Roger Ver, an early Bitcoin advocate, has reached a tentative deferred-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle fraud and tax evasion charges, agreeing to pay roughly $48 million in restitution, according to The New York Times.
The case, filed in 2024, accused Ver of failing to pay taxes owed on his digital currency holdings after renouncing his U.S. citizenship. Under the proposed terms, Ver’s charges would be dropped if he complies with the agreement’s conditions.
The deal has not yet been filed with the court and remains subject to change, according to people familiar with the matter. The case underscores shifting enforcement dynamics under the Trump administration, which has scaled back elements of the government’s broader crypto crackdown even as it resolves longstanding cases tied to tax compliance.
The case, filed in 2024, accused Ver of failing to pay taxes owed on his digital currency holdings after renouncing his U.S. citizenship. Under the proposed terms, Ver’s charges would be dropped if he complies with the agreement’s conditions.
The deal has not yet been filed with the court and remains subject to change, according to people familiar with the matter. The case underscores shifting enforcement dynamics under the Trump administration, which has scaled back elements of the government’s broader crypto crackdown even as it resolves longstanding cases tied to tax compliance.
Avalanche is gaining ground as a preferred blockchain for governments and institutional investors, even as its native token continues to lag far below its all-time high.
During the past quarter, Wyoming’s Stable Token Commission issued the first government-backed stablecoin, the Frontier Stable Token (FRNT), on Avalanche and six other public blockchains, signaling a growing adoption of blockchain networks by governments.
FRNT launched as a fully collateralized stablecoin backed by US dollars and short-duration US Treasury bills with a mandated 102% reserve requirement, Cointelegraph reported in August.
Avalanche has also attracted traditional finance players. SkyBridge Capital, the investment firm led by Anthony Scaramucci, pledged to tokenize $300 million worth of hedge fund capital on the network. Crypto analytics firm Nansen described the trend as “quietly turning TradFi and gov tech into onchain reality,” adding, “DeFi just got institutional.”
During the past quarter, Wyoming’s Stable Token Commission issued the first government-backed stablecoin, the Frontier Stable Token (FRNT), on Avalanche and six other public blockchains, signaling a growing adoption of blockchain networks by governments.
FRNT launched as a fully collateralized stablecoin backed by US dollars and short-duration US Treasury bills with a mandated 102% reserve requirement, Cointelegraph reported in August.
Avalanche has also attracted traditional finance players. SkyBridge Capital, the investment firm led by Anthony Scaramucci, pledged to tokenize $300 million worth of hedge fund capital on the network. Crypto analytics firm Nansen described the trend as “quietly turning TradFi and gov tech into onchain reality,” adding, “DeFi just got institutional.”
The long list of crypto companies hitting the open market this year may have just added another name.
On Wednesday, Consensys, the creator of the crypto wallet MetaMask, selected Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan as underwriters for its upcoming public listing ambitions, Axios reported.
Consensys, which was last valued at $7 billion in 2022, would join stablecoin firm Circle, crypto exchange Gemini, and a slew of other crypto companies in entering the public markets this year.
“Consensys is constantly exploring opportunities to expand its impact,” a Consensys spokesperson told DL News. They neither denied nor affirmed the reports.
On Wednesday, Consensys, the creator of the crypto wallet MetaMask, selected Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan as underwriters for its upcoming public listing ambitions, Axios reported.
Consensys, which was last valued at $7 billion in 2022, would join stablecoin firm Circle, crypto exchange Gemini, and a slew of other crypto companies in entering the public markets this year.
“Consensys is constantly exploring opportunities to expand its impact,” a Consensys spokesperson told DL News. They neither denied nor affirmed the reports.
Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade has passed its final testnet and is set to launch on the mainnet around December 3.
The update will lower transaction costs and improve efficiency by expanding blob storage and implementing PeerDAS, which boosts layer-2 scalability.
Developers have said the change could increase blob space by over 400%, marking a major step toward faster, cheaper Ethereum transactions.
The update will lower transaction costs and improve efficiency by expanding blob storage and implementing PeerDAS, which boosts layer-2 scalability.
Developers have said the change could increase blob space by over 400%, marking a major step toward faster, cheaper Ethereum transactions.
Some of the leading privacy coins are defying the gravity of the digital asset market, signaling growing investor demand for privacy-focused cryptocurrencies.
Zcash ZEC$430.52 surged to an over eight-year high of $388 on Friday after rising 7.6% in the last 24 hours, according to data aggregator CoinMarketCap. With a $6.2 billion market capitalization at the time of writing, ZEC flipped Monero XMR$342.05 to become the most valuable privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
ZEC’s 45% weekly rise bucked the broader crypto market downturn, which continued its consolidation after a much-awaited tariff deal between the US and China failed to materialize on Thursday.
The rally suggested renewed investor appetite for privacy-focused coins, which are designed to conceal user transaction details.
Zcash ZEC$430.52 surged to an over eight-year high of $388 on Friday after rising 7.6% in the last 24 hours, according to data aggregator CoinMarketCap. With a $6.2 billion market capitalization at the time of writing, ZEC flipped Monero XMR$342.05 to become the most valuable privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
ZEC’s 45% weekly rise bucked the broader crypto market downturn, which continued its consolidation after a much-awaited tariff deal between the US and China failed to materialize on Thursday.
The rally suggested renewed investor appetite for privacy-focused coins, which are designed to conceal user transaction details.
The T3 FCU was launched in September 2024. It is a public-private initiative designed to detect, trace, and disrupt illicit activity using cryptocurrencies.
The milestone highlights the growing role of coordinated blockchain monitoring in tackling financial crime. It also reinforces trust across the digital asset ecosystem. Let’s discover more about Tether’s T3 FCU.
Since its inception, T3 FCU has supported law enforcement agencies across 23 jurisdictions, assisting in cases involving money laundering, fraud, hacks, terrorism financing, and organized crime. A notable example is its work with the Brazilian Federal Police in Operation Lusocoin. It targeted large-scale money laundering and currency evasion through crypto. The operation resulted in the freezing of over R$3 billion in assets, including 4.3 million USDT linked to the criminal group. This demonstrates the effectiveness of combining blockchain analytics with law enforcement expertise.
The milestone highlights the growing role of coordinated blockchain monitoring in tackling financial crime. It also reinforces trust across the digital asset ecosystem. Let’s discover more about Tether’s T3 FCU.
Since its inception, T3 FCU has supported law enforcement agencies across 23 jurisdictions, assisting in cases involving money laundering, fraud, hacks, terrorism financing, and organized crime. A notable example is its work with the Brazilian Federal Police in Operation Lusocoin. It targeted large-scale money laundering and currency evasion through crypto. The operation resulted in the freezing of over R$3 billion in assets, including 4.3 million USDT linked to the criminal group. This demonstrates the effectiveness of combining blockchain analytics with law enforcement expertise.
Crypto’s relationship with Washington is rapidly evolving as the industry takes a more assertive role in US politics, signaling a shift from outsider status to growing influence across the federal landscape. This week on Byte-Sized Insight, we examine how lobbying, political spending and access are reshaping crypto’s presence in the Capitol and what that may mean for decentralization, market competition and future policy.
The recent presidential pardon of Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao catalyzed the conversation, prompting scrutiny into whether crypto’s expanding political footprint is driving outcomes. While some industry figures framed the case as government overreach, critics pointed to lobbying pressure and high-level connections as evidence of swelling influence.
Against that backdrop, crypto advocacy in Washington has accelerated dramatically. According to data shared with Cointelegraph, lobbying expenditures by crypto-aligned entities have climbed sharply since 2021.
The recent presidential pardon of Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao catalyzed the conversation, prompting scrutiny into whether crypto’s expanding political footprint is driving outcomes. While some industry figures framed the case as government overreach, critics pointed to lobbying pressure and high-level connections as evidence of swelling influence.
Against that backdrop, crypto advocacy in Washington has accelerated dramatically. According to data shared with Cointelegraph, lobbying expenditures by crypto-aligned entities have climbed sharply since 2021.
Bitcoin shed another 3% of its value this afternoon after its price dipped to $100,175. That’s lowest level since May.
Since 2018 the cryptocurrency hasn’t seen this type of price action, prompting analysts to say that “Red October” continues to haunt the market.
Ethereum, meanwhile, has lost 20% of its value in the past month. Trading at about $3,300, according to CoinGecko, Ether has erased all of its gains for the year.
For macro analyst, Alex Krüger, there’s five reasons behind the ongoing dump.
“Equities, traders, digital asset treasuries, Federal Open Market Committee, and the October 10 crash,” Krüger told DL News.
“Time,” he added. “Needs time.”
Indeed, it’s not a good time to be a risk asset. Investors continue to wonder when the US government shutdown will end, the US and China trade war has simmered but isn’t over yet, and there are still concerns whether the Federal Reserve meeting in December will bring additional interest rate cuts.
Since 2018 the cryptocurrency hasn’t seen this type of price action, prompting analysts to say that “Red October” continues to haunt the market.
Ethereum, meanwhile, has lost 20% of its value in the past month. Trading at about $3,300, according to CoinGecko, Ether has erased all of its gains for the year.
For macro analyst, Alex Krüger, there’s five reasons behind the ongoing dump.
“Equities, traders, digital asset treasuries, Federal Open Market Committee, and the October 10 crash,” Krüger told DL News.
“Time,” he added. “Needs time.”
Indeed, it’s not a good time to be a risk asset. Investors continue to wonder when the US government shutdown will end, the US and China trade war has simmered but isn’t over yet, and there are still concerns whether the Federal Reserve meeting in December will bring additional interest rate cuts.
Bitcoin price declined bellow $101,000 as the U.S. shutdown broke a new history, scaring investors.Ethereum erases 2025 gains while Sequans cuts Bitcoin holdings amid crisis.Schiff mocks Bitcoin’s weakness versus gold.
With the U.S. government shutdown entering its 34th day (the longest U.S. government shutdown to date), Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have continued to drop. The political stalemate has scared off investors, as the risk-averse mood gripped the markets and accelerated the crypto price drops.
According to the data provided by TradingView, BTC price has declined 5.6% in the last 24 hours to approximately $100,547 at the time of writing. This represents its lowest price in four months.
Ethereum dropped more than 7%, sliding below $3,340, a level that erased its year-to-date gains. Both assets have now lost nearly a fifth of their value in just one week.
With the U.S. government shutdown entering its 34th day (the longest U.S. government shutdown to date), Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have continued to drop. The political stalemate has scared off investors, as the risk-averse mood gripped the markets and accelerated the crypto price drops.
According to the data provided by TradingView, BTC price has declined 5.6% in the last 24 hours to approximately $100,547 at the time of writing. This represents its lowest price in four months.
Ethereum dropped more than 7%, sliding below $3,340, a level that erased its year-to-date gains. Both assets have now lost nearly a fifth of their value in just one week.
A Spanish public research institute is preparing to sell a long-forgotten Bitcoin stash, worth over $10 million, which was purchased for just $10,000 in 2012 as part of a blockchain research project.
The Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER), overseen by the Tenerife Island Council, acquired 97 Bitcoin BTC$101,720 more than a decade ago to study blockchain technology. The council is now finalizing plans to divest the holdings, according to a report from Spanish-language newspaper El Día.
Juan José Martínez, Tenerife’s innovation councillor, told the outlet that the council is working with a Spanish financial institution authorized by the Bank of Spain and the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) to facilitate the sale.
Most banks in Europe still refuse to handle Bitcoin transactions due to regulatory and volatility risks, complicating the process for the research center to offload its Bitcoin holdings.
The Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER), overseen by the Tenerife Island Council, acquired 97 Bitcoin BTC$101,720 more than a decade ago to study blockchain technology. The council is now finalizing plans to divest the holdings, according to a report from Spanish-language newspaper El Día.
Juan José Martínez, Tenerife’s innovation councillor, told the outlet that the council is working with a Spanish financial institution authorized by the Bank of Spain and the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) to facilitate the sale.
Most banks in Europe still refuse to handle Bitcoin transactions due to regulatory and volatility risks, complicating the process for the research center to offload its Bitcoin holdings.
Crucial Bitcoin Bullish Metric Turns Positive, Imminent Rebound?Bitcoin falls below $100,000, but crucial indicator signals potential rally ahead.
The Bitcoin price is consolidating around $100,000 after days of experiencing price volatility. Amid the ongoing drawdown, analysts have spotlighted a key metric that has turned positive, potentially leading to a price reversal.
The Bitcoin price is consolidating around $100,000 after days of experiencing price volatility. Amid the ongoing drawdown, analysts have spotlighted a key metric that has turned positive, potentially leading to a price reversal.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Kazakhstan is eyeing a national cryptocurrency reserve fund between $500 million and $1 billion. Part of the funds will come from assets that were seized and brought back from other countries.
Central Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said that the fund’s investments will include ETFs and shares of companies involved with digital currencies. It will be “very careful about direct exposure to cryptocurrencies,” he said.
The fund is expected to be launched by early 2026.The central bank is also considering investing portions of its gold and foreign exchange reserves, as well as National Fund assets, in crypto-related investments. The national bank governor had noted that while such assets could offer high returns, they are highly volatile and would be carefully considered.
Officials had earlier suggested that the fund could gather assets from seized crypto wallets and tokens mined through state-run operations.
Central Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said that the fund’s investments will include ETFs and shares of companies involved with digital currencies. It will be “very careful about direct exposure to cryptocurrencies,” he said.
The fund is expected to be launched by early 2026.The central bank is also considering investing portions of its gold and foreign exchange reserves, as well as National Fund assets, in crypto-related investments. The national bank governor had noted that while such assets could offer high returns, they are highly volatile and would be carefully considered.
Officials had earlier suggested that the fund could gather assets from seized crypto wallets and tokens mined through state-run operations.
Bitwise has taken a procedural leap that could see its spot Dogecoin ETF go live by late November, signalling a turning point for both regulatory practice and the mainstream acceptance of meme coins.
The asset manager updated its S-1 registration under Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, removing a delaying amendment that kept the fund from automatically becoming effective.
This change started a 20-day countdown, meaning the fund could launch unless the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) intervenes.
If unchallenged, the ETF could start trading around 26 November, marking a new milestone in digital-asset regulation.
The asset manager updated its S-1 registration under Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, removing a delaying amendment that kept the fund from automatically becoming effective.
This change started a 20-day countdown, meaning the fund could launch unless the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) intervenes.
If unchallenged, the ETF could start trading around 26 November, marking a new milestone in digital-asset regulation.
Excitement in the crypto community is growing over the potential launch of XRP funds, as the US Senate advances a deal aimed at ending the longest-ever government shutdown.
The Senate reportedly reached a deal on a budget bill to end the government shutdown on Sunday, sending a bullish signal to numerous markets, including crypto.
The XRP XRP$2.48 community is anticipating multiple XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to launch shortly, with several already appearing on the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) website ahead of a possible launch this month.
The price of XRP has rallied more than 12% on the bullish news over the past 24 hours, with the token trading at $2.56 at the time of publication, according to CoinGecko.
The Senate reportedly reached a deal on a budget bill to end the government shutdown on Sunday, sending a bullish signal to numerous markets, including crypto.
The XRP XRP$2.48 community is anticipating multiple XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to launch shortly, with several already appearing on the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) website ahead of a possible launch this month.
The price of XRP has rallied more than 12% on the bullish news over the past 24 hours, with the token trading at $2.56 at the time of publication, according to CoinGecko.
MARA Holdings CEO Fred Thiel warned that Bitcoin mining margins are shrinking as rising energy costs pressure the industry. Many Bitcoin mining firms are expanding into AI hosting to address these energy demands and maintain profitability.
Thiel highlighted how competition for power resources from AI and high-performance computing operations is creating additional cost pressures for Bitcoin miners. Smaller mining operations face particular challenges as energy expenses climb.
MARA has been leveraging its existing infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing services to offset declining mining profitability. The company is positioning itself to support both Bitcoin operations and AI compute needs as the sectors compete for the same energy resources.
Leading Bitcoin mining firms are increasingly hosting AI operations to prepare for future Bitcoin halvings and maintain revenue streams.
Thiel highlighted how competition for power resources from AI and high-performance computing operations is creating additional cost pressures for Bitcoin miners. Smaller mining operations face particular challenges as energy expenses climb.
MARA has been leveraging its existing infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing services to offset declining mining profitability. The company is positioning itself to support both Bitcoin operations and AI compute needs as the sectors compete for the same energy resources.
Leading Bitcoin mining firms are increasingly hosting AI operations to prepare for future Bitcoin halvings and maintain revenue streams.
Bitcoin and the broader financial markets are flying blind after the White House confirmed October’s critical inflation and jobs data will likely not be released, creating a macro overhang and further complicating the Federal Reserve's policy decisions this year.
"The Democrats may have permanently damaged the Federal Statistical system with October CPI and jobs reports likely never being released," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly said Wednesday, as cited by CNBC. "All of that economic data released will be permanently impaired, leaving our policymakers at the Fed flying blind at a critical period."
The White House placed the blame squarely on the longest-running U.S. government shutdown in its 236-year history, after the Democrats argued for an extension to tax credits expiring at the end of the year that would lower costs for the millions of Americans relying on health coverage.
"The Democrats may have permanently damaged the Federal Statistical system with October CPI and jobs reports likely never being released," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly said Wednesday, as cited by CNBC. "All of that economic data released will be permanently impaired, leaving our policymakers at the Fed flying blind at a critical period."
The White House placed the blame squarely on the longest-running U.S. government shutdown in its 236-year history, after the Democrats argued for an extension to tax credits expiring at the end of the year that would lower costs for the millions of Americans relying on health coverage.
Crypto infrastructure platform Threshold has rolled out a major upgrade for its tBTC bridge, aimed at enticing institutions to put their billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin to work in decentralized finance protocols.
Threshold’s latest upgrade now enables institutions to mint tBTC directly to supported chains in a single Bitcoin BTC$96,764 transaction, without secondary approvals and without gas fees, while redemptions back to the Bitcoin network are equally as straightforward, Threshold said in a statement.
Threshold’s head of marketing, Rizza Carla Ramos, went into more depth in an interview with Cointelegraph at the Web Summit in Lisbon this week, explaining that the feature improvements could incentivize more Bitcoin-holding institutions to put their BTC to work in DeFi instead of just letting it sit there and waiting for it to appreciate:
“They’re going to be wanting lending, they want yields on it because if they’re investing for Bitcoin in the long run, you don’t just want it sitting there, right?
Threshold’s latest upgrade now enables institutions to mint tBTC directly to supported chains in a single Bitcoin BTC$96,764 transaction, without secondary approvals and without gas fees, while redemptions back to the Bitcoin network are equally as straightforward, Threshold said in a statement.
Threshold’s head of marketing, Rizza Carla Ramos, went into more depth in an interview with Cointelegraph at the Web Summit in Lisbon this week, explaining that the feature improvements could incentivize more Bitcoin-holding institutions to put their BTC to work in DeFi instead of just letting it sit there and waiting for it to appreciate:
“They’re going to be wanting lending, they want yields on it because if they’re investing for Bitcoin in the long run, you don’t just want it sitting there, right?
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, deposited 2,310 Bitcoin worth $222 million and 43,240 Ethereum worth around $137 million into Coinbase today. The transfer represents the latest institutional movement involving the two leading crypto assets amid ongoing ETF activity.
BlackRock’s recent Bitcoin and Ethereum deposits to Coinbase have sparked speculation about potential selling pressure following ETF outflows.
Roughly $867 million exited US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs yesterday, alongside $260 million withdrawn from Ethereum ETFs. BlackRock’s IBIT saw the largest daily outflow among crypto ETPs.
BlackRock’s recent Bitcoin and Ethereum deposits to Coinbase have sparked speculation about potential selling pressure following ETF outflows.
Roughly $867 million exited US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs yesterday, alongside $260 million withdrawn from Ethereum ETFs. BlackRock’s IBIT saw the largest daily outflow among crypto ETPs.