Morgan Stanley will launch direct cryptocurrency trading for retail clients through E*Trade in the first half of 2026, allowing users to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The bank is also building its own crypto custody and settlement platform, while using Zerohash to run the trading, custody and settlement systems at launch.
WeatherlySouth Korea has introduced a bill requiring crypto influencers to disclose their personal holdings and any payments received for promoting digital assets. The law aims to protect investors and treat undisclosed promotions like serious financial offences such as market manipulation.
AnaisUS federal agents in North Carolina seized more than $61 million in USDT linked to a crypto romance investment scam after tracing the money through multiple wallets with support from Homeland Security Investigations. Tether helped authorities freeze the funds, which are now subject to forfeiture.
WeatherlyTether has invested $200 million in digital marketplace Whop, giving the platform a $1.6 billion valuation. The deal will integrate Tether’s stablecoins into Whop, allowing creators to receive payments directly and expand globally.
AnaisEthereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sold over 17,000 ETH, slightly more than he originally planned, to fund the Ethereum Foundation and support new projects. The Foundation continues to hold around 172,000 ETH and has released a detailed roadmap aiming for faster transactions, improved privacy, and long-term network development.
AnaisBeast Industries has suspended an employee and started an internal investigation after Kalshi fined and banned Artem Kaptur, a video editor for MrBeast, for using inside information to place trades. Kalshi said the trades were linked to upcoming videos and showed near-perfect results, and the case has been referred to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
WeatherlyAnthropic will not let the US Defence Department use its Claude AI without limits, citing risks from mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The Pentagon warned it could label the company a supply chain risk or force it to comply under emergency powers.
WeatherlySearches for “buy bitcoin” have jumped to a five-year high, despite the cryptocurrency losing nearly half its value over the past few months. The surge comes amid a lawsuit against Jane Street over its alleged role in the 2022 Terra collapse, sparking renewed interest in Bitcoin as a safer option.
AnaisA Florida man, Christopher Alexander Delgado, was arrested for allegedly running a $328 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme through his company, Goliath Ventures. Authorities say most of the money was used to pay earlier investors and fund his personal expenses, including luxury homes and lavish events.
WeatherlySBI Holdings and Startale Group have launched JPYSC, Japan’s first trust bank-backed yen stablecoin for corporate and cross-border use. The stablecoin will be issued by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank, distributed via SBI VC Trade, and is set to launch in the second quarter of 2026 pending regulatory approval.
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