Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The US has banned DeepSeek from federal civilian agencies over spying fears. Separately, a Singapore-based firm operates Europe’s only spot Bitcoin ETF, while Switzerland has partnered with Vietnam on crypto technology. The two developments highlight widening regulatory scrutiny of Chinese AI tools and deepening cross-border ties in the crypto sector.

TREE NEWS update: A Circle Internet Group shareholder, J. Benjamin Greenberg, sued U.S. President Donald Trump and his family-founded crypto venture World Liberty Financial, alleging the president violated the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause through two deals with the United Arab Emirates. The suit claims illegal competition from World Liberty Financial financially harmed Greenberg and other Circle investors, and seeks an injunction, disgorgement of profits and unspecified damages.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s convertible bond market has undergone a correction that pressured product net asset values, but the risk-reward ratio has now improved noticeably. Overall valuations remain in the high range of the past decade, with AI-related technology sectors such as telecommunications and electronics hit notably hard. Fund managers are adjusting positions to guard against risk while seeking structural opportunities, though timing depends on equity market stabilization and new capital inflows.

TREE NEWS update: PHP has shipped a fix for a vulnerability that attackers are now trying to exploit with millions of attempts, while governments say no one has broken in yet. The flaw has prompted concerns over passwords, crypto wallets and browsing security, though no confirmed breach has been reported. The patch is available now.

TREE NEWS update: Circle has launched hourly USDC Match auctions that pass the redemption clearing fee to minters, with charges capped at Circle’s Express rate. The mechanism lets minters earn a rebate on redemptions through the auction process.

TREE NEWS update: A Circle shareholder has sued US President Donald Trump, World Liberty Financial and Steve Witkoff, alleging that Trump’s “corruption” through the USD1 stablecoin left Circle unable to compete and harmed its USDC token. The suit claims the arrangement disadvantaged the company in the stablecoin market. No further details of the filing were provided.

TREE NEWS update: SpaceX is in negotiations to connect 80,000 base stations to a new network, the company disclosed. The figure points to a large-scale buildout of ground infrastructure tied to its network plans. No timeline, counterparties or financial terms were given.

TREE NEWS reports: Ether rose above $2,400 on October 23, trading at $2,400.33 per token. The move represents a 0.07% gain within the day.

TREE NEWS update: Interpol’s latest cybercrime operation recovered more than $105 million and led to 1,462 arrests, the agency said. Angolan authorities seized over 2,000 crypto-mining devices as part of the sweep, while a Nigerian probe traced more than $2.4 million in suspected fraud proceeds. The operation targeted cyber-enabled financial crime across multiple jurisdictions.

TREE NEWS update: Aztec has announced approval of its V6 upgrade, which speeds Ethereum-to-Aztec messaging and funds 30 days of V5 operation during the migration. The governance dashboard, however, still lists voting as open and shows October 26 for execution. The proposal’s approval was confirmed despite the dashboard’s status.

TREE NEWS update: Andreessen Horowitz is renaming its crypto fund a16z Frontier and widening its scope to AI, autonomous machines and biology, the firm said. It attributed the change to the blurring line between crypto and everyday technology. The rebrand folds the firm’s digital-asset investment arm into a broader frontier-tech mandate.

TREE NEWS reports: The GENIUS Act, the stablecoin law Congress passed in July 2025, prohibits stablecoin issuers from paying interest to holders, yet some exchanges continue to offer rewards. Coinbase pays 3.75% a year to customers who hold USDC, the dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle, subject to conditions. The arrangement raises questions about how such rewards fit within the new legal framework.

TREE NEWS update: A political action committee launched by Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss has made its first foray into the Texas Senate race with an $81,000 ad buy. The move comes as crypto-aligned PACs ramp up spending in states including Ohio ahead of the 2026 midterms. The committee’s entry into Texas signals widening crypto political engagement beyond traditional battlegrounds.

TREE NEWS update: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo barring personnel from using nonpublic information to place bets on prediction markets, naming Polymarket and Kalshi in the directive. The order, reported by CBS, prohibits wagering on platforms where such information could give an unfair advantage. No further details on enforcement or scope were disclosed.

TREE NEWS reports: JPMorgan said actions by U.S. regulators have partly offset the failure of the Clarity Act, but longer-lasting rules are still needed. The bank cautioned that risks remain without durable legislative clarity for the crypto industry.

TREE NEWS update: The Blockchain Association is urging Congress to pass legislation resolving tax uncertainty for crypto, as progress on a broader crypto bill stalls. The industry group is pressing lawmakers to act on tax rules even as the wider legislative effort loses momentum.

TREE NEWS update: The Central Bank of Ireland fined Coinbase Ireland €3,252,618 for relying too heavily on its U.S. parent and leaving its safeguarding account underfunded, the regulator said. It is the second penalty against the exchange’s European arm in the past year. The fine concerns the underfunding of the account used to safeguard client funds.

TREE NEWS update: Utexo, backed by Tether, will launch a bridged USDT token on Bitcoin on November 28, with professional operators able to test the RGB-based token on Bitcoin Signet now. The token’s backing will sit in USDT0 locked on Arbitrum. The launch brings a Tether-linked stablecoin onto Bitcoin via the RGB protocol.