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The criminal case involving Aiden Pleterski, who claims to be the "King of Crypto" in Canada, related to a Ponzi scheme involving digital assets, will be submitted to the jury for deliberation after closing arguments this week. Presiding Judge Shaun Nakatsuru has given the jury final instructions, and the jury is set to begin deliberations on Thursday. Pleterski is accused of defrauding approximately $30 million from fans on social media between 2021 and 2022, and was charged with fraud in 2024, subsequently awaiting trial for over two years.In his closing arguments, Pleterski declared his innocence. He stated, "I am not guilty of these charges, which is why I am not pleading guilty. This would have been proven if I had not been forced to represent myself. That's all I have to say." Due to his choice to represent himself, he is acting on his own behalf in court. If convicted of fraud, he faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.In another criminal case, five men are charged with kidnapping and torturing Pleterski in 2022, some of whom are reportedly victims of his scheme. Defendant Deren Akyeam-Pong has pleaded guilty to nine charges and is awaiting sentencing. Pleterski is one of several figures in the crypto industry facing fraud charges; former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted in 2023 and is serving a 25-year sentence in the United States.

According to French media reports, three masked individuals broke into the home of a couple in their sixties in Mont-de-Marsan, Landes, France, threatening the two to hand over their cryptocurrency. The 63-year-old husband sustained a head injury, and the assailants subsequently took a laptop and a mobile phone.After the two victims managed to escape, they called the police and were sent to the hospital for examination. Preliminary police investigations suggest that the case may be related to the couple's son, who works in the cryptocurrency industry. Following the incident, their son has been placed under police protection. Currently, the three suspects are still at large, and the case is being investigated by the Bayonne judicial police.

On October 13, chip company Qualcomm announced in San Diego that a jury found Arm in violation of the long-standing architecture license agreement (ALA) with Qualcomm, failing to fulfill related commitments and deliberately disrupting Qualcomm's business.Qualcomm stated that, combined with the previous court victory, this outcome further indicates Arm's intention to harm Qualcomm and its ecosystem. Qualcomm called this result a victory for innovation and competition and will continue to develop and deliver semiconductor products, including the Oryon CPU.

Hyperliquid Labs confirmed to the Financial Times that its registered headquarters is located in Singapore, but the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) stated that due to Hyperliquid's decentralized nature, it does not consider the platform to fall under its regulatory jurisdiction. MAS indicated that it is not aware of Hyperliquid being regulated in any major jurisdiction.Hyperliquid stated that it is currently in an unregulated status, has never claimed to have obtained permission or authorization from MAS, and is willing to engage in constructive cooperation with regulatory authorities. According to FT, a team of about 11 people led by co-founder Jeff Yan has relocated to Singapore in 2024, and company documents along with recent recruitment information also indicate that it has an office in Singapore.Previously, on June 26, MAS had listed Hyperliquid on its investor warning list, which is used to alert the public about entities that may be mistakenly believed to be licensed or regulated by MAS. Hyperliquid responded at that time that being listed does not constitute a ban, enforcement action, or determination of misconduct, and described itself as an unlicensed infrastructure. Singapore will require local companies providing digital token services only to overseas clients to obtain a license starting from June 30, 2025, and MAS stated that such licenses will only be issued in very limited circumstances.

Argentina has agreed to implement the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) established by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), planning to automatically exchange cryptocurrency transaction data with other jurisdictions by 2029. Currently, 77 jurisdictions have joined this framework.According to the framework, virtual asset service providers must report user identity information, as well as data on cryptocurrency transactions using fiat currency, digital asset exchanges, digital asset payments, and transfers between external addresses. Argentina will receive information on overseas transactions and share relevant data about its users with international regulatory bodies.Argentina must establish domestic regulations by 2028 to clarify data collection requirements and the rules for virtual asset service providers to report information to tax authorities. The framework aims to apply similar information reporting standards for cryptocurrency transactions and fiat currency transactions to help tax authorities identify cross-border tax evasion activities.

U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff in New York has denied the emergency temporary restraining order application filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which aimed to stop the state of New York from advancing its enforcement case against the prediction platform Kalshi. The judge found that the CFTC failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of its case and did not prove the existence of irreparable harm. However, the denial was made "without prejudice," allowing the CFTC to refile the relevant motion by August 7.New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Kalshi last Friday, accusing it of operating an illegal unlicensed prediction business by offering contracts on events such as sports and elections. The state of New York had issued a cease-and-desist order to Kalshi as early as October 2025. The core dispute in this case revolves around whether federal commodity law takes precedence over state law—state authorities believe that event contracts are predictions subject to state law, while the CFTC and Kalshi argue that they are derivatives under the exclusive jurisdiction of the CFTC.

According to Jinshi reports, the Lebanese military stated that 5 soldiers were injured in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Kafr Kila in the southern Bent Jbeil region.

According to Jinshi reports, Israel claims to have killed a Hezbollah member in southern Lebanon and stated that an Israeli combat officer was injured in the operation.

According to Jinshi reports, at 3:22 AM local time on August 1, intense and strong explosions were heard again in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko stated that the Russian military is launching a ballistic missile attack on the city of Kyiv, resulting in 12 injuries as of 3 AM, one of whom is in serious condition, and all injured individuals have been hospitalized for treatment.

FTX announced that the fifth round of bankruptcy distributions will begin on July 31, distributing approximately $900 million to eligible creditors. Only claim holders of categories 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, and category 7 who complete claim verification, KYC verification, tax form submission, and sanctions screening by the deadline of June 16, and successfully onboard with BitGo, Kraken, or Payoneer, are eligible for the distribution. Funds will be credited within one to three business days starting from July 31.Currently, creditors from 45 jurisdictions are excluded due to the lack of available distribution service providers, including China, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, and others. FTX stated that the coverage of service providers may change, but even if it opens in the future, payments on July 31 cannot be retroactively applied. FTX warned that creditors who do not successfully complete onboarding within six months from July 31 may lose their right to the distribution for that claim.As of now, the cumulative distribution ratios announced by FTX are 105% for categories 5A and 5B, 103% for categories 6A and 6B, and 120% for category 7, but these percentages are based on the claim amounts approved by the court rather than the current market value.

According to The Block, a federal grand jury in the United States has indicted South Dakota cryptocurrency investor Benjamin Paul Wiener on 29 counts, including telecommunications fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

After a meeting with Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani, Bilal bin Saqib, the chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, stated that stablecoins, tokenized RWA, and other blockchain products should undergo separate technical and Islamic law assessments and should not be regarded as the same category.Previously, scholars including Usmani issued a fatwa declaring that USDT and other cryptocurrencies do not constitute wealth recognized by Islamic law, rendering transactions for purchasing physical goods or digital services invalid. Pakistan passed the Virtual Assets Act in March of this year, requiring exchanges, custodians, and token issuers to ensure compliance with Islamic law under the guidance of an Islamic finance scholars committee. At the same time, the country is advancing sovereign stablecoins, national asset tokenization, and licensing for cryptocurrency trading platforms.

Gate US has officially obtained the Money Transmitter License (MTL) in the state of Florida, increasing the number of state-level licenses to 36 and further expanding its compliant operational scope to 47 jurisdictions in the United States. This approval enhances Gate US's regulatory layout in the U.S. market and reflects the platform's ongoing commitment to advancing its global compliance strategy and strengthening its localized operational capabilities.As one of the important financial and digital asset markets in the United States, Florida has strict requirements for licensed institutions in terms of compliance management, risk control, and operational capabilities. The acquisition of this license marks a significant new progress for Gate US in building its regulatory compliance system. Previously, Gate US's operations had covered multiple jurisdictions, including Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Maine, providing compliant and stable digital asset-related services to local users while adhering to the regulatory requirements of each state.Currently, multiple entities under Gate have completed relevant regulatory registrations, license applications, or obtained authorizations and approvals in jurisdictions such as Malta, the Bahamas, Japan, the United States, Australia, and Dubai. In the future, Gate US will continue to uphold a long-term development strategy focused on safety, transparency, and compliance, further solidifying the platform's capability to conduct compliant business in the U.S. market and providing users with safer, more transparent, and reliable digital asset services.

According to Bloomberg, the strategic Bitcoin reserve plan promoted by U.S. President Trump is facing legal and jurisdictional issues, with the core dispute being whether the U.S. Treasury has the authority to legally manage the reserve. Trump proposed the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve early in his presidency, with the main funding source being Bitcoin already held by the U.S. government through criminal or civil forfeiture, along with a separate digital asset inventory.The relevant executive order also requires the Treasury and Commerce Departments to develop a "budget-neutral" Bitcoin acquisition strategy, meaning it should not increase taxpayer costs. However, informed sources say that discussions around the reserve have now shifted to whether it should be placed under the Commerce Department rather than managed by the Treasury. Another point of contention is whether the U.S. government can hold BTC "indefinitely" given Bitcoin's price volatility. White House spokesperson Liz Huston stated that the Trump administration is still evaluating the best structure for the strategic Bitcoin reserve and the U.S. digital asset inventory to fulfill its vision of making the U.S. a global center for cryptocurrency and cutting-edge technology.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released the "Draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2026-2030" and is seeking public comments. The goals proposed in the draft include "providing a solid regulatory foundation for digital assets and distributed ledger technology through a rational, coherent, and principle-based approach."The document points out that a modernized framework will also ensure that custody, trading, and staking services can operate under appropriate regulation, avoiding duplicative or conflicting requirements, while clarifying jurisdictional issues between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This coordination aims to ensure that the crypto market has clear, principled, regulation-based rules of the game, promoting innovation while maintaining the highest level of investor protection. Furthermore, the document suggests that the agency's responsible use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology could further enhance regulation, reduce costs, and unlock new efficiencies.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Salimi, a member of the Iranian Parliament's presidium, stated that Iran's plan to "exercise sovereign jurisdiction" over the Strait of Hormuz is about to be approved by the parliament and is expected to be passed in the form of permanent legislation.According to the Iranian Students' News Agency, Salimi said that only Iran and Oman have the right to make decisions regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian side has communicated with Oman, and Oman has also expressed preliminary agreement, with the relevant plan expected to be finalized soon.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has disclosed that it has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island to prevent the state from applying its gambling laws to contract markets registered with the CFTC. CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig stated that exchanges registered with the CFTC are facing numerous lawsuits aimed at restricting Americans' participation in event contracts, which undermines the CFTC's exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets.Selig emphasized that event contracts are commodity derivatives and fall entirely within the CFTC's regulatory scope. The CFTC is also facing similar jurisdictional challenges in states such as Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and Minnesota. The CFTC stated that the Commodity Exchange Act grants it exclusive jurisdiction over event contracts.

According to Jinshi reports, U.S. President Trump stated on social media that it is crucial to maintain the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over prediction markets. He mentioned that prediction markets must be allowed to thrive and that "road rules" are being developed to become the gold standard for states. He emphasized that other countries are competing for this new type of financial market, and the U.S. must maintain its leading position and protect the global cryptocurrency industry.