US-Iran Sanctions Crackdown: Manhattan prosecutors filed a civil-forfeiture bid to recover nearly $61M in crypto tied to alleged Iranian oil sales via Binance-linked wallet networks, with claims of $1.5B in recycling and possible links to Iranian proxies. Regulation Push for Tokenized Stocks: The SEC issued a five-year “Innovation Exemption” to let venues trade tokenized NMS stocks on-chain using liquidity pools without full exchange/dealer registration, aiming for “innovation without arbitrage.” Binance Under DOJ Scrutiny: US prosecutors are investigating Binance over possible Iran sanctions violations and whether the exchange knowingly enabled prohibited trading. Stablecoin Rules Clash: Tether says it avoided EU MiCA authorization because the 60% bank-deposit reserve rule increases counterparty risk; EU central banks are now urging changes to fixed deposit thresholds. Crypto Market Mood: A Gallup survey finds US crypto ownership slipping (14% to 9% overall; 17% to 11% among investors), as the “honeymoon period” fades and value concentrates in BTC/ETH. Security & Crime: White hats moved 52.37 BTC (~$4.5M) from the Coldcard exploit into a recovery trust; separately, Microsoft and partners disrupted AI phishing service EvilTokens, while North Korea-linked WaterPlum attacks targeted 30,000+ devices to steal about $10.8M. Institutional/Infrastructure: Canada’s Big Six banks are exploring a shared tokenized deposit network to speed interbank transfers while keeping funds inside regulated banks. Derivatives Expansion: Moscow Exchange launched BTC perpetual futures for qualified investors, cash-settled in rubles.