Author: John Smith

Saif Faiq has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge tied to a bitcoin-related kidnapping plot and now faces up to 20 years in prison. Summary Saif Faiq pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge tied to a bitcoin-related kidnapping plot and faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said Faiq helped organize the abduction of Veer Chetal’s parents after the theft of roughly 4,100 Bitcoin. The case comes as authorities in France investigate a separate attempted kidnapping targeting the wife of The Sandbox co-founder Sebastien Borget. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Faiq entered his guilty plea…

Aave founder Stani Kulechov has defended the decentralized lending protocol after an $8.45 billion withdrawal wave followed a major DeFi exploit earlier this year. Summary Stani Kulechov defended Aave after an $8.45 billion deposit run followed the April KelpDAO bridge exploit. Aave DAO and Kulechov provided 30,000 ETH in emergency support as the protocol faced liquidity pressure. Aave Labs is developing V4 risk controls while expanding regulated operations through FCA and MiCA approvals. Speaking at the Proof of Talk conference in Paris last week, Kulechov argued that Aave remained operational through one of the most severe stress events in decentralized…

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s order imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications. The ruling gives relief to U.S. technology companies that rely on skilled foreign workers. Summary A federal judge blocked Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee after a state-led lawsuit. Judge Leo T. Sorokin ruled the fee acted as an unlawful tax without congressional approval. The decision gives relief to technology firms that depend on skilled foreign workers. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin said the charge functioned as an unlawful tax. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general.…

China’s top security authority has warned developers about risks linked to AI relay services that provide access to overseas models. The Ministry of State Security said some platforms could expose user information and enable unauthorized cross-border data transfers.  China’s Ministry of State Security warned developers about risks from overseas AI relay services. The ministry said weak security controls could expose user data and enable illegal data trading. Chinese developers still seek U.S. AI models for coding despite advances by local AI firms. The warning comes as Chinese developers continue seeking access to foreign AI systems despite domestic competition. Authorities said…

MetaMask has launched an early access version of Agent Wallet, a new non-custodial product that allows AI agents to execute crypto transactions under user-defined controls across Ethereum-compatible networks and Hyperliquid. Summary MetaMask has launched Agent Wallet, allowing AI agents to execute trades, swaps, and other on-chain transactions under user-defined controls. Every transaction is simulated and screened by Blockaid, with risky activity requiring additional user approval before execution. According to a press release shared with crypto.news, the wallet is designed for autonomous agents that can carry out tasks such as token swaps, perpetual futures trading, liquidity provisioning, and prediction market activity…

For most of Bitcoin’s history, the threat of quantum computers breaking its cryptography was a distant, theoretical worry, the kind of thing dismissed with “by the time that happens, we will have fixed it.” In 2026, the fixing has begun. Summary Bitcoin developers introduced BIP 360, the network’s first quantum-resistant address proposal, as part of a long-term plan to protect funds from future quantum computing threats. A companion proposal, BIP 361, would require vulnerable coins to move to new addresses and could permanently freeze inactive holdings, including coins widely believed to belong to Satoshi Nakamoto. The proposals have opened a…

While the crypto market burned through the early days of June 2026, a quieter but consequential fight was unfolding in Washington.  Summary The Senate has already banned senators and staff from trading on prediction markets. House lawmakers want to add prediction-market restrictions to a broader congressional stock-trading ban. Lawmakers can possess private information and directly influence the outcomes these markets price. Polymarket and Kalshi support the restrictions as a way to strengthen market credibility. Congress is moving to ban its own members from betting on crypto prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, the platforms that let users trade contracts on…

Josh Swihart has detailed Zcash’s emergency response to a vulnerability that could have enabled unlimited counterfeit ZEC creation, as the token has recovered more than 41% from its post-disclosure low. Summary Zcash deployed a soft fork and a hard fork to fix a critical Orchard vulnerability that could have enabled unlimited counterfeit ZEC creation. Josh Swihart said mining pools and exchanges reviewed the emergency code changes, with ViaBTC and Foundry helping coordinate the response. ZEC has recovered more than 41% from its June 5 low after the vulnerability was patched and Orchard transactions were restored. According to Josh Swihart, founder…

BTCTOP CEO Jiang Zhuoer has pushed back against fears that Strategy could become a major Bitcoin seller if the market falls further. Summary Jiang Zhuoer said Strategy has little reason to damage its “never selling Bitcoin” image. He argued a Bitcoin drop to $30,000 would keep Strategy’s leverage near manageable levels. The comments follow fresh concerns over STRC dividends, funding pressure, and Strategy’s Bitcoin sale. In a post on X, Jiang said he does not believe Strategy will “substantially net sell BTC.” He argued that the company still has a strong reason to protect its public image as a long-term…

HTX has delisted USD1, the stablecoin issued by Trump-linked World Liberty Financial, after the exchange said WLFI froze certain on-chain addresses linked to the platform. Summary HTX removed USD1 after wallet addresses linked to the exchange were frozen. World Liberty Financial cited sanctions compliance controls. HTX said user USD1 balances will convert to USDT at a 1:1 rate. The move adds to Justin Sun’s dispute with the Trump-linked crypto project. The exchange, associated with crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, said the freeze limited the movement of assets tied to those addresses. HTX said it removed USD1 to protect user assets and…