Do Kwon’s Guilty Plea is Official, a Crypto-Kidnapping Cop Gets Charged, and Mining Controversies Roil Texas and Kazakhstan | August 13, 2025
Release Date: 08/13/2025
Do Kwon’s Guilty Plea is Official, a Crypto-Kidnapping Cop Gets Charged, and Mining Controversies Roil Texas and Kazakhstan | August 13, 2025
The World Crypto Report
Do Kwon pleads guilty in the U.S. over the Terra-USD and Luna collapse, admitting to misleading investors and hiding rescue efforts during a 2021 depegging (1:16), while a former Los Angeles police officer faces life in prison after an alleged crypto-related kidnapping and robbery in Koreatown (2:41). Also: Texas’ Public Utility Commission takes its fight over Bitcoin mining data to court, pitting security concerns against transparency advocates (3:57). Finally, Kazakhstan dismantles a multi-million-dollar illegal power network feeding cryptocurrency miners, seizing luxury assets and...
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Do Kwon Wants a Plea, Bullish Wants a Billion, Paxos Wants a Federal Charter, and Blue Origin Wants Crypto for Space Travel | August 12, 2025
The World Crypto Report
Do Kwon’s expected guilty plea in the high-profile TerraUSD and Luna collapse case could mark the end of a two-year legal saga (1:04). Bullish, backed by Peter Thiel, is raising its IPO target to $1 billion and boosting its valuation (2:10). Paxos is making another push for a U.S. national trust bank charter as the stablecoin market expands under new federal rules (3:17). And in a futuristic twist, Shift4 Payments and Blue Origin will now let you pay for spaceflights with cryptocurrency (4:52). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and...
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Trump Family Plans $1.5B Crypto Treasury, Crypto Advisor Exits White House, El Salvador Woos Bitcoin Banks, and India Targets Crypto-Holding Tax Evaders | August 11, 2025
The World Crypto Report
The Trump family has big ambitions for a $1.5 billion public crypto treasury company (1:10), White House Crypto Advisor Bo Hines steps down (2:27), and El Salvador bids to lure big-ticket Bitcoin investors with its new investment banking law (3:37). Plus, India steps up enforcement against crypto-related tax evasion, targeting tens of thousands of noncompliant traders (5:07). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: Baird, Kyle. “El Salvador Courts Crypto’s Deepest Pockets with New...
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Crypto Gets Closer to Retirement Accounts, Ripple Acquires Rail, Salomon Client Sees Bitcoin Security Risk, and the UAE Streamlines Crypto Rules | August 8, 2025
The World Crypto Report
A sweeping change in U.S. retirement policy (1:07), Ripple’s $200M Canadian expansion (2:27), and a novel effort to reclaim crypto’s “lost wallets” (3:59) Plus, the UAE takes a big step toward unified digital asset regulation (5:30). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: Light, Joe. “Trump to Sign an Order Allowing Private Equity and Crypto Into 401(k)s.” Barron’s, 7 August 2025, . Riehl, Alex. “Crypto Giant Ripple to Acquire Stablecoin Payments Platform Rail for $275...
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It’s Win, Lose, and Draw for Tornado Cash Co-Founder, Crypto ETFs to Rise in Japan, and China Thinks “World” Is Intrusive | August 7, 2025
The World Crypto Report
Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm has been convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, but avoided a sanctions charge and a money laundering verdict, for now (1:13). Plus: SBI Holdings eyes a crypto-gold trust and a Bitcoin-XRP ETF in Japan (2:46), China warns against iris scans for crypto rewards (hinting at World) (4:20), and the Philippines blocks global exchanges amid a crypto crackdown (5:52). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: Aquino, Alyssa. “Judge...
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The US Bitcoin Mystery, New SEC Staking Guidance, and Corporate America Fills Up with Ether | August 6, 2025
The World Crypto Report
The White House keeps its cards close on the size of a potential U.S. Bitcoin reserve (0:55). The SEC issues fresh guidance on liquid staking, easing compliance worries for platforms and ETF issuers (2:24). Corporate America’s appetite for ether is surging, with treasuries adding billions in holdings (3:54). And a new Ethereum‑based scam is making the rounds, stealing nearly $1 million through deceptive smart contracts (5:26). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: Burt, Jeffrey....
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The US Treasury Takes Aim at Crypto ATMs, the CFTC Takes Up Crypto Spot Trading, the UK Takes Too Long with Crypto Policy, and More Crypto Companies Get Taken Public | August 5, 2025
The World Crypto Report
The U.S. Treasury warns of rising scams at cryptocurrency ATMs (1:17), the CFTC pushes to expand oversight of spot crypto trading (2:51), and George Osborne calls for the UK to accelerate its regulatory rollout (4:29). Plus, we look at IPO plans from Bullish and Figure Technology Solutions, two companies betting big on the future of blockchain finance (6:07). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: “FIN-2025-NTC1: FinCEN Notice on the Use of Convertible Virtual Currency Kiosks for Scam...
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US and UK Loosen Crypto Policies as Stablecoins Surge in Asia | August 4, 2025
The World Crypto Report
The U.S. CFTC launches a “crypto sprint” to fast-track digital asset regulation (1:24). Hong Kong unveils a new stablecoin licensing regime, setting the stage for tightly controlled growth (2:52). Across Asia, businesses are embracing stablecoins for cross-border payments, and luxury brands are joining the trend (4:24). Plus, the UK’s FCA reopens crypto ETNs to retail investors, signaling a change in oversight philosophy (6:09). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: Adebayo,...
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Building the Crypto Future: The SEC’s New Rules, Real Estate’s New Buyers, and Latin America’s New Markets | August 1, 2025
The World Crypto Report
The S.E.C. unveils “Project Crypto,” an ambitious new plan to overhaul U.S. crypto regulation and bring innovation back onshore (1:10). Plus: a new Deloitte survey shows that nearly 40% of large corporations are eyeing crypto for treasury operations (2:56). We also explore how younger Americans are using digital assets to buy homes (4:39), and why Bolivia’s partnership with El Salvador could be a game-changer for Latin America's crypto future (6:03). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this...
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White House Digital Asset Strategy, JPMorgan-Coinbase Deal, CoinDCX Hack, and New Malware Threats | July 31, 2025
The World Crypto Report
The White House releases its most comprehensive digital asset strategy to date, signaling greater regulatory clarity (1:05). JPMorgan teams up with Coinbase to bring crypto access to millions of Chase customers (2:36). India’s CoinDCX is rocked by a $44 million hack linked to an insider (3:49). And new malware is making the rounds through fake crypto apps, posing a serious threat to users worldwide (5:19). This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money. More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode: Bruggeman, Lucien and Jay O'Brien....
info_outlineDo Kwon pleads guilty in the U.S. over the Terra-USD and Luna collapse, admitting to misleading investors and hiding rescue efforts during a 2021 depegging (1:16), while a former Los Angeles police officer faces life in prison after an alleged crypto-related kidnapping and robbery in Koreatown (2:41). Also: Texas’ Public Utility Commission takes its fight over Bitcoin mining data to court, pitting security concerns against transparency advocates (3:57). Finally, Kazakhstan dismantles a multi-million-dollar illegal power network feeding cryptocurrency miners, seizing luxury assets and tightening regulations (5:33).
This is your essential update on the forces shaping what’s next in money.
More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode:
Chavez, Paloma. “Former Cop Joins Group in Violent Home Invasion to Steal Crypto, CA Officials Say.” Sacramento Bee, 12 August 2025, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article311676604.html.
“Kazakhstan Dismantles the Largest Network for Supplying Electricity for Cryptocurrency Mining.” Arabic Trader, 12 August 2025, https://www.arabictrader.com/en/news/cryptocurrencies/191800/kazakhstan-dismantles-the-largest-network-for-supplying-electricity-for-cryptocurrency-mining.
Ostroff, Caitlin, Sam Kessler, and Alexander Osipovich. “Crypto Entrepreneur Do Kwon Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges Stemming From Crypto Crash.” The Wall Street Journal, 12 August 2025, https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/crypto-entrepreneur-do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-charges-stemming-from-crypto-crash-50c032fe.
Peters, Keaton. “State Utility Commission Sues Texas Attorney General to Avoid Releasing Data on Crypto Companies’ Power Use.” Straight Arrow News, 11 August 2025, https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/11/texas-public-utility-commission-cryptocurrency-mining-power-lawsuit/.
The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti.