PANews reported on November 19 that, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Firas Isa, founder of Chicago-based virtual asset company Virtual Assets LLC (the operating entity of Crypto Dispensers), has been indicted by a federal grand jury. He is accused of conspiring with others to use cryptocurrency ATMs to convert and transfer at least $10 million in proceeds of wire fraud and drug trafficking to virtual wallets in order to conceal the source of the funds. Isa and the company are both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty, and a state hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2026.

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives and Senate met with cryptocurrency industry leaders in three separate roundtable events this week. Members of the US Congress met with key figures in the cryptocurrency industry to discuss issues and potential laws related to the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve and a market structure.On Tuesday, a group of lawmakers that included Alaska Representative Nick Begich and Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno met with Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor and others in a roundtable event regarding the BITCOIN Act, a bill to establish a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve. The discussion was hosted by the advocacy organization Digital Chamber and its affiliates, the Digital Power Network and Bitcoin Treasury Council.“Legislators and the executives at yesterday’s roundtable agree, there is a need [for] a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve law to ensure its longevity for America’s financial future,” Hailey Miller, director of government affairs and public policy at Digital Power Network, told Cointelegraph. “Most attendees are looking for next steps, which may mean including the SBR within the broader policy frameworks already advancing.“Read more

