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US regulators are moving toward allowing banks to issue payment stablecoins as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. begins implementing the GENIUS Act through formal rule-making. The FDIC has proposed a framework detailing how banks supervised by the agency could apply to issue stablecoins via dedicated subsidiaries, marking an early step in translating the legislation into regulatory practice. The proposal outlines approval requirements and is subject to a public consultation period before advancing further.
Under the framework, the FDIC would evaluate both the issuing subsidiary and its parent bank based on standards set by the GENIUS Act, including financial condition, management quality, reserve backing, redemption policies, and overall safety and soundness. Once approved, the FDIC would act as the primary federal supervisor for the stablecoin activities. The GENIUS Act, signed into law in July, establishes nationwide rules for payment of stablecoins, including full reserve backing, and has been widely welcomed by the crypto industry as a way to strengthen US dollar dominance, as stablecoins in circulation now exceed 300 billion globally. Source
Custodia Bank is asking the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit to reconsider its recent loss against the Federal Reserve by granting an en banc rehearing, a rare process in which all judges on the court review the case. The request follows an October decision in which a three-judge panel ruled that the Federal Reserve has broad discretion to deny master account applications. Custodia argues the issue is of national importance, raising constitutional concerns and undermining states’ authority over banking, particularly given its status as a Wyoming-chartered special purpose depository institution.
A Federal Reserve master account is essential for operating a bank nationally, as it provides direct access to the central bank’s payment systems. Custodia contends that being denied such an account effectively prevents it from functioning as a bank, despite state approval. While the Federal Reserve has shown greater openness to crypto-related activities in recent years, it has not approved a master account for any crypto-focused bank. Judges who ruled against Custodia previously emphasized the Fed’s responsibility to protect financial stability, affirming its authority to reject applications it views as risky. Source
BitMine has sharply increased its Ether holdings even as broader market indicators point to caution, reporting ownership of nearly 3.9 million ETH after adding more than 138,000 ETH in a single week. The company says this represents over 3.2% of the total Ether supply and frames the move as a long-term treasury strategy rather than a reaction to short-term price movements. This accumulation comes amid signs of risk aversion, including notable net outflows from US spot Ether ETFs, large ETH deposits flowing into Binance, and a roughly 22% Ether price decline in November, all of which have fuelled scepticism about near-term sentiment.
BitMine argues its strategy is driven by future catalysts and operational goals, particularly Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade and plans to begin staking ETH through its Made in America Validator Network in early 2026. Management has also pointed to a potentially more supportive macro environment as monetary tightening eases, positioning Ether as a strategic reserve asset within a broader crypto and cash treasury. While supporters view the approach as high-conviction positioning ahead of structural developments, critics see concentration risk in a corporate treasury highly exposed to Ether’s volatility, liquidity conditions, and shifting market flows, making the strategy sensitive to whether sentiment ultimately turns supportive or remains defensive. Source
Aave said the US Securities and Exchange Commission has ended its four-year investigation into the decentralized lending protocol without recommending enforcement action, closing a long-running regulatory chapter for the project. The announcement was made by Aave founder and CEO Stani Kulechov, who said the probe required significant time, resources, and legal effort to defend both the protocol and the broader decentralized finance ecosystem. The SEC declined to comment on the matter, but the decision adds to a growing list of crypto investigations dropped under the current US administration.
Aave operates a decentralized platform for lending and borrowing digital assets and now holds more than 32 billion in total value locked, a sharp increase from levels four years ago, while its AAVE token has seen modest recent gains. The conclusion of the investigation follows earlier interest from World Liberty Financial, a crypto project backed by President Donald Trump, which explored building on Aave and purchased roughly 1 million worth of AAVE tokens before shifting focus to a stablecoin initiative. The move is widely seen as part of a broader regulatory pullback on crypto enforcement, though critics note that some crypto developers, particularly in privacy-focused projects, continue to face severe legal consequences. Source
The Bank of Canada has outlined strict standards for approving stablecoins as part of new regulations expected in 2026, emphasizing that only high-quality, fiat-backed stablecoins will be permitted. Governor Tiff Macklem said stablecoins must function like traditional forms of money and be fully pegged one-to-one to a central bank currency. They must also be backed by high-quality liquid assets such as Treasury bills or government bonds, ensuring they can be easily converted to cash and reliably redeemed.
These requirements align with broader plans to modernize Canada’s financial system, including safeguards around reserves, redemption policies, risk management, and data protection. Canada is pursuing faster and more secure digital payments through initiatives like the Real-Time Rail payments system and open banking, while abandoning plans for a central bank digital currency in 2024. The move comes as global stablecoin regulation accelerates, with frameworks advancing in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong, and as the global stablecoin market continues to grow rapidly. Source
Tether has co-led an $8 million funding round in Speed, a payments infrastructure company that uses the Bitcoin Lightning Network and stablecoins to enable instant global transactions. Alongside Ego Death Capital, Tether backed Speed as part of its broader effort to expand real-world usage of its USDT stablecoin on Bitcoin-based networks. Speed operates products such as Speed Wallet and Speed Merchant, processing more than $1.5 billion in annual payment volume for roughly 1.2 million users and businesses, with support for both native Bitcoin and USDT settlements.
The investment supports Tether’s strategy to build scalable, low-fee payment rails using Bitcoin’s layer-2 Lightning Network, aiming to make stablecoins more practical for mainstream commerce. Tether has increasingly focused on Bitcoin-centric infrastructure while continuing a wider investment push across multiple sectors, including media, robotics, and sports. The company remains a significant holder of Bitcoin and has stated plans to deepen USDT’s integration with Bitcoin and Lightning, positioning stablecoins as a key component of global digital payments. Source
Political narratives and election-driven speculation were a major force behind the rapid rise and fall of the memecoin market, according to CoinGecko’s 2025 State of Memecoins Report. The sector’s total market capitalization peaked at $150.6 billion in December 2024, exceeding its 2021 highs, fuelled by new token launch platforms, heavy experimentation on Solana, and growing political themes tied to the United States elections. Enthusiasm surrounding Donald Trump’s reelection amplified interest, with election-themed tokens dominating online discussion and trading activity.
CoinGecko found that the same political momentum that drove memecoins higher later accelerated their collapse, as high-profile political token launches eroded investor confidence. The official TRUMP token fell sharply after peaking at $73, while the Milei-linked LIBRA token sparked investigations following large insider cash-outs. By November 2025, the memecoin market cap had dropped below $40 billion, marking a decline of more than 70% from its peak, alongside broader weakness in other speculative crypto sectors such as NFTs. Source
Markethive positions itself as an evolution of early digital referral models by addressing the shortcomings of transactional incentive systems that prioritized sign-ups over meaningful relationships. Unlike early platforms that rewarded referrals without preserving long-term connection value, Markethive integrates blockchain technology and its native token, Hivecoin, to turn referrals into durable, data-rich relationships. Each new member represents a high-quality, deeply engaged lead rather than a disposable contact, supported by an interconnected ecosystem that blends social interaction, commerce, and professional networking into a single market network.
By redefining Customer Lifetime Value, Markethive shifts focus from isolated transactions to long-term engagement across multiple revenue streams, extending CLV beyond a decade while keeping acquisition costs exceptionally low. Its ecosystem combines SaaS tools, integrated commerce, crypto-based incentives, and community-driven participation to create recurring value for both users and the platform. Through referral rewards, airdrops, Supergroups, and diversified monetization channels, Markethive builds a self-sustaining environment where customers, partners, and entrepreneurs continuously contribute to growth, profitability, and enduring digital relationships. Source
The Federal Trade Commission proposed a settlement with Illusory Systems, the operator of the Nomad cross-chain crypto bridge, over a 2022 hack that drained nearly all funds from the platform. A poorly tested software update introduced a critical vulnerability that was exploited in August 2022, leading to the theft of about $186 million in assets and leaving consumer losses exceeding $100 million. Nomad’s lack of effective incident-response systems meant engineers struggled to halt the attack in real time, allowing the bridge to be emptied before it could be shut down.
Regulators said Illusory marketed Nomad as prioritizing security while failing to follow basic secure coding, testing, and vulnerability management practices. Under the proposed settlement, the company would be prohibited from misrepresenting its security measures, required to implement a formal information-security program, submit to independent biennial audits, and return any recovered funds not already repaid to users. About $22 million was recovered after the hack, and authorities later arrested a suspect accused of initiating the exploit. Source
KindlyMD is at risk of being delisted from Nasdaq after its shares fell to $0.38, well below the $1 minimum required for compliance. The company has until June 8, 2026, to achieve a closing price of at least $1 for 10 consecutive business days, though Nasdaq may extend this period up to 20 days at its discretion. The stock has plummeted nearly 99% from its yearly high of $34.77, reflecting ongoing volatility and investor uncertainty following the company’s merger with Nakamoto in August.
The company’s troubles escalated after previously restricted shares were unlocked in September and a $200 million fundraise added to market pressure. In November, KindlyMD delayed its Q3 earnings report due to complex accounting resulting from the merger. Despite holding 5,398 Bitcoin valued at $474 million, the company’s market capitalization has fallen to $256 million, highlighting the stark contrast between its cryptocurrency assets and stock market valuation. Source
The US government has launched a “Tech Force” initiative to address critical skills gaps in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and software engineering by borrowing talent from the private sector. The program aims to place 1,000 early-career and experienced tech workers into federal agencies for one- to two-year stints, with private companies like Coinbase, Robinhood, Apple, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, and OpenAI among nearly 30 partners providing staff and training. These tech workers will be funded and managed by the agencies they join, helping address a shortage of early-career employees in government compared to the broader workforce.
The initiative is designed to offer challenging and meaningful work while creating career pathways back to the private sector after federal service. The Office of Personnel Management highlighted that only about 7% of the federal workforce is early-career, compared with nearly a quarter in the general workforce, underscoring the need for new talent pipelines. In addition to supporting federal technology initiatives, crypto companies and blockchain analytics firms have a history of assisting the government with tracking cryptocurrency flows and informing regulatory approaches, reflecting the growing integration of crypto expertise into public sector operations. Source
Bitwise predicts that Bitcoin will reach new all-time highs in 2026, surpassing its current peak of $126,080, while ending the historically observed four-year cycle of three strong years followed by a sharp pullback. The firm cites the weakening influence of traditional cycle drivers, such as Bitcoin halvings, interest rate fluctuations, and leverage-driven crypto booms and busts. Institutional capital inflows, regulatory clarity, and the approval of Bitcoin ETFs are expected to provide additional momentum, reducing volatility relative to traditional equities and decoupling Bitcoin from stock market performance.
The firm also forecasts strong performance for other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Solana, contingent on the passage of the CLARITY Act, which would provide clear regulatory guidance and support tokenization and stablecoin adoption. Bitwise expects crypto equities to outperform tech stocks and predicts that half of Ivy League endowments will allocate to crypto. Combined with reduced volatility and lower correlation to traditional markets, these factors form what the firm calls a “trifecta” of favorable conditions for investors, signaling a potentially transformative period for the crypto market. Source
Two US Senators have introduced the SAFE Crypto Act to strengthen coordination among the US Treasury, law enforcement, regulators, and private sector partners in combating crypto fraud and scams. The legislation aims to give authorities better tools to identify perpetrators and respond to attacks as cryptocurrency adoption grows. In 2024, Americans lost $9.3 billion to crypto-related investment scams, with older adults over 60 suffering the largest losses. Many of these scams simply reference crypto without involving blockchain or cryptocurrencies directly, but they highlight the increasing sophistication of fraudsters.
Experts believe that if effectively implemented, the SAFE Crypto Act could significantly disrupt crypto crime by involving high-level officials such as the attorney general and leaders from FinCEN and the Secret Service. Private sector players like TRM Labs are also expected to assist in tracking and dismantling illicit networks in real-time, improving collaboration between industry and law enforcement. This effort could deter scammers by reducing their ability to exploit emerging technologies for financial gain. Source
Bhutan has pledged up to 10,000 Bitcoin, valued at around $1 billion, to support the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City, a new economic hub in southern Bhutan. The kingdom plans to hold the Bitcoin long-term rather than sell it, exploring strategies such as collateralization and risk-managed yield generation to preserve and grow the capital. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck emphasized that every Bhutanese citizen will benefit as a stakeholder in the project, with land ownership structured to allow citizens nationwide to share in GMC’s economic success. The initiative aims to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and strengthen national resilience.
The Bitcoin allocation marks one of the largest sovereign commitments of digital assets to infrastructure development globally and continues Bhutan’s multi-year adoption of blockchain technologies. The kingdom currently holds nearly 6,000 BTC, ranking seventh among sovereign Bitcoin holders worldwide. Bhutan has also integrated its National Digital Identity platform with the Ethereum blockchain, launched a gold-backed digital token on Solana, and designated Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB as strategic reserves for GMC. These moves showcase Bhutan’s approach to leveraging digital assets and blockchain innovation while maintaining transparency, sustainability, and long-term value preservation. Source
Exodus has partnered with MoonPay to launch a fully reserved US dollar-backed stablecoin planned for early 2026, aiming to simplify everyday digital dollar transactions. The stablecoin will integrate with Exodus Pay, allowing users to spend and send money while maintaining self-custody. Developed using M0’s stablecoin infrastructure, the project is designed for consumers without prior crypto knowledge, providing a seamless experience similar to conventional financial apps. MoonPay will handle issuance and management, leveraging its enterprise stablecoin capabilities to ensure interoperability and programmability across multiple blockchains.
The launch comes amid a surge of stablecoin offerings by banks and crypto firms, driven by regulatory clarity from the GENIUS Act in the United States. Despite the growing interest, the market remains dominated by Tether and Circle’s USDC, which together account for 85% of the total stablecoin market capitalization of over $310 billion. Exodus and MoonPay’s entry represents an effort to carve out a niche for self-custodial, consumer-friendly stablecoins in a competitive landscape while expanding options for on-chain dollar transactions. Source
The Lightning Network, Bitcoin’s layer-2 scaling solution, has reached a new all-time capacity high of over 5,600 BTC, driven largely by increased adoption from major crypto exchanges. While the number of nodes and payment channels remains below previous peaks, more Bitcoin is being added to the network, enabling faster and cheaper transactions. Exchanges including Binance and OKX have been depositing significant amounts of BTC onto the Lightning Network, contributing to the recent surge in capacity, which now represents roughly $490 million.
In parallel, Lightning Labs upgraded Taproot Assets to v0.7, allowing reusable addresses, auditable asset supplies, and larger, more reliable transactions. Taproot Assets enables multi-asset capabilities on the Lightning Network, including stablecoins, which can now leverage Bitcoin’s security while enjoying low-fee, instant transfers. The update aims to enhance transparency and scalability, potentially positioning the Lightning Network as a foundation for multi-asset transactions and broader financial activity on Bitcoin. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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