U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed have requested an investigation into World Liberty Financial, alleging the Trump-affiliated crypto firm sold $WLFI governance tokens to buyers linked to sanctioned entities in Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Tornado Cash. A watchdog report cited by the lawmakers claims token sales included wallets tied to North Korea's Lazarus Group and a sanctioned Russian tool. The Trump family holds 22.5 billion tokens and receives 75% of revenue from all sales, raising national security concerns.

Phishing attacks targeting cryptocurrency users result in millions of dollars in annual losses. Users can protect themselves by verifying website URLs, checking SSL certificates, reviewing platform reputation, inspecting smart contract addresses, and using browser security extensions to detect fraudulent sites before entering credentials or transferring funds.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued Interpretive Letter 1186 on November 18, authorizing national banks to hold native crypto assets and pay blockchain network fees. The guidance enables banks to acquire tokens needed for transaction fees and testing purposes on distributed-ledger networks. Banks may now hold assets on networks including Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche for operational requirements rather than speculative positions.

The Sky community has approved the allocation of up to $2.5 billion in USDS stablecoins to support projects developed through the Obex incubator. Framework Ventures is leading a $37 million funding round into Obex and will oversee the initiative focused on generating onchain yield within the Sky ecosystem.

Obex has raised $37 million in a funding round led by Framework Ventures, LayerZero, and Sky ecosystem to launch an incubator for stablecoins backed by real-world assets. The 12-week program will provide early-stage teams with capital, technical resources, and infrastructure access. Successful projects may qualify for additional funding from Sky's $2.5 billion allocation.

The Trump Organization and Dar Global announced a blockchain-based hotel project in the Maldives on November 17, 2025. The development allows investors to purchase tokenized units during the pre-construction phase, with the resort scheduled to open by the end of 2028. The Trump International Hotel Maldives will feature approximately 80 beach and overwater villas near Malé.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin unveiled Kohaku, an open-source privacy framework for the Ethereum network, at Devcon on November 16. Developed by the Ethereum Foundation and ecosystem partners, the modular architecture enables developers to build privacy-focused wallets without relying on centralized intermediaries. The framework integrates protocols including Railgun and Privacy Pools to obscure transaction details while maintaining compliance mechanisms.

Aave Labs introduced a mobile savings application on November 17, 2025, designed to compete with traditional banks and fintech platforms. The app offers annual interest rates up to 9% and insurance protection covering deposits up to $1 million. Users can fund accounts through stablecoins, bank transfers, or debit cards, with interest accruing continuously around the clock.