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The White House has completed a fresh batch of sanctions against Russia, aimed at hitting banks and energy companies, in a move to force President Vladimir Putin to support President Donald Trump’s demand for a ceasefire in Ukraine, according to Reuters. The targets include Gazprom, the massive state-owned energy company, and several other major organizations tied to natural resources and finance. Officials involved in the matter did not disclose any more names. Trump hasn’t signed the sanctions yet, but every piece is ready and waiting. One US official said plainly, “It’s totally his call.” Another added that the National Security Council is coordinating the rollout of “more punitive actions.” Trump has been growing frustrated with Putin after repeated attempts to get him to the table have failed. At first, Trump echoed Moscow’s points during the early stages of his private phone calls with Putin. Now he’s running out of patience. James Hewitt, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said Trump is still focused on a full and comprehensive ceasefire. Hewitt refused to say anything about current discussions behind closed doors. If Trump does approve this new sanctions package, it’ll follow the US-Ukraine minerals deal he signed on Wednesday, which was meant to be part of the peace framework. That agreement was pushed hard by Trump to show he’s taking a strong line, even as Putin ignores calls for negotiation. Since the 2022 invasion, the US and its allies have added sanctions over and over. But the Kremlin always finds ways around them. Moscow keeps making money, keeps buying weapons, and the war drags on. That’s why this new set of penalties targets Russia’s lifelines directly. Kurt Volker, who once served as Trump’s envoy to NATO and also handled Ukraine negotiations during his first term, said, “Trump has been bending over backwards to give Putin every opportunity to say, ‘Okay, we’re going to have a ceasefire and an end to the war,’ and Putin keeps rejecting him.” Volker added, “This is the next phase of putting some pressure on Russia. Putin has been escalating.” Trump, meanwhile, “has got the US and Ukraine now in alignment calling for an immediate and full ceasefire, and Putin is now the outlier.” Since returning to the Oval Office in January, Trump has been moving pieces around to try to make the Kremlin play ball. One of the biggest moves was shutting down the Justice Department task force that used to chase down sanctions violators and Russian oligarchs. He’s also made some public comments that support Russia, blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the war and calling him a “dictator.” None of those gestures worked. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special peace envoy, has taken it further. He’s been promoting a peace deal that would give four Ukrainian regions to Moscow. He’s now met Putin four times, including a visit just last week. But three days after that, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, repeated Putin’s maximum demands, and more attacks followed. Missile and drone strikes slammed into Ukrainian cities again, killing more civilians. Back in March, Reuters reported that US officials had a sanctions relief plan on the table—ready to give Russia a break if it came to the negotiating table. But that plan is dead for now. Trump’s mood has changed. Last Saturday, he met Zelenskiy in Vatican City for what both sides called a “very productive” meeting. One day later, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions and Tariffs on Russia” and said they’d stay in place until there’s a full ceasefire and a final deal. Volker also pointed out that Russia is still making serious money off oil and gas sales to India and China. He said the US could go further by using secondary sanctions, a tactic where a country punishes another country for doing business with a third one. In this case, that would mean punishing countries that keep buying from Russia. Volker said it would be “very significant” if Trump pulled that trigger. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More

More than 300 crypto industry participants signed a petition calling on the Trump administration to end prosecutions of open source software developers More than 300 crypto industry participants, including Tyler and Cameron Winkelvoss, have signed a petition launched by DeFi advocacy group DeFi Education Fund. The petition calls on the Trump administration to end the illegal prosecution of open source software developers in the United States and urges David Sacks, the White House director of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, to defend software developers facing scrutiny from the Department of Justice.

FTX has initiated legal proceedings against NFT Stars Limited and Delysium, seeking to recover digital assets allegedly withheld from its estate. The lawsuits are the latest in its ongoing efforts to reclaim funds and maximize creditor recoveries following its collapse in November 2022. The defunct crypto exchange announced on April 29 that it had filed two formal complaints after multiple attempts to engage with the firms in question were ignored. The suits allege that NFT Stars and Delysium failed to transfer tokens to which the firm is contractually entitled. Legal filings in the case against Delysium state that Alameda Ventures, now Maclaurin Investment, paid $1 million in January 2022 for rights to receive 75 million AGI tokens. These coins officially launched in April 2023 with a vesting structure allowing 20% to unlock after 12 months, followed by quarterly releases. However, Delysium allegedly changed the terms by extending the period to 48 months without FTX’s consent and refused to transfer any tokens, citing ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. The complaint against NFT Stars claims that the exchange paid $325,000 in November 2021 to secure 1.35 million SENATE tokens and 135 million SIDUS tokens. While some coins were delivered before FTX’s bankruptcy filing, the company asserts that over 831,000 SENATE and 83 million SIDUS remain unpaid. FTX alleges breach of contract and a violation of the automatic stay triggered by its bankruptcy protection. “We urge token and coin issuers to return assets that rightfully belong to FTX, and are willing to initiate litigation barring adequate engagement,” the Estate said in a statement. “Our team continues to work tirelessly to maximize recoveries for the FTX Estate and return funds to creditors.” The company also confirmed that it is in discussions with several other token issuers and warned that further legal action would follow if they don’t cooperate. These lawsuits come amid the defunct exchange’s broader recovery campaign, which has already seen some success. On February 18, 2025, the company began distributing recovered funds to creditors, starting with approved claims under $50,000 in the Convenience Class. The next round of disbursements is scheduled for May 30, 2025, with the record date set on April 11. This one will cover Class 5 Customer Entitlement Claims, Class 6 General Unsecured Claims, and additional approved Convenience Claims. The initiative follows a court-approved reorganization plan finalized in October 2024 that projects average recoveries of 119% per claim, with some creditors receiving up to 140% in cash. FTX estimates that total asset recoveries will range from $14.7 billion to $16.5 billion, aided by successful recovery efforts from the U.S. Department of Justice and global regulators.

Federal prosecutors have asked a U.S. court to sentence Alex Mashinsky, the founder of Celsius Network, to 20 years in prison. The DOJ claims he orchestrated a massive fraud that misled thousands of investors and resulted in billions of dollars in losses. The sentencing request follows Mashinsky’s December guilty plea to multiple fraud-related charges. In a sentencing memo filed late yesterday, the Department of Justice accused Mashinsky of executing a calculated scheme to enrich himself at the expense of Celsius customers. The DOJ said his crimes were not the result of mismanagement or market downturns, but “deliberate, calculated decisions to lie, deceive, and steal.” Related: Celsius Founder Joins SBF, Do Kwon in Lineup of Prosecuted Crypto Founders Mashinsky was charged with misrepresenting the safety of customer deposits and artificially inflating the price of Celsius’s native token, CEL. Despite promising high yields and low risk, prosecutors said he engaged in risky trading, issued uncollateralized loans, and misused customer assets behind the scenes. At its height in 2021, Celsius managed over $20 billion in crypto assets. The platform collapsed into bankruptcy in July 2022, leaving about $4.7 billion in customer funds trapped. Prosecutors now estimate the total loss at nearly $7 billion, accounting for current crypto market values. The DOJ said Mashinsky personally gained from the fraud, selling more than $48 million worth of CEL while publicly telling customers he was holding the token alongside them. Prosecutors allege his assurances were part of a broader deception that left thousands of investors financially devastated. Despite pleading guilty, Mashinsky has not acknowledged the full extent of his wrongdoing, according to the DOJ. The memo claims he continues to shift blame onto regulators, market conditions, and even his victims. Prosecutors argue this lack of remorse justifies the maximum recommended sentence. “Mashinsky’s refusal to take responsibility underscores the need for a significant sentence,” the DOJ stated. “It is essential to send a clear message to other crypto executives.” The Mashinsky case is one of the most high-profile fraud prosecutions in the crypto industry to date. It comes amid growing calls for regulation and oversight in the digital asset sector. Related: Celsius Founder Pleads Guilty: Faces Fraud Sentencing in 2025 Prosecutors warned that a lenient sentence could undermine public trust and embolden others to prioritize personal gain over investor protection. Notably, the court has scheduled May 8 as the sentencing date. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

New York AG considers dropping Samourai Wallet lawsuit New York’s attorney general is considering dropping a lawsuit against the founders of cryptocurrency wallet app Samourai Wallet, CoinDesk reported. The U.S. Department of Justice previously filed a lawsuit against Samourai