
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is under fire from Senate Democrats following his recent decision to narrow the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) crypto enforcement priorities and disband its crypto enforcement squad. In a Thursday letter to Blanche, six Senate Democrats — Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) — blasted his decision to cut the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) as “giv[ing] a free pass to cryptocurrency money launderers.” The Senators called Blanche’s directive that DOJ staff no longer pursue cases against crypto exchanges, mixers or offline wallets “for the acts of their end users” or bring criminal charges for regulatory violations in cases involving crypto, including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), “nonsensical.” “By abdicating DOJ’s responsibility to enforce federal criminal law when violations involve digital assets, you are suggesting that virtual currency exchanges, mixers, and other entities dealing in digital assets need not fulfill their [anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism] obligations, creating a systemic vulnerability in the digital assets sector,” the lawmakers wrote. “Drug traffickers, terrorists, fraudsters, and adversaries will exploit this vulnerability on a large scale.” In his memo to DOJ staff on Monday evening, Blanche cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s January executive order on crypto, which promised to bring regulatory clarity to the crypto industry, as the reason for his decision. “The Department of Justice is not a digital assets regulator,” Blanche wrote, adding that the agency will “no longer pursue litigation or enforcement actions that have the effect of superimposing regulatory frameworks on digital assets while President Trump`s actual regulators do this work outside the punitive criminal justice framework.” Instead, Blanche urged DOJ staff to focus their enforcement efforts on prosecuting criminals who use “victimize digital asset investors” or those who use crypto in the furtherance of other criminal schemes, like organized crime, gang financing, and terrorism. Read more: DOJ Axes Crypto Unit As Trump’s Regulatory Pullback Continues For the Senate Democrats, however, Blanche’s claim doesn’t quite cut the mustard. “You claim in your memo that DOJ will continue to prosecute those who use cryptocurrencies to perpetrate crimes. But allowing the entities that enable these crimes — such as cryptocurrency kiosk operators — to operate outside the federal regulatory framework without fear of prosecution will only result in more Americans being exploited,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers urged Blanche to reconsider his decision to dismantle NCET, calling it a “critical resource for state and local law enforcement who often lack the technical knowledge and skill to investigate cryptocurrency related crimes.” New York Attorney General Letitia James raised similar concerns in her own letter to Congress on Thursday, urging lawmakers to pass federal legislation to regulate the crypto markets. Though her letter itself made no mention of Blanche’s memo or the shuttering of NCET, a press release from her office highlighted that her letter “comes after the [DOJ] announced the dismantling of federal criminal cryptocurrency fraud enforcement, making a robust regulatory framework all the more critical.”
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Discover the Ultimate Real-World Asset with Bob Ejodame, VP Capital Markets at INX (Paris Blockchain Week Interview)

At this year’s Paris Blockchain Week, Bob Ejodame, VP of Capital Markets at INX, offered an insightful perspective on the evolving regulatory landscape in the United States, the emergence of real-world assets (RWA), and the broader implications for institutional and retail crypto adoption. A Shift in U.S. Regulation Ejodame began by addressing the notable shift in sentiment which was spurred from the election of President Donald Trump in November 2024. While concrete legislation is yet to be enacted and developed, the language from the White House signals a stance that’s pro-innovation, especially in comparison to past regulatory hurdles. “Years ago, being a U.S.-based company was a disadvantage in global conversations,” he said. “Now, that stigma is fading fast.” Despite the early stage of proposed changes, Ejodame noted that optimism is already influencing international sentiment. The concept of a “special purpose broker-dealer” and the expansion of custody rights for broker-dealers could unlock new opportunities, particularly for firms already operating under U.S. regulatory frameworks. To this point, CryptoPotato reported on April 11th that Donald Trump signed a bill that repeals the IRS DeFi broker rule, marking a major win for the cryptocurrency industry. RWA: From Hype to Infrastructure Real-world asset (RWA) crypto projects have been a major topic of discussion in recent years, but according to Ejodame, 2024 marked a turning point. Major asset managers like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton began to reveal the depth of their tokenization strategies, many of which had been years in the making. “The winners last year were money market funds tokenizing treasury assets,” Ejodame observed. But looking forward, he believes stablecoins are poised to dominate the RWA conversation. While often overlooked in this context, he argues stablecoins are “the ultimate real-world asset” due to their utility in global financial rails. Another area he highlighted is the tokenization of private credit markets. A new product, a tokenized collateralized loan obligation with secondary trading capabilities, is expected to launch soon. This move could mark a new phase in blockchain adoption within institutional finance. On the retail front, Ejodame emphasized accessibility. Through tokenized equities, individuals in emerging markets can gain fractional exposure to publicly traded companies like Tesla or Google—an opportunity previously out of reach. The focus, he explained, is on enabling everyday investors in countries like Nigeria, Argentina, or the Philippines to invest in global markets for as little as $10. The Role of INX in a Broader Ecosystem Though the conversation was not promotional in nature, Ejodame briefly addressed INX’s recent acquisition by Republic. While the deal awaits regulatory approval, it represents a notable moment in the digital asset space. INX, previously a publicly listed company in Canada, had established itself as an end-to-end digital asset service provider—from token issuance to listing and dividend distribution. The acquisition by Republic, a firm known for its crowdfunding footprint in both the U.S. and Europe, opens up new possibilities for integrated, global capital markets infrastructure. “We’re combining capabilities,” Ejodame noted, “and creating an ecosystem that supports the full lifecycle of a digital asset—from advisory and issuance to trading and distribution.” Conclusion From regulatory clarity in the U.S. to institutional breakthroughs in private credit, and increased access for retail investors globally, the RWA narrative is no longer theoretical. Bob Ejodame’s insights offer a confirmation of a rapidly maturing market where real-world assets are becoming central to the next wave of blockchain adoption. The post Discover the Ultimate Real-World Asset with Bob Ejodame, VP Capital Markets at INX (Paris Blockchain Week Interview) appeared first on CryptoPotato . CoinDesk

Trader Says Altcoin That’s Ripped 222% in a Month Still Has Room To Run, Updates Outlook on SOL-Based Memecoin
A closely followed crypto analyst believes one red-hot meme token operating on Solana ( SOL ) may continue soaring even higher. Pseudonymous analyst Altcoin Sherpa tells his 243,800 followers on the social media platform X that artificial intelligence (AI)-based Fartcoin ( FARTCOIN ) may increase by more than 47% from its current value. “Would rather buy higher (break of $1) or lower ($0.70) for Fartcoin. This is either charging up for a big move up to $1.25 or it’s going to pullback, I don’t have a clue where it goes in the short term. What I do know, however, is that this thing is going to go higher later on.” Source: Altcoin Sherpa/X Looking at his chart, the trader suggests FARTCOIN make another attempt to break through resistance at $0.96. However, he says the meme asset may first return to the .382 Fibonacci retracement level at $0.70. Fartcoin hit a low of $0.265 on March 18th and is trading for $0.8542 at time of writing, up 222% in a month. Next up, the analyst says that the SOL-based memecoin Bonk ( BONK ) has likely formed a local market bottom and is gearing up for a breakout. “The relative short-term bottom is in in my opinion. Many strong alts have been in this range for about one month at this point. More consolidation and then a stronger move in one-two months in my opinion.” Source: Altcoin Sherpa/X BONK is trading for $0.00001182 at time of writing, down 1.1% in the last 24 hours. Follow us on X , Facebook and Telegram Don`t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox Check Price Action Surf The Daily Hodl Mix Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing. Generated Image: DALLE3 The post Trader Says Altcoin That’s Ripped 222% in a Month Still Has Room To Run, Updates Outlook on SOL-Based Memecoin appeared first on The Daily Hodl . CoinDesk