The World Crypto Report – Details, episodes & analysis

A teenage Canadian recruited by Russia’s FSB and paid in bitcoin (0:55). Shopify flips the switch on auto-enabled USDC payments (2:30). Coinbase adds Obama’s former campaign chief as crypto legislation gains steam (3:50). And Hong Kong tracks $1.1 billion in alleged laundering tied to crypto wallets (5:22).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Russia Recruited a Teenage Spy. His Arrest Led to a Crypto Money Trail. Mari Saito, Anna Koper, Anton Zverev, Filipp Lebedev, and Polina Nikolskaya. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/europe-espionage-teen-spy/

Shopify Partners with Coinbase and Stripe in Landmark Stablecoin Deal. Ben Weiss. Fortune.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shopify-partners-coinbase-stripe-landmark-182707374.html

Coinbase Adds Former Top Obama and Harris Adviser Plouffe as It Broadens Its Political Reach. Joey Cappelletti. Associated Press.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/wireStory/coinbase-adds-former-top-obama-harris-adviser-plouffe-122765127

Customs works with University of Hong Kong to develop crypto transaction tracer. Jess Ma. South China Morning Post.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3314187/customs-works-university-hong-kong-develop-crypto-transaction-tracer

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Congress inches closer to a crypto regulatory breakthrough, with new momentum behind the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts (1:02). We also have updates on a harrowing Bitcoin-related kidnapping in Manhattan (2:37), Stripe’s latest crypto acquisition (4:03), and Connecticut’s move to ban government involvement in digital assets (5:35).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Landmark Crypto Bill Moves Closer to Passage in Senate. Jasper Goodman. Politico.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/11/congress/landmark-crypto-bill-moves-closer-to-passage-in-senate-00400472

2 House Panels Advance Crypto Market Structure Bill. Julia Shapero. The Hill.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5344328-house-panel-advances-crypto-oversight/

Photos Show Accuser in NYC Crypto Kidnapping Leaving House Freely, Defense Lawyers Say. Philip Marcelo. Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-crypto-kidnapping-torture-bitcoin-suspect-indicted-7e76c69217ba9f56973dbfaa33a01af2

Stripe Acquires Crypto Wallet Infrastructure Provider Privy. Duncan Riley. SiliconANGLE.

https://siliconangle.com/2025/06/11/stripe-acquires-crypto-wallet-infrastructure-provider-privy/

Connecticut Enacts Law Banning State Crypto Reserves, Investments. Timmy Shen. The Block.

https://www.theblock.co/post/357704/connecticut-bans-state-crypto-investments

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

The SEC ends its high-profile lawsuit against Binance (1:04), clarifies its stance on staking (2:20), and signals a broader shift in regulatory strategy. Meanwhile, U.S. agencies take aim at the infrastructure behind crypto investment scams, targeting a sanctioned Philippine firm (3:50) and a multimillion-dollar pig butchering ring linked to two Chinese nationals (5:41).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

SEC Drops Binance Lawsuit, Ending One of Last Remaining Crypto Enforcement Actions. MacKenzie Sigalos. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/29/sec-drops-binance-lawsuit-ending-one-of-last-remaining-crypto-actions.html

Statement on Certain Protocol Staking Activities. Division of Corporate Finance. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/statement-certain-protocol-staking-activities-052925

OFAC Sanctions Funnull Technology Inc. for Supporting Pig Butchering Scams. Chainalysis.

https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/ofac-sanctions-funnull-technology-pig-butchering-scams-may-2025/

Targeting a Major Backer of Virtual Currency Investment Scams. Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson. U.S. Department of State.

https://www.state.gov/targeting-a-major-backer-of-virtual-currency-investment-scams/

Treasury Takes Action Against Major Cyber Scam Facilitator. U.S. Department of the Treasury.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0149

Feds Target Chinese Couple Accused in $9 Million Crypto ‘Pig Butchering’ Scam. Trevor Hughes. USA Today.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/29/fbi-chinese-crypto-scam-pig-butchering/83905816007/

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Vice President JD Vance speaks at Bitcoin 2025 (1:03), and the Trump administration revokes Biden-era restrictions on digital assets in retirement accounts (2:22). Also: new malware is turning Docker containers into Dero miners (4:09), and we look at Michigan’s audacious new crypto legislation, which, if enacted, would do everything from creating a state-backed Bitcoin investment strategy to using abandoned oil wells for mining (5:36).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

At Las Vegas Bitcoin Event, VP Vance Urges Crypto Owners to Be Politically Active. Matthew Seeman. News 3, Las Vegas.

https://news3lv.com/news/local/vice-president-jd-vance-speaks-bitcoin-conference-las-vegas-cryptocurrency-event-nevada-politics-white-house-trump

Trump Withdraws Warning Against Cryptocurrency 401(k) Retirement Investing. Chris Benson. United Press International.

https://www.upi.com/amp/Top_News/US/2025/05/28/Trump-Labor-Department-cryptocurrency-401k-retirement-Chavez-DeRemer/1591748448371/

New Self-Spreading Malware Infects Docker Containers to Mine Dero Cryptocurrency. Ravie Lakshmanan. The Hacker News.

https://thehackernews.com/2025/05/new-self-spreading-malware-infects.html

Michigan Lawmakers Introduce Cryptocurrency Legislation. Trevor King. WLNS 6 News.

https://www.wlns.com/news/michigan-lawmakers-introduce-cryptocurrency-legislation/amp/

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Circle goes public (0:56). France arrests suspects behind a string of crypto kidnappings (2:38). North Carolina’s pension fund inches toward Bitcoin (3:56). And Thailand pushes to integrate crypto with tourist spending and capital markets (5:45).

From Wall Street to Bangkok, this is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Stablecoin Issuer Circle Files to Go Public. Anand Singha. The Street.

https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/stablecoin-issuer-circle-files-to-go-public

French Police Detain Twenty Suspects Over Cryptocurrency Kidnappings. Estelle Nilsson-Julien. Euro News.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/05/27/french-police-detain-twenty-suspects-over-cryptocurrency-kidnappings

North Carolina Considers Dipping a Toe into Cryptocurrency. Katelyn Cai. The Assembly.

https://www.theassemblync.com/business/cryptocurrency-north-carolina-state-pension/

Thailand Explores Crypto-Linked Credit Cards for Tourists. The Nation (Thailand).

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/digital-assets/40050484

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

A second suspect emerges in the shocking Manhattan crypto kidnapping case (0:57), while Thai police arrest a fugitive tied to a $300 million digital asset scam (2:27). Spain’s top banks move deeper into crypto under the EU’s MiCA rules (4:01), and Air Arabia embraces stablecoins for flight payments (5:31).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

2nd crypto suspect wanted in torture of Italian man expected to surrender to police. Eyewitness News ABC 7, New York.

https://abc7ny.com/post/2nd-crypto-suspect-wanted-torture-italian-business-partner-expected-surrender-police/16553486/

Vietnamese woman wanted by Interpol for massive cryptocurrency scam arrested in Bangkok. Việt Nam News.

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1718362/vietnamese-woman-wanted-by-interpol-for-massive-cryptocurrency-scam-arrested-in-bangkok.html

Spanish Banks Embrace Cryptocurrency Following Change in EU Regulation. Anindya Paul. Tech Story.

https://techstory.in/spanish-banks-embrace-cryptocurrency-following-change-in-eu-regulation/

Air Arabia becomes region’s first airline to accept crypto payments with AE Coin. Yara Abi Farraj. Economy Middle East.

https://economymiddleeast.com/news/air-arabia-becomes-regions-first-airline-accept-crypto-payments-ae-coin/

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Yet another crypto kidnapping – this time in Manhattan (1:02), a landmark court decision in South Africa that could open the floodgates for digital finance (2:36), and a cyberattack that drained $223 million from a major DeFi platform (3:56). Also: rural America goes to war with crypto miners over noise, power, and policy (5:15).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Crypto Investor Charged with Kidnapping and Torturing Man for Weeks. Maia Coleman and Chelsia Rose Marcius. New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/24/nyregion/crypto-investor-torture-italian-tourist.html

Wealthy ‘Crypto King' Turned NYC Townhouse into Torture Chamber to Gain Partner's Bitcoin, Sources Say. Marc Santia and Jonathan Dienst. NBC New York.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/manhattan-crypto-kidnapping-torture-bitcoin-password/6277345/

South African High Court Rules Cryptocurrency Not Subject to Capital Controls. Ledger Insights.

https://www.ledgerinsights.com/south-african-high-court-rules-cryptocurrency-not-subject-to-capital-controls/

Hacker Steals $223 million in Cetus Protocol Cryptocurrency Heist. Bill Toulas. Bleeping Computer.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hacker-steals-223-million-in-cetus-protocol-cryptocurrency-heist/amp/

The Bitcoin Hum That Is unsettling Trump's MAGA Heartlands. Mike Wendling. BBC.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2qg6e03l2o

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Donald Trump’s headline-grabbing crypto gala—and the nearly $400 million fueling his digital currency empire. Is it innovation or influence-peddling (0:54)? Plus, America’s biggest banks eye a joint stablecoin project (2:13), Kraken tokenizes US stocks for global users (3:38), and Australian retirees start to go big on Bitcoin (4:37).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Trump's Crypto Dinner: Black Ties, a Chinese Billionaire and Ethics Questions. Zac Anderson. USA Today.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/22/trump-crypto-dinner-ethics-meme-coin/83787117007/

Big Banks Explore Venturing into Crypto World Together with Joint Stablecoin. Gina Heeb and Justin Baer. Wall Street Journal.

https://www.wsj.com/finance/banking/crypto-stablecoin-big-banks-a841059e

Kraken to Offer Tokenized Securities, including Apple, Tesla, and Nvidia, to Customers outside the U.S. Kevin Williams. Quartz.

https://qz.com/kraken-backed-solana-tokenized-us-securities-1851782038

Research Reveals Baby Boomers, Retirees Invest in Cryptocurrency. Mackenzie Colohan. ABC News (Australia).

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-23/cryptocurrency-baby-boomers-retirees-investing-in-bitcoin/105084568

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

A Brooklyn jury convicts SafeMoon’s ex-CEO Braden Karony in a $40M fraud case that could set a new precedent for crypto crime enforcement (0:52), and the SEC targets Unicoin, a high-flying startup that claimed Caribbean real estate would back its future token (2:22). In Asia, Hong Kong greenlights a new licensing regime for stablecoins (4:17), and back in the U.S., NYC launches its own digital asset advisory council to bring crypto deeper into the city’s infrastructure (5:59).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

SafeMoon CEO Convicted of Looting Crypto Company. Pete Brush. Law 360 (free registration required).

https://www.law360.com/articles/2343312

SEC Sues Crypto Startup Unicoin and Its Executives for Fraud. Caitlin Ostroff and Alexander Osipovich. Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required).

https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/sec-sues-crypto-startup-unicoin-and-its-executives-for-fraud-b3df6276

Hong Kong Passes Stablecoin Law, Clearing Way for Licensed Issuers to Sell to Public. Enoch Yiu. South China Morning Post.

https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3311260/hong-kong-passes-stablecoin-law-clearing-way-licensed-issuers-sell-public

NYC Mayor Spells Out Big Plans for Crypto and Blockchain. Government Technology.

https://www.govtech.com/gov-experience/nyc-mayor-spells-out-big-plans-for-crypto-and-blockchain

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Texas advances a groundbreaking bill to build a state-managed bitcoin reserve (0:54). Argentina’s President Javier Milei dissolves a crypto task force investigating his ties to the failed $LIBRA token, amid mounting legal pressure (2:27). India’s Supreme Court demands a regulatory framework for digital assets (4:05). And in the U.S., a senator’s bitcoin investments spark ethics questions as new crypto legislation gains steam (5:50).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Texas Passes Measure to create a state crypto reserve as Bitcoin tops $105K. Trevor Bach. Dallas Morning News.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/economy/2025/05/20/texas-passes-measure-to-create-a-state-crypto-reserve-as-bitcoin-tops-105k/

Milei shutters office investigating ‘cryptogate’ $LIBRA scandal. Buenos Aires Times.

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/milei-shuts-office-investigating-cryptogate-libra-scandal.phtml

Supreme Court says cryptocurrency needs to be regulated, banning not an option. Ummar Jamal. Bar and Bench.

https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/supreme-court-says-cryptocurrency-needs-to-be-regulated-banning-not-an-option

Sen. Dave McCormick Is Legislating Crypto — And Making Money Off It. Samuel Larreal and Claire Heddles. NOTUS.

https://www.notus.org/senate/cryptocurrency-dave-mccormick-investments

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti