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CFTC Hints at Future Digital Asset Regulatory Framework

The U.S. commodities regulator has a four-year plan for fostering responsible innovations in the crypto asset space.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 9:28 a.m. Published Jul 9, 2020, 3:34 p.m.
CFTC Chairman Heath Tarbert
CFTC Chairman Heath Tarbert

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the U.S. bitcoin and ether derivatives markets, plans to develop a digital asset innovation blueprint by 2024.

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  • “We will develop a holistic framework to promote responsible innovation in digital assets,” the swaps regulator teased in its 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, released Wednesday.
  • This “holistic framework” will help keep the CFTC apace with the “risks and opportunities” of these so-called “21st century commodities,” the regulator said, though it was unclear at press time how far the document will ultimately go.
  • Chairman Heath Tarbert called for “principles-based regulation” of blockchain and digital assets in a June essay published by the Harvard Business Law Review, writing there that “overly prescriptive rules could stunt the development of this important market.”
  • On a related front, CFTC announced Thursday it will host three fintech-focused virtual events this fall, including one talk on the future of finance and another on how regulators respond to financial innovation.

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Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture

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Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.

What to know:

Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.

The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.

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Meta and Microsoft continue going big on AI Spending. Here's how bitcoin miners could benefit

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

In its fourth quarter earnings report, Meta said capital spending plans for 2026 should be in the range of $115-$135 billion, well ahead of consensus forecasts.

What to know:

  • Fourth-quarter earnings results from Microsoft (MSFT) and Meta (META) suggested no slowdown in AI-related spending.
  • Microsoft highlighted that AI is now one of its largest businesses and pointed to long-term growth.
  • Meta projected sharply higher capital spending in 2026 to fund its Meta Super Intelligence Labs and core business.