The IRS is sending out a wave of crypto tax warning letters (1:03), California wants to seize dormant exchange accounts (2:27), and the FBI tracks down a notorious hacker using blockchain forensics (4:07). Plus: Corporate bitcoin holdings just hit a record high, and Trump Media is buying in (5:47).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Bitcoin and Crypto Investors Hit with Flood of IRS letters, Say Tax Experts. Ben Weiss. Fortune.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-investors-hit-flood-134036966.html

California Passes Bill Allowing State Agencies to Accept Cryptocurrency Payments. San Mateo Daily Journal.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/sponsored/california-passes-bill-allowing-state-agencies-to-accept-cryptocurrency-payments/article_54d3677f-c2ba-4d48-a79e-58070524b664.html

FBI Used Bitcoin Wallet Records to Peg Notorious IntelBroker as UK National. Jessica Lyons. The Register (UK).

https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2025/06/26/fbi_used_bitcoin_wallet_id_intelbroker/

'Forest Fire': Corporate America's Bitcoin Buying Spree Fuels Concern. Declan Harty. Politico.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/trump-bitcoin-treasury-wall-street-warren-00423673

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Boko Haram is funding terror with crypto (1:09). The Trump family's DeFi venture lands a massive $100 million investment from the UAE (2:42). And Bolivians turn to Bitcoin as inflation and dollar shortages choke the economy (4:29). Plus: Kraken launches its new all-in-one app, Krak (6:00).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Boko Haram Uses Cryptocurrency to Finance Terrorism Secretly. U.S. Africa Command. Africa Defense Forum.

https://adf-magazine.com/2025/06/boko-haram-uses-cryptocurrency-to-finance-terrorism-secretly/

UAE's Aqua 1 Invests $100 Million in Trump-Linked Crypto Venture, Amid Outcry of Influence Peddling. Shrey Banerjee. Mint (India).

https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/uaes-aqua-1-invests-100-million-in-trump-linked-crypto-venture-amid-outcry-of-influence-peddling/amp-11750954369246.html

Crypto Gains Foothold in Bolivia as Small Businesses Seek Currency Alternatives. Lucinda Elliott. Reuters.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/crypto-gains-foothold-bolivia-small-113940884.html

Krak Is Here: Kraken Launches New All-in-One Global Money App. Kraken.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250626762957/en/Krak-Is-Here-Kraken-Launches-New-All-in-One-Global-Money-App

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

The FHFA signals a shift in U.S. mortgage policy, directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start preparing for crypto asset inclusion (0:56). In Kyrgyzstan, a ruble-pegged stablecoin is fueling billions in cross-border flows that may be helping Russia evade sanctions (2:06). SoFi reenters the crypto space with onchain money transfers and fresh support for token trading (3:40). And Barclays bans crypto purchases on its credit cards, citing volatility and lack of consumer protections (4:57).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

FHFA Chief Orders Fannie and Freddie to Prepare for Crypto in Mortgage Underwriting. National Mortgage Professional.

https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/fhfa-chief-orders-fannie-and-freddie-prepare-crypto-mortgage-underwriting

Sanctions-Busting Kyrgyz Cryptocurrency Moves $9 Bln – FT. Moscow Times.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/25/sanctions-busting-kyrgyz-cryptocurrency-moves-9-bln-ft-a89566

Crypto Coin for Russian Shadow Payments Moves $9bn. Financial Times (subscription required).

https://www.ft.com/content/1c71cac0-b86b-4361-8f54-ee5d3bb5a489

SoFi Plans Return to Crypto with Blockchain Initiative. Bitcoin Trading Is Coming. Mackenzie Tatananni. Barron's (subscription required).

https://www.barrons.com/articles/sofi-bitcoin-crypto-blockchain-3ddc4610

Barclays to Block Cryptocurrency Transactions Due to Growing Financial Risks. Dimsum Daily Hong Kong.

https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/barclays-to-block-cryptocurrency-transactions-due-to-growing-financial-risks/

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

A massive crypto seizure led by the U.S. Secret Service shows how blockchain forensics—and Coinbase—are reshaping crypto crime investigations (0:57). Türkiye announces sweeping new anti-money-laundering rules for crypto platforms (2:47), Japan signals a move toward Bitcoin ETFs and tax reform (4:36), and Mastercard joins Chainlink to bring crypto to traditional payment cards (6:05).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Consumer Protection Tuesday: How Coinbase Helped the Secret Service Seize $225M in Stolen Crypto. Coinbase.

https://www.coinbase.com/blog/consumer-protection-tuesday-how-coinbase-helped-secret-service-seize-stolen-crypto

Türkiye to Enforce Stricter Crypto Rules to Curb Illicit Transactions. Daily Sabah (Türkiye).

https://www.dailysabah.com/business/turkiye-to-enforce-stricter-crypto-rules-to-curb-illicit-transactions/news/amp

Japan Mulls Lifting Bitcoin ETF Ban, Slashing Taxes on Crypto Gains. John Isige. FX Street.

https://www.fxstreet.com/amp/cryptocurrencies/news/japan-mulls-lifting-bitcoin-etf-ban-slashing-taxes-on-crypto-gains-202506241316

Chainlink and Mastercard Partner to Enable Over 3 billion Cardholders to Purchase Crypto Directly Onchain. Chainlink. Mastercard. PR Newswire.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chainlink-and-mastercard-partner-to-enable-over-3-billion-cardholders-to-purchase-crypto-directly-onchain-302489729.html

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

A major shift may be coming for thousands of US banks, as Fiserv prepares to roll out a stablecoin platform linked to Solana, Circle, and Paxos (1:01), while China eyes Hong Kong as a testbed for yuan-backed digital tokens (2:40). This episode also covers Anthony Pompliano's $1 billion bitcoin treasury initiative (4:13), and new reporting on Telegram's struggle—or refusal—to crack down on crypto-enabled scams (5:44).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Stablecoin World Opens Up to Main Street Banks. Gina Heeb. Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/stablecoin-crypto-fiserv-smaller-banks-aa9049ea

Beijing Could Use Hong Kong as Test Bed for Yuan-Linked Stablecoins: Morgan Stanley. Julie Zhang. South China Morning Post.

https://www.scmp.com/business/cryptocurrency/article/3315514/beijing-could-use-hong-kong-test-bed-yuan-linked-stablecoins-morgan-stanley

US investor strikes $1 billion merger to create bitcoin treasury company. Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/us-investor-strikes-1-billion-merger-create-bitcoin-treasury-company-2025-06-23/

Telegram Purged Chinese Crypto Scam Markets—Then Watched as They Rebuilt. Andy Greenberg. Wired.

https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-purged-chinese-crypto-scam-markets-then-let-them-rebuild/

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Texas launches the first stand-alone state-run Bitcoin reserve (1:09), while Norway prepares to restrict power-hungry crypto mining (2:22). Phoenix Group eyes AI expansion and a potential U.S. stock listing (3:49). Plus: a 19-year-old hacker pleads guilty in one of the largest Bitcoin thefts ever (5:04).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott Signs Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill into Law. Zack Abrams. The Block.

https://www.theblock.co/amp/post/359089/texas-governor-greg-abbott-signs-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-bill-into-law

Norway Plans Temporary Ban on Power-Intensive Cryptocurrency Mining. Louise Breusch Rasmussen. Edited by Terje Solsvik. Reuters.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/norway-plans-temporary-ban-power-094632277.html

Abu Dhabi Bitcoin Miner Considers US Listing in Pivot to AI. Mohammed Sergie. Semafor.

https://www.semafor.com/article/06/20/2025/abu-dhabi-bitcoin-miner-considers-us-listing-in-pivot-to-ai

Man Whose Parents Were Kidnapped after $245M Bitcoin Theft Has Pleaded Guilty to Federal Charges. Dave Collins. Associated Press.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Technology/wireStory/man-parents-kidnapped-after-245m-bitcoin-theft-pleaded-123058427

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Apple faces a new class-action lawsuit over a crypto scam app that allegedly made it through App Store review. (0:54). Plus: Andreessen Horowitz and Cerebras Systems deal with high-profile social media hacks (2:23), Ohio moves toward exempting small crypto transactions from capital gains tax (3:46), and KuCoin partners with BitGo to offer off-exchange settlement for institutional clients (5:30).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Apple Hit with Class Action Suit Over App Store Crypto Scam. Marcus Mendes. 9 to 5 Mac.

https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/19/class-action-suit-app-store-crypto-scam/

Maker of World's Largest AI Chips Was Hit by a Crypto Scam. Stephen Warwick. Tom's Hardware.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cryptocurrency/maker-of-worlds-largest-ai-chips-victim-of-crypto-scam-cerebras-confirms-coin-launched-in-its-name-is-fake-x-account-compromised-by-hackers

No, Andreessen Horowitz Didn't Post that Crypto Scam Tweet. Julie Bort. Tech Crunch

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/18/no-andreessen-horowitz-didnt-post-that-crypto-scam-tweet/

Ohio's House of Representatives Passes Crypto Bill to Allow $200 Tax Free Threshold for Crypto Transactions. TradingView.

https://www.tradingview.com/news/zycrypto:bac1b29cd094b:0-ohio-s-house-of-representatives-passes-crypto-bill-to-allow-200-tax-free-threshold-for-crypto-transactions/

KuCoin Joins BitGo Singapore's Go Network for Off-Exchange Settlement, Reinforcing $2 Billion Trust Project. Press Release. KuCoin.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/kucoin-joins-bitgo-singapore-s-go-network-for-off-exchange-settlement-reinforcing-2-billion-trust-project-888757610.html

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

A $90 million crypto hack in Iran (1:00). A record-breaking DOJ seizure (2:27). BlackRock's tokenized fund joins Crypto.com (3:55). And GameStop, Trump Media, and others pile into digital assets (5:05).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Israel-Linked Group Hacks Iranian Cryptocurrency Exchange in $90M Heist. Dan Milmo. The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/18/israel-linked-group-hacks-iranian-cryptocurrency-exchange-in-90m-heist

United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering. Office of Public Affairs. United States Department of Justice.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-civil-forfeiture-complaint-against-225m-funds-involved-cryptocurrency

Crypto.com Exchange to Accept BlackRock's BUIDL as Trading Collateral. Gerald Segal. FX News Group.

https://fxnewsgroup.com/forex-news/cryptocurrency/crypto-com-exchange-to-accept-blackrocks-buidl-as-trading-collateral/

Crypto Goes Corporate as a New Wave of Public Companies Buy Bitcoin. Nina Bambysheva. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninabambysheva/2025/06/18/crypto-goes-corporate-as-a-new-wave-of-public-companies-buy-bitcoin/

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

The U.S. Senate passes the GENIUS Act, laying the groundwork for stablecoin regulation in America (1:06). Meanwhile, JPMorgan reveals that its new tokenized asset, JPMD, will run on Coinbase's Base network (2:33). Coinbase also looks to expand into tokenized stocks (4:11), and Thailand approves a five-year crypto tax exemption to attract investment (5:51).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Senate Passes Crypto Regulations, Sends to House without Addressing Trump's Investments. Joey Cappelletti, Mary Clare Jalonick, and Alan Suderman. Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/crypto-stablecoins-trump-senate-383b502d3d80169f8f4739055dada0cb

JPMorgan Moves Further into Crypto with Stablecoin-Like Token JPMD. Ryan Browne. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/17/jpmorgan-stablecoin-jpmd.html

Coinbase Seeks SEC Approval to Launch Tokenized Stock Trading. Tareq Sikder. Finance Magnates.

https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/coinbase-seeks-sec-approval-to-launch-tokenized-stock-trading/

Thailand Approves Five Year Bitcoin and Crypto Tax Break. Jenna Montgomery. Bitcoin Magazine.

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/thailand-approves-five-year-bitcoin-and-crypto-tax-break

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti

Tron goes public in a $210 million deal with ties to the Trump family (0:43), while Trump Media files for its second crypto ETF (2:20). JPMorgan drops hints about a new digital currency service (3:51), and Australian police dismantle a massive money laundering network powered by crypto (5:26).

This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.

More on stories and articles mentioned or referenced in this episode:

Crypto Firm Tron, Led By 'Top Fan' of Trump, Is Going Public. Paul R. La Monica. Barron's (subscription required).

https://www.barrons.com/articles/tron-trump-reverse-merger-crypto-49a08edb

Trump Media Deepens Crypto Push with Bitcoin–Ether ETF Filing. Vildana Hajric. Bloomberg.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-media-deepens-crypto-push-134447245.html

JPMorgan Chase Files for Blockchain-Related Trademark, Triggering Speculation It Has Stablecoin Plans. Catherine McGrath. Fortune.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jpmorgan-chase-files-blockchain-related-215005657.html

$124 Million Armored Truck Crypto Money Laundering Operation Busted — Australian Perps Apprehended, Could Face Life in Prison. Mark Tyson. Tom's Hardware.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cryptocurrency/usd124-million-armored-truck-crypto-money-laundering-operation-busted-australian-perps-apprehended-could-face-life-in-prison

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti