Politics, Legal & Regulation

Policy and regulations impacting innovations in Finance.

Iran Linked Crypto Platform Shelbit Reportedly Routed Hundreds of Millions to Binance Amid Sanctions Concerns

A Dubai-based cryptocurrency platform with ties to Iranian interests has been reported to have transferred substantial digital assets to Binance, raising questions about potential efforts to circumvent international financial restrictions. According to a detailed investigation, the unlicensed exchange known as Shelbit, operated by Iranian expatriate… Read More

Robinhood Secures Regulatory Clearance for Cryptocurrency Services in the UK

Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) has achieved an important regulatory milestone in Britain. Its local subsidiary, Robinhood U.K. Ltd, was added to the Financial Conduct Authority’s register of cryptoasset firms effective 31 July 2026. This registration under the existing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules allows… Read More

Hong Kong Authorities Identify Romance Scam Tied to Fake Crypto Trading App

Hong Kong authorities have highlighted a major online romance fraud in which a middle-aged insurance professional lost more than HK$26 million (approximately US$3.3 million) after being drawn into a scheme centered on a bogus cryptocurrency trading application. According to police figures released via the force’s… Read More

California Confiscation Tax Embraced by the State’s Democrat Party

The California Confiscation tax, which is slated to be on the ballot this coming November, has gained the support of the California Democrat party. This past June, the “billionaire tax” earned sufficient signatures to move the issue to a ballot vote, evading the state legislature…. Read More

OCC Requests Comment on Proposed Rulemaking on the OCC Rules Regarding the Availability of OCC Information

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This post was originally published on OCC.gov WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today requested comment on a proposal to implement structural and substantive changes to its rules governing the disclosure of OCC information. The proposed changes are designed to improve the… Read More

SEC Maintains Hold on Nasdaq Bitcoin Options Amid CME Jurisdictional Challenge

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally granted a petition from CME Group seeking review of a prior staff decision that conditionally approved Nasdaq PHLX’s plans to list and trade cash-settled Bitcoin index options. As a result, the approval remains stayed while the… Read More

Still No Floor Vote Scheduled for the CLARITY Act as Senate Nears Recess

The US Senate is scheduled to convene at 3 PM today. The upper house of Congress will be in session this week, but the summer recess will kick in at the end of the week, with Senators not scheduled to return until September 14th. As… Read More

FBI and US Department of State Issue Warning about Dangers Posed by North Korean IT Workers

Authorities from the United States and a coalition of partner nations have issued a coordinated warning about the persistent dangers posed by skilled information technology specialists linked to North Korea. These individuals form an extensive network operating both inside the country and abroad, employing deceptive… Read More

JPMorgan Says Declining Chances for the CLARITY Act Cloud Outlook and Warns Parts May Deter Institutional Adoption

A recent analysis from JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) has highlighted that the reduced likelihood of key US cryptocurrency market structure legislation advancing this year could exert downward pressure on the sector’s broader prospects. Analysts at the bank, led by managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, noted in a midweek… Read More

Former Congressman George Santos to Pay $35,000+ in CFTC Settlement Tied to Kalshi Prediction Market Trades

Former US Representative George Santos has agreed to pay more than $35,000 to resolve allegations by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that he engaged in manipulative trading on the prediction market platform Kalshi. The case centered on event contracts concerning whether he would attend… Read More

Blockchain Intelligence Firm Elliptic Examines How Sanctions Strangled Russian Ruble based Stablecoin A7A5

Elliptic has pointed out that A7A5 emerged as a specialized digital asset designed to help Russian firms navigate international restrictions. Pegged to the ruble and launched in early 2025 by entities tied to sanctioned Russian interests, including a state-linked bank and a controversial figure with… Read More

US Treasury Sanctions Iranian Firms Behind Bitcoin enabled Shipping Insurance Scheme in Strait of Hormuz

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two Iranian companies central to what it describes as an illicit insurance program targeting commercial ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz. Announced on July 29, 2026, the designations target… Read More

Circle Secures Limited Purpose Trust Charter from New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS)

Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL), the company issuing the widely adopted USDC stablecoin, has taken another significant step in strengthening its regulatory standing. On July 31, 2026, the firm announced that the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) granted a limited purpose trust charter to its… Read More

BNB Chain May Take Legal Action Against Former Worker Over Unauthorized Memecoin Launch From Tutorial Wallet

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BNB Chain has announced it is taking legal steps against a former employee who allegedly used a wallet originally set up for an educational video to release a new memecoin without any company approval. The blockchain network, linked to the Binance ecosystem, stressed that it… Read More

Russian Authorities Impose Long-Term Ban on Crypto Mining in Moscow and Surrounding Areas

Russian officials have enacted a significant expansion of restrictions on digital currency mining, targeting the nation’s capital and nearby territories in a move driven by concerns over electricity demand. Under a government resolution, activities involving the extraction of cryptocurrency, including involvement in mining pools, will… Read More

Grayscale Investments Calls for Senate Vote on the CLARITY Act Legislation Before Recess

Grayscale Investments, known as one of the more active platforms dedicated to digital asset investments based on assets under management as of late July 2026, has appealed to the US Senate urging lawmakers to schedule a full chamber vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity… Read More

IRS Warns Crypto Holders about Fake Official Letters Targeting Digital Assets Holdings and Personal Data

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a fresh warning to cryptocurrency owners about a sophisticated mail-based fraud campaign. Criminals are circulating counterfeit notices that closely resemble official agency correspondence, with the goal of tricking recipients into surrendering personal details or digital assets. According… Read More

Digital Asset Innovators Already Moving Offshore as Crypto Legislation, the CLARITY Act, Stalls in the Senate: Report

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) recently alluded to the potential for digital asset innovators to move operations offshore if the CLARITY Act does not become law. This has been an issue for years and more welcoming jurisdictions have benefited from the inability of Congress to approve crypto legislation… Read More

Agencies Issue Joint Proposal Amending the Community Reinvestment Act Rules

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This post was originally published on OCC.gov WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the agencies) today proposed targeted changes to their current rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to better align with the statutory mandate; better… Read More

Unlimit Secures MiCA Authorization for Pan- European Digital Assets Services

Global financial infrastructure provider Unlimit has obtained a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) license, enabling it to deliver regulated digital-asset services throughout the European Union under a unified framework. The authorization was granted to Unlimit Crypto by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under the… Read More

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