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According to Bloomberg, Haun Ventures, a crypto venture capital firm founded by former a16z partner Katie Haun, has successfully raised approximately $1 billion for a new fund, expanding its investment scope from blockchain infrastructure to the field of AI Agents. This fundraising scale is particularly notable against the backdrop of a general contraction in the crypto VC space.According to SEC disclosure documents obtained by Fortune magazine, by 2025, the management scale of leading firms such as Paradigm, Pantera, and a16z crypto will have shrunk across the board, while Haun Ventures is the only fund to achieve counter-cyclical growth, with its assets under management increasing from the initial $1 billion to $2.5 billion.Katie Haun served as a federal prosecutor for over a decade and created the first cryptocurrency task force for the U.S. government, later becoming the first female partner at a16z. Her unique compliance and policy background allows Haun Ventures to focus more on B2B solutions that are compatible with traditional finance in its investment strategy.The fund has successfully positioned itself in the payments sector, with its lead investments in Bridge and BVNK being acquired, with valuations rising from $200 million and $750 million to over $1.1 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. The new fund will continue its strategic focus on the intersection of crypto technology and emerging technologies, with AI agents becoming the latest key direction.

Ali Qianwen announces the open-source Qwen-Scope------an interpretability module trained based on the Qwen3 series and Qwen3.5 series models, with application scenarios including directed control of inference results, data classification and synthesis, model training and optimization, evaluation sample distribution analysis and comparison, etc.The weights of this open-source Qwen-Scope involve 7 large models, covering the dense models and mixture of experts models of the Qwen3 and Qwen3.5 series, with a total of 14 groups of sparse autoencoder weights.

According to DigitalAsset, the Audit and Inspection Agency of South Korea has released the "Audit Report on the Operation and Management of the Elderly Welfare System," which requires the Minister of Health and Welfare to amend relevant regulations to include digital assets in the property calculation scope for basic pension reviews. The agency pointed out that digital assets have a clear economic value, but the current basic pension law does not include digital assets in its property scope, which may result in individuals holding significant digital assets still being eligible for basic pension benefits.The agency believes that digital assets should be regarded as property with clear economic value, even if their form differs from traditional financial assets, as the value of the property itself is not different. The Ministry of Health and Welfare agrees with this view, stating that it is necessary to prevent relatively high-income individuals in the lower 70% of non-income earners from receiving basic pensions, and agrees that digital assets should be included in the property calculation scope.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today officially proposed amendments to Rule 15c2-11 of the Securities Exchange Act, aiming to clearly limit the scope of this rule to equity securities.Since its promulgation, this rule has primarily been used to regulate the information collection and review obligations of brokers when publishing quotes in the over-the-counter (OTC) market, with the core purpose of preventing manipulative and fraudulent trading practices in the OTC stock market. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins stated that regulatory rules should match the asset classes to which they apply, and this amendment aims to clarify the regulatory obligations for publishing quotes and to specify that Rule 15c2-11 is always applicable only to equity securities.

The cryptocurrency payment company Alchemy Pay has announced that it has obtained a Money Transmission License (MTL) in the state of Nebraska, allowing it to conduct related payment business in compliance with local regulations. With this addition to its compliance map, the number of MTL licenses held by Alchemy Pay in the United States has increased to 14, and compliance applications are still being advanced in other states.In the past month, Alchemy Pay has successively obtained Money Transmission Licenses (MTL) in four states: Kansas, West Virginia, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

Wintermute released a latest article stating that 2025 did not bring the expected market surge, but it may be seen as the beginning of cryptocurrencies transitioning from speculative properties to a more mature asset class.The traditional four-year cycle model is failing. Market performance is no longer dominated by self-fulfilling time narratives, but rather depends on the direction of liquidity flow and the concentration of investor attention. In 2025, there was no situation where funds overflowed from Bitcoin to Ethereum and then to the altcoin market. As retail interest shifted towards the stock market, 2025 became an extremely centralized year. The average rebound cycle for altcoins shortened to 20 days (compared to 60 days in 2024). A few leading assets absorbed the vast majority of new funds, while the broader market struggled.To break through the limitations of leading assets, at least one of the following three must occur:ETFs and digital asset trusts expand their investment scopeLeading assets like BTC and ETH strongly lead the marketRetail attention returns from the stock market, etc.The ultimate outcome will depend on whether these catalysts can truly expand liquidity beyond a few large-cap assets, or if market centralization continues to intensify. Understanding the potential flow of capital and the structural changes required will determine the market dynamics in 2026.

The People's Bank of China recently issued the "Rules for the Cross-Border Payment System of Renminbi" (Yin Fa [2025] No. 248), which will take effect on February 1, 2026, replacing the 2018 version of the rules. The notice explicitly lists the "Digital Currency Research Institute" as one of the recipients of the notice, alongside the National Development Bank, various commercial banks, the Central Clearing House, and other institutions.The new regulations clarify the operational structure and business processing procedures of the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), stipulating that CIPS should support a mixed settlement model, including real-time gross settlement and timed net settlement, and be able to support "Renminbi payments, Renminbi and foreign currency simultaneous delivery (PvP), delivery versus payment (DvP) settlement, central counterparty clearing, and other cross-border Renminbi transaction settlement services."

According to market news, the Russian government plans to implement a year-round ban on cryptocurrency mining in the Republic of Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal Territory starting in 2026. These two regions currently only have a temporary ban in place during the winter, but a draft document from the government's electricity industry development committee indicates that these restrictions will be expanded into permanent measures.This move is the latest effort by Russia to crack down on cryptocurrency mining, with at least 10 regions across the country already having long-term mining bans in place, which will last until spring 2031. The Russian Ministry of Energy has previously stated that it is closely monitoring the energy situation in these regions and is prepared to take swift action.

According to market news, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has announced a new classification exemption policy that expands the scope of licensing exemptions for intermediaries of stablecoins and wrapped tokens.The policy allows intermediaries to distribute stablecoins and wrapped tokens issued by publishers holding an Australian Financial Services (AFS) license without needing to apply for a separate license. At the same time, ASIC also permits providers to hold digital assets in pooled accounts under appropriate record-keeping and reconciliation procedures. The new regulations require stablecoin issuers to maintain reserves equal to or greater than the total amount of circulating tokens and to publish financial reports regularly.

According to Cointelegraph, Ripple Labs' Singapore subsidiary Ripple Markets APAC has received approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to expand the scope of its regulated payment activities under its Major Payment Institution (MPI) license. Ripple has been in the Singapore market since 2017, and the region has become a key part of its global operations.Company President Monica Long stated that this license expansion will enhance Ripple's investment capabilities in Singapore and provide financial institutions with a more efficient, faster, and secure funds transfer infrastructure.

Ripple Labs' Singapore subsidiary, Ripple Markets APAC, has received approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to expand the scope of its regulated payment activities under its Major Payment Institution (MPI) license.Since entering the Singapore market in 2017, Ripple has made the region a key part of its global operations. Company President Monica Long stated that this license expansion will enhance Ripple's investment capabilities in Singapore and provide financial institutions with a more efficient, faster, and secure funds transfer infrastructure.

According to WRAL News, the Russian Ministry of Finance is actively considering significantly simplifying the access requirements for digital asset investors. The proposed simplifications are expected to expand the range of participants in Russia's experimental legal framework for cryptocurrency trading (ELR) and lower the strict "super qualified" investor high threshold (which requires substantial assets or income, such as an investment amount of 100 million rubles or an annual income of 50 million rubles), allowing more Russian citizens to legally enter the cryptocurrency market.

Port3 Network posted on social media that the full details of the incident have been clarified, and a follow-up plan is being developed, with the next steps to be announced as soon as possible.

According to 21 Economic Network, Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, revealed in a recent interview that Hong Kong is continuously optimizing its tax exemption policies. The plan is to further expand the existing tax exemption scope from family offices and funds to emerging product categories such as private credit, carbon credits, and digital assets, with a bill to be submitted to the Legislative Council next year.

According to The Block, the Central Bank of Brazil has released new regulations for local digital asset companies, further tightening the requirements for service providers to combat illegal activities.Under the new regulations, virtual asset service providers must obtain authorization from the Central Bank of Brazil to operate, and they are classified into three categories: virtual asset intermediaries, custodians, and brokers. The new regulations extend existing financial industry requirements for customer protection, internal governance, and anti-money laundering to cryptocurrency service providers, requiring them to establish compliance and risk management systems, among others. Service providers that meet the requirements and take adequate measures can obtain operational authorization.Additionally, trading of stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies, as well as international transfers or settlements using virtual assets, will be subject to foreign exchange market regulation; if unauthorized counterparties are involved, the transaction amount limit is set at $100,000. The new regulations will take effect in February 2026, and companies will have nine months to adapt; those that do not comply by November 2026 will be required to cease operations.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Florida lawmakers have opened the 2026 legislative session, proposing to include Bitcoin in the state's financial toolset.The House Bill 183 submitted by the Florida House of Representatives will allow the state’s Chief Financial Officer to invest up to 10% of designated public funds (including general revenue funds, budget stabilization funds, and various trust funds) in "digital assets" and ETFs. If the bill passes, it will also authorize the state management council to invest up to 10% of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund in digital assets. The bill defines digital assets to include Bitcoin, tokenized securities, and NFTs, and sets strict custody and control requirements. Assets can be held by the Chief Financial Officer, qualified custodians, or through ETFs registered with the SEC.HB 183 positions Bitcoin as a potential store of value and an inflation hedge for state funds, and will also allow Florida residents to pay certain taxes and fees using digital assets. Currently, HB 183 is awaiting allocation and hearings in the House committee. If advanced, it will still require Senate approval and the governor's signature to become law.

ChainCatcher news, the on-chain regulated real-world assets (RWA) infrastructure platform KAIO announced today that it has introduced Hamilton Lane's Senior Credit Opportunities Fund (SCOPE) through the HL SCOPE Access Fund to the Sei network, providing on-chain access for institutional and accredited investors.By integrating with the Sei network, KAIO brings the private credit platform of the globally leading private market investment management firm Hamilton Lane on-chain, thereby expanding the participation channels for crypto-native users in alternative investment strategies. The high-performance architecture of the Sei network, combined with KAIO's institutional-grade infrastructure and user-centric design, enables alternative investment products like the SCOPE fund to be accessed on-chain securely, compliantly, and in a composable manner.Hamilton Lane has opened access to its SCOPE fund on KAIO through the "HL SCOPE Access Fund." This fund is a "full-cycle, senior private credit perpetual fund" designed to maintain stable performance and cash yield across different economic cycles. SCOPE offers investors a diversified multi-manager portfolio with instant capital deployment and monthly liquidity options.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been continuously expanding its cryptocurrency monitoring scope since 2017, shifting from targeted investigations to near real-time blockchain tracking.According to tax attorney David Klasing, the IRS obtained user data from multiple exchanges, including Coinbase and Kraken, through "John Doe subpoenas," seizing cryptocurrency worth $3.5 billion in 2021, which accounted for 93% of the total asset seizures that year.The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) 2024 report shows that among cryptocurrency users identified through exchange data, 75% exhibit potential tax non-compliance. The IRS initiated 216 audits in 2023 and sent nearly 15,000 "soft letters" to users. The new 1099-DA reporting system will be implemented in 2025, requiring the reporting of disposal gains, with additional basis information reporting starting in 2026.Privacy advocates lost a case in the Supreme Court in July, failing to challenge the legality of the IRS obtaining Coinbase data through subpoenas. Although the Trump administration removed reporting rules for DeFi brokers, centralized exchanges remain subject to comprehensive reporting obligations.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stated in its latest guidance that certain liquid staking activities do not involve securities, and individuals engaging in liquid staking activities are not required to register with the agency under securities laws. Liquid staking parties that may not be subject to securities laws include Lido, Marinade Finance, JitoSOL, and Stakewise.The SEC pointed out that the issuance and sale of staking receipt tokens in specific ways and circumstances do not constitute the issuance and sale of securities, unless the deposit of crypto assets is part of an investment contract. This particularly applies to staking cryptocurrency through software protocols or service providers, and then receiving "liquid staking receipt tokens" to prove the staker's ownership of the staked crypto assets and any yields generated.Some experts believe that this guidance may prompt the SEC to approve the proposed spot Ethereum ETF's staking operations, as liquid staking tokens can help manage liquidity within the ETF, which had previously been a concern for the SEC. Additionally, this statement has significant implications for receipt tokens like cross-chain bridging, as some companies are seeking to modify the listing of Ethereum ETFs to allow staking.

ChainCatcher news, according to Caixin, Hong Kong may narrow the scope of the first batch of stablecoin licenses to three or four companies. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has realized in its communication with the People's Bank of China that under the framework of the regulatory memorandum, the main regulatory responsibilities and risks are concentrated in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Several Chinese-funded banks' branches in Hong Kong and Chinese securities firms' branches in Hong Kong are eager to participate in the compliant stablecoin business in Hong Kong, including Bank of China Hong Kong, Bank of Communications Hong Kong, China Construction Bank (Asia), China Everbright International, and Guotai Junan International, involving stablecoin issuance, custody, and other businesses.In addition, an insider stated in an interview related to stablecoins that there is currently no globally influential public chain in our country. Another insider suggested that the construction of a national-level backbone public chain should be led by central state-owned enterprises, while the construction of industry-level public chains could open up to market competition.