Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The CFTC has sent the White House two rule proposals that would define event contracts as “swaps” while excluding “casino-style gambling products,” a bid to cement the agency’s exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets. The move comes as states sue prediction-market operators over gambling claims.

TREE NEWS update: The SEC charged private fund adviser Meyer Global Management LLC and its CEO, Owen E.H. Meyer, with defrauding investors and MGM-managed funds over investments in SpaceX and other pre-IPO securities. The regulator said the alleged scheme targeted retail investors in private funds holding interests in those pre-IPO names.

TREE NEWS update: Republican members of the US Senate have formally introduced a cryptocurrency tax bill. The legislation was put forward by Senate Republicans, marking an official move to set tax rules for digital assets. No further details on the bill’s provisions were disclosed.

TREE NEWS reports: The White House is weighing two proposed rules from the CFTC tied to prediction markets, as the agency moves to assert its jurisdiction over the sector. The review comes amid a growing power struggle over which regulator oversees event contracts. No decision or timeline was disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: The US Senate voted down legislation that would have capped electricity rate increases tied to data centers. The bill sought to limit how much utilities can pass on to ratepayers from the power demand of data-center buildouts. The vote leaves current rate-setting rules unchanged.

TREE NEWS update: The European Securities and Markets Authority has proposed MiCA rules covering DeFi gateways, staking and lending. The regulator also wants to bar crypto firms from all MiCA-licensable services involving noncompliant stablecoins, extending the restrictions to custody and transfers.

TREE NEWS update: The CFTC sent a proposed rule and a companion interim final rule to the Office of Management and Budget on Sept. 28 that would define event contracts as swaps. The move came days after an appeals court ruled that Kalshi had not shown its sports contracts were swaps.

TREE NEWS update: The SEC charged Christopher Kenji Dinelli and Jacob David “Kobe” Frankel with orchestrating a fraud scheme that raised more than $8.7 million from 35 investors through their fund, Beyond. The regulator announced the charges against the two individuals over the scheme it says targeted veterans.

TREE NEWS update: President Trump unveiled a one-page AI accord signed by OpenAI, Google and Nvidia that he described as ‘morally binding.’ The pact asks companies to adopt internal controls, independent audits and board oversight, but carries no penalties and drew criticism over its thin detail.

TREE NEWS update: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed reforms to widen individual investor access to private markets, including private equity and early-stage startups. One proposal would let registered investment advisers charge up to 20% performance fees, moving closer to the “2% management fee plus 20% performance” hedge-fund model. The SEC also proposed broadening the accredited-investor definition to include credentialed professionals such as CPAs and chartered financial analysts, Chairman Paul Atkins said.

TREE NEWS update: Caroline Pham said at Korea Blockchain Week that the SEC and CFTC already hold the authority needed to write clear digital asset rules. She argued the agencies can find the regulatory basis by taking the time to review their existing mandates. Pham is a sitting CFTC commissioner.

TREE NEWS reports: Coinbase is denying allegations that it concealed a series of hacks, after a trader filed a $1.2 million complaint and the exchange’s Cobie issued a public reply. BlockTower’s founder also made unproven claims about the incidents, putting Coinbase’s customer support under scrutiny. The exchange says it did not hide the hacks.

TREE NEWS update: The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has opened crypto license applications, requiring firms that want to keep serving UK customers under the new regime starting October 2027 to win its approval. Existing firms face a February 28 deadline to apply, and the regulator said authorization will not be automatic.

TREE NEWS update: The Securities and Exchange Commission voted to propose rule amendments aimed at facilitating capital formation in public and private markets by expanding retail investor choice and promoting innovation in regulated fund structures. The proposal, announced by the agency, would broaden retail participation in private markets while keeping the structures within the existing regulatory framework. No effective date or further details were disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: Former UK National Crime Agency officer Paul Chowles has been ordered to repay $2.4 million for 50 bitcoin he stole from a Silk Road 2.0 seizure in 2017, when the coins were worth about $77,000. Prosecutors now value the theft at more than 30 times that amount.

TREE NEWS update: Swiss National Bank board member Tschudin said the design of digital currencies must not restrict central banks’ ability to carry out their functions. Stablecoins, and features weakly tied to the two-tier financial system, make the transmission of monetary policy more difficult, he said. Tschudin did not specify which stablecoins or jurisdictions he was referring to.

TREE NEWS update: The CFTC has submitted two regulatory proposals to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. One proposed rule would explicitly classify event contracts as swaps and proceed to public comment; a separate interim final rule would exclude casino-style gaming products from the swap definition and take effect upon administrative approval. The move responds to rulings by the Sixth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals, with the Supreme Court having accepted three appeals on the swap definition.

TREE NEWS reports: THORChain will not, or cannot, block addresses linked to the $387.5 million Bitget hack. Whether the protocol’s developers could face money-laundering prosecution over the stolen funds is complicated, Brisov said, leaving the legal exposure of the decentralized exchange unresolved.

TREE NEWS update: The UK Financial Conduct Authority has begun accepting crypto authorization applications ahead of its new regime, with a deadline of Feb. 28, 2027. UK firms will face fresh vetting under the framework. The FCA opened the application window as the country prepares to bring crypto activity under formal oversight in 2027.

TREE NEWS update: Cambricon disclosed that former vice general manager Liang Jun, who left the company in early 2022, has expanded his equity-incentive lawsuit against it to 27.832 billion yuan, up from an earlier claim of 4.287 billion yuan. The case has been filed but not yet heard, and the company said it will actively defend its legal rights.