US-listed spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) pulled back after a run of steady demand, recording $70.62 million in net outflows on Friday and ending a five-day inflow streak.

SoSoValue data shows US Ether funds brought in $211.25 million over the prior five sessions from July 17 through Thursday. Despite Friday’s reversal, the funds also logged $103.9 million in net inflows for the week ended Friday. Overall, Ethereum spot ETFs have now extended their weekly inflow streak to three straight weeks and have attracted $337.74 million in net inflows so far in July.

Key takeaways

• Ethereum spot ETFs saw $70.62 million in net outflows on Friday after five consecutive inflow sessions.
• SoSoValue reports $211.25 million of net inflows from July 17 through Thursday, with $103.9 million added for the week ended Friday.
• ETH ETFs still maintain a three-week weekly inflow streak and have pulled in $337.74 million net so far in July.
• Bitcoin spot ETFs followed a similar pattern, ending a seven-day inflow streak and posting $240.08 million in net outflows on Friday.
• Japan’s evolving crypto framework has renewed discussion about the potential size of a future Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF market, with one estimate placing it around $18.4 billion.

Ethereum ETF flows pause after a strong mid-July stretch

Ethereum’s ETF flow picture remains constructive even with Friday’s outflows. According to SoSoValue, the funds accumulated $211.25 million in net inflows across five sessions leading into Thursday, suggesting that the demand seen earlier in the week was not immediately erased. For the week ended Friday, net inflows still totaled $103.9 million, meaning the reversal did not translate into a weekly loss for product flows.

That distinction matters for investors tracking ETF demand as a relatively timely signal of how traditional market participants are positioning in Ether. While daily outflows can reflect routine rebalancing, profit-taking, or broader risk-off moves, the persistence of weekly inflows over three consecutive weeks points to continued interest rather than a one-off event.

Ethereum ETFs have also drawn $337.74 million in net inflows so far in July, reinforcing that the overall monthly trend remains positive despite Friday’s dip.

Bitcoin ETFs also reverse, ending another inflow run

Friday’s turn in Ethereum flows came alongside weakness in US spot Bitcoin ETFs. Coin-telemetry on demand indicators shows that Bitcoin funds ended a seven-day inflow streak on Thursday and recorded another $240.08 million in net outflows on Friday, according to the same weekly flow tracking referenced in this report.

Even with the Friday reversal, Bitcoin ETFs are still showing a multi-week accumulation trend. The week ended Friday added $103.90 million in net inflows, bringing the total net inflow so far in July to $233.96 million. The funds also extended their net inflow streak to three consecutive weeks.

The report also highlights how sharply sentiment shifted earlier in the cycle: after a record June in which $4.5 billion flowed out of the funds, July’s inflows suggest investors are gradually rebuilding exposure through these regulated products.

Crypto ETF demand remains a key proxy for institutional access

Spot crypto ETFs have become one of the most closely watched gauges for market demand through traditional channels. In the US, ETFs are especially influential because they represent the overwhelming majority of assets and trading activity compared with similar products in other jurisdictions.

While other markets, including Hong Kong, have moved toward ETF-style products, the US remains the primary venue where flow data is both abundant and liquid. As a result, daily net inflow and outflow figures can quickly influence how traders interpret near-term positioning, even when they don’t fully dictate price direction.

At the time of writing, the report notes that Bitcoin was trading just under $64,000, down from Tuesday’s week high of $66,892, and Ether was around $1,837, below the weekly high of $1,954. These snapshot levels illustrate that ETF flow reversals can coincide with broader market volatility, even if the longer weekly pattern still looks supportive.

Japan reforms revive estimates for a future spot Bitcoin ETF market

Beyond ETF flow numbers in the US, attention is also shifting to regulatory groundwork elsewhere. Following Japan’s recent overhaul of its crypto regulations—seen by the market as laying the groundwork for future spot Bitcoin ETFs—crypto management platform XWIN estimated what a “mature” Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF market could look like.

In an analysis referenced via CryptoQuant, XWIN projected an upper-end scenario of about $18.4 billion for a Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF market. The figure is framed as roughly 0.13% of Japan’s reported $14.6 trillion in household financial assets.

The estimate also defines assumptions about where demand would originate: existing crypto holders, new retail investors entering through brokerage accounts, and institutional allocators. XWIN’s reasoning suggests that regulated ETF structures—paired with familiar brokerage access and custody arrangements—could reduce friction for investors who want exposure without handling assets directly.

To make the case, the analysis points to the US market as an example of how spot Bitcoin ETFs can translate into meaningful accumulated exposure over time, noting that spot Bitcoin ETFs excluding Grayscale’s GBTC have accumulated roughly 1 million Bitcoin. XWIN characterized the $18.4 billion number as an “achievable upper-end market scenario,” emphasizing it is not a guaranteed outcome.

In that framing, the key variable is access—how easily Japanese investors can reach Bitcoin exposure through institutions they already use. That focus aligns with why ETF demand in the US has remained closely tracked: flows can reflect the conversion of investor intent into a product wrapper that fits mainstream portfolio practices.

For investors, the immediate question is whether Friday’s outflows in both Ethereum and Bitcoin ETFs mark the start of a more sustained pullback or simply a brief rebalancing pause. Watching subsequent daily flow prints—and whether weekly inflow streaks hold—will help clarify how much of the recent strength persists, while regulatory developments in Japan could reshape longer-term expectations for where ETF-style demand might expand next.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to push the CLARITY Act toward a floor vote before the August recess, potentially forcing senators to publicly declare their positions even if the crypto market structure bill cannot overcome a filibuster.

Thune wants senators on record over CLARITY Act

Thune wants the Senate to begin considering the legislation before lawmakers leave Washington for their summer break, according to Punchbowl News.

“I would like to at least get Clarity started. We’ll see where the votes are,” Thune said.

A floor vote would test whether months of negotiations have produced enough bipartisan support for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, formally known as H.R. 3633. It would also identify the senators responsible if the bill fails to advance.

The House passed the CLARITY Act in July 2025 with bipartisan support. The Senate Banking Committee later advanced its section of the legislation in a 15-9 vote in May 2026.

Senator Cynthia Lummis released an updated version on July 22 that combines proposals previously approved by the Senate Banking and Agriculture committees. The Senate is scheduled to remain in Washington until Aug. 7, leaving lawmakers with a narrow period to debate amendments and hold procedural votes. Lummis’ office confirmed that the new text merges the two committees’ work.

Across Protocol’s Risk Labs-operated relayer lost less than $4 million after an attacker fabricated $41.7 million in Solana deposit events, according to a post-incident report released by the cross-chain protocol.

Risk Labs’ relayer paid approximately $4.5 million against 581 fake deposits before Across suspended the affected service. Around $500,000 belonging to the attacker remained trapped inside the protocol, reducing the net loss below $4 million.

Across attributed the breach to its Solana off-chain event-reading software rather than a flaw in its smart contracts. The protocol reported that no users lost funds and that every legitimate transfer was completed or fully refunded on the day of the attack.

Across attacker created 1,627 fake Solana deposits

The attack occurred between 05:07 and 06:14 UTC on July 17, according to the Across Protocol post-mortem. During that 67-minute period, the attacker used 1,627 single-use Solana wallets to submit the same number of fabricated deposits.

Those deposits had a combined face value of approximately $41.7 million and directed payments across 18 destination chains. Across reported that the funds ultimately flowed toward one recipient on an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible network.

Risk Labs’ relayer filled 581 of the fraudulent requests, representing about 35.7% of the total. However, the $4.5 million paid out accounted for only about 10.8% of the attempted face value.

Across stopped Solana operations before the remaining 1,046 requests could be filled. The protocol invalidated approximately $37 million in unpaid fake deposits, preventing those requests from producing further losses.

The report identified the root cause as a bug in Risk Labs’ relayer codebase. Because the affected software operated off-chain, the attacker did not alter Across’ on-chain contracts or exploit Solana’s underlying network.

Why Across users avoided losses

Across uses relayers that advance their own capital to complete cross-chain orders before seeking reimbursement. This structure placed the immediate financial exposure on Risk Labs’ relayer rather than users transferring assets through the protocol.

The protocol reported that all legitimate transfers were completed or refunded on July 17. Across had processed more than $34 billion in bridge volume without losing user funds, according to figures published on its website.

The incident differs from the Lien Finance attack reported by crypto.news on July 24. Lien Finance lost approximately 542,144.63 USDC after an attacker exploited its bond exchange logic to mint unsupported tokens without destroying the required input bonds.

SlowMist traced the Lien Finance vulnerability to incomplete checks in the exchangeEquivalentBonds function. Unlike the Across incident, that attack involved smart contract logic and allowed the attacker to exchange unbacked bond tokens for USDC held by the affected liquidity source.

The Across disclosure also arrived as stolen assets from an earlier Solana breach began moving. As crypto.news reported, a wallet tied to the $285 million Drift Protocol exploit transferred 23,095.1 ETH, worth about $44.4 million, into Tornado Cash on July 23 and July 24.

ACX trades near $0.041 after the report

ACX was trading at approximately $0.04135 at the time of writing, down 2.8% over 24 hours and 2.3% over seven days, according to CoinGecko.

The token had a market capitalization of about $29.1 million and a 24-hour trading volume of approximately $3.3 million. ACX remained nearly 97.6% below its all-time high of $1.69.

Across stated that the relayer loss would not change its planned ACX token buyback. The protocol did not disclose whether the incident would affect Risk Labs’ other spending or relayer operations.

Solana service moves to CCTP routing

Across deployed a root-cause fix about five hours after the attack and restored Solana service in approximately 12 hours through its fallback CCTP route.

All Solana order flow now uses Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol, which transfers native USDC between supported networks through a burn-and-mint process. Across has not provided a timeline for restoring its previous Solana routing system.

The protocol’s next steps include maintaining the CCTP route and monitoring the attacker-linked funds. Its report did not announce any recovery agreement, arrest, or confirmed identity for the attacker.

The European Union is tightening crypto-related sanctions tied to Belarus, effectively barring Belarusian nationals and residents from taking controlling roles in certain EU-regulated crypto businesses. The restriction will apply to crypto exchange and custody-related providers that fall under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, starting Aug. 25.

The change is contained in Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847, adopted Thursday. According to the text, the decision amends the EU’s existing sanctions structure targeting Belarus over its involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, broadening an earlier limitation that had been limited to wallet, account, or custody services.

Key takeaways

• Belarusian nationals and residents will be prohibited from owning, controlling, or managing certain MiCA-regulated EU crypto service providers starting Aug. 25.
• The update in Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 expands the scope beyond prior restrictions that covered only wallet/account/custody services.
• The prohibition includes not only ownership and control, but also holding a role on a company’s governing body.
• MiCA service categories covered by the amendment include trading platforms, exchanges, order execution/transmission, transfers, and investment advice or portfolio management.

What the EU sanctions change covers

The Council Decision states that Belarusian nationals and residents may not own or control an EU-based entity that provides “any other crypto-asset services” as defined by MiCA, nor may they hold positions on that entity’s governing body. This effectively targets governance influence as well as economic control.

MiCA’s scope of “crypto-asset services” is broad. It includes operating trading platforms and exchanging crypto assets, executing and transmitting clients’ orders, placing crypto assets, and providing transfers. The framework also covers advisory and portfolio management activities, meaning the sanctions expansion can reach multiple lines of business beyond straightforward custody.

Although the decision was adopted on Thursday and enters into force immediately, the expanded crypto-related restriction is scheduled to begin on Aug. 25—leaving regulated firms a limited window to assess whether current ownership, management arrangements, or board composition could be impacted.

Timing matters after MiCA’s transition period ended

The EU’s move arrives shortly after the end of MiCA’s transition period on July 1, when crypto companies without the required authorizations were directed to wind down operations or face enforcement action. In that context, the new sanctions restriction adds another compliance dimension for firms working within the post-transition MiCA landscape.

Instead of focusing only on licensing and operational rules, the EU is combining MiCA market regulation with sanctions screening—especially concerning personnel and governance structures. For compliance teams, that means ownership, board seats, and day-to-day control arrangements now need to be reviewed with both MiCA requirements and the sanctions framework in mind.

MiCA licensing is meant to standardize crypto services across the EU, but sanctions can independently restrict who may participate in certain roles regardless of regulatory approval. This creates a dual gate: a firm may be authorized under MiCA rules while still being required to restructure if it falls within the sanctions constraints.

Part of a wider EU effort to limit crypto access tied to Russia

The Belarus update aligns with broader EU actions aimed at crypto platforms and financial networks allegedly used to route around sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine. The EU has been expanding its approach through successive sanctions packages and transaction bans covering crypto-related entities.

Earlier this week, the EU, as part of its 21st sanctions package against Russia, extended a transaction ban to 14 crypto-related service platforms outside the bloc. It also introduced a mechanism that would allow the EU to prohibit dealings with any foreign crypto provider that it identifies as being used by Russia to evade sanctions.

The latest package builds on a June 11 proposal that targeted 11 crypto platforms. Taken together, the EU’s direction is clear: rather than focusing solely on traditional banking channels, it is attempting to reach crypto infrastructure that may facilitate sanctioned activity.

Beyond the EU’s own actions, the sanctions tightening has also been influenced by allied measures. The proposal was reported to follow the United Kingdom’s May 26 sanctions against Huobi Global S.A., the Panamanian company behind HTX, over alleged support for Russia-linked financial networks involving sanctioned entities A7 and Garantex. In that case, HTX denied wrongdoing, telling Cointelegraph that regulatory compliance remains a priority and that it adheres to regulatory frameworks in the jurisdictions where it operates.

Implications for operators and boards across the EU

Because the amendment explicitly covers governance, EU-facing crypto firms cannot treat sanctions compliance as purely an onboarding or customer-screening task. The wording targets who can own, control, manage, or sit on governing bodies—meaning internal corporate structure becomes part of sanctions risk management.

For businesses offering MiCA-listed services—ranging from trading and exchange operations to transfer services and portfolio management—this likely requires reviewing shareholder registers, controlling persons, executive roles, and board appointments tied to Belarusian nationality or residency.

It is also notable that the measure expands an existing Belarus-related restriction. By broadening from wallet/account/custody into “any other crypto-asset services” under MiCA, the EU is signalling that it views the crypto sector as a set of connected services rather than isolated product lines. Firms that previously believed they were outside the sanctions line due to service type may need to reassess.

For investors and counterparties, these restrictions also affect operational continuity and due diligence. Business partners may increasingly factor sanctions-driven corporate eligibility into counterparty risk assessments, especially where controlling persons or board members could become restricted under future amendments.

Going forward, the critical watchpoints are the Aug. 25 applicability date and the practical steps firms take to remain compliant—particularly any changes to ownership structures or governance appointments. The EU’s broader pattern of expanding crypto sanctions suggests that additional service categories, geographies, or transaction rules could follow, even as MiCA continues to roll out its licensing and enforcement regime across member states.

US-listed spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) logged $70.62 million in net outflows on Friday, ending a five-day inflow streak.

Ethereum funds saw $211.25 million in net inflows over the previous five sessions from July 17 to Thursday, according to SoSoValue data. They still posted $103.9 million in net inflows for the week ended Friday.

Despite the outflows, Ethereum ETFs extended their weekly inflow streak to three straight and have attracted $337.74 million in net inflows so far in July.

Spot crypto ETF flows have become one of the market’s most closely watched gauges of demand for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) through traditional investment products. 

Although other jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, have launched similar funds, US-listed ETFs account for the vast majority of assets and trading volumes.

Daily spot Ethereum ETF net flows from July 17 to July 24. Source: SoSoValue

Bitcoin ETFs also end week with outflows

The reversal followed a similar pattern in Bitcoin ETFs, which ended a seven-day inflow streak on Thursday and recorded another $240.08 million in net outflows on Friday.

Bitcoin ETFs also extended their net inflow streak to three consecutive weeks, adding $103.90 million during the week ended Friday and $233.96 million so far in July. They followed a record June, when $4.5 billion flowed out of the funds. 

BTC traded just under $64,000 at the time of writing, tumbling from the week’s high of $66,892 on Tuesday, according to CoinGecko. ETH traded at $1,837, down from Wednesday’s weekly high of $1,954.

Related: Bitcoin falls under $64K as surging US bond yields boost Fed rate-hike odds

Japan’s crypto reforms fuel $18.4 billion Bitcoin ETF forecast

Following Japan’s recent overhaul of its crypto regulations, which is widely viewed as laying the groundwork for future spot Bitcoin ETFs, crypto management platform XWIN estimated that a mature Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF market could reach about $18.4 billion, equal to roughly 0.13% of the country’s $14.6 trillion in household financial assets.

In an analysis posted at CryptoQuant, XWIN said the estimate assumes demand from existing crypto holders, new retail investors using brokerage accounts and institutional allocators. 

The report pointed to the US market as an example, noting that spot Bitcoin ETFs excluding Grayscale’s GBTC have accumulated roughly 1 million Bitcoin, demonstrating how regulated ETF products can connect traditional finance with digital assets.

“The key is access,” XWIN said, adding that a Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF would allow investors to gain Bitcoin exposure through familiar brokerage and custody systems. It characterized the $18.4 billion figure as “an achievable upper-end market scenario.”

Magazine: A quantum roadmap would push Bitcoin much higher: Charles Edwards

BEAT has gained 32.1% in seven days before an Aug. 1 release that will place the token at the center of $77.07 million in scheduled BEAT, EIGEN and ZETA unlocks.

RootData reported that Audiera will release 21.25 million BEAT at 9 a.m. Beijing time, valuing the allocation at approximately $67.78 million. The data platform calculates that the release equals 6.87% of BEAT’s circulating supply.

EigenCloud will unlock 38.35 million EIGEN worth about $7.87 million at 5 a.m. Beijing time, according to RootData. ZetaChain will add 44.43 million ZETA worth $1.42 million at midnight, with RootData placing the releases at 5.18% and 2.94% of circulation, respectively.

BEAT carries Aug. 1’s largest supply shock

BEAT traded near $3.16 after moving between $2.19 and $3.69 during the past week, according to CoinGecko. Although the token remained up 32.1% over seven days, it had retreated about 14% from the weekly high and lost 1% during the latest 24-hour period.

CoinGecko recorded $37.84 million in daily BEAT volume, up 148% from the previous day. RootData’s $67.78 million unlock valuation equals almost 1.8 times that turnover, although reported volume does not measure the amount of buy-side liquidity available to absorb recipient sales.

Using CoinGecko’s 309.27 million circulating-supply figure, the release would raise BEAT’s tradable supply to about 330.52 million if every unlocked token enters circulation. The release also equals roughly 7% of Audiera’s $965.6 million market capitalization at the checked price.

Burns drive BEAT demand before the unlock

Audiera reported 800,530 BEAT in revenue between July 13 and July 20, worth $1.84 million at the project’s stated price. It burned 797,230 BEAT during the same period, taking the cumulative amount removed from supply to 17.04 million.

“Over 17.04M BEAT permanently removed from circulation,” Audiera wrote in its July 20 update.

BEAT has gained 32.1% in seven days before an Aug. 1 release that will place the token at the center of $77.07 million in scheduled BEAT, EIGEN and ZETA unlocks.

RootData reported that Audiera will release 21.25 million BEAT at 9 a.m. Beijing time, valuing the allocation at approximately $67.78 million. The data platform calculates that the release equals 6.87% of BEAT’s circulating supply.

EigenCloud will unlock 38.35 million EIGEN worth about $7.87 million at 5 a.m. Beijing time, according to RootData. ZetaChain will add 44.43 million ZETA worth $1.42 million at midnight, with RootData placing the releases at 5.18% and 2.94% of circulation, respectively.

BEAT carries Aug. 1’s largest supply shock

BEAT traded near $3.16 after moving between $2.19 and $3.69 during the past week, according to CoinGecko. Although the token remained up 32.1% over seven days, it had retreated about 14% from the weekly high and lost 1% during the latest 24-hour period.

CoinGecko recorded $37.84 million in daily BEAT volume, up 148% from the previous day. RootData’s $67.78 million unlock valuation equals almost 1.8 times that turnover, although reported volume does not measure the amount of buy-side liquidity available to absorb recipient sales.

Using CoinGecko’s 309.27 million circulating-supply figure, the release would raise BEAT’s tradable supply to about 330.52 million if every unlocked token enters circulation. The release also equals roughly 7% of Audiera’s $965.6 million market capitalization at the checked price.

Burns drive BEAT demand before the unlock

Audiera reported 800,530 BEAT in revenue between July 13 and July 20, worth $1.84 million at the project’s stated price. It burned 797,230 BEAT during the same period, taking the cumulative amount removed from supply to 17.04 million.

“Over 17.04M BEAT permanently removed from circulation,” Audiera wrote in its July 20 update.

Chinese courts have sentenced five Sifang payment platform operators to between three and six years in prison over a gambling network that processed more than 2.95 billion yuan, or about $428 million, through USDT, bank cards and third-party payment accounts.

The Paper reported that the Intermediate People’s Court of Xilin Gol League in Inner Mongolia upheld Ma’s conviction for illegal business operations on June 26, leaving his four-and-a-half-year prison term and 3 million yuan fine in place.

Ma’s case was the last judgment in a group of prosecutions linked to Sifang, a fourth-party payment operation that supplied payment channels to online gambling businesses. The court also ordered authorities to recover 2.95 million yuan in illegal income from Ma.

Court records cited by The Paper showed that Ma and four other defendants processed illegal payments between May 24, 2022, and Oct. 18, 2023. The operation moved funds through 105 merchant accounts connected to 10 third-party payment companies.

Some defendants received commissions or rebates through USDT wallets, while other payments went through bank cards, according to the records. Prosecutors treated their work as unlicensed payment settlement activity and charged them with illegal business operations.

Zhu received a five-year prison term and an 800,000 yuan fine, while Zhang was sentenced to six years and fined 850,000 yuan. The other defendants received terms ranging from three to six years, The Paper reported.

Sifang linked gambling sites to payment channels

According to the first judgment in the series, Zhu, Zhang, Tang, Du and Ma began building the operation in May 2022 after learning that payment services for gambling platforms could generate large profits.

Court documents said the group commissioned 32 collection and payment platforms, rented servers outside China and contacted people running overseas gambling websites. Those systems connected the gambling businesses with merchant accounts held at established third-party payment companies.

Sifang operated as a fourth-party, or aggregated, payment service rather than a licensed payment provider, according to The Paper. Such platforms combine payment interfaces supplied by banks and third-party processors, allowing merchants to collect funds through several channels from one system.

Investigators said Zhu and Zhang managed payment routes, coordinated with third-party providers, handled complaints and arranged profit distribution. Ma introduced payment channels, supplied merchant registration materials and helped merchants open accounts with third-party payment companies.

Ma also introduced intermediaries and dealt with problems that arose while merchant applications and fund transfers were being processed, according to the court findings.

Prosecutors initially alleged that the group earned 42.85 million yuan by taking a 1.45% commission from merchant transfers linked to overseas gambling websites. However, the courts attributed much smaller final profit amounts to several defendants.

Judicial records showed that one wallet associated with Zhang received 4.146 million USDT through 485 deposits between July 2022 and October 2023. The same records valued those deposits at about 26.95 million yuan.

Another wallet sent out 4.097 million USDT through 497 transfers, while Zhu, Zhang and Du also converted 1.905 million USDT into cash through 11 offline transactions. The court valued those cash conversions at roughly 12.38 million yuan.

For Ma, records obtained from the OKX application showed 152 transfers totaling 719,176.7 USDT into a wallet he supplied. The court valued those tokens at approximately 4.67 million yuan and deducted 1.72 million yuan returned by a co-defendant, leaving Ma with 2.95 million yuan in recognized illegal proceeds.

USDT records test China’s evidence rules

Investigators in Erenhot obtained wallet addresses from Tether and transaction details from OKX while building the case, The Paper reported. Wang Xiaohua, an associate professor at East China University of Political Science and Law, told the publication that linking traceable blockchain transfers to real people remains difficult when tokens do not pass through an exchange with identifying records.

Ma’s lawyer argued that investigators had not established how many payment accounts Ma handled or explained the purpose of more than 100 USDT transfers. The Paper said it sought comment from the Xilin Gol court on the evidence, valuation and cross-border data collection questions but received no response before publication.

The ruling follows calls from Chinese legal scholars and prosecutors for clearer rules on crypto-related money laundering cases. As crypto.news previously reported, a July 13 article in the People’s Procuratorate Daily identified criminal liability, evidence collection and asset recovery as three persistent problems under China’s current framework.

Prosecutors from Xiangtan’s Yuhu District and a Xiangtan University law professor argued that crypto’s anonymous, decentralized and cross-border features have complicated investigations. They also pointed to inconsistencies between China’s revised Anti-Money Laundering Law and Article 191 of its Criminal Law.

China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate disclosed in June that authorities prosecuted more than 1,200 people for drug-related money laundering between January 2025 and May 2026. In one case, a court sentenced drug trafficker Li Mobo to death after authorities found that he laundered more than $7 million through cryptocurrency, although officials made clear that the combined sentence covered several drug trafficking convictions and was not imposed for money laundering alone.