California’s State Assembly has unanimously approved a bill that would allow government departments to accept cryptocurrency payments. Assembly Bill 1180, introduced by Avelino Valencia, passed with a 68–0 vote and will now be reviewed by the State Senate.
If enacted, the law would require the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation to establish regulations enabling crypto payments for state services. A pilot programme would run until 1 January 2031, with full implementation beginning on 1 July 2026.
The department would also be required to report on transaction volumes and any technical challenges by 2028.
The bill targets digital assets under existing law, after dropping transport-related clauses, aiming to align California with states like Florida and Colorado on crypto payments.
AB 1180 complements a separate proposal, AB 1052, which seeks to protect the private use of digital assets and enshrine the right to self-custody. The rising interest in such legislation reflects growing political and public support for cryptocurrencies across the state.
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Trump Media’s partner, Yorkville America Digital, has lodged an application for a spot Bitcoin ETF, joining an increasingly crowded market of crypto investment products. The proposal, submitted on 3 June, outlines an ETF that would directly track Bitcoin’s price.
Foris DAX Trust Company, part of Crypto.com, has been listed as the fund’s proposed custodian, though no ticker or management fee was disclosed.
The application now awaits a response from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which may arrive within 45 days. However, under current regulations, the agency has until 29 January 2026 to make a final decision.
Yorkville must also file further documentation detailing the fund’s structure and associated risks.
Although President Donald Trump remains a key stakeholder in Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), his holdings are placed in a trust managed by his son. The ETF documents omit Trump’s name, though political ties may still draw aligned investors.
With 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs already in the market, a Trump-affiliated offering adds another layer to the intersection between politics and the crypto sector.
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Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek has resigned after it emerged he received a €40 million bitcoin donation from a convicted drug dealer.
The funds, amounting to roughly 468 bitcoins, were sent by Tomáš Jiřikovský, previously imprisoned for operating an illicit drug marketplace and crypto theft.
Although courts did not confirm the crypto’s criminal origins, the transaction sparked widespread suspicion and investigations into potential money laundering and abuse of office.
Blažek denies any wrongdoing but stepped down to limit political fallout, a move welcomed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Interior Minister Vít Rakušan described the donation as damaging to the Czech government’s credibility, and authorities have since frozen the funds.
Opposition parties have called for the government’s resignation ahead of an emergency parliamentary session on 5 June.
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Latin Americans are turning to crypto not for speculation, but to escape inflation, transfer funds abroad, and bypass strict financial systems. Decades of economic instability have eroded trust in traditional banks, pushing people towards digital alternatives.
Major firms such as Binance and Mercado Pago are expanding services to meet this demand.
Binance Pay now integrates with Brazil’s Pix payment system, allowing seamless crypto-to-fiat transactions. Mercado Pago has applied for a digital banking licence in Argentina to offer more financial services, including crypto, within a regulated framework.
In countries like Argentina and Mexico, stablecoins support everyday transactions and remittances. Bitcoin use is growing across the region, especially where banking access is limited.
Banks are under pressure to evolve. Some, like Brazil’s BTG Pactual, are launching their own blockchain tools. As demand surges, crypto continues reshaping Latin America’s financial future.
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Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, has launched a Bitcoin-linked structured bond, marking a key move towards integrating crypto into Russia’s financial system. The bond ties investor returns to Bitcoin’s performance and the strength of the US dollar against the Russian ruble.
Although only available to qualified investors, the product is fully approved by regulators.
The investment does not involve holding Bitcoin directly. Instead, it gives exposure to price movements while keeping all transactions in rubles and within Russia’s financial infrastructure.
Sberbank is not stopping there. The bank plans to roll out a Bitcoin futures product via its SberInvestments platform, with a launch scheduled for June.
These developments follow a policy shift from the Bank of Russia, which now permits licensed firms to offer crypto-related investment options to selected investors.
Sberbank’s involvement suggests that digital assets may soon become a mainstream feature of Russia’s financial landscape.
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Australia has imposed stricter rules on crypto ATM operators to curb scams and ensure compliance with anti-money laundering laws. A $5,000 AUD limit now applies to cash deposits and withdrawals, with scam warnings required on all machines.
Operators must also step up customer verification and improve transaction monitoring. These measures follow an AUSTRAC-led investigation that revealed older Australians, particularly those aged 60 to 70, account for a large share of crypto ATM activity.
Authorities noted that some victims were tricked into handing over life savings via these machines.
AUSTRAC has already denied registration renewal to one provider, Harro’s Empires, due to ongoing misuse risks.
The agency warned that other non-compliant operators could face similar penalties. It also urged broader adoption of cash limits across exchanges to reduce financial crime exposure.
To strengthen awareness, AUSTRAC and the federal police have released educational materials to be displayed near ATMs. The move comes amid rising scam reports, with 150 confirmed cases and over $3.1 million AUD in losses reported within a year.
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Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has mandated all local crypto service providers to halt digital token operations targeting overseas markets by 30 June 2025. Firms failing to comply risk fines of up to S$250,000 (£145,000) and imprisonment for up to three years.
The directive applies to any Singapore-based company, individual, or partnership offering digital token services abroad, regardless of their main business. MAS confirmed no transitional arrangements will be made.
Only firms licensed under current financial laws may continue without breaching the rules.
Licences for overseas digital token services will be rare due to strict AML and CFT concerns. Industry experts advise companies to restructure operations quickly to remove Singapore connections and reduce compliance risks.
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Panama City’s Mayor Mayer Mizrachi has floated the idea of letting cargo ships pay in Bitcoin. The proposal would allow faster passage through the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most vital trade routes.
Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, he suggested offering perks to vessels choosing Bitcoin as a payment method. The canal processes nearly 10,000 ships a year and accounts for around 5% of global maritime trade.
Mizrachi’s proposal comes as part of his broader effort to integrate Bitcoin into public infrastructure. Panama City began accepting crypto for municipal payments in April, instantly converting transactions into dollars.
The mayor is also exploring the creation of a Bitcoin reserve and has sought inspiration from El Salvador’s pro-Bitcoin policies.
The idea of crypto payments for canal fees emerges amid rising international interest in the waterway. Mizrachi, however, urged lawmakers not to rush into restrictive crypto regulation, advocating instead for a hands-off approach.
While the Bitcoin-for-passage concept remains in its early stages, Mizrachi claims crypto use in Panama is more widespread than it appears, with over $5 billion in annual transactions.
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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has revealed it holds Bitcoin in its treasury, becoming the first sports club to make such a move public. The announcement was made during the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas by Pär Helgosson, head of PSG Labs.
He called it part of a ‘new generation trend,’ reflecting the club’s efforts to align with future-facing innovations.
The club began acquiring Bitcoin last year, converting part of its fiat reserves into the digital asset. Helgosson highlighted the relevance of the decision by pointing out that 80% of PSG’s global fanbase is under the age of 34.
With over 550 million fans worldwide, the move positions PSG as a leader among sports organisations adapting to the digital economy.
Football remains the most active sport for crypto sponsorships, accounting for 43% of all crypto deals in the 2024/25 season, according to SportQuake.
The trend has seen a 64% annual increase, driven largely by European leagues and global campaigns amid political uncertainty in the US.
PSG joins a growing number of institutions adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets. Analysts credit both exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and political momentum, particularly under President Trump’s administration, for boosting corporate confidence in Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
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BitMEX has revealed it successfully stopped a phishing attempt by the Lazarus Group, a hacking network linked to North Korea. Attackers posed as a Web3 partner on LinkedIn, trying to trick a BitMEX employee into running malicious GitHub code.
BitMEX’s security team detected the threat early and linked it to infrastructure previously associated with Lazarus.
The exchange noted Lazarus uses simple phishing before more advanced hacks. A failed operational safeguard even exposed an IP address tied to North Korean operations, located in Jiaxing, China.
Experts believe the group’s hacking efforts are split among subgroups, each with different technical skill levels.
Lazarus has been blamed for a sharp rise in crypto thefts. Chainalysis reported North Korean-linked actors stole $1.34 billion in 2024, accounting for 61% of the total stolen in crypto-related crimes that year.
Social engineering remains their primary entry tactic, as seen in major incidents like the Bybit and Radiant Capital hacks.
The group continues to launch daily fraud attempts using a mix of phishing, fake job offers, and malicious files to compromise individuals and organisations across the crypto space.
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