Crystal Intelligence

Real-world assets, regulation, infrastructure… it’s all heating up at once. This week’s newsletter breaks down the stories shaping the next phase of digital finance. Have a read!

“In the end, stablecoins are money. If you’re handling money at scale, it makes sense to have a stablecoin strategy.” That’s how Emanuele R., Stablecoin Business Development Leader at Anchorage Digital, summed up the opportunity for financial institutions during our recent stablecoins webinar. As the line between traditional finance and blockchain continues to blur, developing a clear stablecoin strategy isn’t just innovative — it’s essential. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eewCGFN8

The crypto world didn’t take a week off, and neither did we. From Europe’s banking system to U.S. tax policy to China’s unexpected mining revival, the regulatory and economic tides are shifting fast. And if you’re building, investing, or running compliance in this space, these are early warning signals. This week’s edition of our news article Brief breaks down: • Why the ECB is sounding the alarm on stablecoins’ rapid rise • How the IRS is closing one of the most exploited crypto tax gaps • And why China’s bitcoin mining footprint is quietly climbing back to global significance If you want to stay ahead of what’s shaping the market (and your risk frameworks), give this week’s blog a read. https://lnkd.in/eWeuBhHP

EU’s 19th sanctions package just redrew the map for CASPs, and most teams are still looking at last year’s compass. This is a full reset of who you can serve, what services you can offer, and how regulators expect you to monitor Russia-nexus risk. Here’s the reality compliance teams are waking up to: Nearly every core CASP activity now sits under explicit prohibition The window to get compliant is days, not quarters Payeer is now a sanctioned high-risk entity Crystal classified it early, before the legal deadline, because the exposure patterns were already clear. But here’s the part not everyone has clocked yet: This is about operational survival. If your systems can’t identify Russia-linked activity, nested relationships, or CASP-specific service violations, you won’t pass an audit in 2026. Crystal’s intelligence tools are built for this exact moment; the shift from theoretical CASP regulation to real enforcement. If you haven’t read our full breakdown, this is the briefing your team needs this week: https://lnkd.in/eCDNCtz2

🚨 New partnership announcement 🚨 Real-world asset tokenization is scaling fast, but only the projects that build true compliance foundations will win institutional trust. That’s why we’re excited to share that Hadron by Tether.io has partnered with Crystal Intelligence to bring enterprise-grade blockchain analytics and compliance infrastructure to the next generation of tokenized assets. From real estate and commodities to funds and structured products, institutions need transparency, risk controls, and regulatory readiness baked in from day one. This collaboration delivers exactly that. What this means for Hadron ecosystem participants: • Crystal’s AML screening + risk scoring • Advanced transaction monitoring • On-chain forensic tools • Compliance infrastructure purpose-built for RWA projects As Paolo A. (Tether CEO) said, “Secure and compliant infrastructure is essential for real-world asset markets to operate at scale.” And our CEO Navin Gupta added, “Together, we’re lowering the barrier to entry for institutions and setting the standard for secure tokenization.” This is a major step forward for compliant RWA adoption, and we’re proud to be powering it. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eTBeqee6

“Never get too comfortable when you're sending funds from your wallet.” During our recent webinar on cryptocurrency crime trends, Jonelle S. (Mastercard) reinforced a critical point: Even experienced users can fall victim to address poisoning, and complacency is one of the biggest risks. As crypto crime techniques scale and become more automated, basic hygiene matters more than ever. For the full discussion on address poisoning, risk washing, Bitcoin ATM scams, and investigative best practices, read the full round-up: https://lnkd.in/etY42ACA

Crystal expands blockchain coverage with XDC Network integration. We’ve just integrated XDC Network into the Crystal platform, unlocking full transaction monitoring, compliance analytics, and investigative intelligence for one of the most important enterprise blockchains in the RWA ecosystem. Why this matters:  ➖ XDC powers 175+ enterprise applications, including tokenized Treasuries and trade finance assets  ➖ RWA tokenization is projected to hit $16T by 2030  ➖ Institutions now get real-time visibility into a fast-growing ecosystem shaping the future of global finance  This partnership strengthens our work across MENA and beyond, supporting responsible innovation, cross-border compliance, and institutional trust as the sector scales. A huge thank you to the XDC team, we’re excited for what comes next. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/ezextiDG

This week’s Crystal newsletter is a big one. Not just because The New York Times + International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) investigation features our intelligence… …but because it shows exactly how fast the crypto risk landscape is shifting. Have a read to see what we're uncovering this week...

“As soon as we overcome this bottleneck, we’ll see crazy growth rates compared to what we see now — in both total addressable market and stablecoin volumes.” During our recent stablecoins webinar, Andrea Marsili, Innovation Partner at MoonPay, shared his view on what’s next for the industry. Once the barriers between traditional finance and crypto on-ramps are removed, stablecoin adoption could accelerate at an unprecedented pace — unlocking global access to faster, programmable payments. Read the blog for more insights: https://lnkd.in/eewCGFN8

NEW: The cash-to-crypto blind spot your AML program can’t see, and why it matters now more than ever. Billions in cash are being converted to crypto before compliance controls ever switch on. By the time funds hit an exchange, they look like an ordinary deposit from a self-custody wallet. No red flags. No patterns. No triggers. A complete visibility gap. In her latest piece for The Paypers, Mirela C. interviews our Chief Intelligence Officer, Nick Smart, on the structural AML weakness most exchanges are missing, and why traditional blockchain analytics alone will never detect the risk. Key insights include: 🔹 $3.6B+ annual volume moving through identified cash-to-crypto services 97% of those flows landing directly on major exchanges 🔹 Unlicensed conversion hubs in London, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia & Eastern Europe 🔹 Direct links between cash conversion desks and sanctioned activity 🔹 Why this blind spot persists, and how exchanges can actually address it As crypto businesses move deeper into institutional partnerships and face sharper regulatory expectations, this is the moment to confront the visibility gap at the point of conversion. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eNUp-BPi