Welcome to issue #40 of The Bitcoin Act, where every Tuesday and Sunday we track the legal and regulatory moves that actually shape Bitcoin, cutting through noise, narratives, and theater.

Now for today’s top stories:

🏛️ Bitcoin Enters Political Strategy Phase
French media reports political elites are studying Bitcoin as an electoral tool, showing it is becoming central to political strategy.

⚖️ South Africa Pushes Hard Bitcoin Disclosure Rules
South Africa proposes strict Bitcoin disclosure rules and possible forced sales.

🏦 Russia Moves Toward State-Linked Bitcoin Markets
Russia’s Sberbank confirms it will offer Bitcoin services once new law classifies Bitcoin as property and enables licensed exchanges.

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Dennis Porter (CEO, Satoshi Action Fund) warns urgent U.S. action is needed, pushing de minimis tax exemption, software protection, Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and domestic mining to secure national sovereignty.

BFM TV reports French politicians, including Gabriel Attal, are studying Bitcoin to gain electoral advantage, signaling a shift where understanding Bitcoin becomes politically strategic in national campaigns.

Scott Bessent (U.S. Treasury Secretary) announces sanctions freezing $344 million in wallets tied to Iran, while Lawrence Lepard argues this demonstrates escalating capital controls Bitcoin is designed to resist.

Kevin Warsh (Federal Reserve Chair nominee) states the Fed lacks legal authority to issue a CBDC, pledging not to pursue one, but don’t forget, Bitcoin is the only neutral, permissionless money.

Admiral Samuel Paparo (U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander) reveals the military is running a Bitcoin node to test securing networks, signaling institutional recognition of Bitcoin as critical infrastructure, not just money.

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) advances that bipartisan and presidential support align, urging immediate passage of Bitcoin-friendly legislation, framing this moment as decisive for U.S. monetary leadership.

Sasha Hodder (partner, Hodder Law Firm) argues legal accountability matters, inviting public questions for a prosecutor panel on Bitcoin prisoners (at the Bitcoin Conf), highlighting ongoing tensions between code, freedom, and state enforcement.

South African Treasury proposes strict controls forcing disclosure and potential sale of Bitcoin holdings. Critics argue the proposal violates privacy, property rights, and freedom of association. BTCBreakdown said grassroots resistance is essential, as Bitcoin adoption only survives when builders push back.

Zack Shapiro of the Bitcoin Policy Institute has singled out the regulatory treatment of AI agents under KYC/AML rules as the single most pressing legal challenge facing digital assets today. He is calling on Congress to swiftly pass the Clarity Act, warning that failure to do so could trigger damaging regulatory fallout for Bitcoin-related software.

Sberbank (Russia’s largest state bank) stated it will offer clients Bitcoin buying and selling once a pending Russian law, classifying Bitcoin as property, is fully enacted and operational.

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🗓️ September 30 – China sets deadline for new rules banning Bitcoin promotion, restricting online financial advertising to licensed entities, and expanding its long-standing prohibition on Bitcoin trading and related activities. CoinCentral

🏢 8 – UK’s Financial Conduct Authority raided eight locations in London targeting illegal peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading, signaling intensified enforcement against unregistered activity and financial surveillance expansion. FCA

⚡ 1% – Uzbekistan launches a state-backed Bitcoin mining zone offering 10-year tax exemptions and a fixed 1% monthly fee, aiming to attract miners under controlled regulatory conditions. Cryptopolitan

🔞 21 – New York sues Coinbase and Gemini, arguing prediction markets qualify as illegal gambling, highlighting that users under the legal betting age of 21 accessed these platforms. Bitcoin Magazine

👥 2 – U.S. authorities charged two Chinese nationals for operating a Myanmar compound forcing workers into Bitcoin-related fraud schemes, exposing the darker side of state-tolerated financial exploitation. Washington Post

“I don’t believe we shall ever have a good money again before we take the thing out of the hands of government, that is, we can’t take them violently out of the hands of government, all we can do is by some sly roundabout way introduce something that they can’t stop.” — Friedrich Hayek

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