ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, the latest research by the international NGO Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) shows that the use of cryptocurrency in criminal activities in the Western Balkans (including countries like Albania and Serbia) continues to expand, primarily involving money laundering, drug trafficking, and illegal mining. The core data is as follows:Scale and Patterns of CrimeThe annual cryptocurrency transaction volume in the Western Balkans reaches $25 billion to $30 billion, with tens of millions of euros directly linked to criminal networks, funds are transferred through cryptocurrency wallets and used for legitimate business investments.Montenegro has become a key node for darknet cryptocurrency transactions, and Albania and Serbia have recently seen instances of using cryptocurrency to launder drug trafficking funds.Law Enforcement ChallengesThe region has recorded only 3 cases of cryptocurrency seizures to date (all occurring in the last three years), with the most recent case involving an Albanian criminal group from November 2024 to January 2025, seizing $10 million in crypto assets.Among the six countries, only Albania, Serbia, and Kosovo have enacted laws related to digital assets, but the implementation rules in Kosovo have yet to come into effect.Regulatory and Collaborative ShortcomingsThe EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) has not yet covered the non-member Western Balkans, and there is insufficient cross-border tracking technological capability.GI-TOC senior analyst Sasa Djordjevic pointed out the need to accelerate the adoption of FATF anti-money laundering standards, strengthen collaboration with Europol and Interpol, and deploy blockchain analysis tools to enhance law enforcement efficiency.The research warns that if the regulatory framework and law enforcement capabilities do not upgrade in sync, the cryptocurrency crime problem in the region will continue to worsen.

ChainCatcher news, the issuance of TRC20-USDT has increased to 75.7 billion, setting a new historical high. Thus, TRON has officially surpassed Ethereum, becoming the largest USDT issuance network in the world. Since the beginning of this year, the TRON network has issued nearly 16 billion USDT. As of now, the number of accounts holding TRC20-USDT has reached 65.94 million, with a total of over 2.5 billion transfers.It is reported that TRC20-USDT is a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar issued by Tether on the TRON network, characterized by fast transfer speeds and low fees, which have attracted a large number of users. It has also received support from several exchanges, including Binance, HTX, OKX, Bitfinex, MEXC, KuCoin, Gate.io, and Poloniex. The TRC20 version of USDT will significantly enhance the existing decentralized application ecosystem of TRON, bringing higher overall value storage and stronger liquidity for decentralized exchanges, and providing a more convenient blockchain entry for enterprise partners and institutional investors.

ChainCatcher news, according to South Korean media News1, South Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum has been sued for allegedly misappropriating company funds and investing in cryptocurrency.The prosecution alleges that Hwang Jung-eum misappropriated approximately 4.34 billion won (about 3.2 million USD) in company funds by December 2022, including 700 million won borrowed under the guise of an advance payment. Hwang Jung-eum has admitted to the relevant charges and is currently being prosecuted without detention.

ChainCatcher news, according to on-chain analyst Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens), an Ethereum ICO participant transferred 2,839 ETH to Kraken exchange, worth approximately 7.32 million USD. The address invested 31,000 USD during the 2015 Ethereum ICO to acquire 100,000 ETH.

ChainCatcher news, analysts at Deutsche Bank Research stated in a report that the Federal Reserve may keep the policy rate unchanged before a rate cut in December, and then further ease policy next year. "Our baseline assumption remains that the next rate cut will be in December, followed by two more cuts in the first quarter of 2026, each by 25 basis points."Analysts noted that the easing of tensions between the U.S. and China has reduced the risk of further deterioration in the U.S. labor market, but other tariff measures could keep inflation at disturbingly high levels.

ChainCatcher news, according to on-chain analyst Ali (@ali_charts), approximately 1 million Ethereum (ETH) have flowed out of exchanges in the past month.

ChainCatcher news, Reuters survey: 52% of economists expect the Bank of Japan to raise the benchmark interest rate to at least 0.75% by the end of this year.

ChainCatcher message, according to SoSoValue data, yesterday (Eastern Time May 14) the total net inflow of Ethereum spot ETFs was $63.4699 million.The Ethereum spot ETF with the highest net inflow yesterday was the Blackrock ETF ETHA, with a net inflow of $57.6085 million. Currently, the historical total net inflow of ETHA has reached $4.255 billion.Following that is the Fidelity ETF FETH, with a net inflow of $5.8614 million yesterday. Currently, the historical total net inflow of FETH has reached $1.425 billion.As of the time of publication, the total net asset value of Ethereum spot ETFs is $9.040 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market value as a percentage of Ethereum's total market value) of 2.88%, and the historical cumulative net inflow has reached $2.529 billion.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, Nasdaq-listed blockchain company BTCS (stock code: BTCS) announced the raising of $57.8 million through convertible notes for strategic acquisition of Ethereum. The first tranche of $7.8 million in bonds has been subscribed by ATW Partners.The company's CEO Charles Allen personally invested $95,000, and his associated trust invested $200,000. The financing will be used to purchase Ethereum to expand validation nodes and staking operations.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptoslate, Spanish law enforcement has teamed up with Europol to crack a large-scale transnational cryptocurrency money laundering case. The criminal organization laundered money for criminal groups in China and the Arab region through cryptocurrency transactions, with an amount involved exceeding 20 million euros.It is reported that the operation searched 14 locations and arrested 17 suspects, of which 15 have been detained pending trial. Law enforcement seized over 205,000 euros in cash, digital assets worth 183,000 euros, 18 luxury cars, and properties valued at approximately 2.5 million euros.

ChainCatcher news, according to Lookonchain monitoring, today 10 U.S. Bitcoin ETFs had a net outflow of 915 BTC, with Fidelity seeing an outflow of 873 BTC. Currently, Fidelity holds 198,247 BTC, worth $20.6 billion;9 Ethereum ETFs had a net outflow of 1,979 ETH, with Grayscale ETHE experiencing an outflow of 3,983 ETH. Currently, Grayscale ETHE holds 1,129,089 ETH, worth $2.94 billion.

ChainCatcher news, according to official news, the Ethereum Foundation announced the launch of the "Trillion Dollar Security Initiative" on May 14, 2025, aimed at comprehensively enhancing the security performance of the Ethereum ecosystem to reach a level that supports global economic infrastructure.The initiative will conduct a thorough assessment of the security status across all layers of the Ethereum technology stack, implement key improvements, and strengthen security communication. The project is led by Fredrik Svantes and Josh Stark, with the support of three experts in the field of blockchain security. The Ethereum Foundation also calls on community members to provide feedback through designated channels to participate in this security upgrade initiative.

ChainCatcher message, according to Whale Alert monitoring, 10 minutes ago, USDC Treasury burned 50,015,320 USDC on the Ethereum chain.

ChainCatcher news, according to official social media announcements, Huobi HTX will hold a live event today at 20:00 themed "Is the altcoin season coming? Ethereum surges 50%, is a bigger storm brewing?" The event will invite several KOLs from the crypto field, including 527, 0xPhilo, A Ge Playing Coins, Jasper, and Data Alchemist, to discuss the current market trends, investment timing, and potential opportunities. In addition, this live broadcast will be simultaneously conducted through Huobi HTX's Twitter and Huobi Live.

ChainCatcher message, according to Whale Alert monitoring, 2 minutes ago, USDC Treasury burned 60 million USDC on the Ethereum chain.

ChainCatcher message, according to SoSoValue data, yesterday (Eastern Time May 13) the total net inflow of Ethereum spot ETFs was $13.3728 million.The Ethereum spot ETF with the highest net inflow yesterday was Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF ETH, with a net inflow of $7.3557 million for the day, bringing the total historical net inflow of ETH to $628 million. The second was Franklin ETF EZET, with a net inflow of $3.0632 million for the day, currently having a total historical net inflow of $39.5622 million.As of the time of writing, the total net asset value of Ethereum spot ETFs is $9.271 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market cap relative to total Ethereum market cap) of 2.86%, and the historical cumulative net inflow has reached $2.466 billion.

ChainCatcher message, according to SoSoValue data, yesterday (Eastern Time May 12) the total net outflow of Ethereum spot ETFs was $17.5871 million.The Ethereum spot ETF with the highest single-day net outflow yesterday was Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF ETHE, with a single-day net outflow of $9.6114 million, bringing the historical total net outflow of ETHE to $4.313 billion.The second was Fidelity ETF FETH, with a single-day net outflow of $7.9757 million, and the historical total net inflow of FETH has reached $1.419 billion.As of the time of publication, the total net asset value of Ethereum spot ETFs is $8.457 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market cap relative to total Ethereum market cap) of 2.82%, and the historical cumulative net inflow has reached $2.452 billion.