Flash News

TREE NEWS update: US prosecutors said Malone Lam, the ringleader of a cybercrime network, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a $245 million cryptocurrency theft. Lam organized an international group that targeted crypto holders through social engineering and home break-ins.

TREE NEWS reports: Blockchain security firm Bitrace disclosed that Southeast Asian fraud parks use USDT as the core payment and laundering tool, with over 3.4 billion USDT flowing into crypto guarantee platforms in H1 2026. The report details industrial-scale crimes including human trafficking, data theft, and fake DAPP scams, urging public vigilance.

TREE NEWS update: China Securities Association has issued a notice to securities firms for the 2026 Financial Education Publicity Week, scheduled for September 7-13. The campaign will use the theme “Clear Financial Network, Safeguard Peaceful Investment” and focus on five areas with two key arrangements. Firms must submit activity data by September 18.

TREE NEWS update: Block, Inc., the payments firm founded by Jack Dorsey, has applied for a national bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The move follows a trend of fintech and crypto companies seeking federal bank status. If approved, Block would become a federally regulated bank, subject to OCC oversight.

TREE NEWS update: Plattsburgh, New York, one of the first US towns to ban Bitcoin mining for 18 months, is considering another temporary moratorium that would extend to data centers and other crypto mining operations. The proposed ban aims to address concerns over energy consumption and environmental impact.

TREE NEWS update: Steve Witkoff, US President Trump’s special envoy, earned $107 million in 2025 from a holding company that owns shares in a crypto enterprise he helped found. The holding includes World Liberty Financial LLC and real estate. Critics allege conflicts of interest, but lawyer David Warrington says Witkoff has divested from World Liberty Financial and recuses from related matters.

TREE NEWS update: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday that all EU member states agree Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law, and that settlement expansion undermines the two-state solution. She reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. Britain, France, Canada and nine other countries issued a joint statement pledging restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements.

TREE NEWS update: UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government will require tech companies to prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images on their phones and tablets, with legislation to be introduced ‘as soon as possible’. The move follows a deadline for Apple and Google to voluntarily adopt such measures, which they did not fully meet. The restrictions aim to protect children from online coercion to produce intimate images and will not apply to adults who have passed age verification.

TREE NEWS update: Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order on data centers, requiring projects to obtain local approval before proceeding. The order aims to streamline siting while ensuring community input, as the state seeks to attract AI and cloud infrastructure investment.

TREE NEWS update: Malone Lam, 22, pleaded guilty to leading an international social engineering scheme that stole $245 million in cryptocurrency. The plea marks a major resolution in one of the largest crypto theft cases. Lam faces sentencing, with potential prison time.

TREE NEWS update: Robinhood has taken stakes in Crypto.com and OG.com as part of a deal to expand its prediction markets business. The company will route event contracts through OG.com’s CFTC-regulated infrastructure. This move integrates traditional brokerage services with crypto and prediction markets.

TREE NEWS update: Irish media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s social platform X, focusing on the effectiveness of its age verification and parental controls. The regulator will assess whether X enforces age safeguards and protects users under 16 from adult content, citing potentially insufficient parental control features. If found in violation, X faces fines up to €20 million or 10% of annual revenue.

TREE NEWS update: Ireland’s media regulator has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s social platform X, focusing on whether its age-verification and parental-control measures are effective. The probe will assess if X adequately protects users under 16, especially given adult content. If found in breach, X faces fines up to €20 million or 10% of annual revenue.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) added ‘King Kong Fund/King Kong Coin Issuance Co., Ltd.’ to its alert list of unlicensed entities on September 9. The entity claimed to have an address in Hong Kong, provided a local phone number, and appears to have marketed services to Hong Kong investors without a license under the Securities and Futures Ordinance. The SFC stated it must not conduct regulated activities or actively promote services to the Hong Kong public.

TREE NEWS update: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States insisted until the final moment on restricting Canada’s rights to protect and promote French and its own culture. He added that Washington also sought to interfere in Canada’s future trade agreements with other countries. Carney said the US demanded too much and offered too little, leading Canada to reject an unfair deal rather than accept submission over genuine economic partnership.

TREE NEWS update: The US Treasury announced new sanctions against Iran on [date]. The measures target [specific targets if known], expanding Washington’s pressure campaign over Tehran’s nuclear program and regional activities. No further details were provided.

TREE NEWS update: The National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors (NAFMII) has issued a warning against China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co. (CCXI) for violating self-regulatory rules in the interbank bond market, including breaching rating independence requirements. The association announced the penalty after an investigation into CCXI’s practices as a credit rating agency in the interbank market.

TREE NEWS update: The UK government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to announce a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday. The move signals a tougher policy on an issue important to the ruling Labour Party, but risks angering US President Donald Trump.

TREE NEWS reports: The Trump administration is seeking to expand US access to Venezuela’s mineral resources, including gold, beyond oil. The move could open Venezuela’s mining sector to US capital and secure supplies of minerals critical to national security.