From Meta's Renewed Interest in Entering Crypto to CZ Confirming a Filing for Presidential Pardon, Here's a Roundup of the Top Stories

Meta is reportedly planning to re-enter the crypto space with a focus on stablecoins and financial technologies. As part of this initiative, the company is hiring industry experts, including Ginger Baker, former head of the Stellar Development Foundation, to spearhead the effort.

Meta previously faced setbacks with its Libra project, which was met with political backlash and ultimately abandoned in 2020. However, recent reports indicate that the company is now making a renewed push into web3, particularly in Southeast Asia, with plans to integrate stablecoins for cross-border payouts to creators on platforms like Instagram.

Move-to-earn app Sweat has unveiled its new AI agent, named Mia, which will be available to users of the Sweat Wallet. The agent, created in partnership with Near Protocol and powered by the network’s advanced AI infrastructure, is designed to provide users with seamless assistance in navigating the Sweat Wallet’s features.

This includes helping users understand how to earn and swap $SWEAT across multiple blockchains, as part of Sweat’s broader goal of simplifying user engagement with web3 technologies.

Earlier this year, Sweat teased the launch of its AI plans for the first quarter of the year. Short for “Movement in Action,” Mia is expected to replace clunky interfaces and tutorials with an engaging chat-based format.

Users can ask questions in simple language and receive personalized advice on topics such as which new coins to invest in, where to allocate their Sweat tokens, or how to maximize their earnings potential. They can also request fitness suggestions or financial tips.

Tether has announced the integration of its dollar-pegged stablecoin, $USDT, on the Kaia network, a major blockchain powered by LINE NEXT, the technology arm of the popular messaging app, LINE.

The partnership will enable LINE’s 196 million monthly users to utilize $USDT for seamless in-app payments, cross-border transactions, and decentralized finance activities.

Users will be able to access these services through LINE Mini Dapp Ecosystem and self-custodial wallets.

The collaboration marks a significant step in expanding the role of Kaia and LINE NEXT as a central hub for U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins in the region.

It aims to facilitate smoother fiat-to-digital asset access and accelerate the deployment of stablecoin-powered web3 services.

The founder and former CEO of Celsius Network, Alexander Mashinsky, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding customers.

The case began in 2020 when Celsius, a cryptocurrency lender, went bankrupt, leaving an estimated 70,000 customers with an estimated $1.9 billion in losses.

The prosecution argued that Mashinsky, 58, personally defrauded customers by engaging in a scheme to steal their cryptocurrency deposits.

After a three-week trial in March, a Manhattan federal jury found Mashinsky guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud Celsius customers, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The crypto exchange giant Binance’s co-founder and former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, has confirmed that he has applied for a presidential pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking on the Farohk Radio podcast, Zhao said the decision to apply came after reports in March suggested that he was pursuing a pardon and involved in business talks linked to the Trump family, claims which he previously denied.

Zhao, also known as CZ, served a four-month prison sentence earlier this year after pleading guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program at Binance.

The sentence was part of a broader settlement that saw Binance pay a $50 million fine and a $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. authorities to resolve various regulatory probes.