Policy

Policy coverage from the StreamSage Policy desk. Sources on every story.

• CFTC warns mention market contracts carry manipulation risk

  The agency said such contracts can be listed only in limited circumstances, citing recent enforcement actions against traders using advance access.

• CFTC warns mention markets prone to manipulation

  Regulator cites insider betting cases and sets conditions for prediction platforms to offer contracts on public figures' speech.

• CFTC Issues Advisory on Mention Market Event Contracts

  The Division of Market Oversight issued Release 9302-26 on September 22, 2026, directing designated contract months to assess manipulation risks for contracts tied to individual speech or attendance.

• DEX volume exceeds tokenized stock trading by $76 billion over 30 days

  A joint proposal seeks to exempt decentralized exchanges from registration, arguing automated systems do not create the intermediary risks that securities law targets.

• FTC Files Detail Chargeback Screening Rules in Nuvei and Humboldt Settlements

  FTC documents confirm shell merchant chargeback rates and set specific screening thresholds for payment processors in new settlements.

• India New Zealand Free Trade Pact Starts Oct. 20

  The agreement takes effect as India and New Zealand seek new partners amid volatile US trade policy.

• Trump Administration Proposes $5 Billion Middle East Reconstruction Fund

  The plan calls for a US Development Finance Corporation-led effort to rebuild infrastructure in the region while the conflict with Iran continues for seven months.

• Fairshake PAC commits $30 million against Sherrod Brown

  The crypto super PAC is directing new funds to oppose the former senator in Ohio, following a Senate procedural vote on the Clarity Act.

• Russia central bank says crypto industry could be legal by year-end

  Deputy Governor Vladimir Chistyukhin said regulations were moving ahead as scheduled, per Interfax reporting on Monday.

• ECB Begins Tokenized Settlement in Central-Bank Money

  The Pontes project links blockchain markets with euro payment systems, with a longer-term Appia blueprint due in 2028.

• Senate rejects Clarity Act, leaving crypto policy to agencies

  A 49-50 cloture vote fails to advance the bill, shifting regulation to the SEC and CFTC while UAE hubs attract more virtual-asset businesses.

• OCC Sets $10M Capital Floor for Catena Trust Bank

  The Sept. 18 order caps the bank's scope to trust operations and ties its stablecoin activities to the GENIUS Act.

• X Sues Two Bitcoin Influencers Over Bot Army That Milked Creator Payouts

  X has sued two men in London’s High Court, alleging a coordinated bot network siphoned £207,384 ($278,000) from its Creator Revenue Sharing program.

• Coinbase CEO blamed as Clarity Act fails in Senate

  Executives and lawmakers exchanged blame after the digital assets bill failed to clear the Senate earlier this month, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

• Saudi exit from mBridge follows 800 percent volume jump

  Saudi Arabia left China’s mBridge network in 2025 after transaction volume reached $55.49 billion, according to an Atlantic Council report.

• Coinbase Chief Blames Bank Campaign for Clarity Act Vote Failure

  Faryar Shirzad cites a $200 million banking effort and late-cycle timing as key factors in the cloture defeat.

• Goldman, Citizens See Upside for Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle in Tokenized Stocks

  Goldman Sachs and Citizens analysts identify custody, tokenization infrastructure, and stablecoin settlement as key beneficiary areas under the SEC's new five-year innovation framework.

• Senate Clarity Act Defeat Shifts Crypto Rulemaking to SEC and CFTC

  The 49-50 Senate vote ended the legislative bid, but regulators are now drafting the rules, constrained by the CFTC's lack of statutory authority over the spot market.

• New York City Creates 36-Person Data Unit for Consumer Protection

  The bureau will use data scientists and economists to analyze corporate records on pricing and wages under existing laws.

• Russia fuel revenue data shows why Bitcoin faces an October 18 tariff test

  July export revenue data and a pending Senate amendment clarify the economic stakes behind the new 500% tariff ceiling.