CFA Report Pegs US Crypto Fraud Losses at $80.7B

Judge Failla has prohibited any mention of the Van Loon case in the upcoming trial of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, citing concerns about confusing the jury. The trial, set to begin on July 14, has sparked debates on the criminal liability of software developers.

BNY Mellon will serve as the primary custodian for Ripple Labs' RLUSD, a stablecoin designed for enterprise utility. With a market capitalization of $500 million, RLUSD is smaller than USDT and USDC, but the partnership reflects a positive shift in the industry.

According to an ARK Invest report, Bitcoin's on-chain momentum is currently bearish, with capital flows decreasing in the second quarter. Despite failing to reach new all-time highs since May, the number of long-term BTC holders has reached a 15-year high.

A group of crypto traders are considering legal action against Polymarket over the disputed outcome of the $242 million Volodymyr Zelenskyy suit market. Despite no current legal action, discussions with lawyers suggest a potential case against the platform.

ByBit Ukraine accidentally leaked details of Pump.fun's upcoming token sale, revealing a start date of July 12 and restrictions for European users. The sale is set to last until July 15, with tokens distributed 72 hours after it ends.

SBI Group's APLUS in Japan now allows credit card users to convert loyalty points into cryptocurrency, specifically bitcoin. Users can redeem points for small amounts of bitcoin, deposited into their VC Trade account. This feature is opt-in and limited to qualifying APLUS Points program cards.

Kraken and Backed Finance are introducing tokenized equities to the BNB Chain, enabling trading with stocks like Apple and Nvidia 24/7. This move allows token versions of U.S. stocks to be issued as BEP-20 tokens on the xStocks Alliance network.

Two men, Michael Shannon Sims and Juan Carlos Reynoso, have been charged with orchestrating a massive crypto investment scam through OmegaPro, defrauding victims of over $650 million. The scheme allegedly involved false promises of high returns and luxury displays to lure investors into purchasing "investment packages."

New Zealand is implementing reforms to combat money laundering and criminal finance, including capping international cash transfers at $5,000 and banning crypto ATMs. The government aims to make the country a challenging place for criminals to hide funds.

Fraser Edwards, CEO of Cheqd, revealed attempts by North Korean operators to infiltrate tech companies by using foreigners as fronts during the recruitment process. Chainalysis reported a 21% increase in crypto platform hacks in 2024, with $1.34 billion attributed to North Korean state actors.