US Crypto Courts & Taxes: A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy, Eric Chase Saavedra, got 21 months in federal prison for abusing his badge to help a crypto businessman’s intimidation scheme and for hiding $373k+ in income from the IRS. Terror Finance Crackdown: The US Treasury sanctioned Hamas-linked operatives and a France-based fundraising network, saying more than $2M moved via sham charities and cryptocurrency. CBDC in Practice: Russia’s Finance Ministry began paying some employees in digital rubles on Oct. 1, with participation voluntary and tied to Bank of Russia accounts. Stablecoin Payments Push: OpenPayd says its Titan merger could close by year-end, paving the way for a Nasdaq listing and a US launch in 2027. Regulation vs Banks: The Independent Community Bankers of America sued the US OCC over its national trust bank rules that crypto firms can use as a “side door,” arguing it sidesteps bank safeguards. EU Crypto Compliance: ESMA is pushing tougher oversight for crypto-assets and DeFi access points under MiCA. Crypto Fraud & Scams: A Philippines crackdown on illegal online gaming operators led to arrests of 244 mostly Chinese workers, with authorities citing links to fraud and trafficking. Markets: Bitcoin slipped back near $84.7k after failing to hold above $87k, as ETF flows and macro data kept traders jumpy.