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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK is seeking feedback on specific regulatory activities for digital assets under its cryptocurrency roadmap.This consultation covers how activities such as stablecoin issuance, trading platforms, custody, and staking will fall under regulatory oversight. The consultation will close on June 3, 2026, and cryptocurrency businesses can apply for FCA authorization starting September 30, 2026. The FCA stated that the consultation on the rules for the future cryptocurrency asset regime is largely complete, and a policy statement will be released this summer. Before the new legislative regime is implemented in 2027, cryptocurrency assets remain largely unregulated in the UK, except for financial promotions and financial crime purposes.

According to Cointelegraph, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it is seeking industry feedback on guidance for the future regulatory framework for crypto assets in the UK, aimed at facilitating the implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework that will take effect on October 25, 2027.According to the announcement, this consultation will last until June 3, 2026, and aims to help businesses understand the impact of the new regulations on their operations, providing compliance guidance for key areas such as stablecoin issuance, crypto trading, custody, and staking.The FCA stated that it hopes to establish a "competitive and sustainable" crypto market, allowing compliant institutions to better serve UK users. The FCA also disclosed that the application process for relevant crypto business licenses is expected to open in September 2026 and continue until February 2027.All institutions providing crypto asset services will need to obtain authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) in the future, and previous registration under anti-money laundering frameworks will not automatically exempt them. This guidance consultation is seen as an important step in the UK's gradual improvement of its crypto regulatory system, marking an accelerated transition from partial regulation to a comprehensive licensing system.

Anthropic has launched an authentication mechanism in some use cases of Claude to prevent abuse, enforce usage policies, and fulfill legal obligations. This process is supported by Persona, requiring users to submit a government-issued photo ID and possibly undergo real-time selfie verification.Anthropic states that the verification data is only used to confirm identity, not for model training, and will not be used for marketing or advertising. If verification fails, users can retry multiple times within the process or submit a form to request manual assistance. Accounts may be banned in cases of repeated violations of usage policies, terms of service, registration from unsupported regions, or use by individuals under 18 years of age.

Solana co-founder toly commented on the controversy surrounding Circle's USDC freezing mechanism, stating that we need a base layer stablecoin that can only be frozen under a court order. If there are other factors that can freeze it besides authorization from a judge approved by the U.S. Senate, then it is not a true dollar stablecoin.toly suggested that various protocols (such as Drift and Kamino) should issue wrapped stablecoins with their own freezing and unfreezing strategies on top of the base layer stablecoin, equipped with a security team truly responsible for handling hacking incidents, while having independent freezing and unfreezing strategies.It is reported that after the recent hacking of the Drift protocol, Circle did not promptly freeze the stolen USDC. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire's remarks about the "moral dilemma" and freezing policy have sparked widespread discussion in the community regarding the freezing mechanisms of centralized stablecoins.

Mike Selig, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), stated in an interview that the CFTC has "exclusive regulatory authority" over prediction markets, and states do not have the power to replace federal derivatives regulation with state laws. Mike Selig emphasized, "Whether the underlying involves sports, politics, or other areas, as long as the products are legally offered by CFTC-regulated trading platforms, they fall under our jurisdiction." This statement comes as the CFTC sues Arizona, Illinois, and Connecticut to consolidate its regulatory dominance over prediction markets.Selig stated that the CFTC is clarifying the regulatory details for prediction markets through a formal rule-making process and welcomes input from all sectors regarding the evaluation process. In addition to the prediction market disputes, Selig also mentioned the final draft of the digital asset classification guidelines jointly released by the CFTC and SEC last month, which delineates clear boundaries between tokenized securities and commodities. In the future, if companies wish to self-certify digital asset futures products, regulators can directly determine the nature of the tokens based on this classification framework, ensuring that the positions of the two agencies are aligned.

According to the proposal, the regulatory authority over cross-border institutions that are systemically important will be transferred from the competent authorities of each member state to ESMA, covering large CASPs, trading venues, central counterparties, and central securities depositories. This is the most significant structural adjustment to the EU's crypto regulatory framework since the full implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) for CASPs at the end of 2024.Under the current MiCA framework, the national competent authorities act as the frontline regulators, while ESMA plays only a coordinating role.

According to the Hong Kong Wen Wei Po, the Vice President of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Chen Weimin, stated that the choice of which currency to issue for stablecoins primarily depends on the applicant's own decision. The issuance of a Hong Kong dollar stablecoin is the first step, and in the future, other currencies including the renminbi can be issued, which is permitted under Hong Kong's system, but the applicant also needs to obtain approval from mainland regulatory authorities.Regarding when the second batch of stablecoin issuer licenses will be issued, Chen Weimin indicated that there is currently no relevant timetable, but they have been in communication with applicants interested in applying for the license. It is reported that HSBC's stablecoin will be integrated into the PayMe and HSBC HK App applications and will support real-time transfers between individuals, as well as person-to-merchant (P2M) services.

Bittensor co-founder Const (@const_reborn) responded on Twitter to recent allegations regarding Covenant AI. Const stated that he has no authority to pause emissions, and that the previous sale of a portion of alpha positions in three subnetworks was because these subnetworks were not operational and were in a high ratio of code destruction state. The impact of this transaction on emissions is consistent with the buying and selling behavior of ordinary TAO holders, and he does not enjoy any special privileges.Regarding management authority, Const clarified that it was Samuel himself who abandoned his Discord channel, and he did not remove his administrator role; he only temporarily restricted his ability to delete posts that honestly criticize and then restored it. Additionally, he emphasized that the scale of the token sell-off was less than 1% of his total investment in the team, and stated that exercising the rights to buy and sell tokens under the dTao system is fundamental to supporting the operation of the system.According to previous reports from ChainCatcher, the main subnetwork developer on Bittensor, Covenant AI, announced its withdrawal from Bittensor. Covenant AI founder Sam Dare stated that the reason Bittensor attracts builders, miners, validators, and investors into this ecosystem is because of its promise not to be controlled by any single entity. But this promise is a lie.

The President of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Eddie Yue, stated that the first batch of stablecoin issuers has been granted licenses today. Based on the business plans of the licensees, they intend to commence operations in the coming months once the relevant preparations are completed.Eddie Yue expressed hope that the issuers will carry out their business as planned, actively explore development opportunities while managing risks, promote the application of compliant stablecoins, and address pain points in financial and economic activities. At the same time, the public should remain vigilant against any fraudulent activities or scams claiming to be related to the licensees or the stablecoins they issue. When purchasing or using stablecoins, regulated channels should be used, and if there are any doubts, they should refer to the records of the Monetary Authority to verify the identity of the licensees or contact the licensees for further inquiries.

According to the official website of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses today at 17:00. The licensed institutions include HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank.

According to Jinshi, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority will announce the first batch of stablecoin licenses at 5 PM on April 10, after which licensed stablecoin issuers will meet with the media. The Monetary Authority received a total of 36 applications and plans to issue 2 to 3 licenses, with strict regulatory standards. The Monetary Authority's Chief Executive, Eddie Yue, stated that the number of licenses issued in the first batch will aim for prudence, with the goal of issuing licenses in March this year.

Binance announced its participation in the international law enforcement operation "Operation Atlantic," led by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), in collaboration with multiple countries' law enforcement agencies to combat cryptocurrency and investment fraud, focusing on "approval phishing" scams.The operation was jointly initiated by the NCA, the U.S. Secret Service, and relevant law enforcement and regulatory agencies in Ontario, Canada, aiming to identify victims who have been compromised or are at risk. Approval phishing typically disguises itself as an investment opportunity, luring users into granting wallet access permissions, thereby transferring assets. During the operation, Binance's special investigation team provided on-site support in London, including fraud identification processes, risk screening, and intelligence analysis, and assisted in identifying potential victims and related malicious websites.At the same time, Binance also provided law enforcement agencies with addresses and suspect intelligence related to the case, supporting asset tracking and enforcement actions. The NCA stated that this operation has successfully protected thousands of potential victims in the UK and overseas. Binance emphasized that it will continue to cooperate with global law enforcement agencies to strengthen the fight against cryptocurrency fraud.

The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) released guidelines for the issuance of virtual assets on Thursday, providing clear regulations on the structural design, information disclosure, and distribution methods for stablecoins and real-world asset (RWA) tokens.The guidelines categorize token issuance into three pathways: Category 1 covers fiat-pegged and asset-pegged virtual assets; Category 2 must be distributed through licensed intermediaries, which are responsible for due diligence and ongoing compliance verification; the third category consists of functionally restricted exempt virtual assets.VARA's General Counsel Ruben Bombardi stated that the framework enhances transparency through white papers and independent risk disclosure statements, providing issuers with "greater regulatory certainty" and offering market participants a "single, exclusive reference." These guidelines serve as an interpretative document for the existing "Virtual Asset Issuance Rules Manual" and do not constitute new legislation.

According to News1, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of South Korea and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced that they will work together with the Digital Asset Exchange Association (DAXA) and various virtual asset exchanges to officially implement the "Enhanced Withdrawal Delay System." The authorities have strengthened the exception criteria for withdrawal delays and established unified internal regulations. In the future, factors such as the number of transactions, transaction duration, and deposit and withdrawal amounts must be considered.The system aims to prevent telecom fraud proceeds from flowing to external wallets by restricting certain groups, such as new users, from withdrawing virtual assets within a specified period. Due to the inconsistent standards and lack of clear benchmarks among exchanges in the past, this loophole was exploited by criminals. According to statistics, from June to September last year, 59% of the fraudulent accounts in virtual asset exchanges belonged to "exception accounts" subject to withdrawal delays.

According to The Block, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Kalshi's provision of sports-related event contracts in New Jersey is not subject to state gambling regulations, confirming the priority of federal oversight.The court ruled 2-1 that trading on designated contract markets (DCM) regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) falls under federal exclusive jurisdiction, and New Jersey does not have the authority to block the provision of related products.This case originated from Kalshi's lawsuit after receiving "cease and desist" orders from multiple states. New Jersey claimed that it violated state gambling laws, but the court found that the Commodity Exchange Act clearly grants the CFTC exclusive regulatory authority over related trading. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour called the ruling a "significant victory" and stated that prediction markets offer greater transparency and fairness.

Recently, the State Taxation Administration and the National Financial Regulatory Administration of China jointly issued a notice on "Further Deepening and Standardizing 'Bank-Tax Interaction' Work," which pointed out the need to deepen the application of bank-tax data.Standardize the content and methods of providing bank-tax data to further resolve the information asymmetry issue between banks, taxes, and enterprises. Encourage both banks and tax authorities in various regions to utilize technologies such as blockchain and privacy computing to legally and compliantly innovate the "bank-tax interaction" model. Banks will continue to optimize credit services, increase financing service supply for honest tax-paying enterprises, and continuously monitor the effectiveness of the "bank-tax interaction" loan model to improve risk management levels.

According to a report by South Korea's News1, the Korean "drug lord" Park Wang-ryeol (phonetic) who was apprehended in the Philippines has been transferred to the Korean Drug Crime Joint Investigation Headquarters. Authorities will focus on tracing his hidden funds and Bitcoin transaction records, and will begin to arrest related accomplices.Park Wang-ryeol is accused of continuously smuggling and selling drugs within South Korea from November 2019 to July 2024, with confirmed criminal proceeds amounting to approximately 6.8 billion won. Additionally, drugs valued at around 6.4 billion won, including methamphetamine (12.7 kilograms), were seized during smuggling, bringing the total scale of the case to about 13.1 billion won.As outsiders believe that the aforementioned amounts do not match his long-term operational scale, the investigation will focus on his hidden assets. Park Wang-ryeol has received payments for drug sales through non-discounted deposits and Bitcoin wallets, and authorities plan to analyze the on-chain transaction records of the involved Bitcoin wallets.

According to CoinDesk, President Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position and appointed his former personal lawyer, current Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, as acting Attorney General. Blanche previously represented Trump in handling criminal cases in New York, and after taking office as Deputy Attorney General, he ordered the dissolution of the Justice Department's national cryptocurrency enforcement team and signed a memorandum instructing prosecutors not to pursue regulatory violation cases in the cryptocurrency industry.According to disclosed documents, Blanche held various cryptocurrencies valued between approximately $159,000 and $485,000 when he signed the enforcement memorandum, including Bitcoin, Solana, Cardano, Ethereum, Polygon, Polkadot, Quant, and Coinbase stock, violating ethical rules and his prior commitment to divest assets before handling cryptocurrency-related matters.

According to a report by Reuters, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have filed a lawsuit against the Governor of Illinois and the Attorney General, accusing them of attempting to regulate prediction markets beyond their legal authority.The two agencies stated that the relevant regulatory measures in Illinois are invalid because the state government does not have the authority to govern federally regulated prediction markets. The lawsuit emphasizes the protection of innovative financial instruments from overreach by local governments.

According to market news, Spain's CaixaBank has obtained authorization as a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the EU MiCA regulation, becoming the sixth licensed bank in the country to offer customers services for the custody, buying, and transferring of crypto assets.The six authorized institutions in order are BBVA, Openbank (under the Santander Group), Cecabank, Renta 4 Banco, Kutxabank, and CaixaBank. Among them, BBVA was the first to be approved in 2025 and officially launched Bitcoin and Ethereum buying and custody services in July of the same year. The MiCA authorization serves as a "regulatory passport" across the EU, allowing licensed institutions to operate legally without having to apply country by country. The transition period in Spain will end on June 30, 2026, at which point unauthorized institutions will not be allowed to provide crypto asset services.