The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission issues a virtual asset trading platform license to VDX, bringing the total number of licensed platforms to 12.

Lawmakers Target Kalshi, Polymarket With BETS OFF Act Proposal

U.S. lawmakers are introducing the BETS OFF Act to regulate prediction markets, banning bets on sensitive events like wars and terrorist actions due to ethical concerns. The bill aims to prevent harmful behavior and protect public interest, amid rising scrutiny of platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket.

South Korean Police Plan to Establish Guidelines for Seizing Privacy Coins; Virtual Assets Confiscated Over Past Five Years Valued at 545 Billion Won

The Korean National Police Agency is developing new virtual asset seizure management guidelines, incorporating handling of privacy coins for the first time. The new regulations will clarify software wallet management, address virtual asset custody gaps, and improve law enforcement efficiency. Police plan to designate private custodian institutions, while experts recommend establishing a centralized public custody mechanism to reduce risks. This reform has been prompted by recent Bitcoin theft incidents, driving the management system's transition toward the digital asset era.

South Korean police draft crypto seizure rules after custody lapses

South Korea's National Police Agency is drafting guidelines to standardize the storage and management of seized cryptocurrencies, addressing gaps in custody processes and enhancing oversight for both mainstream and privacy-focused assets. This initiative aims to improve compliance and risk management in digital asset investigations.

SEC and CFTC jointly recognize APT as a digital commodity rather than a security

Gate News reported that on March 18, Aptos posted on the X platform stating that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally determined that APT is a digital commodity, not a security. Today's joint interpretive statement released by the SEC and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) provides regulatory clarity for all parties building, investing, and participating in the Aptos ecosystem. This is a statement issued by both agencies with their full interpretive authority.

Israeli Journalist Receives Death Threats After Reporting, Are Polymarket "Bettors" Becoming Fanatics?

Israeli *Times of Israel* military reporter Emanuel Fabian recently disclosed that after reporting on an Iranian ballistic missile that struck an empty field in Beit Shemesh, a suburb of Jerusalem, he faced sustained harassment from bettors associated with Polymarket, including receiving death threats. This incident is particularly striking not only because it involves frontline war reporting and a prediction market with a funding pool exceeding $14 million, but also because it reveals an increasingly acute question: when market participants' profits begin to depend on media narratives, public information, and even violent events themselves, is the prediction market truly "price discovery," or is it creating dangerous incentives for the real world? Why did a frontline report trigger a mob of bettors? "That day, I reported on the *Times of Israel*'s live blog that the missile struck an empty field, with no

SEC Defines Cryptocurrency Securities for the First Time

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued its first formal interpretive guidance clarifying when cryptocurrencies should be considered securities, marking an important step toward legal certainty. The document underscores that many cryptocurrencies may not qualify as securities.