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Don’t get AI agents and stablecoin transfers? Enroll in CoinDesk University

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Don’t get AI agents and stablecoin transfers? Enroll in CoinDesk University

Have you had “deploy a stablecoin” and “build an AI agent” on your business to-do list since the beginning of the year?

You know these technologies will create business efficiencies, but finding the time to really get a grasp, a hands-on grasp, of these solutions has proved hard to find. You might even feel like you’re falling behind.

Not for long, you hard-working department head.

CoinDesk is launching the School of Stablecoins and Agentic Commerce at its upcoming Consensus 2026 conference, happening May 5-7 in Miami. These programs include interactive sessions with expert hosts leading you through the biggest cost-saving stablecoin use cases and the easiest implementations of AI agents that can lighten your workload and maybe even secure some big-time bets.

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These sessions are for finance and product leaders, operators and entrepreneurs, and executive teams navigating what’s next.

Each workshop has plenty of complements on CoinDesk’s program of keynotes, fireside chats and panel discussions, allowing you to take the big picture insights and turn them into concrete tools you can take back to your team.

Take payments for example. During the “Stablecoins Go Global” panel discussion, you get inspired to adopt USDC in your business. But where do you practically start? “Setting Up a Stablecoin Wallet and Dashboard” hosted by Circle on the University workshop stage.

Or consider AI agents. After hearing the conversation at the “Agents Meet the Enterprise” panel, you want someone to give you a step-by-step tutorial on setting up OpenClaw and writing killer prompts that 10x your efficiency. We’ve got you covered.

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Over the course of the three-day show, you’ll get workflow walkthroughs, product demos, and actionable insights for becoming your company’s crypto and AI guy or gal. And that’ll come in handy given these aren’t just niche tools for tech fanatics, or even just the intersection of DeFi and TradFi; these are products and services that every user and business can benefit from.

In this current era of unprecedented innovation and change, CoinDesk University is the place to learn from the visionaries and developers actually building these tools. You’re getting your education directly from the source with these powerful sessions.

Take a look at our current schedule of University workshops here. You’ll be favoriting all these to your schedule.

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Crypto World

US Senator Urges Binance Monitor Update Amid Iran Sanctions Scrutiny

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Crypto Breaking News

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal has intensified congressional oversight of Binance, asking the Justice Department and FinCEN for detailed updates on whether the exchange is meeting anti-money-laundering and sanctions obligations embedded in its 2023 monitoring regime. A Fortune report on Friday describes Blumenthal’s letters as requesting a current assessment of Binance’s compliance with the agreement.

The 2023 settlement required Binance to pay $4.3 billion in civil penalties and to fall under ongoing U.S. monitoring and reporting by regulators. Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Binance’s founder, agreed to plead guilty to one felony as part of the resolution. DOJ and FinCEN officials responsible for overseeing the monitoring reportedly did not comment when approached by Fortune.

Blumenthal’s correspondence reportedly highlighted “mounting allegations of dangerously lax anti-money laundering prevention by Binance,” underscoring ongoing questions about the effectiveness of post‑settlement oversight and the sufficiency of the program’s controls.

Fortune also notes that the case has broader sanctions implications, including Iran-related scrutiny. The outlet reports that Binance had been accused of sanction evasion and that employees who flagged potential violations were reportedly dismissed; a Binance spokesperson denied the specific claims.

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Separately, a bipartisan group of lawmakers pressed for action earlier this year. In February, Senator Chris Van Hollen and 10 colleagues urged Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and former Attorney General Pamela Bondi to complete a “prompt, comprehensive review” of Binance’s compliance controls. The letter, circulated by Van Hollen’s office, signals continued bipartisan concern over how Binance’s regulatory posture is being assessed and enforced. Source: Van Hollen’s office.

Key takeaways

  • A sitting U.S. senator asks DOJ and FinCEN for a current update on Binance’s compliance with AML and sanctions monitoring, citing a Fortune report on the matter.
  • The 2023 settlement’s monitoring regime remains under scrutiny, with regulators yet to publicly detail its effectiveness or any gaps.
  • Iran sanctions-related inquiries and related staffing changes at Binance are part of the ongoing oversight narrative, though Binance denies the specific allegations.
  • Lawmakers have pressed for a rapid, comprehensive review of Binance’s controls, illustrating sustained bipartisan concern about crypto exchanges’ regulatory compliance.
  • Questions about Binance’s political associations and external partnerships continue to surface, adding a political dimension to regulatory risk for the sector.

Regulatory monitoring under the 2023 settlement

The 2023 settlement placed Binance under an active regime of monitoring and reporting to U.S. authorities. As part of the deal, the exchange faced a substantial civil penalty and agreed to ongoing regulatory scrutiny designed to police anti-money-laundering controls and sanctions compliance. The latest inquiries focus on whether those measures are functioning as intended and how regulators verify ongoing adherence. Fortune’s reporting emphasizes that lawmakers want a transparent, current account of the program’s status, including any identified shortcomings and planned fixes.

Sanctions scrutiny and Iran-related dynamics

Iran sanctions have repeatedly surfaced in discussions around Binance. Reports cited by Fortune suggest that concerns about evasion tactics prompted internal reviews and staff changes, with claims that one billion dollars’ worth of activity may have moved toward Iran-linked entities. Binance has publicly denied these allegations through a spokesperson, underscoring the ongoing dispute over what actually occurred and how it should be interpreted within the monitoring framework.

Political entanglements and ongoing oversight tensions

The regulatory conversation around Binance is taking place against a backdrop of broader political considerations. In March 2025, a UAE-based entity reportedly acquired a $2 billion stake in Binance using a USD1 stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, a company associated with Donald Trump. In a separate development, Trump pardoned CZ in October 2025 after a four‑month prison stint tied to the 2023 settlement. While these items are part of public discourse around Binance, they contribute to a broader risk perception for investors and users who weigh regulatory certainty against political influence in the crypto space.

For readers tracking the regulatory arc, these disclosures reinforce why a formal, auditable update from U.S. authorities and Binance remains pivotal. The evolving status of the monitoring program, forthcoming agency statements, and any new enforcement steps will be essential to watch in the coming months.

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Readers should keep an eye on forthcoming confirmations from the DOJ, FinCEN, and Binance about any adjustments to the monitoring regime, as well as any legislative or administrative signals that could reshape how large crypto platforms are governed in the United States.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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Neo Co-Founder Proposes $461M Overhaul to End ‘Trust Me’ Governance

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Cryptocurrencies, Neo, DAO, Coin Governance System

Neo co-founder Da Hongfei has proposed a sweeping overhaul of the Neo Foundation after years of deadlock with co-founder Erik Zhang left one of crypto’s oldest networks effectively paralyzed.

The plan follows Neo’s first public financial disclosure since 2019, showing about $461 million in assets held across the Neo Foundation (NF) and Neo Global Development (NGD) at the end of 2025.

The proposed restructuring aims to replace what Hongfei described as informal, founder-driven governance, arguing the outcome could serve as a test case for how aging blockchain networks manage large treasuries and transition away from founder control.

Zhang has pushed back on key elements of the proposal, exposing further divisions at the top of the project and increasing scrutiny from users and investors.

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Hongfei told Cointelegraph that at the core of the restructuring is a break with the founder-centric model that defined Neo’s first decade.

The proposal would redomicile the foundation to the Cayman Islands, create a five-member board and an independent Supervisor with power to block bylaw breaches, and impose a 24-month ban on either founder sitting on the board or supervisory body. 

Neo’s fight has become a case study in how older blockchain networks with large treasuries struggle to move beyond founder-centric governance, especially after years of informal control and limited public financial disclosure.

Related: Aave DAO approves $25M funding grant, token allocation for Aave Labs

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Returning NEO tokens to the community

According to the disclosure, NF and NGD currently control about 41 million NEO (31.3%), mainly under single-signature control. Hongfei’s “Giveback II” plan would return 49.5 million reserved NEO (NEO) to the community and consolidate NGD-managed investments back into the foundation, which would operate under mandatory annual financial reports, onchain attestations for large transfers, and fully disclosed multi-signature wallets for Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), stablecoins and other liquid assets.

Cryptocurrencies, Neo, DAO, Coin Governance System
Neo financial report. Source: NeoNewsToday

He said the changes are designed to replace “trust me” governance around treasury and custody, pointing to Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin’s influence-through-research model as a standard founders should emulate.

Zhang remains unconvinced, arguing that the proposal grounds Neo’s legitimacy in offchain legal structures and still leaves room for opaque third-party attestations instead of directly verifiable onchain addresses.

He said excluding him from the board for 24 months strips Neo of essential technical oversight, calling the Cayman “reset” a cosmetic shell change that dodges historical accountability and unresolved transparency issues.

Governance woes across decentralized finance

The push comes as governance fights and perceived insider advantages dominate debate across decentralized finance. Aave’s long-running dispute between the founder-aligned Aave Chan Initiative and other stakeholders has raised questions about how much power entrenched service providers should wield inside decentralized autonomous organizations.

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Related: WLFI proposes governance staking system and USD1 usage incentives

The Trump family-linked World Liberty Financial drew scathing criticism from stakeholders this week, including Tron founder Justin Sun, over a proposed new unlock schedule for its WLFI governance token and discretionary control over treasury assets.

Neo’s bet to revive network relevance

Behind the governance reset sits an attempt to give Neo a credible new thesis in a market where activity has consolidated onto Ethereum, a few layer-2s, Solana, and a handful of other chains. 

Hongfei conceded Neo’s user base today is “not where it was in the 2017 to 2021 cycle,” and the numbers “reflect a project that has seen better days.”

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He said users are more concentrated in long-term holders and community groups; the Chinese market that once fueled activity has shrunk under Beijing’s bans, and Neo missed “DeFi Summer” after delays in shipping its N3 upgrade.

He now argues that the next decade of onchain activity will be driven less by humans than by autonomous AI agents transacting on their behalf, positioning Neo X as an “agent-first” blockchain optimized for the shift. 

He said the real test for both the governance reboot and the AI thesis will be whether, over the next 12 to 24 months, Neo can complete its restructuring and attract a meaningful pipeline of agent-native projects, and whether he would still seek a board seat if those milestones are missed.

Magazine: Will the CLARITY Act be good — or bad — for DeFi?

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