In a landmark shift for the U.S. housing finance system, the Federal Housing Finance Agency has issued a directive ordering Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to formally consider cryptocurrency as an asset in single-family mortgage loan risk assessments. The move, signed by FHFA Director William J. Pulte on Wednesday, signals a new era of crypto…
New Jersey residents got some bad news earlier this year when the state’s public utilities board warned that their electricity bills could surge up to 20% starting on June 1. A key driver in that rate hike: data centers. The spread of these large-scale computing facilities across the U.S. amid growing demand for artificial intelligence,…
Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle Internet Group, the issuer of one of the world’s biggest stablecoins, and Circle co-founder Sean Neville pose outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), on the day of the company’s IPO in New York City, U.S., June 5, 2025. NYSE Shares of Circle and Coinbase rallied on Wednesday, as Wall…
A cybersecurity firm has discovered 20 apps in the Google Play Store that imitate legitimate cryptocurrency wallets. The apps attempt to collect sensitive information, such as a user’s recovery phrase, allowing cybercriminals to steal their funds. The findings, detailed in a report from Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs, provide an insight into the latest methods…
In just the past month, stablecoin has moved from the fringes of cryptocurrency into the heart of mainstream finance. Hong Kong enacted its stablecoin ordinance, creating a regulatory framework to legitimise and support the issuance of stablecoins, while US lawmakers discuss similar legislation aimed at fostering large-scale stablecoin adoption. Meanwhile, stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group…
Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan outlined plans for a second digital asset innovation push in a blog post over the weekend. After the first policy statement in 2022 formalized its approach to cryptocurrencies, it is planning to announce its future strategy soon. It sounds like the focus could be on digital securities and tokenized…
Customs officials are working with the University of Hong Kong to develop a tool that can trace cryptocurrency transactions, with the authority stressing it had recorded seven suspected money laundering cases involving virtual assets and more than HK$9 billion (US$1.1 billion) in recent years. Mario Wong Ho-yin, assistant commissioner for intelligence and investigation at the…
Hong Kong’s new stablecoin ordinance, which requires issuers of assets backed by fiat currency to be licensed, is set to take effect on August 1, according to a government announcement on Friday. The city’s Legislative Council passed the bill regulating stablecoins – a type of cryptocurrency backed by a reference asset, usually fiat currencies such…
China is not a fan of cryptocurrencies. Over the past decade, the Chinese government has built up one of the world’s most hostile regulatory frameworks against cryptocurrency-related activities, including trading and mining. Beijing views digital assets like bitcoin as a threat to the country’s financial stability and capital account controls, and even a challenge to…
In the days after Hong Kong passed a bill to regulate stablecoins on May 21, people in the industry celebrated the government’s forward-looking stance on the cryptocurrency assets, but its stringent requirements – similar to how it regulated other virtual assets – could be a double-edged sword in the near term. “Regular independent audits and…