purchases in June fell by 1.8% year-over-year, a sharp reversal from the 0.1% growth recorded during the same period last year.Kurt Grichel, head of Bain's U.S. retail practice, noted that a typical grocery run that cost around $300 in 2019 may now require $400. The "sticker shock" from price increases is now affecting a broader range of consumers, including higher-income households.Analysts point out that high food prices, elevated fuel costs, and the Trump administration's cuts to certain social welfare programs are collectively increasing pressure on consumers. The survey found that four out of five U.S. consumers are trying to reduce spending, with more than a quarter actively cutting back on food purchases. Among them, over half have switched to cheaper brands, while 49% are buying fewer items. (ibtimes)
Odaily Planet Daily reported that the District Court of Rotterdam, Netherlands, has declared the cryptocurrency trading platform Knaken Cryptohandel BV and its affiliated foundation bankrupt. Earlier, the public prosecutor's office stated that approximately 7 million euros (around 8 million US dollars) in client assets from the platform are unrecoverable. The court ruled on Thursday that since Knaken has suspended its platform services and restricted user access to accounts, initiating bankruptcy proceedings will facilitate an orderly liquidation of the company's assets. The court noted that the company's current assets are insufficient to fully repay user funds, and users also lack sufficient information to assess their own legal rights.The Dutch Public Prosecution Service filed the bankruptcy petition on June 30, having already launched a criminal investigation into the missing funds. The Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) also raided Knaken's offices in late June, seizing related equipment and assets.Knaken was founded in 2017, headquartered in Rotterdam, and ceased operations in early June this year. According to Dutch media NL Times, the company was not listed on the register of authorized crypto asset service providers maintained by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM).The AFM previously stated that after the Netherlands concluded the transition period for the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) on June 30, 2025, it has begun taking regulatory and enforcement actions against unauthorized crypto asset service providers. (Cointelegraph)
ARK Invest’s Head of Research, Lorenzo Valente, recently publicly refuted a16z Crypto’s assertion that “traditional finance needs blockchain, not DeFi,” arguing that financial institutions are more likely to be built on open DeFi infrastructure in the future. Public blockchains have already demonstrated their advantages over private blockchain solutions. The growth of tokenized assets on open networks like Ethereum highlights the stronger network effects and scalability potential of public blockchains.Lorenzo Valente pointed out that the builders of the next generation of financial infrastructure may not be traditional financial institutions, but rather crypto-native enterprises, such as Circle and Coinbase.Earlier, a16z Crypto presented a differing view, suggesting that traditional financial institutions are not truly embracing DeFi, but are selectively adopting blockchain technologies that meet their existing compliance, governance, and operational requirements. Banks and asset management firms will build “programmable financial infrastructure” in the future, leveraging core capabilities of blockchain like tokenization and atomic settlement, but while maintaining permissioned management and institutional control.Sentora co-founder Jesus Rodriguez also raised objections to a16z’s stance. He argued that financial institutions might eventually adopt the underlying DeFi infrastructure and layer compliance, custody, and enterprise-grade control mechanisms on top of it.With the rapid development of RWA tokenization, on-chain settlement, and institutional-grade financial applications, the debate over the future dominance of “open DeFi architecture” versus “permissioned blockchain systems” is intensifying. (Cointelegraph)
: Ripple’s Global Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Lauren Belive, stated that opposing the CLARITY Act is not opposition to the crypto industry, but rather opposition to consumers, and would continue exposing crypto holders to bad actors who exploit regulatory arbitrage. Belive noted that while a digital asset market already exists in the United States, federal rules protecting consumers have not kept pace. She pointed out that the regulatory gaps that led to the collapse of FTX and the loss of customer funds still persist. Belive indicated that the CLARITY Act would grant the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) clear joint jurisdiction over the digital asset market, requiring tokens to undergo regulatory oversight before entering the market. Stuart Alderoty, Chief Legal Officer of Ripple and Chairman of the National Cryptocurrency Association, stated that opposing the CLARITY Act would allow the current unregulated status quo to continue and be exploited by bad actors.
According to The Block, JPMorgan analysts pointed out in their latest report that although Strategy's Bitcoin selling plan has triggered market attention, it is not the core risk facing Bitcoin. The real structural threat lies in the fact that blockchain applications such as tokenization, payments, and settlements are increasingly occurring on permissioned chains (Permissioned Blockchain), rather than on public chains such as Ethereum. If this trend continues, the public chain ecosystem will face issues such as declining liquidity and weakened capital inflows, ultimately dragging down Bitcoin valuations. The analysts also warned that the proliferation of bank-built blockchain infrastructure and tokenized deposits could undermine the position of stablecoins in institutional payments; regulated alternatives such as SWIFT's blockchain plan, the digital euro, and the digital yuan also constitute competitive pressure. However, the analysts also pointed out that if hybrid public-private chain models emerge, stablecoin regulation becomes clearer, or Bitcoin continues to be held as "digital gold", the aforementioned risks may be mitigated.
a U.S. federal court has refused to pause Tennessee's cryptocurrency ATM ban before its effective date of July 1. Public Chapter 766 remains enforceable while the constitutional lawsuit filed by CoinFlip and Private IT Corporation is ongoing. The law classifies the intentional installation, permitting, placement, or operation of virtual currency kiosks in Tennessee as a Class A misdemeanor. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti stated that cryptocurrency ATMs are tools used by scammers targeting vulnerable Tennessee residents and are rarely used for near-legitimate purposes. CoinFlip operates over 5,500 Bitcoin ATMs across 48 U.S. states and multiple countries. Private IT Corporation, a smaller operator, joined the lawsuit after the Tennessee ban threatened its local business.
Odaily News British politician Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as MP for the Clacton constituency and will stand in the subsequent by-election to reclaim his seat, stating the move is intended to challenge the political establishment. Farage is currently under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, with the core controversy centering on a large political donation that was not properly declared. Ahead of the 2024 general election, he received £5 million from Christopher Harborne, a crypto investor based in Thailand who also holds a partial stake in the stablecoin Tether. Public scrutiny continues over whether this crypto-related donation violated parliamentary declaration obligations. Under investigative pressure, Farage chose to resign and seek re-election, an event that has also fueled ongoing market discussions about the regulatory implications of crypto capital entering Western political systems. (Bloomberg)
OdailyOdaily reports that the Dutch Public Prosecution Service has requested the Rotterdam District Court to declare crypto platform Knaken Cryptohandel and its affiliated entity Stichting Knaken Payments bankrupt, citing "public interest" as the reason. Knaken has been offline since the beginning of June, leaving approximately 30,000 customers unable to access their funds.Knaken had allowed users to exchange euros for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and provided trading and digital asset storage services. Under EU crypto regulations, such activities require a license from the Dutch market regulator AFM, but Knaken did not obtain the necessary authorization. Additionally, a separate criminal investigation initiated by the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service is ongoing. On Monday, investigators searched relevant premises, seizing laptops, mobile phones, and company assets. No arrests have been made so far. (Decrypt)