Geopolitics

According to ChainCatcher, Russia's central bank registered the first batch of crypto exchange operators and digital asset custodians following regulations that took effect on Sept. 1. The approved operators include 4 exchanges and 5 custodians. Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, was listed among the

Bitcoin fell toward $84,000 on October 7 as rising oil prices and higher U.S. Treasury yields weighed on risk appetite across global markets. CoinDesk reported the cryptocurrency was trading around $84,200 in Asian morning hours, down about 1.5% on the day, after Iran expanded attacks on ships in th

The crypto industry's political spending reached at least $206 million by October 2026, surpassing the entire 2024 election cycle total. Most funds flowed through the Fairshake super PAC network, which entered this cycle with between $120 million and $193 million in resources. The spending aims to s

The crypto industry has spent at least $206 million on the 2026 midterm elections by October, exceeding its total spending during the entire 2024 election cycle. The Fairshake super PAC network has directed most of this funding, operating with between $120 million and $193 million in resources. As o

According to Reuters, Russia's digital ruble accounts reached 220,000 in its first month since the September 1 launch, nearly four times the central bank's forecast of roughly 60,000 accounts. Deputy Governor Zulfiya Kakhrumanova confirmed the early adoption vastly exceeded expectations, offering a

Optimism COO Kyle Jenke shared insights about South Korea's cryptocurrency landscape in a recent tweet. According to the statement, Korea has the highest per capita crypto awareness globally and is positioned as a frontrunner in tokenization. The comments come as Korea's regulatory environment is al

Fairshake-linked groups spent $23.8 million on Ohio's Senate race, Cointelegraph reported on October 6. The spending approaches the $30 million the groups pledged to support candidate Jon Husted. Fairshake-Linked Groups Deploy 79% of Pledged Ohio Funds The $23.8 million deployed represents

Caroline Pham, Chief Legal Officer at Moonpay and former acting chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, stated at Korea Blockchain Week 2026 on the 30th of last month that collateral tokenization will occur within one to two years and stock exchange infrastructure will fully

According to Caroline Pham, former acting chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, speaking at Korea Blockchain Week 2026 on September 30, New York Stock Exchange infrastructure will migrate to blockchain within five years. Pham stated that collateral tokenization could occur within o

According to speakers at Korea Blockchain Week 2026, international officials have urged South Korea to accelerate blockchain regulation. Acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham projected that securities exchange infrastructure will migrate to on-chain systems within 5 years, while White House advisor

A Chinese organized crime syndicate laundered more than $1 billion in stolen cryptocurrency for North Korea's Lazarus Group, according to blockchain investigator ZachXBT. In an Oct. 5 thread on X, ZachXBT said he infiltrated the money laundering network in February 2025 by posing as a paying

According to CFTC Chair Michael Selig, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued a pre-proposed rule notice for CTX and CAM regulations requiring leveraged, margined, or financed crypto trading offered to retail clients to route through futures commission merchants (FCMs). FCMs must m

According to Cointelegraph, Fairshake, a cryptocurrency industry political action committee, announced on October 6 support for 32 House candidates in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, including 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats. The PAC plans to invest over $100

Fairshake, the political action committee backed by Coinbase, Ripple Labs and Andreessen Horowitz, announced on Monday it would support 32 House candidates (19 Republicans, 13 Democrats) ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, with an initial $6 million commitment to six candidates. According to Fai

Rep. French Hill engaged with members of the UK-US Crypto Alliance to discuss digital assets and financial innovation. The meeting included UK Minister Kanishka Narayan and Alliance Chair Dr. Lisa Cameron. Their discussions explored the intersection of digital assets and artificial intelligence,

ZachXBT infiltrated a Chinese crime syndicate responsible for laundering over $1 billion for North Korea's Lazarus Group. The intel gathered during this infiltration helped freeze funds stolen in the Bybit hack. The operation exposed ongoing challenges in cryptocurrency security and the complex

According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a network including a Hamas military wing member, two French nationals, and two charities for raising over $2 million through cryptocurrency and humanitarian donations between 2020 and 2026. Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid allegedly c

According to RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave on October 3, India supports distributed ledger technology and tokenization but remains cautious about privately issued cryptocurrencies due to concerns over monetary sovereignty, monetary policy independence, and c

KB Securities analyst Kim Il-hyuk identified three factors that could slow the rise in US interest rates or push 10-year Treasury yields back to the 4% range, ahead of midterm elections scheduled for November 3 next month. The analysis comes as US bond investors face concerns over rising rates

According to HTX data, on Monday, October 5, Bitcoin surged to $86,371, up 1.35% in 24 hours and threatening to breach the $87,000 level. The rally came after U.S. stock index futures opened higher, with the Nasdaq 100 futures index rising 0.3% as expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes