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Trump and crypto firm sued for profiting from foreign government

Donald Trump and World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture he co-founded with his sons, were sued by a shareholder in a rival crypto firm over claims the president illegally profited

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Oct 22 • 5:09 PM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Lawsuit accuses Trump of illegally profiting from UAE crypto investments

The lawsuit claims the investments violate the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause

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Oct 22 • 2:45 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Lawsuit accuses Trump of illegally profiting from UAE crypto investments

The lawsuit claims the investments violate the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause

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Oct 22 • 2:12 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Trump to tout crackdown on overseas crypto scams

By Courtney Rozen WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will highlight his administration’s efforts on Wednesday to crack down on foreign criminal networks that lure Americans into

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Oct 21 • 6:03 AM EDT • Politics • centraloregondaily.com
ARK Invest Bets One Business Can Lift Tesla Stock to $4,400

ARK Invest’s open-source model values Tesla at about $4,400 per share in 2031, with robotaxis at 80% of enterprise value.

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Oct 20 • 4:00 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Hackers Exploit Plex2Shell Flaws to Install Crypto Miners and Linux Proxy Backdoor

Attackers exploit four Plex Media Server flaws chained as Plex2Shell to deploy XMRig miners and reverse proxy software after PoC release.

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Oct 19 • 1:32 PM EDT • Technology • thehackernews.com
Your Plex Server Could Be Mining Crypto for Hackers

Remote code execution is now available on non-updated Plex servers.

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Oct 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • gizmodo.com
New iPhone spyware can steal passwords and photos

P7 DarkSword iPhone spyware can steal saved passwords, photos, Apple Notes and cryptocurrency wallet data by checking for commands every 15 seconds.

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Oct 19 • 6:45 AM EDT • Technology • foxnews.com
Polygon CEO Sees Coinme Deal as Entry to Payments Business Led by Visa, Stripe

Polygon Labs (CRYPTO: $POL) expects its regulated payments business to turn profitable in 2027, according to CEO Ma...

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Oct 17 • 3:29 PM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Big Tech and Big Business are spending millions to block progressives on the California ballot

Groups funded by Meta, Google, and cryptocurrency billionaires have spent millions trying to sway voters, especially in races with two Democrats on the ballot

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Oct 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • calmatters.org
As Solana opens a splashy China office, the crypto world asks how?

Solana’s fancy new Shanghai office has amazed some in the crypto industry, given such businesses are strictly banned in China.

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Oct 15 • 11:00 PM EDT • Business • scmp.com
Alsobrooks calls for crypto regulations as industry money flows into Maryland politics

Senator Angela Alsobrooks says the crypto industry needs federal regulation. So does the industry, which has spent millions in Maryland politics this year. What exactly do they want?

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Oct 15 • 2:36 PM EDT • Politics • wamu.org
‘GTA 6’ Leaker Won’t Release Game Build After Players Crash His Cryptocoin

The 'GTA 6' leaker, Cyberleek, is taking his ball and going home after his cryptocoin crashes, and misses a milestone that would have released the game build.

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Oct 14 • 11:07 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
GTA 6 leaker announces end of leaks, cancels full game release

The anonymous GTA 6 leaker has abandoned its $30 million cryptocurrency demand. Cyberleek claims it has access to the game's ending and could still release story spoilers.

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Oct 14 • 9:29 AM EDT • Technology • videocardz.com
TST Images: Oilers defeat Kings, 4-1, at Crypto Arena

LOS ANGELES -- The Edmonton Oilers beat the Kings, 4-1, on October 13th, 2026 at Crpto.

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Oct 14 • 1:49 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
How Two Crypto Billionaires Are Making British Politics More American

A pair of low-profile entrepreneurs gave $100 million to Nigel Farage’s Reform U.K. Party. The system may never be the same.

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Oct 13 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
GTA 6 Leaker Teases 'Playable Build' Launch, Doubles Down on Crypto Scheme

CyberLeek suggests it has a 200GB software build for Grand Theft Auto 6, which it will release if its meme coin reaches a $30 million market cap.

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Oct 12 • 10:33 AM EDT • Technology • pcmag.com
GTA 6 Leaker Posts Grainy Footage Of Lucia Skydiving Naked To Sell Crypto

Cyberleek is more Lucia 'nudes' if $Cyberleek coin keeps going up

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Oct 11 • 5:30 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
What Netflix's 'The Altruists' gets wrong, according to former FTX exec

"The Altruists" is an eight-episode Netflix series dramatizing the rise and fall of the cryptocurrency exchange under former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

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Oct 10 • 12:38 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Crypto Billionaire Chris Larsen Is Spending Millions to Shape US Politics

The crypto billionaire has given at least $22.5 million to federal candidates and super PACs this cycle — and plans to go even bigger.

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Oct 10 • 4:00 AM EDT • Politics • energyconnects.com
P7 DarkSword iOS Exploit Kit Adds Crypto Wallet Data Theft and Remote Commands

P7 DarkSword adds on-device keychain and crypto wallet data theft to the iOS exploit kit, alongside two-way C2 communication.

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Oct 9 • 12:29 PM EDT • Technology • thehackernews.com
Crypto billionaire seeking to reshape politics runs against zeitgeist — and donates to Sherrod Brown

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with him," Chris Larsen says of Brown, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio. "He is not anti-crypto.”

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Oct 9 • 11:04 AM EDT • Politics • crainscleveland.com
Republican megadonors dominate 2026 midterm election as crypto and AI money surges, CNBC analysis finds

Fourteen of the 20 biggest donor groups CNBC analyzed are Republican-aligned as crypto, AI and betting money reshapes 2026 midterm spending.

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Oct 8 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnbc.com
Trump's Science Medals Go to Musk and Huang: Where Are Altman and Amodei?

Trump will award Musk and 5 tech CEOs top US science medals. OpenAI's Altman and Anthropic's Amodei are missing.

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Oct 7 • 6:00 PM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
Watch Robinhood's Kerbrat on Business Strategy, Crypto

Johann Kerbrat, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Crypto and International at Robinhood, discusses the company's expansion plans and investment opportunities in the cryptocurrency market. He speaks with Haslinda Amin on the sidelines of the Token2049 conference in Singapore.

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Oct 6 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • bloomberg.com
US commodities regulator proposes new federal crypto oversight rules

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposes new federal rules for crypto exchanges offering leveraged trading to streamline regulation.

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Oct 5 • 12:25 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com
Top crypto group to pour millions into bipartisan slate of House races after key legislation stalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top cryptocurrency campaign organization is unveiling a bipartisan list of House members that it will support in the November midterms, as o

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Oct 5 • 9:25 AM EDT • Politics • wtop.com
How Americans’ Financial Health Is Faring In The “K-Shaped” Economy

Hey all, Jason here. Money20/20 is still two weeks away, but I’ve already started packing (not procrastinating for once!). My calendar is already filling up with various sessions I want to catch, meetings, and of course happy hours, dinners, and other side events. If you’ll be in Vegas and want to catch up, let me know by replying to this email, and we can try to find a time amidst the chaos of the Venetian. A big if not totally unexpected piece of news dropped on Friday: the Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group that represents smaller U.S. banks, filed a lawsuit against the OCC and Comptroller Jonathan Gould, arguing that the regulator’s move to grant trust bank charters to firms seeking to use them to conduct substantial non-fiduciary activities exceeds the authorities granted to the OCC by Congress. I haven’t had time to fully digest the legal filing or speak to folks in my network about it, but you can expect to see coverage and analysis on it in next week’s newsletter. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading The NerdCon agenda just dropped. It’s stacked. Partner content: Nubank built an AI-first bank. Chime built its own banking core. Figure and Valon are rebuilding the mortgage stack. At NerdCon, you’ll hear from the people behind those bets: what they chose, what they learned, and what they’re still figuring out. The agenda is live, with leaders from Nubank, Chime, OpenAI, Remitly, Mercury, Figure, Valon and more. Follow the mainstage conversations, bring the problem your team is wrestling with to a hands-on workshop, or pull up a chair at a roundtable. Pick your quests. Meet us in San Diego, November 18–20. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% with code FBW20. Explore the Agenda Things To Know & Other Good Reads Federal Reserve Board finalizes changes to enhance the transparency and public accountability of its stress test and reduce volatility in its stress test-related capital requirements (Federal Reserve Board of Governors) FDIC Announces Conclusion of Independent Monitorship (FDIC) Modernizing Financial Regulation: Initial Observations from eSLR (Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman) The Data Version of Godzilla versus Kong: FRED Takes on AI (Fed Governor Christopher Waller) Financing the AI buildout (Brookings) Q3’26: Rules for Banks but Not for Crypto (Fintech Takes Banking) The Inevitability of Local Stablecoins (Lombard Notes) Delusions of AI Governance: The Human-in-the-Loop Comfort Blanket (Fintech Snark Tank) Stripe agrees to acquire Parafin to expand revenue opportunities for platforms and help small businesses grow (Stripe) Listen: Fighting Fraud in the Age of AI, with SEON’s Tamas Kadar (Fintech Business Weekly) How Americans’ Financial Health Is Faring In The “K-Shaped” Economy If there is one overarching theme across the economy and politics in the U.S. at the moment, it’s “affordability.” The term is vague enough to encompass a panoply of factors shaping Americans’ day-to-day lives: rising costs for the hallmarks of being “middle class,” including healthcare, housing, childcare, and education, inflation and rising interest rates, and a job market with the specter of AI hovering over it. At the same time, policy shifts under the Trump administration have resulted in reduced subsidies to those who get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and new restrictions on qualifying for Medicaid and SNAP, the impacts of which have yet to be fully felt. These factors are contributing to declining consumer confidence and general dissatisfaction with the economy, despite continuing GDP growth and stock market records. This divergence is encapsulated in the idea of the “K-shaped” economy, in which a small proportion of Americans have seen their wealth balloon, while the majority of American households struggle to preserve the lifestyle they have. Perhaps the greatest determinant of which branch of the “K” a household is on is whether their wealth and income are primarily derived from employment vs. from assets. Nearly two decades of low interest rates and, more recently, elevated rates of inflation have benefited asset owners, while those whose income is primarily or solely derived from labor have largely seen real purchasing power stagnate or decline. This is reflected in recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that labor share of U.S. GDP — the fraction of economic output that accrues to workers as compensation in exchange for their labor — dropped to just 52.8% in Q2 2026, the lowest since the BLS began keeping records. In 1947, approximately 2/3rds of economic output accrued to workers; even as recently as 2001, labor’s share of GDP was 64.1%. Against this backdrop, we’ve seen the rise of more credit and credit-like products: cash advance apps, “no-fee” overdraft, earned wage access, and buy now pay later, which are often used as small-dollar short-term borrowing mechanisms to meet immediate consumption needs or pay other bills (eg utilities, cell phone, other debt payments). With the markers of a middle class existence and, increasingly, basic financial stability seemingly out of reach for many, it should be no surprise there’s been an increase in “financial nihilism,” something industry peers like Alex Johnson and Frank Rotman have discussed and analyzed the roots of. The explosion of gambling and gambling-adjacent products and services — often marketed under the guise of being an “investment” — is inextricably intertwined with the rise of financial nihilism. Crypto, sports betting, and, more recently, prediction markets offer an escape or even hope of sorts, like a contemporary, digital version of a scratch-off lottery ticket, while leaving the overwhelming number of people who use such products worse off. Share of Households That Are Financially “Vulnerable” Ticks Up The Financial Health Network’s 2026 Financial Health Pulse® report adds context on how American households are faring. (I linked to this report in last week’s newsletter, but wanted to take time to further unpack the data in the report this week.) The Financial Health Network publishes the report annually, providing insight into how Americans’ financial circumstances are changing over time. The 2026 report is derived from a survey fielded in April and May 2026. The report leverages survey responses to assess indicators of financial health across spending, saving, borrowing, and planning/protecting and to determine a zero to 100 “FinHealth” score. Those with scores between 0 and 39 are considered “Financially Vulnerable,” consumers with scores ranging between 40 and 79 are defined as “Financially Coping,” and those with scores of 80 to 100 are “Financially Healthy.” The report found that moderate improvements in 2025 were reversed, with the share of respondents considered financially “vulnerable” rebounding to 17%. The longitudinal data reflect the impact of pandemic-era programs, like expanded unemployment, cash stimulus payments, and pauses of federal student loan payments. The positive impacts of those programs, as reflected in the Financial Health Pulse reports, had largely disappeared by 2023. While pandemic-era inflation — to be fair, in part caused by the various support and stimulus measures — had come down from as high as 9% in 2022, it has rebounded since the start of Trump’s second term, with tariffs and energy market disruptions owing to the war in Iran pushing prices back up. Specific indicators in the survey that deteriorated from 2025 to 2026 include the share of respondents spending less than their income over the past 12 months, the share paying all bills on time over the past 12 months, the share that have a manageable amount or no debt, the share that are “moderately” or “very” confident their insurance is adequate to cover them in an emergency, and the share that “somewhat” or “strongly” agree that their household plans ahead financially. Unsurprisingly, lower- and moderate-income households are more likely to struggle to pay their bills on time and have any funds leftover to save. The share of low-income households whose income exceeded their spending dropped from 35% in 2025 to 31% in 2026, while the share of upper-income households whose income exceeded expenses remained unchanged at 63%. Households with student loans or revolving credit card debt reported having “a bit more” or “far more” debt than was manageable at rates far higher than those not carrying these types of debts. The share of those with student loan debt indicating their debt load was too high to manage increased from 50% in 2025 to 55% in 2026, while the share of those with revolving credit card debt saying the same ticked up from 51% in 2025 to 54% in 2026. Households that had student loans were markedly more likely to be financially “coping” or “vulnerable” vs. those without student loans. In 2026, 27% of households with student loans were considered financially vulnerable, a jump of 6% points vs. 2025. Households without student loans saw just a 1% point increase (not statistically significant) in those considered financially vulnerable. Households’ perception of the affordability of categories of goods and services paints a stark picture, with less than one-fourth considering higher education affordable, about a third deeming childcare affordable, and less than half viewing healthcare as affordable. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Democratic Senate Report Highlights How Iran Uses Tether to Evade U.S. Sanctions Iran uses stablecoins, specifically Tether, to evade sanctions, fund regional proxies, and to purchase military drones, a report released last week by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says. The report was authored by committee ranking member Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and the minority staff. Crypto and stablecoin proponents will often push back on criticism that criminals make use of these assets by arguing that, on an absolute dollar basis, far more illicit funds flow through traditional banking systems and payment rails than via crypto and stablecoins. And while that is likely true, it elides the reality presented in news story after news story: whether state actors — Russia, Iran, North Korea — or criminal groups, those looking to engage in illicit transactions increasingly favor stablecoins and, specifically, Tether (USDT). The report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released last week adds context to how Iran uses Tether has a lynchpin in its shadow banking system. The report analyzed 846 wallets that have been sanctioned or targeted for seizure, finding that 84% of them transacted exclusively or primarily in Tether. The ability to create near limitless, anonymous wallets and to move funds effectively instantaneously and irreversibly have made crypto a favored financial mechanism for bad actors. Stablecoins solved key drawbacks of bitcoin, namely, the original cryptocurrency’s highly volatile value in dollars. And while Tether (the company) has the technical ability to “freeze” or destroy funds, the company is often limited and reactive in its approach to doing so, the Senate report argues. Tether, which is nominally based in crypto-friendly El Salvador, “has stated that its compliance with OFAC sanctions is ‘voluntary’ and that it follows ‘OFAC guidelines,’” the Senate report says. Owing to these favorable attributes, Tether “became a primary cryptocurrency for Iran, Hamas, Hizballah, and the Houthis beginning in 2023 and has expanded in scale since,” according to the report. Tether’s role in Iran’s shadow banking system, the report says, is enhanced by crypto exchanges like Bybit, Kyrrex, OKX, Gate, and Binance, and through “over the counter” exchanges and hawala networks. The consequences of these financial flows aren’t hypothetical. The Senate report links Tether as a funds transfer mechanism to Iranian proxies in the region, including Hizballah, the Houthis, and Hamas. Tether has also been used to make payments to secure components necessary to manufacture drones, the report says. The report concludes by arguing that “[s]tablecoin issuers with a significant nexus to the United States, particularly those that offer dollar-denominated stablecoins, should be subject to American sanctions law rather than being allowed to hide behind foreign jurisdictions.” Stablecoin issuers like Tether must be held accountable for repeated failures to prevent illicit finance and sanctions violations by law enforcement, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and OFAC, the report argues. [Paying Subscriber Exclusive] OUSD Goes Live, Make Your Own Neobank, U.S. Sanctions Russia’s A7 Network As “Transnational Criminal Organization” OpenUSD, the stablecoin issued by the Open Standard consortium that includes Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, core providers, crypto firms, and numerous banks, went live last week. Social commerce platform Whop raised eyebrows in fintech by offering creators on its platform the ability to launch their own neobanks, which the company describes as “great businesses that are easy to run,” in just 15 minutes. And OFAC and FinCEN target Russia’s “shadow banking” A7 Network — more on these stories after the paywall.

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Oct 4 • 8:59 AM EDT • Health • fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com
Geraldo Rivera: Trump’s crypto deals ‘outrageously corrupt’
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Oct 3 • 10:30 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
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Why Trump's crypto business wants to become a bank

Elizabeth Warren decries the first family's latest crypto play as a "clear conflict of interest and corruption."

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Oct 1 • 1:19 PM EDT • Business • motherjones.com
Trump loses favor with crypto fans who call him out for cashing in

The president’s 2024 campaign leaned into crypto to attract young men, a demographic that is deserting Republicans in the midterms.

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Oct 1 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Citi raises bitcoin, ether forecasts on strong crypto activity

Citigroup raised its 12-month forecasts for bitcoin and ether, citing stronger crypto activity, a ​supportive macroeconomic backdrop and a resumption of ‌ETF inflows.

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Oct 1 • 3:23 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
King County Public Health investigating cryptosporidiosis outbreak at McMenamins’ Bothell pool

The parasitic outbreak ties back to someone swimming in McMenamins' Anderson School pool, according to King County Public Health.

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Sep 30 • 7:42 PM EDT • Health • kiro7.com
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ICYMI: Clarity, crypto tax and committee politics

The last three months saw major news for financial services, tax and trade policy and the politics steering those issues. Here’s a recap.

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Sep 29 • 10:07 AM EDT • Politics • punchbowl.news
U.S. Bank Launches Cards to Meet Small Business Rewards Demand

U.S. Bank has launched two new small business credit cards that are designed to deliver “straight-forward rewards” on everyday business purchases, the

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Sep 28 • 9:32 PM EDT • Business • pymnts.com
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How political tensions over Trump family crypto ventures derailed Clarity Act

President Trump and his family’s sprawling empire of cryptocurrency businesses cast a long shadow over efforts this year to negotiate a bill regulating the industry. They arguably weighed down bipa…

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Sep 28 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • thehill.com
Under Trump, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Scales Back Enforcement, Worrying Farmers

The fate of two cotton brokers highlights how the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has scaled back its regulatory actions not just for crypto cases but also for the kinds of cases it has long policed.

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Sep 28 • 5:02 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Robinhood's Fastest-Growing Business Isn't Trading Stocks

One of the brokerage's revenue lines grew more than 10-fold in a year. It isn't crypto, either.

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Sep 25 • 7:58 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Reform and the UAE – a threat to British politics

By Alex Carlen The United Arab Emirates likes to present itself as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The oil-rich Gulf state has committed to Net Zero by 2050, hosted COP 28, and even declared “championing climate action” as one of three strategic objectives for this week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly. But behind the scenes the UAE has quietly built one of its closest political relationships in Europe with the party most hostile to climate action in Britain: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. There is no evidence that the UAE is funding Reform. But a new FairSquare report, Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat, published today, documents a growing political relationship that should concern anyone interested in the integrity of British democracy. Reform’s leaders have embraced the UAE’s political model and promoted positions that align closely with the Emirati government’s priorities, while the UAE has given Farage and his party unusually warm access and public backing. What is emerging is not simply a relationship between British politicians and a wealthy Gulf state, but a channel through which an authoritarian government can cultivate political influence here, and abroad. Democracy for Sale relies on its readers. If you already support us, thanks so much. If you don’t, sign up to support fearless independent investigative journalism. Subscribe Back in January, Nigel Farage appeared at a GB News event in Dubai. On the 50th floor of a tower overlooking the luxury resorts and upscale residences of Palm Jumeirah, the Reform leader declared: “I want Clacton to look like this.” At the event – which Farage never declared on his official register of interests – senior Emirati officials mixed with British expats. Farage was keen to flatter. “We recognise you are our friends”, he said, assuring them that “a Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.” Controversy surrounding Reform’s finances and its susceptibility to foreign influence have centred around high-profile donations from billionaire crypto donors, and the jailing of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, for accepting bribes to give pro-Russia speeches. Far less attention has been paid to Reform’s blossoming new alliance with the UAE, an oil-rich authoritarian state with a track record of ruinous anti-democratic interventions. Farage wasn’t always so fond of the UAE. Back in 2023 he called it an “absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record.” Now Reform’s hierarchy calls the UAE home. Deputy leader Richard Tice splits his time between his constituency and Dubai and has called on the UK to learn from the UAE. The party’s treasurer Nick Candy runs a firm which has been in partnership with a UAE-state linked firm since 2024. Nadhim Zahawi sits on the board of an Abu Dhabi think tank alongside an array of the most senior UAE officials and is reportedly close to three brothers of the country’s despotic ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed. Reform’s leading lights have effusively praised the UAE’s governance model, defended it from criticism, and advanced its political agenda in the UK. GB News, whose two major shareholders – the Legatum Foundation and Paul Marshall – have strong links to the UAE, has been more than happy to broadcast UAE propaganda and was forced to pay damages in 2025 after airing a false claim about a UK charity by the UAE “disinfluencer” Amjad Taha. The UAE has responded in kind. When the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs conducted an official visit to the UK in May, Farage was the only non-government figure granted an audience. UAE state media publicised the meeting, and said that they discussed “the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests.” For the UAE these ‘mutual interests’ largely concern its paranoia over political Islam, and in this regard the UAE-Reform alliance is part of a broad and troubling pattern. Following a crackdown on dissent at home in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the UAE has offered material and political support to a range of violent and authoritarian actors willing to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood with no regard for the consequences. Its meddling in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and most notably Sudan, have been devastating. The UAE’s strategy of seeking out partners on the political fringes who it believes will advance its interests is not unique to Britain – it extends beyond the Middle East to Europe and the US. In France, it has offered clandestine support to Marine Le Pen through secret meetings, as well allegedly funding trips to the region after which Le Pen returned with a renewed focus on the UAE’s perceived enemies – Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Left-wing opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the UAE of smearing him and of “encouraging discrimination, hatred or violence”. In the US, the UAE actively supported the rise of Donald Trump, establishing itself as a key ally during both his first and second terms. Around these relationships sits a wider ecosystem of figures willing to amplify UAE narratives, that even extends to Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. Subscribe In Britain, the UAE has used a combination of aggressive diplomacy and illicit, disruptive tactics to achieve its policy goal of eliminating any perceived threat from political Islam. In 2012, for instance, it threatened to block billion-pound arms deals with the UK and stop inward investment if David Cameron did not act against the Muslim Brotherhood and rein in the BBC’s coverage of the group – going so far as to suggest, with no supporting evidence, that the group had infiltrated the BBC. It has financed smear campaigns against a high-profile UK charity and funded a mercenary to secretly surveil, and possibly assassinate, a British national on British soil. In Reform UK, the UAE has finally found an ally willing to not only ban the Muslim Brotherhood, but to publicly vilify the group and repeat the UAE’s claims that dangerous Muslims are a fifth column in British society, a narrative that aligns with the Islamophobia and anti-immigration sentiments that underpin Reform’s populist politics. The Rycroft review into foreign interference concluded that “hostile states and non-state actors have a clear incentive to attempt to undermine UK democracy.” The UAE’s network and alliance with Reform must be understood within that framework. It is a powerful, disruptive and deeply authoritarian actor with the resources and networks to intervene in our politics, and a track-record of doing so in a multitude of other countries. The evidence of the threat the UAE poses is overwhelming. The question is whether parliamentarians are willing to call the UAE out and demand action using the tools that the government has to respond. Placing the UAE on the “Enhanced Tier” of the Foreign Registration scheme alongside Russia and Iran would send a powerful signal to the UAE that its meddling will no longer be tolerated, and would place Farage’s next trips to the UAE under the scrutiny they deserve. Alex Carlen is research and advocacy manager at London based human rights organisation FairSquare and author of its new report Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat. Subscribe

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Sep 23 • 6:50 AM EDT • Politics • democracyforsale.substack.com
TST Images: Mammoths beat Kings, 6-3, at Crypto Arena

LOS ANGELES -- The Mammoths beat the Kings, 6-3, on September 22nd, 2026 at Crpto.

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Sep 23 • 1:26 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Circle Stock Spikes As Binance Takes $100 Million Slice

Circle stock reversed early gains as Binance, the world's busiest crypto exchange, says it's paying $100 million for stake in the USDC stablecoin issuer.

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Sep 22 • 11:26 AM EDT • Business • investors.com
DeFi Technologies' Subsidiary Valour Launches Valour Funds SPC, a New Business Line, and Introduces Its First Hedge Fund, Smart Crypto Fund SP, Powered by Neuronomics' Proprietary AI Strategy

Valour launches Valour Funds SPC, a new business line expanding its offering beyond exchange traded products into actively managed digital asset investment...

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Sep 21 • 7:30 AM EDT • Business • prnewswire.com
Gemini’s exchange business is shrinking. Its regulatory licenses may be the real prize

The crypto platform’s market value has fallen to about $753 million, putting fresh attention on the licenses, custody infrastructure and customer relationships a buyer could inherit.

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Sep 20 • 10:54 AM EDT • Business • coindesk.com
UFC 331 Bonuses Revealed After Violent Event

Following Saturday’s UFC 331 event, the promotion revealed who won the post-fight bonuses following a violent card. UFC 331 took place on Saturday, September 19, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Below are all the bonus winners for the latest UFC event. Fight of the Night ($100,000 to each fighter): Joshua Van vs. Alexandre […] The post UFC 331 Bonuses Revealed After Violent Event appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 20 • 3:29 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Sooo ... About Last Night

Last night (Sat., Sept. 19, 2026), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventured forth to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California for UFC 331. In the main event, Alexandre Pantoja returned from nearly a year on the sidelines to challenge Joshua Van, the man who broke his arm in their controversial UFC 323 bout. In addition to […]

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Sep 20 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
ResearchHub: An Answer to “Dysfunction” in Traditional Science Giving?

The platform, cofounded by cryptocurrency billionaire and philanthropy critic Brian Armstrong, aims to eliminate counterproductive incentives that scientists face in traditional grant seeking.

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Sep 18 • 12:59 PM EDT • Science • insidephilanthropy.com
Ministers explore limiting political party spending outside UK elections

Concerns over political donations grow after two cryptocurrency billionaires pledged £72mn to Reform UK

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Sep 18 • 11:31 AM EDT • Politics • ft.com
Ripple CEO Blames Democrats' 'Politics' for CLARITY Act Failure

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse criticized Senate Democrats after the CLARITY Act failed to advance Tuesday, but said crypto regulation in the U.S. could now shift toward rulemaking by the SEC and CFTC. The regulatory setback leaves Ripple and XRP largely...

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Sep 17 • 7:30 PM EDT • Politics • finance.yahoo.com
What actually killed the ClarityAct? Politics, says Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong

Scott Melker sits down with Coinbase (COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong, who explains how politics, not legislation, killed the Clarity Act. According to Armstrong, the bill had 95% of what both sides wanted, but bipartisanship was lacking; now the ball is in the FFC and CFTC court. "The Daily Wolf with Scott Melker" airs every day at 12:00 p.m. Tune in for your daily dose of all things crypto.

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Sep 17 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • finance.yahoo.com
Crypto tried to buy Congress. It failed.

The collapse of a landmark crypto bill is a warning for other tech interests seeking to wield influence on Capitol Hill.

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Sep 16 • 12:44 PM EDT • Politics • politico.com
Crypto bill's defeat shows limits of industry's political machine

The U.S. Senate's vote against advancing a major crypto bill amid persistent opposition from Democrats and a handful of Republicans marks one of the most significant setbacks for the industry, showing ​the limits of its muscle in Washington.

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Sep 16 • 10:30 AM EDT • Politics • reuters.com
Analysis-Crypto Bill's Defeat Shows Limits of Industry's Political Machine

By Hannah Lang and Michelle Price WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's vote against advancing a major crypto bill ⁠amid persistent ⁠opposition from Democrats and a handful of Republicans marks one ⁠of the most significant setbacks for the industry, showing the limits of its muscle in ...

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Sep 16 • 10:30 AM EDT • Politics • usnews.com
Crypto stocks and tokens drop after Senate blocks landmark bill

Senators from both parties blocked a landmark digital asset market structure bill in a procedural vote Tuesday, sending cryptocurrency stocks tumbling after a major setback for industry. The long-stalled legislation

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Sep 15 • 8:27 PM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
The crypto industry saw Trump as its savior. His crypto business just snagged a key bill

The crypto industry has spent years and hundreds of billions of dollars lobbying for regulation that would more closely weave digital assets into traditional finance. When President Donald Trump made a heel-turn on crypto in 2024, supporters hoped that he’d finally put an end to their regulatory limbo.

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Sep 15 • 6:31 PM EDT • Business • cnn.com
Senate blocks crypto regulation as Democrats push back on Trump investments

The 49-50 vote on whether to move forward with the legislation was a pivotal election-year test for the $2.3 trillion cryptocurrency market

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Sep 15 • 4:16 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Senate is to vote on cryptocurrency regulation as Democrats push back on Trump investments

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on whether to move forward with legislation to create a new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency, a pivotal election-year test for the $2.3 trillion market as many Democrats say it doesn’t go far enough to rein in President Donald Trump’s investments. The vote, just two months […]

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Sep 15 • 12:46 PM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
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The sinister influence of crypto billionaires on our politics

Letters: Readers respond to the news that Christopher Harborne has given £36m to Reform UK, matching a donation from Ben Delo

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Sep 15 • 11:52 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
WATCH LIVE: Senate expected to vote on cryptocurrency regulation
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Sep 15 • 10:22 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Political donors could face tougher residency rules

It comes after Reform received donations totalling £72m from two British crypto-billionaires who have both recently lived abroad.

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Sep 15 • 6:55 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures

The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets

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Sep 14 • 4:28 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures

The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets

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Sep 14 • 4:28 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures

The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets

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Sep 14 • 4:28 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures

The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets

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Sep 14 • 4:28 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
UFC 331: Make predictions for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja

We want your predictions for UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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Sep 14 • 4:20 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Richard Tice rallies to the defence of Reform’s crypto ‘patriots’

You can’t buy Dicky’s level of stupidity though it could be argued that Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo just have

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Sep 14 • 1:05 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Crypto, AI, college sports and more: Senate returns with long to-do list

The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the Clarity Act on Tuesday

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Sep 14 • 12:47 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Crypto, AI, college sports and more: Senate returns with long to-do list

The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the Clarity Act on Tuesday

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Sep 14 • 12:47 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Quiet Communities and Science for Georgia Release First-of-its-Kind Study on the Impacts of Data Center and Cryptomining Noise

New national survey documents widespread reports of persistent noise and disrupted quality of life as AI data centers and cryptomines rapidly expand across...

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Sep 14 • 12:26 PM EDT • Science • globenewswire.com
Congress could tackle cryptocurrency, college sports and data centers upon its return

The U.S. Senate will consider legislation to regulate cryptocurrency and college sports when it returns to Washington on Monday.

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Sep 14 • 8:38 AM EDT • Sports • aldailynews.com
UK unions split over party donations cap as TUC chief says ‘super-rich’ corrupting politics

Sources say there are ‘significant differences’ in opinion as debate inflamed by crypto billionaires’ £72m donations to Reform

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Sep 14 • 8:07 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Crypto’s political clout meets resistance on the left

A group of Senate Democrats is considering voting for an industry-friendly crypto bill. The left could make that painful.

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Sep 14 • 4:45 AM EDT • Politics • politico.com
Trump agreed to new ethics rules to get a crypto bill across the line. But that might not be enough

To help get a sweeping cryptocurrency bill across the line, President Donald Trump has agreed to new ethics provisions. On Sunday night, Republicans said Trump had agreed to a requirement

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Sep 14 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • kdhnews.com
Trump agreed to new ethics rules to get a crypto bill across the line. But that might not be enough

To help get a sweeping cryptocurrency bill across the line, President Donald Trump has agreed to new ethics provisions.

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Sep 14 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • ksat.com
Trump agreed to new ethics rules to get a crypto bill across the line. But that might not be enough

To help get a sweeping cryptocurrency bill across the line, President Donald Trump has agreed to new ethics provisions.

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Sep 14 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com
Trump agreed to new ethics rules to get a crypto bill across the line. But that might not be enough

To help get a sweeping cryptocurrency bill across the line, President Donald Trump has agreed to new ethics provisions.

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Sep 14 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • clickorlando.com
Trump agrees to new bipartisan ethics provision in massive crypto bill, Republican senators say

President Donald Trump has agreed to a significant portion of a stringent ethics proposal that is part of a broader cryptocurrency bill headed for a key vote this week.

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Sep 13 • 10:09 PM EDT • Business • seattletimes.com
Crypto billionaires donate millions to Reform UK, raising concerns about money in politics

Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage, received £72 million (around €83.9 million) from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend, prompting concerns about money’s influence in British politics. Ben Delo, co-founder of the BitMEX platform, donated £36 million, and crypto investor Christopher Harborne matched that amount. Harborne supports Reform UK’s policies, believing they will […]

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Sep 12 • 3:32 PM EDT • Politics • europeaninterest.eu
Crypto billionaires give $97 million to Reform UK, fueling concerns about money in politics

LONDON (AP) — Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received 72 million pounds ($97 million) from two cryptocurrency bill

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Sep 12 • 9:13 AM EDT • Politics • wtop.com
Crypto billionaires give $97 million to Reform UK, fueling concerns about money in politics

LONDON (AP) — Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received 72 million pounds ($97 million) from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend, fueling concerns about money in British politics.

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Sep 12 • 9:03 AM EDT • Politics • wral.com
Crypto billionaires give $97 million to Reform UK, fueling concerns about money in politics

Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received $97 million from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend.

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Sep 12 • 9:00 AM EDT • Politics • seattletimes.com
Crypto billionaires make record donations to UK political party

Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received $97 million from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend.

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Sep 12 • 8:59 AM EDT • Politics • apnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
Crypto billionaires give $97 million to Reform UK, fueling concerns about money in politics

LONDON (AP) — Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received 72 million pounds ($97 million) from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend, fueling concerns about money in British politics.

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Sep 12 • 8:59 AM EDT • Politics • local10.com
Crypto billionaires give $97 million to Reform UK, fueling concerns about money in politics

LONDON (AP) — Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received 72 million pounds ($97 million) from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend, fueling …

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Sep 12 • 8:59 AM EDT • Politics • yourvalley.net
Crypto Billionaires Give $97 Million to Reform UK, Fueling Concerns About Money in Politics

LONDON (AP) — Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, received 72 million pounds ($97 million) from two cryptocurrency billionaires this weekend, fueling concerns about money in British politics. After news broke that Ben Delo, a co-founder of the BitMEX ...

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Sep 12 • 8:59 AM EDT • Politics • usnews.com
Ben Delo: Who is the Reform UK donor and crypto billionaire?

Delo has given £36m to Reform UK - the largest donation ever made to a political party in the UK.

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Sep 12 • 8:16 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Reform receives record £36m donation from cryptocurrency billionaire

Ben Delo's donation, the biggest single sum ever given to a political party in the UK, comes amid scrutiny of Reform's finances.

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Sep 11 • 7:27 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Ways and Means to Consider Crypto Tax, Health Bills Next Week

The House Ways and Means Committee is eyeing a Wednesday markup on legislation that includes tax and health care, according to multiple people familiar with the panel’s plans.

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Sep 11 • 3:52 PM EDT • Health • news.bgov.com
Former crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried appeals conviction to Supreme Court

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former crypto mogul who was convicted of defrauding investors by secretly diverting billions of dollars of their money, asked the Supreme Court on Thursday for a new trial and to throw out a court order requiring him to pay $11 billion as part of his sentence.

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Sep 10 • 4:40 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
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Trump’s Special Envoy Hauled In More Than $250 Million While in Government

A disclosure shows that Steve Witkoff collected nearly $107 million in 2025 from a holding company that includes a crypto business owned by his family and President Trump’s.

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Sep 10 • 2:35 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
If Trump Can’t Fill a Dallas Arena, Can He Turn Out a November Vote? | WSJ Politics Newsletter for Sept. 10

Plus, the Iran war could last through the end of Trump’s second term, and Witkoff earned more than $100 million last year from the president’s crypto firm.

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Sep 10 • 6:55 AM EDT • Politics • wsj.com
Flex Partners with Mesh to Power Crypto and Stablecoin Deposits for Business Owners

/PRNewswire/ -- Mesh, the leading crypto payments network, today announced a partnership with Flex, the finance platform that brings business owners' accounts...

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Sep 9 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • prnewswire.com
Hunter Biden launching a laptop-themed cryptocurrency

Hunter Biden's $Laptop meme coin launches on Base blockchain, with 20% of tokens going to those who lost money on Trump's $TRUMP crypto coin.

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Sep 8 • 12:03 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Robinhood Lands Crypto.com Deal, Underwriting Job For Oura. Goldman Hikes Target.

Robinhood takes minority stake in Crypto.com with prediction market deal, to underwrite Oura IPO, reports say. Goldman lifts price target.

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Sep 8 • 11:27 AM EDT • Business • investors.com
The new tax changes every small business needs to know

Principal Tax Research Analyst at the Tax Institute at H&R Block, Carl Breedlove, breaks down what's new for 2026 filers, from higher reporting thresholds to new forms for crypto and digital asset transactions. If you run a small business, freelance, or trade digital assets, here's what you need to know.

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Sep 8 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Crypto CEO Chris Larsen Donates $500,000 to Support Political Moderate in Supervisors Race

The donation supports moderate Democrat Theo Ellington’s bid to replace progressive supervisor Shamann Walton in November.

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Sep 4 • 7:23 PM EDT • Politics • kqed.org
Reform UK gets another £4m from crypto billionaire pardoned by Donald Trump

Ben Delo, who was convicted in 2022 for failure to apply anti-money laundering controls, is party’s second biggest donor

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Sep 3 • 8:28 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices

Hey all, Jason here. When this hits your inbox, I should be en route to the airport — not to go anywhere myself, just to pick up my better half. I must admit, it’s been strange to be home alone (well, with two dogs) for two weeks! Really lets me “optimize” to spending more time on reading/writing/working, whether that’s healthy or not! Looking forward to getting back into a (somewhat) more balance routine. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading Compare Notes With the People Who Built Modern Fintech Partner content: Remitly CEO Sebastian Gunningham. Increase founder Darragh Buckley. Linda Du, Co-founder & President at Valon. They’ll unpack the decisions behind building and scaling major financial products: what they got right, what broke, what they would do differently, and how AI and new infrastructure are changing the operator playbook. Most events tell you where fintech is going. NerdCon puts the people who built the present in the room and asks them what comes next. Expect an operator-led conversation grounded in real products, real trade-offs and lessons earned the hard way. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% on Regular tickets with code FBW20 before standard pricing ends September 11. Meet the Builders Things To Know & Other Good Reads Advent and Stripe Abandon $50 Billion Pursuit of PayPal (Bloomberg) Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh (Wall Street Journal) The multiplying risks of financing data centres (FT) Let the Bond Market Speak (Wall Street Journal) Did we waste a crisis? Modest proposals to reform deposit insurance. (Fintech Takes Banking) Untangling Guggenheim: How Private Credit Built Its Own Universe (Net Interest) The Hater’s Guide To Circular Financing — Part One (Ed Zitron) Fiat Ventures Rebrands to FGV Capital, Announces $35M Oversubscribed Fund II (BusinessWire) Socure Announces Strategic Growth Investment at $5.2B Valuation and Acquires Agentic Operations Platform Fravity (Socure) Listen: When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well (Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast) Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices When Andreessen Horowitz led EarnIn’s $39 million Series B in 2017, Alex Rampell, a partner at the storied venture capital firm, described EarnIn’s small-dollar advance product as “free,” relying on “entirely on voluntary contributions instead of fees.” Rampell favorably compared EarnIn’s approach to typical payday loans, writing, “Payday loans historically have had the potential to be a slippery slope for consumers into financial distress: opaque systems and steep fees that are hard to repay and set individuals back further than where they started. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, that kind of slide into debt can be extremely difficult to recover from.” But EarnIn’s product — which, the company says, isn’t a “loan,” legally speaking — ends up being anything but free for most users. While it is technically possible to take a no-fee advance from the company, most users incur “Lightning Speed” (instant funding) fees and/or ostensibly optional tips that combined can equate to annualized percent rates that can reach over 1,000%. With an average term of 9.77 days, even fees and tips that are small on an absolute dollar basis are equivalent to high APRs on an annualized basis. A lawsuit filed last week by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against EarnIn describes the company and its product and business practices quite differently than Andreessen’s Rampell; “EarnIn’s business practices are unfair because they are immoral, unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous,” the complaint, filed in District Court in Denver, Colorado, says. EarnIn’s marquee product, Cash Out, isn’t a loan, the company says, as Cash Out is not “[f]orward [l]ooking” because “[t]he money is transferred based on earnings to date,” does not carry a mandatory fee to access funds, and is “non-recourse,” meaning EarnIn cannot pursue recovery from users who don’t repay advanced funds. EarnIn is sometimes referred to as an “Earned Wage Advance” service. Though, unlike some others in the broader category, EarnIn does not integrate with employers’ payroll or time and attendance systems. Rather, EarnIn attempts to verify a user’s income and employment, by examining direct deposit transaction data in their linked external bank account, by using GPS location and Bluetooth data to estimate a user’s time spent at work, if they work in a fixed location, and/or by having a user provided a work email address. While repayment is theoretically optional, as EarnIn would have no recourse, such as reporting non-payment to the credit bureaus or a collections agency, this is anything but clear to users of the EarnIn app, Colorado’s complaint argues. During the process of taking a Cash Out, users must agree to a preauthorized debit of the amount advanced, plus any expedited funding fee and/or tips. Though users technically can revoke this ACH authorization, the fact that they have this right isn’t presented to users during the Cash Out process, but rather is included in linked terms and conditions few users are likely to actually read. And users who do wish to revoke their ACH authorization must do so three or more days before the scheduled transaction date by emailing EarnIn’s customer support. Similarly, EarnIn’s marketing claims that it carries “no interest” and “no mandatory fees” is technically true, but is not the reality for many of the app’s users, the Colorado complaint argues. Further, EarnIn has extensively marketed to users the ability to “access your pay today,” to get “instant” funds, and to get funds “the same day you work” — when, in reality, this speed of access was only possible by paying the additional, undisclosed Lightning Speed fee. The Colorado complaint highlights this contradiction specifically, noting: EarnIn tells consumers that they can ‘Make any day payday with EarnIn’ and that there no ‘hidden’ or ‘mandatory fees.’ For a consumer to access their pay on the same day requested, they would have to pay the Lightning Speed fee. In the fine print of the advertisement EarnIn discloses that ‘[f]ees apply to use Lightning Speed,’ a direct contradiction to the larger text of the advertisement, and a fact that would not be immediately understood by a consumer as ‘Lightning Speed’ is not defined nor explained. Like other small-dollar lending services, rather than explicitly charge interest, EarnIn collects a markup on the optional Lighting Speed fee, which, given the nature of the transactions, many users opt for, as well as offering users the option to leave “tips.” EarnIn leverages either Real-Time Payments (RTP) rails or push-to-card via debit rails if a user opts for the optional Lightning Speed. But while these capabilities cost EarnIn, on average, $0.075 or $0.20 per transaction, respectively, EarnIn charges users significantly more. Initially, EarnIn charged as little as $1.99 for Cash Outs up to $24. But EarnIn has hiked these fees multiple times, and now charges $4.99 for Cash Outs up to $75 and $6.99 for those over $75. According to the Colorado complaint, EarnIn leverages “dark patterns” to manipulate users and to make it more difficult to avoid tipping. Examples of these “road blocks” highlighted in the complaint include: As of 2023, in the EarnIn app, a consumer attempting to get a loan under the default settings had to make at least eighteen separate taps to complete the transaction and reduce the tip to $0. There is an alternative method to leave a $0 tip, via the “Custom tip” feature, but EarnIn made this option difficult to access by visually deemphasizing it and positioning it near devices’ “home” button. Using language and imagery such as “Tip to pay it forward,” “Your generosity supports the service + helps,” “Your tips make a difference,” and “[t]he APR for this cash out is 0%. Your tips help support us.” While Lightning Speed and tipping are, in theory, both optional, in practice, users nearly always ended up paying something. According to the Colorado suit, users were charged either a tip or an expedite fee for more than 92% of transactions, with an average APR of nearly 388%. And, although the advances are “non-recourse,” EarnIn successfully collects on nearly all transactions — 99.18%, according to the complaint, which, Colorado argues, “demonstrat[es] that EarnIn’s advances function as high cost loans, not voluntary payments.” The share of EarnIn users incurring fees — despite the product being marketed as 0% APR — is hard to reconcile with Andreessen investor Rampell’s favorable description of EarnIn vs. “opaque systems and steep fees” associated with payday loans, which, Rampell says, can be “extremely difficult” for borrowers to extricate themselves from. According to Colorado’s suit, EarnIn’s Cash Out product “trapped many consumers in extreme cycles of high-cost reborrowing.” The suit gives an example of one consumer in the state, who took out a whopping 1,151 loans, paying a total of $4,038.50 in Lightning Speed expedited funding fees on loans that averaged the equivalent of 1,421% APR. Another Colorado user, the suit says, took out 1,033 loans, paying $8,561.22 in tips and fees at an average APR of 1,539% . These types of usage patterns demonstrate “the severe and repeated financial harm caused by EarnIn’s illegal lending model,” the Colorado complaint argues. In aggregate, from January 2023 through July 2025, EarnIn extended 3.1 million loans to 56,778 users in Colorado — an average of nearly 55 transactions per person during the time period. EarnIn lent more than $300 million and collected more than $16 million from Colorado users in Lightning Speed fees and in tips. Ultimately, the Colorado complaint argues that “EarnIn’s Cash Outs are loans under Colorado law, and EarnIn’s contention that its product is not a loan based on its disclaimer of any legal repayment obligation lacks any real-world significance given how the Cash Out transactions actually operate in practice.” Colorado further argues that “EarnIn was not working with companies here in providing consumers with funds but acted as a third-party lender and charged illegally high rates, used deceptive design strategies to extract some charges, and trapped consumers in repeat borrowing. Colorado will continue to stand up for consumers and hold companies accountable when they violate our credit laws or attempt to evade them through misleading practices.” Colorado’s suit alleges EarnIn assesses finance charge in excess of that permitted by Colorado law, that EarnIn failed to make legally required disclosures to Colorado borrowers, that EarnIn made supervised loans to consumers without obtaining the requisite license, that EarnIn violated the state’s Deferred Deposit Loan Act, that EarnIn engage in unfair and deceptive trade practices, and that EarnIn made false or misleading statements concerning price. The suit seeks a court order enjoining EarnIn from violating relevant Colorado laws, for EarnIn to refund amounts charged in excess of state law, fees, costs, and penalties, and other relief the court deems to be just. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Q2 Quarterly Banking Profile: Five Quick Takeaways The FDIC released its quarterly banking profile, which is always worth a read, for the second quarter. The profile provides an aggregate snapshot about the overall health of the 4,238 institutions whose deposits are insured by the FDIC, who, collectively, hold more than $26 trillion in assets and saw a total net income of more than $90 billion in the second quarter. Net income was up 12% vs. Q1 2026, with lower provisions and realized gains on securities helping to drive the improvement, somewhat offset by increases in non-interest expense and applicable income taxes. Overall net interest margin was basically flat quarter over quarter (up 1 basis point vs. Q1 2026), though community banks saw NIM grow by 10 basis points, to 3.81%. Unsurprisingly, given that interest rates haven’t changed, unrealized losses on securities changed little, edging up slightly to $326.7 billion vs. $325.1 billion in Q1 2026. Aggregate credit quality has remained benign, with asset quality actually improving slightly in Q2. Overall, institutions reported a 9 basis point decline in their past-due and non-accrual rate, to 1.44%. Net charge off rate also declined by 2 basis points, to 0.57%. And finally, the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund stands at $161.1 billion, making the DIF reserve ratio 1.48% — above the statutory minimum of 1.35%, but still below the designated target reserve ratio of 2%. [Paid Subscriber Exclusive] Nissan Withdraws ILC App, State Associations Plan BankChain Alliance, FDIC Defines “Unsafe or Unsound Practice” For First Time Automaker Nissan withdrew its application to charter a Utah industrial loan company and its corresponding application to the FDIC for deposit insurance last week, on August 19th. Nissan’s application had been outstanding for more than a year, as it originally applied in June 2025. Recent applications to the OCC to form national banks have been decisioned, one way or the other, substantially more quickly than has historically been the case.

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Aug 30 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com
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Arms and the £5m man: Farage megadonor Christopher Harborne’s military empire

Reform UK denies donor and crypto-billionaire’s global interests in arms and military could present a conflict of interest over its defence spending policy

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Aug 30 • 1:00 AM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
BitGo is buying NYDIG's institutional trading business as crypto rebounds

The deal adds derivatives, structured products, and financing capabilities to BitGo's custody and settlement platform

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Aug 28 • 9:30 AM EDT • Business • qz.com
BitGo to acquire NYDIG’s institutional trading business as crypto trading rebounds

BitGo is expanding its institutional capabilities just as activity in the crypto market is showing signs of picking up after a prolonged trading slump.

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Aug 27 • 4:00 PM EDT • Business • cnbc.com