A teenage Canadian recruited by Russia’s FSB and paid in bitcoin (0:55). Shopify flips the switch on auto-enabled USDC payments (2:30). Coinbase adds Obama’s former campaign chief as crypto legislation gains steam (3:50). And Hong Kong tracks $1.1 billion in alleged laundering tied to crypto wallets (5:22).

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:

Russia Recruited a Teenage Spy. His Arrest Led to a Crypto Money Trail. Mari Saito, Anna Koper, Anton Zverev, Filipp Lebedev, and Polina Nikolskaya. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/europe-espionage-teen-spy/

Shopify Partners with Coinbase and Stripe in Landmark Stablecoin Deal. Ben Weiss. Fortune.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shopify-partners-coinbase-stripe-landmark-182707374.html

Coinbase Adds Former Top Obama and Harris Adviser Plouffe as It Broadens Its Political Reach. Joey Cappelletti. Associated Press.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/wireStory/coinbase-adds-former-top-obama-harris-adviser-plouffe-122765127

Customs works with University of Hong Kong to develop crypto transaction tracer. Jess Ma. South China Morning Post.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3314187/customs-works-university-hong-kong-develop-crypto-transaction-tracer

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

Congress inches closer to a crypto regulatory breakthrough, with new momentum behind the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts (1:02). We also have updates on a harrowing Bitcoin-related kidnapping in Manhattan (2:37), Stripe’s latest crypto acquisition (4:03), and Connecticut’s move to ban government involvement in digital assets (5:35).

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:

Landmark Crypto Bill Moves Closer to Passage in Senate. Jasper Goodman. Politico.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/11/congress/landmark-crypto-bill-moves-closer-to-passage-in-senate-00400472

2 House Panels Advance Crypto Market Structure Bill. Julia Shapero. The Hill.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5344328-house-panel-advances-crypto-oversight/

Photos Show Accuser in NYC Crypto Kidnapping Leaving House Freely, Defense Lawyers Say. Philip Marcelo. Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-crypto-kidnapping-torture-bitcoin-suspect-indicted-7e76c69217ba9f56973dbfaa33a01af2

Stripe Acquires Crypto Wallet Infrastructure Provider Privy. Duncan Riley. SiliconANGLE.

https://siliconangle.com/2025/06/11/stripe-acquires-crypto-wallet-infrastructure-provider-privy/

Connecticut Enacts Law Banning State Crypto Reserves, Investments. Timmy Shen. The Block.

https://www.theblock.co/post/357704/connecticut-bans-state-crypto-investments

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

Société Générale is preparing to launch a US dollar-backed stablecoin (0:57), Bullish is heading for a U.S. IPO (2:26), and a new court filing reveals Donald Trump offloaded part of his stake in a DeFi venture (3:55). Plus, former La Liga stars face fraud allegations over a defunct NFT platform (5:29).

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:

France’s Société Générale Launches USD Stablecoin. Wesley Grant. Payments Journal.

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/frances-societe-generale-launches-usd-stablecoin

Peter Thiel-Backed Crypto Group Bullish Files for Wall Street IPO. Antoine Gara, Oliver Barnes, and George Steer. Financial Times (subscription required).

https://www.ft.com/content/1f0442f9-48f5-4fe3-890b-9acbb7057d2f

Trump Secretly Sold Stake in Crypto Venture, Document Suggests. Dan Alexander. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2025/06/10/trump-secretly-sold-stake-in-crypto-venture-document-suggests/

Two Ex-Barcelona Stars Amongst Players Accused of Fraud in Cryptocurrency Case. Ruairidh Barlow. Football España.

https://www.football-espana.net/2025/06/10/two-ex-barcelona-stars-amongst-players-accused-of-fraud-in-cryptocurrency-case

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 top Chinese political adviser spends millions on Trump’s meme coin and gains access to a private dinner with the president (0:59). A Russian national is charged with laundering $530 million for sanctioned banks using stablecoins (2:32). Tech libertarians are building crypto-friendly jurisdictions on tribal and offshore lands (4:03). And in Nairobi’s Kibera neighborhood, Bitcoin is becoming a grassroots alternative to mobile money (6:03).

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:

Buyer With Ties to Chinese Communist Party Got V.I.P. Treatment at Trump Crypto Dinner. Eric Lipton, David Yaffe-Bellany, Michael Forsythe, Devon Lum, and Jiawei Wang. New York Times (free registration required, soft paywall).

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/us/politics/trump-crypto-dinner-china-he-tianying.html

Crypto CEO Accused of Laundering $500 Million Linked to Sanctioned Russian Banks. MacKenzie Sigalos. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/09/crypto-russia-laundering.html

Tech Moguls Want to Build a Crypto Paradise on a Native American Reservation. Kiera Butler. Mother Jones.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/06/tech-crypto-native-american-musk-balaji-network-state/

Bitcoin Is Introduced into Africa's Largest Slum, with Risks and Rewards. Jack Denton and Moses Ndungu. Associated Press.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/bitcoin-introduced-africas-largest-slum-risks-rewards-122644458

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

Gemini takes its first official step toward an IPO (0:50), while the Trump family reunites its crypto ventures under one meme coin banner (1:53). In the UK, the financial watchdog is rethinking its ban on retail crypto ETNs (3:39), and Argentina clears President Milei in the controversial $LIBRA case (4:49).

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 Exchange Gemini Files for IPO. Vicky Ge Huang. Wall Street Journal.

https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/crypto-exchange-gemini-files-for-ipo-096f41d7

World Liberty Financial to Invest in Trump Meme Coin Following Crypto Wallet Dispute. Julia Shapero. The Hill.

https://thehill.com/business/5337629-trump-meme-coin-investment-world-liberty/amp/

UK to End Ban on Retail Investors Buying Crypto Exchange-Traded Notes. Reporting by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes. Editing by Jane Merriman. Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/embargoed-uk-end-ban-retail-investors-buying-crypto-exchange-traded-notes-2025-06-06/

Anti-Corruption Office Clears Milei of Ethical Misconduct in $LIBRA Cryptoscandal. Buenos Aires Herald.

https://buenosairesherald.com/politics/anti-corruption-office-clears-milei-of-ethical-misconduct-in-libra-cryptoscandal

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

Trump Media pushes deeper into crypto with a new Bitcoin ETF filing and plans for a $2.3 billion treasury (0:56). Ukrainian cyber police arrest a hacker behind a $4.5 million cryptojacking scheme (2:37). FBI warns of phishing scams hitting Hedera users through fake NFT drops (4:18). And Pakistan outlines an aggressive national strategy to monetize surplus electricity with a state-backed bitcoin reserve (5:38).

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:

Donald Trump's Truth Social Officially Files for Bitcoin ETF as Company Deepens Crypto Push. Laura Bratton. Yahoo! Finance.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trumps-truth-social-officially-files-for-bitcoin-etf-as-company-deepens-crypto-push-150426350.html

Hacker Who Breached 5,000 Accounts to Mine Crypto Arrested — 7-Year Cryptojacking Scheme Incurs $4.5 Million in Damages. Jowi Morales. Tom’s Hardware.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cryptomining/hacker-who-breached-5-000-accounts-to-mine-crypto-arrested-7-year-cryptojacking-scheme-incurs-usd4-5-million-in-damages

FBI Alert: New Crypto Trap Drains Wallets in Seconds. Kaylee Remington. Cleveland.com

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/06/fbi-alert-new-crypto-trap-drains-wallets-in-seconds.html

Cyber Criminals Defraud Hedera Hashgraph Network Non-Custodial Wallet Users through Nonfungible Token Airdrops Disguised as Free Rewards. Public Service Announcement. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250603

Pakistan’s Bold Bitcoin Reserve Plan Aims to Transform Energy Surplus into Tech Investment. Tom Hussain. South China Morning News.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3313159/pakistans-bold-bitcoin-reserve-plan-aims-transform-energy-surplus-tech-investment

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 crypto kidnapping suspect is captured in Morocco in connection with a string of brutal abductions, including a €10 million ransom case (0:45). Meanwhile, Circle, the company behind USDC, officially begins trading on the NYSE under the ticker CRCL (2:22). JPMorgan prepares to offer financing backed by Bitcoin ETFs (3:58), and Hong Kong takes a major step toward institutional crypto derivatives (5:32).

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:

Suspected Crypto Kidnapping Mastermind Detained in Morocco. Joseph Ataman and Saskya Vandoorne. CNN.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/06/04/europe/france-crypto-kidnappings-detained-intl

Circle Prices IPO Above Range, Valuing It at $6.8 Billion. The Stock Starts Trading Thursday. Paul R. La Monica. Barron’s (paid subscription required).

https://www.barrons.com/articles/circle-crcl-ipo-stock-ticker-price-usdc-81a10761

JPMorgan to Accept Crypto-Linked ETFs as Loan Collateral. Murtuza J. Merchant. Benzinga.

https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/06/45777944/jpmorgan-to-accept-crypto-linked-etfs-as-loan-collateral

HK to Expand Crypto Offerings with Derivatives Trading for Investors. Li Xiaoyun. China Daily.

https://www.chinadailyasia.com/hk/article/613250

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 Trump-branded crypto wallet launches—then immediately gets disowned by Trump’s own sons (0:51). Meanwhile, a stealthy new cryptojacking campaign is quietly targeting the backbone of DevOps infrastructure (2:47), and Taiwanese exchange BitoPro is the latest victim in a growing wave of crypto hacks (4:23). Also: Ripple Labs makes a huge donation to expand police surveillance in San Francisco (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:

Is Trump Unveiling a Crypto Wallet? His Associates Say Yes. His Sons Say No. David Yaffe-Bellany and Eric Lipton. New York Times (free registration required, soft paywall).

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/technology/trump-crypto-wallet-sons-rift.html

Trump's Sons Distance Themselves from New Trump-Branded Crypto Venture. Lucien Bruggeman. ABC News.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/trumps-sons-distance-new-trump-branded-crypto-venture/story?id=122470346

DevOps Tools Under Siege: New Cryptojacking Campaign Exploits Misconfigurations to Mine Cryptocurrency. Tom Smith. DevOps.com.

https://devops.com/devops-tools-under-siege-new-cryptojacking-campaign-exploits-misconfigurations-to-mine-cryptocurrency/

Taiwanese Crypto Exchange BitoPro Confirms Estimated $11.5 Million Hack. Catherine McGrath. Fortune.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/taiwanese-crypto-exchange-bitopro-confirms-154536634.html

Crypto Billionaire’s Company, Nonprofit to Give Over $9M to S.F. Police for Surveillance Unit. Eleni Balakrishnan. Mission Local.

https://missionlocal.org/2025/06/sfpd-ripple-chris-larsen-donate-9m-surveillance/

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