Trump announces trade deal with South Korea: 15% tariffs + $350 billion in investment

South Korean prosecutors probing the former President Yoon Suk-yeol and the former First Lady Kim Keon-hee have interrogated the suspected crypto fraudster Jon Bur Kim (real surname Park). Park, a crypto market maker and luxury sports car collector, has been indicted for crypto fraud . Prosecutors think he issued and manipulated two so-called “scam coins,” and manipulated their prices by issuing fake news about the tokens. However, prosecutors earlier this month established a possible link between Park’s case and that of the former First Lady. Kim Keon-hee is accused of peddling influence, stock manipulation, and other corruption-related charges. Former President Yoon: Arrest Warrant Incoming? Prosecutors are investigating Kim Keon-hee along with Yoon, who failed in a bid to declare martial law in South Korea in early December last year. Yoon’s refusal to share iPhone passcode disrupts special probe https://t.co/c8NXMuUcLc — The Korea Times (@koreatimescokr) July 29, 2025 The former President was later impeached. He has since been charged with various corruption-related offences. But Former President Yoon has twice refused to respond to court summons requests. This has led prosecution officials to consider requesting an arrest warrant. Yonhap reported that the probe has also expanded to Yoon and Kim’s associates. The South Korean news agency wrote that the special prosecution team is believed to be investigating the former senior prosecutor Kim Sang-min. Prosecutors believe Kim Sang-min may have “received illicit money” from the chief suspect in a crypto fraud case. Media outlets assume that this is Park, who is accused of embezzling 80.9 billion won ($58.1 million) worth of investors’ money. Prosecutors think that Park gave Kim Sang-min money to pay for motor vehicle rental fees. Kim Sang-min then allegedly used this money to pay for the vehicles as he attempted to win the People Power Party nomination for the Changwon Uichang district seat ahead of the April 10 legislative election last year. Kim Sang-min was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid, and was eliminated during the primaries. But prosecution officials appear to think that Kim Keon-hee used her influence to help him run. The special counsel team investigating allegations surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee has requested an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the team announced Wednesday. https://t.co/c7xp77LPWD — The Korea JoongAng Daily (@JoongAngDaily) July 30, 2025 Rug Pull Suspect Summoned The latest development appears to confirm reports from earlier this month . These claimed that the special prosecution team had asked to see the Park/scam coin case files. Prosecutors think that Park and a CEO surnamed Moon stole hundreds of billions of won. They think the duo issued and listed a suspected scam coin named Atube in 2021. They have also accused Park of masterminding a rug pull scam for a token named Podo Coin, also in 2021.

Key Takeaways: A Deloitte survey shows 23% of North American CFOs expect to integrate cryptocurrency into treasury operations by 2027. Beyond financial use, crypto adoption could reshape corporate governance, vendor management, and workforce skill requirements. Stablecoin regulation and CBDC rollouts may influence whether crypto becomes a mainstream corporate settlement mechanism. Nearly a quarter of chief financial officers in North America expect their finance departments to be using cryptocurrency treasury within two years, according to a Deloitte survey published on July 31. The survey, conducted from June 4 to June 18, polled 200 CFOs from companies generating at least $1 billion in annual revenues. Concerns Over Volatility and Controls Deloitte found that 23% of respondents said their treasury teams will utilize cryptocurrency for either payments or investments by 2027, with the figure rising to almost 40% among CFOs at firms with $10 billion or more in revenue. The report noted that 43% of CFOs cited price volatility as their top concern in adopting non-stable cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether. Accounting complexity and controls were identified by 42%, followed by a lack of industry regulation at 40%. Regulatory uncertainty has been heightened by recent U.S. policy shifts. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) formed a crypto task force in January before rescinding prior accounting guidance, prompting the Financial Accounting Standards Board to update its own rules in March. 🚀 SEC establishes new crypto ETF listing standards enabling approximately dozen major digital assets to gain approval by October through streamlined framework. #SEC #ETFs https://t.co/grlJtGb5tH — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 31, 2025 Fifteen percent of CFOs indicated they expect to accept stablecoins for payments within two years, with the proportion again higher for the largest companies. Forty-five percent of respondents pointed to improved customer privacy as a benefit, while 39% cited efficiency in cross-border payments. Corporate Treasury Use Cases Expanding Beyond treasury functions, CFOs identified supply chain tracking as a key application. More than half said they expect to use non-stable cryptocurrencies for this purpose, and nearly as many indicated the same for stablecoins. The survey also showed that discussions about cryptocurrency are becoming common at senior levels. Thirty-seven percent of CFOs said they had spoken with their boards about crypto adoption, while 41% had discussed it with CIOs, and 34% with banks or lenders. Only 2% reported no engagement with stakeholders on the issue. The growing dialogue suggests corporations are weighing not only direct financial use cases but also how digital assets could reshape vendor relationships, treasury systems, and compliance frameworks. At the same time, the trajectory of stablecoin regulation and central bank digital currency initiatives could determine whether CFOs view crypto primarily as a niche investment tool or as an eventual component of mainstream corporate payment and settlement systems. Frequently Asked Questions How might corporate crypto adoption affect internal audit practices? CFOs may require updated audit frameworks to manage blockchain transactions, ensuring transparency, risk control, and compliance with evolving accounting standards. What skills will finance departments need to manage crypto use? Departments will likely need expertise in blockchain technology, cross-border settlement systems, cybersecurity, and compliance with multi-jurisdictional regulations. Could crypto adoption impact vendor relationships? Yes. Crypto-based payments and supply chain tracking may streamline reconciliation processes and provide transparency in procurement and logistics. How might stablecoin regulation influence CFO adoption timelines? Clearer rules could accelerate adoption by reducing regulatory risk and encouraging CFOs to view stablecoins as viable settlement assets.

PANews reported on July 31st, according to Decrypt. U.S. prosecutors stated at a criminal trial held in New York on Wednesday that developer Roman Storm created the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado