cryptocurrency

According to CriptoNoticias, Spanish citizen David Merino was arrested in Dubai for allegedly leading the cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme FX Winning. This scheme is the largest cryptocurrency-related Ponzi scheme in the history of Spanish investigations, involving over 460 million euros and affecting approximately 15,000 investors. Merino operated the scheme from behind the scenes after officially leaving the company in 2021, attracting funds by promising high returns on forex and cryptocurrency investments. Its operating model involved using funds from new investors to pay early investors, and the scheme operated in about 30 countries.Spain typically has 15 to 40 days to submit extradition documents to the UAE. Additionally, FX Winning is also under investigation in the United States and Mexico, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration believing the scheme involves 100 billion dollars. Merino released a video in March 2026 denying that he retained others' funds and placing the blame on other members of his team. The Spanish National Securities Market Commission has warned since 2021 that FX Winning is unauthorized to provide investment services.

According to Artemis data, Polymarket's daily cryptocurrency trading volume reached $176 million, setting a new historical record.

According to Cointelegraph, the transitional period for the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) will end on July 1, 2026.The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) stated that at that time, crypto asset service providers that have not obtained MiCA authorization, even if their applications are still under review, will not be allowed to continue providing services to EU customers and should initiate business winding down and customer migration arrangements.

According to Fortune, the crypto-focused venture capital firm Variant has completed the fundraising of its new fund, Variant 4, totaling $222 million. The fund will invest in projects at their earliest stages, focusing on the theme of "autonomy" to integrate AI and crypto applications.Partner Jesse Walden stated that in the future, the label "crypto investor" will disappear, and crypto will become a universal "underlying pipeline" like internet infrastructure. The core is to provide users and businesses with greater autonomy and security through decentralized and contract security architecture, supporting the development of applications including DeFi platforms Uniswap and Morpho.

According to Reuters, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned football clubs, including Premier League clubs, that entering into sponsorship agreements with unauthorized cryptocurrency companies and trading platforms may expose clubs to legal liabilities, money laundering risks, and reputational damage.The FCA stated that some unlicensed cryptocurrency businesses operating in the UK are reaching large fan bases through football sponsorships, potentially violating UK financial promotion rules. The regulatory body has contacted some clubs regarding these partnerships and urged them to strengthen due diligence on their partners.Lucy Castledine, the FCA's Director of Consumer Investments, stated that millions of fans trust club brands, and clubs should not allow unauthorized financial institutions to exploit this trust to promote potentially risky products to fans. UK Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock also stated that while sponsorship revenue is crucial for the football industry, fans have the right to know whether the companies partnering with clubs are safe, responsible, and compliant.

According to SoSoValue data, the cryptocurrency market has suffered a heavy blow, with a general decline of about 2% to 6% over 24 hours. Among them, Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 6.03%, dropping below $67,000; Ethereum (ETH) fell by 6.52%, dropping below $1,900. The AI sector declined by 6.06%, with Bittensor (TAO) and Worldcoin (WLD) falling by 7.67% and 8.17%, respectively. Only the RWA sector strengthened against the trend, rising by 3.48% over 24 hours, with Ondo Finance (ONDO) significantly increasing by 11.33% and Plume (PLUME) rising by 3.63%.In other sectors, the DeFi sector fell by 4.35% over 24 hours, with DeXe (DEXE) relatively strong, rising by 23.08%; the Layer1 sector fell by 4.35%, with Zcash (ZEC) surging by 15.34% during the day; the CeFi sector fell by 4.84%, with Binance Coin (BNB) dropping by 5.36%; the PayFi sector fell by 5.09%, with Litecoin (LTC) dropping by 5.6%; the Layer2 sector fell by 5.14%, with Arbitrum (ARB) dropping by 8.64%; the Meme sector fell by 5.29%, while Binance Life surged by 13.92% during the day.The cryptocurrency sector index reflecting historical market trends shows that the ssiRWA index rose by 3.08%, while the ssiLayer1 and ssiAI indices fell by 5.79% and 6.53%, respectively.

According to The Block, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, along with Representative Robert Scott, sent a letter to the Department of Labor requesting the withdrawal of a proposed rule that would allow 401(k) retirement plans to include alternative assets such as cryptocurrencies. The lawmakers stated in the letter that the proposed rule would create a so-called safe harbor for fiduciaries offering alternative investments, which would strip retirement savers of long-standing investor protections and encourage the use of riskier, more complex, and expensive investments.The Department of Labor announced the proposed rule in March, providing guidance steps for 401(k) plan managers to include alternative assets (including private equity, real estate, and digital assets) in their portfolios. Lawmakers expressed concerns about the volatility of digital assets and cited a Federal Bureau of Investigation report indicating that crypto-related fraud losses could exceed a record $11 billion in 2025. They also pointed out the Trump family's conflicts of interest in the crypto space, stating that the Department of Labor's proposed rule could enhance the president's interests at the expense of ordinary workers and retirees.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it has added Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex, as well as three Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex, to its sanctions list, and imposed sanctions on Nobitex's chairman and co-founder Amir Hossein Rad, current CEO Seyed Ali Khoee, and several co-founders and executives.The U.S. Treasury accused Nobitex of processing over 50% of Iran's cryptocurrency inflows in 2025 and providing support for transactions related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), ransomware organizations, and sanction evasion activities. It also assisted the Central Bank of Iran in obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in stablecoin funding. U.S. officials stated that after U.S. military actions against Iran, Nobitex helped transfer and protect the assets of the Iranian regime.In addition, the Treasury stated that Iran's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange Wallex, as well as Bitpin and Ramzinex, were also found to have links to transactions related to the IRGC. Among them, Wallex received about 12% of Iran's cryptocurrency inflows in 2025, Bitpin accounted for about 10%, while Ramzinex, established in 2018, has processed over $2.45 billion in transactions.This action is part of the Trump administration's "Economic Fury" strategy to exert maximum pressure on Iran. The U.S. Treasury stated that it will continue to combat Iran's use of digital assets for terrorist financing and sanction evasion and reserves the right to impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions and companies that assist Iran's illegal trade.

According to GlobeNewswire, global insurance and risk management giant WTW announced the acquisition of the digital asset insurance platform Redefind to strengthen its digital asset protection service layout.According to the disclosure, Redefind provides an end-to-end cryptocurrency and digital asset insurance access platform. WTW plans to first launch a non-custodial loss recovery insurance scheme in the UK to support forensic investigations, asset tracking, and legal recovery related costs for digital assets that are stolen or lost.

According to the "Financial Stability Review" published by the Central Bank of Russia, Russian private investors currently hold approximately 3.8 billion rubles in cryptocurrency-linked financial instruments, which is nearly unchanged from 3.7 billion rubles six months ago, indicating a stagnation in market interest. Among them, 1.7 billion rubles have flowed into crypto-linked corporate bonds, with 5,600 investors holding a total of 1.7 billion rubles in crypto futures positions, and about 3,800 people investing 354 million rubles in digital financial assets linked to Bitcoin and Ethereum. The main issuers are large banks such as Sber and VTB.At the same time, the Moscow Exchange has successively launched Bitcoin and Ethereum futures and related ETFs, and will add Solana, Ripple, and Tron futures varieties in May 2026.

According to Bits.media, the Central Bank of Brazil has tightened the licensing rules for virtual asset service providers, requiring them to undergo independent financial audits before obtaining operational licenses starting June 1. The auditing firms must not only examine the company's financial status but also review its compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations, including whether the platform separates its own funds from customer assets, its risk management practices, and employee training. Auditors must be registered with the Brazilian Securities Commission. Cryptocurrency exchanges, brokerage firms, and custody services applying for a license for the first time must comply with these requirements from the start of the registration process, and companies that already hold licenses must also pass independent audits when renewing.Brazil first clarified in legislation in 2022 that virtual asset services are regulated by the central bank, establishing a category for licensed virtual asset service providers in November 2025. Additionally, Brazil recently imposed a complete ban on 28 betting and prediction market platforms, including Polymarket and Kalshi, on the grounds that they did not comply with local derivatives trading requirements. Starting October 1, Brazilian electronic foreign exchange providers will be prohibited from using cryptocurrencies for international remittances.

According to Citywire, Jalina Kerr, head of advisor experience at Charles Schwab, stated that the company plans to launch cryptocurrency spot trading features for advisors on its custody platform by 2027. Progress is currently smooth, and the expected launch time may be closer to mid-year, although a specific date has not yet been determined. Charles Schwab has already introduced Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading to retail clients this year.Kerr pointed out that digital assets are not uniformly regulated like other brokerage and securities products, and careful consideration is needed from fund deposits to withdrawals. She mentioned that advisors currently prefer to allocate crypto assets for clients through Charles Schwab's exchange-traded products, but interest in spot trading has recently increased. Charles Schwab's competitor, Fidelity, is currently offering cryptocurrency custody and trading solutions for wealth management managers.

According to official news, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group) has officially launched 24/7 trading for cryptocurrency futures and options. Over the first weekend, a total of more than 7,200 contracts were traded, with a nominal value of approximately $50 million.Bitcoin volatility futures have also been launched simultaneously. Tim McCourt, the Global Head of Equity, FX, and Alternative Products at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, stated that this move meets customer demand for continuous liquidity over the weekend, bridging the gap between traditional regulated venues and the 24/7 nature of cryptocurrencies.

According to CoinDesk, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has proposed the establishment of a legal framework for cryptocurrency ETF trading and the promotion of the use of yen stablecoins. A group within the party that advocates for blockchain technology has submitted the relevant proposal to Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama. The proposal states that cryptocurrency ETFs can provide investors with a more understandable way to invest.

Blockchain security company CertiK's latest data shows that in May 2026, losses in the crypto industry due to hacking, exploitation of vulnerabilities, and fraud amounted to approximately $68.3 million, a decrease of nearly 90% compared to over $650 million in losses in April, making it the third month this year with losses below $100 million.CertiK stated that approximately $2.6 million in losses during May came from phishing attacks. In contrast, in April, significant attacks on Drift Protocol and KelpDAO's infrastructure resulted in losses of approximately $285 million and $292 million, respectively, with these two incidents accounting for about 95% of the total losses for that month, making April one of the worst months for losses since March 2022.Despite the reduction in large-scale attacks at the protocol level, CertiK warns that risks such as phishing attacks, social engineering scams, deepfakes, and credential leaks continue to grow. Researchers point out that an increasing number of attackers are targeting employees, operational systems

According to Reuters, the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party's blockchain technology promotion group submitted a proposal to Finance Minister Nobuhide Katayama on Monday, suggesting that Japan promote the yen stablecoin for settlement in Asia and establish a legal framework that allows trading of cryptocurrency ETFs. The proposal points out that cryptocurrency ETFs will provide investors with an easy-to-understand investment method and calls on the government to position them as formal investment tools in the financial market.Liberal Democratic Party member Junichi Kanda stated that Japan plans to promote the yen stablecoin and blockchain innovation initiatives during the Asian Development Bank annual meeting it will host in May next year. Currently, Japan's three major banks have launched a joint issuance experiment for stablecoins with the support of the Financial Services Agency.