Binance Research's EVMbench benchmark published in April 2026 reports GPT-5.3-Codex succeeded 72.2% of the time when attacking vulnerable DeFi smart contracts, but reached only 36% when asked to detect issues without exploiting them. The report also puts the average cost at $1.22 per contract attempt, highlighting how cheaply AI can scale offensive testing.

On May 20, 2026, the Federal Reserve proposed creating limited payment accounts for eligible non-bank financial firms, including crypto and fintech companies, while setting strict limits on what those accounts can do. The draft would allow access to Fedwire Funds and FedNow, but not intraday credit, the discount window, interest on reserves, overdrafts, or FedACH, and it keeps eligibility tied to specific state or OCC national trust bank charters.

Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden said on May 19 that the central bank plans to publish draft rules for systemic stablecoins next month and aims to finalize a broader framework by year-end. She also outlined plans spanning tokenized markets, the Bank-FCA digital securities sandbox, and upgrades to the UK’s RTGS settlement infrastructure, including a push toward near-24/7 operations by the early 2030s.

India's Standing Committee on Finance held a hearing at Parliament House Annexe in New Delhi on May 20, taking oral evidence from ZebPay, Binance and WazirX on virtual digital assets and possible policy direction. The session comes after India's 2022 tax changes—a 30% flat tax on crypto gains and a 1% TDS per transaction—which the article says shifted trading activity toward offshore venues.

Kalshi has set up a demo environment for leveraged trading via a margin-trading API page that is publicly reachable but not linked from its main navigation. The demo covers crypto perpetual futures only and excludes Kalshi's core event contracts, with documentation noting that production endpoints for live margin trading are "coming soon."

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned people linked to an alleged cocaine trafficking network that authorities say used cryptocurrency across multiple blockchains to launder millions of dollars. OFAC added the related wallet addresses and identifiers to its Specially Designated Nationals list, barring U.S. persons and entities from transacting with them. The case also involves a federal indictment unsealed by the FBI charging 10 individuals tied to the operation.

Minnesota’s SF760 public safety bill, signed by Governor Tim Walz on 18 May, bans prediction markets and allows felony charges after a state cease-and-desist notice. The CFTC filed suit on 19 May seeking to stop the law before it takes effect on 1 August, as the broader fight over oversight plays out while the sector averages about $20 billion in monthly trading volume.

On May 20, 2026, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Federal Reserve to review whether crypto and fintech firms should be allowed direct access to US payment rails via Reserve Bank "master accounts." The order also calls for agencies to roll back rules deemed overly restrictive to fintech and blockchain payments, and requests a report within 120 days on expanding access under the Fed's payment and settlement services.