A bipartisan Senate bill would reportedly ban sports betting and casino-style contracts on prediction markets. US Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis are expected to introduce a bipartisan bill on Monday that would bar sports betting and “casino-style” contracts from prediction markets regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), according to a Monday Wall Street Journal report. “Too many young people in Utah are getting exposed to addictive sports betting and casino-style gaming contracts that belong under state control, not under federal regulators,” Senator Curtis, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, told the WSJ. If introduced as reported, the measure would add to a widening Washington push against certain prediction market contracts. The report adds to the growing regulatory scrutiny over prediction markets, following renewed insider trading concerns sparked by the US-Israeli war with Iran. Read more
Spain’s Civil Guard detained a suspect wanted by France over the 2025 kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland, in a case tied to a wider wave of crypto-targeted abductions. Spanish authorities have arrested a suspect in the 2025 kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland, marking a cross-border breakthrough in one of Europe’s most high-profile crypto-linked abduction cases. Spain’s Civil Guard said the suspect was detained in Benalmádena, in the southern province of Málaga, under a European arrest warrant issued by France. The man is accused of involvement in the abduction and torture of Balland, in which attackers demanded a ransom of 10 million euros (around $11.5 million). Balland was abducted from his home in central France on Jan. 21, 2025, and was held captive until a police operation secured his release on the night of Jan. 22. Read more
Weekly crypto ETP inflows reached $230 million despite $405 million in post-FOMC outflows, as Bitcoin led gains and Ether ended a three-week inflow streak, CoinShares reported. Crypto investment products maintained their inflow streak last week but momentum slowed amid ongoing Middle East tensions and a “hawkish pause” interpretation of the US Fed’s meeting. Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) recorded $230 million in inflows last week, with $405 million in outflows following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in the US, CoinShares reported Monday. The inflows extended the streak to four consecutive weeks, but the latest total was sharply lower than the previous week’s $1.06 billion. Read more
Bitcoin moved back above $71,000 after US President Donald Trump postponed Iran strike for five days, sending oil price crashing below $100. Bitcoin (BTC) broke back toward $71,000 during Monday’s European trading session as US President Donald Trump said attacks on Iran’s power infrastructure would be postponed. Key takeaways: Bitcoin bounces 5% to $71,000 after President Trump said US attacks on Iran's infrastructure would be postponed. Read more