Bankless每周大事件：SEC和FBI对加密货币发起攻击 司法部希望CZ服刑 3 年

So, this week the U.S. government stirred up quite a fuss in the crypto world, sparking controversies left and right.

1. SEC and FBI's Crypto Crackdown

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to go after Ethereum, labeling it as a security and taking legal action, while Consensys fought back this week by filing a lawsuit against the SEC for what they see as regulatory overreach. Consensys revealed earlier that they received a Wells notice from the SEC, claiming that MetaMask was operating as an unregistered securities exchange.

And it seems like everything's happening at once this week; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also issued a warning, urging Americans to only use crypto services registered as Money Services Businesses (MSBs) under federal law—meaning excluding self-hosted services.

Lately, the U.S. government seems to be tightening its grip on crypto and privacy, with even courts calling out its actions in crypto cases as "abuse of power."

2. Franklin Templeton's On-Chain Fund

Franklin Templeton, known for its laser eyes and WIF hats on Twitter, announced on Thursday the launch of an on-chain money market fund. The Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund, totaling $380 million, is now operational on the Stellar and Polygon blockchains, with its BENJI token representing direct claims to government securities, cash, and repurchase agreements.

3. DOJ Aiming for 3-Year Sentence for CZ

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao's legal woes are escalating, with the U.S. Department of Justice pushing for a three-year prison sentence over allegations of sanctions violations and anti-money laundering failures at the exchange. Despite CZ's defense claiming ignorance about the specific flagged transactions, prosecutors argue that his negligence led to significant compliance failures, for which he must be held accountable. In response, CZ issued a heartfelt apology letter, pledging to rectify Binance's compliance shortcomings. Additionally, 161 letters of support for his sentence reduction were submitted from family, friends, and influential figures (like former U.S. Ambassador to China and members of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates).

4. Stripe Announces USDC Payments Coming Soon

This week, fintech giant Stripe announced its re-entry into the crypto payment arena, showcasing upcoming support for USDC on Solana, Ethereum, and Polygon. Stripe aims to position cryptocurrencies as a viable medium of exchange (*cough* Solana), emphasizing its belief in the mature infrastructure of crypto and its potential to streamline online payments. This move signifies a significant acknowledgment of stablecoins as bridges between Tradfi and crypto.

5️. Renzo's ezETH Token Experiences Severe Decoupling

In a dramatic turn of events, Renzo's ezETH token experienced a whopping 80% decoupling from its expected parity with ETH, highlighting the vulnerability of Liquidity Rehypothecation Tokens (LRT). This occurred shortly after Renzo announced an upcoming airdrop, seemingly undermining investor confidence in stability, leading to a token crash and liquidity crunch. Although the price has since recovered somewhat, the decoupling underscores the inherent risks of the nascent rehypothecated ecosystem, which, in some cases, operates with high leverage.