In a strategic $250 million acquisition spree, Polygon Labs is transforming from an Ethereum scaling specialist into a regulated payments powerhouse. By purchasing cash-to-crypto platform Coinme and infrastructure firm Sequence, the company is building comprehensive middleware for businesses navigating the emerging world of stablecoins and tokenized securities. This marks a decisive shift from pure infrastructure development toward revenue-generating services, as CEO Marc Boiron aims to capture value through regulated on-ramps and enterprise-grade wallets.
about Polygon Labs Acquires Coinme & Sequence for $250M Payments PushFinCEN
0 in Finance and 0 in Crypto last weekCrypto Becomes Geopolitical Tool: Authoritarian vs Democratic State Strategies
A new report from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs reveals a fundamental schism in how nations deploy cryptocurrency, transforming it from a financial experiment into a core instrument of state power. Authoritarian regimes are aggressively exploiting blockchain’s borderless nature to evade sanctions and fund military ambitions, while democratic governments are channeling the same technology into regulatory oversight and financial modernization. This strategic divergence is quietly reshaping the foundations of global finance and geopolitics.
about Crypto Becomes Geopolitical Tool: Authoritarian vs Democratic State StrategiesPaxful Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering, Fined $7.5M
Paxful Holdings Inc., the defunct peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange, has pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges and agreed to pay $7.5 million in criminal and civil penalties. The U.S. Department of Justice found the platform knowingly enabled extensive criminal activity, processing billions in trades while deliberately avoiding anti-money laundering controls. This landmark case underscores the severe consequences for cryptocurrency exchanges that flout financial compliance laws, revealing a business model built on servicing illicit markets.
about Paxful Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering, Fined $7.5MSEC’s 2025 Crypto Agenda: Clearer Rules, Stronger Oversight
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2025 regulatory agenda represents a watershed moment for cryptocurrency markets, proposing to replace the current patchwork of overlapping regulations with a comprehensive framework specifically designed for digital assets. This structured approach acknowledges that crypto requires dedicated rules rather than adaptations of older regulations, potentially setting global standards while facilitating integration with traditional financial infrastructure through enhanced market efficiency and investor protection measures.
about SEC's 2025 Crypto Agenda: Clearer Rules, Stronger OversightCalifornia Fines Coinhub $675K for Crypto ATM Violations
California regulators have delivered a forceful message to the cryptocurrency industry with a $675,000 fine against Bitcoin ATM operator Coinhub for systematic violations of the state’s digital assets law. The enforcement action, which includes $105,000 in consumer restitution for overcharging customers, represents the fourth such crackdown by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation as it intensifies scrutiny of crypto kiosk operators taking advantage of consumers through excessive fees and inadequate safeguards.
about California Fines Coinhub $675K for Crypto ATM ViolationsBitcoin ATM Jury Duty Scams Cost Victims $7,000
Massachusetts residents lost nearly $7,000 in a sophisticated jury duty scam involving Bitcoin ATMs, highlighting a rapidly growing criminal trend that cost victims nearly $247 million in 2024 according to FBI data. Authorities warn that criminals are increasingly impersonating law enforcement and demanding immediate payments through cryptocurrency kiosks, exploiting the irreversible nature of digital currency transactions to devastating effect.
about Bitcoin ATM Jury Duty Scams Cost Victims $7,000Coinbase Urges Treasury to Modernize AML with AI, Zero-Knowledge Tech
Coinbase has launched a sweeping critique of U.S. anti-money laundering regulations, calling them “broken” and urging the Treasury Department to embrace artificial intelligence, APIs, and zero-knowledge proofs to combat financial crime in digital assets. The crypto exchange’s formal proposal argues that decades-old Bank Secrecy Act requirements have created an ineffective compliance system that burdens consumers, stifles innovation, and creates privacy risks through repeated KYC data collection. As Treasury compiles industry responses for congressional review, the debate highlights growing tension between traditional financial oversight and emerging blockchain technologies.
about Coinbase Urges Treasury to Modernize AML with AI, Zero-Knowledge TechMrBeast Files Trademark for Crypto Financial Services App
YouTube superstar MrBeast has filed a trademark application for ‘MrBeast Financial,’ signaling plans to launch a comprehensive financial services app that would offer cryptocurrency exchange, payment processing, banking, and insurance services. However, the world’s most-subscribed individual creator faces significant regulatory hurdles before bringing his ambitious financial platform to market, requiring multiple government approvals that have not yet been filed.
about MrBeast Files Trademark for Crypto Financial Services AppOKX CEO Condemns Huione Group After $15B DOJ Crackdown
OKX CEO Star Xu has publicly condemned Cambodian conglomerate Huione Group following a massive $15 billion US Department of Justice crackdown targeting extensive crypto-enabled fraud networks across Southeast Asia. The enforcement action, coordinated between US and UK authorities, has designated the Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization and 146 affiliates for their roles in crypto fraud, illicit mining, and global money laundering activities. Xu emphasized that OKX maintains strict compliance controls to distance itself from the sanctioned entity, which he said has “caused serious damage in the crypto space.”
about OKX CEO Condemns Huione Group After $15B DOJ CrackdownUS Seizes $14B Bitcoin from Chinese Pig Butchering Scam
The US government is moving to confiscate 127,271 Bitcoin worth approximately $14.2 billion linked to a massive cross-border ‘pig butchering’ scam operated by Chinese national Chen Zhi. The seized cryptocurrency is slated for addition to the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve under a recent executive order. However, government shutdown complications and ratification deadlines could jeopardize the transfer.
about US Seizes $14B Bitcoin from Chinese Pig Butchering ScamWisconsin Bill Exempts Crypto Activities from Licensing
Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation that would exempt cryptocurrency users and businesses from state licensing requirements for fundamental blockchain activities. Assembly Bill 471 represents a significant regulatory shift, protecting crypto payments, node operations, and staking from state restrictions while creating a more welcoming environment for crypto-native businesses. The move comes amid competing legislative priorities in the state, including recent Bitcoin ETF liquidation and fraud-targeting measures.
about Wisconsin Bill Exempts Crypto Activities from LicensingSenator Lummis Pushes Crypto ATM Safeguards Amid Fraud Surge
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis is spearheading a bipartisan effort to impose stronger consumer protections on cryptocurrency ATMs as law enforcement data reveals an alarming surge in scam-related losses, particularly targeting senior citizens. The regulatory push comes alongside a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warning showing victim losses through crypto kiosks jumped 31% in 2024 to $247 million, with adults over 60 accounting for more than two-thirds of losses despite being among the least likely demographic to use cryptocurrency services.
about Senator Lummis Pushes Crypto ATM Safeguards Amid Fraud Surge