The US Treasury has proposed new rules that would block investment in artificial intelligence projects and certain high-risk semiconductors in some foreign countries, according to Cointelegraph. The restrictions are mainly aimed at geopolitical rival China but would also encompass Russia, Iran, North Korea and Cuba.
The rules would implement the COINS Act from December 2025 and expand the Outbound Investment Security Program that took effect in January 2025, building on previous restrictions on selling high-powered AI chips to China.
First penalty announced
The Treasury announced the first $200,000 penalty this month against Amidi, LLC for failing to report an investment by its Chinese subsidiary into embodied AI and robotics company Shanghai Qiongche Intelligent Technology, also known as Noematrix.
DeepSeek banned from civilian agency systems
The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered the removal of DeepSeek products from federal civilian agency IT systems. The order, filed on Monday, also covers DeepSeek affiliates and third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations, and prohibits affected agencies from making new purchases.
DHS warned that use of DeepSeek by government employees and contractors could expose sensitive information to China, potentially revealing details about US citizens and federal programs.
Solana Shanghai event postponed
The Solana Accelerate event in Shanghai was postponed after pre-registration exceeded the event cap set by local authorities, according to Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation. Liu wrote in a Friday X post that registration quadrupled overnight following publicity for the event, and that organizers decided to postpone it to comply with local requirements.
Earlier on Friday, X users claimed the event was abruptly suspended as law enforcement officers were stationed at the venue. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao posted that he was impressed the Solana Foundation had been allowed to open a Shanghai office, noting that BNB Chain had been unable to do so.
Japan and Korea test yen stablecoin payments
South Korea's Shinhan Card has signed an agreement with Japan's SBI VC Trade and SBI XDC Network APAC to test yen stablecoin payments for travelers and cross-border trade settlement. Under the pact signed Tuesday, the companies will test stablecoin card payments, wallet-to-wallet payments and cross-border trade settlement, and will assess anti-money-laundering and fraud-detection controls.
Shinhan Card is one of South Korea's biggest credit card companies, while SBI is a Japanese financial group that runs banks, brokerages, insurers and crypto exchanges.
Metaplanet stake approved
Shareholders of Super League, a Nasdaq-listed gaming and digital media company, approved a deal that would give Japanese Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet a 93.7% ownership stake, paving the way for its expansion into US capital markets through a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company. Metaplanet also announced a planned repurchase of about $160 million of its own shares.
Korea: tax consultation and won stablecoin plans
South Korean finance officials reportedly met major crypto exchanges this week, days after a lawmaker introduced legislation that could push the start date of a new crypto tax back two years. The meeting was a consultation on crypto taxation with representatives from Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, DigitalX and Gopax, along with executives of the Digital Asset Exchange Alliance, known as DAXA.
South Korean regulators have delayed the crypto tax three times, with the latest delay pushing the start date to 2027 amid political disagreement and industry pushback.
Blockchain network Injective has entered into a memorandum of understanding with South Korean digital asset custodian BDACS to bring a won-backed stablecoin to its tokenized asset markets, potentially allowing institutions to settle transactions without relying on US dollar stablecoins. Separately, Kakao, KakaoBank and KakaoPay have formed a stablecoin task force to build the infrastructure required for won stablecoin issuance, custody and payments, starting with shopping and gifting.
Malaysia launches tokenized bond platform
Malaysia's central bank has launched a distributed ledger-based platform for issuing and holding tokenized bonds, connecting digital securities records with a payment system designed to operate around the clock. Bank Negara Malaysia said its next-generation Scripless Securities Depository System (SSDS+) supports the issuance, depository and safekeeping of tokenized debt securities, including Islamic bonds known as sukuk.
Thailand: Bitget acquisition and crime arrest
Crypto exchange Bitget has announced plans to acquire Thailand's GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics, seeking to expand its Southeast Asia footprint weeks after a major hack impacting its hot and warm wallets. The proposed transaction involves BTGT Management (Thailand), a company in which Bitget says it holds an interest, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph. The acquisition would allow Bitget to introduce its trading platform to Thai users.
Thai police arrested a 37-year-old Chinese man wanted by authorities in China for alleged involvement in an international crime network and money laundering. Investigators said the network handled more than 500 million yuan ($75 million) in transactions, Thai media Khaosod English reported in a post on X on Saturday. Police alleged the suspect was involved in cryptocurrency and foreign-currency exchanges for criminal groups across more than 133 accounts, and said he attempted to evade arrest by using forged documents to report his residence and changing vehicle registration plates before police found him in a luxury house in Bangkok.
Vietnam: Da Nang sandbox and EFTA deal
Da Nang, Vietnam's fourth-largest city, is using a controlled sandbox that enables businesses to employ crypto-related applications in the tourism industry. Da Nang welcomed 15.9 million visitors in the first nine months of 2026.
Vietnam has signed a free-trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association countries of Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Following a meeting with the Vietnamese prime minister, Swiss President Guy Parmelin proposed linking Switzerland's Crypto Valley hub with Vietnam's innovation ecosystem to further cooperation in blockchain, AI and quantum technology.
Singapore: stablecoin conversion and Swiss bitcoin ETF
Singapore Gulf Bank, which is licensed by Bahrain, announced that retail customers can convert between dollars and USDT or USDC via its mobile banking app.
Singapore-backed BIT Asset Management has launched Switzerland's first Bitcoin ETF. Formerly known as Matrixport, its Zurich arm has been approved by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority to launch the country's first spot Bitcoin ETF and Europe's only spot Bitcoin ETF.
