Crypto news

This week, the top news in the crypto industry is not just about events, but indicators of deep-seated changes. From the ambitions of the convicted FTX founder to Tether's cunning maneuver in Europe and the ban on the digital dollar in the US, the market is undergoing a tectonic shift. Let's break down the key trends.

Sam Bankman-Fried's Ambitions: From Prison to Startup

Sam Bankman-Fried, serving a 25-year sentence for financial fraud, is not wasting any time. According to sources close to him, he is making plans for life after release, stating that to "earn serious money," he would need between $50 million and $100 million in startup capital. This involves a new cryptocurrency project that, he claims, will attract "everyone." Simultaneously, he has appealed to Donald Trump for a presidential pardon, and his parents have hired lobbyists. The community recalls that FTX's venture investments (stakes in SpaceX, Anthropic, Solana) are currently valued at $114 billion, but bankruptcy administrators sold them off tens of times cheaper. However, most analysts agree: even if SBF is a brilliant investor, his illegal use of client funds makes restoring trust virtually impossible.

Tether vs. MiCA: A Strategy of Circumvention

The European authority ESMA requires all crypto platforms to obtain a license under the MiCA regulation by July 1, or face a complete exit from the EU. Tether deliberately refused the license, deeming the requirement to hold 60% of reserves in European banks as risky for financial stability. Instead, the company chose a workaround: investing in partners who already have legal status. Through them, fully legitimate stablecoins will be issued. This way, Tether indirectly maintains its presence in the European Union without complying with local regulators. The forced delisting of USDT in Europe will hit market makers, complicating inter-exchange arbitrage and widening spreads.

Digital Dollar: The US Exits the Race

The US is moving toward a legislative ban on issuing a digital dollar (CBDC) at least until the end of 2030. A provision prohibiting the Federal Reserve from creating a CBDC is embedded in an affordable housing bill—a packaging that allowed it to bypass opposition. Lawmakers fear total surveillance, control over spending, and the displacement of commercial banks. Private stablecoins, however, are exempt from the ban. This means the world's largest economy is officially exiting the global CBDC race, and stablecoins are becoming a recognized alternative.

Memecoins: The Bubble Has Burst

Revenue on the Pump.fun platform has plummeted by over 70%. The platform allowed users to issue a token for a few dollars, leading to explosive growth, but nearly 96% of traders either lost money or earned no more than $500. To prevent a collapse, developers are burning tokens worth $370 million (36% of the supply). The situation reflects a massive capital outflow from unregulated instruments, which major players consider gambling. Traders are returning to basic rules, seeking assets with real value—making the market safer.

CME Group: Protecting Monopoly Through Court

The operator of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, CME Group, is suing the regulator CFTC over permission granted to the Kalshi platform to launch perpetual futures. The CME head appeals to investor protection, comparing high leverage to the 2008 mortgage crisis. However, CME holds exclusive licenses for the key benchmarks on which futures are built. The logic of the lawsuit: "We control the benchmarks, so new instruments should trade with us." A similar pattern is seen with ICE, demanding "equal rules" due to the growth of the Hyperliquid platform.

Destruction of Communication Privacy: A Global Trend

The UK is preparing a law banning social media (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) for citizens under 16. In France and the EU, an initiative is advancing for mass scanning of personal messages before they are sent. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, governments are forcing a renunciation of the right to privacy. As Pavel Durov noted, weakening encryption will not stop criminals—they will write their own closed applications. Ordinary citizens will be hit, and corporate networks will become vulnerable to hackers. To maintain privacy, users will have to switch to decentralized services.

Expert Commentary: This week showed that regulators and major players are actively reshaping the rules of the game. Tether demonstrates how to circumvent strict norms, and SBF shows that even in prison, one can plan for billions. But the main takeaway is: the market is moving toward greater legalization and security, and investors should reconsider their strategies in favor of assets with fundamental value. Decentralization is becoming not just a trend, but a necessity.