Grayscale Launches AI Fund, Tether Blacklists Lazarus Group & More - The Crypto Minute ⏰

Why It Matters

These developments signal growing institutional adoption and product expansion even as regulatory settlements and high-profile hacks underscore persistent legal and security risks that will shape market trust, compliance costs, and custody practices going forward.

Summary

This week’s crypto roundup highlights institutional moves and security crackdowns: Grayscale launched an AI-focused fund while BlackRock set fees for its spot Bitcoin ETF at 0.25%, and State Street is exploring its own stablecoin. Major infrastructure and service updates included Stripe enabling crypto purchases in the EU, Uniswap Labs releasing a multi-chain browser wallet, and OKEx ending services in Nigeria. Significant regulatory and legal developments saw the CFTC and FTX reach a $12.7 billion settlement and a UK court force Craig Wright to disclaim he is not Satoshi Nakamoto. On the security front, an Indian exchange suffered a $235 million hack and Tether blacklisted $14 million tied to the Lazarus Group.