Crypto Payments in Banking: FINMA-regulated AMINA Bank became the first regulated bank to integrate Mesh, letting customers verify wallet ownership and deposit stablecoins/digital assets inside online banking. Stablecoin Capital in LATAM: Tether invested $20M in Argentina’s neobank Ualá as part of a $197M round, signaling continued push into regulated fintech rails even where USDT integration isn’t immediate. Regulation vs. Innovation: New Zealand’s ACT Party wants “innovation trials” that let ministers pause specific rules for limited tech tests, explicitly naming crypto and digital finance. US Senate Crypto Politics: The Senate unanimously passed a resolution opposing any clemency for Sam Bankman-Fried, while lawmakers keep pressing over the CLARITY Act’s direction and ethics. Sanctions Expand to Crypto: Ukraine strengthened sectoral sanctions on Russia’s financial sector, explicitly targeting crypto services and digital asset platforms to block evasion. Cyber Threats with AI Tools: Researchers say Chinese actors used Claude Code and DeepSeek to automate intrusions and phishing against government and financial targets. Crime Laundering Crackdown: US indictments allege a California darknet drug operation laundered fentanyl/meth proceeds via cryptocurrency, adding to ongoing crypto-linked enforcement. EU/Market Backdrop: Revolut received in-principle UAE VARA approval for crypto services, while Swedbank quietly boosted its Bitcoin-treasury exposure via more MSTR shares.