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UK Lawmakers Consider Making Crypto Donations Ban Permanent After Farage Scandal

UK Labour MPs are preparing to push for a permanent ban on crypto donations to political parties and candidates, arguing that recent allegations around Nigel Farage’s funding have underscored risks of undue influence in British politics. According to The Guardian , the party is looking to overhaul existing donation rules after a March moratorium on crypto contributions was introduced and then prompted further scrutiny. The renewed push is linked to Farage’s resignation from Parliament and reporting that he received large “gifts” connected to the digital-asset industry. Key takeaways Labour MPs are considering making the March crypto-donation moratorium permanent, moving from temporary restraint to a lasting rule change. The push follows Farage’s resignation and claims that he accepted millions in donations described as “gifts” from crypto-linked figures. UK lawmakers plan to review proposed amendments next week, potentially tightening political funding limits for digital assets. ...
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Pantera: Hyperliquid highlights how on-chain perps may disrupt Wall St

Perpetual futures—derivatives that typically trade without fixed expiry dates—are increasingly being positioned as a next-generation instrument for markets that never sleep. In a Wednesday post on X, blockchain-focused asset manager Pantera Capital argued that decentralized venues built around onchain infrastructure could make 24/7 perpetual trading materially more competitive with traditional finance by improving continuity of trading and simplifying contract mechanics. Pantera, which is an investor in the Hyperliquid ecosystem, highlighted Hyperliquid as a leading example of that shift. The firm also pointed to growing interest from established market operators, including NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and cited data suggesting onchain perpetuals have taken a meaningful share of total perpetual volumes over the last year-plus. Key takeaways Pantera says perpetual futures offer structural advantages—such as 24/7 trading and continuous price discovery—over many traditio...
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Hong Kong Regulator Mandates New Anti-Phishing Rules for Crypto Firms

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued new rules aimed at reducing account takeovers on virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) and online brokers. The regulator says platforms in the city must upgrade authentication controls to make logins more resilient to phishing and other social engineering tactics. The SFC requires stronger phishing-resistant authentication methods and device binding, and it bans one-time passwords delivered via SMS, email, or app-based logins. Companies covered by the rules have 12 months to implement the changes, which the SFC frames as a key part of raising local cybersecurity standards as phishing activity intensifies globally. Key takeaways The SFC’s new requirements apply to virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) and online brokers operating in Hong Kong. One-time passwords through SMS, email, or app-based logins are prohibited for these platforms. Phishing-resistant authentication and device binding are required, with optio...
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Bitcoin’s Scaling Choice: Larger Blocks vs STARK Proofs

StarkWare co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson argues that quantum-safety for Bitcoin is more likely to arrive through ZK STARKs —especially when used to compress the huge signature data expected from post-quantum (PQ) schemes—rather than by simply expanding blocks or accepting slower throughput. He also suggested that Adam Back, founder of Blockstream, aligns with the core idea, though Cointelegraph reported no response from Back to its outreach. The broader debate has resurfaced this week as Ben-Sasson also drew attention for a separate, contentious proposal on X: raising Bitcoin inflation to 4% annually. However, his technical case for ZK STARK aggregation rests on a concrete concern—PQ signatures are far larger than today’s ECDSA/Schnorr signatures—and the resulting trade-offs for network capacity and decentralization. Key takeaways Post-quantum signatures are much larger than Bitcoin’s current signature schemes, potentially forcing major capacity changes. ZK STARK aggregation could com...
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Interpol Probe Links $122M Crypto Wallet to Romance Scam Money Laundering

Interpol says a cryptocurrency wallet tied to a suspected romance-scam money launderer processed more than $122.5 million over a 10-month period, underscoring how online fraud networks are increasingly using crypto rails to complicate enforcement. In a statement released Thursday, Interpol said Thai authorities arrested two suspects and dismantled a money-laundering operation that routed proceeds from romance scams into cryptocurrencies. Interpol added that the scheme relied on cross-chain token swaps to obscure the origin of funds as they moved through different networks. Key takeaways Interpol reported a suspected romance-scam laundering wallet handled over $122.5 million in 10 months. Thai investigators linked the activity to laundering techniques that used cross-chain token swaps to mask transaction trails. Operation First Light 2026 ran across 97 countries and territories, focusing on fraud networks and the financial infrastructure behind them. The operation resulted in 5,...
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Sony Bank Approved by U.S. Regulator to Launch Stablecoin Issuance

Sony Financial Group has taken a meaningful step toward entering the US stablecoin market through a newly planned, regulated banking subsidiary. Sony Bank said it received preliminary approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to form a US national trust bank subsidiary that will be able to issue US dollar-denominated stablecoins. According to an announcement from Sony Financial Group, the unit—Connectia Trust, National Association—would be fully owned by Sony Bank. Sony Financial Group also said the effort is backed by $40 million in starting capital and is intended to serve as a building block for a longer-term digital asset business foundation. Key takeaways Sony Bank received preliminary approval from the OCC on July 2 to establish Connectia Trust, National Association. The planned subsidiary is designed to issue and manage US dollar-denominated stablecoins, but no activity can begin until final authorizations are obtained. Sony said it expects to launc...
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Revolut Limits USDT Delisting to EEA and Switzerland

Revolut has announced that it will remove support for the Tether USDT stablecoin for customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, citing MiCA-related regulatory and risk review. The company said the change is limited to those regions, while USDT support will continue in other markets where it is currently offered. In a statement provided to Cointelegraph, a Revolut spokesperson said the decision follows a periodic review of its cryptocurrency offering in light of the evolving European Union regulatory framework under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Revolut also previously removed USDT from its Revolut X trading platform for EEA customers, with the latest step completing the withdrawal from its retail crypto offering in the EEA. Key takeaways Revolut is discontinuing USDT support for customers in the EEA and Switzerland, while keeping support elsewhere. The move is linked to a regulatory and risk review under MiCA, according to a company spokesperso...
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