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From the cross-chain crime reaching $21B to AUSTRAC naming crypto as the highest monetary crime threat, here’s a roundup of the highest crypto tales you might have missed.
Cross-Chain Crypto Crimes Soar to $21.8 Billion in 2025
Illicit cross-chain crypto exercise surged to $21.8 billion to this point in 2025, tripling from the $7 billion recorded in 2023, based on a brand new report by blockchain analytics agency Elliptic.
The report reveals that criminals have been utilizing decentralized exchanges, cross-chain bridges, and swap providers to maneuver stolen or illicitly obtained funds. Of the full, round $2.5 billion originated from North Korean hackers, whereas one other $300 million got here from sanctioned Iranian crypto platforms.
Elliptic discovered that one-third of complicated cross-chain investigations spanned at the very least three blockchains, with 27% involving 5 or extra chains and 20% spanning over ten chains in 2025
Grayscale Alerts Intent to Go Public
Grayscale Investments, a crypto asset supervisor that gives $BTC and $ETH exchange-traded funds, filed a draft registration assertion with the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee, indicating plans to checklist its shares on the general public market.
Whereas the asset supervisor didn’t disclose the variety of shares or anticipated value vary, the submitting marks a step towards a possible preliminary public providing as crypto corporations return to public markets.
U.S. Justice Division, CFTC Finish Probes Into Polymarket
The U.S. Division of Justice and the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee have formally concluded their investigations into Polymarket, a blockchain-based prediction market, Bloomberg reported.
In line with a supply cited by Bloomberg, Polymarket acquired official notices earlier this month confirming the closure of each probes. The inquiries, which started in 2024, targeted on whether or not the platform allowed U.S. customers to put bets whereas circumventing restrictions by way of VPNs.
Polymarket had beforehand settled with the CFTC in 2022, agreeing to pay a $1.4 million wonderful and implement controls to dam U.S. customers from accessing non-compliant binary choices markets.
Coinbase Rebrands Pockets to ‘Base App’
Crypto agency Coinbase rebranded its Coinbase Pockets, a self-custody pockets, as the brand new “Base App,” reworking it into an all-in-one platform that merges social networking, mini-apps, token buying and selling, and $USDC funds.
Introduced throughout its “A New Day One” occasion, the app is a part of a broader growth of the Base ecosystem, which now contains the Base Chain (an Ethereum Layer 2), Base Construct for builders, and the consumer-facing Base App.
Base App integrates options like a Farcaster-powered social feed, real-time buying and selling visibility, token swaps, and Zora-based publish monetization. Customers additionally obtain a wise pockets upon sign-up.
Coinbase additionally launched “Base Pay,” a brand new checkout instrument that launches with Shopify integration and future cash-back rewards for U.S. customers. The all-in-one platform is at present in beta for waitlisted customers.
Australia Flags Crypto as High Monetary Crime Threat
Australia’s monetary intelligence company, AUSTRAC, named cryptocurrency a high menace in its battle towards monetary crime, asserting sweeping regulatory adjustments that may deliver 80,000 new companies underneath anti-money laundering (AML) legal guidelines by 2026.
The overhaul will goal digital forex exchanges and digital asset service suppliers as a consequence of their cross-border and instantaneous switch capabilities. AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas emphasised a regulatory pivot from compliance monitoring to addressing “substantive dangers and harms” throughout complete industries.
From July 1, 2026, new “tranche 2 entities,” which embrace actual property brokers, attorneys, accountants, and sellers in treasured metals and stones, should register and meet all AML obligations underneath the reformed Act.
Current AML reporting entities, alternatively, should meet the reformed Act’s enhanced obligations from March 31, 2026, together with up to date threat assessments, buyer due diligence, and reporting necessities.
The reforms will proceed to control digital forex exchanges and digital asset service suppliers.
This text is revealed on BitPinas: Crypto News You May Have Missed This Week | July 19, 2025
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