Crypto firms have invested over $100 million lobbying U.S. lawmakers to shape upcoming regulationsāsupporting the GENIUS stablecoin bill, broader market reforms, and urging the SEC to refrain from unilateral actions. The industry is debating whether to pursue both bills together or risk delaying oneāhoping Democrats will continue backing crypto-friendly policies. Ā
2. 
FATF Warns of $51B in Illicit Crypto Transactions
The Financial Action Task Force reports that illicit wallet transactions totaled $51 billion in 2024. Only 40 of 138 jurisdictions were largely compliant. Activities like sanctions evasion, money laundering, and terrorist financingāespecially using stablecoinsāremain serious concerns, with FBI linking North Korea to a $1.5B ByBit heist. Ā
3. 
Stablecoin Revolution Nears as Wall Street Eyes Real Usage
Wall Street interest in stablecoins has surged following the Senateās progress on the GENIUS Act. Firms like Circle soared post-IPO, and giants Amazon and Walmart began exploring their own stablecoin offerings. However, analysts caution that real consumer usage remains limitedāpayments are most likely in cross-border and B2B scenarios. Ā
4. 
RippleāSEC Settlement Rejected by Judge
A U.S. judge denied a proposed $50 million settlement between Ripple and the SEC in their XRP lawsuit. While the court acknowledged that public XRP sales were non-security, it rejected attempts to remove institutional sale restrictions and reduce the penaltyāsignaling stricter enforcement ahead.
