Authorities aim to curb cross-border crypto crime through new tech collaboration with academia. Hong Kong is stepping up its efforts to combat digital financial crime by developing a cryptocurrency transaction tracking tool in partnership with the University of Hong Kong, the region’s Customs and Excise Department announced Thursday. The initiative comes in response to a notable rise in crypto-linked money laundering cases, with officials citing the “transnational and borderless” nature of illicit activities involving digital assets. “These money laundering threats are characterized by a transnational and borderless nature, and no single agency can tackle this problem alone,” said Assistant Commissioner…
Author: Blockto Team
Grayscale’s ADA ETF gains traction as analysts anticipate a new wave of altcoin-focused exchange-traded products. Cardano (ADA) just got a major confidence boost in the ETF race. According to Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, the odds of approval for Grayscale’s proposed Cardano Spot ETF have been raised to 75%, making ADA one of the leading altcoin contenders for a potential “Altcoin ETF Summer.” The revised probability was highlighted by Cardanians, a community-focused X account dedicated to Cardano updates. The update places Cardano among the top crypto assets likely to receive regulatory approval for ETF trading in the near future. “Get…
Nasdaq-listed firm to integrate BTC into blockchain-native reserve strategy Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc., a Nasdaq-listed blockchain-focused fintech company, has announced plans to raise $800 million to establish a long-term Bitcoin (BTC) treasury reserve, marking one of the largest corporate BTC acquisitions to date. “We’re building this Bitcoin treasury reserve based on our belief that Bitcoin will become an essential component of the future financial infrastructure,” said Shi Qiu, CEO of Mercurity Fintech. Blockchain-Aligned Reserve Strategy The treasury will be integrated into Mercurity’s blockchain-native framework, including: The firm intends to transition a portion of its treasury into a yield-generating, digital reserve…
SEC Finds Filing Deficient Due to Missing Internal Controls Report DeFi Development Corp has withdrawn its $1 billion Form S-3 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the regulator declared the company ineligible to use the simplified form. The rejection was based on the company’s failure to include a management report on internal controls in its most recent Form 10-K — a key requirement for Form S-3 eligibility. Planned Solana Treasury Faces Temporary Halt Filed on April 25, the S-3 registration aimed to raise capital for general corporate purposes, including plans to accumulate Solana (SOL) tokens…
Crypto-Linked Systemic Risk Now on the Horizon The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has issued a fresh warning about the growing integration between the crypto sector and traditional finance (TradFi), signaling that crypto markets may soon cross a “tipping point” in terms of systemic risk. “We may be approaching a tipping point here,” said outgoing FSB Chair Klaas Knot in a recent speech delivered in Madrid. While crypto does not currently pose a systemic risk, he cautioned that the situation is rapidly evolving. ETFs and Stablecoins Deepen TradFi-Crypto Interlinkages Knot emphasized the impact of crypto ETFs, which allow retail investors to…
Crypto Crime Veteran Strengthens TRM’s Investigative Force Christopher Wong, a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent known for leading some of the most critical cryptocurrency investigations in U.S. history, has officially joined TRM Labs as a global investigator. This strategic move is expected to significantly strengthen TRM’s fight against illicit finance in the blockchain space. Track Record: $3.6B Seizure, North Korean Cybercrime, and More During his ten-year tenure with the FBI, Wong helped spearhead landmark investigations, including: These high-impact cases helped shape federal crypto enforcement strategies, especially as blockchain-related crimes became more complex and globally linked. TRM Labs Taps Top Talent…
Geopolitics, Inflation, and Fed Outlook Shape BTC Trajectory Bitcoin (BTC) fell 1.7% over the past 24 hours as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalated, rattling global markets and dragging risk assets—including crypto—lower. Despite the pullback, several analysts maintain that BTC remains on track to hit $200,000 before the end of 2025. The broader CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20) also slipped, retreating 2.25%, as investors turned to traditional safe havens like gold and the Swiss franc in response to rising conflict risk. Middle East Conflict and Dollar Weakness Weigh on Crypto Concerns are mounting after the U.S. began repositioning personnel in…
ETH Sees Largest Daily Exchange Outflow in Over a Month Ethereum (ETH) faced a modest 0.15% decline to $2,758 on June 11 following an unsuccessful breakout above $2,870, but key on-chain and institutional metrics suggest growing bullish momentum despite the short-term setback. Over 140,000 ETH — worth approximately $393 million — exited centralized exchanges on Tuesday, marking the largest daily outflow in over 30 days. This significant outflow is typically interpreted as a bullish signal, indicating that holders are moving assets to private wallets in anticipation of long-term price appreciation. Options Market Shows Rising Upside Sentiment The ETH options market…
CPI Report Sparks Fresh Optimism in Crypto Markets The latest U.S. inflation data has sent a wave of optimism across the crypto markets, particularly for Bitcoin (BTC). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for May increased just 0.1%, falling below economists’ expectations of 0.2%, indicating that inflation is cooling more rapidly than anticipated. This surprising softness in inflation data has renewed hopes for multiple Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025. Fed Rate Cuts Could Accelerate BTC Momentum With the annualized CPI at 2.4% and core inflation holding steady at 2.8%, market participants are increasingly pricing in a dovish shift in U.S.…
Binance Becomes First Major Exchange to Enter Syrian Market In a landmark move, Binance has officially launched its services in Syria, becoming one of the first global crypto exchanges to enter the country following the lifting of U.S. and EU sanctions in May 2025. Syrian users now have full access to Binance’s crypto platform, including spot, peer-to-peer (P2P), and futures trading, along with educational tools and cross-border payment options. The launch comes after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 23 the removal of economic sanctions against Syria. The European Union followed shortly after, lifting all related restrictions.…