A recent assessment from the International Monetary Fund signals rising concern that USD-pegged stablecoins could intensify financial vulnerabilities in emerging markets. The institution argues that rapid access to digital dollars may weaken local currencies and complicate efforts to manage macro-financial stability. The report cautions that stablecoins can enable capital movement outside regulated financial channels, creating paths that bypass traditional intermediaries. In markets already battling high inflation or unstable exchange rates, this opens the possibility of currency substitution, where households and businesses migrate from domestic money to digital dollar tokens. The IMF notes that stablecoins could undermine capital flow management tools…
Author: Blockto Team
Dormant Silk Road BTC Addresses Move Millions After Years of Inactivity A cluster of crypto wallets tied to the infamous Silk Road marketplace unexpectedly became active this week, transferring millions in bitcoin after more than ten years of complete dormancy. The sudden movement has raised new questions about long inactive darknet-linked funds and their potential ownership. Silk Road the darknet platform dismmantled in 2013 was long believed to have left behind inaccessible or forgotten bitcoin wallets. However new blocckchain activity shows that hundreds of these addresses have now reawakened, sending BTC to a destination that remains unidentified. Blockchain analytics from…
Kalshi Legal Battle With State Regulators Intensifies A federal court has temporarily halted the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) from pursuing enforcement against prediction markets operator Kalshi, marking a significant development in the company’s expanding regulatory clashes across the United States. Kalshi, a federally regulated markets platform under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), came under scrutiny after Connecticut issued a cease and desist order alleging the firm was offering unlicensed online gambling tied to sports event contracts. The ruling now pauses the state’s action as the court examines whether federal commodities law supersedes state gambling regulations. Temporary Restraining…
WeChat Hack Targets Crypto Users With False Memecoin Endorsements A security breach involving the compromised WeChat account of Binance’s newly appointed co CEO Yi He has triggered a memecoin pump-and-dump schemebriefly driving speculative frenzy around an obscure token known as MUBARA. The incident highlights the persistent risks of social-media-driven manipulation in the digital asset market. Yi He, elevated to co CEO less than a week ago, became the target of attackers who seized her inactive WeChat account and used it to issue fraudulent promotions. The messages falsely implied her endorsement of the MUBARA memecoin generating rapid retail interest before the…
Japanese Bitcoin Yield Solutions for Corporate Treasuries Japan’s corporate Bitcoin holders are gaining new ways to earn yield, thanks to a strategic partnership between Animoca Brands Japan and decentralized finance platform Solv Protocol. The collaboration aims to give institutions a secure, compliant method to turn dormant BTC reserves into productive capital. While Bitcoin is widely adopted as a store of value, it has treaditionally lacked native yield-generating capabilities. Companies holding BTC on their balance sheets have typically left it inactive. The new initiative between Animoca and Solv seeks to change that by introducing institutional-grade yield strategies tailored for Japan’s growing…
OCC affirms that riskless principal crypto trades fall within the ‘business of banking’ under existing federal law The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has issued new guidance confirming that national banks may facilitate cryptocurrency transactions as riskless principals, marking a significant shift that brings traditional financial institutions closer to offering regulated crypto brokerage services. In its interpretive letter released Tuesday, the OCC said banks can execute a crypto trade with one customer and enter an offsetting trade with another without holding the digital assets on their balance sheets a model that mirrors long-established riskless principal activity…
Partnership aims to strengthen unified regulatory advocacy as US and UK expand crypto policy coordination CryptoUK, the leading cryptocurrency trade association in the United Kingdom, has officially joined forces with The Digital Chamber, a major U.S.-based crypto policy organization. The move creates a joint cross-border advocacy platform that strengthens cooperation between the two countries as both advance their digital asset regulatory agendas. In its announcement, CryptoUK said its team will now operate under The Digital Chamber’s umbrella, forming a unified policy voice for the crypto and blockchain sector. Since their founding The Digital Chamber in 2014 and CryptoUK in 2018…
Kevin Hassett Leads the Field, but New Shortlist Signals a Competitive Final Round President Donald Trump is preparing to begin interviews this week with the finalists for the next U.S. Federal Reserve chair, marking the final stage of a closely watched selection process. According to new reporting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has presented a short list of four candidates to the White House as deliberations intensify. The list includes former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, who is scheduled to meet with Bessent on Wednesday, and Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council and widely viewed as the frontrunner for the…
Tidal Trust files for ‘AfterDark’ Bitcoin ETF designed to capture overnight price moves A new ETF proposal aims to capitalize on a long-observed pattern in Bitcoin price behavior: stronger returns occurring outside regular U.S. trading hours. In a Tuesday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Tidal Trust II submitted a registration statement for two Nicholas Wealth Management funds, including the Nicholas Bitcoin and Treasuries AfterDark ETF. The proposed ETF would follow a unique trading model.It would buy Bitcoin exposure at the close of U.S. markets, hold it throughout the night, and sell at the next morning’s open…
New Trump-Licensed Mobile Game Blends NFTs, Tokens and Monopoly-Style Gameplay A new Trump-licensed crypto mobile game, Trump Billionaires Club, is expected to debut on the Apple App Store on Dec. 30, marking a fresh attempt to merge mobile gaming with digital assets. The project is being developed under a licensing agreement with Donald Trump’s brand and is tied to TRUMP Coin according to its official website. The studio behind the title, Freedom 45 Games, allows players to fund accounts using cash, cryptocurrency or TRUMP Coin positioning the game directly in the rising play-to-earn segment. A demo preview shows a digital…