Mastercard's Zerohash Bid, China Sentences Illegal Exchange Operators, Goldman and DBS Trade BTC/ETH Options, and MoviePass Launches "Mogul" | October 30, 2025
Description
Reports point to Mastercard nearing a $1.5–$2B purchase of Zerohash, reflecting the race to own the rails for stablecoin payments and tokenized services (1:20 ). China's enforcement push: Courts issue prison sentences tied to an illicit USDT channel as top officials underscore risks from dollar-pegged tokens (2:59 ).
DBS and Goldman Sachs complete a bank-to-bank, cash-settled options trade on BTC and ETH in another step toward institutional hedging and liquidity in digital assets (4:55 ).
MoviePass launches a fantasy/prediction game for movies, actors, and directors, with real-money features on the roadmap (6:15 ).
This is your essential update on the forces shaping what's next in money.
More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode:
Beganski, André. "MoviePass Debuts Crypto-Based Predictions for Box Office Performances." Decrypt, 29 October 2025, https://decrypt.co/346653/moviepass-crypto-based-predictions-box-office-performances.
Hassan, Anas. "China Jails Five for $166M Crypto Money Laundering Scheme." Cryptonews, 29 October 2025, https://cryptonews.com/news/china-jails-five-for-166m-crypto-money-laundering-scheme/.
Reynolds, Sam. "DBS, Goldman Sachs Execute First Over-the-Counter Interbank Crypto Options Trade." 29 October 2025, CoinDesk, https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/10/29/dbs-goldman-sachs-execute-first-over-the-counter-interbank-crypto-options-trade.
Weiss, Ben and Leo Schwartz. "Exclusive: Mastercard Poised to Acquire Crypto Startup Zerohash for Nearly $2 billion, Sources Say." Fortune, 29 October 2025, https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/10/29/mastercard-zerohash-acquisition-bvnk-stablecoins-coinbase/.
The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti.
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