Crypto scammers have set up at least three World Cup-related fraud operations linked to four cryptocurrency addresses as millions of fans prepare to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs.

TRM Labs said it identified two fake ticketing websites and a fixed-match betting scheme that were already targeting football fans as the tournament opened on Thursday across the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

FIFA expects roughly 6.5 million attendees during the competition and projects a global economic impact of about $40.9 billion, creating a large market for ticket purchases, travel bookings and betting activity.

“Criminals always look to exploit major events and cultural moments and they don’t wait until kickoff,” Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs, told Cointelegraph. Redbord said fraud operators typically establish their infrastructure weeks before a major event and expand their activity once public attention reaches its highest point.

According to Redbord, cryptocurrency transactions also provide investigators and compliance teams with opportunities to trace suspicious activity before losses spread further.

Authorities have already warned of World Cup scams

Weeks before the tournament began, U.S. authorities had already raised concerns about World Cup-themed fraud campaigns.

In a July 4 warning, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said criminals were promoting fake World Cup tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise offers, streaming subscriptions and sports betting deals through websites and social media accounts designed to resemble legitimate FIFA services.

Law enforcement officials noted that requests for payment through cryptocurrency, wire transfers, gift cards and other hard-to-recover methods often serve as warning signs of fraud. Fans were urged to purchase tickets only through FIFA’s official channels and avoid links distributed through social media posts, text messages and messaging applications.

Security concerns have extended beyond ticket sales. The Sheriff’s Department said attackers were creating websites that closely imitated official FIFA pages in an attempt to collect payment details, login credentials and other personal information.

Separately, the FBI also warned in May that threat actors were spoofing FIFA-related websites ahead of the tournament. According to the agency, those operations were designed to gather personal data, sell counterfeit tickets and carry out additional malicious activity.

Fake domains impersonating FIFA website. Source: FBI

FIFA has also cautioned supporters against purchasing tickets through unofficial sources. The organization said tickets obtained outside its official platform could be invalidated or cancelled without notice.

Ticket demand has become a focal point as the tournament gets underway.

The Council on Foreign Relations reported that several opening matches in the United States and Canada had not sold out on FIFA’s platform as of Monday. Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that official resale portals still listed about 176,000 unsold group-stage tickets earlier this week.

While legitimate tickets remain available through official channels, TRM Labs’ findings suggest fraud operators are attempting to capitalize on fan demand through counterfeit sales and betting-related schemes.

The latest warning arrives during a year of rising crypto-related fraud. According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, cryptocurrency theft has already reached $3.4 billion in 2026.

Metaplanet has agreed to acquire Japanese securities firm Siiibo Securities for JPY 2.1 billion, adding a licensed brokerage platform that it plans to use for Bitcoin-linked investment products and yield-focused offerings.

According to a June 12 announcement from Metaplanet, the Tokyo-listed company has signed a share transfer agreement to purchase all outstanding shares of Siiibo Securities and convert the firm into a wholly owned subsidiary. The transaction is expected to close on July 13, after which Siiibo Securities will be renamed Metaplanet Securities.

The deal gives Metaplanet direct control of a Type I Financial Instruments Business Operator, a license category that allows the structuring and distribution of securities products in Japan. Company documents describe the acquisition as the first major merger and acquisition transaction under Project Nova, Metaplanet’s long-term plan to build a Bitcoin-focused financial services ecosystem.

As part of that strategy, Metaplanet said it intends to develop and distribute Bitcoin-related financial products to Japanese investors by combining Siiibo’s securities infrastructure with the company’s Bitcoin treasury business.

Company records show Metaplanet held 40,177 BTC as of May 31, 2026, making it Japan’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder and the third-largest corporate holder globally. The company valued those holdings at a net asset value of JPY 457.6 billion.

Metaplanet expands beyond Bitcoin accumulation

While Metaplanet has become widely known for building one of the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin treasuries, the acquisition signals an effort to generate financial products tied to those holdings rather than focusing solely on balance-sheet accumulation.

Under the transaction, Metaplanet will gain access to Siiibo’s online corporate bond platform and existing investor network. Siiibo has supported more than 40 companies and over 100 bond issuances, primarily through private placement corporate bonds and venture debt financing.

Company materials state that the securities firm possesses both the regulatory licenses required to distribute financial products and an established base of retail and corporate investors. Metaplanet said those capabilities will allow it to introduce new income-oriented products, including BTC-linked bonds and other Bitcoin-related investment instruments.

“The acquisition of Siiibo Securities is Metaplanet’s first major M&A transaction and a significant step toward realizing Project Nova,” said Simon Gerovich, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO of Metaplanet.

“We view Bitcoin not merely as a treasury reserve asset, but as the foundation of the next generation of financial ecosystems,” he added.

Management said future initiatives could include Bitcoin-linked debt products, digital securities offerings, security tokens and financial products built around Bitcoin-related assets.

“Japanese households hold roughly $7.4 trillion in cash, deposits and low-yield products, and as Japan shifts from deflation to inflation, that capital has begun searching for yield. By bringing Siiibo’s Type I registration and online securities platform into the group, we will develop and distribute Bitcoin-related yield products directly to Japanese investors, supported by the 40,177 BTC on our balance sheet, the largest corporate Bitcoin treasury in Asia,” Gerovich said in an X post.

Funding for the Siiibo acquisition is expected to come primarily from cash reserves and borrowings. Metaplanet said it may supplement financing with its Bitcoin-backed credit facilities, which have aggregate borrowing capacity of up to $500 million.

Following completion of the transaction, Metaplanet plans to appoint two company directors to the securities firm’s board. The company said it does not expect the acquisition to have a material impact on consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026.

Acquisition follows focus on shareholder returns

The transaction comes days after Metaplanet reiterated that Bitcoin Yield remains its primary performance metric and said share buybacks remain a potential capital allocation tool when its mNAV ratio trades below 1.0x.

In comments published on June 9, Gerovich noted that management would strongly consider repurchasing common shares if the company’s market valuation falls below the value of its underlying Bitcoin holdings. At the time, Metaplanet reported an mNAV ratio of 0.92x based on its 40,177 BTC treasury.

Rather than relying on a single financing approach, the company has previously highlighted multiple capital allocation tools, including buybacks, preferred shares, and additional fundraising to support its Bitcoin strategy.

Recent disclosures also showed Metaplanet is pursuing what it described as Japan’s first listed perpetual preferred share product while building systems capable of supporting recurring dividend distributions.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed rescinding two core National Market System (NMS) rules, a move that could remove a substantial legal barrier to tokenized US stocks trading in decentralized finance (DeFi). The proposal targets Rule 611, which bans trade-throughs across exchanges, and Rule 610(e), which restricts displaying bids at the same or higher prices elsewhere. If adopted, the change would ease the path for tokenized equities to operate more freely within crypto trading venues.

The SEC said the changes would be considered as part of its ongoing effort to modernize the framework governing digital assets in U.S. markets. The agency opened a 60-day window for public comment on the proposal and will review responses before finalizing any rulemaking. The move follows the SEC’s broader emphasis on integrating crypto and blockchain technologies into existing market structures while safeguarding investors.

Key takeaways

• The SEC proposes scrapping NMS Rules 611 and 610(e), removing trade-through and bid-display constraints that currently apply to U.S. equities trading across exchanges.
• industry observers argue the change could unlock tokenized US stocks on DeFi platforms by eliminating a major regulatory hurdle that has constrained automated markets and cross-venue execution.
• Automated market makers (AMMs) in crypto face inherent alignment challenges with trade-through rules, as they execute at pool prices and cannot always stop a trade when a better quote exists elsewhere.
• Sources expect the SEC to replace the rules with a new best-execution framework, potentially allowing AMMs to operate under the updated regime.
• The proposal arrives amid broader regulatory activity around tokenized assets, including ongoing work under the SEC’s Project Crypto and prior discussions about tokenized stock trading plans.

Unlocking tokenized stocks: what the proposal changes

Industry participants have long argued that traditional guardrails—designed for a world of centralized venues—limit the efficiency and reach of tokenized equity trading. By rescinding Rule 611, which prevents a stock order on one exchange from trading at a worse price than on another venue, the SEC would remove a structural constraint that can hinder cross-platform arbitrage and execution quality. Likewise, eliminating Rule 610(e)’s bid-display prohibition could reduce the friction in displaying competitive quotes across multiple venues.

Galaxy Digital’s head of research, Alex Thorn, framed the potential shift as a major unlocking for tokenized stocks. “One of the biggest unlocks yet for tokenized stocks,” Thorn said, would come from removing a central barrier to trading alternatives on DeFi platforms. Thorn’s assessment highlights how the current rules interact with tokenized equities, where on-chain trading mechanisms operate with price discovery pooled from multiple sources rather than a single centralized order book.

Thorn emphasized that automated market makers (AMMs)—which pool assets to facilitate trades—would struggle under the existing regime, because their execution depends on pool prices rather than a single, live external quote. “AMMs can’t comply with trade-through rules as they are designed today; they ‘trade against whatever the pool price is,’” Thorn explained. He added that an AMM would also struggle to halt a trade if a better quote existed elsewhere, effectively risking constant violation of trade-through protections and potentially categorizing a tokenized stock pool as an illegal trading center under the current framework.

The SEC’s move is not happening in a vacuum. It comes as the agency has signaled a broader push to adapt regulatory structures to digital assets. Earlier coverage noted the SEC’s strategic emphasis on digital assets through 2030, and the agency has been weighing how to balance innovation with investor protection in this evolving space. The current proposal explicitly invites public input during the 60-day comment period, signaling that the agency may refine its approach in response to feedback from industry participants and other stakeholders.

As part of its broader policy arc, the SEC’s work intersects with ongoing discussions about tokenized stock trading plans. Reports from last month indicated the commission was considering a plan to allow tokenized stock trading but postponed release after exchanges raised concerns about execution and implementation. The new proposal could be seen as an alternative pathway toward enabling tokenized equities within a regulated framework, subject to stakeholder input and potential structural adjustments.

For readers tracking the regulatory backdrop, the SEC’s efforts should be viewed alongside ongoing explorations into how best to regulate digital assets while preserving market integrity and investor confidence. In parallel with the rules review, the agency’s broader strategy—often framed under headings like “Project Crypto”—reflects a desire to bring digital-asset activities into closer alignment with traditional market infrastructure where appropriate.

Context and what to watch next

The 60-day comment window is a crucial period for market participants, exchanges, token issuers, and developers building tokenized stock products. Revisions to the proposal could alter the shape of best-execution obligations, potentially adding clarity or constraints that affect how tokenized equities are traded in DeFi environments. Observers will be paying attention to whether the SEC settles on a formal best-execution framework as a successor to the rescinded rules and how that framework would accommodate AMMs and other automated trading mechanisms.

Related coverage confirms that the SEC’s digital-asset agenda has faced practical execution challenges, including discussions about how tokenized stocks will be integrated into regulated markets and the concerns raised by traditional exchanges about how such products would operate. Those discussions underscore the balance regulators seek between enabling innovative access to markets and maintaining protections for investors.

Readers should watch for the agency’s response to public input and any subsequent rulemaking steps. If the best-execution approach is adopted, it could mark a meaningful turning point for the alignment of on-chain trading with established market protections, potentially accelerating the deployment of tokenized stock trading platforms within a regulated ecosystem.

Source: Alex Thorn, Galaxy Digital; coverage of SEC initiatives and tokenized stock discussions referenced in ongoing reporting on Project Crypto and related regulatory developments.

Can Robinhood or Kraken’s tokenized stock offerings ever be truly decentralized? Industry debates continue as regulators weigh how to apply traditional market protections to innovative digital-asset trading formats. For now, the SEC’s latest proposal stands as a meaningful signal that the regulatory landscape for tokenized securities could be reshaped in the coming months, with implications for traders, issuers, and developers building in the tokenized-stocks space.

Key Highlights

• The $H token plummeted 80-90% following a security breach on June 8-9, erasing over $1 billion in market capitalization
• Malware on a developer’s computer compromised private keys, enabling hackers to steal 141M tokens and create 200M additional ones
• Immediate financial damage is calculated between $30M–$36M; $H dropped to $0.05–$0.13 before recovering to approximately $0.20
• Officials suspended bridge operations, announced a $1M USDT reward, and committed recovered assets to token repurchase initiatives
• Speculation about internal complicity has emerged among researchers, with an upcoming token release on June 25 intensifying concerns

Humanity Protocol’s $H token stood out as a top-performing cryptocurrency in early 2026, delivering returns between 300–800% and climbing to a record peak of $0.8439 on June 2. Yet within mere days, more than 80% of that value evaporated.

A cybersecurity incident on June 8–9 sparked the dramatic downturn. The digital asset plunged from approximately $0.67–$0.74 to depths of $0.05–$0.13. More than $1 billion in valuation disappeared within hours.

Following the crash, $H has mounted a 41% recovery and was changing hands near $0.20 as of June 10–11. The token still shows approximately 74% losses over the seven-day period.

Anatomy of the Security Breach

The vulnerability originated from an infected developer computer. Malicious software on this machine revealed private keys that controlled Humanity Protocol’s Gnosis Safe infrastructure on both Ethereum and BNB Chain.

This wasn’t a sophisticated smart contract vulnerability or an intricate DeFi protocol manipulation. It represented a fundamental operational security breakdown.

On the Ethereum network, three out of six Gnosis Safe keys were compromised. Attackers leveraged these credentials to extract approximately 141.2 million $H tokens through a single transfer.

On BNB Smart Chain, three out of five authorization keys fell into hostile hands. The perpetrators activated unrestricted minting capabilities and generated over 200 million new $H tokens through two separate operations.

Both the stolen and newly fabricated tokens flooded exchanges, destroying price stability and sparking widespread panic selling. The immediate monetary impact from extracted and manufactured tokens ranges from $30 million to $36 million.

Official Actions and Outstanding Concerns

Humanity Protocol responded swiftly following the compromise. Officials verified the incident stemmed from key exposure rather than code vulnerabilities, and immediately suspended all bridging functionality.

They deployed a public monitoring system displaying attacker addresses and transaction flows. A $1 million USDT reward was established for intelligence contributing to fund retrieval.

The organization also pledged that any reclaimed assets would support market purchases of $H tokens. No specific schedule for this buyback initiative has been revealed.

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT and fellow analysts have started reviewing transaction sequences surrounding the incident. Several researchers have floated theories regarding possible internal coordination.

The chronology has attracted attention. A planned token distribution was scheduled for June 25, approximately fourteen days following the security failure. Certain commentators have theorized the breach might represent a coordinated withdrawal ahead of that release.

Market Outlook and Community Focus

The rebound from $0.05–$0.13 to roughly $0.20–$0.21 indicates renewed purchasing interest. However, the asset remains 70–75% beneath pre-attack valuations, with transaction volumes notably subdued.

Limited market depth suggests the current uptick could reverse abruptly. The approaching June 25 distribution compounds existing uncertainty within an already shaken investor base.

Humanity Protocol manages sensitive biometric verification systems, making security lapses particularly destructive to credibility. Critical questions surrounding key custody protocols and potential insider participation await resolution.

The platform’s forthcoming actions — including potential asset recovery and the impact of the June 25 distribution — will likely determine whether this price recovery maintains momentum.

South Korea’s tax authorities are preparing to treat tokenized stocks as securities rather than virtual assets, a move that could bring the rapidly growing sector into the country’s existing taxation framework once financial regulators finalize their legal interpretation.

According to comments from South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance shared with local outlet Bloomberg Bit, the government currently views tokenized stocks as securities in substance despite their blockchain-based structure. 

The ministry said that if the Financial Services Commission determines tokenized stocks qualify as securities, taxation could begin immediately under existing capital markets rules without requiring new legislation.

Officials told the publication that tokenized equities may take the form of digital assets, but their economic characteristics more closely resemble traditional securities. 

The ministry also pointed to previous guidance from financial regulators, which emphasized that assets meeting the characteristics of securities should be regulated as securities regardless of the technology used to issue them.

Interest in tokenized equities has grown rapidly over the past year as investors seek blockchain-based access to publicly traded companies. 

Data from RWA.xyz showed the tokenized stock market reached $1.47 billion as of June 8, up 115% since the start of the year.

Tokenized stock market value. Source: RWA.XYZ

Demand has been particularly strong among investors seeking exposure to U.S. companies such as Tesla and Nvidia through platforms that offer around-the-clock trading and faster settlement.

Financial regulators move toward legal clarification

Attention is now turning to the Financial Services Commission, which is expected to release revisions to its token securities guidelines and related regulations in July.

Earlier, during the second meeting of a public-private token securities task force in May, the commission said it would develop a detailed roadmap for the tokenization of conventional securities, including listed stocks. 

A formal interpretation classifying tokenized shares as securities could clear the way for tax collection during the second half of 2026.

South Korean regulators have already established a foundation for that approach. In its 2023 token securities guidelines, the commission stated that token securities issued in digital asset form fall under the scope of the Capital Markets Act. 

However, those guidelines focused largely on fractional ownership products tied to assets such as real estate, artworks, and intellectual property, leaving uncertainty around tokenized versions of ordinary shares.

Because of that uncertainty, many market participants had assumed tokenized stocks would be treated similarly to virtual assets and remain outside the tax net until South Korea’s virtual asset taxation regime takes effect next year.

Overseas trades could also fall under tax rules

The Ministry of Economy and Finance indicated that taxation would not necessarily be limited to domestically issued products.

Officials told Bloomberg Bit that securities taxation under existing law is based on the economic rights attached to an asset rather than where it is issued. 

As a result, tokenized stock transactions conducted through overseas platforms could still be subject to South Korean tax rules if the underlying rights are deemed equivalent to securities.

The ministry also noted that future classifications may depend on specific features attached to the tokens. Depending on whether voting rights are included, tokenized stocks could potentially be categorized as ordinary shares, derivative-linked securities, or investment contract securities.

At the same time, South Korea’s tax authorities and the National Tax Service are working to strengthen information-sharing arrangements with foreign tax agencies, including the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, to improve visibility into transactions conducted through overseas platforms.

The regulatory push comes as tokenized finance gains momentum globally. 

According to a Binance Research report, tokenized stocks had become the fastest-growing segment of the real-world asset sector, with market value rising 422% since early 2025. 

The research firm attributed much of the growth to platforms that provide blockchain-based access to traditional equities and exchange-traded funds.

Growing activity on platforms such as xStocks and Ondo Global Markets has further accelerated investor interest in blockchain-based securities, increasing pressure on regulators to clarify how existing financial and tax laws should apply to the sector.

Bitcoin and Ether options worth about $2.5 billion expire on June 12, putting the $60,000 to $62,000 Bitcoin range back in focus.

Around 35,000 Bitcoin options contracts expire today, with a notional value near $2.23 billion. The event is slightly larger than last week’s expiry, but still smaller than major monthly or quarterly expiries.

The current Bitcoin options batch has a put/call ratio near 0.66 to 0.68. Deribit data also placed Bitcoin’s max pain level around $66,000 to $67,000, above the current spot price near $63,000.

Max pain is the price where the largest number of options contracts expire worthless. When spot price sits far below that level, many bullish contracts lose value at expiry.

The event comes as crypto markets remain weak after a difficult week. Bitcoin has bounced slightly, but broader selling pressure remains visible across spot and derivatives markets.

Bitcoin $60K to $62K zone stays in focus

GreeksLive said Bitcoin options positioning has tightened around a narrow set of strike prices. The firm pointed to the $60,000 to $62,000 region as the main downside zone for traders.

“The largest short dealer exposure anchored is at $60K. Collectively, downside exposure is heavily concentrated within the $60K to $62K range,” GreeksLive said.

That range matters because it sits close to Bitcoin’s current support area. If BTC falls back into that band, dealer hedging and stop orders could increase short-term volatility.

Deribit also said positioning remains call-heavy despite recent market stress. That shows many traders still hold upside exposure, even as spot markets stay under pressure.

“Despite recent volatility, positioning remains skewed toward calls across both assets,” Deribit said.

Ether options add to expiry total

Ether options also expire today, adding about $293 million in notional value. Around 175,000 ETH contracts are set to expire, with max pain near $1,750.

ETH traded close to $1,650, staying below its max pain level. The token has struggled to recover after losing higher support zones during the latest crypto selloff.

The Ether options put/call ratio stood near 0.58 to 0.62, showing more call exposure than put exposure. Still, spot ETH has not shown a strong rebound yet.

The total crypto options expiry stands near $2.5 billion. That makes today’s event notable, but not large enough by itself to change the wider market trend.

Spot market remains weak

Bitcoin traded near $62,937, while Ethereum traded near $1,656, according to crypto.news market data. BTC held above the $60,000 area, while ETH stayed close to its lower support range.

Total crypto market value remains near multi-month lows after heavy selling earlier in June. The latest bounce has slowed the decline, but buyers have not yet shown strong control.

As previously reported by crypto.news, crypto spot volume fell to $679 billion in April as retail demand weakened. That report showed that the market is not only facing sellers, but also a shortage of active buyers.

SpaceX’s planned IPO has also raised questions about capital rotation from crypto into major technology listings, as previously reported. That pressure sits alongside geopolitical risk, inflation concerns, and weaker risk appetite.

For Bitcoin, the key level remains the $60,000 to $62,000 range. A clean hold above that zone could limit expiry-related pressure, while a break lower may bring the mid-$50,000 area back into discussion.