The Swiss Federal Council has approved significant updates to the Ordinance on the International Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters. The new rules are set to take effect across Switzerland on 1 January 2026, assuming no referendum intervenes.
The revisions expand Switzerland’s international exchange of financial account information, updating the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and introducing the new Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).
Crypto service providers in Switzerland will now have reporting, due diligence, and registration obligations under the AEOI Ordinance, although these provisions will not apply until at least 2027.
The updated Ordinance also extends CRS rules to Swiss associations and foundations while excluding certain accounts if specific conditions are met. Transitional measures aim to facilitate the implementation of the amended CRS and CARF by affected parties more smoothly.
Deliberations on partner states for Switzerland’s crypto data exchange have been paused by the National Council’s Economic Affairs and Taxation Committee. The CARF will become law in Switzerland in 2026, but full implementation is delayed, keeping crypto-asset rules inactive for the first year.
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According to the 2025 Identity Fraud Report by verification firm Sumsub, the global rate of identity fraud has declined modestly, from 2.6% in 2024 to 2.2% this year; however, the nature of the threat is changing rapidly.
Fraudsters are increasingly using generative AI and deepfakes to launch what Sumsub calls ‘sophisticated fraud’, attacks that combine synthetic identities, social engineering, device tampering and cross-channel manipulation. These are not mass spam scams: they are targeted, high-impact operations that are far harder to detect and mitigate.
The report reveals a marked increase in deepfake-related schemes, including synthetic-identity fraud (the creation of entirely fake but AI-generated identities) and biometric forgeries designed to bypass identity verification processes. Deepfake-fraud and synthetic-identity attacks now represent a growing share of first-party fraud cases (where the verified ‘user’ is actually the fraudster).
Meanwhile, high-risk sectors such as dating apps, cryptocurrency exchanges and financial services are being hit especially hard. In 2025, romance-style scams involving AI personas and deepfakes accounted for a notable share of fraud cases. Banks, digital-first lenders and crypto platforms report rising numbers of impostor accounts and fraudulent onboarding attempts.
This trend reveals a significant disparity: although headline fraud rates have decreased slightly, each successful AI-powered fraud attempt now tends to be far more damaging, both financially and reputationally. As Sumsub warned, the ‘sophistication shift’ in digital identity fraud means that organisations and users must rethink security assumptions.
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Americans may soon be able to pay federal taxes in Bitcoin under a new bill introduced in the House of Representatives. The proposal would send BTC tax payments straight into the US strategic reserve and spare taxpayers from capital gains reporting.
Representative Warren Davidson says that BTC tax payments allow the government to build an appreciating reserve without purchasing coins on the open market. He says that Bitcoin-based revenue strengthens the national position as the dollar continues to lose value due to inflation.
Supporters say the plan expands the reserve in a market-neutral way and signals a firmer national stance on Bitcoin adoption. They argue a dedicated reserve reduces the risk of future regulatory hostility and may push other countries to adopt similar strategies.
Critics warn that using seized or forfeited BTC to grow the reserve creates harmful incentives for enforcement agencies. Some commentators say civil asset forfeiture already needs reform, while others argue the reserve is still positive for Bitcoin’s long-term global position.
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Binance Japan and PayPay have launched a new service that enables users to purchase crypto assets using PayPay Money and PayPay Points. The integration allows funds deposited from PayPay Money to be used directly for spot trading on Binance Japan.
Users can also withdraw proceeds from crypto sales back into their PayPay Balance. Previously, trading and withdrawals were restricted to Japanese yen transfers via domestic banks or external wallets.
The new system allows one-click deposits and withdrawals, starting from JPY 1,000.
The service works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering a smoother trading experience for both mobile and web users. To activate the integration, users enable the linkage via the PayPay icon within Binance Japan’s trading platform.
The initiative reflects growing collaboration between PayPay and Binance Japan, aiming to enhance convenience and accessibility for both first-time traders and experienced users while expanding crypto adoption in Japan.
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Security researchers have confirmed that the Ultralytics YOLO library was hijacked in a supply-chain attack, where attackers injected malicious code into the PyPI-published versions 8.3.41 and 8.3.42. When installed, these versions deployed the XMRig cryptominer.
The compromise stemmed from Ultralytics’ continuous-integration workflow: by exploiting GitHub Actions, the attackers manipulated the automated build process, bypassing review and injecting cryptocurrency mining malware.
The maintainers quickly removed the malicious versions and released a clean build (8.3.43); however, newer reports suggest that further suspicious versions may have appeared.
This incident illustrates the growing risk in AI library supply chains. As open-source AI frameworks become more widely used, attackers increasingly target their build systems to deliver malware, particularly cryptominers.
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A rising number of young, high-earning Americans are moving away from wealth advisers who fail to offer crypto access, signalling a sharp generational divide in portfolio expectations.
New survey results from Zerohash show that 35 percent of affluent investors aged 18 to 40 have already redirected funds to advisers who support digital-asset allocations, often shifting between $250,000 and $1 million.
Confidence in crypto has strengthened as major financial institutions accelerate adoption. Zerohash reported that more than four-fifths of surveyed investors feel more assured in the asset class thanks to involvement from BlackRock, Fidelity and Morgan Stanley.
Wealthier respondents proved the least patient. Half of those earning above $500,000 said they had already replaced advisers who lack crypto exposure, and 84 percent plan to expand their holdings over the coming year.
Demand now extends well beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. Ninety-two percent want access to a wider range of digital assets, mirroring expanding interest in altcoin-based ETFs and staking products.
Asset managers are responding quickly, with 21Shares launching its Solana ETF in the US and BlackRock preparing a staked Ether product. The Solana category alone has attracted more than $420 million in inflows, underscoring the rising appetite for institutional-grade exposure.
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The UAE has taken a major step in its digital finance strategy as the Central Bank of the UAE approved Zand to launch Zand AED, the nation’s first regulated, multi-chain AED-backed stablecoin. The new asset places the dirham on global blockchain rails under the oversight of a fully licensed bank.
Zand AED is fully backed by reserves in regulated accounts, with real-time transparency through independently audited smart contracts and attestations.
Being available on multiple public blockchains enables fast cross-border settlement and simpler integration for developers, enterprises, and financial institutions.
Zand leadership described the launch as a significant advancement for the UAE’s position in global financial innovation. They highlighted that Zand AED bridges traditional and decentralised finance, enabling payments, tokenisation, and digital asset applications.
Analysts expect the global stablecoin market to expand to trillions, and Zand AED positions the UAE as a leading hub for regulated digital finance. The stablecoin offers a secure, scalable foundation for institutions and FinTechs in a leading global financial ecosystem.
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Cloudflare experienced a significant network outage on Tuesday, which disrupted access to major cryptocurrency platforms, including Coinbase, Kraken, Etherscan, and several DeFi services, resulting in widespread ‘500 Internal Server Error’ messages.
The company acknowledged the issue as an internal service degradation across parts of its global network and began rolling out a fix. However, users continued to face elevated error rates during the process.
Major Bitcoin and Ethereum platforms, as well as Aave, DeFiLlama, and several blockchain explorers, were impacted. The disruption spread beyond crypto, affecting several major Web2 platforms, while services like BlueSky and Reddit stayed fully operational.
Cloudflare shares dropped 3.5% in pre-market trading as the company investigated whether scheduled maintenance at specific data centres played any role.
The incident marks the third significant Cloudflare disruption affecting crypto platforms since 2019, highlighting the industry’s ongoing reliance on centralised infrastructure providers despite its focus on decentralisation.
Industry experts pointed to recent outages from Cloudflare and Amazon Web Services as evidence that critical digital services cannot rely solely on a single vendor for reliability. Kraken restored access ahead of many peers, while Cloudflare stated that the issue was resolved and would continue to monitor for full stability.
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Bitcoin has slipped into negative territory for the year after a sharp retreat that pushed the price below $90,000 for the first time in seven months. The cryptocurrency has now fallen more than 28% from its peak above $126,000, erasing over $600 billion in market value.
Investors have been rotating out of speculative assets, with concerns around potential Federal Reserve decisions adding to the risk-off sentiment.
Market analysts note that long-term holders have been taking profits following the extraordinary rally that carried Bitcoin to new records in October. Uncertainty around monetary policy, tightening liquidity, and broader macroeconomic pressures have fuelled the downturn.
The impact of the October flash crash, triggered by renewed US-China trade tensions, continues to weigh heavily as thinner order books leave Bitcoin more vulnerable to abrupt price swings.
Bitcoin had rallied strongly throughout the year, supported by optimism over pro-crypto policies under President Donald Trump and the rollout of new digital-asset regulations. Yet the cryptocurrency has now surrendered its gains, underperforming major benchmarks such as the S&P 500 and gold.
Analysts say the market is approaching a pivotal moment, with some fearing a deeper reset while others view the current consolidation as an opportunity for strategic accumulation.
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Bitcoin’s price continued to weaken after dipping under $94,000, extending a retreat that has now erased nearly $190 billion from its market value over the past week. Trading volumes remained high, yet sell pressure dominated as the asset struggled to reclaim momentum.
Market data showed more than $394 million in crypto liquidations over the past 24 hours, with the majority coming from long positions. Sentiment stayed uneasy as Bitcoin hovered close to the $94,000 mark, offering little reassurance to traders seeking signs of stability.
Analysts remain divided on whether the current zone represents a potential floor or a pause before further declines. Traders noted that fresh catalysts will be needed to support any sustained recovery as liquidations rise and volatility deepens.
Bitcoin’s recent swings have left market participants split between bargain hunting and preparing for another downturn. Precise data and level-headed decision-making appear more valuable than hype as the market navigates its latest correction.
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