Stablecoins provide citizen lifelines while enabling sanctioned entities to bypass restrictions Stablecoins like Tether (USDT) have emerged as both essential financial tools for ordinary citizens and potential enablers of sanctioned activities in countries facing economic crises. Recent events in Venezuela and Iran illustrate the dual nature of stablecoins, offering protection against hyperinflation while simultaneously being exploited for sanctions evasion. Venezuela: Citizen Protection and Corporate Use In Venezuela, the bolivar’s decade-long decline has driven widespread adoption of USDT. Citizens rely on stablecoins for daily transactions, from paying service providers to avoiding unreliable bank systems. Even without regulated exchanges, Venezuelans prefer crypto…
Author: Blockto Team
FSC proposes 5% equity limit for listed companies in top crypto assets South Korea is set to lift its nine-year ban on corporate cryptocurrency investments, allowing listed companies and professional investors to allocate a portion of their equity into digital assets. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) plans to release final guidelines by early 2026, marking a major regulatory shift in the country’s crypto landscape. Corporate Crypto Investment Guidelines Under the proposed rules, corporations can invest up to 5% of their equity capital in the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Investments must be conducted exclusively through South Korea’s five largest…
Rising stablecoins, tokenized assets, and network activity echo the 2019 recovery cycle Ethereum may be entering a renewed growth phase after a prolonged period of underperformance against Bitcoin. ETH-BTC ratio bottoming in April 2025, a pattern that closely resembles the market structure seen in 2019 before Ethereum’s previous major rally. ETH-BTC Ratio Mirrors Historical Market Cycles The ETH-BTC ratio, which measures Ethereum’s relative strength compared to Bitcoin, declined for nearly four years before stabilizing around 0.017 in April 2025. From that low, the ratio rebounded sharply, reaching a local peak near 0.043 by August before settling around 0.034 following a…
New compliance measures reflect growing regulatory and tax enforcement concerns India has tightened compliance standards for crypto platforms by introducing stricter know-your-customer requirements for user onboarding. The move signals an increasingly firm regulatory stance toward digital assets, as authorities argue that cryptocurrencies and permissionless blockchain systems pose challenges to tax collection and financial oversight. New KYC Measures Mandated for Crypto Exchanges India’s Financial Intelligence Unit has issued updated guidelines requiring regulated crypto platforms to adopt enhanced identity verification procedures. Under the new rules, users must complete live selfie verification using software that tracks eye and head movements to prevent AI-generated…
Vitalik Buterin highlights structural risks in dollar-pegged and centralized stablecoin models Ethereum’s long-term vision of financial independence cannot be achieved without robust decentralized stablecoins, according to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. He argues that current designs leave users exposed to systemic risks tied to traditional finance, particularly reliance on single fiat currencies and centralized infrastructure. Overreliance on the US Dollar Is a Structural Weakness One of the core issues identified is that around 95% of stablecoins are pegged to the US dollar. While dollar tracking may work in the short term, tying a stablecoin’s survival to one nation-state creates long-term vulnerability.…
Concerns grow over transparency, foreign influence, and election security Senior UK lawmakers are pushing for new restrictions on political funding, calling for a ban on donations made using cryptocurrencies. The proposal comes as the government prepares to introduce a wide-ranging elections bill, with officials warning that digital assets pose risks to transparency and democratic integrity. Crypto Donations Raise Transparency and Security Risks Seven Labour Party members of Parliament, all chairs of key parliamentary committees, have formally urged the Prime Minister to prohibit crypto-based political donations. In their view, cryptocurrencies can obscure the true source of funds, making it difficult to…
Sharp drop in crypto content engagement points to prolonged bear market conditions Crypto-focused YouTube channels are experiencing a steep decline in viewership, with engagement falling to levels last seen in early 2021. The downturn over the past three months highlights weak retail participation and signals that the broader crypto market remains under pressure despite price volatility. Crypto Social Media Engagement Shows Bear Market Signals Aggregated data tracking views across major crypto YouTube channels shows a sustained collapse in audience interest. Analysts note that the slowdown is not limited to one platform or algorithm update. Instead, crypto-related engagement has fallen across…
New Feature Brings Real-Time Prices and Asset Insights to Social Platform X is preparing to roll out a new feature called Smart Cashtags, designed to let users track real-time price movements for cryptocurrencies and stocks directly within posts and discussions. The update is expected to launch next month and represents another step toward the platform’s long-term goal of becoming an Everything App. Smart Cashtags will expand on the platform’s earlier cashtag experiment by adding live pricing data, asset-specific discussions, and contextual news. Users will be able to view recent mentions, market activity, and background information related to crypto tokens and…
Stablecoin Rewards Ban Emerges as Flashpoint in US Crypto Regulation Debate Coinbase is signaling that its support for the proposed CLARITY Act, a major U.S. crypto market structure bill, may be at risk as lawmakers debate provisions that could ban stablecoin rewards offered through exchanges. The dispute highlights growing tension between the crypto industry and traditional banking interests as Congress moves closer to key decisions. According to sources familiar with the situation, Coinbase may reconsider backing the legislation if it restricts stablecoin issuers from offering rewards via crypto platforms. While existing law already bars issuers from directly paying interest to…
Central Bank Independence in Focus Amid Rising Political Pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has publicly linked a newly launched criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice to his continued refusal to lower interest rates, framing the move as a direct challenge to central bank independence. The remarks intensify tensions between the Federal Reserve and President Donald Trump’s administration. Powell stated that the investigation is “a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on economic evidence rather than presidential preferences.” The probe reportedly centers on renovations to the Federal Reserve’s headquarters and whether Powell misrepresented project details…