Short News

Tether has confirmed that KPMG will audit its $185 billion USDT reserves, ending speculation about the unnamed “Big Four” firm. The audit will go beyond BDO Italia’s monthly attestations and review assets, liabilities, and internal controls. Tether also hired PwC to prepare its systems ahead of the review. The move comes as the company plans U.S. expansion and aims to raise $15-20 billion amid investor concerns over pricing and regulatory risks. CFO Simon McWilliams said the audit will be delivered.

Brazil has passed a major new law to fight organized crime, which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed this Tuesday. The law lets judges freeze, seize, and even liquidate digital assets like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies linked to serious criminal activity. It also allows courts to approve early sales of these assets if needed. Money from seized crypto will be used to strengthen public security, fund police operations, and support crime-fighting efforts. Experts say this makes Brazil’s approach to crypto and crime more practical and focused on results.

The UK government will ban cryptocurrency donations to political parties until a clear regulatory framework is in place, following recommendations from the Rycroft Review. It will also cap donations from overseas electors at £100,000 per year, including loans and similar transactions. These measures will be added as amendments to the Representation of the People Bill and applied retrospectively, requiring parties to return any unlawful donations within 30 days. The goal is to increase transparency and protect the integrity of UK elections.

U.S. Representatives Adrian Smith and Nikki Budzinski have introduced the PREDICT Act, a bipartisan bill to prohibit the president, vice president, members of Congress, political appointees, and their spouses and dependents from participating in prediction markets tied to political events, policy decisions, or government actions. The legislation would impose a 10% fine on the value of any contract and require the forfeiture of all profits earned in violation of the ban. The proposal aims to prevent conflicts of interest and maintain trust in government decision-making.

Tether has hired a Big Four accounting firm to carry out its first full independent audit. The review will cover its crypto reserves, traditional assets, and issued tokens. The company says the step will give clearer proof that its USDT stablecoin is fully backed and easy to access. USDT remains the world’s largest stablecoin, with a market value above $184 billion and more than 550 million users worldwide, strengthening trust among investors and regulators.

Gate Exchange has become the first centralized crypto exchange to integrate Polymarket, enabling users to trade prediction markets directly on the platform. Users can wager on “Yes/No” outcomes across sports, crypto, and global events, with instant execution and automatic stablecoin settlement. The integration offers a seamless, real-time way to turn insights into potential profits. The new feature is now live in public beta, giving traders early access to this innovative way of engaging with global events.

The New York Stock Exchange is joining forces with Securitize to create a 24/7 platform for trading tokenized stocks and ETFs. Shares will be issued and managed as blockchain-based digital tokens, offering instant settlement and stablecoin payments. Securitize will act as the NYSE’s first digital transfer agent, overseeing digital share issuance and management. This partnership represents a major step toward modernizing traditional securities trading by combining blockchain technology with the NYSE’s established infrastructure.

Eighteen large wallets have secretly accumulated roughly $79.7 million worth of LayerZero’s ZRO token, representing a significant share of its circulating supply. According to blockchain analytics from Nansen, the buys happened in two major waves and were entirely funded through institutional channels like Coinbase Prime, with no recorded sell activity, signaling strong holding sentiment. This buildup started a few weeks after LayerZero announced its new Zero Layer‑1 network, and comes just before a scheduled token unlock event, suggesting confidence in long‑term prospects.

Cardano’s ADA is hovering around $0.25, with market data showing growing stress among investors. Most wallets active in the past year are sitting at significant losses, and the token has dropped sharply from its September levels, reflecting deep unrealized losses across the network. Derivatives data points to rising bearish bets, with short positions dominating. If ADA slips slightly lower, nearly $10 million in leveraged long positions could be forced into liquidation.