REGULATION | Nigerian President Signs the Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026 Presidential Executiv...
Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has signed an executive order creating a coordinated regulatory framework for Nigeria’s virtual assets industry seeking to close regulatory gaps, combat fraud, and encourage responsible innovation in one of Africa’s largest cryptocurrency markets.
Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has signed the Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026, establishing a new framework to coordinate the regulation of virtual assets across government agencies as Nigeria seeks to curb fraud while supporting innovation in… pic.twitter.com/BhnioshPqo — BitKE (@BitcoinKE) July 17, 2026 The Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026, takes immediate effect and establishes a Virtual Asset Council chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) serving as vice-chairs, according to a statement from the presidency.
REGULATION | SEC Nigeria Raises Minimum Capital Requirements, Sets Higher Bar for Crypto, Fintech, and Capital Market Operators
The council will also include the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the Office of the National Security Adviser, and will coordinate oversight across agencies as virtual assets increasingly blur the lines between currencies, commodities and securities.
REGULATION | ‘We Will Not Allow Unlicensed Crypto Businesses to Operate Within Our Space,’ Warns SEC Nigeria
The government said fragmented regulation had exposed the country to money laundering, terrorism financing, cybercrime, fraud and revenue losses. The order also establishes a Virtual Asset Office within the CBN to serve as the council’s operational secretariat, facilitating information sharing, licensing applications, and regulatory reporting among participating agencies. Existing regulators will retain their statutory powers, with the new framework designed to improve coordination rather than replace their mandates. Nigeria has moved steadily toward formal oversight of the crypto sector after years of regulatory uncertainty. The government said the executive order aims to protect consumers while providing greater regulatory clarity for digital asset businesses operating in the country.
OPINION | What the Passing of the Nigeria ISA 2025 Crypto Law Means for Web3 Projects
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CASE STUDY | Prediction Markets Insider Trading Enters White House
Prediction markets continue to confront insider trading challenges with the latest high-profile White House incident. A U.S. federal investigation into a White House teleprompter operator accused of making more than $100,000 by betting on the contents of President Donald Trump’s speeches has highlighted how access to non-public information can be monetized through event-based contracts. According to reports, the employee allegedly used advance knowledge of speech drafts to place wagers on markets tied to specific words and topics mentioned in Trump’s public appearances.
Kalshi flagged the suspicious trading and referred the matter to regulators.
The White House reported that the subject was placed on unpaid administrative leave after the report with Trump reportedly calling the alleged conduct a ‘disgrace.’ The case underscores how prediction markets are becoming increasingly vulnerable as they expand beyond elections and sports into contracts linked to political speeches, corporate announcements, entertainment events, and geopolitical developments.
REGULATION | A Google Engineer Becomes Latest Arrest for Insider Trading
Unlike conventional financial markets where insider trading laws are well established, event contracts create new opportunities for people with privileged access to information – speechwriters, production staff, company employees, or government officials – to profit before information becomes public. The alleged trades also illustrate the scale at which insider information can influence these markets. Rather than relying on broad economic trends, traders with advance knowledge can gain a near-certain edge on highly specific contracts raising concerns over market integrity as prediction markets attract more retail participants and institutional attention. The incident is the latest in a series of insider trading investigations involving prediction markets in 2026 suggesting the industry is beginning to face the same surveillance, compliance, and enforcement challenges that have long shaped equity and derivatives markets.
REGULATION | PolyMarket Updates Own Rules to Curb Insider Trading and Market Manipulation
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DeFi | ~85% of Concentrated Liquidity on Decentralized Exchanges in H1 2026 Was Idle, Says Study
A Dune Analytics study commissioned by decentralized exchange aggregator, 1inch, has found that roughly 85% of concentrated liquidity deployed across major decentralized exchanges remains idle leaving liquidity providers to miss out on an estimated $150 million in annual trading fees. The research analyzed liquidity positions across seven blockchain networks and found that most capital in concentrated liquidity pools sits outside the active trading range for extended periods, meaning it does not earn fees despite remaining locked in the protocol. Concentrated liquidity, popularized by Uniswap V3, allows liquidity providers to allocate capital within specific price ranges instead of across an entire trading curve. While the model improves capital efficiency when positions are actively managed, it also requires frequent rebalancing as asset prices move.
DEVELOPER PERSPECTIVE | Swimming with The Big Fish – A Deep Dive into Uniswap V3’s Liquidity Magic
According to the study, inactive positions have become a widespread issue, with many liquidity providers either failing to adjust their ranges or lacking the tools to automate the process. The report estimates that this idle capital results in approximately $150 million in forgone fee revenue each year across the analyzed chains.
The study noted: Most of the idle sits in individual wallets. Automated managers and bots tend to keep their positions in range. On Base Uniswap v3, contracts hold about half the capital but carry little of the idle, and individuals account for 82% of it. About a third of the idle has gone untouched for more than 90 days, heaviest on Uniswap. On incentivized venues like Aerodrome it turns over more often, though that turnover alone does not keep it in range.
The study found that what drives idleness is mostly the asset pair and its volatility, more than the venue itself. Even stablecoin pairs ran around 30% out of range over the period, a sign that ranges drift for everyone. Interestingly, the study says the venues that predate concentrated liquidity leave about 98.7% of capital underutilized. Concentrated liquidity is a large step up. In short, capital efficiency is still the open frontier, and that is where the next design wins are.
MARKET ANALYSIS | Why Depth of Capital and Liquidity Matter Most When Choosing On-Chain Infrastructure
Idle capital and fragmentation are two inefficiencies on the same market: much of the capital is out of range, and even the capital in range is split across more venues than any single LP or router reaches. This report rebuilds that picture, but to act on the whole market at once, an LP or a router needs to see it as it happens, which pool holds the depth and where volume is clearing, across every venue. The findings come as DeFi protocols increasingly focus on improving capital efficiency through automated liquidity management strategies, vaults, and rebalancing tools designed to keep liquidity within active trading ranges and maximize fee generation.
CASE STUDY | How a Crypto Investor Lost $50 Million in a Single Transaction Due to Illiquidity in DeFi Markets
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REALITY CHECK | ‘I’m Going to Be a Very Disappointing Follow,’ AirBnB Tells Crypto Followers
Airbnb Chief Executive, Brian Chesky, said his X account was hacked after it published a series of AI-generated posts promoting the tokenization of real-world assets, distancing himself from the messages after regaining control of the account.
In a message after recovering his account, Chesky wrote: “To the person who hacked my account earlier this week: thanks for all the new crypto followers. To my new crypto followers: I’m going to be a very disappointing follow.”
The now-deleted thread argued that tokenization could make ownership of assets such as real estate, bonds and investment funds more liquid and accessible through blockchain technology. The posts however did not include cryptocurrency wallet addresses, token sales, or phishing links, differing from the scams that typically accompany high-profile social media account compromises.
EXPERT OPINION | Tokenization Alone Will Not Fix Illiquid Assets, Say Industry Experts
The posts quickly drew scrutiny from crypto users, many of whom described the writing as “AI slop” because of its repetitive style. AI detection tool Pangram reportedly classified the thread as entirely AI-generated. After recovering the account, Chesky confirmed it had been compromised and joked that anyone who had started following him for crypto content would likely be disappointed. (CoinDesk) The incident comes as tokenization of real-world assets has gained hype-like momentum across traditional finance, with major financial institutions and crypto firms exploring on-chain versions of stocks, bonds and other financial instruments.
EDITORIAL | The AI Hype Feels Just Like the Blockchain Craze – Here’s What Happens When the Buzz Fades
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INTRODUCING | VISA Unveils Enterprise Stablecoin Platform for Minting, Moving, and Managing Stabl...
VISA has unveiled the VISA Stablecoin Platform (VSP) designed to help financial institutions, fintechs, and crypto natives issue, manage and integrate stablecoins. The initiative builds on VISA’s broader crypto strategy that gives institutions and payment providers a simple way to access, store, and redeem stablecoins, beginning with Open USD, a new stablecoin recently introduced by Open Standard. This includes onchain wallet infrastructure through a newly introduced Wallet-as-a-Service offering and connectivity for minting and burning Open USD.
The enterprise platform provides banks and fintech firms with infrastructure to mint and burn stablecoins, manage treasury operations, and connect on-chain wallets to existing payment systems.
“Stablecoins are opening up a new layer of programmable money, but for most institutions the hard part isn’t the concept, it’s the operational reality,” said Jack Forestell, VISA’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer, in a statement. “With the Visa Stablecoin Platform, we’re giving our clients a single place to mint, move and manage stablecoin operations with the controls, security and network reach they already expect from Visa. It’s how we help them turn interest in stablecoins into real products and real payment flows.”
The platform will initially support Open USD, the dollar-backed stablecoin developed by the Open Standard consortium, with additional stablecoins expected to be added over time.
INTRODUCING | Leading Global Payments, Banking Firms Launch the Open USD Stablecoin and Infrastructure
How to Get Started Onboard and Operate: Institutions can onboard into a VISA-managed wallet stack or connect existing wallets creating a single home to manage stablecoin mint, burn, and transfer activity. Connect Bank Accounts and Controls: Clients can link bank accounts and configure approvals, users, and policies to govern who can initiate and approve stablecoin movements. Mint, Move and Manage Stablecoin Operations: From the start, VSP supports minting, redeeming, holding, and transferring stablecoins, beginning with Open USD, as part of treasury, settlement, and liquidity workflows.
VISA is one of more than 140 companies backing Open USD alongside MasterCard, Stripe, BlackRock, Coinbase, and several global financial institutions. The consortium is positioning the stablecoin as open infrastructure for enterprise payments allowing partners to share reserve income while eliminating minting and redemption fees for businesses. The launch adds pressure on Circle whose USDC has long dominated the regulated stablecoin market. Analysts say Open USD directly targets Circle’s business model by redistributing reserve earnings to ecosystem participants instead of concentrating them with the issuer.
STABLECOINS | Circle CEO Says USDC’s Network Scale Gives it an Edge as OUSD Enters Crowded Stablecoin Race
The development comes just days after Circle secured approval to establish a U.S. national trust bank allowing it to directly manage reserves backing USDC under federal oversight. While the approval strengthens Circle’s regulatory standing, the company is facing increasing competition from new institutional stablecoin initiatives backed by traditional financial firms.
INTRODUCING | VISA Unveils New Global Stablecoins Advisory Practice
Stay tuned to BitKE on stablecoin developments. Join our WhatsApp channel here. Follow us on X for the latest posts and updates Join and interact with our Telegram community ____________________________________ Related posts: INTRODUCING | Leading Global Payments, Banking Firms Launch the Open USD Stablecoin and Infrastructure REGULATION | Sony Gets Regulatory Approval to Issue Dollar-Backed Stablecoins INTRODUCING | One of Japan’s Largest Financial Conglomerates, SBI Holdings, Launches Yen Stablecoin Lending Service
REALITY CHECK | Malaysia Probe Shows Why Crypto States Is a Utopia
Balaji Srinivasan’s vision of the ‘Network State’ has long been one of crypto’s most ambitious ideas: digitally native communities that build their own institutions, economies and governance before eventually gaining recognition as sovereign entities. His Network School in Malaysia’s Forest City is perhaps the closest attempt yet to bring that vision into the physical world.
That experiment is now facing one of its biggest tests.
Following an investigation by Malaysian authorities into the Network School over allegations involving Israeli nationals entering the country on second passports, Srinivasan has proposed negotiating a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian government to provide legal certainty for the project. He warned that without such guarantees, the community could move its investment elsewhere. Initial checks by Malaysia’s Immigration Department found that all 266 foreign residents held valid travel documents but the probe has exposed the legal uncertainty surrounding the initiative.
EDITORIAL | In Crypto We Trust? Why Credibility Is the Real Currency (or Token) in the Age of Decentralization
For many in the crypto industry, the story goes far beyond immigration.
The Network School represents the latest evolution of crypto’s long-standing ambition to build parallel societies. Bitcoin challenged state-issued money. Decentralized finance attempted to recreate banking without banks. DAOs experimented with internet-native governance.
The network state takes the concept one step further by asking whether digital communities can eventually develop into real-world jurisdictions with their own institutions, economies, and even diplomatic recognition. These ideas have become increasingly popular among crypto entrepreneurs seeking environments with lighter regulation, crypto-native financial systems and communities built around shared technological values rather than geography. But Malaysia’s investigation highlights a reality that crypto projects cannot easily escape. No matter how decentralized a community becomes online, people still need visas, residency permits, property rights, telecommunications infrastructure, banking access and legal recognition. Members remain subject to immigration laws, national security concerns, taxation, and local politics. Digital governance can coordinate a community internally, but it cannot replace the legal authority of the country hosting it.
POLITICS | United States Seizes ~$500 Million in Crypto Linked to Iran
That dependence became evident almost immediately. Rather than relying on blockchain governance or community consensus, Srinivasan’s response was to seek a formal agreement with the Malaysian government – an acknowledgement that even digital-native communities ultimately require the support of conventional states to operate with certainty. The episode also illustrates how quickly geopolitical realities can overtake technological ideals. The investigation was triggered by allegations surrounding Israeli nationals and Malaysia’s longstanding diplomatic position on Israel – issues that exist entirely outside blockchain technology but nonetheless directly affect a crypto-native community operating within the country’s borders. The broader lesson is that crypto’s utopian vision has practical limits.
REALITY CHECK | Why DeFi is Increasingly Moving Toward Permissioned Structures and Controls Over Ideological Decentralization
Building digital institutions is relatively straightforward. Building physical communities requires navigating the laws, politics, and sovereignty of existing nations. While blockchain networks can create borderless financial systems, the people participating in them remain citizens, residents, and taxpayers governed by nation states. Rather than replacing governments, projects like the Network School may ultimately demonstrate that the future lies in partnership with them. Special economic zones, regulatory agreements and government-backed innovation hubs could prove more durable than attempts to operate independently. For crypto’s network state movement, Malaysia serves as a reminder that decentralization may reduce reliance on traditional financial infrastructure, but it has yet to eliminate dependence on the institutions of the real world.
CASE STUDY | This Leading DAO Exploit Shows the Biggest Risk to On-Chain Governance is Governance Itself
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CRYPTO CRIME | FATF Calls for Tougher Crypto AML Enforcement Following Travel Rule Implementation
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has urged countries to accelerate enforcement of anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) rules for the crypto industry, warning that stablecoins are increasingly becoming the preferred digital asset for illicit activity. In its July 2026 review of virtual asset regulations, the global watchdog said jurisdictions have made progress in implementing its standards for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), but enforcement remains uneven.
The FATF warned that regulatory gaps continue to create opportunities for criminals to exploit cross-border crypto markets. “Jurisdictions continue to face difficulties in identifying individuals and entities that conduct VASP activities, with many jurisdictions yet to translate legal frameworks into effective supervision and enforcement in practice.”
The report noted that stablecoins now account for the majority of illicit on-chain transaction volume reflecting their growing role in cybercrime, fraud, sanctions evasion, and terrorist financing. It also highlighted the increasing use of peer-to-peer transfers through unhosted wallets which remain difficult for regulators to monitor. FATF called on governments to strengthen supervision of crypto service providers, improve implementation of the ‘Travel Rule,’ and enhance international cooperation to identify, freeze, and recover illicit digital assets. The watchdog also urged the private sector to adopt stronger risk management and compliance controls as stablecoin usage continues to expand.
Crypto-related money laundering and fraud has seen #Kenya remain on the #FATF grey-list and is now driving COMPLIANT ENTITIES out of the market. pic.twitter.com/O0xpemULq7 — BitKE (@BitcoinKE) July 13, 2026 According to the FATF, while most major jurisdictions have introduced virtual asset regulations, many have yet to fully enforce them leaving significant weaknesses in the global AML framework that criminals continue to exploit.
REGULATION | ‘Proceeds of Crime Are Laundered and Concealed Within Real Estate or Cryptocurrency in Kenya,’ Says Kenyan Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
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暗号資産の新規株式公開(IPO)市場は、規制面での明確さが改善されたにもかかわらず、依然として大半が閉ざされた状態にある。投資家は資金を人工知能やより広範なインフラ関連のテーマへと振り向けている一方で、マクロ経済の不確実性がリスク資産に重しとしてのしかかっている。 クリスチャン・ロペス氏(Cohen & Company Capital Marketsのブロックチェーンおよびデジタル・アセット部門責任者)によれば、暗号資産企業が直面する課題はもはや規制ではなく、トレーディング以外でも持続的で分散された収益を生み出せると投資家に納得させることだ。
REGULATION | Leading Fintech Giant, Revolut, Secures Preliminary Approval to Offer Crypto Service...
British fintech giant, Revolut, has secured in-principle approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) to offer cryptocurrency services in the United Arab Emirates marking another step in its global expansion into regulated digital assets. The approval covers broker-dealer, management and investment, and exchange services, although Revolut must still obtain final regulatory clearance before launching the offerings. The company said eligible UAE customers will eventually be able to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies through its main app and its standalone crypto exchange, Revolut X, within a regulated framework.
REGULATION | Leading European Fintech, Revolut, to Delist USDT from August 2026 Over Regulatory and Risk Concerns
The move builds on Revolut’s earlier approval from the Central Bank of the UAE to provide payment services and strengthens its ambitions to establish a fully regulated financial ecosystem in the country. The fintech, which serves more than 75 million customers globally, has been expanding its regulated footprint after obtaining a UK banking licence in early 2026 while pursuing additional licences in markets including the United States and Peru. Dubai has positioned itself as one of the world’s leading crypto hubs under VARA’s dedicated regulatory framework. The regulator has licensed dozens of virtual asset firms and granted several companies in-principle approvals as it continues to attract global digital asset businesses.
REGULATION | South African Crypto Exchange, VALR, Makes Critical Step Towards Global Expansion Following Dubai Regulatory Approval
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