US Treasury and Tether froze $131 million in USDT linked to Iran’s central bank, marking the second nine-figure seizure this year as stablecoin infrastructure becomes a financial weapon in US-Iran tensions. The freeze preceded public announcement, revealing how OFAC coordination with private crypto issuers actually operates.
The US Senate has roughly three weeks to pass the CLARITY Act before August recess, with Senator Cynthia Lummis warning that missing the deadline could delay crypto legislation until after the midterms or even 2030. Three senators—Elizabeth Warren, Jack Reed, and Chris Van Hollen—are blocking the bill’s path, citing consumer protection concerns and ethics issues.
Stripe and Advent International’s $60.50-per-share offer for PayPal values the company at over $53 billion, sitting 28% above its recent closing price and signaling a stark disconnect between what strategic buyers see versus public market valuations. The joint acquisition proposal represents a bet on PayPal’s platform as a whole rather than a breakup strategy, even as Wall Street analysts remain largely skeptical with only 2 of 24 rating it a Buy.
The US and UK governments jointly committed to coordinating stablecoin regulations, establishing unified standards for reserves, redemption rights, and insolvency protections. The key breakthrough: stablecoin holders would gain priority legal claims on reserves if an issuer fails, closing a critical gap exposed during the FTX collapse.
The CFTC invoked emergency authority to block Kalshi’s plan to force-liquidate Michigan users’ positions, requiring the platform to honor executed contracts while conducting a 90-day review. The intervention marks the first time a state has attempted direct interference with executed derivatives transactions, escalating a broader clash between state regulators and the federally licensed prediction market platform.
Nvidia has halved its approved distributors across Asia and implemented strict audits to crack down on illegal chip smuggling to China. The US Department of Commerce is overseeing the crackdown after a $2.5 billion scheme was exposed, revealing how legitimate supply chains were exploited to circumvent export controls.
Trump backs the CLARITY Act to streamline crypto regulation as federal agencies quietly move $288 million in seized crypto to Coinbase Prime—both happening the same day. The timing raises questions about government intentions, though officials say the transfer is routine asset management rather than a prelude to liquidation.
Sablier Labs, creator of Ethereum’s pioneering token-streaming protocol, is shutting down active development after Q1 revenue collapsed despite shipping more features than ever. CEO Paul Razvan Berg cited delayed token launches and AI tools that eroded the company’s competitive advantage, though the protocol will remain operational until June 2028.
Telegram’s t.me domain was placed on serverHold by the .me registry on July 13, severing access to its wallet, Mini Apps, NFT gifts, and blockchain services. The registry-level suspension reveals a critical architectural flaw: Telegram built its entire blockchain ecosystem on a single domain it doesn’t control.
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte signed HB 639, the Blockchain Basic Laws, into law, giving crypto miners, validators, developers, and self-custody holders explicit legal protections. The law also creates a dedicated Superior Court docket for blockchain disputes—the most structurally complete state-level crypto framework in the country.