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Prediction markets are facing fresh scrutiny in Washington as Rep. Don Davis introduces a bill that would ban federal candidates from betting on their own elections. The proposal would also cover candidates’ spouses, dependent children and campaign committees, with violations carrying financial penalties. It comes after several congressional candidates were penalized by Kalshi for trading contracts tied to their own races.

The bill reflects growing concerns over conflicts of interest and the potential for candidates to profit from inside knowledge about their campaigns. However, it is unlikely to take effect before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, meaning prediction markets will continue operating under current rules for now.

The bigger picture is that platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket are drawing increasing attention from lawmakers as prediction markets expand. Their growth is raising new questions around market integrity, insider trading and the role of event contracts in politics. Here’s what you need to know from today’s crypto market.☕

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The UK is taking another major step toward bringing government debt onto blockchain infrastructure, appointing six major banks to lead its first digital gilt issuance. Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Morgan Stanley, NatWest and RBC Capital Markets will manage investor engagement, underwriting and distribution for the Digital Gilt Instrument, or DIGIT, with the pilot expected in early 2027. The government says the project will test whether distributed-ledger technology can make bond markets faster and more efficient.

The short-dated bond will be issued directly on digital infrastructure and settled onchain through HSBC’s Orion platform within the UK’s Digital Securities Sandbox. The UK also plans to connect the system with London Stock Exchange infrastructure, potentially giving investors access through both traditional and digital channels. If successful, the pilot could pave the way for additional digital gilt issuances in the future.

The bigger picture is that blockchain-based financial infrastructure is moving further into traditional capital markets. From tokenized bonds to digital settlement and custody, major financial institutions are increasingly testing how distributed-ledger technology can modernize existing markets. Here’s what you need to know from today’s crypto market.☕

A $6 million exploit on Base is putting the spotlight back on security risks in decentralized finance. The attacker reportedly compromised a vault’s Safe multisig, added a malicious contract to its lending whitelist and used it to withdraw around 1,783 wstETH through Aave. The incident highlights how a single compromised administrative control can put millions of dollars at risk.

The situation also exposed weaknesses in how some DeFi projects handle security disclosures. Immunefi said the vault had anonymous operators and no clear vulnerability reporting channel, making it difficult for researchers to safely warn the team before the exploit occurred. At the time of disclosure, around $31.7 million in additional assets were reportedly still at risk.

The bigger picture is that DeFi security remains a major challenge as more capital moves into onchain financial products. Strong smart-contract security is only part of the equation, with transparent teams, clear reporting systems and secure governance also becoming increasingly important. Here’s what you need to know from today’s crypto market.☕

Zcash is back in the spotlight after Winklevoss Asset Services filed for a Nasdaq-listed spot Zcash ETF under the proposed ticker WINK. The fund would hold ZEC directly, with Gemini Trust Company serving as custodian, giving traditional investors another potential route into the privacy-focused cryptocurrency. ZEC climbed more than 5% over 24 hours following the filing, trading above $1,376.

The filing comes as interest in Zcash investment products continues to grow, with Grayscale already operating a U.S. spot Zcash ETF and Bitwise also pursuing its own fund. However, Grayscale’s product recorded $93.56 million in weekly outflows through Oct. 2, showing that institutional demand has not been consistently positive. Winklevoss’ proposed ETF would therefore enter a market with growing access but also increasing competition and volatility.

The bigger picture is that Zcash is gaining a stronger foothold in traditional investment markets as ETF issuers expand beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. If approved, WINK could further increase institutional access to ZEC while adding another layer of legitimacy to privacy-focused assets. Here’s what you need to know from today’s crypto market.☕

Silver has more than doubled gold's return since March 2020, even after a 53% correction from its January peak.

Our research team sees a familiar pattern. Silver's returns more than doubled gold's from 1974 to 1987. After the financial crisis, silver beat gold five-fold in three years.

The reason is size. In 2025, investors put about $15.6 billion into physical silver and silver ETFs, against $111.2 billion for gold. Small inflows move silver hard.

Silver is also in its sixth straight annual supply deficit. The Ultimate Silver Playbook explains what the team expects next. It's free.

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Winklevoss Asset Services has filed a registration statement with the SEC for a spot Zcash ETF that would seek to list on Nasdaq under the ticker WINK. The fund would hold ZEC directly, with Gemini Trust Company serving as custodian, and would charge a 0.25% annual sponsor fee without using leverage or derivatives.

Cointelegraph’s latest crypto roundup highlights three major developments across the industry. Ethereum’s Economic Zone tested an atomic transaction between Ethereum mainnet and a Layer-2 network, aiming to reduce liquidity fragmentation across rollups, while blockchain investigator ZachXBT revealed details

The UK has appointed six major banks — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Morgan Stanley, NatWest and RBC Capital Markets — to lead its first digitally native government bond pilot. The Digital Gilt Instrument, or DIGIT, is expected to launch in early 2027 using distributed-ledger technology for issuance and settlement through HSBC’s

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