Malwarebytes found a cybercrime forum user selling a $500 scam kit that can create fraudulent Tesla $TSLA token presale websites with no technical skills required. The kit fakes personalized invitations by pulling real X avatars and uses countdown timers and price warnings to pressure victims. Depending on the option chosen, victims either hand over their 12-word recovery phrase or send assets to a scam-controlled address, only to see fake balances on a mock dashboard. The panel lets scammers track victims, collect recovery phrases, and check wallet balances before attacking. Malwarebytes spotted the tool on May 16; similar phishing attacks recently hit IRS and Ledger users.

A paid Decrypt article outlines how crypto-backed loans work and uses Figure’s product to show the mechanics, pricing, licensing and risk terms attached to borrowing against digital assets. The piece says borrowers can pledge Bitcoin, Ethereum or Solana as collateral and receive cash while retaining ownership of the underlying coins, avoiding a sale that could otherwise trigger a taxable event. Figure’s offering is presented around four comparison points: fixed versus variable rates, regulatory licensing, same-day funding without a credit score requirement, and optional liquidation protection in select U.S. states. The article also includes detailed disclosures on availability, fees, APR ranges, repayment structure, company registrations and jurisdiction limits for U.S., New York and international customers. It further notes that liquidation protection does not apply to missed payments or defaults, and that crypto borrowing may generally be non-taxable while liquidation can create an IRS taxable sale. The content is explicitly labeled a paid endorsement by Figure Technology Solutions, Inc.

Fidelity plans to add ETH staking and a quarterly cash distribution mechanism to its spot Ether exchange-traded fund, the Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH), according to CoinDesk. The fund currently has about $898 million in net assets and, under normal conditions, may stake up to 100% of the ETH it holds. Under the proposed arrangement, Fidelity would retain 85% of staking rewards, while the remaining 15% would be allocated to the fund sponsor, custodian, and node operators, including Blockdaemon, Figment, and Galaxy. Net staking income would first be used to cover fund operating expenses, with any remainder distributed to investors in cash on a quarterly basis. CoinDesk said the move was driven by a safe harbor notice issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in November 2025, which allows eligible crypto trusts to stake assets without losing grantor trust tax status.

Fidelity is planning to make its U.S. spot ether ETF yield-bearing. The Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH) would add staking and quarterly cash distributions under an amended registration statement, CoinDesk reported on Aug. 12. The fund has around $898 million in net assets. Under normal conditions it could stake up to 100% of the ETH it holds, while still holding back some assets to cover redemptions and liquidity. Staking rewards would be split: the fund keeps about 85%, and the rest, roughly 15%, goes to the sponsor, custodian, and node operators Blockdaemon, Figment and Galaxy as service fees. Net staking proceeds are first used to pay fund expenses; the remaining amount is distributed to holders as cash dividends at least quarterly, following the U.S. Internal Revenue Service safe harbor rules. If cash is short, Fidelity may sell part of its ETH to fund the payments. The revised registration statement sets out the proposed structure.

Fidelity is seeking to add staking to its spot Ether exchange-traded fund, a move that would let the product generate yield while keeping its existing fund structure. In an amended registration statement, the asset manager said the Fidelity Ethereum Fund, trading under the ticker FETH and holding net assets of $898 million, could stake as much as 100% of its Ether in normal market conditions. The filing does not set a minimum staking allocation, saying some Ether may remain unstaked to meet redemptions, cover fund expenses, and preserve liquidity. The change follows U.S. Internal Revenue Service safe harbor tax guidance issued in November 2025. That guidance allows eligible crypto trusts to stake assets without losing grantor-trust treatment, which can help avoid double taxation. Fidelity is joining Grayscale and 21Shares in pursuing staking features for Ether ETF products, while BlackRock has taken a different route by launching a separate staked Ether ETF. Fidelity said 85% of staking rewards would remain with the fund, while the other 15% would go to the sponsor, custodian, and node operators, which include Blockdaemon, Figment, and Galaxy. Net staking income would first be used to pay ordinary fund operating expenses, with any remainder distributed as quarterly cash dividends. The filing also says the fund may sell part of its Ether holdings when needed to raise cash for those payouts.

New research published in the academic journal Review of Accounting Studies shows that only 32% to 56% of US taxpayers holding virtual currency actually reported their transactions to the federal government, according to a report by CNBC. Starting in 2025, the IRS will require intermediaries to file Form 1099-DA, a virtual-currency-specific tax reporting form. Under that requirement, inconsistencies between reports filed by industry intermediaries and declarations made by individual taxpayers will be easier for authorities to identify. In its first year, the form only requires reporting of total proceeds; the obligation to report cost basis will be formally added starting in 2026.

U.S. federal government disclosure filings show that Donald Trump holds more than $50 million in cold-storage Bitcoin, $5 million to $25 million in Ether, and more than $50 million in WLFI governance tokens. The filing also lists $510,808 in validator rewards, $45,932 in USDC interest, $635 million in royalties tied to Celebration Coins, $236.25 million in token sales, and $65.625 million in equity sales. The document illustrates a basic tax rule that applies to crypto investors of any size: unrealized gains are generally not taxed until the asset is sold, traded, or spent.

CNBC has reported on a research paper published in the March issue of the academic journal Review of Accounting Studies. The study estimates that only 32% to 56% of cryptocurrency holders in the United States have declared their transactions to the federal government. The findings highlight the low rate of tax reporting among crypto investors. Separately, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will require brokers to send investors Form 1099-DA starting in the 2025 tax year. The form will summarize an investor's total proceeds from digital asset transactions. Accountants say that calculating taxes on digital assets has always been extremely complicated, often much harder than doing so for traditional financial instruments like stocks and bonds. The complexity of crypto tax computation is widely noted by accounting professionals.