The SEC's crypto task force held its sixth roundtable event, hosting representatives from digital asset advocacy groups and other organizations. Regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission met with cryptocurrency industry leaders on Monday to discuss financial surveillance and user privacy, as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to shape digital asset oversight. In opening remarks at the roundtable, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who also heads the agency’s crypto task force, joined Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda in outlining how regulators could balance investor protection with privacy considerations as blockchain-based financial activity expands. Atkins said crypto had the potential to become “the most powerful financial surveillance architecture ever invented,” depending on how the US government handled regulation. He cited the SEC’s previous approach, “treating every wallet like a broker,” requiring more transactions to be reported. Read more
The agreement adds a key interoperability engineering team to Circle, strengthening its crosschain infrastructure and support for multichain applications. Stablecoin issuer Circle has signed an agreement to acquire the Interop Labs team and its proprietary technology, bringing a core contributor to the Axelar Network into its infrastructure business. The deal, expected to close in early 2026, covers Interop Labs’ personnel and proprietary intellectual property, while the Axelar Network, its foundation and the AXL token will remain independent and governed by the community. Interop Labs is the initial developer of the Axelar Network, a decentralized interoperability network that supports crosschain messaging and asset transfers between blockchains. Circle said the team’s technology will be integrated into Circle’s Arc blockchain and Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). Read more
Metatools, a supplier of technological equipment and machinery for the industrial and construction sectors in Romania, owned by brothers Mircea and Alexandru Androne from Ploiesti, posted RON93.5 million (EUR18.8 million) revenue in 2024, up 7.9% from the previous year’s RON86.6 million (EUR17.5 million), according to ZF calculations based on Finance Ministry data.