Russia plans to pay commercial banks for processing payroll via the Bank of Russia’s digital ruble platform, aiming to boost usage of the CBDC among consumers. The central bank said banks will receive 67 kopecks ($0.67) per payroll instruction starting January 1, 2027. The move is part of a multi-year rollout that has already included an initial government salary payment in digital rubles. Officials expect incentives and new bulk-payment tools to drive banks to market digital-ruble payroll services to corporate clients.

DeFi’s total value locked (TVL) has steadily declined throughout 2026. It has fallen every month this year, dropping from around $115 billion in January to nearly $70 billion in June. The year-to-date decline stands at about 39%.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Kentucky in federal court on June 23, seeking to block the state’s actions against Kalshi and Polymarket. The filing is the agency’s ninth lawsuit against a state over prediction markets since April. It is also the first case aimed at a state where the attorney general is a Republican.

Crypto firms serving clients across the European Economic Area risk being forced to halt services if they do not obtain authorization under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) before enforcement begins. Regulators have ruled out any extension. That leaves more than 1,200 previously registered firms a short runway to comply, as only a small number have received full approval.

San Francisco-based Ground came out of stealth on June 24 after raising $3.6 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Bain Capital Crypto and ParaFi. The raise was structured as a SAFE with token warrants and did not grant investors any board seats or advisor roles. The financing closes a fundraise that started in September 2025 and wrapped the following month.

President Donald Trump refused to sign Congress’s bipartisan housing affordability package, stalling a four-year prohibition on a Federal Reserve digital dollar. He said the signing ceremony was canceled until Congress passes the SAVE AMERICA ACT, a voter-ID and proof-of-citizenship measure. The pause also clouds the timeline for the crypto industry-backed Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, with the Senate facing roughly five weeks before its summer recess.

Europe’s crypto industry is entering the final stretch of the transition to the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime, with a key deadline set for July 1. Firms across the region are seeking authorization to maintain access to the European market. The scramble has intensified as transitional arrangements across much of the European Economic Area (EEA) are set to expire.

Binance has withdrawn its application for a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license in Greece. The exchange said it will pursue authorization in another European Union country instead. It added that it remains committed to operating in Europe and will continue aligning with regional rules while supporting the sector’s development.