Cryptocurrencies

Binance founder CZ granted presidential pardon

Binance founder Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao has received a presidential pardon after serving a four-month sentence for violating US money laundering laws. The decision follows Binance’s guilty plea and $4.3 billion fine over allegations of helping users bypass sanctions.

The White House defended the move, describing Zhao’s prosecution under the previous administration as part of a broader ‘war on cryptocurrency’. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the case had been ‘overly prosecuted’ and that the pardon corrected an act of ‘misjustice’.

The decision has reignited debate over potential conflicts of interest, given the Trump family’s investments in the digital asset space.

Zhao expressed gratitude for the pardon, saying it reflected America’s commitment to fairness and innovation. The decision removes restrictions preventing him from leading financial ventures, although his future role with Binance remains uncertain.

The company, registered in the Cayman Islands, called the move ‘incredible news’ but declined to comment on the allegations of political favouritism.

The administration has adopted a friendlier stance toward the crypto industry, easing regulations and promoting the idea of a national cryptocurrency reserve. Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, called the pardon ‘corrupt’, saying it weakens financial accountability.

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Federal Reserve embraces crypto innovation in payments system

The Federal Reserve has signalled a shift towards decentralised finance, with Governor Waller saying the central bank now welcomes crypto innovators into mainstream payments.

Speaking at the Payments Innovation Conference on 21 October, Waller said the Fed intends to play an active role in the ongoing technology-driven transformation of the financial system.

Waller highlighted how stablecoins, tokenised assets, and AI are reshaping the payments landscape. He said private firms drive innovation but added that public institutions like the Fed must adapt to support evolving financial systems.

The governor said the central bank is exploring how tokenisation, smart contracts, and AI could enhance its own systems and foster closer dialogue with industry innovators.

In a significant policy proposal, Waller revealed that the Fed is studying a new type of ‘payment account’ for legally eligible institutions. The concept would provide streamlined access to Federal Reserve payment rails for fintech and crypto firms without requiring a full master account.

Such accounts would operate under tighter controls, including balance caps, no interest payments, and no overdraft privileges, allowing faster review times while maintaining system safety.

Waller said the payments revolution is underway and urged collaboration between traditional finance and emerging digital sectors. He called the event a turning point for Fed–innovator relations, noting that crypto and distributed ledgers are now part of modern payments.

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Russia moves to classify crypto as marital property

A Russian lawmaker has proposed recognising crypto as marital property to clarify asset ownership in divorce cases. The bill, introduced by Igor Antropenko of the United Russia party, seeks to amend Articles 34 and 36 of the Family Code to classify crypto acquired during marriage as joint property.

Digital assets obtained before marriage or through gifts would remain individually owned.

The proposal aims to address what Antropenko described as ‘risks to property rights’ arising from the current legal ambiguity surrounding digital currencies. It has been sent to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Central Bank Chairwoman Elvira Nabiullina for review.

The explanatory note highlights the constitutional obligation to protect property rights and cites the growing use of crypto among Russian citizens for investment and savings.

Russia’s move mirrors South Korea’s approach, where courts already recognise cryptocurrencies as divisible marital assets. Under Article 839-2 of Korea’s Civil Act, spouses can request investigations into hidden crypto holdings and either liquidate or divide tokens directly.

Blockchain transparency has made digital asset tracking easier than tracing cash, closing loopholes in asset concealment during divorce.

The proposal comes as Russia’s crypto activity hit $376.3 billion between July 2024 and June 2025, overtaking all European markets. Growing use of DeFi, stablecoins, and plans for a national crypto bank show increasing state involvement in digital finance.

Legal recognition of crypto as property would bring family law in line with this broader regulatory shift.

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Crypto hiring snaps back as AI cools

Tech firms led crypto’s hiring rebound, adding over 12,000 roles since late 2022, according to A16z’s State of Crypto 2025. Finance and consulting contributed 6,000, offsetting talent pulled into AI after ChatGPT’s debut. Net, crypto gained 1,000 positions as workers rotated in from tech, fintech, and education.

The recovery tracks a market turn: crypto capitalisation topping US$4T and new Bitcoin highs. A friendlier US policy stance on stablecoins and digital-asset oversight buoyed sentiment. Institutions from JPMorgan to BlackRock and Fidelity widened offerings beyond pilots.

Hiring is diversifying beyond developers toward compliance, infrastructure, and product. Firms are moving from proofs of concept to production systems with clearer revenue paths. Result: broader role mix and steadier talent pipelines.

A16z contrasts AI centralisation with crypto’s open ethos. OpenAI/Anthropic dominate AI-native revenue; big clouds hold most of the infrastructure share; NVIDIA leads GPUs. Crypto advocates pitch blockchains as a counterweight via verifiable compute and open rails.

Utility signals mature, too. Stablecoins settled around US$9T in 12 months, up 87% year over year. That’s over half of Visa’s annual volume and five times that of PayPal’s.

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DeepSeek dominates AI crypto trading challenge

Chinese AI model DeepSeek V3.1 has outperformed its global competitors in a real-market cryptocurrency trading challenge, earning over 10 per cent profit in just a few days.

The experiment, named Alpha Arena, was launched by US research firm Nof1 to test the investing skills of leading LLMs.

Each participating AI was given US$10,000 to trade in six cryptocurrency perpetual contracts, including bitcoin and solana, on the decentralised exchange Hyperliquid. By Tuesday afternoon, DeepSeek V3.1 led the field, while OpenAI’s GPT-5 trailed behind with a loss of nearly 40 per cent.

The competition highlights the growing potential of AI models to make autonomous financial decisions in real markets.

It also underscores the rivalry between Chinese and American AI developers as they push to demonstrate their models’ adaptability beyond traditional text-based tasks.

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Roblox faces Dutch investigation over child welfare concerns

Dutch officials will study how the gaming platform affects young users, focusing on safety, mental health, and privacy. The assessment aims to identify both the benefits and risks of Roblox. Authorities say the findings will help guide new policies and support parents in protecting their children online.

Roblox has faced mounting criticism over unsafe content and the presence of online predators. Reports of games containing violent or sexual material have raised alarms among parents and child protection groups.

The US state of Louisiana recently sued Roblox, alleging that it enabled systemic child exploitation through negligence. Dutch experts argue that similar concerns justify a thorough review in the Netherlands.

Previous Dutch investigations have examined platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat under similar children’s rights frameworks. Policymakers hope the Roblox review will set clearer standards for digital child safety across Europe.

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British Columbia unveils major plan to power economic growth with clean energy

The Government of British Columbia has announced a sweeping economic and energy plan aimed at driving industrial growth through clean electricity. Centred on the North Coast Transmission Line, the plan aims to boost the province’s economy while ensuring First Nations share in the benefits.

Premier David Eby said the new legislation would make British Columbia the ‘economic engine’ of Canada, powered by clean energy and local partnerships. Set to begin in 2026, the NCTL will provide clean, affordable power to major industries such as mining, natural gas, and manufacturing.

Once operational, it is projected to create nearly 9,700 direct jobs, contribute around $10 billion to GDP, and cut millions of tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

To manage rising energy demand, the government will limit crypto mining and prioritise projects with strong economic and environmental benefits. A power allocation process for data centres, AI, and hydrogen projects will start in 2026 to support responsible growth.

The plan also enables greater First Nations participation through potential equity ownership in new energy infrastructure. Industry leaders say the project could attract billions in investment and strengthen British Columbia’s position in clean energy and critical minerals.

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Bitcoin wallet vulnerability exposes thousands of private keys

A flaw in the widely used Libbitcoin Explorer (bx) 3.x series has exposed over 120,000 Bitcoin private keys, according to crypto wallet provider OneKey. The flaw arose from a weak random number generator that used system time, making wallet keys predictable.

Attackers aware of wallet creation times could reconstruct private keys and access funds.

Several wallets were affected, including versions of Trust Wallet Extension and Trust Wallet Core prior to patched releases. Researchers said the Mersenne Twister-32’s limited seed space let hackers automate attacks and recreate private keys, possibly causing past fund losses like the ‘Milk Sad’ cases.

OneKey confirmed its own wallets remain secure, using cryptographically strong random number generation and hardware Secure Elements certified to global security standards.

OneKey also examined its software wallets, ensuring that desktop, browser, Android, and iOS versions rely on secure system-level entropy sources. The firm urged long-term crypto holders to use hardware wallets and avoid importing software-generated mnemonics to reduce risk.

The company emphasised that wallet security depends on the integrity of the device and operating environment.

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Privacy laws block cross-border crypto regulation progress

Regulators continue to face hurdles in overseeing global crypto markets as privacy laws block effective cross-border data sharing, the Financial Stability Board warned. Sixteen years after Bitcoin’s launch, regulation remains inconsistent, with differing national approaches causing data gaps and fragmented oversight.

The FSB, under the Bank for International Settlements, said secrecy laws hinder authorities from monitoring risks and sharing information. Some jurisdictions block data sharing with foreign regulators, while others delay cooperation over privacy and reciprocity concerns.

According to the report, addressing these legal and institutional barriers is essential to improving cross-border collaboration and ensuring more effective global oversight of crypto markets.

However, the FSB noted that reliable data on digital assets remain scarce, as regulators rely heavily on incomplete or inconsistent sources from commercial data providers.

Despite the growing urgency to monitor financial stability risks, little progress has been made since similar concerns were raised nearly four years ago. The FSB has yet to outline concrete solutions for bridging the gap between data privacy protection and effective crypto regulation.

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UK government urges awareness as £106m lost to romance fraud in one year

Romance fraud has surged across the United Kingdom, with new figures showing that victims lost a combined £106 million in the past financial year. Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for cybercrime, described the crime as one that causes severe financial, emotional, and social damage.

Among the victims is London banker Varun Yadav, who lost £40,000 to a scammer posing as a romantic partner on a dating app. After months of chatting online, the fraudster persuaded him to invest in a cryptocurrency platform.

When his funds became inaccessible, Yadav realised he had been deceived. ‘You see all the signs, but you are so emotionally attached,’ he said. ‘You are willing to lose the money, but not the connection.’

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said banks should play a stronger role in disrupting romance scams, calling for improved detection systems and better staff training to identify vulnerable customers. It urged firms to adopt what it called ‘compassionate aftercare’ for those affected.

Romance fraud typically involves criminals creating fake online profiles to build emotional connections before manipulating victims into transferring money.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and UK police recommend maintaining privacy on social media, avoiding financial transfers to online contacts, and speaking openly with friends or family before sending money.

The Metropolitan Police recently launched an awareness campaign featuring victim testimonies and guidance on spotting red flags. The initiative also promotes collaboration with dating apps, banks, and social platforms to identify fraud networks.

Detective Superintendent Kerry Wood, head of economic crime for the Met Police, said that romance scams remain ‘one of the most devastating’ forms of fraud. ‘It’s an abuse of trust which undermines people’s confidence and sense of self-worth. Awareness is the most powerful defence against fraud,’ she said.

Although Yadav never recovered his savings, he said sharing his story helped him rebuild his life. He urged others facing similar scams to speak up: ‘Do not isolate yourself. There is hope.’

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