The World Crypto Report – Details, episodes & analysis

This is the final episode of The World Crypto Report. Thank you for listening!

The People's Bank of China reiterates that crypto is not legal money, dashing hopes for a policy reversal while launching a new crackdown on speculative trading (1:34). South Korean firm AhnLab attributes the Upbit hack to North Korean operatives, highlighting a sophisticated campaign targeting exchange infrastructure (4:09).

Facing a saturated market, CoinShares withdraws its U.S. applications for XRP, Litecoin, and Solana ETFs ahead of its Nasdaq listing (6:29). And we look at Brazil's central bank new strict anti-money laundering compliance measures for stablecoins, set to take effect in February (8:26).

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

Abrams, Zack. "China's Central Bank Reaffirms Crypto Ban, Flags Stablecoin Risks Following Multi-Agency Meeting." The Block, 29 November 2025, https://www.theblock.co/post/380811/chinas-central-bank-reaffirms-crypto-ban-flags-stablecoin-risks-following-multi-agency-meeting.

Alper, Tim. "Chinese Central Bank Doubles Down on Crypto Crackdown as Speculation Resurfaces." DL News, 30 November 2025, https://www.dlnews.com/articles/regulation/chinese-central-bank-to-continue-crypto-crackdown/.

Ka-Young, Lee. "Lazarus, Kimsuky Behind 58 Attacks Targeting South Korea." The Chosun Daily, 30 November 2025, https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2025/11/30/FZDOLNX2BNHWZIPTMWPQNEBKAA/.

Ruvic, Dado. "CoinShares Pulls Plug on Select Crypto ETFs Ahead of US Listing." Reuters, 30 November 2025, https://www.reuters.com/business/coinshares-pulls-plug-select-crypto-etfs-ahead-us-listing-2025-11-28/.

Thomas, Nick. "Brazil Just Closed a Major Crypto Loophole—and Stablecoin Users Should Pay Attention." Benzinga, 29 November 2025, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brazil-just-closed-major-crypto-020104598.html.

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 security incident at South Korea's biggest crypto exchange triggers emergency safeguards and ripples across Solana-linked assets (1:15). Alt5 Sigma faces a flurry of executive turnover as it deepens ties to a headline-grabbing token project (3:56).

Plus: signs that Venezuela's oil trade is leaning more heavily on dollar-pegged stablecoins, pushing sanctions policy into a new era (5:56). And new data points to a stealth revival of Bitcoin mining inside China, even as miner revenues remain under pressure and companies shift compute toward AI and high-performance workloads (8:42).

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

Abdullahi, Aminu. "Crypto Exchange Upbit Suffers Security Breach After $10B Deal." Tech Republic, 27 November 2025, https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-upbit-security-breach/.

Cuthbertson, Anthony. "China's Bitcoin Mining Industry Sees Massive Growth Despite Crypto Ban." Datacenter Dynamics, 27 November 2025, https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/chinas-bitcoin-mining-industry-sees-massive-growth-despite-crypto-ban/.

Mutuma, Maxwell. "Alt5 Sigma Fires CEO, COO Amid Legal Woes Tied to Trump Crypto Deal." CoinCentral, 27 November 2025, https://coincentral.com/alt5-sigma-fires-ceo-coo-amid-legal-woes-tied-to-trump-crypto-deal/.

Nikoladze, Maia. "How Venezuela Uses Crypto to Cell Oil—and What the US Should Do About It." The New Atlanticist, 25 November 2025, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/how-venezuela-uses-crypto-to-sell-oil-and-what-the-us-should-do-about-it/.

Rodrigues, Francisco. "Trump Family-Linked Alt5 Sigma Ousts Top Execs After CEO Suspension Shakes Up Leadership." CoinDesk, 27 November 2025, https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/11/27/trump-family-linked-alt5-sigma-ousts-top-execs-after-ceo-suspension-shakes-up-leadership.

Sinha, Anand. "Popular Crypto Company Hit by Another Major Hack Exactly Six Years Later." The Street, 27 November 2025, https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/popular-crypto-company-loses-millions-in-hack-after-10b-deal.

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.

China's shadow finance brokers are quietly becoming some of the most important players in crypto-powered crime: moving cartel proceeds, fentanyl-related payments, and offshored wealth through a mix of cash, coins, and capital controls arbitrage (1:23).

From there, we turn to a growing law-enforcement response (3:31). In the United States, prosecutors are exposing North Korean IT workers hiding inside remote tech jobs and routing salaries back to a sanctioned regime, while seizing tens of millions of dollars' worth of stablecoins tied to hacks and fraud. In Southeast Asia, Thai authorities, working with the U.S. Secret Service and Tether, smash a cross-border scam ring and lock up millions in digital assets.

We also break down Japan's potential tax and regulatory overhaul, which could reclassify over a hundred crypto assets as financial products (5:12). And we close with Bitcoin miner Bitfarm's big strategic pivot: a plan to transform its energy infrastructure into AI data centers hosting high-end Nvidia hardware (6:51).

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

Alper, Tim. "Japanese Crypto Tax Relief in Sight as Regulator Set to Classify Bitcoin as 'Financial Product'." DL News, 16 November 2025, https://www.dlnews.com/articles/regulation/japanese-crypto-tax-relief-in-sight-as-regulator-set-to-classify-bitcoin-as-financial-product/.

Ayan, Amin. "Crypto Emerges as Key Tool in China's Money Laundering Networks: Report." Cryptonews, 16 November 2025, https://cryptonews.com/news/crypto-emerges-as-key-tool-in-chinas-money-laundering-networks-report/.

Hamilton, Jesse. "U.S. DOJ Pursues North Korea's Illicit Money Machine, Seizes More Crypto." CoinDesk, 14 November 2025, https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/11/14/u-s-doj-pursues-north-korea-s-illicit-money-machine-seizes-more-crypto.

Morales, Jowi. "Major Bitcoin Mining Firm Pivoting to AI, Plans to Fully Abandon Crypto Mining by 2027 as Miners Convert to AI en Masse — Bitfarm to Leverage 341 Megawatt Capacity for AI Following $46 Million Q3 Loss." Tom's Hardware, 16 November 2025, https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cryptomining/major-bitcoin-mining-firm-pivoting-to-ai-plans-to-fully-abandon-crypto-mining-by-2027-bitfarm-to-leverage-341-megawatt-capacity-for-ai-following-usd46-million-q3-loss.

Westmore, Kathryn. "Research Paper 36: Flying Money, Hidden Threat: Understanding the Growth of Chinese Money Laundering Organisations." Serious Organised Crime & Anti Corruption Evidence Research Programme, November 2025, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63e4aef3ae07ad445eed03b5/t/6901d732787278321638e6da/1761728306567/36RP_Westmore_Flying+Money+Hidden+Threat_Nov+2025_FINAL.pdf.

Zimwara, Terence. "Tether Assists Global Law Enforcement in $12M Crypto Crime Bust." Bitcoin.com News, 17 November 2025, https://news.bitcoin.com/tether-assists-global-law-enforcement-in-12m-crypto-crime-bust/.

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 UK crypto startup collapses (0:51), Europe tightens its grip on crypto firms (2:26), and U.S. investors double down on digital assets (4:17). Meanwhile, the Tornado Cash trial could set a precedent for software developers everywhere (5:49).

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:

Collapsed Crypto Firm Ziglu Faces $2.7M Deficit Amid Special Administration. Amin Haqshanas. CoinTelegraph.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/ziglu-crypto-collapse-2-7m-shortfall-savers-risk-loss

European Securities Regulator Warns About Crypto Firms Misleading Customers. Elizabeth Howcroft. Reuters.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/european-securities-regulator-warns-about-crypto-firms-misleading-customers/ar-AA1IpOtP

Affluent Individuals & Crypto: What Do They Really Want? CoinShares (PDF).

https://coinshares.com/en/d/insights/survey/us-investors-survey-06-2025/

Tornado Cash Made Crypto Anonymous. Now One of Its Creators Faces Trial. Joel Khalili. Wired.

https://www.wired.com/story/roman-storm-tornado-cash-crypto-trial/

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

Robinhood faces scrutiny in Florida over whether it misled users on crypto trading costs (1:09). The SEC unlocks new ETF opportunities beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum (2:43). Greece freezes crypto tied to a North Korean-linked hack in a landmark enforcement case (4:02). And Bhutan goes all-in on digital payments, with Binance Pay accepted across more than 1,000 businesses (5:34).

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:

Robinhood's Crypto Trading Promotions Probed by Florida AG. Kirk Ogunrinde. Bloomberg.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/robinhood-crypto-trading-promotions-probed-223920235.html

The SEC Opened the 'Floodgates' for Crypto ETFs, Experts Say, Marking a New Era for the Industry. Nino Paoli. Fortune.

https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/07/10/sec-atkins-trump-gensler-etf-crypto-investing-business/

First-Ever Crypto Seizure in Greece: How Chainalysis Reactor Helped Authorities Recover Funds from the $1.5B Bybit Hack. Chainalysis Team. Chainalysis Company Blog.

https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/greece-first-ever-crypto-seizure-bybit-hack-2025/

Bhutan Partners with Binance Pay to Cement Crypto-Enabled Travel. Olivia Palamountain. Globetrender.

https://globetrender.com/2025/07/10/bhutan-partners-binance-pay-cement-crypto-enabled-travel/

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

Two men face federal charges in a $650 million crypto scheme tied to OmegaPro (1:05). Meanwhile, SaruTobi reboots on iOS with native Bitcoin Lightning payments (2:40), Ripple teams up with BNY Mellon on stablecoin custody (4:13), and the SEC's Hester Peirce reminds the industry: tokenized stocks still count as securities (5:40).

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:

Two Men Charged in $650 million OmegaPro Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme. Carlos Robles. BNO News.

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2025/07/two-men-charged-in-650-million-omegapro-cryptocurrency-fraud-scheme/

OmegaPro Founder and Promoter Charged for Running Global $650M Foreign Exchange and Crypto Investment Scam. Office of Public Affairs. Department of Justice.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/omegapro-founder-and-promoter-charged-running-global-650m-foreign-exchange-and-crypto

Apple Approves 'SaruTobi' Game for iOS with Cryptocurrency In-App Purchases. Andrew Orr. Apple Insider.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/09/apple-approves-sarutobi-game-for-ios-with-cryptocurrency-in-app-purchases

BNY Mellon Will Have Custody of Ripple's New Stablecoin as Institutional Interest in Crypto Swells. Tanaya Macheel. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/09/bny-mellon-will-have-custody-of-ripples-new-stablecoin.html

SEC's 'Crypto Mom' Says Tokenized Securities Are Still Securities. Chris Prentice. Reuters.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/secs-crypto-mom-says-tokenized-201203683.html

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

Trump Media is going all-in on crypto with a new ETF filing, but questions about political entanglements remain (0:52). Meanwhile, ReserveOne is preparing to go public in a billion-dollar SPAC merger, led by veterans from both Wall Street and the crypto world (2:32). We also say goodbye to Akon City, the $6 billion crypto-powered vision that never got off the ground (3:53). And Kraken cements its ties to Wyoming, naming Cheyenne as its U.S. headquarters (5:29).

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 Media files for 'Crypto Blue Chip ETF' with SEC. Alan Suderman. Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-crypto-etf-bitcoin-ripple-fb17cef26a8ff211a7a410cbdb8013fe

ReserveOne, Backed by Crypto Heavyweights, Set to Raise Over $1 Billion in Nasdaq Listing. Niket Nishant. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/business/reserveone-backed-by-crypto-heavyweights-set-raise-over-1-billion-nasdaq-listing-2025-07-08/

Akon's $6 Billion Crypto City in Senegal Abandoned. Wren Graves. Consequence.

https://consequence.net/2025/07/akon-city-senegal-cryptocurrency-abandoned/

Wyoming landed one of crypto's biggest names. Here's what that means for the state. CJ Baker. WyoFile.

https://wyofile.com/wyoming-landed-one-of-cryptos-biggest-names-heres-what-that-means-for-the-state/

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 is finally moving toward real crypto ETF regulation, but will the timeline get shorter—and the rules clearer (0:49)? Meanwhile, FTX creditors in restricted countries may not see their money anytime soon (2:19), and Brazil continues its strategic push to become a global crypto leader (3:43). And if you were hoping for a UAE residency visa via Toncoin staking… not so fast (5:32).

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:

US SEC's Guidance Is First Step Toward Rules Governing Crypto ETFs. Suzanne McGee. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-secs-guidance-is-first-step-toward-rules-governing-crypto-etfs-2025-07-07/

FTX's Chinese Customers in Limbo Over Local Crypto Crackdown. Becky Yerak. Wall Street Journal.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftxs-chinese-customers-in-limbo-over-local-crypto-crackdown-6d230a67

Brazil's Crypto Market Strengthens with Arrival of New Players. Osvaldo Silva. United Press International.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/07/07/brazil-brazil-cryptocurrency-webull/9301751899947/

TON Cryptocurrency Plunges After UAE Authorities Refute Golden Visa Claims. Arslan Butt. FX Leaders.

https://www.fxleaders.com/news/2025/07/07/ton-cryptocurrency-plunges-after-uae-authorities-refute-golden-visa-claims/

No Golden Visa for Digital Currency Investors in UAE, Authorities Clarify. Emirates News Agency, WAM.

https://www.wam.ae/a/15nmo29

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 launches "Crypto Week" with bills that could reshape U.S. digital asset regulation. We cover the legislation that aims to ban a federal CBDC, clarify crypto rules, and boost innovation (0:58). Also in the mix: a Trump-themed scam leads to a federal crypto seizure (2:32), a dormant Bitcoin whale suddenly moves $8.6 billion (3:58), and the UAE opens its doors to Toncoin holders with a new Golden Visa (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:

House Announces Week of July 14th as "Crypto Week". United States House Committee on Financial Services.

https://financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=410793

Trump Inaugural Impersonators Scammed Donors Out of Crypto, Feds Say. Salvador Rodriguez. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/04/trump-cryptocurrency-ethereum-tokens.html

Bitcoin Investor Moves $8 Billion Worth of Crypto after 14 Years, Originally Bought for Less than $210,000 — 80,000 BTC Transferred from Dormant Satoshi-Era Wallet. Hassam Nasir. Tom's Hardware.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cryptocurrency/satoshi-era-bitcoin-investor-moves-usd8-billion-worth-of-crypto-after-14-years-80-000-btc-originally-bought-for-less-than-usd200-000

The UAE's Golden Visa: A Passport to Crypto Freedom? OneSafe Company Blog.

https://www.onesafe.io/blog/uae-golden-visa-crypto-holders

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

Robinhood's new crypto offering in the EU faces backlash from OpenAI (0:58). Senator Cynthia Lummis introduces a bill to simplify crypto taxes and legitimize everyday transactions (2:31). The IMF shuts down Pakistan's plan to support crypto mining with cheap power (4:14). And Ripple applies for a U.S. banking license to bring its stablecoin under federal oversight (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:

OpenAI Condemns Robinhood's 'OpenAI Tokens'. Maxwell Zeff. TechCrunch.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/openai-condemns-robinhoods-openai-tokens/

Senate Republican Unveils Digital Assets Taxation Package. Julia Shapero. The Hill.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5384081-cynthia-lummis-crypto-tax-legislation/

IMF Rejects Pakistan's Proposal to Subsidize Electricity for Crypto Mining. Profit by Pakistan Today.

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2025/07/03/imf-rejects-pakistans-proposal-to-subsidise-electricity-for-crypto-mining/

Ripple Seeks a U.S. Banking License, Adding to List of Crypto Companies. Vicky Ge Huang. Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/ripple-seeks-a-u-s-banking-license-adding-to-list-of-crypto-companies-e007afa4

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