Sam Altman's World Brings Proof-of-Human Verification to Zoom, Tinder and Concert Ticket Sales

A clandestine banking network laundered over $23 million using crypto from organized crime groups in Europe. Europol arrested 17 individuals in Spain, Austria, and Belgium for illegal banking activities involving cash, cryptocurrencies, luxury items, and more.

Vitalik Buterin aims to simplify running Ethereum nodes for average users by changing how they sync with the network, using regular consumer hardware. Instead of storing all blockchain data, nodes would only keep necessary portions, while older data gets distributed for shared storage. Buterin's proposal introduces a local-first model for Ethereum nodes.

El Salvador's Bitcoin holdings have increased by over $137 million in the past 30 days, reaching a value of $637 million. President Nayib Bukele remains committed to the country's Bitcoin acquisition policy, despite IMF loan conditions and skepticism about widespread adoption.

Elton John criticizes the UK government's AI copyright proposal, calling it "criminal" and accusing officials of "committing theft" from artists. The proposal would allow AI developers to train models on creative works without permission.

A Queensland man has surrendered assets worth over $2.9 million, including a mansion, a Mercedes-Benz, and nearly 25 BTC valued at $2.6 million, following a court order. The Australian Federal Police's Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce has been investigating historic crypto theft and cyber hacking offenses since 2018, restraining around $770 million in suspected criminal assets.

Meme coins are once again surging, with Pepe, Dogwifhat, Floki, Bonk, and Fartcoin all experiencing significant gains in the past 24 hours. This rally reflects renewed investor interest in speculative assets, particularly those driven by retail enthusiasm and social media virality.

Bitcoin has surged above $105,700, driven by increased interest in ETFs and economic indicators attracting investor funds. The rally is supported by significant inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs and stable interest rate expectations, with the upcoming Coinbase S&P 500 inclusion seen as a potential catalyst.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal criticized World Liberty Financial's inadequate response to a Senate inquiry about its business practices, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and national security risks. The company, partially owned by President Trump, faces investigations over possible violations of government ethics requirements.

Coinbase's stock surged 9% after being added to the S&P 500 and receiving an analyst upgrade, despite recent data breach and ongoing regulatory scrutiny. Benchmark Equity Research raised its target price to $301, anticipating increased investment inflows due to S&P 500 inclusion.

Eric Council Jr. from Alabama was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his involvement in hacking the SEC's account to falsely announce Bitcoin ETF approval. He used a fake ID to secure a replacement SIM card, allowing access to the @SECGov account on X (formerly Twitter).