Politico | Crypto

The UK is reportedly considering a ban on political crypto donations as Reform UK tops the polls, raising questions about funding transparency and potential foreign influence. The United Kingdom is considering a ban on crypto donations to political parties, a move that would directly affect Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage, who have leaned into digital assets as part of a pitch for a crypto revolution in Britain, according to Politico. The option is being discussed as part of an Elections Bill intended to bolster trust in politics, even though a ban was not included in an earlier policy paper, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report claimed that a government spokesperson did not deny that the plan is under review, saying further details will be set out in the bill. Read more

CZ’s pardon by Trump followed a lobbying push that included $450,000 to Trump-linked lobbyists and $290,000 to former SEC chair contender Teresa Goody Guillén. Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s pardon by US President Donald Trump came after an extensive and expensive lobbying campaign in Washington. Zhao, who served a four-month prison sentence last year for violating US Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, benefited from a months-long effort by Binance and its legal team to win over key figures in Trump’s orbit, according to a Sunday report by Politico. In late September, Binance hired Ches McDowell, a close associate of Donald Trump Jr., and his North Carolina-based firm Checkmate Government Relations to lobby the White House and Treasury Department on “executive relief,” the report claimed. Read more