Author: John Smith
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial. Crypto conferences filled venues and dominated social feeds in 2025, but fresh traffic data suggests the hype barely translated into meaningful audience growth for crypto media outlets. Crypto conference season was noisy last year. The booths were full, the panels were stacked with premier speakers, and the side events and parties ran late. Social feeds made it look like the entire digital asset market took over conference halls and parts of major cities. So we asked the…
SoftBank has cut a planned OpenAI‑backed margin loan from around $10 billion to roughly $6 billion after banks and private credit funds pushed back on the deal’s structure and the difficulty of valuing OpenAI, an unlisted AI unicorn. Summary SoftBank Group is shrinking a planned margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake from about $10 billion to roughly $6 billion after lenders pushed back. Banks and private credit funds have raised concerns over how to value OpenAI, an unlisted company, and about the structure of the deal. The two‑year loan, extendable by one year, was meant to fuel SoftBank’s next…
Mobile zero‑days and SDK flaws are shredding wallet trust, pushing serious users toward isolated, multi‑device signing to shrink the blast radius. Summary Microsoft’s EngageSDK bug and theBinance’s DarkSword iOS exploit show that even “secure” wallets can be gutted by OS and third‑party stack failures. These flaws exposed tens of millions of installations, proving that app‑level audits mean little if the underlying device and SDKs are compromised. Emerging architectures that push keys off the phone entirely, including early-access projects like Lock.com, trade UX friction for a dramatically reduced blast radius. Architectures like Lock.com’s isolated signer push keys off the phone entirely,…
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. BlockchainFX and Chainlink attract investor focus as demand grows for top crypto picks in 2026. Summary BlockchainFX gains momentum in 2026 with strong presale growth and multi-asset utility. While Chainlink highlights long-term utility, BlockchainFX attracts early-buyer attention. With rising presale demand and launch momentum, BlockchainFX is emerging as a closely watched crypto opportunity. Missed crypto wins still sting because they usually look obvious after the breakout. People see the chart later, check the old entry price, and realize one…
South Korea has passed a new amendment to the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, tightening control over companies that move crypto assets overseas. Summary South Korea’s new bill puts overseas crypto transfer firms under finance ministry registration rules now. Travel Rule expansion may cover all crypto transfers, raising exchange verification and delay concerns nationwide. A 22% crypto gains tax from 2027 adds another regulatory deadline for traders and exchanges. The revised law will require firms handling cross-border virtual asset transfers to register with the finance minister. The rule covers businesses that move virtual assets between South Korea and foreign countries through…
Kraken parent Payward has agreed to acquire Hong Kong-based Reap Technologies for up to $600 million, adding card issuance and cross-border stablecoin payment infrastructure to its expanding business services platform. Summary Payward agreed to acquire Hong Kong-based Reap Technologies for up to $600 million. Reap’s payment infrastructure will be integrated into Payward Services to support stablecoin settlements and global card payments. The acquisition follows Payward’s recent Bitnomial and NinjaTrader deals as the company expands regulated financial infrastructure services. Payward announced Thursday that the transaction will be paid through a mix of cash and company stock, valuing the firm at $20…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury reportedly sent Binance a private letter pressing the exchange on compliance with its 2023 settlement duties. Summary Treasury reportedly asked Binance for records and interviews tied to possible sanctions compliance concerns. Binance said it is giving the independent monitor “full cooperation and transparency” amid fresh scrutiny. U.S. attention on Iran-linked crypto flows has grown in recent weeks. The request followed fresh claims that Iran-linked entities moved large sums through the platform. Bloomberg reported that Treasury sought employee interviews and records tied to possible sanctions violations. The Information also reported that Treasury demanded Binance comply…
Executives at federally regulated banks told a Consensus Miami 2026 panel that crypto companies are increasingly seeking bank licenses as the industry moves toward regulated financial infrastructure. Summary Panelists at the Consensus Miami 2026 Policy Summit said the push for bank licenses is accelerating among crypto firms under the current regulatory environment. A bank charter gives crypto companies direct access to client deposits, reduces borrowing costs, and pulls operations out of regulatory grey zones. The session follows a broader Trump-era deregulatory shift that has encouraged firms to pursue national and state bank charters. Executives at federally regulated banks told the…
Prediction markets closed out Consensus Miami 2026 as the subject of a live debate on whether they are regulated financial derivatives or gambling products operating outside state law. Summary The closing Consensus Miami 2026 session debated whether prediction markets are CFTC-regulated financial instruments or unlicensed gambling under state gaming laws. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said the fight could reach the Supreme Court, as the agency has already sued five states for treating its registered exchanges as gambling platforms. Kalshi’s valuation surged from $22 million in 2024 to $22 billion by March 2026, with sports contracts now accounting for 85% to…
Animoca Brands chairman Yat Siu told Consensus Miami 2026 that the metaverse is over as a consumer destination, and that 100 billion AI agents will become blockchain’s primary users. Summary Yat Siu said the pandemic-era vision of humans living in virtual worlds was wrong, and that the metaverse was a proof of concept for AI agent infrastructure rather than a consumer product. He predicted 50 to 100 billion AI agents will eventually operate on the internet, outnumbering humans and transacting autonomously on blockchain networks. Animoca announced a $10 million investment initiative for developers building AI agent applications through its Animoca…