HEX2026-10-15 12:12:57HEX drops nearly 30% after reports founder Richard Schueler was detained in IstanbulHEX lost nearly 30% over the past 24 hours after Turkish local media reported that founder Richard Schueler, better known as Richard Heart, had been detained in Istanbul together with his wife. CoinMarketCap data cited in the report showed the token falling to $0.0006 by 11:28 am UTC on Thursday, cutting its market capitalization by about $160 million, from more than $500 million on Wednesday to $340 million by press time. The token had previously traded above $0.44 in September 2021. The reported detention came almost two years after Interpol issued a Red Notice for Schueler over alleged tax fraud and assault, with Finnish authorities seeking his arrest. Finland’s National Bureau of Investigations declined to comment. Schueler had also appeared on Europe’s most wanted fugitives list on similar allegations. Separately, the US Securities and Exchange Commission sued him in July 2023, alleging a $1 billion unregistered securities offering and at least $12 million in misappropriated funds. That case was dismissed in February 2025, and the SEC later said in April 2025 that it did not plan to refile.270
Richard Heart2026-10-14 14:03:20Report Says Hex Founder Richard Heart Was Detained in Istanbul on Interpol Red NoticeTurkish authorities detained Hex founder Richard Heart in Istanbul on Wednesday under an Interpol Red Notice, according to Daily Sabah, which cited Turkish state news agency IHA. Heart, whose legal name is Richard James Schueler, was reportedly taken into custody along with his wife during an operation involving Istanbul police and Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, or MIT. Police had monitored his address in the Beşiktaş district before the detention, the report said, and officers seized phones, laptops, graphics cards, firearms, drones, gold bracelets, and cash in multiple currencies. The Red Notice was issued by Interpol in 2024 at Finland’s request. It lists one charge, aggravated tax fraud, while Finnish authorities have also sought Heart over an alleged assault, according to the report. Daily Sabah described the notice as tied to high-value cryptocurrency fraud. The report added that it was not immediately clear whether Finland had formally requested extradition from Turkey. Heart launched Hex in 2018. In 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued him and the entities Hex, PulseChain, and PulseX, alleging unregistered crypto asset securities offerings that raised more than $1 billion and the misuse of at least $12 million in investor funds. A federal judge dismissed that case in February 2025 for lack of jurisdiction, and the SEC did not amend the complaint by an April deadline.220
Turkey2026-10-11 03:21:36Turkey to block social media accounts for users under 15 from Nov. 1Turkey will require social media platforms to stop users under 15 from opening accounts starting Nov. 1, under rules published on Oct. 10. Platforms must verify age through a government-issued certificate delivered via the country’s e-Devlet system, and violations can trigger penalties of up to 3% of a company’s previous year global revenue. The rules also apply to existing accounts, which must complete verification by March 31, 2027. If an existing account is found to belong to a user under 15, the platform must close it after notice and delete the data if there is no appeal. Users aged 15 to 17 may still hold accounts, but only through a restricted version of the service. The regulation bars public-by-default settings, live streaming, recommendation features, personalized advertising and interface designs that continuously present visual content through swiping, clicking or automated playback. Turkey’s framework also differs from models discussed elsewhere because the state, not the platform, issues the age certificate. The move comes after a school shooting in Kahramanmaraş and as rights groups continue to criticize Ankara over broader speech restrictions online.310
Turkey2026-10-08 04:37:00Yapı Kredi crypto unit picks Integral for trading infrastructure ahead of launchYapı Kredi Kripto, the crypto business unit of Turkish commercial bank Yapı Kredi, has selected financial trading technology provider Integral to supply the infrastructure for its upcoming cryptocurrency trading service. According to the report, Integral will provide pricing, liquidity management, and risk control capabilities for the new offering. Yapı Kredi plans to make crypto trading available to clients through a regulated business platform. The bank is the seventh-largest lender in Turkey by assets, with total assets of about $80.9 billion as of the end of 2025. The move ties a major Turkish bank’s crypto push to a named trading technology provider and sets out the operational framework the bank intends to use for the service.320
Turkey2026-10-08 01:36:25Yapı Kredi Kripto picks Integral for compliant crypto trading launch in TurkeyYapı Kredi Kripto, the digital asset arm of major Turkish bank Yapı Kredi, has selected Integral to provide technology for its upcoming compliant cryptocurrency trading service. According to the report, Integral’s system will supply pricing, liquidity aggregation, and risk management tools for the platform. The service is set to operate under Turkey’s new regulatory framework for digital asset service providers. The move points to a broader pattern in which traditional financial institutions are entering the crypto market through compliance-focused infrastructure rather than informal or lightly supervised channels. The report was cited by Techub News, with Bitcoinist named as the source.320
Policy and Re2026-10-07 12:11:00Yapı Kredi Kripto picks Integral technology for planned crypto services in TurkeyIntegral, a provider of currency technology, said Yapı Kredi Kripto in Turkey has selected its digital asset trading technology. The move is set to support the group’s upcoming regulated digital asset business, through which it plans to offer cryptocurrency services. Yapı Kredi Kripto is the crypto business unit of Turkey’s Yapı Kredi Bank. The development was cited by Finextra and later carried by Techub News. The announcement links Integral’s trading infrastructure with a bank-affiliated crypto unit preparing a regulated digital asset offering in the Turkish market. No launch date, product scope, or additional commercial terms were disclosed in the source material.300
Ripple2026-10-06 07:00:49Ripple calls Turkey a digital asset hub, citing custody tie-up and RLUSD payment railsRipple said in an insights article published on Oct. 5 that it views Turkey as a digital asset hub and highlighted the business footprint it has already built in the country. The company said Turkey is not only a center for speculative crypto trading, but also a market where real-world use cases are being shaped by pressure on local currency conditions. According to the article, Ripple’s operations in Turkey include a custody partnership with Garanti BBVA and payment rails for its stablecoin RLUSD. The piece also said retail cryptocurrency trading volume in Turkey rose 7% year over year. The update was reported by Techub News, citing CoinGape. No additional operational details were disclosed in the source material.310
Bybit2026-10-02 13:56:07Bybit CEO says exchange shifted to zero-trust model after 2025 attackBybit CEO Ben Zhou said in an interview with Turkish media outlet Fintechtime that one issue exposed by the exchange’s 2025 attack was its reliance on a third-party service provider and the concentration of too many assets within that provider’s related system. He said Bybit has since overhauled its security policy, moving to a zero-trust model, distributing wallets across different architectures, and strengthening the separation between local and global operations to reduce the risk that a single breach could affect a large amount of assets. Zhou also said Bybit wants to build its Turkey business into a super app covering crypto trading, payments, global transfers, and more investment products.420
