Hey there, PoI readers! 💫

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, back with another serving of tantalizing tech and web3 news. From Trump's token troubles and Crypto Mom's NFT dreams to North Korean hackers playing hide-and-seek and UK banks going full tokenization mode, we've got a lot to unpack. So, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the wonderland of digital assets!

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 World Liberty Financial announces token buyback and burn program after WLFI tokens plummeted 41% in September, hoping to boost value through supply reduction.

🟧 SEC Commissioner Hester "Crypto Mom" Peirce jokingly discusses her post-SEC NFT creation plans while highlighting the agency's dramatic shift toward crypto-friendly policies since January.

🟧 Cybersecurity experts urge crypto companies to implement dual wallet management and AI monitoring systems to combat North Korean hackers infiltrating firms through fake job applications.

🟧 UK Finance launches tokenized sterling deposits pilot with six major banks through mid-2026, exploring digital pound representations while the FCA prepares comprehensive crypto regulations for 2026.

World Liberty Financial Burns Tokens After WLFI Price Drops 41 Percent in September

After watching their WLFI tokens take a nosedive faster than my motivation on Monday mornings, the project is launching a buyback and burn program this week.

WLFI tokens crashed 41% in September, sliding from their all-time high of $0.33 on September 1st down to a humble $0.19 by Friday.

The buyback and burn strategy is basically the crypto equivalent of Marie Kondo-ing your token supply - if it doesn't spark joy (or price stability), thank it and send it to the burn address forever. The team will use fees from their liquidity positions across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana to purchase WLFI tokens on the open market, then poof - straight to digital heaven.

The community seemed pretty excited about this plan, voting with 99% approval (talk about peer pressure!). Some industry watchers speculated that this could eliminate around 4 million WLFI tokens daily, potentially removing nearly 2% of total supply annually.

The team believes this mechanism will create scarcity and help stabilize prices as the platform grows. More trading = more fees = more burning = theoretically happier token holders.

WLFI tokens dropped 41% in September, prompting emergency buyback measures

Community voted 99% in favor of burn mechanism using platform fees

Speculated to burn ~4M tokens daily, reducing supply by 2% annually

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce Jokes About Creating NFT Collection After Crypto Policy Wins

Hester Peirce, affectionately known as "Crypto Mom" (because apparently even SEC commissioners need cute nicknames), just delivered what might be the most entertaining speech in regulatory history at a Coin Center event Thursday.

With her official term expired in June but still serving under statutory rules, Peirce had everyone wondering about her next move. She jokingly considered doing a complete 180 on crypto (too mainstream), then moving to beekeeping because "honey is delicious and bees sting with less glee than most Twitter commenters."

Peirce speculated about creating an NFT collection featuring "characters she's encountered in the crypto world" - basically a digital rogues' gallery of CEOs, regulators, and crypto influencers. I'm already placing bets on which crypto Twitter personalities make the cut!

While the NFT talk was clearly tongue-in-cheek, Peirce got serious about her real mission: fixing crypto policy. She apologized for not convincing her government colleagues to "give crypto a chance" during most of her tenure, but there's hope on the horizon.

Since Gary Gensler's departure in January, the SEC has done a complete 180. We're talking about dropping enforcement lawsuits, launching crypto task forces, and what experts believe could trigger a wave of ETF approvals. The "regulation by enforcement" era seems to be getting the boot!

Peirce jokingly plans NFT collection of crypto personalities after SEC tenure

SEC dramatically shifted from enforcement-heavy to crypto-friendly since January 2025

Expected wave of ETF approvals and clearer regulations coming soon

North Korean Hackers Infiltrate Crypto Companies Through Fake Job Applications

Welcome to 2025, where North Korean hackers are apparently updating their LinkedIn profiles and sliding into crypto company DMs with fake resumes.

We're talking about operatives who've already cost companies like Coinbase potentially $400 million after a May data breach that exposed wallet balances and locations of 1% of users.

Yehor Rudytsia from Hacken isn't mincing words: crypto companies need to treat this "DPRK IT worker risk seriously" with thorough background checks and what he calls "dual control wallet operations.”

Experts are pushing for real-time AI monitoring to catch these digital ninjas before they strike. Deddy Lavid from Cyvers dropped this gem: "The Coinbase breach was a warning. Proactive, AI-driven monitoring is how to stop the next one."

The Security Alliance (SEAL) group just exposed at least 60 North Korean agents with fake profiles, complete with aliases, fake citizenships, and bogus websites.

Even Binance's CZ sounded the alarm last week after four North Korean operatives successfully infiltrated multiple crypto startups as freelancers, making off with $900,000.

North Korean hackers infiltrating crypto firms through fake job applications

Recommended dual wallet control and AI monitoring for real-time threat detection

Recent incidents cost companies up to $400M, with $900K stolen by four operatives

Six Major UK Banks Launch Tokenized British Pound Deposits Pilot Program

UK Finance just dropped a pilot program that's basically turning traditional British pounds into blockchain magic, and honestly, it's more exciting than finding out your favorite pub accepts crypto!

This isn't some sketchy DeFi experiment - we're talking about six banking heavyweights: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest, Nationwide, and Santander.

The tech wizardry comes courtesy of Quant Network, the blockchain interoperability specialists who apparently convinced these traditional banks that programmable money is the future. Gilbert Verdian, Quant's CEO, isn't holding back his excitement, claiming this will "fundamentally transform how value is moved and managed.

They're testing three juicy use cases: online marketplace payments (goodbye, slow bank transfers), remortgaging processes (because buying a house wasn't complicated enough), and wholesale bond settlement.

The FCA is reportedly speeding up crypto approvals after recent criticism, with a full regulatory framework expected in 2026. Meanwhile, the EU's MiCA regulation is already in full swing, but tokenized deposits cleverly fall outside its scope since they're still governed by traditional banking rules.

This pilot builds on Quant's success with the Regulated Liability Network (RLN), which already had these same banks plus heavy-hitters like Citi, Mastercard, and Visa experimenting with shared ledger infrastructure.

Six major UK banks pilot tokenized sterling deposits through mid-2026

Quant Network provides blockchain infrastructure for three key use cases

FCA expected to launch comprehensive crypto regulations by 2026

And that's a wrap, my lovely PoI readers! I hope this edition left you feeling informed, entertained, and maybe even a little bit richer (in knowledge, of course). Between burning tokens, dodging digital spies, and watching traditional banks embrace the future, it's been quite the crypto adventure today! Remember to stay curious, stay informed, and keep spreading the love. Until next time, this is Mochi, signing off with a virtual high-five!

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts, questions, and favorite crypto puns with us. very voice matters in the PoI community! 📣❤️ Share the newsletter

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