Regulation, enforcement, legislation, and crypto policy from around the world. 436 stories curated by CryptoCatalyst.
Banks now account for nearly one in four providers on the EU’s MiCA crypto register, doubling their presence since late June. This shift highlights traditional finance's growing interest in regulated crypto services. The ESMA register now includes 23% banks, up from 11.5% in June.
Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market, faced a $10 million fraud attempt while its CEO reportedly prioritized growth over compliance. Hackers also compromised nearly 500 user accounts using stolen personal information.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde reportedly blocked Binance from expanding into the EU. This move reflects growing regulatory scrutiny of crypto exchanges in Europe, particularly from Lagarde, who has been vocal about her preference for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) over decentralized cryptocurrencies.
Goldman Sachs and Citizens analysts said the SEC's tokenized-stock push creates new opportunities in custody, tokenization infrastructure, and stablecoin settlement, while giving brokers room to expand onchain products. Kalshi also filed for US stock perpetual futures, joining Coinbase and Bitnomial.
The U.S. Clarity Act, which aimed to provide regulatory clarity for crypto markets, failed to pass. Now, federal agencies are scrambling to create their own regulations. This uncertainty could lead to inconsistent rules and market instability.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has submitted a new regulatory plan for the crypto market to the White House for review. This comes after the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act, and follows the SEC's recent developer-friendly no-action stance.
Following the procedural failure of the Clarity Act in the U.S. Senate, Coinbase VP for U.S. Policy Kara Calvert discussed traditional banking pushback, stablecoin yield protections, and the path forward for digital asset regulation.
The SEC has approved an 'Innovation Exemption' for tokenized stocks, a move that could accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology in traditional finance. This comes just hours after S&P Global announced its acquisition of OpenZeppelin.
Law enforcement in the UAE and Sweden arrested seven individuals connected to a $7.1 million cryptocurrency laundering ring. Investigators traced blockchain transactions to organized crime and murder-for-hire activities, exposing links between the network and contract killings.
Avalanche Treasury CEO John Smith warns that AI agents could significantly increase demand for blockchain capacity by mid-2027. He expects traditional financial markets to shift to 24/5 trading, requiring new infrastructure. The NYSE spent a year testing Avalanche's technology for tokenization plans, though it has not yet selected a platform.
The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned the Iranian crypto exchange BitBank for facilitating hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin transactions to the Revolutionary Guards. These funds were collected as tolls from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has submitted a prerule on crypto asset transactions to the White House for review. This move signals the agency's intent to build a derivatives framework independently, following the collapse of the Clarity Act in Congress. The SEC is also opening new paths for tokenized stock trading.
ECB President Christine Lagarde reportedly intervened to block Binance’s EU MiCA license application in Greece, even though regulators had previously deemed it complete. Binance has not directly addressed the report but reaffirmed its commitment to securing authorization in Europe.
OG.com, a sister exchange of Crypto.com, has received SEC approval to offer single-stock perpetual futures in the U.S. CEO Kris Marszalek confirmed the company is also working with the SEC and CFTC to expand its offerings, including plans for U.S. stock perps.
UK authorities have raided multiple unregistered peer-to-peer crypto trading hubs, marking a shift toward stricter enforcement. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a warning to unregistered businesses, coinciding with new regulatory guidance for crypto firms ahead of the full framework in late 2027.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted a 5-year exemption for platforms trading tokenized securities, allowing them to operate without registering as exchanges. This move aims to modernize capital markets and follows delays in crypto legislation.
The SEC has proposed exemptions to facilitate trading of tokenized NMS stocks, set to expire in five years. The agency is seeking public comment on possible modifications and next steps.
Following the Senate's rejection of the Clarity Act, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong pointed to political disagreements over ethics provisions as the primary trigger for the bill's collapse. Armstrong noted that crypto regulation will now shift toward administrative rulemaking by the SEC and CFTC.
Hamas' military wing instructed donors to avoid Binance and instead use Bybit, OKX, Kast, and Redotpay, according to recent U.S. Department of Justice documents. The directive underscores the ongoing intersection of cryptocurrency and geopolitical conflicts.
Celsius Network's bankruptcy estate is suing BitMEX for $495 million, alleging the exchange mishandled liquidations during the 2020 COVID crash, resulting in the loss of 6,360 BTC. The lawsuit highlights the awkward contradiction between Celsius's delta-neutral marketing and its leveraged long position.
The SEC and CFTC are preparing to push forward with their own crypto regulations after the Clarity Act stalled in the Senate. CFTC Chair Mike Selig said the agency is 'locked in and ready to ship its rules for the new frontier of finance.' SEC Chair Paul Atkins also pledged to use existing powers to provide regulatory certainty. This move could lead to a fragmented regulatory approach in the U.S.
Senate Democrats blocked the Crypto Clarity Act on September 16, 2026. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) accused Democrats of negotiating in bad faith for over a year before ultimately opposing the bill, saying they were never serious about protecting consumers or preserving American leadership in crypto.
The Department of Justice has charged two Robinhood engineers with insider trading, accusing them of front-running crypto listings on Hyperliquid. They allegedly earned over $50,000 each by trading perpetual futures before Robinhood's public announcements between 2025 and 2026.
The U.S. Senate failed to pass the Clarity Act, a key bill aimed at regulating crypto markets. Bitcoin prices briefly dropped but recovered. The industry now faces continued uncertainty.