Tag: Crypto

Morgan Stanley Applies US Bank Charter for Crypto Custody

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Morgan Stanley has applied for a de novo national trust bank charter, allowing the bank to hold digital assets on behalf of its clients — a move in rhythm with its recent crypto expansion.  A public filing with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) shows the application for a bank trust charter was received on Feb. 18 under the name “Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association.”  More details of the business plan were released on Friday, according to reports from Bloomberg and Forbes, revealing that the Morgan…

US DOJ Seized $580M in Crypto from ‘Chinese Transnational Criminals‘

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The seizures and freezing over three months were conducted by the District of Columbia’s Scam Center Strike Force, established by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro in November. Officials with the US Department of Justice reported “freezing, seizing, and forfeiting” more than $578 million worth of digital assets tied to criminal groups as part of a task force’s efforts targeting “Southeast Asian cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams.” In a Thursday notice, the Justice Department said the frozen and seized crypto had been “stolen by Chinese transnational criminal organizations” using websites and social media…

Precious metals rebound to monthly highs as crypto and stocks stall

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Precious metals rebound toward monthly highs as Bitcoin ranges near $65K and major indexes retreat. Gold climbed more than 1% on the day and nearly 8% since mid February, extending its recovery as crypto and equity markets cool. The metal approached $5,250 earlier today, heading toward a seventh straight monthly gain. Gold previously reached an all-time high near $5,600 in late January amid escalating geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran, sparked by Iran’s protest crackdown, US threats of intervention, and military buildup, which fueled safe-haven demand. After peaking in…

Why Yen Stablecoins Are Key to Japan’s Crypto Ambitions

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Japan is preparing its financial system for a world of stablecoins and tokenized assets, with banks, regulators and financial conglomerates working to bring the yen economy onchain. The country is the world’s fourth-largest economy, and its yen is one of the most important currencies in global finance. According to the International Monetary Fund, the yen accounted for 5.82% of global foreign exchange reserves, ranking third worldwide. A major reason for the yen’s systemic importance is the carry trade. Due to low interest rates, investors borrow cheap yen, convert it into…

US DOJ strike force seizes $580M in crypto from pig butchering scams

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The US Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force has recovered $580 million in digital assets connected to pig butchering scams run by Chinese transnational criminal organizations, according to a Friday announcement. Established last November, the strike force focuses on scam compounds mainly located in Southeast Asia to dismantle the global infrastructure behind pig butchering and crypto investment fraud. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who heads federal prosecutions in the nation’s capital, said the milestone was reached within three months of the task force’s formation. “These criminals don’t care who you are,…

UK Gambling Watchdog May Allow Crypto Payments Under New FCA Framework

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The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission is exploring how cryptocurrency could be used for payments at licensed online casinos, as the country prepares to bring more crypto activity under a new regulatory regime led by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Tim Miller, the commission’s executive director for research and policy, said Thursday that the regulator wants to examine “the potential path forward” for allowing “cryptoasset to be used as a consumer payment option for licensed and regulated gambling in Great Britain.” Miller made the remarks at the Betting and Gaming Council’s…

UK regulator weighs crypto as payment option for gamblers

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The UK Gambling Commission is evaluating the potential for consumers to fund bets with crypto assets. Speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council AGM, Executive Director Tim Miller said the regulator wants to understand how these assets could work safely in regulated gambling. The exploration comes in light of the forthcoming Financial Conduct Authority oversight under new crypto asset regulations. The regulator prepares to complete its regulatory framework for digital assets later this year, with enforcement set to begin in late 2027. As a tentative first step, Miller has asked…

Judge Blocks Binance Bid to Force US Crypto Claims into Arbitration

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A United States federal judge ruled that Binance cannot force a group of US customers to arbitrate claims over losses on crypto tokens they bought on its global platform before Feb. 20, 2019, keeping a major class action in open court. The decision on Thursday by District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. in the Southern District of New York held that those claims were not bound by Binance.com’s 2019 arbitration clause because users lacked sufficient notice when the company unilaterally shifted its terms of use away from the 2017 version, which…

Australian Crypto Executives Signal Crypto Growth Despite Challenges

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Australia’s crypto market is making progress in user growth and regulatory reforms, but there are still a range of issues to iron out in the sector, crypto executives told Cointelegraph. On the sidelines of the XRP Australia 2026 event in Sydney on Friday, Coinbase APAC managing director John O’Loghlen said the country has seen positive regulatory momentum and growing expertise among those tasked with policing the industry. “Multiple arms of government, mainly Treasury, who are writing the draft regulation and ASIC have thoroughly upskilled their teams and have pretty deep…

Lawmakers introduce bill to shield crypto developers after Tornado Cash prosecutions

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Representatives Scott Fitzgerald, Ben Cline, and Zoe Lofgren today introduced the Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act of 2026, a bipartisan measure designed to shield software developers from criminal liability under federal money transmission laws. The legislation aims to narrow the scope of 18 U.S.C. Section 1960, clarifying that the statute targets entities with custody over user funds rather than programmers who merely write or maintain open-source code. Backers of the bill contend that Section 1960 was crafted decades ago for traditional financial intermediaries, not decentralized protocols. Enforcement agencies have…