Here’s what happened in crypto today

Today in crypto, a new CertiK report shows US Anti-Money Laundering fines hit $1.06 billion in the first half of 2025 as enforcement shifted from securities cases, with Basel rules and mandatory audits reshaping crypto compliance, Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche pledged not to pursue blockchain developers if they have nothing to do with illegal activity conducted using their software, and Bernstein analysts see IREN to wean itself from Bitcoin mining revenue as it pivots to AI cloud operator.

AML eclipses securities enforcement as crypto’s top regulatory risk

Anti-Money Laundering enforcement has overtaken securities violations as the leading regulatory threat facing crypto companies, according to CertiK, with the United States Department of Justice and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network imposing over $1 billion in AML-related fines during the first half of 2025.

The shift marks a sharp break from the US Securities and Exchange Commission-led enforcement cycle that defined earlier years of crypto regulation. SEC crypto-specific penalties collapsed 97% in penalty value year over year, dropping from $4.9 billion in 2024 to $142 million in 2025, according to a Tuesday report by blockchain security auditor CertiK.

Transaction monitoring and licensing failures are now drawing penalties that rival or exceed many earlier crypto securities cases. The DOJ's February 2025 settlement with OKX reached $504 million, while KuCoin paid $297 million in January 2025, both for operating unlicensed money transmitting businesses and Bank Secrecy Act violations.

Notable AML-related penalties in 2025. Source: CertiK

The surge in AML enforcement highlights regulators’ growing focus on compliance controls and financial surveillance, with penalties increasingly targeting operational failures rather than disclosure-related violations. The shift reflects both a change in US administration policy and a broader reassessment of the SEC's jurisdictional approach to digital assets, according to the report. 

Acting AG Todd Blanche confirms “code is not a crime” in DOJ pivot

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said the US Department of Justice and FBI are no longer targeting blockchain developers over platforms used for illegal activity, instead shifting focus to the users engaged in financial crime.

Speaking at a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal on Monday, Blanche said that the approach to enforcement has significantly changed under the Trump administration.

Source: Cointelegraph

The acting attorney general explained that as long as developers have nothing to do with illicit activity, the DOJ and FBI have no reason to go after them, noting that "we have fundamentally changed the game when it comes to our investigations."

“The basic principle is that if you are developing software, if you are a coder, if you are part of that process and you are not the third-party user, and you are not helping and knowing the third party is using what you developed to commit crimes, you are not going to be investigated and not going to be charged,” he said.

Bernstein sees IREN pivoting from Bitcoin mining to $3.7 billion AI cloud business

IREN could become the next major Bitcoin miner to transition into AI infrastructure following its multi-billion-dollar deal with Microsoft, underscoring a broader shift in mining economics, according to a new research report from Bernstein.

The Bernstein analysts point to IREN’s rapidly expanding AI cloud division, where around 150,000 GPUs are already contracted, supporting an estimated $3.7 billion in annual revenue run rate once fully functional.

A significant portion of this capacity is tied to a long-term agreement with Microsoft, which has committed to using GPU capacity for AI workloads over five years. The deal also includes substantial customer prepayments, helping fund the infrastructure buildout.

In total, IREN’s roughly $5.8 billion GPU investment is largely funded through a combination of Microsoft customer prepayments and GPU-backed financing facilities, alongside additional cash and capital sources, helping keep borrowing costs relatively low.

Bernstein expects this shift to fundamentally reshape IREN's business model.

Bernstein expects IREN’s AI cloud revenue to be its primary source of income in the coming years. Source: Bernstein