WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — zerohash, the leading onchain infrastructure provider, today announced that Selini Capital, a global digital-asset trading and investment firm, has joined zerohash’s network of institutional liquidity providers, further enhancing execution quality, pricing depth, and market resiliency. Through the integration, Selini will provide continuous liquidity on zerohash’s central limit order book (CLOB) and stream quotes into zerohash’s Request for Quote (RFQ) system.
Selini joins a growing roster of liquidity partners that provide the trading depth on zerohash’s infrastructure. For zerohash’s partners, this means deeper institutional liquidity, efficient execution, and greater market resiliency for end customers, without additional operational and technical complexity.
“Selini brings additional depth and sharp pricing to both our order book and our RFQ system, and that translates directly into better outcomes for everyone trading through zerohash,” said Edward Woodford, CEO and Founder of zerohash. “Our partners don’t just need access to crypto markets, they need execution they can trust at scale, and adding a liquidity provider of Selini’s caliber is a continued investment in that trust.”
“Selini is delighted to partner with zerohash to offer our unique liquidity and competitive, resilient pricing to the zerohash liquidity ecosystem,” said Jordi Alexander, Founder of Selini Capital.
About Selini Capital Selini Capital is a leading digital-asset trading and investment firm specializing in institutional-grade OTC execution, liquidity solutions, and market connectivity. Selini leverages advanced trading technology and global networks to deliver secure and efficient digital-asset services to institutional investors worldwide.
About zerohash zerohash is a leading onchain infrastructure provider, offering access to crypto, stablecoins, and tokenized assets. Its API, embeddable dev-kits and MCP suite enable innovators to seamlessly launch solutions across cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, and on/off-ramps. The company has a global regulatory footprint across the EU, Latin America, Bermuda, and the U.S., and operates regulated entities in 51 U.S. jurisdictions. For more information, visit zerohash.com.
zerohash brand kit can be accessed here.
Disclosures zerohash services and product offerings may not be available in all jurisdictions, including New York. zerohash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections, or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the US. zerohash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. zerohash is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. zerohash llc is licensed as a money transmitter and to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. For additional information please see zerohash’s US licenses and disclosures page. NMLS ID #1699379.
Qivalis said the EMI authorization enables it to launch a euro-denominated stablecoin, with issuance planned for the coming months, subject to additional MiCA requirements.
After being convicted in 2023, losing his appeal to a Second Circuit court in 2026 and awaiting a decision on a presidential pardon that may never come, former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried is hoping to take his criminal case to the US Supreme Court.
Jeffrey Fisher, counsel at the law firm Hecker Fink LLP and representing Bankman-Fried in his Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) appeal, spoke to Cointelegraph about the potential timeline surrounding the former FTX executive’s case and what onlookers could expect to see should the justices choose to accept his petition for a writ of certiorari, possibly resulting in a new trial.
Bankman-Fried is pursuing the high court’s review while also seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump. According to Fisher, SCOTUS rules require SBF to file a petition for a writ of certiorari within 90 days of a decision from an appellate court, requesting that the justices consider the case.
The Supreme Court initially gave the US government until Oct. 15 to respond to SBF’s petition, but it already granted an extension to Nov. 16, which could allow the justices to decide whether to hear the case in late 2026 or early 2027. If the court grants review of his client’s case, it could issue a decision in the current term, which ends in June 2027, or during its next term, which begins a year from now.
Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven felony fraud counts related to the misuse of customer funds by FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange he founded and led, and which filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture.
‘Assets are fine’: Why FTX’s losses and recoveries were irrelevant at trial
Bankman-Fried’s petition to the Supreme Court presents two main arguments for justices, should they consider the case, based on lower courts weighing “evidence indicating victims lost money” and that the $11 billion forfeiture order following his conviction violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “excessive fines.”
“The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the years for prosecutorial overreach in criminal fraud prosecutions,” Fisher told Cointelegraph. “This kind of evidence introduced in this prosecution raises a real question about prejudice to the defendant.”
Related: US Senate unanimously adopts resolution opposing clemency for SBF
The argument presented by prosecutors at SBF’s criminal trial and reiterated by the Second Circuit ruling found it was “immaterial as a matter of law” whether the former CEO had the funds and planned to repay FTX’s victims for their losses at the crypto exchange.
“As the district court made clear, FTX customers were defrauded as soon as Bankman-Fried transferred their money to Alameda regardless of how strongly he believed he might later return the money,” the Second Circuit said in its June 2026 decision.
According to Fisher, this theory differs from many fraud cases in which a defendant “swindled people out of money and enriched himself at their expense.”
“Our whole point is the theory the government chose makes it irrelevant whether any customers lost money or, if so, how much,” the lawyer said.
The Supreme Court petition noted that the highest court had ruled in Kousisis v. United States in 2025 that prosecutors could “seek decades-long prison sentences anytime people are induced by misrepresentations to part with their money — even if they suffer no pecuniary harm.”
SBF’s lawyers instead argued the 2007 ruling by the First Circuit in United States v. Carpenter, in which a defendant “intended all along to ensure his customers suffered no financial losses,” was more applicable to the FTX case. The appellate court initially ruled in that case that a jury’s decision may have been based on “moral disapproval“ rather than evidence related to fraud.
Mark Bini, a former federal and state prosecutor and currently a partner at Reed Smith, told Cointelegraph he believed that the chance that the court would accept SBF’s arguments and grant a new trial “seems low,“ but the conditions around forfeiture were “really interesting“ based on the size: $11 billion. He called reliance on United States v. Carpenter instead of Kousisis v. United States an “uphill battle“ for Bankman-Fried, legally.
While many FTX users were eventually paid out for their losses at the exchange beginning in 2025, the token values were based on the price at the time of the 2022 collapse, meaning many could have missed gains in the three years between bankruptcy and repayments.
How forfeiture could affect SBF’s ‘future livelihood’
Bankman-Fried’s forfeiture order could follow him long after his release from prison, potentially allowing the government to make claim on his future earnings. The former FTX CEO is expected to remain in prison until 2043.
“He has no money to pay it,” said Fisher. “Under the terms of the penalty, it is an $11 billion debt for the rest of his life, to the government. Any dime he would ever make upon release would have to be turned over to the government […] There’s rules, maybe he gets to keep a dime.”
If the court accepts the forfeiture argument but rejects the claim that SBF had a right to present evidence related to repaying users, Bini said it’s more likely to reduce the forfeiture amount than to warrant a new trial.
“It’s a huge forfeiture amount and there is this tension because the case law is such that the government is entitled to seek both forfeiture and restitution,” said the Reed Smith lawyer, adding: “It’s a very unusual case where the defense is arguing that ‘gosh, everyone is being made whole’ […] yet you have this tremendous forfeiture.”
Cointelegraph reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the case but did not receive a response.
Caroline Ellison now employed at a charitable organization
Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, one of the central figures tied to the downfall of FTX, has been working at Manifund, a charitable fundraising organization connected to the effective altruism movement, after serving time in prison as part of a plea agreement with US authorities.
According to Manifund co-founder and CEO Austin Chen, Ellison began on a work trial at the company on July 13, about six months after she was released from federal custody. She accepted a full-time role on Aug. 10.
“I believe in redemption,” said Chen. “Caroline has admitted her faults, worked to make creditors whole, and served her time in prison. I’d like to give her the opportunity to contribute back to the world; I hope that the world will concur.”
In a rare public statement, Ellison said that she was “grateful to Austin for giving me a second chance, and judging me on my current work performance rather than my past.”
Many of the comments on Chen’s Substack post were extremely negative, ranging from calling Ellison’s hiring an “extremely rogue move” to an action showing “truly terrible judgment.”
“[Ellison is] a cynical opportunist who stole billions, and got a sweetheart deal because prosecutors were willing to give everything up to get Sam,” said Coin Metrics co-founder Nic Carter. “She was extremely lucky that she got such a light sentence. The utmost shame on you for attempting to rehabilitate her.”
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Coins.ph said it remains licensed by the country’s central bank following reports that it could face license revocation over alleged transactions involving restricted offshore gambling operators.
Coins.ph is one of the largest crypto exchanges in the Philippines, recording approximately $52 million in 24-hour spot trading volume on Wednesday, according to CoinGecko. The reported license risk follows restrictions imposed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on incoming InstaPay and PESONet transfers involving DCPay Philippines, the entity operating Coins.ph’s peso e-wallet services.
“Coins.ph firmly denies any claim that it knowingly serves offshore gaming or gambling operators,” the company said in an official statement shared with Cointelegraph on Wednesday. “Our users’ funds are safe; we continue to operate as a BSP-licensed institution,” it added.
While Coins.ph denied knowingly serving offshore gambling operators, it did not directly address whether such entities had used its platform. When asked whether it could confirm or deny processing transactions involving these operators regardless of its awareness, a company spokesperson told Cointelegraph they would seek clarification internally but had no further information to share at the time.
BSP restrictions target Coins.ph payment services
In an earlier advisory, Coins.ph said the BSP had instructed it to strengthen internal controls. The company said cash-in services and QRPh collections were temporarily unavailable, while crypto trading, cash-outs, bill payments and merchant QRPh payments remained accessible. QRPh payments are the central bank’s national QR standard.
Local media outlet BitPinas reported that the restrictions were imposed under BSP Monetary Board Resolution No. 839. DCPay holds an electronic money issuer license, while Betur Inc. operates the exchange’s crypto asset services under a separate virtual asset service provider license. The restrictions reportedly targeted DCPay’s payment operations rather than Betur’s crypto services.
In 2025, the central bank ordered supervised financial institutions to remove links providing access to gambling websites from their payment applications. However, the BSP has not publicly linked that directive to the restrictions on Coins.ph.
Cointelegraph also sought confirmation and comment from the BSP. A central bank representative said they would look into the inquiry but had not provided further comment at the time of publication.
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Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
After US lawmakers failed to pass a comprehensive digital asset market structure bill, financial regulators stepped up efforts to change rules around the oversight and enforcement of crypto companies and offerings.
However, the two primary regulators, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), are understaffed at the leadership level, leaving the decisions for regulating aspects of the $3 trillion crypto market largely in the hands of just three individuals, two of whom were nominated by US President Donald Trump.
At the SEC, two commissioners — Chair Paul Atkins and former Acting Chair Mark Uyeda — remain following the departure of Commissioner Hester Peirce earlier this month. The dearth of leadership at the CFTC is even more stark, with Michael Selig serving as the only Senate-confirmed chair and commissioner since December 2025. The agencies are intended to each have five commissioners.
Both agencies have proposed rules that appear to be attempting to take the place of legislation from Congress in regulating cryptocurrencies.
The SEC proposed rules to provide companies with a safe harbor from tokens being treated as “investment contracts” in August, and the CFTC followed suit in October, with Selig saying the agency would use its “existing statutory authorities“ to address crypto regulation through proposed rules on exchanges. Atkins added on Oct. 2 that “more regulatory proposals [were] on the horizon” for crypto.
Could one SEC commissioner have the final say on crypto rules?
On Sept. 30, the SEC made these regulatory avenues even easier with a lack of commissioners. The agency released a final rule which went into effect on Oct. 2 that it said amended quorum requirements for what it called “promot[ing] flexibility and finality of agency rulemaking.” The rule reduces the number of commissioners required for a quorum to just one person if only two are present in many cases.
“[…] with now just two commissioners around and it being entirely possible that one of them might have to recuse themselves from an issue (or be otherwise MIA), just one is now enough to pass a formal rule that applies to America’s vast multitrillion-dollar securities markets,” wrote Robin Wigglesworth in an Oct. 5 op-ed for the Financial Times.
Related: Crypto regulation at SEC, CFTC to come down to 3 commissioners following key resignation
Uyeda responded in his own Financial Times op-ed on Sunday, claiming that the SEC’s “commitment to its mission remains unchanged” despite having only two commissioners and no announcement from Trump about additional nominations to fill the empty seats. The policymaker said that the rule change “clarifies that the Commission can establish a quorum if all but one commissioner is disqualified from a matter.”
“Suggesting that the SEC is ‘hastily revamp[ing]’ its quorum rule so that the remaining commissioners can ‘have their way’ makes for a colourful comparison to fictional dystopian regimes but misleads readers about why the Commission revised its quorum rule and why it’s for the better,” said Uyeda.
As of Tuesday, the White House had not announced any nominations for the SEC and CFTC, potentially leaving the rulemaking process in the hands of just one person at each agency for months, if not longer. Congress still has time to vote on the market structure bill at the center of the controversy, the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, but some experts don’t see lawmakers advancing the legislation in a lame duck session between the 2026 midterm elections and when the next session is sworn into office in January.
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All news, reviews, and analyses are produced with full journalistic independence and integrity. For more details on our standards and processes, please read our Editorial Policy.
Affiliate entities of Fairshake, the US political action committee (PAC) funded largely by contributions from investment banking company Cantor Fitzgerald, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and Ripple Labs, reported millions of dollars worth of ad buys to support candidates they considered in favor of pro-digital asset policy with the country’s midterm elections less than a month away.
On Saturday, filings with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) showed a combined $2.7 million in spending on media by the Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress PACs. The two Fairshake affiliates reported expenditures on media and direct mail productions to support Democratic and Republican candidates running for US House of Representatives seats in 2026.
The expenditures included more than $76,000 for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, $73,000 for House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson, $512,000 for California Representative Pete Aguilar and $500,000 for New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer.
The FEC reports followed Fairshake announcing just days earlier that it planned to endorse an additional 32 House candidates in 2026, including six to each receive $1 million in supportive media. None of the aforementioned six were included in the Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress expenditures, but some incumbents were on the list, including Emmer, Aguilar, Gottheimer, and Thompson.
As of August, a Fairshake spokesperson said the PAC had $122 million in cash on hand as part of its midterm election strategy of attempting to get more “pro-crypto” candidates in Congress. This strategy includes opposing the election of former banking committee chair Sherrod Brown in Ohio’s Senate race with at least $30 million allocated for media buys. While in office, Brown was one of the leading Democrats voting against many bills considered favorable to the crypto industry.
Related: Vivek Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial run lacks the crypto rhetoric of his presidential bid
Crypto market structure bill to be a factor in 2026 midterms?
All the targets of the Fairshake spending voted for the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act in 2025, a bill intended to set market structure rules for the cryptocurrency industry, including giving the federal commodities regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, more authority to oversee and enforce regulations. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support but failed to pass a procedural vote in the Senate in September.
Stand With Crypto, an initiative launched by Coinbase that ranks lawmakers and politicians based on their public statements and voting records related to the industry, warned after the failed CLARITY vote that candidates who failed to advance legislation could face “consequences” in the midterms. The group is attempting to mobilize crypto-minded US voters in the upcoming election, as it did in 2024 races.
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French lawmakers have backed a proposal that would require holders of self-custodied crypto assets to report holdings equal or above 100,000 euros ($112,000) or face penalties.
The amendment, numbered I-CF821, was adopted by the National Assembly’s Finance Committee on Friday, and would introduce reporting requirements for crypto that isn’t held by a crypto-asset service provider, including assets stored in personal wallets.
The amendment would add a provision to France’s general tax code. Under the proposal, holders would be required to disclose holdings based on their value as of Dec. 31, and could face fines up to 10,000 euros for failing to declare.
The sponsors said the measure was intended to combat tax evasion, citing a parliamentary inquiry into the taxation of wealthy individuals, which found that crypto capital gains reached 3.5 billion euros in 2021, while only 400 million euros in crypto holdings were declared to tax authorities that year.
Proposal faces legislative hurdles
The amendment was introduced by Charles de Courson, Jean-Pierre Bataille and Michel Castellani, three members of France’s Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories (LIOT) parliamentary group.
The wallet disclosure measure was among five crypto-related amendments adopted by the Finance Committee last week.
Other proposals previously reported by Cointelegraph included imposing an exit tax on cryptocurrency holdings exceeding 800,000 euros when taxpayers move abroad and ending tax deferrals on conversions into fiat-backed stablecoins.
Related: French lawmakers back stablecoin swap tax in 2027 budget bill
However, while the Finance Committee adopted the amendments on Friday, it subsequently rejected the revenue section of the broader 2027 budget bill by 31 votes to 3.
Lawmakers are scheduled to begin debating the revenue section of the budget in the National Assembly on Tuesday, starting from the government’s original draft.
The crypto amendments would need to be submitted again and approved during the parliamentary proceedings before becoming part of the legislation, according to French tech publication Clubic.
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The Financial Stability Board (FSB), a global financial watchdog, has outlined financial stability risks associated with artificial intelligence and regulatory concerns surrounding stablecoins.
In a letter published Monday, FSB Chair Andrew Bailey warned that cross-border mechanisms for stablecoin oversight and crisis management “remain immature or are not yet developed.” In its 2025 review, the FSB found that 11 of 28 surveyed jurisdictions had finalized stablecoin regulatory frameworks.
He also urged G20 members to support the FSB’s newly finalized practices for responsible AI adoption in the financial sector.
“AI therefore requires our continued close attention alongside careful management by financial institutions,” Bailey wrote.
The FSB submitted the letter to Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers and central bank governors ahead of their Thursday meeting. The G20 brings together the world’s major economies to coordinate financial policy and regulatory priorities.
Stablecoin risks extend to traditional financial markets
In a report accompanying the letter, the FSB warned that stablecoin runs could spill into traditional markets through forced sales of reserve assets and withdrawals of bank deposits. The watchdog also identified risks for multi-issuer stablecoins where redemption demand could concentrate on one issuer while reserves are held in different jurisdictions.
These concerns echo what regulators have previously raised. In 2025, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde warned of similar redemption risks involving stablecoins issued inside and outside of the European Union.
AI safeguards target cybersecurity and third-party risks
The FSB’s AI practices cover organization-wide governance, AI development and deployment, cybersecurity and third-party service risks. Bailey also warned that sophisticated cyber threats enabled by AI could undermine the resilience of critical financial institutions and market infrastructure.
Related: Tether, Kazakhstan cenbank mull tenge stablecoin and asset tokenization
The risks have similarly drawn regulatory attention. In July, European central bankers warned that advances in AI could amplify market volatility and cybersecurity threats.
In June, the FSB had proposed 12 practices for responsible AI adoption, before finalizing its guidance for the upcoming G20 meeting.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has received approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) for its local entity, Payward FZCO, to provide crypto services.
At launch, Kraken’s clients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be able to access spot and margin trading in UAE dirham (AED)-denominated pairs and make direct deposit withdrawals, Payward announced on Monday. The company is targeting launch in the coming weeks.
VARA’s public register shows that the regulator issued Payward FZCO a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license on Oct. 6, enabling it to offer management and investment services, as well as broker-dealer services.
Payward said the approval allows it to serve retail, professional and institutional investors. It follows its preliminary approval in May 2026.
Dubai’s VARA registry currently lists 58 licensed providers, up from 49 active companies in May 2026.
Banks and brokers are also expanding their crypto offerings under the UAE’s other regulatory regimes.
In September, Standard Chartered launched spot Bitcoin and Ether trading for institutional clients in the UAE through its Dubai International Financial Centre branch, which is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
In August, trading platform Capital.com revealed plans to offer spot crypto services to clients in the UAE after its affiliate, Capital Vault, secured a virtual-asset license from the country’s Capital Market Authority (CMA).
Related: Nasdaq invests $100M in Kraken parent at $21B valuation: Report
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
