Author: James Wilson
On-chain sleuth ZachXBT traces 3,670 ETH to suspect Danny Khan as Dubai raid, Genesis creditor theft and Kroll SIM swap links surface amid U.S. indictment. Summary ZachXBT flags 3,670 ETH consolidated into a tracked wallet, mirroring past law enforcement seizures tied to Danny Khan. Khan and alleged co-conspirators face a superseding indictment over a Genesis creditor theft using fake Google and Gemini support plus AnyDesk access. The group allegedly laundered BTC, LTC, ETH and XMR across 15+ exchanges and is linked to the 2023 Kroll SIM swap affecting BlockFi, Genesis and FTX data. British cybercrime suspect Danny Khan, also known…
OCC Letter 1188 confirms U.S. banks can run riskless principal crypto trades, capping a 2025 rollback of Fed, FDIC and OCC hurdles on custody and tokenized rails. Summary Interpretive Letter 1188 lets national banks match offsetting crypto trades between customers as riskless principals without holding inventory. 2025 moves from OCC, Fed and FDIC scrapped pre-clearance regimes while reaffirming custody, stablecoin, and tokenized-settlement activities as core banking. Regulated banks can now plug crypto rails into wealth, corporate and private banking channels, tightening supervision but widening on-chain distribution. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency published Interpretive Letter 1188 on December…
UK FCA kills EU PRIIPs, rolls out Consumer Composite Investments, and lets wealthy clients opt out of consumer duty as it rewires post‑Brexit retail markets. Summary FCA will scrap EU PRIIPs disclosures and introduce a Consumer Composite Investments framework for funds, trusts and unit‑linked policies from June 2027. Around 12.5 million UK adults hold products moving into CCI, with new rules simplifying cost disclosures and tightening risk–reward communication. Professional client tests are overhauled as £10m‑cash individuals can waive consumer duty while the quantitative trading test is dropped over abuse concerns. Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority announced reforms aimed at increasing retail…
Abu Dhabi’s ADGM designates Tether’s USDT as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token across Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON and TRON, expanding prior approvals. Summary ADGM’s FSRA now recognizes USDT as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token for regulated institutions across Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON and TRON. The move builds on earlier recognition of USDT on Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche, enabling cross-border payments, custody and settlement in a supervised framework. Tether says the UAE’s digital asset rules and ADGM partnership advance financial inclusion while positioning USDT as a core settlement rail in the region. Tether’s USDT stablecoin…
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. Dogecoin traders are split on whether a rebound is coming, but many investors are quietly shifting their attention to Remittix, a PayFi project building real payment rails. Summary Dogecoin is stuck between key support and resistance levels, with traders unsure if it will break up or fall lower. Remittix is gaining attention because it offers real utility through its live wallet, upcoming Web App, and strong audit results. Many long-term investors now compare DOGE’s meme-driven volatility with RTX, a…
Tajikistan passes law imposing steep fines and up to 8 years in prison for Bitcoin miners using stolen electricity amid worsening winter energy shortages. Summary New Criminal Code article punishes illegal electricity use for virtual asset mining with fines and multi‑year prison terms. Prosecutor General links gray mining farms to nationwide power shortages, financial losses and money laundering risks. Amendments also target tax evasion in crypto mining and will take effect after President Rahmon signs and publishes the bill. Tajikistan’s parliament has approved legislation imposing prison sentences of up to eight years for individuals who mine bitcoin using electricity illegally…
Ethereum whales and sharks accumulated 934,240 ETH over three weeks while retail sold 1,041 ETH, fueling a price rebound as volatility cooled, Santiment shows. Summary Large Ethereum holders classified as whales and sharks accumulated approximately 934,240 ETH over three weeks, while retail wallets holding fewer than 10 ETH sold 1,041 tokens, creating divergent trading patterns. Addresses holding between 100 and 100,000 ETH saw balances climb steadily into early December, according to on-chain data from Santiment, with the accumulation phase corresponding to reduced price volatility and a subsequent rally. Such divergences between large and small holders have historically preceded short-term price rallies or trend reversals, with…
Stripe-backed Tempo blockchain launches public testnet with Mastercard, Klarna, UBS and Kalshi, targeting sub-cent stablecoin payments for mainstream finance. Summary Tempo, a payments-first blockchain backed by Stripe and Paradigm, launches public testnet enabling banks, fintechs and developers to test low-fee stablecoin payment flows on-chain. Design partners now include Mastercard, Klarna, UBS and Kalshi alongside Visa, Deutsche Bank, Shopify, OpenAI and Nubank, spanning banking, cards, AI and ecommerce. The network targets sub-cent, stablecoin-paid fees and instant finality, aiming to solve congestion, volatile gas costs and settlement delays in everyday payments. Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain backed by Stripe and crypto investment firm…
Strive Asset Management launches $500m stock sale to buy more Bitcoin, expand its 7,525 BTC treasury, and fund corporate needs amid MSCI index exclusion debate. Summary Strive Asset Management announced a $500 million preferred stock offering to fund Bitcoin purchases, working capital, share repurchases, and acquisition of income-generating assets. Co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, Strive currently holds 7,525 BTC worth approximately $695 million, ranking as the 14th-largest corporate Bitcoin holder globally after pivoting to a Bitcoin treasury strategy via reverse merger earlier this year. The move follows Strive’s public opposition to MSCI’s proposal to exclude digital asset treasury companies holding over 50% of assets in crypto…
New Nicholas AfterDark ETF plans to hold Bitcoin only overnight and rotate into Treasuries during U.S. hours to exploit BTC’s non-U.S. session outperformance. Summary Velo.xyz data shows Bitcoin has delivered stronger returns when U.S. markets are closed and weaker or negative performance during regular Wall Street hours. Nicholas Financial filed for the Nicholas Bitcoin and Treasuries AfterDark ETF, buying BTC at 4 p.m. ET and exiting by 9:30 a.m. while holding short-term Treasuries intraday. The ETF seeks to monetize overnight moves, dampen drawdowns, and reflects a maturing Bitcoin ETF market where issuers engineer products around microstructure and institutional flows. Bitcoin…