Europol Dismantled a Criminal Banking Ring Laundering $23 Million Through Crypto From Organized Crime

Geoff Kendrick of Standard Chartered notes that government entities like South Korea’s National Pension Service and the Swiss National Bank have increased their exposure to Bitcoin through holdings in Strategy, reflecting a growing demand for Bitcoin. Sovereign wealth funds, state retirement funds, and institutional investors are also showing interest in Bitcoin through various investment vehicles.

TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington expressed concern over Coinbase's data breach potentially leading to fatalities, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations and consequences for executives. The breach exposed sensitive customer data, prompting a U.S. Justice Department investigation and concerns about physical safety for crypto holders.

True Markets, a DeFi trading platform, has launched a mobile app on Solana after closing an $11 million Series A funding round. Co-led by Accomplice and RRE Ventures, the funding includes support from Paxos Ventures and the Solana Foundation.

KULR has expanded its bitcoin treasury to over 800 tokens by purchasing an additional $9 million worth of BTC at an average price of $103,234 each. The company's treasury strategy, announced in December, involves holding up to 90% of surplus cash reserves in bitcoin. KULR measures success using a BTC Yield metric, which has increased by 220 so far in 2025.

The Supreme Court of India has questioned the central government's lack of a clear policy on cryptocurrency regulation, expressing concerns about the impact of the unregulated crypto market on the economy. Justices Kant and Singh highlighted the need for regulation to monitor cryptocurrency trading activities effectively.

Kraken has introduced regulated crypto derivatives trading in Europe, following the acquisition of Greenfield Wealth and a license from CySEC. The exchange's move aligns with the recent trend of major players entering the crypto derivatives space in Europe.

Aave's native token has surged due to a key procedural vote in Congress on the GENIUS Act, which aims to provide regulatory clarity for stablecoins. The bill, needing one more vote to pass, could lead to wider institutional adoption of stablecoins, including Aave's GHO stablecoin.

Kevin O’Leary criticized Senator Elizabeth Warren for politicizing the stablecoin bill, warning of potential negative consequences for the U.S. in global finance. The GENIUS Act, aimed at regulating stablecoins, faced initial hurdles but is now progressing in the Senate.

Bitcoin ETFs experienced significant inflows, with Fidelity's Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund and ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF leading the way. Total inflows reached $667.4 million, with BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust attracting the most investments.

Circle, the stablecoin issuer behind USDC, has reportedly engaged in "informal talks" to sell itself to Coinbase or Ripple, seeking at least $5 billion, as an alternative to an IPO. Coinbase and Ripple have both shown interest in acquiring Circle, with Ripple offering $4-5 billion in XRP and cash.