News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Newsis, South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance announced on April 16 that the pilot project titled “Blockchain-Based Digital Currency for Treasury Fund Disbursement” has been selected as one of the targeted regulatory sandbox initiatives for 2026. Under this pilot, government agencies’ operational expense disbursements—currently made via government procurement cards—will instead be issued and paid using blockchain-based deposit tokens. The South Korean government stated that this initiative is expected to enhance fund usage transparency by predefining permissible usage timeframes and eligible industries, while also reducing transaction fees for small merchants through a disintermediated payment structure. The pilot is scheduled to officially launch in the fourth quarter of this year, initially in Sejong City, with gradual expansion to other regions thereafter.
Odaily News As the U.S. midterm elections approach, the White House is accelerating efforts to promote a crypto market structure bill to ease the long-standing disputes between the banking industry and the crypto sector.Reports indicate that multiple parties, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt, and related policy figures, have recently publicly called for advancing this bill. The U.S. Council of Economic Advisers has also released a report addressing the banking industry's concerns about the crypto sector.Analysts suggest that, based on the timing, the current period may be a critical window for promoting relevant legislation, but uncertainty remains regarding whether the bill can be smoothly passed. (The Hill)
According to CryptoSlate, the White House Council of Economic Advisers recently released a research report stating that banning stablecoin yields offers only minimal protection for bank lending, yet would significantly reduce consumers’ ability to earn returns through digital cash. This conclusion directly undermines the banking industry’s core argument in favor of yield restrictions and provides new policy support for the CLARITY Act. Currently, Treasury Secretary Bessent and SEC Chair Atkins have both publicly endorsed the bill, indicating growing alignment between the executive branch and regulatory agencies. However, the Senate Banking Committee has yet to announce a timeline for reviewing the legislation, and political maneuvering remains the largest uncertainty. Analysts note that if the committee completes its review before the summer recess, the bill’s chances of passage will rise substantially; otherwise, it faces the dual risks of electoral pressures and legislative delays.
Officials from the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Treasury are consulting with the National Cyber Security Centre to examine potential vulnerabilities in critical IT systems revealed by Anthropic’s latest model.
In his response, Witkoff clarified the following points one by one: First, WLFI has absolutely no connection with the TRUMP meme coin—these two should not be conflated. Second, WLFI is unrelated to “fight fight fight” or CIC Digital. Third, early WLFI holders purchased the token at prices of $0.015 and $0.05, respectively; its current price stands at $0.08. Fourth, WLFI’s core product is not transaction fees, but rather the stablecoin USD1, which generates yield by holding U.S. Treasury securities. By both trading volume and market capitalization, USD1 is currently the world’s second-largest compliant stablecoin.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong responded to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s call for the passage of the “Clarity for Digital Assets Markets Act” (CLARITY Act), expressing agreement and gratitude for his advocacy. Armstrong emphasized that bipartisan collaboration between senators and staff over the past several months has significantly strengthened the bill. Earlier, the U.S. Treasury Secretary urged Congress to swiftly pass the CLARITY Act.
According to CoinDesk, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced it will extend its cybersecurity threat information-sharing service—which was previously available only to traditional financial institutions—to cryptocurrency firms. Eligible crypto companies may apply to join the program through the Treasury’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection and receive timely, actionable cybersecurity threat intelligence at no cost. Luke Pettit, Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the Treasury Department, stated that this move aims to foster a safer and more responsible digital asset ecosystem. The policy responds to related recommendations outlined in a prior report issued by the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.
Paul Atkins, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), posted: “Project Crypto is designed so that, once Congress acts, the SEC and the CFTC will be ready to implement the CLARITY Act. Treasury Secretary Bessent is right: It’s time for Congress to future-proof against regulatory overreach and advance comprehensive market structure legislation to President Trump’s desk.”
According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal urging Congress to swiftly pass the Crypto Asset Market and Regulatory Clarity Act (CLARITY Act) to clarify regulatory rules for cryptocurrencies, tokenized assets, and decentralized exchanges. He warned that the global cryptocurrency market has reached $3 trillion, challenging America’s leadership in financial innovation, and stressed that with limited time remaining on the Senate’s legislative calendar, delaying action is not an option. The bill passed the House of Representatives in July 2025 but has remained stalled in the Senate over disagreements regarding how to regulate stablecoin yield. A report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers found that banning stablecoin yield would have a negligible impact on bank lending—increasing it by only about $2.1 billion—while costing users approximately $800 million annually in lost welfare. Additionally, under the GENIUS Act, the Treasury Department has proposed new rules requiring stablecoin issuers to establish anti-money laundering (AML) compliance programs and granting them authority to freeze or intercept specific transactions.
According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on April 8 that the United States has long led in setting global financial market regulatory standards—but this leadership is not guaranteed. He urged Congress to promptly pass the Clarity Act to establish a clear regulatory framework for digital assets. Citing data, Bessent noted that global digital asset market capitalization fluctuated between $2 trillion and $3 trillion over the past year, and approximately one-sixth of Americans hold some form of digital asset. Applications of blockchain technology in payments, settlements, and physical asset exchange continue to expand. He emphasized that cryptocurrencies are no longer niche experiments but technologies undergoing broad global adoption—and the U.S. must take proactive steps to maintain its leadership in shaping rules for this domain.