🔐 Armenian national pleads guilty in $15M Ryuk ransomware case
An Armenian national has pleaded guilty to participating in a Ryuk ransomware operation that extorted more than $15 million in Bitcoin from U.S. organizations, federal prosecutors announced.
The attacks disrupted hundreds of corporate systems, forcing victims to purchase decryption keys using cryptocurrency. Ryuk has been one of the most damaging ransomware strains targeting enterprises and critical infrastructure, with operators demanding Bitcoin payments to restore encrypted data.
The case adds to a growing list of federal prosecutions targeting ransomware actors who rely on crypto to collect and move illicit proceeds.
🔐 Google quantum advance sharpens post-quantum crypto timeline
Google has achieved a new quantum calibration breakthrough that researchers say accelerates the timeline for post-quantum cryptography adoption — a development with direct implications for blockchain and digital asset security.
The advance underscores growing urgency for crypto protocols to migrate toward quantum-resistant encryption standards before sufficiently powerful quantum computers can threaten current cryptographic methods widely used across Bitcoin, Ethereum and other networks.
Post-quantum cryptography has been a long-term concern for the industry, with standards bodies and blockchain developers already exploring migration paths. Google's latest progress brings that conversation closer to a practical deadline.
⚖️ US CBDC Ban Set to Become Law Without Trump's Signature
President Trump has confirmed he will not sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, but has also stopped short of vetoing it — meaning the bill is set to become law automatically at midnight.
Embedded in the bipartisan housing legislation is a provision banning the Federal Reserve from developing a U.S. central bank digital currency through 2031. Under the U.S. Constitution, a bill passed by Congress becomes law after ten days if the president neither signs nor vetoes it.
The CBDC restriction marks a significant legislative milestone, effectively freezing any Fed-led digital dollar initiative for the next several years.
JPMorgan is warning that Bitcoin might get left behind by the institutional elite.
The bank notes that the ultimate threat to crypto isn't market volatility, but banks building their own private networks for payments.
If private ledgers become the industry standard for tokenization, public blockchains will lose their utility and capital, delivering a heavy blow to BTC.