Canada's push to bar cryptocurrency from political donations advanced Friday after lawmakers gave Bill C25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, second-reading approval in the House of Commons and sent it to committee for review. In Canada's legislative process, a successful second reading indicates broad agreement with a bill's main principles before detailed clause-by-clause study and potential amendments. Bill C25 would ban political contributions made in crypto, as well as money orders and prepaid payment products, classifying them as funding tools that are difficult to trace. The prohibition would cover the federal political system, including registered parties, electoral district associations, candidates, leadership and nomination contestants, and third parties running election advertising. Under the proposal, recipients would have 30 days to return illegal crypto donations or remit them to the Receiver General, Canada's counterpart to the U.S. Treasury. Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberal parliamentary secretary to the government's House leader, acted as the bill's main defender in debate. His opening remarks focused on AI deepfakes, foreign interference, and administrative penalties; crypto was not mentioned in the official transcript. When asked by a Liberal colleague to choose among three priorities—foreign interference in nominations, political financing transparency, or artificial intelligence—Lamoureux selected AI. Conservative MPs raised questions about political financing rules and how new restrictions would be enforced. The topic did not become a central flashpoint, and Conservatives supported sending the bill to committee. Other opposition parties criticized separate aspects of the legislation without making crypto a core issue. The muted debate also reflects crypto's limited footprint in Canadian federal politics. Elections Canada has technically allowed crypto donations since 2019 by treating them as non-cash, in-kind contributions similar to property. No major federal party has publicly accepted crypto, and recent elections have not disclosed such contributions. Bill C25 revives language from an earlier proposal, Bill C65, which included the same crypto provisions but died when Parliament was prorogued in January 2025. Canada's Chief Electoral Officer first urged tighter oversight of crypto donations in 2022, then shifted in November 2024 to recommending an outright ban, citing pseudo-anonymity and the difficulty of verifying donors' identities. International approaches diverge. In the United States, the Federal Election Commission has allowed crypto donations since 2014. The United Kingdom moved the other way earlier this year, passing a ban on crypto political donations amid concerns digital assets could obscure the source of foreign funds in British politics.

POLICY: The EU has introduced its largest sanctions package against Russia in two years, including a blanket ban on Russian crypto service providers. The measures also block the digital ruble and the RUBx stablecoin, and prohibit EU residents from transacting with Russian crypto platforms.

April 27 — Six tankers carrying about 10.5 million barrels of Iranian crude reversed course after being intercepted by U.S. military forces and returned to Iran via the Strait of Hormuz, according to tanker-tracking site Tankertrackers.com. Separately, on April 24, roughly 4 million barrels of Iranian crude loaded on tankers reportedly passed through the U.S. maritime blockade.

French prosecutors have charged 88 people, including minors, as part of a nationwide crackdown on so-called crypto "wrench attacks"—violent robberies and abductions aimed at forcing victims to hand over digital assets.

The European Union on April 27 unveiled what it described as its toughest sanctions package against Russia in two years, aiming to curb the use of digital assets to bypass existing restrictions. The measures impose a full ban on the operation of Russia-based cryptocurrency service providers and trading platforms. They also block the Bank of Russia's digital ruble and the ruble-pegged stablecoin RUBx, and prohibit any EU entity from providing technical support tied to the development of the digital ruble. Citing blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, the EU said the sanctioned A7A5 ecosystem has processed a cumulative $119.7 billion. The package also extends sanctions to 20 Russian banks, four foreign financial institutions connected to Russia's SPFS financial messaging system, and TengriCoin, a trading platform based in Kyrgyzstan. Under the new rules, EU residents are barred from transacting with any cryptocurrency or DeFi platforms in Russia and Belarus, and from providing crypto-related services regulated under the EU's MiCA framework.

China has blocked Meta's planned $2 billion acquisition of @ManusAI and ordered the transaction to be unwound, CNBC reported. Beijing cited concerns over technology transfer and national security. The move comes weeks ahead of a closely watched Trump–Xi summit, underscoring rising stakes in the U.S.-China competition for AI leadership.

French prosecutors have charged 88 people in connection with so-called crypto "wrench" attacks.

France has charged at least 88 people, including 10 minors, in connection with 12 so-called crypto "wrench attacks", France's National Prosecutor for Organized Crime Vanessa Perrée said, according to Cointelegraph. Authorities say the cases involve violent tactics—including home invasions and kidnappings—used to force victims to hand over access to cryptocurrency wallets. Perrée said some suspects are tied to multiple incidents, and investigators believe the attacks are driven by an organized criminal network. French officials recorded 18 such cases in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 so far in 2026. Of those charged, 75 are already being held in pretrial detention.

France has charged 88 people in connection with a series of so-called "wrench attacks" aimed at cryptocurrency holders, according to ChainCatcher citing Cointelegraph. Vanessa Perrée, the national prosecutor for organized crime, said the suspects include 10 minors. Across 12 cases currently under review by investigating judges at the Paris court, 75 people are being held in pretrial detention. The term "wrench attack" describes the use of physical violence—including home invasions or kidnappings—to force victims to hand over access to their crypto wallets. Perrée said some suspects appear across multiple files, pointing to organized networks. Investigations are continuing to identify all participants and alleged ringleaders. Figures from the French National Office for the Fight Against Organized Crime show 18 such incidents in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 recorded so far in 2026.