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SCOTUS Strikes Down Trump Tariffs as Alternative Plans Brew

The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday sharply curtailed the executive branch’s authority to deploy tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In a 6-3 ruling, the justices concluded that the President lacks inherent power to impose broad tariffs under peacetime conditions, signaling a significant check on executive power in U.S. trade policy. The majority’s view was clear: IEEPA does not authorize tariffs at the scale seen in recent years, and the presidential interpretation of the statute extended beyond its legitimate reach. The ruling hinges on historical precedent and the breadth of authority claimed by the administration, suggesting a reevaluation of the tariff policy framework used during peacetime emergencies. The decision was issued on Friday, February 20, 2026, with the court emphasizing the statute’s limited scope. “In IEEPA’s half-century of existence, no president has invoked the statute to impose any tariffs, let alone tariffs of this magnitude...
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Aave DAO Loses Its Core Technical Contributor

BGD Labs, a core technical contributor to the DeFi protocol Aave, announced it will conclude its involvement with the project's DAO on April 1, ending a four-year collaboration that helped shape the protocol's core subsystems. In a post on Aave's governance forum, BGD cited an "asymmetric organizational scenario" and argued the DAO had not adequately accounted for contributors’ expertise. The team said the project had adopted an adversarial posture toward v3 in favor of features planned for v4, a shift it said impeded meaningful improvements. Nothing changes until April 1, but BGD signaled it will wind down its formal contributions while remaining engaged in certain areas through a defined transition. The forum note points to ongoing work on multiple fronts, even as the formal collaboration winds down. Key takeaways BGD Labs will end its involvement with the Aave DAO on April 1 after four years of work. The departure is framed around an asymmetric organization...

Tennessee Judge Blocks State Move Against Kalshi with Injunction

A US federal judge in Tennessee granted Kalshi a temporary reprieve from state gambling enforcement, allowing the prediction-market operator to continue offering sports-related event contracts while litigation unfolds. Judge Aleta Trauger of the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee issued the preliminary injunction on Thursday, siding with Kalshi’s argument that Tennessee’s attempt to regulate these markets runs afoul of federal commodities law. The court classified Kalshi’s sports event contracts as swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act, a designation that confers exclusive jurisdiction to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The order also requires Kalshi to post a $500,000 bond as the case advances, and targets state officials rather than the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council itself. The ruling was issued in a decision linked to CourtListener, which records the docket and order for KalshiEx LLC v. OrgEl. An earlier temporary restraining order had paused en...

A7A5 Stablecoin Expands Parallel System for Sanctioned Firms

As cryptocurrency becomes increasingly intertwined with traditional finance, it is also forming the backbone of a parallel, shadow financial system that operates beyond conventional rails. A January report from TRM Labs highlighted a surge in illicit or illegal crypto use, climbing to an all-time high of $158 billion in 2025, with sanctions evasion accounting for a notable share of the activity. The analysis points to a major driver: a ruble-backed stablecoin and its ecosystem, built around the A7A5 project, which has moved billions in sanctioned value through on-chain channels. The rise of A7A5 underscores how crypto is becoming a strategic instrument for state-aligned actors seeking alternative settlement mechanisms amid growing financial restrictions. Key takeaways Illicit crypto activity reached $158 billion in the referenced period, with sanctions evasion comprising a substantial portion of flows according to the TRM Labs report. A7A5, a ruble-based stablecoin, emerged as a fo...

Metaplanet CEO Refutes Claims of Hidden Bitcoin Trades

Metaplanet's chief executive Simon Gerovich pushed back against criticisms from anonymous accounts alleging that the company misrepresented its Bitcoin treasury strategy and disclosures. Critics on X argued that Metaplanet delayed or withheld price-sensitive information about large BTC purchases and options trades funded with shareholder capital, and that losses from its derivatives program were not fully disclosed. In a detailed public post on X, Gerovich contends that the company has consistently reported all Bitcoin purchases, option strategies and borrowings, and that readers have misinterpreted the financial statements rather than uncovering any misconduct. Key takeaways Metaplanet disclosed four Bitcoin purchases in September 2025 totaling 11,832 BTC (1,009 on Sept. 1; 136 on Sept. 8; 5,419 on Sept. 22; 5,268 on Sept. 30), with the company asserting prompt disclosure for each move. The firm’s public dashboard corroborates the September buys, and Bitcointreasuries.net also...

Crypto Miner Bitdeer Slumps 17% After $300M Debt Offering

Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR), a Singapore-based operator of data centers and Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) mining infrastructure, unveiled a private placement of US$300 million in convertible senior notes, with an option for purchasers to subscribe to an additional US$45 million. The offering marks Bitdeer’s second convertible debt sale since a US$150 million issue in April 2024, a move that coincided with a notable decline in the stock price at the time. The notes are scheduled to mature in 2032, carry semiannual interest payments, and can be converted into cash, shares, or a combination of both. Proceeds are earmarked for data-center expansion, AI cloud growth, the development of mining rigs, and general corporate purposes. Bitdeer operates globally, with data centers in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan, while maintaining its headquarters in Singapore. Key takeaways The company is offering US$300 million in convertible senior notes, with a potential additional US$45 milli...

Parsec Closes as Crypto Market Remains Volatile

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and broader on-chain activity are entering a period of recalibration as Parsec, a five-year-old analytics firm focused on DeFi and NFTs, announces its winding down. Launched in January 2021, Parsec grew alongside a nascent wave of on-chain research and funding from notable industry players, only to find the current market environment diverging from the original playbook. In its X post, Parsec framed the closure as a strategic retreat from a market that “zigged while we zagged a few too many times,” underscoring a misalignment between its niche focus and where the ecosystem has since progressed. The company’s exit comes amid a pronounced shift in on-chain dynamics, with NFT volumes and DeFi activity not repeating the patterns seen during the prior cycle. Key takeaways Parsec—the five-year analytics firm backed by Uniswap, Polychain Capital, and Galaxy Digital—will shut down as it pivots away from DeFi and NFT-centric tracking. NFT market data shows a 2025 decli...